After discussing their trip for another hour, exhaustion finally overwhelmed them. Facing one another, they gazed into each other’s eyes until they both fell asleep.
The next morning, Gabe decided he must tell his mother the truth. Not to mention, he had some business to attend to with Father Matt. Resigning his position at the church wasn’t going to be easy, but it was nothing compared to the upset his news was going to cause his mother.
Reluctantly, he drove Lily back out to the acreage, letting her off the bike a ways from the house, to not attract the attention of her parents.
“Promise me you won’t say anything to your parents until I’m there, okay?” Gabe said giving Lily a serious look.
“I promise.” Lily stated, crossing her heart.
Kissing her good-bye, he set off to town.
Pulling up to the church, Gabe’s stomach twisted as he contemplated what he was going to tell Father Matt. He felt guilty as he opened the large church doors.
Once inside, Gabe hung up his jacket and smoothed back his wild hair. Out of habit, he dipped his fingers in the holy water and formed the sign of the cross.
Nearing Father Matt’s office, Gabe could hear voices. Knocking lightly on the door, the voices suddenly ceased.
“Yes, come in.” Father Matt’s voice stated pleasantly.
“Pardon me, Father, its Gabe. I just wanted to…” Gabe began as he opened the door, but paused when he saw Father Francis standing beside Father Matt.
“Father Gabe, speak of the devil.” Father Francis said coldly, looking at him suspiciously.
Instantly ashamed for abandoning the exorcism without explanation, Gabe lowered his eyes.
“Father Francis, I must apologize for my behavior the other day, I…” He started with sincerity.
“Yes,” Father Francis interrupted him, “it was rather inconvenient, to say the least.” His words biting.
Gritting his teeth, Gabe felt a wave of anger ripple through him.
How dare this man come here and blame me for anything that went wrong with the exorcism! Gabe thought, fuming. As if he spent any time at all preparing me for what might happen.
Seething inside, he suppressed his anger and forced a weak smile.
“Yes, well, I apologize for any trouble I may have caused you.” He tried to sound sincere, but instead, sounded brash.
Father Francis eyed the younger priest with disdain, his piercing glare brimming with contempt.
“Well, apologies aside, I came to inform you that the young lady in which we…I…” he corrected, shooting Gabe a sideways glance, then continued, “performed the exorcism on is now completely cleansed.”
Father Matt, standing beside Father Francis, nearly jumped with happiness.
“Oh my, well, that is wonderful news! Isn’t it Father Gabe?” Father Matt clapped his hands jubilantly.
Nodding, Gabe was thankful the girl was well. He hadn’t allowed himself to recall the experience, but he was still curious about the black shadow around the girl’s neck. As curious as he was, however, he’d rather face a firing squad than ask Father Francis’ opinion on the subject, or any subject for that matter.
“Yes, well, I’ll take my leave then. It’s apparent that Father Gabe wishes to discuss something with you Father Matthew.” Father Francis tipped his hat and walked out the door.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Gabe hoped he’d never see Father Francis again. Normally, he gave everyone the benefit of the doubt, but in this case, that man deserved no such benediction.
Distracted by the revelation of the young girl and Father Francis’ demeanor, Gabe almost forgot why he was there in the first place.
“Father Matthew,” Gabe began solemnly, “I need to discuss something important with you.”
Delicately, Gabe broke the news to Father Matt, that even though it was a rewarding career, he felt he could no longer continue. Choosing to omit the biggest reason he was leaving, a woman, Gabe explained how he felt a calling in other areas of life. After almost an hour of discussing the pros and cons of giving up his position, Father Matt hugged Gabe good-bye.
Clearing out his tiny apartment, Gabe felt strangely relieved at how easy it was to leave. He hadn’t anticipated feeling so free. The priesthood had many wonderful benefits, but sacrificing love, marriage and children was just too big a cross to bear.
It only took a few minutes to pack his humble belongings. Everything he owned fit into a simple gym bag. When he moved to the tiny apartment, which was a bachelor suite in disguise, he brought only the necessities. All other belongings, he’d opted to leave at his mother’s house.
Oh, my mother. He thought grimly as he realized he had yet to face the true music. Looking upwards, he prayed he was still in God’s good graces, at least enough to make it over this next big mountain.
~
“Gabriel!” His mother clasped her hands together with joy when she saw him. “What a beautiful surprise.” Her eyes glowed at she smiled at him. Anxiety and guilt coalesced in his stomach making him feel slightly nauseous.
“Hello, mama.” Gabe said as he leaned over to kiss her cheek.
“Sit, sit. Can I get you some baklava? I just made it this morning.” She asked, but was already heading into the kitchen to get it.
“Um…sure. Thank you.” He knew better than to argue with his mother about food, it was a Greek prerequisite to eat heartily, even when you weren’t hungry. He followed her into the kitchen and sat at the table.
Though his nervous stomach repelled the notion of food, Gabe’s mouth savored the rich, sweet pastry willingly.
Setting his plate on the table, he looked at his mother sitting across from him. Her wary expression indicated she knew he wanted something.
“Mama,” Gabe started, “I need to talk to you. I need you to listen and be open, okay?”
Crossing her arms, as though arming herself with an invisible shield, Gabe knew this might be difficult. Her eyes and face hardened, already making the decision to be obstinate.
“Mama…I resigned my position at the church.” He said as his eyes averted from her face.
“What?!!!” She exclaimed. “Gabriel! Why would you do such a thing?” Her voice wavered as tears formed in the corners of her eyes.
Sighing deeply, he tried to explain without shedding tears himself.
“I have other dreams I wish to pursue, Mama. Dreams that are not supported by the priesthood.”
Flustered, she stood up and began cleaning the kitchen, a habit she'd developed whenever agitated.
“What dreams? What dreams could be more important than serving our Lord? What dreams could be more important than making your Papa proud?” Her words penetrated Gabe’s soul. As he hung his head, hot, salty tears fell down his cheeks.
His tears did not deter her wrath. She leaned into him from the other side of the table, her eyes boring into the top of his head.
“What dreams Gabriel?! Tell me of these dreams, go on, tell me!”
“Lily.” Was the only word to escape his lips.
Shocked, she sat down onto the kitchen chair, her hand covering her mouth.
“I see.” She said in a quiet voice.
“Mama,” Gabe started with a long sigh. “I love her. I want to marry her and have children together.”
His mother nodded, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.
He continued, “I...feel like I only became a priest for...Dad.” Gabe announced carefully, his mother flashing him a cautionary glance. Searching his soul for the words, he stated, “I always felt pressure from him, like I wasn't good enough, unless I became a priest. It was like, he didn't approve of me,” Gabe muttered, “like he cared for Anna and Dimitris more.”
His mother was strangely silent. Her eyes gazed sightlessly at the floor as she contemplated everything she’d heard. Tears suddenly flooded her eyes as she buried her face in her hands, her body wracked with sobs.
“Mama?” Gabe asked, alarmed.
“Gabriel, I
have something to tell you.” She said through her tears.
Suddenly nervous, Gabe stared at her, waiting for her to speak. After several deep breaths, she finally spoke.
“Angelo was not your father.” Her eyes brimmed with fresh tears.
Gabe’s head spun, for the first time since witnessing his father’s murder, he thought he might faint.
“Wh…what?” He stuttered, shaking his head.
“I…I had an...affair, after Angelo and I were married.” She struggled with the words as though they were caught in her throat.
Gabe lowered his head into his hands, disbelief shrouding his mind like dark clouds blocking the sun.
She continued without looking at her son, “I was a sad and foolish little girl. We married so young. Our parents chose us for one another...betrothed years before. We married a week after my sixteenth birthday.” Sighing, she paused and went to the stove to heat some water for tea.
“One afternoon, a few months after our wedding, I met a young man in the market. He was selling exotic spices.” She blushed in spite of herself as she recalled. “He flirted with me, made me feel pretty, desired. I didn’t mean to fall in love with him.” Pouring the steaming water into two mugs, she dropped the tea bags in and walked back to the table.
“What was his name?” Gabe asked his voice quiet.
“Estevan.” She replied wistfully, as though she hadn’t said the name in years. “You have his eyes. They were the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen. That’s also how I knew…” She paused, hesitant. “you were his…and so did Angelo.”
“He knew about the affair?” Gabe asked, surprised.
“Yes,” she said, bowing her head. “Gabriel, you must never repeat what I’m about to tell you.” Looking at him sternly, she waited for his promise.
Confused, Gabe nodded in agreement.
“Angelo found out about the affair, I don’t know how, but he did. He hunted Estevan down and confronted him. There was a terrible argument and a fight broke out. I don’t know all the details, but in the end…” she stopped, fighting back tears, “Estevan was dead.”
Gabe gasped, pure shock coursed through his veins. His father, Angelo, killed someone?
“Angelo told me it was an accident, but he refused to speak of it ever again. I never really knew the whole truth, only that he always seemed tormented by it.” Shaking her head sadly, she sighed.
Gabe now understood why his father appeared to have a shadow of guilt following him. He must have felt he committed the worst crime ever and was going to go to hell for it.
“Then, the day that Angelo was killed,” she began slowly, “he came home from work early, all sweaty and scared. He said we had to pack up our things and go.” She said, wringing her hands. “You had gone fishing, so I made Angelo wait until you got back. Angelo was acting paranoid, checking the windows. A little while later, a man broke through the door with a gun. He told us he was Estevan’s brother and he was seeking revenge and…well, you know the rest.” She said sadly, lowering her eyes.
Slowly, his mother's words absorbed into his system. It was hard to believe that after all of these years, he was finally being told the truth. All the secrets and lies that had been told.
“I…don’t know what to say.” Gabe stammered.
It all made sense now. Angelo felt such guilt for his own sins; he misplaced the obligation of penance onto his sons. Thinking that somehow, if he were to get back into God’s good graces, he might not go to Hell. Only, he passed the burden onto Gabe.
“Angelo did love you, Gabriel, very much. He didn’t mean to be harsh with you; it was his own demons that blinded him.”
“Thank you.” He rose from the table, walked to her and hugged her tight.
“S'ayapo, my son, my angel Gabriel. I will respect any decision you make.” She said as she squeezed him.
“I love you too, Mama.
~
Driving back to the acreage to see Lily, the conversation with his mother replayed in his mind. The whole story was bittersweet in a strange way. It explained why his father treated him the way he did, not to mention the bizarre circumstances surrounding his death. His mother never once talked to the children about the man who killed their father. They simply were told to pack up their things and they moved far away from their home in Greece.
Though it was a traumatic time in his family's life, it brought him to Lily.
Rounding the corner to Lily’s house, he smiled as he realized how excited he was to see her. Even though it had only been a few hours since he dropped her off, he couldn’t bear to be away from her.
As he arrived at the house, Lily came bursting out of the front door. She jumped right into his arms planting a big kiss on his lips. Quinn, who had been walking past the living room window, witnessed the event. Not knowing of her sister’s new-found love, her expression was priceless. She looked like she'd just seen an alien space ship land in their front yard.
“We’d better hurry.” Gabe said as he kissed her back. “Quinn looks like she might faint.”
Giggling, Lily hooked her arm around his and led him into the house. She didn’t appear the least bit nervous, even though she was about to introduce Gabe as her new beau.
“Mummy! Daddy! Can you come here for a minute?” An exuberant Lily called out from the living room. Quinn was peeking from behind the kitchen wall, trying to ascertain if what she'd seen was really true.
“What’s all the yelling about?” Maggie asked irately as she came down the stairs. “and Daddy’s napping, so shush!”
“Can we wake him up? I have something to tell you.” Lily pouted slightly, her eyebrows pulled together.
“No, child, he was up early working.” Her mother stated firmly. Finally she noticed Gabe was in the room. “Gabriel! Well, how wonderful, I just love when you visit. Come, come, sit down. Would you like some juice, dear?”
“No thank you, Mrs. Donovan.” Gabe smiled at her politely.
Seating themselves in the living room, Lily and Gabe on the big sofa and Maggie on the rocking chair.
“So, what’s this big news?” Maggie asked, smiling at Gabe.
Clearing his throat, Gabe realized he didn’t know where to begin.
“Well, Mrs. Donovan…” he began maturely, but before he could continue, Lily burst at the seams.
“Gabe quit the church and we're in love and we’re going to Greece!” She grinned from ear to ear as her eyes shone like polished emeralds.
Maggie put her hand on her heart and looked like she might keel over at any moment.
Trying to subdue the moment, Gabe interjected. “Um…yes. Well, I decided to leave the church, um, priesthood because…well…” he stumbled, looking for the right words. “Well, because I love your daughter.” As he said the words, he looked at Lily, who was beaming. He could hear Quinn whispering around the corner, most likely to Sheridan.
A few moments went by and Maggie still hadn’t moved. She just sat in the rocking chair with a stunned look upon her face, mouth open and hand on her heart. If she didn’t speak soon, Gabe was going to walk over and check her pulse.
“Mom?” Lily called to her bewildered mother.
Finally, her mother blinked and said, “Oh my, that is…news, isn’t it.”
“What do you think? Isn’t that wonderful?’ Lily bounced lightly on the couch as she held Gabe’s hand.
“Maybe I should wake your father.” She got up, holding onto the side of the chair for support.
Mr. Donovan's reaction was anti-climatic to say the least. His only response was, “About time.”
After the initial shock had worn off, Maggie happily welcomed Gabe into the family by opening a bottle of champagne. Quinn sat sullenly in the living room, it wasn't a secret she harboured a crush on Gabe.
Gabe and Lily stood together in the small kitchen, hand in hand, thrilled to begin their new life together.
Greece
The large plane vibrated as the jets fired up. Lily pulle
d her seat belt tighter as the plane lurched toward the runway. Excitement quelled her anxiety about flying. She wasn't a fan of air travel, especially after her big fall with the tree house incident, but this was a pretty special reason to overcome her fears.
Holding Gabe’s hand tight, she felt the plane ascend into the atmosphere. Watching the ground shrink away, she daydreamed about Greece and what ancient beauties it might hold.
The flight was very long, Lily lost track of how many hours they'd been trapped on the plane. She was happy when the pilot announced that were landing in Brussels for their overnight layover. Her stomach flipped a few times during the descent causing her to reach for the vomit baggie, just in case.
Gabe, who'd slept most of the flight, awoke just in time to help Lily out of the plane. “You okay sweetie?” Gabe asked as they manoeuvred their way to the exit.
“Yah,” Lily replied, holding her head with one hand and clutching the vomit bag with the other, “just dizzy.”
Seating Lily on a bench, Gabe quickly retrieved their luggage.
A walk in the fresh Belgium air and some food in her belly did wonders for her spirit. Still needing to sleep, they took a cab to their hotel.
Once in their room, Lily crawled onto the bed, fully dressed, and fell asleep within moments. Fading into the world of dreams, she heard nothing, not even the door click as Gabe left the room.
Lily’s heart beat wildly as she recognized the scenario.
The large judicial bench appeared before her as serpentine shadows slithered at her feet.
“Ssslut...whore...seductressss.” They whispered as they entangled themselves around her legs.
Apprehensive, she looked up at the six shadow judges. Dark humanoid figures, shrouded with cloaks and negative energy.
The mirrored bench loomed in front of her, forcing her to face her terrified reflection. Then, just as before, two images formed on either side of her image, the smaller one still indistinguishable. Gabe’s familiar figure materialized on the left, his handsome face devoid of expression.
Dimensions of Genesis Page 10
