you sinned?”
Mary had never before felt so able to speak; to confess her innermost secrets . “Father, I am 40 years old and am happily married . Married for twenty-three years - no children, unfortunately . I have never been unfaithful and, as far as I know, neither has my husband, Michael.”
“As it should be,” interposed the Jesuit.
“Yes, Father . Quite. But…. but.” Mary paused . It was a struggle to admit her sin . She took a deep breath . This man would wring everything from her . “Well . Last week, I had a visit from an old friend . Someone I had worked with in a Bank before she left to go with her parents to live in Worcestershire . We were always very close; she sometimes would come out dancing or whatever, with Michael and myself.”
“Go on, child.”
Outside the confessional, the short pew had filled with five other persons, four of which were female, waiting patiently to tell the holy man of their transgressions . Under the pretext of deep prayer, eyes closed, heads bowed, hands clasped, to a person their ears were straining to catch the low but audible words of the unsuspecting Mary . What unspeakable thing has she done?
Mary went on: “Last Wednesday…. no it would be Thursday; I know it was Thursday, as that’s the day I check my Lottery ticket . I don’t want to know immediately, if I’m a winner . I’d checked it with Jacqui, that’s my friend, and I didn’t win . Someone wins every time so…”
“Yes . But what do you wish to confess?” The voice gentle.
“Sorry . I do tend to go on a bit.” Mary continued: “Well . We had had a couple of glasses of red wine – just two each and were sitting close to each other on the settee, when Jacqui put an arm around me and hugged me to her . I thought she was just being naturally affectionate, us being old friends and that.” She paused, getting to the nub of the matter . “When I turned to her, she…she…well, she kissed me!”
“In what way did she do that?”
“In a more than friendly way!” Mary swallowed . “She, well…you know…she gave me a…a lover’s kiss . Yes . She pulled me to her and…Oh, I feel awful telling you this.”
“To obtain God’s forgiveness, you must tell all . You cannot hide anything from Him . He already knows but it is necessary for salvation that you admit it to Him, through me, His humble servant.” The warm, soothing voice sounded totally calm, completely unshocked.
“She pushed her tongue into my mouth,” she mumbled.
“Speak up, please.” Mary repeated the sentence.
“She pulled me to her and began to fondle me, Father . Fondle me in private places.”
“Well, my child, you cannot be seen to have sinned when this act was perpetrated by your friend, against your will and without warning.”
The poor woman blushed crimson, her cheeks aflame . The eyes of the Saviour bore into her . “But, Father . I responded!” She allowed a silence, waiting for the bellowing admonishment.
“When you say you responded , you did back what she was doing to you?” came the calm response.
“Yes, Father . I responded in kind . And, the thing is, I enjoyed it!”
The Jesuit spoke, still calm, unhurried: “You are forty years old, my daughter, and you will have looked back on your life . No matter how contented that life may have been, you will have felt that your freshness is beginning to pass . You will feel less attractive to the male; not quite as active as you used to be; not as quick of mind and nimbleness.”
Mary listened attentively, as did the awaiting sinners, straining their ears to the limit.
“This is a natural reaction when women reach that time in their lives . You are in the company of thousands in the same turmoil . It is like starting to – what term would you use? Court . Is that it?” Without waiting for a reply, he
Mary had never before felt so able to speak; to confess her innermost secrets . “Father, I am 40 years old and am happily married . Married for twenty-three years - no children, unfortunately . I have never been unfaithful and, as far as I know, neither has my husband, Michael.”
“As it should be,” interposed the Jesuit.
“Yes, Father . Quite. But…. but.” Mary paused . It was a struggle to admit her sin . She took a deep breath . This man would wring everything from her . “Well . Last week, I had a visit from an old friend . Someone I had worked with in a Bank before she left to go with her parents to live in Worcestershire . We were always very close; she sometimes would come out dancing or whatever, with Michael and myself.”
“Go on, child.”
Outside the confessional, the short pew had filled with five other persons, four of which were female, waiting patiently to tell the holy man of their transgressions . Under the pretext of deep prayer, eyes closed, heads bowed, hands clasped, to a person their ears were straining to catch the low but audible words of the unsuspecting Mary . What unspeakable thing has she done?
Mary went on: “Last Wednesday…. no it would be Thursday; I know it was Thursday, as that’s the day I check my Lottery ticket . I don’t want to know immediately, if I’m a winner . I’d checked it with Jacqui, that’s my friend, and I didn’t win . Someone wins every time so…”
“Yes . But what do you wish to confess?” The voice gentle.
“Sorry . I do tend to go on a bit.” Mary continued: “Well . We had had a couple of glasses of red wine – just two each and were sitting close to each other on the settee, when Jacqui put an arm around me and hugged me to her . I thought she was just being naturally affectionate, us being old friends and that.” She paused, getting to the nub of the matter . “When I turned to her, she…she…well, she kissed me!”
“In what way did she do that?”
“In a more than friendly way!” Mary swallowed . “She, well…you know…she gave me a…a lover’s kiss . Yes . She pulled me to her and…Oh, I feel awful telling you this.”
“To obtain God’s forgiveness, you must tell all . You cannot hide anything from Him . He already knows but it is necessary for salvation that you admit it to Him, through me, His humble servant.” The warm, soothing voice sounded totally calm, completely unshocked.
“She pushed her tongue into my mouth,” she mumbled.
“Speak up, please.” Mary repeated the sentence.
“She pulled me to her and began to fondle me, Father . Fondle me in private places.”
“Well, my child, you cannot be seen to have sinned when this act was perpetrated by your friend, against your will and without warning.”
The poor woman blushed crimson, her cheeks aflame . The eyes of the Saviour bore into her . “But, Father . I responded!” She allowed a silence, waiting for the bellowing admonishment.
“When you say you responded , you did back what she was doing to you?” came the calm response.
“Yes, Father . I responded in kind . And, the thing is, I enjoyed it!”
The Jesuit spoke, still calm, unhurried: “You are forty years old, my daughter, and you will have looked back on your life . No matter how contented that life may have been, you will have felt that your freshness is beginning to pass . You will feel less attractive to the male; not quite as active as you used to be; not as quick of mind and nimbleness.”
Mary listened attentively, as did the awaiting sinners, straining their ears to the limit.
“This is a natural reaction when women reach that time in their lives . You are in the company of thousands in the same turmoil . It is like starting to – what term would you use? Court . Is that it?” Without waiting for a reply, he
Similar Books
