Authors: Dee Dawning
"Yes, well, if you'll excuse us." Julian's arm around me tugged me along. "We're already late."
The guard stepped aside. "Of course, sir."
"I'll be sure and tell Dr. Goodbody what a superb job, Clyde and you are doing."
The guard beamed. "Thank you, sir. It's always nice to feel appreciated.
Minutes later, leaving my car at the museum, we drove off to Jessie's house. "Where does Jessie live?"
"She lives with her sixteen year old son, Jason in
Pasadena. That's about twelve miles for here. We should just make it."
It was just getting dark when we pulled up to a darling, older Spanish home. The driveway overflowed so we parked on the street.
"Well, it looks like everyone is here." Julian exited on his side and came around, opened my door and offered his hand to help me out. "Oh, your hand is cold. Are you nervous?"
"A little, but if everyone is as nice as Jessie, I'll be fine."
When we got to the door, instead of knocking or ringing the doorbell, he just clicked the thumb latch and it opened.
When we stepped in I heard someone say. "There he is." I glanced up and saw Jessie heading our way. After hugging Julian, she embraced me and kissed me on the cheek. Then she turned to her mother, father and sisters. "Everyone, this is Laurel. Isn't she lovely?"
Everyone, except Julian's mother, nodded, with the father chipping in. "I'll say. Julian has good taste, just like his Pappy." He winked.
I liked Julian's dad, immediately. In fact as Julian reminded me of Daddy so did John.
Jessie continued her introduction. "Okay,
Laurel, sitting on the couch are my sisters, Judy and Janet."
The one on the left said, "I'm Judy and that's Janet."
I nodded. "Nice to meet you both."
"Next on the settee is my mother, Julie and my father, John."
Julie waved, but John rose. "I have to get a hug from my future daughter-in-law."
He came up to me, but stopped short. "Is it all right?"
"Instead of answering him, I eased into him and embraced him. It's nice to meet you, John."
He pulled away and waggled his eyebrows. "And it's doubly nice to meet you."
Jessie signaled for the young man who sat in a corner chair to come over. He stood and as he came toward us, Jessie explained, "And this is Johnny, my one and only."
He waved shyly, but I decided since he was already there, I hugged him too. "Hi Johnny. You have a very nice mother."
"Thank you. Julian is a lucky man."
Julian laughed. "Trying to make points with my woman, huh?"
Johnny's mouth fell open. "No, Uncle Julie, really—"
Julian wrapped an arm across his shoulders. "Just kidding, Johnny."
Jessie took my free hand. "Well, dinner is ready. Shall we go eat?" She led me into the dining room, while Julian went and escorted his mother. I could hear him whispering to her as we walked into the dinning room.
The dinning room was large and fortunately seated all eight of us. Jessie insisted I sit at the head of the table with Julian to my right and Juliet to my left. John and Janet sat next to Juliet, while Judy sat next to my fianc
é. Jessie and Johnny went into the kitchen to serve the meal, which turned out to be Cesar's salad, ham, yams and corn on the cob.
Juliet, though polite, seemed cool toward me, which thanks to Julian, I expected. She did offer an honest assessment of her feelings. "You have to understand, this whole thing has taken me by surprise. I'd never even heard your name mentioned before today. Give me time to get used to the idea."
"I understand. Take your time."
Julian's mother and father left at ten-thirty and we left shortly thereafter. My initial impressions seemed to hold through the night. John liked me and I liked him. Juliet was undecided about me and all I could do was hope she came around. Johnny was a nice boy, who was just getting interested in girls. Judy and Janet were pleasant enough, but they were not as effusive as Jessie, who claimed to love me like a sister.
Chapter Twelve – Mother Superior and the Atheist
"To believe in God is impossible - to not believe in Him is absurd"
~ Voltaire ~
A
s I had for the last five days I awoke in Julian's bed. Except for yesterday when he fixed breakfast and proposed, I awoke in his arms. I laid there staring at the ceiling as a slide show of the previous night's events unfolded within my mind. After receiving cunnilingus on his desk, we made love in the hominid exhibit, then the rain forest and lastly the dinosaur exhibit after which I can truthfully say I was sated. Then of course, I got to meet Julian's family.
Mother Superior.
For some unfathomable reason, I'd been putting off bringing Mother Superior and Julian together. No more excuses. I gently removed his hand from my breast, hopped out of bed and got in the shower. Wearing my undergarments, I applied my make-up and got dressed. Poor Julian, I must have worn him out last night for he'd yet to wake before it was time for me to leave. Since I didn't want to wake him, I left a note—
Went to get Mother Superior. Love forever, L
* * * *
Laurel ushered in her Mother Superior and after introductions and preliminary pleasantries, the three of us sat down. Sue, as she asked me to call her, sat in one of two occasional chairs, while I sat on the couch. My love, Laurel went into the kitchen to prepare coffee and refreshments.
Sue chose not to wear her religious garments, for which I was grateful. However, she was in possession of the usual Catholic crutches, the bible, a crucifix and rosary beads. She looked to be somewhere between her late fifties and early sixties, possessed a pleasant if not comely face, bright blue eyes and light brown turning gray hair in a French twist. My first impression of the woman was favorable. I liked her, she seemed to be a good woman, therefore I decided to take it easy on her.
"Thank you for having me here today. I can see why our Laurel has fallen for you."
I smiled, but said nothing.
Laurel walked in carrying a tray containing cups, a carafe, creamer, sweeteners and a plate of pastries. After serving coffee and our selected pastry, she sat on the couch next to me. Curling her well turned legs beside her on the couch and placing an arm over my shoulders, a stab of pride filtered through me as she left no doubt about her feelings for me.
Cementing our togetherness, I set my left hand on her knee.
Sue smiled. "There's no doubt you two make a darling couple. Julian, Sister Laurel has indicated your beliefs are strong and ingrained so I don't intend to dissuade you of them."
I smiled back. "That's very kind of you Sister Sue, but let me assure you my beliefs were not ingrained. They were sought out and when the truth of them became apparent they were absorbed. No parent, pastor or Sunday school teacher imbued these beliefs into my young impressionable mind, though such people did try to instill, in me, their Christian beliefs."
"I see." She fidgeted around in her seat and finally sat up straight. "So your parents were Christian?"
I nodded. "That's right, they still are—Presbyterian. Being a vocal atheist is a disappointment to my family, but they tolerate it as if I were an eccentric son. The fact is, there is no compelling reason to believe in a supreme being."
Sister Sue took a sip of her coffee. "Mmm, good coffee. Julian, you may be surprised to know that I agree with you on that point, but that is where faith comes in."
"Faith!
Do you know what faith means? Belief in something without proof. I can't operate that way. Nor can six million avowed and countless closet atheists in our country."
Nevertheless, faith in God and his goodness is what sustains me and hundreds of millions of believers. But we digress, I did not come here to argue the merits of my beliefs or yours.
My confusion must have showed, because she laughed. "Don't look so surprised. I merely wanted to meet the man who captivated Sister Laurel and protect her rights as a Catholic."
"I'm listening."
"I want your promise that you will permit her to practice her religion as she sees fit."
"Agreed."
"That you will get married in our convent chapel."
I really didn't like it, but
Laurel was giving up so much to be with me, that I agreed. "No problem…provided it's what she wants."
Laurel
kissed my cheek. "Thanks, it is."
I smiled and turned to Sister Sue. "That's settled. What else?"
Sister Sue took her time answering. She fidgeted and took a sip of her coffee. Finally, she spoke, "That future offspring from your union have a Catholic upbringing."
I sensed my eyes widening as I leaned forward. "No, no,
no!
Are you aware of the Catholic maxim, 'Give me the
children until they are seven and
anyone may have them thereafter.'?"
"I believe you are quoting one of the Jesuit founders, St Ignatius Loyola or St Francis Xavier—'Give me the child until he is seven and I care not who has him thereafter.'"
"Whatever? The meaning is clear, they destroy freethinking."
"I'm sure that was bravado, moreover, if it wasn't, I'm equally sure the Jesuits of the twenty-first century are a bit more tactful than the sixteenth century. Even so, I'm not suggesting you send your children to be educated by the Jesuits. We merely want the children to learn what millions of others believe. In you and
Laurel's case, your viewpoint can balance that of the church."
I leaned back and wrapped an arm around my fiancée. "Laurel and I will talk about it."
After that, the conversation turned to what Laurel had to do to rescind her vows.
"Don't worry I'll help you get through all of that. Well, if that's it, I'll be leaving now." She rose. "I really enjoyed meeting and talking with you Julian. You two seem like a perfect match. I hate to repeat myself, but I can see why
Laurel is taken with you." She winked. "Even if you are misguided."
Laurel and I stood as well. "I enjoyed meeting you too."
"Yes, I'll miss you Sister Sue. Let me get my wrap and I'll drive you home."
As
Laurel kissed me goodbye and said, "See, you were fine. I'll be back in two hours and when I do, I want to celebrate…" With a naughty smile on her lips, she winked. "In bed. I adore you…you…beautiful man." I suddenly felt a deep pang of guilt at the trickery that I'd used to get this lovely effervescent young woman to give up her vows. True, it was her sister, Tess's idea, but I was the one who implemented it—I pulled it off.
I went into the living room and began to read a magazine, but the uncomfortable feeling wouldn't go away. I grabbed and switched on the TV remote. I tuned onto to a Dodger game, but all I could think of was how the woman I loved and I were starting our lives together with a lie.
I called Tess. "Hello?"
"Oh, I'm glad I got you! Tess, I don't know what's come over me, but I suddenly feel like…Bernie Madoff."
"What are you talking about?"
"Fraud! You and I perpetrated fraud on a lovely and unsuspecting woman."
"Yea, I guess we did and it worked. So what?"
"So what. We're in love and getting married. We're going to be spending the rest of our life together and we'll be starting it on a lie. My lie—your lie."
When she didn't respond I continued, "Tess, Laurel and I met with her Mother Superior, Sister Sue. We talked and everything went fine. She's nice."
"Yes, I've met her."
"Oh. Well, but after she left the guilt I felt was overwhelming. Almost like…it was being instilled in me."
"What are you saying? That God is making you feel bad?"
Without thinking, my head shook. "No…well maybe. Some outside power."
"Buck up Julian. You're an atheist."
"I know…I know. It doesn't make sense."
"Look, you just had a woman of God there. A nice woman of God. It left an impression on you and now your subconscious is causing you to feel guilty."
"Maybe. It doesn't matter. Whether it's from inside or some outside source, I have to get it off my chest. Don't worry, I won't implicate you."
"I wouldn't do it if I were you."
"No, my mind is made up. I have to do this. I can't start our marriage with a deception. You know what I mean?"
"Ah-huh, I do, but I wouldn't do it if I was you. You'll send her scurrying right back to God."
"Maybe, maybe not. We'll see."
When Laurel got home I wanted to tell her, but she had ideas of her own. After my baby finally experienced sex, she turned out to be a very sensual woman and before I could say a word, she was passionately kissing and undressing me. Soon, I was into the swing of things myself and when she went down on me, I lost it. I lifted her into my arms, headed toward the bedroom, and set her down on my bed. She wore a brown button down sweater and jeans. I started to unbutton her sweater but she stopped me, by covering my hands with hers.