Chapter 4 Lesson of God

It was my second that at school and the nun, which name I learned to be Eleanor, was already against me the second I walked inside. Turns out I wasn't allowed to wear shirts saying: I love you, like I love my peanut butter. I had no idea what was wrong with my shirt. No freaking idea. Now I had to come to her office during lunchtime and I had to wear my gym shirt the whole day.

'I'm sorry guys.' I say to my new friends. 'Nun Eleanor is making me her lunch date today.'

'Miss Catharina take that back.' another nun said. Great. I really hated this school. These nuns are everywhere.

'I am so sorry nun. Please, pray for me.' I said back to her.

The nun turned around, with a shocked face because of the words I said to her. Penny and Julia had to keep their laughter hidden until the nun was away.

'Oh my god, Cat. I love you!' Penny had tears in her eyes. 'You make it bearable being here. The way you said: Please, pray for me. I thought I was going to loose my shit. You are too funny. I am so happy you came to this school.'

'I hate nuns. No offense.' I say with my hands raised, in case there were nuns walking past me, like every damn time I open my mouth. 'If there was really a god, he or she wouldn't give me this shitty live.'

'God will lead the way to your own destiny.' Julia said with her head raised. It was the school's motto. We laughed out loud when she made a serious face and raised her arms up high.

I laughed while pushing Julia away. 'I will choose my own damn destiny.' I said. There was no way a man was going to tell me what I was supposed to do with my live. Not God, not David, not doctor Benedict or anyone.

'Do you even believe in god?' Julia asked me.

'No.' I never went to church. I don't think I am allowed to.

'I already thought so. You will love the lesson this afternoon then.' she grinned.

'What is it?'

'The whole school has to go to this lesson in the theater. It's called: the Lesson of God. It's taught by the priest himself. We have to attend every Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's basically like going to church, but at school.' Penny explained to me.

'Great.' I sighed. Sounds like so much fun. 'You two go to church?'

'Yes, we do.' Julia said, giving a strange look at Penny. There was something she wasn't telling me. 'Let's go to class.' she said instead.

The class wasn't that bad. I had so much fun with Penny and Julia. The teacher didn't care we were chatting during the class as long as we made our work he gave us. Penny was funny and sweet, sometimes a little wild and loud. She was so much fun to hang around. She was like a sister that I never had. She totally gets me. Julia was a little serious sometimes, but had a secret hidden humor, that makes you almost pee your pants. Julia was really into music and art. She was also in the school's music band.

'See you guys.' I said when I had to go to the nuns office. I didn't want to go there, but I knew I would get into so much trouble if I didn't. Nun Eleanor was already waiting for me outside. She was not happy to see me.

'You're three minutes late.' she said with a strict voice.

'I had to go to my locker first.' I explained.

'And still being disrespectful I hear. Get inside.'

'What did I do wrong now?' I followed nun Eleanor inside and she closed the door behind me. I sat down on one of the two chairs in front of a desk.

'Where to begin...' nun Eleanor said looking really bothered with me. 'When you talk to a nun, I want you to say yes or no madam. If it's not a yes or no question, I want you to say nothing or answer with respect. So if I say: you're three minutes late, what do you say?'

'Yes madam?'

'Good girl. I knew you would get it.' nun Eleanor gave me a piece of paper and a pen. 'Write down 500 times: I shall respect the people of god.'

'Really?' I asked. A wooden stick was slammed on the desk really hard. I screamed out of shock. What the hell!

'Respect Catharina. What were you supposed to say?'

'Yes madam.' This school was so weird. I grabbed the pen and started to write down the words. The more this lady wanted me to respect her, the less respect I had for her. This was just crazy. I was at my twenty-sixth sentence when a cramp in my hand made me stop writing. I laid down my pen, what was followed directly with a slap of the wooden stick on my hand.

'Don't put your pencil down, young lady. You are no way finished yet.'

I opened my mouth to say something back, but closed it again. There was a light red streak on my hand and I wasn't planning on getting another slap. This couldn't be right, was it? This was child abuse. There was no way in hell I was going to make it to 500.

At 223 I was so done with it. 'Miss, eh, madam, it is almost time for class, can I write the rest another time maybe?'

'No.' nun Eleanor said with her arms crossed.

When the bell rang, I made the decision to leave. There was no way I was going to stay here. I just stood up, grabbed my bag and left the room.

'Miss Catharina, come back now! Return instantly!' the nun screamed behind me. I never slowed down. I found my class mates waiting in the hall for the teacher to open the door.

'If nun Eleanor asks where I am, you didn't see me, okay?' I asked Niko. I had this class with him. He looked at me confused but didn't ask any further. I hid behind a pillar. Of course nun Eleanor came by and asked if they had seen me.

'I think she went that way.' Niko said pointing in the direction of the toilets. She left in that direction.

'Thanks.' I said when Eleanor was gone.

'Nice shirt.' he laughed. 'Why are you hiding from her?'

'Don't even start about my shirt. I wasn't allowed to wear my other shirt, she made me wear my gym shirt instead. I hate the woman. She made me write down 500 times: I shall respect the people of god.'

'And now you're hiding?' he asked with a raised eyebrow.

'Yeah, I left when I was at 226.'

'You are so bad.' Niko laughed. 'I really like that about you. You are not scared to say what's on your mind.'

'Well, it gets me in trouble way too often than it should be.'

The classes went by fast. Nun Eleanor didn't find me and I was glad for that. I had a lot of fun with my new friends. Penny even convinced me to try out for the hockey team with her next week. Now it was time for the lesson of god, or what the fuck that was supposed to mean. The school theater was packed with students. Everyone had to go and so it was really busy. We found a spot in the middle of the theater and sat with Penny, Niko, Julia and Remy. A smaller looking version of Penny came too.

'This is our younger sister Ana-Fay.' Niko introduced her. 'Ana this is Cat. She is new. You want to sit with us?' he asked her. 'We have a spot left.

Ana only nodded and sat next to Penny.

'How many brothers and sister do you have?' I asked Niko.

'Well, there is me and Penny, Remy, Ana, Sam and Juliet. So that makes six.' he answered.

'Wow.' I always wanted a brother or sister. I mean it was fun with my mom, but she was way older than me. I had no one to play with when I grew up. No one to share toys or secrets with. I was all alone.

'Please, take a seat everyone.' A man was on stage behind a microphone. I hadn't seen him before at school. Was this the priest? He waited until everyone was sitting before he continued. 'For all new students; my name is John Vera and I am the school director and also the priest of the church next to the school.'

'Did he say Vera?' I asked Niko next to me. 'Your name is Vera too, right?'

'Yes, he is my father.' he answered.

'Oh.' That was why he looked almost the same. The priest was their father.

'Today's subject is about the rules at school.' the priest went on and on about the rules. How to be nice to each other. How to dress properly. 'Now I would like to ask Mother Eleanor on stage. She would like to say something.'

Nun Eleanor walked on stage in her black long dress clothes, with her white board and headkerchief. She thanked the priest and stood behind the microphone. 'Respect.' she said out loud.

'Oh shit.' I turned pale and hid my head in my hands. 'I'm doomed.' This could not be happening right now.

'Respect has to be earned. Respect has to be shown. Respect has to be given to the people of god. I would like to call a student on stage that has failed to get, shown and given her respect three times today.'

'No, no, no, no.' I was saying over and over. Please don't do this to me.

'I would like to call on stage Catharina Callingham.'

I sighed out loud. There it is. I quickly slide from my chair and was hiding behind the girl in front of me. There was no way I was getting on that stage. Not in front of all these people.

'Where is Catharina?' the priest asked. Everyone was looking around for me.

'I'm so sorry, Cat.' Niko said to me, before he waved his arms. 'She is right here, father.'

There was no way for me to hide anymore. I stood up. Respect has to be earned both ways right? Well they aren't getting it from me. With my head up high and not looking to everyone that was staring at me, I walked to the stage and climbed up.

'So Catharina, if you would follow me and sit here.' the priest motioned for me to sit on a chair pulled on stage. After I sat down, he said: 'It's only her second day at school, young ladies and gentlemen. Catharina you will finish your punishment you got from Mother Eleanor here on stage and I will see you in my office after school the rest of the week. Respect has to be earned. Respect has to be shown. Respect has to be given. Only then, god will lead the way to your own destiny. Amen.'