Twenty

1. Swinging

Maria took hold of her daughter by the arm hugging her firmly to her side. She had caught her doing something she knew she wasn't allowed to do and there was no excuse for this behavior. The little girl, who Maria saw fit to name Christian, could barely keep her footing on the ground as her mother rushed her inside. She knew what she did was forbidden but she just couldn't help herself.

Christian dreaded what would happen next and soon her suspicions turned out to be true. Coming into the house Maria led her disobedient daughter to her room where she placed her inside, letting go of her arm like a dogwalker letting go of a leash.

Finding herself in a familiar room Christian felt a sensation run through her chest, it was the sting of knowing that she did something wrong. She wanted to apologize, maybe that would relieve her guilt, but she knew that what was done was done and there was no taking it back.

Maria looked down at her child, her expression somehow both blank and stern. The little girl didn't need to see her mother's face to tell that she was in trouble, she could tell by just the slightest change in Maria's composed posture. "Christian," said the woman. "Do you know what you did was a sin?"

Christian nodded her head; she couldn't bear to look up at her mother.

"But yet, you chose to do it anyway?" Maria shook her head, what a disappointment her offspring is turning out to be. Slowly she knelt down and pulled Christian's face up to meet hers, there would be no looking away from the truth. "Do you not know that the Devil targets the weak? When we allow ourselves to go astray, chase our desires, or disobey our parents- they know. Do you know who they are?"

"The Devil and the Lord?"

Maria nodded. "The Lord knows when you have sinned, and the Devil knows too. While one looks away from you, the other sets their sights on you. Do you wish for God to turn his back on you?"

"No, no, mommy I don't!"

"Then why did you knowingly sin by disobeying me?" Maria let go of her daughter's chin and turned towards the door. "I will pray to God that he may be merciful to you, my daughter, for only by his forgiveness will your soul be saved now."

That sensation, the sting of guilt rushed through Christian as she lost her composure. "Mommy, I'm so sorry! I was bad, I know I was bad, I want to be forgiven!" Maria did not face her daughter as she slid the door shut behind her. She could hear Christian's desperate pleas but did nothing to answer them as she slid the bolt shut and the click of the lock sounded. "I won't ever go back there I promise! I promise! Please don't keep me in here, I don't want to be in here!"

"You will stay here until you can confess your sins at the next service. That way you will not be able to tarnish your soul any further." Maria turned to go, but for a moment she stopped. It was as if she wanted to say something else but as quickly as it came it left and Maria went about her business.

In the room, little Christian knelt at the base of her locked door, her room now her prison. Wiping the tears away from her face she hoped in her heart that her mom would come back, and she would hear the twist of the lock open again, but she knew that would never happen. Picking herself up she walked over to her bed and buried herself into her pillow. She wished that she could be the good girl her mother wanted, be the girl that God desired her to be. But she couldn't help being bad and she didn't know why.

Turning onto her side she peered out her tiny window to the yard outside her house. In the corner of the property sat an old rusting swing-set that stood opposed to the setting sun. It was run down, banged up, and dented but it still looked like the seat and the swings themselves would be able to work. Maybe that was what drew Christian to disobey her mother's wishes and try it out.