Confessions (alternative title: Sorry, Daddy I've been bad)

"Forgive me father for Ihave sinned", she confessed to the priest hidden behind the otherside of the confessional.

"What did you do youngone?"

"I did somethingunforgivable father. The worst sin one can imagine"

"If you won't tell methere's no redemption for you. I am sure the Lord will forgive youyour sins as long as you regret your doings and vow to never fallinto such shameful ways again. Remember even our saviour Jesus Christforgave his traitor Judas. For forgiveness is truly a virtue of agood christian.

As it says in 1John 1:9 : If we confess our sins, he is faithfuland just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from allunrighteousness.

So speak my child what isit that you've done?", the priest ended his speech and sat silentlyin anticipation for the confession that was yet to come.

She shakily drew a breath.Now or never.

" Father I talked backto my Dad...", she confessed.

It was eerily quite beforethe priest jumped out of the narrow booth and yanked her put of herown.

With both his handsgripping her shoulders firmly almost forcefully he shaked her.

"Tell me! Is it true? Isthat truly your sin?", he yelled at her, spit flying out of hismouth and on to her skin. The girl was paralyzed.

"I asked you if that wasreally your sin goddamnit!", he exclaimed, not even caring that hehimself used the Lord's name in vain.

"Yes I did, father",she cast her eyes downward knowing full well that she is at a pointof no return.

The priests eyes wereclouded with anger, fear and sorrow.

Anger because rarelyanyone dared to commit that worst of all sins, fear because he didn'tknow what possessed this poor innocent girl to talk back to herfather and sorrow because he knew she was doomed. He feared for hersoul and what would happen with it in purgatory and hell.

Didn't she know the fifthcommandment? Honor your father and your mother. Especially yourfather.

In his town therewas only one reported case of someone ever doing that.

Butthat was before the priest has even finished his studies.

All heknew was that that first girl that dared to talk back to her fatherwas send away for all the townspeople avoided her like she had aterrible disease. And they were right to do so.

And heknew his town and word traveled fast around here. And he knew thathis people didn't change. And he knows that they will send her away.Abandon her. And they are right to do so.

Heknows this girl. She is a good girl. Always showed up to biblestudies, always singing the loudest in the choir, always proper,always polite.

He lether arms go.

Therewas no use in trying to bring her back on the right path. She wasgone.

Hissomber eyes met her tearful ones and he spoke the words: " My childI fear there is no redemption for you. Your soul is lost. It is dirtyand evil and worthless. And you will never deserve forgiveness. Whatyou did was unspeakable and for that I have to exclude you from ourchurch. From now on you will neither be welcome here nor in any otherchurch. You will not because you're not in our Lord and saviour'shearts anymore."

Shecame to church not only to clean up her conscience but also to searchfor shelter because her parents have already abandoned her. Hermother was on her father's side. Both told her to leave and nevercome back. The church was her only shelter but now that was torn awayfrom her too.

Sheknew that was her death.

Shefell down on her knees, sobbing and begging him for forgiveness,knowing full well that she would never deserve it.

Shegrabbed at his robe, asking for a second chance, vowing to never fallback into those evil ways. But her pleads were in vain.

Thepriest shoved the sobbing girl off of him like she was some dirtystreet rat, a disgusted look on his once gentle face.

Theforce of the push lat the girl fell down on the cold stone floor.

"Do not touch me", he shrieked, "leave thischurch now and don't you dare to ever step a foot on our holy groundsever again"

With that he left the sobbing girl in a pile ofsadness on the cold floor that once used to be a home for her.

He left her. But he was right to do so.