Chapter 2
2065 Words
Without a second thought, the man fetches her and carries in a bridal style. To hide from embarrassment, Maria snuggles her face to the man's broad chest and the scent of his expensive cologne strikes her nostrils and she likes it.
“Hey, you smell good.” The alcohol is getting into her system that Maria voices out whatever comes to her mind.
She willingly gets in the car but feels awkward and nervous at the same time. Maria is still sober and looks at the tinted window but it's all dark outside. While on their way, she didn't realize what the man was doing and was busy with something until Lorenzo handed her a glass of wine. She stares at the glass shifting her eyes to the man and the wine, she grabs and drinks it straight to her throat again.
“One more,” she said while licking the spilled wine on her lips.
“Sister, it's forbidden for you to drink,” he reminded, playing a fool because of her attire.
“If it is forbidden to drink, why does a priest drink wine? Is there any difference?” she asked.
Perhaps she is drunk and spouting nonsense, the man thought. He then poured another glass of wine and gave it to her.
When they reach their destination, Maria is already clinging to the man and cannot walk straight at all. Lorenzo caught her and decided to carry her on his shoulder. Maria is not in her right mind to complain. She is weak and has no energy left to stop the man.
As they enter the bedroom, Lorenzo puts her down, allowing her to sit on the enormous bed. Maria starts to remove her shoes, veil, the rosary beads around her neck and throw them on the carpeted floor. She didn't care and hopped to the bed, leaning her back comfortably, and hugged the huge pillow.
Lorenzo smiles as he notices the woman has a small face and curly brown hair.
“Hey, are you alright?” Lorenzo asked while removing his shoes and socks while hopping on the bed to join the woman and sit beside her with few inches apart.
Maria starts to sob again and speak to herself.
“If he is sincere and wants to serve his god, why does he need to disappear and leave me just like that? Who does he think he is?”
Lorenzo frowned, wondering why this woman keeps crying. Who is this lucky guy?
Lorenzo doesn't understand but he is responding to whatever this woman is blabbering.
“He must have a reason, he replied despite being clueless.
“For me, he is just covering his true colors with that cassock! He looks more sinful. He betrayed me, and fooled everyone!”
Maria screams in frustration but the man remains calm and hugs her. He now understands after Maria mentioned the cassock.
“Is it your boyfriend?” he asked.
“Yes, my f*cking boyfriend is a priest.”
Maria cried hysterically and the man felt pity for her.
Lorenzo scratches the back of his neck. At first, he wanted to believe that this cosplayer is a real novitiate but after she cursed, he is convinced she is a mere cosplayer of that club. “Hey, it's alright.”
Maria lifted her face looking at the man delightedly, wiping her tears, and said, “No! It's not alright. I waited for him and acted pure, saving my virginity for him but he never kissed me, not even once...waah!”
Maria cried desperately while Lorenzo wanted to laugh hard.
Maria was so wasted crying in a mess.
“You mean, you have never been kissed and you are a virgin?”
Maria becomes silent while sniffing. She can't even look at the man as she pouts and nods continuously while saying, “I don't even know how to kiss.”
For a while, Lorenzo stares at Maria with mouth agape thinking if the cosplayer is working in the club.
“Do you want me to teach you?” he asked, cupping her cheeks.
“Teach me then,” she said looking at the man with groggy eyes and a smile. Maria is acting adorably cute suddenly and faces the man.
“Let’s begin, shall we?”
Maria closes her eyes to receive the kiss but the man chuckles.
“Stop laughing, it's my first kiss. It is holy and precious.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah. I am giving it to you because that bastard priest doesn’t like to kiss me,” Maria is so desperate that she forced the man to kiss her.
“Then relax and remember, this is your first holy kiss, okay?” Lorenzo
Saying the last word, the man holds her cheeks and cups them pulling closer to his face and kissing her softly. Just like a feather touch, Maria feels the warm lips of the man brushing into hers.
A man who has everything and a woman who has nothing become one as they share the forbidden s****l desire.
As soon as she opens her eyes, she taps her forehead still feeling dizzy. Maria blinks her eyes a few times as the ceiling of the room isn't familiar. Thinking about what had happened last night, Maria widened her eyes and shifted her head slowly to her right.
Holy mother!
She pursed her lips, preventing her scream to come out as she realized how she messed up last night.
Maria slowly removes the man's hand, palm still cupping her one breast. She almost stops her breath afraid that the man will wake up anytime soon.
She moved down carefully collecting and wearing her clothes one by one. She can't think straight at all and leap without looking back.
The gate security guards saw her.
“Hey sister, want to hail a cab?” the older man asked.
“Yes, please,” she said hurriedly.
As soon as the taxi arrives, Maria just bows her head to the security guards and gets in the car.
Maria is feeling nervous, she is contemplating what alibi she is going to say to Sister Eva?
Sister Eva smiles when she sees Maria approaching safe and sound and hugs her.
“Maria, where have you been?”
“Pardon me, I got an urgent friend to meet and I took the chance to leap.” Maria kneels and clasps her hands begging for forgiveness.
“Maria, you don't have to do this. I was just worried last night and I thought I would not see you at all.”
Sister Eva helped her up and hugged her once more.
“Thank you,” she answered.
“Now go on, cheer up.”
Maria nods and leaves. She knew Sister Eva treated her as her daughter but what happened last night is something she cannot open up easily. She can't even share that she saw her ex-boyfriend who is now a priest. As long as she is perfectly fine, there is nothing she must be afraid of.
Summer is still young and Maria wakes up lively as she does every day. But today, she is a bit dizzy and nauseous. As soon as she laid her feet on the frigid floor searching for a pair of slippers, her stomach stirs in discomfort. No. There is something she doesn't understand and wants to come out from her mouth.
Maria quickly runs to the bathroom, wearing only one slipper, she covers her mouth. She tries to hold back and once she reaches the lavatory, she throws out nothing but a bitter taste of her saliva.
“Ack!”
Maria, still unaware of what is going on with her, washes her face when she feels a little better. She then goes back to the bedroom and checks the wall clock. She still has half an hour to prepare herself.
She sits on the stool facing the mirror with bulbs checking her now thin face. Feeling lazy to prepare, she goes back to the bed and sleeps again.
“Maria...Maria. Are you awake?”
Sister Eva knocks in her room hesitant to enter though she knows Maria never locks her door.
Sister Eva slowly twists the doorknob pushing in and enters the room silently. She frowned after hearing nothing but a delirious moan from the bed. She hurriedly walks and saw Maria is shivering to hug the duvet. Sister Eva checks the air condition but it is off.
“Maria, wake up.”
“Mmm..” Maria hums and slowly opens her eyes, “Sister, I feel dizzy...”
Sister Eva did not answer. She reached the phone and dialed a doctor. After half an hour, the doctor arrives and checks Maria's condition.
Maria is just leaning her back on the headboard, with heavy eyes and no energy to move. Every time the doctor asks, she will just respond with a nod.
After a few minutes of examination, the doctor left Maria's room and talked to Sister Eva privately in the office.
“How is she, Doctor?” she asked worriedly.
“Sister, nothing to worry about but-” the doctor paused for a moment and heaved a deep sigh.
“She is 8 weeks pregnant.”
“What?”
“Based on her pulse and record of her last menstruation, she is pregnant.”
“But, I...”
“I know Sister Eva. I understand what you mean. Did you perhaps assign her to go for a mission these past few months?”
“Well...”
After explaining the prescribed medicine, the doctor bid farewell. Sister Eva is still in a daze, thinking about how it happened. As she recalled the incident that happened two months ago, Sister Eva hurried to Maria's room.
The next day, Maria is feeling better and works as-is. Sister Eva requested that she meet in the garden. Maria is a bit nervous. She wonders why the supervisor wants to talk to her privately early this morning.
Even the other novices and nuns are eyeing her as she receives full attention and care from Sister Eva.
The garden has nice and beautiful flowers around with different colors of their kind. This spacious garden is well-taking care of by an expert and devoted gardener. The wooden pavilion in the middle of the garden has table sets with four pairs of chairs. Maria loves this place the most, she spent all her 25 years and this garden witness as she grows up and this is her sacred playground.
She halted slowly, fidgeting her fingers, and took a deep breath.
“Good morning Sister Eva,” she greets the supervisor.
“Maria, I told you many times. Call me mother anytime you want. Everybody knows I have taken care of you since birth,” she explained and sat on a wooden chair.
Maria sits carefully and smiles shyly.
“Mother, I am sorry for making you worried all this time.”
“Shhh, silly child. Anyway, I just want you to speak truthfully and honestly for an answer.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Two months ago, what happened the night you left the church?” Sister Eva asked, looking straight into her eyes.
For seconds, Maria's tongue malfunctions, and just stares at the supervisor's eyes which she can't find any emotion but a pure gaze of love.
“Mother....”
“Maria, I have known you for 25 years and as I watch you grow up and become an adult, I know I cannot stop what you love to do.”
“I am sorry if I disappoint you, Mother.”
Maria starts to sob as she feels guilty and tears the heart of the woman who treats her as her child.
“The day you came home as nothing happened to you, I was going crazy the night you were gone.”
“Mother, forgive me.”
“Who is the father?” she asked.
Maria answered back with a confused face as she asked, “What do you mean, Mother?”
“You are 2 months pregnant and I want to know who the father is.”
Maria averted her gaze and her attention was caught by the butterflies flying around the flowers.
She then starts to narrate what happened, why she left the church, and what exactly happened that night.
- Writer
