After the Sun Sets (18+)

PROLOGUE

Malta - 1993

"Sacrifice should be an everyday habit. A way of life."

The little girl with big, brown eyes stood on her tiptoes and scrunched her face towards the pulpit. She could only see part of the priest's face, and that was only when he leaned a little to the right. They were sitting in the third pew, right behind a giant of a man who would have seen just fine had he sat at the very back of the church.

"I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true and proper worship," the priest read from the Holy Scripture, his voice echoing through the halls of the vast church. "What does this mean?" he went on. "It means that we need to offer our living bodies, our lives, our actions to God. Holy and pleasing. And so, every day, our actions, our decisions have to be holy and pleasing. Remember! The Lord does not force us to obey. He sent His son to guide us. The Good Shepherd. He wants us to choose His ways, His path over our own mortal desires."

The little girl's siblings giggled beside her and her concentration broke. She peered over at them, eyes narrowed, a deep scowl etched on her tiny lips. Her elder sister placed her hands over her mouth to hide her wide grin. Her brother was trying to keep a straight face and he would have fooled her if it weren't for the mischievous glint in his almond eyes.

"Is iiit... the moon?" he whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

Their sister snickered and the little girl huffed irritably. They were very much older than her and they always left her out of their jokes. Not that this was the time and place to muck about.

"How could it be the moon, stupid? We're inside!"

"Maybe your little eye spied Father Louis's bald head," the young boy mumbled, causing the teenage girl's body to shake uncontrollably.

Their mother glared at them before catching their father's eye. She nodded towards the misbehaving children, and the father turned to the guilty child and wordlessly pulled on her ear. That was all it took for the pair to become silent, their eyes solemnly back on the altar.

The little girl rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue, upset that she had missed yet another part of the homily.

"So you see, that is the ultimate sacrifice! To give ourselves to the Lord by living for His son, Jesus, every day. In spite of temptation. In spite of our trials and tragedies. To give ourselves to each other and in return, remain clean, holy and fit to receive the gift of eternal life and shine in His Glory."

The little girl understood perfectly what Father Louis was saying. It was what her parents did for her and her siblings every day. They chose them. Just like God wanted. They worked for them. They cooked for them. When they went out on Sundays, they went to the places they wanted. Well, mostly to the places she wanted. Her sister barely came along with them anymore and her brother was already complaining that he'd rather go anywhere else with his friends.

This often upset their mother and their dad would have to step in. With his low tone and sharp glare, he'd send the young boy cowering to change his shoes and fetch his jacket.

The little girl always felt some satisfaction at this, but she suspected it had more to do with the fact that she felt her siblings would rather go out with their friends than with her. She so terribly wanted to be part of their cool, little club.

She lowered her head with guilt. Jealousy was an ugly sin. It wasn't sacrificing her living body, holy and pleasing, to God. She wasn't as good as her parents, who never had bad thoughts or said bad words and always did kind deeds for them and their neighbours. She still had a lot to learn.

"And it's not easy, brothers! Sisters! Especially in this day and age when temptation is not just around every corner but right here with us, and around us, staring us in the face! Women leaving their homes for work, eating away from the time they should be devoting to their families. Why? Greed? Ambition? Self-fulfilment? Men going to places that are foul and unholy when they should be at home with their wives! Occupying their time so they don't get bored. Taking good care of them so they won't need to look for contentedness elsewhere. Being an exemplary figure for their sons.

"Children are growing up too soon, getting the wrong ideas from the television. What is the media today teaching them? That humans can do anything! They can be even greater than God! Be rough like a man, as if men cannot be sensitive. Wear revealing clothing and makeup, as if that is what makes a woman. No! Men and women are so much more than that in the eyes of the Lord."

As Father Louis's words fell on his congregation's attentive ears, towards the back of the church, a little boy with curly, light brown hair and infinite, green eyes observed his mother. He studied her dark eyes and red lips. She was tired. She barely slept. He heard her crying late into the night, long after his dad left.

He turned back to the priest, frowning, trying to connect the dots, trying to apply the man's resounding words to his reality.

"Humans are strong yet soft. They are there for one another, always kind. They are the pillars, the foundation of the Catholic Church. They offer shelter to the community. They are capable of great love. Love that is beyond what is rational. Love for others, that is greater than our needs, our instinct, our appetites."

The little boy fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. Needs, instinct, appetites. Those were things he could relate to. But what of this greater love he spoke of? And what did it have to do with his needs?

"For we are not individual men and women," Father Louis went on. "We are one. One living body of love, of holiness, of a life that is pleasing to the Lord. And that is our sacrifice."

🌅🌅🌅

Hey guys and gals! Thank you for choosing to read 'After the Sun Sets'.

This story is based on true characters and events. It touches base with many struggles affecting the life of small-town Catholic communities as experienced by a young housewife.

Looking forward to hearing what you think 😉 Would love it if you could hit that little orange star ✴️