Got Pride

Sundays are almost as bad as Mondays, only because you know you only have one more day of freedom. My mom woke me up, coming into my room and pulling my covers off my feet.

“Wake up sleepy head, time to go to church.” She grabbed a foot and tickled the inside of my heel. I rolled over, groaning. The pastor was an ass who was oh so much mightier than thou. I loved the assistant priest, though. He was a young guy who truly cared bout the congregation. Unlike the pastor who, although he would never say it out loud, hated gays, the assistant priest felt God understands love.

I got dressed, purposely putting on my “Hey Mister, Got a Sister” shirt. I love to piss off the pastor. My mom saw what shirt I had chosen and laughed.

She is more like my older sister than my mom. She loves me more than words can explain. I couldn’t help but compare my mom and Mrs. Jacobs.

Maybe it was the fact my parents fell in love and got married right out of high school, knowing my dad had a terminal illness. Maybe it was the fact the Jacobs were only together out of dependency. Who knows. My mom is always there for me and I know my dad loves me even if he is always sick.

I kissed my dad on the cheek and helped him to roll out of the house. My mom took over from there and Helped him get into the car. He kissed her cheek, thanking her for taking care of him. Um, YUCK!

“Mom, Dad, stop it! That’d gross!!” They smiled at me and we all got in.

I watched the trees and signs pass by as we drove down the street, toward church. I smiled knowing that with my shirt on the pastor would probably say something in the homily about the sin of premarital sex. The funny thing is that we have never had sex. I hadn’t had it with anyone. Yes, laugh at me, I am a virgin.

The mass was long and boring. I prefer to be spiritual than religious. We always had to sit up front because of the wheel chair and the pastor, Father Vernde kept looking at me giving me an evil eye.

As we walked out of the church, I was stopped by Father Patere or as he liked to be called Father Pat.

“I like your shirt, but I really don’t think you should wear it to mass. How bout you try and not give Father Vernde a heart attack.” He was smiling and I came back with ”He deserves one.”

Pat shook his head and laughed “It takes a long time for things to change in the church. It took us year to reform it. You can’t expect miracles. But let me tell you, one day God will finally get through and Gay marriage will be just as sacred as a straight marriage. Just have hope.” I want to believe him.

So how is Frankie?” He asked truly interested. “She’s great.”

“Are you two keeping out of trouble?” He said with a small glimmer of laughter in his eye.
“Yup.” I saw my dad and mom coming over and he greeted them with a polite “How do you do?”

My dad, a little horse from the new meds replied ”Better everyday” He said that when I was little. He said that when he got the chair. He wasn’t. MS was eating him alive but his spirit was strong. He will be fine.

“Come on Eva, we still have some errands to run. We need to get some stuff, and you need to pick out a new bookcase.”

“Goodbye, see you next week.” Said Pat

I just hope he is right. About everything…