Shannon quite forget herself, openly staring at the boy. Shannon couldn't remember another child stopping by the convent in her short life. The men that came to the convent were there to see Mother Teresa, not little Shannon. But it wasn't because he was male or a child that she stared at the boy.
She tilted her head to the side.
Slowly she said, "You have eyes just like mine."
The boy had stood silently while she had scrutinized him, as a boy from the monastery would know to do. But at that he lost his composure.
"Is that all you have to say to me?"
"God bless you." Why did I say that? What should I have said? "Pleased to meet you." And what was it Mother Superior says to visitors? "What brings you here today."
"I wanted to meet my sister."
"I am not a sister. I am too young."
"No one girl is too young to be a sister."
"The convent does not give a girl the title of sister until she is older."
"What does that have to do with you being my sister?"
Shannon was confused. Did the monastery call all the girls of the convent sisters regardless of age? Are the boys called Brother as children?
"Are you feeble minded sister?"
Shannon smiled with the Christian charity she had been taught. She did not realize her hands betrayed her anger.
Using Mother Teresa's 'I'm being patient with you" voice and more of the nun's words that she realized, she replied, "Young man I am not in the least way feeble minded. It is very kind of you to call me sister, but I am not of age to be called by that most honored title." "Is that any way to talk to your brother?"
"Brother please forgive me for any unkindness, it was not my intention."
"Of course I forgive you. You're my sister."
And he asks if I am feeble minded? I do not want to explain this again.
"Thank you for your forgiveness Brother. I must retire now."
Shannon turned and walked away. She didn't want to give him the opportunity to call her Sister again. It didn't seem right.
The whole thing bothered her somehow. She fell into a fitful sleep.
She tilted her head to the side.
The boy had stood silently while she had scrutinized him, as a boy from the monastery would know to do. But at that he lost his composure.
"Is that all you have to say to me?"
"God bless you." Why did I say that? What should I have said? "Pleased to meet you." And what was it Mother Superior says to visitors? "What brings you here today."
"I wanted to meet my sister."
"I am not a sister. I am too young."
"No one girl is too young to be a sister."
"The convent does not give a girl the title of sister until she is older."
"What does that have to do with you being my sister?"
Shannon was confused. Did the monastery call all the girls of the convent sisters regardless of age? Are the boys called Brother as children?
"Are you feeble minded sister?"
Shannon smiled with the Christian charity she had been taught. She did not realize her hands betrayed her anger.
"Brother please forgive me for any unkindness, it was not my intention."
"Of course I forgive you. You're my sister."
And he asks if I am feeble minded? I do not want to explain this again.
"Thank you for your forgiveness Brother. I must retire now."
Shannon turned and walked away. She didn't want to give him the opportunity to call her Sister again. It didn't seem right.
The whole thing bothered her somehow. She fell into a fitful sleep.
* * *
"I thought I heard you in here."
"What are you doing out of bed Shannon?"
"Mother, a boy from the monastery was here today. I can't sleep for what he said."
I am not ready for this. What am I to tell this young girl? Should I tell her anything at all?
"What did he say Shannon?"
"He kept calling me Sister. I tried to tell him I am not old enough to be a Sister of the convent."
"That is quite the compliment Shannon."
"Mother..his eyes are the same as mine."
"Shannon, his eyes are the same because he is your brother by blood."
"After your mother died, he was sent to the monastery and you here to the convent."
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