by Twila

Feedback is always welcome: twila@e-scribblers.com.

Copyright © 2008 by Twila. All Rights Reserved.

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“Stop it, Tory. Leave me alone,” she barked.

“Lizzie, it’s Megan. It’s time to get up.”

Lizzie opened her eyes and stared. Then it dawned on her where she was and she sat up. “What time is it?”

“Eight. You need to get dressed for church.”

“Church?” Lizzie repeated, stunned. She looked closer at Megan and realized she was wearing a dress. “No way. I don’t do dresses or church. I’ll just stay here,” and with that, Lizzie turned over, intending on going back to sleep. She must have dozed off because next thing she knew she was being shaken again. “Go away!”

“Lizzie, it’s time to get up,” Andy said, rolling her newest daughter over.

Lizzie opened her eyes and stared at her new mom. “I’ll stay here. I’m old enough.”

“Yes, you are,” Andy conceded. “But that’s not the point. We all go to church on Sundays and that now includes you. Get up and get dressed.”

“I don’t want to go to any stupid church,” Lizzie protested.

“Lizzie,” Andy said, trying to keep a hold on her temper at Lizzie’s tone. “Lots of things are going to be different now and you need to get use to that. ‘Family’ things are done as a family and you are now part of our family. Church is one of those things. Like it or not, we go to church. All we’re asking is that you give it a chance.”

Lizzie briefly considered this. “I don’t wear dresses.”

Andy laughed. “Neither do I,” she indicated her dress pants and shirt. “Put on some dressier clothes than jeans and come downstairs for breakfast.” Andy left her to it, hoping she’d obey her.

Lizzie debated staying in bed but didn’t really want to piss these people off royally already. They might decide she was too much trouble and take her back to the orphanage. Lizzie pulled herself out of bed and went to her closet. She pulled out her new clothes and got dressed before heading downstairs.

“You look very nice, hon.” Allie smiled at an obviously nervous and shy Lizzie, who was standing in the doorway of the kitchen. She continued toward her and took her hand. “Come and eat.” She sat her by Megan before returning to her own seat.

Not long after breakfast, Lizzie found herself in a classroom with Megan listening to some lady spout off religious crap. Lizzie just tuned her out and day dreamed. After that class, Megan showed her where they met their parents and everyone, except for Katie, who was playing in the nursery, went into a huge auditorium. Lizzie enjoyed the music but again, another lady stood up and started talking. Lizzie tried to listen but she thought it was a bunch of hogwash. She obviously wasn’t being quiet enough with her comments she was making under her breath.

“Stop Lizzie,” Megan hissed after elbowing her. “People can hear you.”

Andy was the closest to Lizzie and hadn’t missed any of her comments. When Lizzie continued after Megan had elbowed her, Andy leaned across Molly and Megan to address her. “Lizzie, keep quiet,” she warned.

Lizzie tried, but the bunch of crap the lady was spouting made her angry. “Loving God, huh! Then how come he let’s people die, huh? That’s not loving, that’s cruel,” Lizzie muttered. She jumped when someone grabbed her arm and looked up. She was very surprised and a little intimidated by the look on Andy’s face.

“Get up. We obviously need to talk,” Andy said through clenched teeth, pulling Lizzie to her feet. She led her out of the auditorium and to the nearest empty classroom, closing the door behind them. She turned toward Lizzie, crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow at her.

“What? I can’t believe you actually believe that bull-crap,” Lizzie said, practically yelling, she was so angry.

“Keep your voice down,” Andy ordered in an icy tone.

Lizzie shut up. She didn’t like that tone or the look on Andy’s face. She kept her distance, not sure what Andy would do.

“Now, let’s have a civilized conversation,” Andy said, stepping closer to Lizzie, whom she noticed watched her with caution. “You don’t have to believe anything the pastor says,” she continued, then held up her hand when Lizzie would have spoken. “All we ask is that you listen with an open mind. We aren’t trying to convert you. Your beliefs are as important as hers, even if they are different.” Andy let that sink in a minute. “Do you believe in a higher being? Something in charge of the universe? Some force maybe?”

“I don’t believe all that Jesus Christ crap the nuns spout off,” Lizzie started on her tirade but was interrupted by Andy.

“That is not what I asked.”

Andy’s tone was enough to stop Lizzie. She took a minute to think about what Andy had asked her.

“Yeah, I guess so,” she muttered.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Lizzie opened her mouth to retort something smart but the look on Andy’s face stopped her. Then it dawned on her that she was probably already in trouble for causing a scene in church. “Yes, ma’am,” she repeated.

Andy smiled, not missing any of the expressions flitting across Lizzie’s face. She was glad she was so expressive because she was very easy to read. In Andy’s line of work, that was a god send. “Good. Now, it doesn’t matte what you call this higher being or force. Some people call it Buddha. Your mom studies Wiccan and they call her Goddess.”

“Wiccan?” Lizzie asked, confused. She’d heard of Buddha before, but not Wiccan.

“It’s witchcraft,” Andy said and laughed when Lizzie’s mouth dropped open with a look of horror on her face. “We’re not devil worshippers, Lizzie. Witchcraft involves learning about nature and the Earth and all of her natural powers. It has nothing to do with the devil.”

Lizzie couldn’t quite get that thought cleared. “She’s a witch? You’re a witch?” she asked in awe.

“Technically speaking, yes,” Andy still smiled at her.

“Oh.”

“So, as I was saying. It doesn’t matter what or who you call it. We are here to come together as a community and to strengthen our spiritual selves. Some call this worship. When the pastor prays to God, we pray to the Goddess. Our friends pray to Buddha.” Andy shrugged. “Doesn’t matter what you call it. But,” this time the sternness returned to her voice. “It is not an option to be disrespectful or rude no matter what she says or does. You can agree or disagree with it all you want. You just do it in the privacy of our house, not here. Clear?”

Lizzie had definitely not liked the lecture, but did understand her point. She reluctantly nodded.

“No, Lizzie,” Andy corrected.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Thank you. Now, let’s go see what she’s talking about now.” Andy turned to head toward the door. Lizzie’s voice stopped her.

“Are you…” Lizzie started but couldn’t finish.

Andy turned to look at her. “Am I what?”

Lizzie swallowed and decided she needed to know. She stared at her shoes as she spoke. “Are you taking my books away?” she whispered.

Andy stepped back towards Lizzie and gently lifted her chin with her hand. “First off, we would never take your books. They are yours to keep. What we might take away is your privilege to read them for a specific amount of time. Reading to you is like watching TV for Megan. If she disobeys us or the rules, sometimes her punishment for that is losing her TV time. Make sense?”

Andy watched Lizzie shuffle her feet before she heard the muffled, “Yes, ma’am.”

“Second, if we take your reading time away, then we will give you something to do in its place as part of that discipline. Usually that’s writing,” Andy explained.

That didn’t sound so bad to Lizzie.

“It won’t be pleasure writing, Lizzie. Usually it’s an essay. The last one Megan wrote had to do with respect and why it’s important to be respectful to your elders.”

‘Ut-oh,’ Lizzie thought. She could see that essay in her future.

Andy grinned at the expression of contriteness on Lizzie’s face. “But for now, the answer to your question is ‘no’.”

Lizzie’s head shot up at that to look at Andy.

“Unless we have to do this again,” Andy added.

Lizzie let out a relieved sigh and nodded. When Andy’s right eyebrow lifted, Lizzie corrected that to “Yes, ma’am.”

Andy hugged Lizzie before leading her back to the auditorium.

Continued in Part 6

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