Chapter I: Day of Worship
Beep. Beep. Beep.
I hear my alarm clock just as I'm soaring through the air like an eagle (in my dream, of course). I open my tired eyes and force myself out of bed for the last day of summer break. It's Sunday, and I have to be at church in 3 hours.
I complete my usual morning routine of getting myself ready, going downstairs and fixing breakfast, making my mother's special "hangover juice," and then sitting down to watch Channel 21 until she comes down.
"Good morning." She says, as she walks down the stairs with wild hair and pajamas on.
I quickly flip the channel
"Good morning." I say, jumping up to get her "antidote."
She examines me as I hand the glass to her.
"Are you going to 'church' today?" She says church in a whiny, mocking voice.
"Yes"
"You're going to leave your poor, hung over mother all by herself?"
"It's not my fault you got drunk last night."
I couldn't help myself.
She stands up and slaps me hard across the face.
"If you want to get technical, it is your fault!" she screams. "If I hadn't had such a lousy daughter then maybe I wouldn't have to drink!"
It takes all of my power not to say anything in response to that. I simply turn and walk upstairs to cover the redness that has now formed on my cheek.
I grab my usual foundation to conceal the area. What other 10 year old has to wear makeup?
When my cheek is nice and tan again, I go downstairs and walk out of the door, not saying anything to my mother. I then begin walking the 1 mile to church.
When I arrive, I see the usual scene playing out. The front door to the Chapel adorns the sign 'The Mansfield Methodist Church' and is being held open by one of the ushers, Mr. Crolly. I can hear music and conversations' ringing out from the Chapel, and the entire parking lot is full. Seeing this makes my day every Sunday.
"Hello ." I say before giving the usher a hug.
"Why hello Miss Ronan." He replies with his usual jolly smile.
I make my way into the church and sit in the back pew with my friends.
Today's sermon is on the Valley of Dry Bones, in which God raised hundreds of men from the dead in Ezekiel's presence. The story never seizes to amaze me. After church is over we all disperse to Sunday school with Mrs. Baker, where she further elaborates on the sermon.
When the bell rings I said goodbye to my friends and begin walking home.
When I walk through the door of our ugly, run-down apartment I'm immediately hit by my mother's storm of rage.
"I wanted pancakes, Rebecca! Why would you fix bacon when you know that I hate bacon!" She then proceeds to hurl the plate of food at me.
You're lucky i fixed anything.
"Now i have to go out for breakfast!"
Great, she'll spend what little money we have left, thanks to the cigarettes and booze that she buys in week. She grabs her purse and charges out of the room leaving me to clean up after her.
She doesn't come home until 4 o'clock the next morning.
"Tell them the Lord God is saying, 'They'll come a time when I'll bring both nations together again. They'll no longer be two nations, but one. I'll give them their own land, the land I gave Jacob. They'll have one king. David will rule over them. They'll no longer corrupt themselves with Idols. I'll make them clean and they'll be my people, and I'll be their God.' "
-Ezekiel 37