Page 18 of Eyes Like Angel
Still am.
In the eyes of perfect, I was a defect—a defect to their system. At least the townspeople accepted and came to a conclusion altogether and nobody wants to talk a cursed soul like me.
None of my emotions has yet to stride on lust and envy, thankfully. But given to the context on lust and envy, I had no particular reasons to know or condone to act.
As a nun in a divine monastery, the priest laid three rules I must follow—poverty, obedience and chastity. Obedience and chastity bound together. Was it for the sake of safety, to shelter my pure innocence? Or was it just for the vows to take in order to be accepted with open arms by God in Heaven?
For God, I knew he has the solution, has the answer to all answers.
God is absolute; people had often told me, as does the members from Divine Miracles Church. Wherever He is now, I’m sure He was watching over me and contemplated my inner questions drove me awake.
A soft sound glided on a wooden floor. Looking below, I spotted a white linen handkerchief with pink rosebuds on the fabric, contained in pieces in bread—with a cold turkey meat sandwich, cherry Danish bread and a tiny box of orange juice.
Roamed around the far back in the dark attic, I came across a portrait of a young man with a long, blond hair and a timeless suit with a family ring on his finger with encrusted ruby atop, and a box.
Other boxes I stumbled up were mostly decorations for the holidays, holidays people mostly respected. I scanned toeach and every one of them, but it wasn’t a bright idea to touch them. Spiders might live there, so I trudged along back to where I came from, and then I paused in my tracks and spotted an ivory box with laced silk ribbon. Inspecting over, I scanned over the items—a silver brush, violet dress, red rouge lipstick, silver bracelet with green gemstone with an engraved in a cursive letter of ‘E’, and several pieces of skeletons.
Ah, it’s a Halloween decoration. A bride costume, perhaps?
It’s what I initially thought first before claiming this property as my own. I used and claimed these items for quite some time now, but as for the skeletons, it’s a simple decoration, almost as if it looks real.
Plentiful and uncoordinated stacks and a few supplies to carry within this attic—no food, no water, no bathroom, no toilet, no bed and blanket and no dresser, not even a dining table or a silverware or refrigerator. My life in this attic has been a lackluster, but it was better off living here than living in the streets, during time of season, I’d rather sleep on a floor, not so much dirt and diseases carried like in the outside streets. Therefore, I was blessed. It’s better to receive a little gift than no gift at all, all because in God’s favor.
My teeth crunched at the meal in my hand, chewing its savory content and swallowed. My stomach stopped growling for a short moment, only to be begged for more. I shoved another portion in my starving mouth, roaming and strolling back to my originated place on a wooden floor, held the napkin in on one hand, swallowing more content. Cherry Danish bread had my tongue quenched, so I pierced the unwrapped straw and stabbed it through the top container and drained it all. Dizziness swept and erased, and my stomach is filled.
Somehow, I feel…satisfied, a point I don’t need to face my sadness and the drownings I endured yesterday, yesterday was ahistory, and today’s a mystery—this is God’s gift, for the gracious courtesy and hospitality, and for today’s mystery was the food in the white linen handkerchief with pink rosebuds. I took the linen material in between my fingers and ran my thumbs for its texture. It was light and airy, and the material was as gentle as a dove’s feather. Inhaling the scent in, it smelled like
The door frame shifted, hearing several locks as the doorknob, unable to rotate and got stuck in twisted the handle back and forth, I hid the food contents I consumed and stuffed them into my deep pockets in my nun dress, and had myself sat still, watching the door handle hauled downwards, revealing Sister Edith had her head low, and Father Divine smiling at me, as if nothing transpired from last night.
“Ah, Sister Eva,” he began, had his hands intertwined. “Good to see you again. I hope you learn your lesson after yesterday.”
“Yes…” I uttered meekly, lowering my gaze downward, peaking at their lush robes.
“Answer me,” he said with a grin on his face.
I provided a small nod to Father Divine’s probing.
“Good,” he replied, his voice mingled in satisfaction and discontent. “Sister Edith, would you mind taking care of her? I have other personal matters to attend to.”
Sister Edith obliged and hoisted me up unkindly, stripping my thinning habit, and replaced with a new and shiny attired she threw at me.
Her eyes gazed at me angrily without uttering a single word.
Dress, she might’ve said, but giving an indication I must do it on the spot without another wall to shield me from judging glare.
Not long before, we’ve been asked to go downstairs at the church altar and gathered information for today’s assignment.
***
Soon after we met up with Sister Joanne at the porch step, we clambered all the way down and promoted the flyers in Fort Heaven, reminding them to always attend to Father Divine’s church every Sunday.
“Give these flyers to the people, to remind them to come every Sunday at Divine Miracles Church and report to Sister Edith about these distributions. These distributions are for the newcomers, not the locals,”Sister Joanne instructed without darting her dark look in her eyes at me, after what occurred last night.
I tried to be strong, but I felt weak, not wanting to do anything or meet everyone’s eyes.
I was accompanied by Sister Lucia, who was dreaded from Sister Joanne’s instructions, but didn’t bother and given her obedience.
Hours went by; we slid the flyers at every door in the neighborhood to save time.
