"They said to him: 'Lord, come and see.' Jesus gave way to tears. Therefore the Jews began to say: 'See what affection he used to have for him!' But some of them said-"
"'Was not this man that opened the eyes of the blind man, able to prevent this one from dying?'" Kate murmured under her breath, finishing the sentence for the younger girl, who only smiled at her. The older woman flipped the shirt on the ironing board and began ironing the sleeves as the cheap lamp gave illuminated the kitchen in a warm yellow shade.
Kate's kitchen was humble, as was her old apartment in a village far from the city. She only had space to stretch her ironing board fully in the kitchen and the cheap wooden cupboards and table actually gave her comfort than distaste. And at the table lay her recently-knitted tablecloth, and on it the necessities; a sugar bowl, two glass cups with tea, besides which was a small jug. The window next to the table was open and the September night air gave signs as Kate shivered and put the iron down to reach and close the window.
"You know this extract very well, Auntie Kate." The little girl smiled as she stared at the Bible in front of her.
"John's extracts are one of my favorites." She laughed, "I've read it too many times...but how many times is enough when it's a Holy Scripture we're talking about?"
The girl gave her a wide grin and Kate returned to the ironing as the little one returned to the book.
The little one was a surprise to everyone, including her parents. Max was overjoyed once she got over the news of her future child – after all, the age of twenty five was not so bad to have a child at. Nathan had a harder time accepting his new role. Kate still hadn't a clue as to how Max persuaded her husband to marry, never mind have a child. She guessed that the girl must have played the "Be the great father to this child than yours ever was to you" card.
And the girl was a bundle of joy. She was just nine years old, and named Katie (Nathan wouldn't agree to Max's idea of 'Kate' specifically due to guilt). Her eyes were dark blue, typical of a born baby's, but the shade recently began to morph to a lighter shade of her mother's. Kate always fussed over her being a skinny girl, and Max always had to reassure her that she herself was also like that in her childhood.
"Hence Jesus, after groaning again within himself, came to the memorial tomb. It was, in fact, a cave, and a stone was lying against it." Katie continued reading slowly, struggling to follow the thin letters on the page.
Katie saw Kate as an inspiration, as someone to follow and hope to be in the future. So, every Saturday evening, Nathan dropped her off to Kate's apartment for the night, giving his daughter a hug and a curt nod to her aunt before driving off. The little girl would eat some sandwiches with Kate's homemade salmon spread, and while waiting until the daily 8:30 p.m night cartoon played to signal bedtime, Katie would sit with her aunt in the kitchen, reading out loud the extracts she wanted. It was a way of relaxing for the both of them, and a way of bonding.
"Jesus said: 'Take the stone away.' Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to him: 'Lord, by now he must smell, for it is four days.'" Katie turned the page, "Jesus said to her: 'Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?'"
Kate turned to grab a hanger from behind her and hung the ironed shirt on before setting it hanging from the uneven edge of the cupboard. Kate hoped it wouldn't fall, but the hanger stayed still. She glanced at the clock. 8:25.
"Katie, your show will be on soon. Could you please put a bookmark where you finished? We still need to get ready for bed and for tomorrow, okay?" Kate outstretched her hand, which the girl accepted after doing what her aunt asked with a smile. Walking Katie to the living room, the girl slumped onto the armchair and dangled her feet as Kate turned on the desired channel. Going to the kitchen to get some bread and her salmon spread on a place with a table knife, Kate sat beside her little friend on the other armchair and busied herself with making the sandwiches.
A 'Mickey Mouse' spree and salmon sandwiches later, the two brushed their teeth, washed their faces (Katie demanded a separate towel for her face) and combed their hair before retreating to bed.
"Do you have your coin for tomorrow?" Kate asked in front of the mirror as Katie dug in her sleep-over bag in search of her bunny plushie. "Yes, Auntie Kate." She climbed onto the large bed and played with the old clock on Kate's nightstand. Tomorrow was Sunday, and Katie followed Kate to the morning Mass eagerly. Nathan always forgot to give her some coins (or did he do it on purpose?) but Kate figured Max was helping her pack this time. Kate offered to iron the girl's Sunday outfit and that shirt hanging in the kitchen was her last to-do today.
"Katie Prescott, I believe you forgot something." Kate scolded playfully as her niece jumped off the bed with a laugh and the two said their evening prayers whilst on their knees.
Some cuddling in the bed and a lullaby was all it took for Katie to fall asleep in her aunt's bed, which neither minded sharing. Kate lay on her back, staring at the ceiling with a smile. So much expectation lay on the little girl's shoulders; become successful, have an aspiration, study well, be the Prescott others want to see. Her parents protected her from pressure, but Kate knew that a bird cannot be nestled in a nest forever. Her little girl was expected to act a certain way and be a certain person, but it didn't matter now.
It didn't matter that she was a Prescott, it didn't matter that her family business crumbled after Nathan refused to take over. Kate knew exactly who Katie would become. A strong, charismatic, charming woman who would lead others to success and happiness, just as she led Kate. And on her lips would be the words she loved the most out of the whole Bible.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega,
The First and the Last,
The Beginning and the End."