Faith in his timing

Sins and Prayers

Rio and Shelly looked at each other and couldn't help but to giggle, to great dismay of the Monsignor and sister Jude.

"Do you think this is funny? Acting like the whore of Babylon?" Jude asked in a gasp.

Shelly was hurt and averted her gaze. "I hate that word, it's so ugly." She softly murmured. Rio, however, couldn't hold in her laughter. Jude looked even more angered and glanced at the Monsignor.

"Timothy, I think some hard labour will clear the demons out of these girls. I suggest we give them the task of tidying up your library. We both know it needs it. After that, they can help out in the bakery."

"But I just had bakery duty!" Shelly protested, but Rio playfully punched her arm.
"Hey, don't worry about it, it will be fun." She said and winked.

Shelly got a big grin on her face. "I guess I'm ready to squeeze some buns over there. If Jake has duty too..." Rio threw her head back and laughed out loud. The Monsignor had been quiet until now, he was too busy thinking of an excuse why the girls could not enter the library. But now he had to take action. And they gave him a chance.

"Enough!| He shouted at the girls and they quieted down, gazing at the floor as they tried not to snicker. The Monsignor glared at them and then glanced at Jude.

"Sister Jude, I think the library is not punishment enough, perhaps a caning is in order instead?"
Jude frowned in surprise, usually the Monsignor was against corporal punishment. She was surprised at her own gut feeling as well. She was quick to use the cane, too quick at times. But now she found that she did not want to use it. This girl, Rio. She was strange but had been kind to Jude, even when she had not given her any reason to be. On top of that, the girls were making a harmless joke. Inappropriate, but harmless.

"Monsignor, perhaps the caning can form as a secondary punishment, should they not perform well in the duties we have given them? After all, to heir is human, to forgive divine?" She reminded him. He gave her a look.

"Sister Jude, you will administer the caning and they will perform their duties in the bakery, that is final. Now get out, all of you. You are giving me a headache!"

Jude nodded at the girls to indicate that they should follow them. Rio huffed as she walked by the holy man. "His head is aching alright, but not the one we think." She murmured. "Out!"

Both Shelly and Rio snickered some more but stopped when they saw how serious Jude was being. Right, Rio thought. A caning. Well, that was going to be unpleasant.

"Girls, listen to me and listen very carefully." The nun stated as she led them towards a little hallway, not far from the Monsignor's office.

"I am not going to cane you. Even though I think your behaviour is questionable, I don't think it deserves the punishment that the Monsignor wants you to receive. I expect you to tidy up the library as best you can and then hurry to the bakery to help out there. If the Monsignor asks, you tell him that I, or sister Mary Eunice tidied up his library as a favour. Also, you will tell him that you have indeed been caned by me. Should you fail in any of this, you will be caned after all. Is this in any way unclear?"

The girls shook their heads and Jude nodded, opening up a door for them. She waved her hand at the door, to indicate that they should go inside. Rio saw that she was about to leave and she gently touched her arm.

"Thank you. For helping us out." She told the nun, who glared at her now.
"Don't get used to it, miss Taylor. Now get to work."
As Jude walked away, she realized again how much she hated the girl and regretted not taking the chance on hurting her. And at the same time, she felt a certain tranquillity that she wasn't used to.