Emma pulled back the crimson colored curtain and stepped inside, sitting on the bench and pulling the curtain back closed, the room becoming pitch black.
'Father..I have sinned..'
Those four words came out unsteady and shakey, her nerves getting the best of her as her small arms started to shake as she clutched her purse to her stomach.
The priest spoke out to her "What is your sin?"
She gulped and took a slow deep breath.
"I-Inpure thoughts o-o-of a holy man."
Her whole body shook with anxiety. She knew that the priest would not know who she was, for in the Confessionals, everything was anonymous, but the words themselves made her anxious and the way they could get played with.
What if someone somehow over heard?
What if her mother found out?
Oh goodness, what if Father O'Connor heard??
"Ma'am?"
Emma flinched as she realized where she was again.
"I-Im so sorry Father, what was that?"
After about 5 more minutes, she was free to go with a mental list of all the good deeds she had to do to be forgiven, which she planned to do through out the week.
She had a mental list of good deeds about every week, with the same reasoning.
Impure thoughts of a holy man.
Father O'Connor just did something to her. She knew it was a sin, she knew the church would now allow her to come back if they found out, she knew she'd never see her mother again if she knew, but it continued.
She completely forgot about her church and her religion. She only came to see him.
She walked down the same maroon carpet and found the sanctuary. She opened the double doors slightly and stepped inside, trying to be as quiet as possible.
She looked around the room in search of her mother and walked down to sit beside her in the front row. They always sat there when her father was still alive, so they could watch him and be proud that her father had lived out his dream of preaching the word of God.
Her mother turned to her and said in a whispered voice, "where were you sweetie?"
"I was in the restroom touching up on my makeup and hair." She quietly replied.
"Oh honey, you didn't need to do that, you're already perfect without makeup." She squished her cheeks with one hand as Emma giggled slightly. Her mother was always a sweet woman who wouldn't hurt a fly, she didn't want to hurt her with her problem, it would break her heart and her trust.
A parish priest walked up to the stand at the front of the church.
"As most of you know, there was a sudden death here of one of our best pastors, Matthew Ferguson. A married man of two kids, died in a sudden car accident. The man we all known and loved is buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery, where his parents and older brother is buried as well.
"But now, in lighter news, we have a new person coming into the priest hood, an Irish immigrant, whose father also joined the church in his home country after his mother died due to illness, has came here to Connecticut to join our church. Let's give a warm welcome to Father O'Connor."
The priest stepped down and Father O'Connor stepped to the stand beside him as everyone clapped lightly.
Father O'Connor cleared his throat and spoke. "I'm Father O'Connor, and I am sorry if my English is kinda off. I'm not too familiar with most English. Vast majority of the people in Ireland do speak English, but my parents taught me mostly Irish and I barely knew most English, so I may sound a bit off. But I am happy to be here and can't wait to get to know each one of you."
The next 45 minutes went by quickly for Emma. She drifted in and out of space in both worry and desire for the man speaking.
She felt horrible that she thought this way. It was wrong. It was a sin! But she couldn't stop.
She came back down to Earth when she noticed everyone standing up and her mother tapping her on the shoulder.
"Honey, you ok?"
She nodded, "yeah, I'm ok. Sorry Mama."
She stood up and started to walk out with her mother when a hand tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around to see him..
"Hello Emma! Is this your mother?"
Her mother turned around with a smile. "Yes I am. You must be Father O'Connor."
He nodded proudly. "Yes ma'am."
"Oh please, call me Monica." She chirped out and he nodded.
"Say, I was wondering, since Emma was gonna be in the Christmas program with the church, I was wondering, would you like to come over for dinner so you two can talk and we can get to know you better?" Emma's mother spoke out.
"I would love that! What day would be good for you two?"
The two talked on and on as, once again, Emma drifted.
Her heart raced.
Father O'Connor is gonna be at my house?? What if he finds anything out??
"Emma!"
She flinched and looked at them both as the two were snickering.
"Im sorry Mama, what?" She laughed with them to play it off.
"Would next Friday be ok with you?" Her mother asked her.
She nodded. "Yes it's ok with me. I'm off work for Christmas vacation so yeah."
"Ok great. See you two next week!" He said as he walked up to the stands again with the other priests.
Emma and her mother walked out as she was panicking over next week.
This is gonna be difficult... What am I gonna do...
YOU ARE READING
Glass Child
FanfictionEmma Ferguson was known as "the pastor's daughter" for several years in Hartford County, Connecticut. Her and her mother and father lived happily for 16 years until one day, a drink in a Jeep took their happiness away. She was left with grief and a...
