Bless Us Father (26 page)

The drapes that usually covered the big picture window in the front room of her house were wide open. Lights were on, even though it was still broad daylight. Mary Margaret could see her parents and Father Antonio inside. Instead of going in the front door as she usually did, she turned and quickly walked down the driveway to the back of the house, hoping the kitchen door was open. Maybe then she could slip down the hallway to her bedroom without being noticed.

As usual, luck wasn’t on her side. The kitchen door was unlocked, but both the screen and the inner door were closed. She opened the screen door slowly, then turned the knob and pushed the heavy inner door open. It squeaked loudly and she held her breath, hoping it hadn’t been heard by those in the living room. Her heart fluttered inside her chest, and she was perspiration trickled down her forehead.

“Is that you, Mary Margaret?” her dad called out from the living room. “Come in here. We have a surprise guest.”

Knowing there was no way out, she said, “I’ll be right there after I get a drink of water. It’s really hot today.”

She got a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water from the pitcher her mom always kept in the Frigidaire. She leaned against the counter, hoping the solid wood would quell her trembling. The usually comforting scent of meatloaf cooking in the oven wafted over her; only today it made her a bit queasy. Drinking deeply of the water, she willed herself to calm down. She finished, wiped her sweaty brow with the kitchen towel, took a deep breath, and went to the living room.

Father Antonio was sitting in her dad’s favorite easy chair. Her mom and dad were sitting close to one another on the sofa. All three had a glass of red wine, and were smiling at her when she entered. Her dad’s nose was red. Mary Margaret knew it wasn’t the first glass of wine they’d shared. His nose never turned that color until he’d had his second or third glass.

“Look who’s here, Mary Margaret. Father Antonio surprised us with a visit,” Mrs. Riley said.

“Yes, this is one big surprise,” Mary Margaret said, looking directly at Father Antonio. “Why are you here?”

“Mary Margaret Riley!” Mrs. Riley said. “You are being terribly rude.”

“That’s all right, Ellen,” Father said. “She probably didn’t think she’d see me again.”

Mary Margaret looked down at the floor, wishing a hole would open and allow her to disappear into the bowels of hell. Surely it couldn’t be any worse than being here.

“Did you go see Father O’Malley?” she asked, still looking at the floor. She knew what the answer to that question was. There was no way he was ever going to face Father O’Malley again. It was amazing that he had the nerve to even come back in town.

“No, Mary Margaret, I’m not planning on seeing Matthew. I’ve been attending a conference in San Diego and I must be back in South Los Angeles before dark, so there isn’t time. I couldn’t drive through the area without stopping to see you and your wonderful parents, though.”

She heard her mother giggle, just like she always did around Father Antonio. It nauseated her and she wondered if her dad noticed.

“We are certainly honored that you think enough of us to take the time out of your busy schedule,” Mr. Riley said. “How about another glass of wine?”

“No Sean, I must be on my way. I appreciate your hospitality, though.”

“Are you certain you don’t have time for dinner?” Mrs. Riley asked. “We’ve got plenty.”

“I really must go, Ellen. I don’t want to be driving into South Central Los Angeles after dark. It’s not as safe as your neighborhood.”

“And I for one certainly don’t understand why you were transferred down there, Antonio. I just don’t get it,” Mrs. Riley said.

“Now Ellen,” Mr. Riley said. “Those folks need priests, too.”

“That’s right. I have to go where I’m called,” Father Antonio said, rising from the chair and placing his wine glass on the coffee table. “I must go back to my parish. But first, I wonder if I might use your facilities?”

“Of course, Father,” Mrs. Riley said. “Mary Margaret, show Father where the restroom is.”

Mary Margaret stared mutely at her mother. There was no way she wanted to go down that dark hallway with Father Antonio. She shook her head no.

“Mary Margaret! Show our guest where the restroom is right now. I’ll deal with you later.”

Knowing there was no way out without causing a huge scene Mary Margaret said, “This way, Father.”

She led the way down the narrow hallway to the bathroom, opened the door, and switched on the light. She then tried to squeeze past Father Antonio, who had followed her into the bathroom, but he wouldn’t let her. He glanced quickly out into the hall to make sure no one had followed them, then leaned towards her and wrapped her in an embrace.

The stench of sour wine on his breath turned her stomach. She pushed him away and whispered, “You’d better let me go or I’ll scream.”

He looked out the door again, pulled her closer. “Go ahead. They won’t believe you. I’m sure you missed me, haven’t you?”

“No,” she hissed. “Let me go!”

He stepped aside and let her pass.

Mary Margaret rushed back to the living room, paused briefly, then said, “I’ll go get dinner on the table.”

“Wait just a minute, young lady,” Mr. Riley said. “You are being unbelievably rude. You’ll wait until Father comes back and tell him goodbye properly.”

Defeated, she sat down on the edge of the sofa and waited for Father Antonio to return. After what seemed like hours, he emerged from the restroom and began his goodbyes all over again. Finally, he came over to Mary Margaret, gave her a chaste hug and a peck on the cheek, then turned to leave.

Mary Margaret watched her parents walk him to the door. She stayed as far behind the three as possible, but not far enough. Father Antonio turned around and fixed her with a dark, brooding look that caused her stomach to tighten into one giant knot. Before turning away, he relaxed his gaze and smiled broadly.

“It was so nice to see you, Mary Margaret,” he said. “Maybe I’ll get by this way again in the near future.”

She didn’t care what her parents said, she wasn’t going to smile at him or even answer him. She would just have to sit through an evening of lectures on how rude she was.

And sure enough, no sooner had the door closed than the onslaught started.

“What has gotten into you, young lady?” Mr. Riley asked. “I’ve never seen you this rude.”

She wasn’t going to let them guilt her into apologizing. They could just yap all they wanted.

“Come help me get dinner on the table, Mary Margaret,” Mrs. Riley said. “I’ve got a few things to say to you.”

Mary Margaret followed her into the kitchen, determined to keep her mouth shut and not rise to the bait.

“As I’ve said before, Father Antonio is just the nicest, sweetest man, and you were terribly rude to him tonight. He talked about how much help you’d been to him in the rectory, and how he wishes he had someone at his new parish that was that helpful.”

“Yeah, I’ll just bet he does,” Mary Margaret said, unable to hold back.

“There you go again with that tone in your voice. I just don’t understand.”

Mary Margaret got the dishes from the cupboard and the stainless steel utensils from the drawer. She spread the kitchen table with the white tablecloth that had apples and cherries printed on it, and set the table. She placed hot pads on the table for the pans that would come directly from the stove, and then went to get the water glasses out of the dish drainer on the side board. She marveled at how much care her mother took in protecting her table and how little she took in protecting her own daughter from Father Antonio.

Mary Margaret took aluminum ice trays from the freezer, ran them under the water faucet, and placed four cubes in each glass. She then refilled the ice tray and placed it back in the freezer, making sure she put it on the bottom so the older trays would be used first.

All the while her mother talked on and on about what a wonderful priest Father Antonio was, and what a loss it was to have him suddenly transferred out of their parish. After all, Father O’Malley’s health wasn’t that great, and he would surely retire soon. It just didn’t make sense to suddenly send Father Antonio down into Watts.

Mary Margaret fought back the tears that were brimming in her eyes. She couldn’t understand how her mother could be so blinded by Father Antonio. How could she choose to believe him over her own daughter? The pain was unbelievable. Maybe, though, when she finally got around to telling her dad the truth, maybe then he would get through to her mom and make her understand what had happened.

“Okay, Mary Margaret. Call your father.”

Mary Margaret went into the living room where her dad was watching the evening news on television. “Dinner is on the table, Daddy. Come on before it gets cold.”

“Okay, baby girl. I’m just about starved,” he said, struggling to his feet while trying to balance his newly refilled wine glass in one hand, and the open bottle in another. “It was nice to see Father, but I’m glad he didn’t stay for dinner. He eats too much,” he said with a wink.

“I’m glad too, Dad.” Mary Margaret took the glass and bottle of wine from him and led the way to the kitchen, thinking as she did so that her dad sometimes drank too much. Even though, she placed them on the table next to her dad’s plate.

They sat in their usual spots, and bowed their heads to pray.

“Will you please say the blessing, Mary Margaret?” Mrs. Riley asked.

“Bless us, Oh Lord, and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from they bounty, through Christ, Our Lord. Amen,” she said, crossing herself after the Amen.

“Meatloaf again?” Mr. Riley asked. “Why do we always have to have meatloaf?”

Mary Margaret glanced at her mother, who had pursed her lips and was frowning. “I like meatloaf. I could eat it every day,” she said.

“Don’t try to get on my good side, Mary Margaret. You know I’m upset at your behavior tonight.”

“I’m sorry, Mom. I never expected to see Father Antonio again, that’s all. And when I walked up to the house and saw his car, well...it was just kind of a shock.”

She noticed her dad looking at her mom questioningly. Her mom didn’t seem to notice, so her dad turned his gaze to her.

“Why was it a shock, baby girl? I’d expect you to say a surprise or something, but not that it was a shock. Can you help me understand?”

She couldn’t wait to finish this meal and go to her room where she could be alone. She wasn’t going to get into a conversation now.

“I guess I used the wrong word. I should have said it was a surprise. I just wasn’t ready for it,” she said, standing up take her dishes to the sink.

Behind her, she heard her father say, “I just don’t understand this reaction. Ellen? Can you enlighten me?”

Mary Margaret could almost feel her mother’s eyes boring into her back.

“No, Sean, I can’t,” Mrs. Riley answered. “She’s just being her usual difficult self. I’ll be glad when this phase is over. Teenagers are not easy to deal with. I just hope this doesn’t prove to be the death of me. I can’t take much more.”

Yesterday I dared to struggle. Today I dare to win.

-Bernadette Devlin-

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Mary Margaret sat on the front step of her house, waiting for her friends to pick her up to go to the beach. Summer was almost over and it would soon be time to start school. She’d saved almost all of the money she’d made at her summer job and had enough put away to pay her own senior expenses and buy any clothes she’d need during the year.

Though her parents still bought her school uniforms, they now refused to buy her anything to wear to extracurricular activities. They’d started telling her she was going to be on her own as soon as she was eighteen and graduated from high school, so she may as well start practicing now. Actually, her mother was the one telling her that, but her father never contradicted her mom and he wouldn’t meet Mary Margaret’s eyes when her mom was lecturing her.

She found it hard to believe, but her mother was even colder and more distant to her than she’d ever been, every since Father Antonio dropped by for his little visit. He hadn’t been back since that day. Apparently the Watts Riots were keeping him sequestered in his South Central Los Angeles rectory. Mom was so worried about him that Mary Margaret thought she might get in her car and drive down to check on him.

But today was going to be a good day. They were all going to Huntington Beach for one last day before school started. She and Twyla, and Bill and Dave Watson were driving down in Bill’s 1953 Buick Woody station wagon. It was green with wood paneling on the side and held the boy’s surf boards, their gear, and all the kids they could pile in, too. Today, Vivian was going with them, even though she didn’t have a date.

Mary Margaret stood up and waved when she saw the Woody turn the corner onto her block. She ran down the front walk and climbed into the front passenger seat when Dave got out and held the door open for her. She slid to the middle, next to Bill, and Dave sat next to her. She wondered why he wasn’t getting into the back to sit next to Twyla, but when she turned around to say hello, she saw that there was another boy sitting between Twyla and Vivian.