Chapter 2
"Talking about the Vatican"
The idea of having Ron and I head to Rome to meet with the head of the Catholic church was still processing even three days after my meeting with Father James. Of course, given the fact that we were just a few weeks after the junior prom and the diablo invasion at large, it wasn't surprising. Still, I had to consider the possibility of Ron not taking this very well.
"The pope?!" Ron cried during one of our weekly meetings at Bueno Nacho. "You want us to meet with the Pope?! Kim, I'm not Catholic, so how would it be possible for me to get an audience with him?"
"Ron, from a religious standpoint," I replied. "I think, in the eyes of God, that we aren't meant to be together. Yes, I know we are destined to be together, but does God accept that?"
"So what if God doesn't accept for who we are, Kim? I love you and that's all there is to it."
"I know I love you, Ron. We've been a couple for a few weeks now, but I feel that God might be holding us back from each other. I mean, haven't you spoken to the Rabbi about this?"
"I did and he was cool with it. Then again, we have different religious views, despite our romance for one another."
Ron did have a point. In fact, there were some people in the world who judged one another based on their religions. Thankfully, both of us had yet to encounter such a thing.
"So, when do you think we should head to the Pope's house?" he asked.
"You mean, the Vatican?" I remarked, taking a bite of the Caesar salad in front of me. "My church's priest makes a few pilgrimages to Rome a year, so…"
"…he wants us to accompany him to Rome and meet with the Pope personally, is that it?"
"Yes," I answered. "Given the fact that we are going to be seniors and that we are in love, I think it would be best to get blessings from the Pope himself."
All Ron could do was just sit there and stare at me, trying to process everything that I had told him.
"Well," he finally said, taking an enormous gulp. "I need to think about this for a little while, KP. Can I get back to you in few days?"
"Sure, I'm not seeing my priest until after mass Sunday. In fact, why don't you come to my meeting on Sunday? I know you meet with the Rabbi at the Synagogue and…"
"Kim, let me think about this," Ron interrupted, rising out of the booth. "It's not that I don't want to do it, personally, it's just that this is against my religion. Love you."
Kissing me, I watched Ron hastily leave Bueno Nacho and I could tell that he was nervous. As far as I was concerned, Ron was very sensitive when it came to his Jewish upbringing just as I was with my Catholic upbringing.
…
So, a few days went by and Ron eventually came to me with his answer.
"All right, Kim, so I thought it over and talked it over with my folks," he said on the phone the night before Sunday. "And they said I can meet with you and your priest this week. But, they wanted me to not get any ideas of converting."
"I'm not asking you to give up your Jewish faith for me Ron. Trust me, this is just an informal meeting about a possible meeting with his holiness, that's all. Mass ends at 11:00am, so come by then."
"If you say so, Kim," Ron replied. "But, should I not wear my yamuka in a church?"
"In a Catholic church? I wouldn't think so. Try not to worry about all of this, though, Ron. You're just a human being like me and so is Father James. Besides, I've always wanted to visit Rome outside of being on missions. Also given the fact that we are graduating this year, we should visit both Rome and even the Holy Land. I've always wanted to walk the footsteps of Jesus, you know."
"Let's worry about this first and then we can worry about the Holy Land," Ron advised. "Listen, my folks are calling me downstairs, so I gotta go. See you Sunday! Love you!"
Just that, he hung up the phone and I was left with the dubious distinction of dealing with a nerve wracking Jewish boyfriend whom I loved very much.
…
The next morning was Sunday and I got up out of bed and put on my sleeveless navy blue dress, dark stockings and black wedge sandals looking at myself in the mirror wondering just how Ron was going to go through with this.
Again, it was important to remember, he was Jewish, I was Catholic.
Once we arrived at Mass, we went through the ritual of going through the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and soon, the time had come for me to wait for Ron to arrive. All I could do was just stand outside of the church and wait.
"Hope everything goes well with Father James," said my mom. "What time will you be back at the house?"
"Probably in about an hour or so," I answered, looking over at her. "Mom, have you ever known of anyone in your life who had a relationship with someone of a different religion."
"Quite a few, Kimmie. But, I will say this, all that matters is that you love Ron for who he is just as he loves you for who you are, regardless of your faith, looks, you name it. I raised you to become a beautiful young woman and that's what you have become Kim. Never ever forget that."
I couldn't help but blush slightly at this and at that moment, I saw Ron pull into the church on his scooter, dressed in a nice blue shirt and black pants with a red necktie, which meant that he was just as nervous about this meeting as I thought he was. Even when he was on his scooter, Ron continued to look nervous and I couldn't really blame him. Still, he needed to pull himself together for the sake of our relationship. There was no turning back even if he wanted to.
"Hi Ron," I said as we kissed each other. "Why are you dressed up in a suit? Father James isn't going to care about how you look."
"Well, he certainly cares about how you look, Kim," Ron advised, as I nudged him in the side gently.
"Just take a deep breath and be yourself, Ron," remarked my mother. "Father James isn't really going to give you a hard time just because you are of a different faith."
"If you say so, Mrs. Dr. P," chuckled Ron nervously as we made our way back into the church for our meeting with Father James and only time would tell how Ron was going to get through this.