December 1959
Sister Winifred's day had been long, cold, and thoroughly miserable. The icy roads had made her rounds slow and treacherous, the stew that Mrs B. and made for lunch had gone lukewarm by the time she had got home and seasonal smog had darkened the already early dusk even more than usual. She had reached the point where she had not the energy to do anything, never mind rushing to deliver babies or attempting to work through the endless list of chores that Sister Evangelina had given her. She flopped unceremoniously onto her bed, tore off her wimple and battered brogues, and snuggled into her slightly-too-thin blanket.. Her mind drifted for a moment to a place in her distant past, to a warm fire, a glass of whisky, being able to wear trousers without anyone batting an eyelid…
Her dream-like thoughts were interrupted by a knocking upon her door. Frantically righting herself and only half-heartedly replacing her whimple upon her dishevelled fiery red curls, she called "come in!"
The door to her cell creaked open and Cynthia slid quietly into the room. Ignoring the nun's relative state of undress, she had seen Trixie of course in the most skimpy of lacy underthings, she sat upon the bed next to Sister Winifred. Cynthia's demeanour seemed to sink as fast as her weight slumped upon the insufficient springs of the mattress which they were now sat upon. There was a chill in the room, in atmosphere, not just in temperature.
When Cynthia was not forthcoming with the reason for her presence, Sister Winifred asked, not unkindly, "is there something the matter?"
"There is nothing the matter with me," Cynthia replied with a sharpness to her voice unsuited to her usual gentle demeanour
"You are not usually one for unannounced social visits," Sister Winifred remarked, "especially not at this door," she added.
After taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Cynthia replied, "when you joined the Order, what did your friends think about it?"
The cogs began to whirr in Sister Winifred's mind. She thought she had detected a hint of tension between Cynthia, Patsy, and Trixie over the last day or so. Perhaps Cynthia had let slip the secret the nun's had suspected she had been hiding for several months now.
"I don't think I really know, if I'm honest," Sister Winifred admitted, "when I joined the Order it was at a time when most of the people I had grown up with were beginning to disperse. Evacuee friends who I had made during the war had drifted back home and out of contact, others were getting married, others moving to other parts of the country to find work. Other than my family I didn't really have anyone to tell. That's a bit sad really isn't it," she added with a self-depreciating chuckle.
Cynthia allowed the corner of her mouth to curl in reply but did not say anything.
"Molly did get a bit of a shock when she met me when I was in habit for the first time," Sister Winifred continued in response to her companion's silence, "in fact I think that she thought her former drinking partner had gone mad. We worked in the village school together. But she came round to the idea and knows that I am happy, if a little mad."
"I think Trixie thinks I've gone mad," Cynthia admitted, "because I want to join the Order."
"I knew it," Sister Winifred blurted out far too quickly, "sorry," she continued, realising the insensitivity of her remark, "I mean, it's wonderful."
"You knew?" Cynthia remarked, "I'd only briefly mentioned it to Sister Julienne as a possibility."
"Just intuition," Sister Winifred replied with a reassuring smile, gently wrapping an arm around Cynthia's shoulders.
"I do truly believe that this is what God wants for me," Cynthia continued, relaxing noticeably in Sister Winifred's embrace, "I think it'll be where I belong."
"If that is what you believe, then everything else will turn out alright," Sister Winifred reassured.
"What do I do about Trixie?" Cynthia asked, "she seemed so put out when I told her what I wanted."
"As we both know," Sister Winifred replied, "Trixie can be a rather tizzy thing, when she wants to be, so calm and professional in many situations, but in others she can make a right fuss. However, she adores you, you're her best friend, she wants what is best for you, for you to be happy, and for you to not do something which you might later regret. She's just concerned that the decision you make might not be the best for you. That and she's terrified of the fact that she might lose you and your friendship."
"Really?" Cynthia asked.
"I am convinced," Sister Winifred replied.
"What should I do?" Cynthia enquired.
"Give her a day or two to calm down," Sister Winifred advised, "then talk to her, tell her how you feel, what you want from life, how a new life does not necessarily mean the abandonment of an old one. There will be a place for God and for Trixie in your life!"
Cynthia began to giggle, an infectious giggle. SIster Winifred could not help but join in and the two women continued until there were tears streaming down their cheeks.
"I think I may use that exact phrase," Cynthia giggled, wiping tears off her face with the sleeve of her cardigan.
"She will come round to the idea, I promise," Sister Winifred reassured, "if she doesn't, then she is not worthy of being your friend, and Trixie is very much your friend."
"I do hope so, thank you Sister," Cynthia replied, getting to her feet.
"My pleasure," Sister Winifred chirped as she guided Cynthia out of her cell.
She listened at the door until Cynthia's footsteps had disappeared down the corridor and then slumped back onto her bed. Her eyes found the flower-patterned card which was on her bedside table, an invite to Molly's wedding that upcoming spring. She still had not replied to it. She had not even asked Sister Julienne whether she would be allowed to travel to attend. Molly's fiance was Welsh, would she be allowed to travel to Cardiff and stay overnight? Had they been marrying in Sussex she could have stayed at the Mother House. She had not asked as she dreaded that the answer would be no. Then she remembered the advice he had just given Cynthia "a new life does not necessarily mean the abandonment of an old one." Getting to her feet and straightening her wimple, she got off her bed, picked up the invitation and headed off at a trot towards Sister Julienne's office.
"Come in," Sister Julienne called in response to the urgent knocking upon her door, "ah Sister Winifred," she added as the door creaked open, "how can I help."
"I have been invited to my best friend's wedding in March, in Cardiff," Sister Winifred began rapidly, "would I be allowed to go, and stay overnight, after the, party?"
"I'm sure the expenses will stretch to cover such a happy occasion," Sister Julienne responded immediately, taking Sister Winifred by complete surprise, "did you think I would say no?" she added in response to the dropping of Sister Winifred's jaw.
"No, I mean, um," Sister Winifred stuttered.
"Good friends are hard to come by, and should always be held onto," Sister Julienne replied, knowingly.