Obloquy

  *

  I actually managed to get out of the house without question the next full moon. Almost weekly, many of the women in our church would make hospital visits to members who were ill. Nearly always there was at least one elderly gentleman or lady sick. I had gone a few times in the past, but decided that I would start again – at least on the nights of the full moon when Nancy’s group held their meetings. And I did go, but I would only stay a few minutes, excusing myself to the girls I was with, telling them I was going to visit some folks on another floor, and then when I felt the coast was clear I would leave.

  I was especially nervous at first, letting Nancy initiate me, but I soon got the hang of things, quickly learning how to draw the nine-foot circle and blessing the corners. It wasn’t long before Nancy let me lead the group in order to get the feel of things.

  I was elated!

  The energy I felt at the end of each ritual was unbelievable. I felt I had found my truth. I was ecstatic!

  Only I never saw Erick once during all this, nor did I have any more dreams. I was beginning to wonder if I had imagined Erick, being as distraught as I had been that day.

  All went well for the next three months. I was so happy with my new religion and my new life, that I didn’t mind doing my church and wifely duties so much. It was still hard, but having something to look forward to made it all bearable. I often dropped by Baskin Robbins to visit with Nancy during the day, knowing my dad and Greg wouldn’t think anything of me getting myself an ice cream cone. It was perfect.

  But nothing lasts forever.

  After only three months it all went south. I left Nancy’s that last full moon and went straight home, as always. It wasn’t real late, but visiting hours at the hospital had been over for almost an hour; definitely time I should have been home.

  I thought all was okay and was feeling really good from the ritual, all energized and happy. I let myself in the front door, expecting Greg to be either studying for the next Sunday’s sermon or getting ready for bed. He wasn’t in the house, so I went on to the bathroom, that was just off our bedroom, to shower and get ready for bed, assuming Greg was with Dad. All of a sudden, I heard the front door bang open and Dad and Greg charging in the house. “What the—?” I turned to see both standing in the bedroom doorway looking angry – very, very angry!

  “What’s going on?” I asked, really unsure of what was happening.

  “Where have you been, Brenda?” Dad asked, and in not too kind of a voice.

  “You know. I went to the hospital.”

  “After that?” Greg piped in.

  “What do you mean? What are you talking about?” I asked, now definitely feeling more than a little anxious.

  Dad informed me that Ruth Jamison had come by earlier, while I was supposed to be at the hospital. Doing my best to remain calm, I asked, “What did she want?”

  “First of all,” Greg said, “her niece Nancy is a witch! She had brought her to church hoping to save her soul, but it didn’t work. Nancy’s still practicing witchcraft.”

  Frowning more than uncomfortably, I said, “What has that to do with me?”

  “You know good and well, Brenda!” Greg shouted. “You’ve been going over there instead of the hospital.”

  “I have been going to the hospital. Just ask the girls.”

  “You go,” Dad said. “But you don’t stay. We talked to the other ladies. All tell us that you say you are going to visit patients on another floor and they don’t see you anymore.”

  Greg added, “That’s because you’re going to Nancy’s!”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but wasn’t sure what I was going to say, but Dad spoke instead, “We got her address from Ruth. We followed you from the hospital tonight, and sure enough, you went straight to that address!”

  Dad, eyes tearful, practically screamed, “You’ve been practicing witchcraft, Brenda! How could you do such a thing?”

  I was torn. I felt for my dad, but I was also angry at the ignorance I faced. “Dammit!” I swore shocking them even more, “There is something called freedom of religion in this country!”

  “That may be so, Brenda,” Dad replied, now managing to contain his tears. “But you were raised under a Christian roof! By a Christian preacher! You even married a pastor! What on God’s green Earth is wrong with you?”

  “I am tired of living a lie!” I screamed. “I searched for the truth! There is nothing wrong with that!”

  Suddenly there was a hard blow to my left jaw and I flew backwards across the room, landing hard on my butt. I was so stunned I couldn’t see straight for a moment.

  Greg rushed up, and for a brief second I thought he was checking to see if I was hurt.

  I thought wrong.

  He grabbed both my wrists and Dad grabbed my feet and they carried me out of the house and across the yard, heading for the church.

  “What are you doing?” I was truly scared now for the first time in my life. Scared of my own father and husband!

  Adding to the horror, as they carried me into the church, I had the awful realization that the church was full! They had called in all the members. And Ruth Jamison sat smugly on the front pew. I screamed, “Bitch!” And promptly was slapped, this time, by Greg.

  All too quickly I realized they were going to perform an exorcism on me – an exorcism! I screamed for them to let me go. I pleaded. I was never so humiliated, angry, hurt and embarrassed in my entire life. I just wanted to die.

  Everyone gathered in a circle around me, praying and raising their hands, while Greg tied my hands behind my back and sat me in a chair. Dad had his Bible and began quoting scripture after scripture.

  “I haven’t done anything wrong!” I yelled, now crying.

  Greg told me to confess my sins and beg Jesus for forgiveness.

  Again, I insisted that I hadn’t done anything wrong. What’s more, I didn’t believe I had.

  Then all of a sudden something dark, like a miniature cloud, shot through the air. I thought I was just imagining it, but then there was another, and then another. From what I could figure out, they were giving the church members electrical shocks; frightening them out of their wits, of course. Many of the members fled out the doors.

  Dad glared down at me and demanded I make the spirits stop.

  “I can’t!” I had no idea what they were. There was no way I could make them stop. What’s more, I was beginning to doublethink what I had done. Maybe… Just maybe I was in the wrong?

  One zapped Greg good, sent him lunging back across a front pew.

  “Make them stop!” Dad shrieked, terror in his eyes.

  “I don’t know how!” I didn’t know what else to do. I cried out for Jesus to forgive me. I think I must have screamed it ten times or more.

  Then the clouds disappeared just as quickly as they had come.

  What few church members who had remained stood around in shock, as well as Dad and Greg.

  I think I was hit the hardest by it all.

  I felt totally betrayed – And totally the fool.

  Satisfied, at last, Dad and Greg released me from my bonds. Greg led me out of the church and towards home, while Dad stayed back to speak to the members there.

  I don’t believe I said ten words all through the next week.