Neophyte

Padres

Padre Federico silently stood as he looked at Metztli; his legs felt heavy. He didn't expect his day to change since he just wanted to write in his journal before tending to teach the Native children to play instruments. It was something Padre Federico always hated doing. His hatred for the Natives burned in him with a passion, for he believed they had no soul. The Padre felt that they were also the cause of his misery since they were just a reminder of the life he could never have.

Before he became a Padre, he was born and lived in Spain but moved to California to gain wealth. With his money, Federico bought a small plot of land in San Gabriel, which was challenging to maintain since he didn't have enough workers. That was when he knew he could get Native slaves to work for his land, but they cost money. Federico stole some female Natives from other landowners in secret. He would threaten the women with death if they spoke or ran away. It went well for a year until Federico was caught by a Soldado de Cuera who heard about the missing female Native slaves.

Federico was taken to court, where he had to pay restitution for the troubles he caused other landowners; his land and home were sold to pay his debts. Many landowners wanted him dead since they couldn't trust him to be out in the street. The judge was sympathetic and gave him a choice: death or becoming a Padre of the San Gabriel Mission. He chose the Mission and had been a Padre ever since.

It was something he despised.

Being a low-rank Padre was miserable since he had to follow orders from the higher-rank Padres. Not only did he have to constantly pray to a god that never brought fortune upon him, but he also taught and overlooked Natives to ensure they were taught the way of God and brought fortune to the Mission. Padre Federico hated his life and the Natives but became stunned when he first saw Metztli. Metztli was a Native, there was no doubt, but she was different from the Native women he saw daily.

Metztli was beautiful, but he immediately noticed her light gray eyes and brunette hair. Her appearance as a Native woman was a rarity; her being mixed was a possible explanation.

"P-Padre?"

Padre Federico was brought back to reality and noticed her confused state. "Ah, yes. Follow me, and I will take you to Bishop Victoriano." He motioned her to follow him, which she did. The two were silent as they walked through the small halls of the Mission, but the Padre would take glances at Metztli.

The young woman would look at the Mission, and her confusion became more imminent. The Mission she remembered was filled with beautiful gardens; the walls were well constructed. However, the Mission looked disarrayed, and the people looked different. There were a lot of Padres and Native people who worked in small gardens or were cooking. When they passed certain rooms, Metztli couldn't help but notice that children were reading the bible or playing instruments in the classroom. "What is going on!? The Mission never had these classes!"

Confusion turned into fear.

The two eventually went to the farthest room of the Mission, which was close to the main church. When looking at the church where the mass was held, it looked different from the one she was used to. The walls were made of brick, the paint was slowly coming off, and the bells had faint cracks. "We are here. When you see him, you are to bow your head since he is responsible for taking charge of the Mission. Padre Victoriano is the Bishop who is being considered to become Archbishop, so you are to treat him with the uttermost respect. Understood?"

"Y-Yes, Padre."

Padre Federico knocked on the door. "Bishop, it is I. There is a situation at hand."

"Enter," said a stern voice.

The door was opened, and Padre Federico entered, and he then motioned Metztli to enter. Once inside, Metztli was surprised to see that it was a room with a full-sized bed, a fireplace, wooden chairs, and cabinets. There are some wooden carvings of a cross on the wall above the bed and some painting scenes from the bible. On the left side of the room, an older man sat by a wooden table doing some paperwork. He wore a black wool robe with a light brown sash on his waist. He wore a rosary and a black zucchetto. The Bishop didn't look up from his paperwork, which made Metztli feel slightly intimidated.

Padre Federico closed the door and walked forward. "Padre Victoriano, this Native woman was found to have angered Padre Lucas. It would seem that she also speak the English language."

Padre Victoriano stopped writing and slowly looked at the visitors. Metztli couldn't believe how handsome the Bishop was even for his age; he looked in his early to mid-fifties. He had short black hair, a black mustache, and light green eyes. He looked lean and slightly built despite his robes being slightly loose. The Bishop looked intimidating, but he saw a hint of softness in his beautiful eyes when he looked at her. "So, you can speak the English language? It is unheard of for the Gabrielinos. What is your name?"

Metztli remembered what Padre Federico told her, and she bowed her head, not wanting to create more tension. "The name is Metztli De La Cruz, B-Bishop."

"Metztli, eh? Such a beautiful name; if I recall, it means 'moon' in the tongue of your people. You are of the Tongva, correct?"

"Y-Yes." The young woman looked up at the Bishop; she wanted answers. "S-Sir, I don't know what is happening, but I have been told things that don't make sense! My family and I have always been a part of this Mission, which looks different from what I am used to! I'm confused and scared!"

Victoriano looked at Metztli, who looked as if she was hyperventilating. "Padre Federico, please wait outside. I shall call you when the time is right."

The Padre quickly glanced at Metztli before he left the Bishop's quarters, leaving them alone. The Bishop stood from his seat and walked before her but maintained his space, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. "Please calm yourself, young one. I can tell you are frightened. I will try to answer your questions to the best of my ability. Now, you mentioned that you and your family have been a part of this Mission. Were you and your family born here?"

"Well, not in this Mission particularly, but to a hospital nearby."

"What is a hospital?"

Metztli raised her eyebrows. "Y-You're kidding right? You don't know what a hospital is?"

"Young lady, you speak of something that is unheard of. Are you feeling unwell?"

"How is it that you don't know what a hospital is? This is the 21st century unless I bumped my head to hard."

The Bishop raised an eyebrow. "21st century? My word, no young one. We are in no 21st century. You speak unclarity. We are in the year 1785, my child."

Metztli's eyes and lips widened. "Wha...? 1785? What are you talking about? That can't be right..." Her migraine worsened, and she felt dizzy. Her body was moving back and forth, and the Bishop noticed.

Suddenly, everything became dark; Metztli fainted.