|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 3:16 pm
He had to plant a hand against the bench to keep himself from ending up sprawled indecorously among the plants and pathways. "You're very welcome, Estrelas," he said, wincing. "Let us try to keep our feet on the ground, and not our backs, all right?"
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 3:23 pm
Estrelsa nodded solemnly. "Father Ferdinand told us to keep our faces to the ground. Ah tried that, but Ah couldn't get any work done 'cause Ah couldn't see where Ah was going," she explained, totally serious. "So before you is going to speak to me to do that, Ah suggest that the Lord would not be happy for us to be keeping our faces to the ground."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 3:40 pm
"It is very unwise to keep your face to the ground," he said. "Although I don't think that Father Ferdinand meant that quite the way you took it, err..." Asmadai tucked both hands behind his back. "Estrelas. Many of the lessons the Lord teaches us are... examples. They aren't to be taken literally."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 6:05 pm
Estrelas froze in her stance. This was a totally new idea to her, interpreting something beyond the face value-
"Ah guess this is one of them mettyfor things," she said after a very long pause, then brightened. "My aunt Maria is a nun," she bragged. "She does all sort of things... Like... Being a nun and stuff."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 5:12 pm
Maria? He flinched a little, the name bringing up his sister's face. "That's an admirable pursuit," Asmadai managed to say. "She will be honored on Judgement Day." The priest smiled, but it was more of a grimace. His fault, he should have noticed it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:35 pm
Estrelas nodded solemnly. "She makes soap too," she added. "Soap for the people of the Lord. And everyone else too. Everyone calls her Sister Maria. Do you like the name Maria? Look! You jump at the name Maria! Maria! Who is this Maria?" Estrelas tactlessly shouted.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 4:19 pm
"My little sister was named Maria," he told her. She's in hell, he thought, shoulders slumping. What a failure he could be. But at least he could try to lead others away from his sister's path.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 7:39 pm
However, Estrelas seemed genuinely delighted with the Maria.
"Why that so sweet!" she exclaimed. "How old is she? Ah is guessin' five or seven. Am Ah right? Right now my sister Estica is twelve! Ah am going to ask Mista Sian for permission to make a Home Visit, you know....." A shadow of a doubt crossed her mind. It had just occured to her that she might not be very welcome home, back on the farm... That, coupled with the strange tense the priest used..
"You is using the wrong tense," Estrelas told him graciously. "The word "was" Mista Sian says ees for things that already happened- OH YES, I KNOW!" She brightened with indignity. "WELL OF 'OURSE AH KNOW SHE WAS NAMED WHEN SHE WAS BORN! AND AH WAS NAMED ESTRELAS ANGELA ALVARES!" she puffed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 12:01 pm
"Estica sounds very cute," he said diplomatically. "I hope you get to visit your sister soon."
"Maria is-" It was still hard to say. "Maria is dead. She died when she was young."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 9:34 pm
For a moment, Estrelas looked almost thoughtful. "Ah am sure she in Heaven," she said slowly, after a long silence. "Good Lord welcomes little girls." The Portuguese woman reached over and patted his head quickly, unsure of what to say and blissfully oblivious to Maria's actual fate. For the first time in years, she felt awkward. "Ah supposed to.. Offer my apoplexy?"
Angel suddenly flicked her ears at Asmadai as if in warning.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 6:56 pm
"Yes," he said awkwardly. "Your apology. Thank you."
It occurred to him that perhaps he had been outdoors overly long. And the bunny was looking decidedly threatening. "I'm going to... go now. It was good to meet you, Estrelas. I hope we'll get to talk again soon."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
