Further Adventures (38 page)

Such a green fan of Light spread out over the whole surface of the
water! As fast as I could blink it lit up the entire Ocean. Nor this is not a freak of Nature that came out of nowhere it is as real as I am. As old as the Air! The Green Ray did not change in a billion years it goes back further even before any person was alive on the Earth to see it. The Green Ray I saw was the same the first time it appeared. And when the worldly conditions are right & it comes back it is going to be the same thing again if anybody is alive to view it or not. For the Green Ray stretches out Eternal over the long dead & the yet to be long dead. Amen.

A black smirch would be on my Conscience if I killed myself before I wrote of this Marvel. And likewise a smirch on my Reputation if I ignored the vital message it shined out to me in the beautiful clear green Light I saw aiming back East.

I just went over & opened the front window again I am getting a little hot under the collar but I am leaving the Venetians down. By this arrangement I can keep my Defense Line going & still get a nice breeze in the room. Plus I can hear if anybody is sneaking up the stairs from the Pool Area or if he got in by the garage.

So far it is normal out there for 4:09 A.M. no activity in the driveway but he must be in Mason somewhere. I am guessing here but I expect John Newberry to show any minute. He is going to break in on me like a burglar because in his worked-up Mental Condition over Dolores I doubt if he planned any attack strategy in detail. Ergo I am 100% sure he will not be in the mood to wait a minute & listen to me like a sensible Human Being. I know how he enjoys jumping to Violence so I regret I am not going to get a chance to explain what happened.

I am not Bing Crosby so I can say WHO CARES if I lied to a Nun. By my recent contacts I come to the conclusion Nuns do not regard the discoveries of Science to the full they do not recognize the true seeds of the Universe. Religion forbids. At Mount Holyoak which they tell me is the best in the State they do not teach those children about the Theory of Atomic Particles or even the shape of the Solar System is minor to their official views. I admit I have a personal grudge against them going back 350 Years i.e. I will
never forgive
them for how they made Life so miserable for Nicolaus Copernicus and the way they treated Galileo Galilei of Italy. They made him deny the Scientific Truth when he was the only person who witnessed what was really going on in the Universe. Instead of the Earth revolving around the Sun they believe in the sins on the Soul of a little girl.

The Chief Nun who met me in her office gave me a cup of coffee & a few butter cookies on a plate with a doily a very polite gesture since I did not even ask for a glass of water. My view is I rated the deluxe treatment for being a interested party who came down in person to show some concern about the level of Education they practice there. The smell of old carpets & soup came off her dress which I sniffed when she swished by me & settled in her chair behind her desk.

“Bishop Kinney’s been here all morning.” She ended this bulletin on a sharp sigh. “And he just left so I’m a little behind right now.”

“We used to say it’s better to be a little behind than a big ass-ss-ss,” which misfortunate word very quick I choked off in a hacking cough. “Pardon me.”

Her Assistant Nun came in & handed her a stack of papers & folders which she started reading while she talked to me. “He dives into everything. I don’t know where he gets the energy. Even if we are his favorite.”

“What was he busy with today? His Holiness.”

“Chili. The 4th Grade is cooking chili for Saturday. It’s their turn to
make a hot lunch for the deprived children in the area. Bishop Kinney is a real expert on chili con carne.”

“Did they pass the taste test?”

“Not enough chili peppers. Those boys and girls are mostly Mexicans over past State Street. They’re used to it being a lot spicier.”

“You should’ve put Dolores in the kitchen. She knows all about authentic Tex-Mex.”

She flipped the cover of Dolores’s school Record open. “Your niece isn’t in the 4th Grade yet. I get to know every one of our girls but she’s only been here a few days. You know we’ve put her back with the 7 Year olds.”

My sip of coffee went cold in my mouth. “But she’s as smart as anything! My God her sense of humor…”

“I explained it to your brother-in-law on Monday.”

“Oh. I haven’t talked to John since last week,” I said. “I’m just surprised you didn’t put her in with the 10-year-olds
at least
.”

“Dolores has some catching up to do. She hasn’t been in school as often as she should have been. By her age our girls have already had their First Communion.”

“Is that the regular schedule or do you accelerate here?”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry. You want to know about her schedule?”

“O.K.”

“Sister Veronica teaches 2nd Grade. You probably want to talk to her. Since Dolores is new at Mount Holyoak we’re beginning at the beginning with her. She’s never been instructed in the catechism,” the Nun put this to me very blunt. “Has she.”

“Her mother never brought it up. I’m not sure.”

“It’s one thing you don’t have to worry about. Her father was very definite about it.”

“He’s a very definite kind of person.”

“It’s usually the mothers who get involved more with the 7s & 8s. Dolores is lucky she’s got a Daddy who wants to give her so much of himself.”

“Lucky ducky.”

“I don’t mean as a substitute. I know Dolores must feel lost so far away from her mother. It’s a shame.”

“That’s what it is.”

“Marital separations are always worse on the children. I hope I don’t sound bold saying this to you. I said it to Mr. Newberry. He thinks there’s every chance she’ll come back to the family again.”

“I doubt it very much.”

“Nothing’s as hopeless as you think it is.”

I used the excuse of swilling the last drop of coffee around in my cup & swallowed the brown mouthful before I said, “Her mother is dead.”

A instant pink rash of embarrassment flushed up to the surface of the Chief Nun’s face & her throat. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth & she peeled it loose to ask me, “Isn’t she in Mexico?”

“Yes. Amelia is buried there.”

“Oh the poor man.” Thinking of Newberry!

In the lull she did not know how to drop the matter so I kept the conversation ball rolling. I counted out all the bills I still had left from the $5,000 I found in the Raymobile—after the airplane ticket + the Rent-a-Car + my new seersucker suit it came out to $2,317 even.

“Nothing tremendous,” I said. Then I took back $15. “Sorry. I need this for gas.”

This generous surprise Donation took the heat off our discussion very successful it changed the topic. “It’s…well thank you…it’s…I’ll send this to the Registrar.”

“I know you didn’t ask me but I’ll tell you something about why. I want to be involved in her education. To help her along the right path.”

She was dwelling on the previous. “I’ll get you a receipt.”

“No rush.”

“It has to be done anyway. And then you can deduct it from your income tax.” She found a pink financial pad in her drawer & wrote out the necessary.

“You can mail it to me in care of my brother-in-law in Albuquerque. John’s in charge of all my legal business now.”

She was still scribbling she held her eyes down on her work. “You’re married to Mrs. Newberry’s sister?”

For small talk it made me nervous. “It’s a complicated story.”

“I apologize. This visit is about Dolores.”

“Can you explain it to me step by step why she’s back with the 7 Year olds doing this communion business? In my opinion I think it’s better for her this year if she learns about some other subjects first and gets to the religious side later. Did she tell you how she’s interested in fossils?”

“You know what happens when you build on sand Mr. Green.”

“No. What.”

She let out a breath. “You
really
don’t have to worry about a thing. We won’t rush her. Dolores is learning at her own speed. She already knows her Hail Mary in Spanish and she only trips over a few of the words in English. We’ll get her there in the end.” And she stood up on this Final Note but it was still gonging in my ear so I sat like a mule.

“Pardon my yen to know what’s exactly what…”

I do not know if the Pope commands all Nuns to act patient toward the idiots & numbskulls of this world but if he does I owe him a favor. Because she did not lead me out the door she sat down & scooted her chair in & opened up like a flower. “If I can pull a few strings for the sake of Mount Holyoak I’m not ashamed to tell you I’ll pull with the best of them. I’m sorry if our gain is St. Cecilia’s loss but I persuaded His Grace to send his brother to us this year.” She let this joyous news
sink in then she announced his name. “Father Peter Kinney. The author?” Then she acquainted me with the fact Channel 2 made a Christmas cartoon special from his children’s books.

“I missed that show,” I said.

“He’s a real Pied Piper to the 2nd Grade,” the Sister Nun told me. “I’ve seen him with Dolores. I think there’s something special going on between those two. Father Peter was in Guatemala for a year so he speaks Spanish like a native.”

“What’s between him and Dolores?”

“It’s a gift he’s got. Father Peter helps children understand how much it means to make their First Confession. How it feels inside to present their conscience to God. They all want to please him.”

“There. You said it in a nutshell Sister. Dolores is a terrific girl. You can skip over all that business with her & put her in the age group where she belongs. It’s a waste of everybody’s time to go into her conscience. Nothing bad’s in there. I can vouch for her all the way.”

“Will you be back in June for her first communion?” she asked me.

But I did not reveal the information. All I said was, “I hope so.”

“I do too. You don’t want to see her in church repeating words she doesn’t mean. I’m sure you’d like her to know there’s more to attending Mount Holyoak than singing along with ‘Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam.’”

“I’m not saying she doesn’t get into the normal kind of shenanigans Sister. But her conscience. What’s in there she should be ashamed of?”

And I heard how Mount Holyoak does not build so much on modern ideas & Liberal ways. I heard how Dolores has to learn how God does not appreciate it when she acts bold. Or when she keeps Secrets or spreads gossip. I stopped listening to every word that Nun spieled about how many of her girls went off to Holy Orders & how many married Senators & Congressmen la-dee-doo-dah but another idea nagged on my mind which I presented to
her
Conscience all right—

“Can I ask you to put my donation in a certain area?”

“It depends. Nothing exotic ever survives His Grace’s budget meetings.”

“Microscopes.”

The Chief Nun laughed for once very surprising it was a warm laugh. “Up till now it’s just been between our missionary fund & our building fund. But I’ll make a note.” She laughed again quieter. “Microscopes for the high school from Mr. Green.”

She allowed me to take a peek at Dolores in her class. I looked at her through a window in the door. Since she was in her uniform sitting in a row in the middle of maybe 40 Girls it was not easy to pick her out especially with my blurry vision. Until I caught the side of her face the round line of her cheek it is the same round line of her Mama I never recognized before how much she brings back Amelia.

I had to stand out of the way & let those girls pile out of the room. As soon as Dolores saw me she pushed around the ones who clogged the door. “Uncle Ray!”

I bent down & we hugged each other so tight we did not want to let go but when the Sister Nun joined our party I kissed the top of Dolores’s head & I straightened up.

“Dolores can I hear your Hail Mary?” she smiles down.

Out of the side of my mouth I encourage her, “Your teacher said I could take you out for lunch if you can do it perfect.”

“Let your Uncle Ray hear how you learned it from Father Peter.”

“Then we’ll go get a hamburger and a chocolate malted.”

Dolores follows this conversation over her head like she is following the Bouncing Ball & finally she looks straight ahead into empty Space & starts off, “Hail Mary mother of…”

A correction from above, “Full of grace.”

“Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with thee. Hail Mary…”

“Blessed art thou.”

“Blessed art thou among women…And blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus.”

“That’s very good,” I say also I break out in a soft round of applause. “How’s that?” So I get the silent correction from Sister Nun. “I mean how is it so far?”

“Go on Dolores. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.”

“Jesus,” Dolores joined in. “Holy Mary full of…”

“Mother of.”

“Mother of…”

“Holy Mary mother of.”

“Holy Mary mother of God pray for us sisters now…”

“Pray for us sinners now.”

“Pray for us sinners now…and when I…”

“In the.”

“In the…”

“Pray for us sinners now and in the.”

“Pray for us sinners now and in the hour of our dead.”

“Hour of our death. Not dead. Of our death.”

When Dolores recited the whole Poem over again with no mistakes it choked me up to hear such a thing. How they can plant the worms of those ideas to dig into her tender Conscience. I apologize if it is Blasphemy to you but it is a disgrace in my opinion. What does a little girl know from Sin & Wombs & Death?

“You like going to school there doll? With Father Peter and everything?” I took my eyes off the road for a second to see her face in the rearview.

“Nun-uh.”

“No? You don’t?”

I definitely saw her shake her head NO. If she answered me YES in any form I would pull into the next coffee shop & stick to the hamburger plan according to what I promised the Sister Nun. But my innocent
question led to another one. “Do you want to stay with me instead?”

She scooted up to the edge of the rear seat. “I have to go back to Mount Holyoak.”