Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 26

"Sister Martina Agnes, will you help us with the morning dishes, please?"


"Certainly, Mother Superior," she said.  Dishes?  Huh, I could do this anywhere, and be paid for it, for God's sake.  Yuck.  Stuck on food, and people's forks and spoons.  This is NOT what I thought I'd be doing here.


"Sister, tell us more about yourself," Sister Elizabeth Mary said.


"Oh, there's not much to tell.  I pray, I hold my beads, you know. . ."


The women looked at each other, and then began to laugh.  "She's funny.  We've got a live one.  Such a jokester."


"Yes," she laughed along.  How long before I go nuts myself in this place?  God, I have to find a way out.  Maybe later . . . I'll scope it out.  There has to be an easy out of this hell hole . . .


"Let's finish the breakfast dishes by mass.  We have to go early, Father MacNamara has a special Liturgy planned, all musical, all singing.  It will be at least ninety minutes long!"


The other nuns were excited, and Sister Martina Agnes, feigned happiness along with them.  Turning her back and returning to the dishes, she said, under her breath, "Get me the heck out of here!"


"What did you say, dear?"


"I said, 'Get me the next plate to clear.'"


The other nun handed her a dish, and she smiled.  Tina Lord Clayton Roberts, you must be out of your mind.


***


"Mother, you're home?  I can't believe you all were up all night," Cassie said.  She and Kelly were packing.


"What is the meaning of all this?" Dorian asked.


"We're going.  Remember?  Our plan was to leave after Thanksgiving.  We stayed on for the art show.  Our planes are scheduled to leave today.  You have a ticket, back to Paris, or did you forget?"  Cassie said.


"I did.  But, I must say, in light of everything Blair is going through, I should stay and support her."


Kelly and Cassie looked at each other.  "Oh, yes, poor Blair," Kelly said, overdramatizing.


"She is going through a very hard time."  Dorian said, indignantly.


"She is," Cassie said, "But it seems that maybe something else is making you stay as well.  Someone, maybe, tall and with sparkling blue eyes?"


Dorian blushed, and said, "I'm not a teenager.  And that is not why I am staying."


The two younger women laughed, and Dorian, folding her arms and looking guilty, also began to smile.  "He's charming, I'll admit."


"There's going to be something more than charming going on."  Kelly said.


"Even so, Blair needs me.  Things are very emotional for all of them right now."


Cassie became more serious, "I know, Mother, and it's sweet of you to want to stay on."


"I'm astounded the way Todd has been treating her,"  Dorian began.


Cassie interrupted, and Kelly stopped packing and put her hand on her hip.  Cassie said, "No, Mother, you can't still be at him like this?"


"On the contrary.  He's been . . . a rock to her and the children.  I'm . . . stupefied.  He loves her so damn much."  Dorian said, almost angry.  "Of course, none of it would be happening to them if it were not for him."


"Don't be disappointed about that love they have," Kelly said.  "She needs him, and she loves him, too."


"I'm not disappointed, as much as . . ."


Cassie said, "Surprised?"


"Sort of.  He's . . . dare I say it, he's changed.  She's his focus, instead of himself.  He adores her.  I can't balk at that."


"Mother, you never saw it for what it was.  He's loved her from the start.  He didn't always know how to show it, but he has.  I've always seen it,"  Cassie said, putting the last items in the bag.


"There are other factors at play, now.  The children, his torture, his torment.  The things he's learned about his life . . ."  Dorian stopped a moment, trying to dismiss what she had heard about his childhood.  "Whatever it is, he's completely devoted to her.  Still," she paused, "he could use the support as well.  It's a lot to handle."


"Mother?  Are you saying you'd be considering Todd's feelings in this decision?"  Cassie said.


"Cassie, I'm not heartless!  Yes, I'd be considering his feelings.  After what I've seen and heard today . . . well, let's just say all of The Mannings can use some extra attention right now."


***


That was the longest church service I've ever attended.  I hope I have some time on my own soon.  I have to get out of this place, or I'll crack.  Besides, I've got to get my plan going.

"Dear, may I sit here?" a woman with an accent asked.  It was an older nun, with an Irish accent.  "I've not met you as of now."

"I'm Sister Martina Agnes.  I'm new."

"I'm Sister Rebecca Katherine Broderick.  I'm old."

The younger woman laughed.  She's a hoot.  Reminds me of someone.  I can't quite . . .

"How are you finding it here at St. Anne's?"

"It's new to me, I'm adjusting.  There are a lot of nice people, and rules."

"Rules?  Sister, I find that to be rather odd, Lass.  We nuns are used to rules, all convents have them."

"Uh, yeah, that's true, I think I meant, the rules about how to clean the kitchen.  It's much bigger here than I am used to.  More people."  More dishes, more wrinkled skin, more broken nails. . .

"Yes, it's quite large.  I love it here, such a happy family atmosphere.  But I have a family in town as well.  An adopted family, of such."

"That's wonderful," she said smiling.  Lady, I don't give a damn about your family.  Take off and go pick some clover.  I've got to formulate a plan . . .

The older nun continued, "They're going through a very difficult time.  Of course, they have a teenage boy in the family, and those young people can sure make things harder nowadays.  I met up with them a while back, and I've become the 'adoptive mother and grandmother' to the gaggle of them.  My boy, my 'son' as I call him, he's been through so much of late.  The lad is a publisher of a large newspaper, but he's been kidnapped and abused, things have been quite terrible for him."

Her eyes bulged.  Publisher?  Kidnapping?  Gaggle?  She can't be talking about Todd, can she?  "So you're like the mother and grandma?  That's sweet."

"Yes, it is.  He just hosted an event last night, an art show, and it ended in tragedy.  Hopefully, things will be all right soon."  The gray-haired woman got a worried look on her face.

"What happened, if I am not intruding," she said.  More info on Todd might help.  After all . . .

"Well, his son, Jack, has not been handling some of the things going on, and had a bit too much to drink.  He was rushed to the hospital with alcohol poisoning.  Terrible thing."

Jack.  Jack was drinking?  What the hell have The Mannings been up to?  I could get Todd to help me, maybe?  Probably?  Well . . . he does have all that money. . ."Yes, terrible."

"Well, I've said enough.  I certainly hope you're finding your way, here at St. Anne's."

"I seem to be."  Getting here to St. Anne's was my IN, NOW to find a way OUT and into the heart of Llanview and to Dorian's place.  Once I get there, I should be able to get what I have to get, and get out and on my way.  No one had better get in the way.  Still, is it better to just phone Todd and try and talk him into helping me?  

She watched Sister Rebecca Katherine greet someone else, and move away.  She nodded, as if in acceptance of several smiles from other nuns, especially Sister Elizabeth Mary.  She fixed her headpiece, and straightened her habit.  This sucks, in the worst way.  Black and white is in, but not like this.  She realized she was being watched, by all-too-many eyes, and suddenly felt uncomfortable.   She tucked her head down, and began to leave the chapel, and got into the foyer, when she bumped directly into a woman, who was furiously drawing on a sketch pad, an orderly by her side.  Looking up, her face met the woman's for a split second, and she said, "Excuse me . . ." then quickly, "Oh, my God, I think know you!"

The woman, who did not respond, turned abruptly around, and headed away from her.  Sister Martina Agnes, curious to follow, gave up when Father MacNamara came toward her with a bouquet of flowers.  "Sister, will you please place these on the altar?"

"Certainly father," she said, and went back where she came from, rolling her eyes in the process.  

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