Test of Faith

in #writing6 years ago



beautiful-beauty-blonde-90754.jpg
—Melody Bride



Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling
—Phil 2:12



Religion is the opiate of the masses, Marx said. I half believe it watching Melody go through her religious motions.

I don’t know why she’s always dragging me off to Mass with her.

Misery loves company, I suppose.

But I’m a free agent in the universe—I just haven’t convinced Melody of that…yet.



“You’re going to burn, Jay Randall,” Melody hisses as we exit St. Angelus Church.

I can’t help it. Incense nauseates me, and all those ringing bells…

Let us stand. Let us kneel.

“Let us go,” I simply whispered in her ear. Seemed funny at the time.



“You need to get right with God, Jay—I’m not hanging out with a pagan.”

“A pagan?” I sputter.

She’s holding up her hand like stop sign.

“Enough—you need to talk to Fr. Marcel. I just don’t know what’s going to become of you.”

Really? I’m still trying to process what happened to her.



I recall a sultry vixen in a cheerleader kilt with teased out hair—oh yeah, and black lipstick and heavy eyeliner. Yeah, those were the days.

But now, Melody’s ended up as my book shepherd and literary agent—actually, my assistant, but I better not say that out loud or she’ll punch me in the shoulder—hard…and believe me, it leaves a bruise.

I throw up my hands in frustration. “Can I help it if I’m hampered by angst?”



She rolls her eyes. “Stop playing the victim, Jay, and change.”

I give her my innocent choirboy look.

“I could change, but what would be the fun in that?”

There are daggers in her eyes and already my shoulder’s throbbing with presentiment.



I admit, our relationship is bit confused and at the moment the lines are blurred.

It would help if she weren’t so incredibly beautiful.

And every time I come near her, her beauty shakes me, as if I’m seeing her for the first time.



Last week I took her to a botanical gardens and that was a mistake.

She does well in gardens with her colors and scents.

I’m drawn to her earth tones, sunsets and turning leaves—and I guess it makes me the perfect Adam to her Eve.

No worries, I get it. I need her.

But, please God, not just yet.



She grabs my arm before we can head to the parking lot and steers me around the building and up the rectory steps.

“Hey, what’s this all about?”

She’s already ringing the doorbell. “I made an appointment—Father Marcel’s expecting us.”

“Ex-expecting us to do what?” I stammer.

“To talk, Jay. He’s available to answer all your questions—to settle your mind about your so-called angst—so you can settle down and get real with God.”



This is not what I expected.

“What kind of settling down do you have in mind?” I ask dubiously.

She gets my drift. “Like I said, I won’t hang out with a pagan, so maybe we can settle what you actually do believe so I’ll know whether to stay or leave.”

And I thought the Inquisition was abolished centuries ago. The question is will I be orthodox enough for Melody, or be kicked out the door?



© 2018, John J Geddes. All rights reserved



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Creo que no tendríamos necesidad de cambiar al otro solo porque lo amamos, @johnjgeddes; por el contrario, porque lo amamos, lo aceptamos tal cual es. No hay nada peor que aquellas personas que cambian después del noviazgo, del matrimonio. Parece ser el caso de Melody. Las religiones es una de las cosas que cambian las mentes de las personas. No hay azar en los epígrafe. El de este cuento no es gratuito. Te abrazo

En realidad, Melody y Jay ahora se están poniendo serios y ella quiere asegurarse de que no haya conflicto si se casan y comienzan a criar a sus hijos. Un ateo y un cristiano seguramente estarán en desacuerdo sobre cómo debe creer un niño :)

A woman who wants to change a man (and vice versa) needs to be exchanged for another who is in love with who you already are.

Well, things that belong together don't need to be tied, but that knot, IMHO, is forever, and you better be sure :)

Like, most of the Fairer Sex, She is planning to improve him, for his own good, of course!

Of course...Deb did the same for me - yeah, it's autobiographical

Oh, my! Nothing worse than someone who has been recently awakened to religious belief! They become like ex-smokers in their fervour...

A very fascinating short-fiction...
Really enjoyed it...
Love the way the man confronts the woman's demands...😀

Resteemed!☕❤

Religious people. They never hesitate to decide for others what is the best for them. The worse is that this becomes a habit and they end up intervening in the affairs of everyone crosses their way.

Aw, you're being too hard on Melody - she's thinking of marriage and doesn't want to be in a constant state of war if their views conflict. Mixed marriages involving different religions are difficult at best

This is true. But you can't push others to have faith even if they appeared to accept it for your sake, it wouldn't be genuine and later it would dissolve making the already established marriage more difficult.

I guess Melody shall be mature enough to discuss the concept of faith with Jay, or to move on with her life.

Looking forward to the next episode.

I think the worst thing is to see man so aesthetic and without being able to believe in someone. It is also true that living as religious is not the way, is to live in freedom as a lifestyle without a tax burden It to live like a light on.

Friend the story is very real I have seen it in others but also I have lived a plot similar to the one written by you, wow it is complicated when the attraction for someone is strong, however the interests are different

well, you don't yoke an ox with a donkey :)