Chapter 7 Trials and Tribulations
It was dinner time but Joseph was still standing in the spot where Mary had left him. Her words cut him deeper than he thought they would. He never...NEVER doubted what his God told him, but he was severely doubting Marys ability to take on the 'Mother' role that God had given her. She seemed to swing between a kind quietness and the 'strong' curse-ladden woman who doesn't mind throwing a punch. It worried him but inside he was assured that God was giving them what they needed. Even more so, God was giving him what HE needed.
"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.." Joseph reminded himself.
After stopping by Johns home, Joseph went back to the cabin and walked in, a baggy in his hand. He looked around as he sat the bag on the coffee table and walked further into the cabin where the bedroom would be. Mary had left her door open after going in to lay down on her bed. Joseph stood in the doorway, his heart hurting as this wasn't supposed to happen...not like this. Now she laid there with her arm around her stomach tightly, almost defensively. Joseph moved around the bed to the side she was facing and squatted down so they were eye-level.
"I know you didn't mean what you said out there," he told her.
Mary scoffed, "That was only ten percent of what I wanted to say but there were children around." She moved to sit up against the headboard so she didn't have to look him...but of course, he just moved to kneel beside her.
"Mary, you're smart...you have to know your plan of just hiding out is not going to go well. The end will soon come and your Family needs you. All your children need their Mother," he said
"I only have one child and I am carrying said child now," Mary reminded him.
He let out a soft sigh and for the first time since she arrived, he took off his glasses and clipped them onto the back of his pants. Joseph leaned forward and took her chin between his thumb and index finger. His greyish blue eyes looked right into her green ones.
"Not anymore, Mary. Gods plan for you will unfurl even with you kicking and screaming."
His face became softer as hers remained stone and angry.
"You think I'm doing this for selfish reasons? That I didn't even think about questioning him? You think I'm okay with taking a person such as yourself and throwing her life into disarray?"
"I really don't give a flying fuck how you think about all this. The thing is, I'm getting all this 'call' nonsense from you...not God. You're not God I'm pretty damn sure of it...and if you're some kinda prophet? You blow at it," she told him.
"How so?"
"One of the hallmarks of being a Saint or Prophet? is humility. The thought that you weren't meant for this. You're just as proud as every person who ended up being called a Cult Leader. In real life, you know, real actual life...you're probably just a schizo," she spat.
Joseph could only smile.
"Why the fuck are you smiling?" she asked, his calmness pissing her off.
"Because you are so well-versed in Religion yet you askew it."
"Only when it's being forced on me."
"I could talk to you for hours about Religion...and I will because we'll have plenty of time together...but I'm here for another reason. It's time for you to Confess your sins, Mary. We're going to go year by year of as much of your life that you can remember and you will admit to me all of your sins," he told her.
"Noooooooope," she said simply.
"I'm not leaving until we're done," he told her, his face going dark.
Mary let out a long sigh. Her will to fight drained as it got later in the evening and she just wanted to go to bed.
"I confess...and you leave for the night?" she asked.
Joseph nodded, "That sounds fair."
2 hours later.
Even Joesph seemed a bit flustered.
"Mary, may I ask...did you try to hit as many sins as you could?" he asked.
Maybe she was too tired to care but that made her chuckle. Mary rested her head back against the headboard. "I wasn't trying or anything but I think I made up for not having a childhood...as cliche as that sounds," she mused with a shrug.
Joseph noticed how more docile she was when tired.
"It's not like I did anything really horrible," she added.
"All sin is equal in the eyes of the Creator," he told her.
"Aw come on, there have to be levels...between the 7 deadly sins and the 10 commandments.." she said.
"There you go again trying to deflect what I'm trying to do with debate," he smirked.
Mary shrugged again then yawned, her face then winced as she put her hands on her stomach.
"Are you okay?" Joseph asked, honestly concerned.
"Yeah, he moves around a lot before I drop off. My muscles and ligaments are being stretched though, it can suck," she grunted.
Joseph gave her the one moment finger and disappeared into her kitchen. When he came back he had a mug of something hot that he handed her.
She looked down into the mug, "Warm milk?" she asked.
"Faith makes this for me when I cannot sleep, which is often," he told her.
Mary drank it back quickly, "Okay. You can leave now," she told him and laid down, not bothering to dress into something more comfortable for sleep.
"I will, I did promise, I just want to make sure you're okay," he told her, moving to sit at her backside. Carefully, he reached over to place his warm hand on the aching area of her swollen stomach. He watched as at first, she cringed away but the milk must have of hit her...and she relaxed then fell asleep. Getting up he grabbed the milk and looked at the bottom of the mug, the remnants of a couple of sleeping pills still there. The pills were safe for pregnant women, he made sure of that.
"I do apologize, Mary," he said before walking into the living room to grab the baggie and came back in with it. He pulled out Johns tattoo gun and got it ready, "But its time for your atonement," he told her sleeping body.
