The Case of the Vanishing Novice (Sisters of the Last Straw Book 2)

by Karen Kelly Boyce

  The animal control officer smiled. She petted the dog. “This must be a very special dog!”

  Mr. Lemon looked shocked. But so did Kathy. “Does this mean Gracie has to go away?”

  Officer Mallon winked. “If you let me take her, Gracie will come back with me and go to school. She will learn how to sniff out lost children, confused elderly, and injured missing people. Think of the good she will do, and the lives she will save.”

  All the Sisters looked at Kathy. They knew how much she loved her pet.

  Kathy finally spoke, “Do you really think that Gracie can be trained to save people?”

  “After today, I know she can. Would you let her go?” asked Officer Mallon.

  Kathy looked sad. But then she smiled. “If that is the talent that God gave her, then I guess He would want her to use it. Will I be able to visit her?”

  “Not only will you be able to visit her, but she will be able to visit you. She will be housebroken and learn not to bark or jump. She’ll be a perfect dog!” grinned Officer Mallon.

  The other neighbors all started to clap. They cheered for Gracie and for the Sisters as Kathy gave Gracie a hug goodbye. All the neighbors seemed proud. Mr. Lemon stomped back to his home and slammed the door.

  After Officer Mallon and Gracie left, the Sisters said goodbye to their neighbors and went back into the convent. Sister Shiny still felt sad for Kathy. She thought, It would be hard for me to give up something I loved, like cleaning mirrors.

  “I am so sorry,” she said. She put her arms around Kathy. “I was too fussy and only thought about myself and what I wanted. Please forgive me.”

  Kathy smiled. “Maybe I thought too much about my pet,” she said. She looked at the other sisters. “I am very glad that you are not angry with me,” Kathy said. “I have caused you so much trouble. First with my dog, and then with getting lost. I am afraid I am not very good at being a nun.”

  Mother Mercy spoke up. “Would everyone listen to me for a moment?” She was very calm. Everyone looked at her. “I think today we’ve learned just how much we love Kathy. If Kathy is ready, I am ready to accept her as a novice. She can stay with us and study our ways. In a year she can become a full member of our community.”

  All the Sisters cheered, while Kathy cried tears of joy. For once, they were all in agreement. Kathy belonged with them.

  Chapter 8

  Part of the Family

  “The Bishop said that Father McNulty will come tomorrow to hear your first vows,” Mother Mercy said to Kathy after dinner.

  “There is so much to do to get ready!” said Sister Shiny.

  “I’ll finish sewing her new veil. Once she takes her vows, she will be able to wear a white veil with our habit,” said Sister Lovely.

  “I’ll start cooking right now,” laughed a joyful Sister Lacey. She ran to the kitchen.

  “And you will have to pick a new name,” Mother Mercy said to Kathy, “It is part of our rule that you take a new name on the day you become a novice.”

  “I can’t,” Kathy said. “A new name for the rest of my life? It would take me a week to think of one!”

  Mother Mercy got angry. “I don’t have all day or all week! It’s bad enough that we had to spend two days looking for you!”

  Sister Krumbles said, “Mother Mercy, calm down. Being angry is not very Christ-like!”

  Mother Mercy had had enough. She stamped her feet on the floor. “It’s not like Christ to get lost and not let anyone know where you are. Jesus wouldn’t make people worry!”

  “I think you’re wrong,” said a child’s voice.

  Turning, Mother Mercy saw Anna and Michael in the doorway.

  Mother Mercy was embarrassed. Taking a deep breath, she said, “What do you mean?”

  “We just learned in school that Jesus got lost for three days. When He was just twelve years old his family traveled to the temple,” explained little Michael. “But Jesus stayed behind when they left.”

  He went on. “It was some time before Joseph and Mary realized that Jesus wasn’t with them. After three days, they found him back at the temple.”

  “Mary and Joseph asked him how he could leave and worry them so,” Annd said. “Jesus told them that they should have known He would be in his Father’s house.”

  All the Sisters were quiet. Mother Mercy hung her head in shame. “I’m so sorry for what I said, Kathy. You weren’t in your Father’s house, but you were about our Father’s business.”

  “Yes, the children that Kathy took care of were God’s children, too!” added Sister Lovely.

  Kathy crossed the room to give Mother Mercy a big hug. “I forgive you,” she said.

  “Holy Hopping Happenings!” laughed Sister Lacey. “We better get started if we are going to be ready for tomorrow!”

  All the Sisters hurried to finish their chores before evening prayers.

  A sunny sky greeted the Sisters as they met for breakfast. Sister Krumbles had been up half the night thinking of good names to suggest to Kathy.

  “Did you think of a name? What is it?” she asked.

  “Yes, I’d like to know,” said Mother Mercy. “Father McNulty will be here this afternoon. I’ve filled out all the papers, but I need to fill in your new name before they are given to the Bishop.”

  Kathy smiled and sighed. “When I was just a baby, my mother got sick and God took her to heaven. I hope I am making her proud of me. I’ve decided to take her name.”

  Sister Lovely turned her head to hide the tears. The other Sisters tried not to cry. Mother Mercy asked, “So, what was your mother’s name?”

  Kathy beamed with pride. “My mother’s name was Wanda.”

  Then Sister Lacey started laughing. She stood up, opened her arms to hug Kathy. She shouted, “WELCOME! WANDERING WANDA!”

  “Sister Wandering Wanda!” giggled Sister Lovely as all the Sisters doubled over with laughter. Even Kathy laughed so hard that she started to cry.

  “I’ll try not to be a wandering Wanda again,” said Kathy as she wiped away happy tears with her napkin.

  Soon the entire convent was clean, sparkling, and filled with guests for the ceremony. Kathy’s father and sister came in their best clothing. Sister Lacey had invited many of the neighbors. The Nelsons and the O’Neills and many of the families the sisters visited came. Nurse Johnson brought her children. Even Officer Mallon came, and he brought Gracie with him! The puppy jumped and barked with joy.

  Father McNulty was the last to arrive. With the guests seated and the chapel full, the service began.

  Sister Shiny began playing the organ as Kathy’s father walked her up the aisle. Kathy knelt in front of the altar.

  Father McNulty read the vows and Kathy repeated them after him. She promised to obey the rules of the community for a year. She pledged to serve the people of God as Christ would. She promised that she would spend the next year praying to learn if it was God’s will that she become a Sister. At last, Mother Mercy placed Kathy’s white veil on her head. She was so proud!

  After the final blessing, the whole church clapped as Novice Wanda walked down the aisle. She was now on her way to becoming one of the Sisters of the Last Straw.

  Afterwards, there was a party. Mary and Joseph had laid out all the food Sister Lacey had cooked on long tables.

  There was more than enough food for all the guests, and there were many leftovers for the sisters to send home with the poor families. It was a long and wonderful party.

  “Thank you for such a wonderful day,” Novice Wanda said to everyone at the end of the celebration. “This is a day I will never forget.”

  All the guests said goodbye and left. Father McNulty was the last to leave. “You Sisters and the work you do make me so proud!” He said as he walked down the hall to get his coat from the closet. “Thank you for asking me to do the service.” He opened the closet door.

  “Aaaa…!” he screamed as a mass of squawking chickens flew out of the closet!

  In surprise,
he fell down on his rear as brown, black, and white chickens flew and fluttered all over him, scattering down the hall.

  “Hooting haunted hens!” cried Sister Lacey as she scrambled to help him. The chickens ran into the parlor in a clucking crowd.

  One of the hens knocked over a lamp which crashed into the big parlor mirror. It shattered. Chickens jumped onto the long table where a tray of ziti for the Sisters’ dinner stood. They ran through the tray. The ziti slid onto the floor with a clang. Noodles and sauce flew everywhere!

  “Catch those birds!” yelled Mother Mercy to the nuns who were hiding behind chairs and tables from the crazy birds.

  Sister Lovely cornered a black hen and managed to grab it as it clucked and wiggled in her arms.

  Mother Mercy grabbed a chicken and put it under a laundry basket.

  Sister Lacey managed to catch a red chicken and hold it down. Sister Krumbles caught the huge rooster.

  But Novice Wanda was the best at catching chickens. She plucked two confused hens that were climbing on the couch. She snatched up two more by the legs. “Got you!” she yelled as she held them tight.

  “Where did these chickens come from?” shouted Mother Mercy over squawks of the hens.

  Everyone looked at Sister Krumbles. “Aaah…” she said. “Right before Father McNulty came to the door, Mr. Murphy the farmer came by. He gave us a gift to celebrate our happy day: seven chickens and one rooster!”

  “I might have guessed,” said Mother Mercy.

  “I didn’t have time to do anything with them. So I put the cage in the coat closet in the hall. I guess I didn’t fasten the cage lock well,” Sister Krumbles said.

  Father McNulty laughed, “Being around you Sisters is never dull!” He brushed the chicken feathers off his coat and said goodbye.

  The sisters put the chickens back in their cage, but were dismayed as they looked around their beautiful convent. There were pieces of broken glass and ziti noodles all over the floor. Feathers covered the furniture and stuck to the food on the walls.

  Then Sister Wanda said, “Now this is a day none of us will ever forget!”

  Mother Mercy found she had to smile. Soon all the Sisters were giggling.

  Even Sister Shiny smiled. “At least I love to clean, and now I can do a lot of cleaning!”

  Sister Krumbles and the children carried the chickens out to the shed. “What a blessing!” she said, “We can make Gracie’s dog house into a chicken coop!”

  Sister Shiny said, “I’ll go down to the gift shop and get the cleaning supplies.” She ran down the hall. The other sisters were shocked when they heard her scream.

  “It can’t be another mess!” Mother Mercy said.

  But it was not. Sister Shiny ran back into the parlor and cried, “Sisters! We’ve been robbed! All of the rosary beads that were in the display case are missing!”

  Please join

  the Sisters of the Last Straw in

  their next adventure:

  The Case of the Stolen Rosaries

  About the Author

  Karen Kelly Boyce

  Karen Kelly Boyce lives on a farm in New Jersey with her husband, Michael. She is a member of the Jackson Writer’s Group, The Catholic Writer’s Guild, and the Central New Jersey Catholic Writer’s Guild. With two grown children, Amanda and Michael, she and her retired husband like to travel and enjoy road trips across the country.

  Karen is best known for her adult series of novels which are based on the graces of the Rosary. Her three published novels are According to thy Word, Into the Way of Peace, and Down Right Good. All three have received the Seal of Approval from the Catholic Writer’s Guild, and Down Right Good has won the Eric Hoffer Award for commercial fiction.

  She has also published one non-fiction work on her experience with cancer. A Bend in the Road teaches cancer patients how to become cancer survivors with humor, understanding, and practical advice. All the proceeds from this book go to the research department of The Cancer Institute of NJ.

  With the birth of her two grandchildren, Conner and Kaitlyn, Karen started a series of children’s books called the Sisters of the Last Straw. This is the second book of the series.

  All of Karen’s books can be found online on her website, www.queenofangelsfarm.com.

  About the Illustrator

  Sue Anderson Gioulis

  Sue Anderson Gioulis completed her art training at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida.

  She is the illustrator of the children’s books Off We Go and You’re Lovable to Me, and her drawings and graphic designs are displayed in several states on the East Coast.

  Sue is a member of the Manasquan River Group of Artists in New Jersey. She enjoys life by the shore with her family in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. Her work can be viewed online at: www.gioulisgraphics.com.