First Confession
Annabelle followed Sibeal while they walked down the aisle and six-year-old Connor and Murphy followed behind them. Sibeal notice the worried look on her face and he lightly patted her right shoulder. Annabelle wasn't sure if Connor or Murphy understood what confession was all about, but Sibeal had sat them down and explained it to them.
"Annie, there is no need t'worry. Father O'Dale assured me he can handle th'boys," he said.
"I hope so," Annabelle said as they stopped near the pew and she looked at the confessionals.
"Sit," Sibeal said and she sat down on the pew. He looked at Connor and Murphy as the twins gave him a blank look and Murphy tugged at the necktie Annabelle made him wear.
"Do I really gotta wear this?" Murphy asked as he looked at the tie. He and Connor were wearing black suit jackets, white shirts, black leather belts, black socks, black hard shoes and black ties.
"Aye. You do," Sibeal said as he went down on his haunches. "Now. Which one of you wants t'go first?"
"We can't go in t'gether?" Connor asked with a frown.
"No. You can't."
"But what if I need him t'tell his side of my confession?"
"He can tell his side when it's his turn."
"He won't know what I'm confessin'."
"Aye. How will I know what he confessed?" Murphy asked and Sibeal sighed.
"Is there a problem?" a man's voice asked and Connor and Murphy turned to see Father Patrick O'Dale behind them. Father O'Dale had balding, white hair and green eyes and a friendly, round face. He had his hands folded in front of him and he looked at the twins. "I take this is Connor an' Murphy?"
"Aye. It is," Sibeal said with a nod.
"I see. Who wants t'go first?"
"We want t'go in t'gether. But Ma said we have t'go in one at a time," Connor explained and Murphy nodded.
"That is what we normally do. But I don't think The Lord will mind you two doin' this together," he said with a smile. Smiling back, the twins followed him to the confessional and he opened the door. Connor and Murphy looked back at Annabelle as she nodded and they walked in the confessional. Father O'Dale closed the door then opened the door to the other confessional and went inside.
"I still don't know about this," Annabelle said with a sigh.
"I'm sure they'll be fine," Sibeal said.
A few minutes passed until the door to the confessional opened and Annabelle watched Connor and Murphy walking to the pew.
"How did it go?" Annabelle asked.
"We can't tell you, Ma. It's against th'rite of confession," Connor said.
"I see," she said with a smile.
"Father O'Dale was really nice, though," Murphy said.
"Aye. He was," Connor said with a nod.
"Not sure what we're supposed t'do with this," Murphy said as he showed Sibeal the small card in his right hand. Sibeal explained what the card was for and the twins nodded.
"He said we're supposed t'say them ten times before bed," Connor said.
"Not sure why. What we told him wasn't that bad."
"He must have thought it was if you have t'say them ten times," Annabelle said and the twins ducked down their heads. "Now. Let's go."
The twins took hold of her hands as they headed down the aisle and Annabelle smiled down at her little angels.
"Don't worry. God will forgive you," she said, softly, and the twins smiled up at her.