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Chapter 8

Chiaria continues in her ways

Now only three months from her final vows and two years after the incident, Chiaria stayed away from windows, exterior doors, and man contacts, even the now at 375 pounds deliveryman who used to wink at her when she was around. She seldom thought of her two sons. Hopefully they were separated and living the good life.

The loud pounding shook Chiaria awake. She must have dozed off, an infraction if caught.

She was responsible for guarding the front door as sometimes the local gypsies would barge in and take food and anything that could be sold at flea markets. Everyone in the convent, except for her, were attending the ninety-minute purity service in the top floor chapel. It was her turn to be responsible for watching the front entryway and exempt from this week’s service.

She ran to the door to make sure it was bolted; it was.

“Who is it and what do you want? We have nothing in here but God’s love.”

From the other side of the door, a voice that sounded a little familiar can be heard. “I am hurt. I fell into the bailing machine and the blade caught my arm. I am bleeding bad.”

By mistake, she answered the door. Yes, it was Jigalonio, just back from his military service and working again as the groundskeeper. Memories flew through her mind, and it was not all “healthy.”

He was holding his arm, bleeding and nearly fainting. He asked for help with a bandage. A nasty wound! Chiaria was overwhelmed as she never told Jigalonio about the birth of the twins. She helped him over to a nearby table where they typically sorted out local clothing donations. He climbed on the table and lay on his back.

There was a grin on his face; the pain of the injury seemed to go away. All it really needed was a little cleansing and a small wrap. Within a few months, she was back in the confessional with the padre. They again told Mother Superior that her tumor was back and that she had to go back to the same isolated place to avoid any contagious germs. The Mother Superior, now suspicious, asked the padre to let one of the avowed older sisters go with him to make sure all was well.

She had noticed that Jigalonio was back from the service and doing a lot of smiling while thrusting his hoe. She also noticed that Chiaria was also smiling more. The good padre convinced Mother Superior that this was not necessary as all the nuns were needed in the convent to pray for Sister Chiaria and the safe removal of the growth in her. Mother, trusting padre, was still not convinced yet agreed.

The baby, a girl, looked healthy enough. The padre found a local couple to look after her while Chiaria recuperated from her “surgery.” Chiaria returned to the convent, knowing that the local couple would take good care of the little girl.

Two weeks later, Chiaria was asked by the Mother Superior to walk to town to pick up fresh vegetables, as it would be good exercise for her healing. Walking into town, she made up her mind. She went to the couple’s cottage and thanked the couple and trusted their silence, then she took the baby girl to town.

Since Chiaria was very rarely seen outside of the convent, no one in town recognized her. She wore a hooded coat with the baby underneath—her mission, find Jigalonio!

She was convinced that Jigalonio would take her and the baby in, and they would live a great life together. She would leave the convent and simply move in with him. It wouldn’t be fair to her sisters and the Mother Superior’s income. She had to think about her baby and herself.

She went looking for Jigalonio and found him, his pregnant wife, and his six kids walking to the market. She made no attempt to confront him, only to quickly walk past him and glance over enough for him to see her and live the rest of his life in guilt! Decimated by seeing Jigalonio, she had few options.

Chiaria, once again, walked toward the Mormon mini-temple to drop the baby off with the two nice young men who were there before. When she arrived, only a ripped tent and two soggy sleeping bags were there. She convinced herself that that they were practicing extreme poverty and preheaven penance. This was all the better as they would soon return and find the baby.

After waiting for a few hours and feeding the baby, she wrapped her in loose swaddling clothes and tucked her comfortably in the tent. It was a warm afternoon, and Chiaria felt that the baby would soon be discovered by the two Mormons.

After dropping off the baby girl at the Mormon mini-temple, she decided she couldn’t go back to the convent. She stayed with the padre for a few days to thank him for his support. The padre told the Mother Superior that Chiaria was still very sick from her recent event and needed more time to heal. Mother Superior didn’t buy this and finally got it out of Jigalonio, in confidence, what actually happened.

Although very jealous of Chiaria’s interaction with Jigalonio, she told him when he returned to work, as penance, to wear burlap underwear for two years, including a burlap hat. He agreed since he didn’t want anyone to know, although the two new postulants were pretty.

Mother Superior told the padre that in order for Chiaria to redeem herself with all things Catholic, she must wear a burlap dress for the rest of her life. Padre passed on the message.

Mother Superior crossed Chiaria’s name from the roster of nuns to take their final vows and blacklisted her from visiting the convent. The other nuns were curious, but they were quickly put down by the mother who said she found the devil’s work versus God’s work, and they should forget she was ever there.

The Mother Superior did have a little smile whenever Jigalonio walked past her.