THE FATHER
Many years ago, the priest sat in the office and wondered what young Emilia would do now that her family had abandoned her. Emilia, a budding voluptuous girl, wondered off with Paul, the peasant who worked for the wealthiest and most influential person in the parish. He recalled how upset Mr. Tovar became upon hearing the news that his peasant Paul had befriended this young woman and wanted to leave his luxurious home to marry this girl.
Mr. Tovar, a grumpy forty-four-year-old, remained unmarried and had no intention of marrying. He lived alone is his lavish mansion overlooking the lake and extensive countryside. He trusted nobody and ensured his privacy was just that. The only person he employed was Paul an orphaned peasant whom one day surprised the grumpy old Mr. Tovar when he helped him up after a fall from a horse. Mr. Tovar made one mistake that day; he spoke to Paul and as an act of gratitude took the youngster home with him.
Paul delighted with his good fortune of being able to work for the famous Mr. Tovar, remained respectful and reliable for nearly three years. It is said the old man even managed to smile once in a while at the innocent, ignorant peasant.
Without fail, every Sunday, Mr. Tovar would attend a church service. Paul would follow close behind the grand old man, filled with pride and joy. The whole community would attend the service and always ensured that Mr. Tovar had the best seat near the front. He was always first to enter and first to leave. The villagers would watch as Mr. Tovar strolled home towards his mansion and Paul following behind.
Mr. Tovar had to leave the village for a month, and it was during this time when Paul found comfort in the beautiful Emilia who worked at the church. Daily he would visit the parish and befriend Emilia, who believed Paul to be the only relative of the great Mr. Tovar, and enjoyed the attention of a charming man.
It was a warm Wednesday afternoon, the blue skies displaying a few small clouds when Paul asked Emilia to return to the mansion with him. He knew nobody was around, and it would certainly make for some fun having another person stay with him. Emilia eagerly agreed and soon the two youngsters were enjoying the magnificent mansion exploring the different rooms, the antique furniture, and being overwhelmed by the vast amount of wealth displayed in this double story house.
Thirsty and exhausted from darting about the large home, Paul asked Emilia to come with him to the kitchen for some refreshments. Soon they sat down and devoured delicious treats from the pantry of Mr. Tovar.
“Now I feel more comfortable and happy that you are here with me.”
“I loved this, I never in my entire life thought I would be privy to seeing this mansion. Now I must go now, it is late, and the Priest will wonder where I am.”
“No, don’t go, stay the night with me, and I will explain to the Priest why you stayed.”
She agreed; it was fun, and the idea of returning to the dreary parish depressed her. Paul not aware of what the beautiful Emilia thought of him guided her to one of the master bedrooms and showered her with love. She was smiling, and he glanced at her and thought she was the most beautiful female he had ever seen. Enjoying the affection soon, they made passionate love again and again. Her stomach tightened. She saw nothing, looked at nothing, and was just there, breathing and enjoying the feeling of being united with such a handsome man.
Glowing light streamed into the bedroom across the bed, and Emilia rubbed her eyes, sat up and looked around the room. Realizing it was late in the morning, she roused Paul who grabbed her and made passionate love to her again. Famished and tired, they went down to the kitchen to eat.
“I must go back to the church, or else I will be in serious trouble.”
“Yes, I know, but you need to hear this, I am in love with you Emilia and want to marry you.”
“Paul, there is mustard on your mouth and yes I will marry you.”
Paul got up, walked around the table, and grabbed Emilia. He was thrilled and danced around the kitchen kissing and whispering sweet loving words into her ear.
Emilia reluctant to leave her new lover went back to the Parish and on her way down noticed the condemning cursing looks from the passersby. It felt as though the whole village knew about her escapade with Paul. Feeling guilty, she ran as fast as she could toward the parish and disappeared into her tiny dark room for the rest of the day. Ignoring the calls from the workers, she slept soundly.
The Priest surprised her with an early morning visit, reluctant she let him in. He demanded the truth and Emilia afraid and knowing how dangerous the man could be, told him about the visit to the Grand Mansion, spending the night with Paul and their lovemaking. He stood up, angry and slapped her across her face calling her a whore.
“I forbid you ever to see that man again,” the Priest said in an angry voice.
Tears streamed down her face, and she nodded her head, acknowledging his instruction. In his anger, he turned around and slammed the door shut.
Emilia cried and cried. Sitting on her bed, she felt betrayed and abandoned. The priest was angry, she had no doubt that he would never allow Paul into the parish and the idea of not seeing him again saddened her.
The next day, the workers of the parish had heard the story of Emilia and Paul, disgusted that this young woman whom they had raised from a child had turned into a whore. The gossip among the people steadily swelled out of control. The priest who always had an uncanny knack of what people were saying found out about the Emilia gossip and went into the courtyard.
“Gather around me and listen to what I have to say,” He said while raising his hand.
Eagerly the workers, who were mostly women stood silently in front of them and waited for his speech.
“Now you know that young Emilia was a baby when she arrived at the parish, abandoned and sickly. Many of you loyal women helped to raise this child.” He cleared his throat.
“Emilia has betrayed us, and we can all learn a lesson from her disobedience. Lust got the better of the young lass, and now she will have to stay under lock and key for the rest of her life. I pray she is not pregnant from the villain Paul. ‘
The women sighed and alarmed at the harsh punishment imposed on Emilia remained silent for fear of being reprimanded.
Mrs. Carrington and Mrs. Jones, you will be the custodians of Emilia; she is not to leave her room at all. Take her food and other provisions she might need, and never let her see the light of day again.” He said and walked away.
The priest looked back and saw the shock on the faces of the women. He smiled. He knew Mr. Tovar would be pleased with his commands. Back in his office, he walked over to a side table and poured a glass of water. He was thirsty and drank this quickly. He sat down and began to read his Bible.
Both Mrs. Carrington and Mrs. Jones would visit the young Emilia daily and give her fresh food and water. The young girl hardly ate the food they gave her. The room was tiny, enough space for a bed, a small table with a washing bowl on top. A small set of drawers for her few belongings and nothing more. There was a small window, but it was too high for Emilia to see anything. She slept most of her time, there were no books to read, no paper to write on and nobody to talk to.
After four months of being confined to her small room, Emilia began to feel sick, her constant nausea and heartburn upset her. Mrs. Jones suspected that the young girl was pregnant and would often visit a little longer with her. Mrs. Jones expressed her disappointment at the Priest for not allowing her to sit in the courtyard and often would tell Emilia what was happening in the village. She managed to bring Emilia a bible to read, which pleased her immensely. Emilia would hide the holy book under her bed and out of the piercing eyes of Mrs. Carrington.
Emilia began to appreciate the visits by Mrs. Jones a kind-looking, white-haired woman and often urged her to stay longer. Emilia did not like Mrs. Carrington at all. She remained arrogant and would always remind her of how remorseful she had behaved. When she visited, Emilia always felt more depressed than before. She told Mrs. Jones about her feelings and the kind soul consoled her as best as she could.
Mrs. Jones had to tell the priest that Emilia was pregnant and get her to the doctor. It was a hot day again; the summer was harsh this time with rising temperatures and humidity causing the residents to feel slightly uncomfortable. Mrs. Jones went to the Parish and entered the Priest's office. He was seated behind his desk.................................................................
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