He Followed Jesus... Into My Bed (CHAPTER 2)
(THIS IS CHAPTER 2! READ CHAPTER 1 FIRST!)
The rest of that morning and the whole afternoon were a tornado of rushed preparations. I quickly cleaned up the cottage, then went to the market to buy all the ingredients and mood-setting accessories that I'd need for a getting-to-know-you-better dinner. After paying for the pasta, special herbs and spices, candles and an irresistible melon-scented perfume, I put them in my rough-hewn bag and returned home. I walked in, ready to freshen up and start dinner, when there she was: Mary, dancing and singing a carefree song with a precariously balanced plate of salad in one hand! With one glance I could see that the kitchen was in shambles, that the main room was strewn with clothes and that Mary wasn't dressed to go out tonight as planned. How was I supposed to tell John how I felt with Mary hanging around? My eyes widened and I felt like my head was going to explode!
"I thought you were going out tonight!" I bellowed, tossing my bag onto a soft piece of furniture in the corner.
"I guess I changed my mind," Mary answered as she stopped twirling and took a bite of her salad. "Why," she jeered, "is plain, lonely Martha having a boy over tonight?" My face, which was red with anger, now became pink with embarrassment. She was just teasing, but that's exactly what I was planning! I started to make a dumb answer/excuse, but Mary could tell by my stuttering and muttering that she had accidentally guessed the truth. Now her eyes were as wide as mine! I cringed internally, thinking she'd definitely rub it in now. "Wow, you finally invited someone over?" she said instead. "Don't worry, I won't get in your way. I'll just stay in my room and keep down the noise."
My shoulders fell about a foot, I was so relieved! "Thanks so much, Mary," I exhaled. "Don't even mention it," she said as she hugged me. "Your my big sister and you deserve a night for yourself once in a while. So, who's the stud?" I laughed nervously, feeling like I could open up a little now that I was sure she'd be out of the way for later.
"JOHN!" I said, and she shrieked in surprise.
"Well what are you standing around for?" she asked retorically. "You better start getting ready if you want to hook that cutie!"
Over the next hour, Mary helped me cook, pick up her mess, and then pick out the perfect dinner outfit, a violet-red evening gown with tasteful, sparkling glass stones studding the hem and slightly-low neckline. "There's just one more thing, Mary" I interjected as she turned around to go to her room and wait for John to show up. "What is it?" she said inquiringly. "Pray with me."
Dear Lord Jesus,
Please help us to do your will tonight
By following your commandment to Be Fruitful And Mutiply (Genesis 1:28)
And Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself (Matthew 22:39)
And let dear Brother John also fulfill his Christian duty
By following these commandments tonight with Martha
For she is fruitful now after a hard adolescence
And knows John much better than all the women who he meets and only
Like him because of his fame and good looks and not his SOUL
And I pray that you do not let me be unsure
of whether John is the ONE MAN who you have chosen to sound the bell in my holy temple (body)
But let the Holy Ghost give me a definite feeling
So that we know it is You giving us these feelings and we are
Not being wonton whores for the devil
Sweet Jesus
Amen
Perfectly as we were finished, there was a knock on the simple hardwood door. Martha inhaled sharply, offered "Good Luck" and scampered into her room, clicking the door closed quietly behind her. I sat down on a chair near the table and reached for an apple to fill my nervous hands, hoping they'd soon be filled with a different kind of fruit! My heart was pounding, my voice felt like it was going to fail. "Come in," I announced.
The rest of that morning and the whole afternoon were a tornado of rushed preparations. I quickly cleaned up the cottage, then went to the market to buy all the ingredients and mood-setting accessories that I'd need for a getting-to-know-you-better dinner. After paying for the pasta, special herbs and spices, candles and an irresistible melon-scented perfume, I put them in my rough-hewn bag and returned home. I walked in, ready to freshen up and start dinner, when there she was: Mary, dancing and singing a carefree song with a precariously balanced plate of salad in one hand! With one glance I could see that the kitchen was in shambles, that the main room was strewn with clothes and that Mary wasn't dressed to go out tonight as planned. How was I supposed to tell John how I felt with Mary hanging around? My eyes widened and I felt like my head was going to explode!
"I thought you were going out tonight!" I bellowed, tossing my bag onto a soft piece of furniture in the corner.
"I guess I changed my mind," Mary answered as she stopped twirling and took a bite of her salad. "Why," she jeered, "is plain, lonely Martha having a boy over tonight?" My face, which was red with anger, now became pink with embarrassment. She was just teasing, but that's exactly what I was planning! I started to make a dumb answer/excuse, but Mary could tell by my stuttering and muttering that she had accidentally guessed the truth. Now her eyes were as wide as mine! I cringed internally, thinking she'd definitely rub it in now. "Wow, you finally invited someone over?" she said instead. "Don't worry, I won't get in your way. I'll just stay in my room and keep down the noise."
My shoulders fell about a foot, I was so relieved! "Thanks so much, Mary," I exhaled. "Don't even mention it," she said as she hugged me. "Your my big sister and you deserve a night for yourself once in a while. So, who's the stud?" I laughed nervously, feeling like I could open up a little now that I was sure she'd be out of the way for later.
"JOHN!" I said, and she shrieked in surprise.
"Well what are you standing around for?" she asked retorically. "You better start getting ready if you want to hook that cutie!"
Over the next hour, Mary helped me cook, pick up her mess, and then pick out the perfect dinner outfit, a violet-red evening gown with tasteful, sparkling glass stones studding the hem and slightly-low neckline. "There's just one more thing, Mary" I interjected as she turned around to go to her room and wait for John to show up. "What is it?" she said inquiringly. "Pray with me."
Dear Lord Jesus,
Please help us to do your will tonight
By following your commandment to Be Fruitful And Mutiply (Genesis 1:28)
And Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself (Matthew 22:39)
And let dear Brother John also fulfill his Christian duty
By following these commandments tonight with Martha
For she is fruitful now after a hard adolescence
And knows John much better than all the women who he meets and only
Like him because of his fame and good looks and not his SOUL
And I pray that you do not let me be unsure
of whether John is the ONE MAN who you have chosen to sound the bell in my holy temple (body)
But let the Holy Ghost give me a definite feeling
So that we know it is You giving us these feelings and we are
Not being wonton whores for the devil
Sweet Jesus
Amen
Perfectly as we were finished, there was a knock on the simple hardwood door. Martha inhaled sharply, offered "Good Luck" and scampered into her room, clicking the door closed quietly behind her. I sat down on a chair near the table and reached for an apple to fill my nervous hands, hoping they'd soon be filled with a different kind of fruit! My heart was pounding, my voice felt like it was going to fail. "Come in," I announced.