On a quest throughout the mall, Penelope followed Kristina and her two companions as they managed to stumble upon cute pastel dresses. Kristina had almost given up on finding shoes for her younger sisters, until the perfect pair appeared in a smaller store that was going out of business. They were shiny, raven-black heels that strapped across the ankle with a golden clasp. Proud of her find, especially considering they were reduced by a third of the original price, Kristina smiled incessantly.
Driving home after dropping off Bethany and Mary, Kristina declared to her younger sister how excited she was to display their new outfits at church. Penelope adored Kristina, who was home from college for the Easter weekend. She missed her incessantly, and was overjoyed to spend time with her.
The two girls pulled into the parking lot of a coffee shop, and Penelope reminded her that they were supposed to be fasting for Good Friday.
“I know, but coffee is a drink. Fasting just applies to food,” she replied.
Kristina ordered large mocha Frappuccino’s with whip cream for both of them. Sitting at a back table, the two girls discussed their Sunday plans.
Rich with holiday traditions, the Gallaghers always went all-out in celebrating Easter. The family arose early in the morning before church to find the eggs that the Bunny had hidden the previous evening. Of course, Kristina was too old to believe such an outrageous tale, but she nevertheless enjoyed that her parents had replaced the prior tradition of filling the plastic shells with candy to the more practical gift of money. At first, they were putting spare change into the eggs, but even the novelty of that wore off and they now hid higher and higher denominations of paper currency each year. Penelope, who was still satisfied with M&Ms and jelly beans, would find the barely concealed eggs while her older sister looked in the more difficult spots, which she had memorized over the years, for crumpled five, ten and twenty dollar bills. Every year, Penelope discovered a few of the cash eggs but, not needing the money herself, always generously handed them over to her older sister, for which Kristina was grateful.
Slurping down the remainder of her treat, Kristina led her little sis back to the car. On the way out, a dirty man in tattered clothes came towards them on the sidewalk. He limped, dragging his left leg behind as he leaned on his shopping cart for balance. Filled to the brim with black plastic garbage bags, grungy clothes, and covered by a holey quilt, the cart clearly doubled as the man’s home.
“Spare some change?” he asked.
Struck by a noxious smell emanating from the man, Penelope cringed.
“Here you go,” Kristina handed him a dollar.
The man looked pleased and thanked her as he hobbled away, the shopping cart squeaking.
“Why is he dressed like that?” Penelope asked.
“He’s poor. He doesn’t have any money,” Kristina replied.
“Then how does he buy new stuff?”
“He doesn’t. That shopping cart has everything he owns.”
Confused, Penelope stared at the man. A couple walked by him and hurried past as he tried to speak to them. He continued on.
[Should have mentioned earlier that this is a work in progress. I started it last Wednesday and wanted to post it. Lazy segue: Stuff happens between Friday and Sunday. ]
Early Easter morning, Penelope ran into her sister’s bedroom to wake her, but found it empty. She rushed downstairs, where she met her sister already scavenging the house, shopping bag in hand. The dining room table was draped with a pink linen cloth and at each family member’s spot was a decorative basket overflowing with goodies. Momentarily distracted from the egg hunt, Penelope dug through the gifts inside the wicker container. Amongst the faux grass, she found a small candies, Cadbury eggs, rainbow-colored jelly beans, small trinkets, like a stuffed chick, and the usual hollow chocolate bunny. Small, brightly wrapped packages adorned her spot at the table, which she quickly tore through, revealing a DVD, a leather pocketbook, and an iPod mini. She squinted sideways at the gifts, when her sister entered the room. She was flipping through a stack of crinkled dollar bills.
“Hey baby sis, you’re not gonna find any eggs if you don’t hurry. I may have got them all,” Kristina laughed.
Shooting up like a dart, Penelope emptied the contents of her basket onto the table and ran with the empty container into the living room. She immediately bolted for the couch, a common hiding spot. Throwing off the cushions, she spotted a purple sphere. Thrilled, she placed it into her basket and moved on to the loveseat, where again she found an egg nestled in a crevice.
With a flurried tenacity, the youngest Gallagher whirled around the house collecting her bounty. She searched under tables, in drawers, beside the television, upon the desk, amidst the floral bouquet, and within cupboards.
Scanning the room for further hiding places, Penelope’s eyes landed on the golden cross upon the mantle. Recognizing the relic to be of some importance, she fetched a chair and climb up high enough to reach the shiny object. Reverently examining it, she remembered the Sunday school lessons from a week ago about how Jesus had died on the cross for their sins. She turned the object over in her hands, looking at it with a sense of wonderment, before replacing it atop the mantle. Attempting to lean it against the wall at the right angle to prevent it from sliding, her knuckle scraped against something. Unable to see that high, she dropped the cross and blindly fumbled for the object. Her fingers wrapped around something large and round, which she found to be an orange egg, bigger than the others in her basket. She threw it in with the rest and continued searching for more.
Feeling satisfied with her haul, Penelope went to show her basket to her sister. Again, she knocked on the door, before peeking inside Kristina’s room, only to find nobody was there. Puzzled she asked her mother where her sister was.
“She’s gone over to Bethany’s to get ready for church. She’ll meet us there. And you’d better do the same. I’m excited to see the dress you two picked out,” mother answered, powdering her cheeks in the bathroom mirror.
Disappointed, Penelope trudged back to her own room, placing the basket on the corner chair. She fetched the shopping bag from her closet and carefully withdrew the dress. Standing before the full-length antique mirror, she held the dress before her body and examined it. She could see how lovely it was, a lace-lined pink V-neck that ended just below her knees. She undressed and slid her arms and head into their respective holes. It was obvious even to her that she was a pretty girl. The cotton candy color complimented her curly blonde locks and made her freckles pop. The rest of Penelope’s precisely picked outfit was removed from the various bags and she took pleasure in putting on each piece; the pristine white socks pulled over her ankles, smooth black shoes slid up her small feet, and a beautiful lady bug beret bound to her braids.
When she was finished, she simply stared at her reflection. She had always admired her older sibling’s attractiveness, but now she noticed the same qualities in her own appearance. After a few minutes of posing, pouting her lips, and pushing her slender hips out in new directions, Penelope recalled the basket full of treats. She abandoned her reflection, determined to open every egg before being forced to leave for church.
She dumped the bright plastic balls onto her bed and began cracking open each one. Penelope poured the candy contents back into the basket, making sure to separate the coins she found dispersed amongst the sweets. Popping a handful of jelly beans into her mouth, she furiously flew through the spring-colored shells, envisioning herself as a famous chef frying omelets. With about a dozen eggs left, she seized her small fingers around the large, orange, crucifix one. Exceptionally curious, she split the two halves apart to find a pristine dollar folded in half. Gently undoing the crease, she saw a face she didn’t recognize. The crisp numbers in the corner read 5-0, and Penelope recognized this as an extraordinary amount of money. Thrilled, she sprinted downstairs.
Father was yelling to her mother from their bedroom, asking where she put his nice tie, while the matriarch was still before the bathroom mirror, applying lipstick. Penelope waved the bill to show her mother, who shooed her away to help locate the tie. Dejected, she refolded the bill and tucked it inside her new pocketbook.
The Gallaghers arrived at St. Peter’s minutes before the start of the service, as was their tradition. Walking down the side aisle, they were greeted by the families packed into the pews. The rows of people dressed in their Easter best reminded Penelope of the special pastel crayons she had receives last spring. A woman with a wide-brimmed hat decorated with bows and flowers leaned over and grabbed Penelope’s shoulder. She stood like a statue, smelling the pungent musk of the lady’s perfume while she praised the young girl’s beauty to her mother, who nodded proudly.
Searching for a place to sit, they finally found and open section in one of the middle rows. Penelope sat between her parents and began looking around for her sister, which she abandoned after a few unsuccessful minutes. She overheard her parents whispering.
“Did you tell her what time it started?”
“Yes, honey. I can’t force her to show up.”
Disappointed with her sister’s absence, Penelope’s eyes wandered around the magnificent church. It always fascinated her; the sun spilling through the bright stained glass windows, the murals and paintings depicting biblical figures, and the fabulous decorations that adorn it. Despite her curiosity, she intentionally avoided looking at the life-size crucifix that hung in the front of the church. She knew that the gruesome site of Jesus nailed up there would give her nightmares. It took her best effort to prevent her eyes from looking directly at it, but the must have been fascinated by the horrifying figure, because she kept catching peripheral glances. Slowly creeping closer and closer to the dead man, Penelope was startled by the shriek of the organ informing the congregation to arise.
A parade of individuals marched down the center aisle, leading the man draped in verdant green robes, who Penelope recognized as Father Alexander. He strode with spine erect, smiling and gesturing to his parishioners as he passed. The procession bowed before the pearl-colored marble altar and dispersed to their respective spots.
Jovial and enthusiastic, Father greeted the crowd, wished upon them a “Happy Easter!” and told them to be seated. Penelope tried to pay attention to the proceedings, but was thoroughly distracted by her missing sister. She continuously looked over her shoulder, expecting to see Kristina running in.
“Don’t worry, she’ll be here,” her mother said, recognizing her daughter’s concern.
Embarrassed to be caught, Penelope tried to focus on the mass. Various people went up to the pulpit to read scripture; a middle-aged man with a navy tie and sports coat, an overweight woman in a red dress with a fancy gold necklace and sparkly earings, and an old man with a ring of scraggly gray hair around his head who used a wooden cane to limp up to the podium. Penelope liked him best; he wore a beige overcoat and brown pants. His voice was hoarse, but he spoke without stuttering or stammering and emoted with strength. While he was up there, Penelope pretended that he was God, speaking to His people.
A silence followed the man as he left the stage. Penelope wondered why no one applauded, but assumed it was inappropriate.
“Hey, sorry I’m late. I didn’t realize Beth’s family was going to a different mass,” came the sound of Kristina’s voice as she snuck in the pew.
Penelope’s heart leapt from her chest. She wrapped her arms around her sister’s waist and smiled up at her.
“Hey, kiddo. That dress looks fantastic!”
Penelope beamed proudly. Her sister was wearing jeans and a green t-shirt with a peace sign on front. Her light-brown hair was straightened and scraped the tops of her shoulders. Unsure why she had forgone wearing the dress she picked out, Penelope nevertheless recognized how pretty her sister was. She had a thin white face, gaunt almost, that highlighted very prominent features; a perfectly curved nose, shinning emerald eyes, small, flat ears, and luscious red lips that met ended on either end with a point, like the tips of a leaf. She admired these traits, and longed for them as well. But, while also attractive, Penelope shared little in common with her sister; she had curly blonde hair, blue eyes, a pudgy nose, thin lips, and freckles splattered across it all. She once overheard a family friend jokingly inquire if the two daughters shared a father after a late party, at which her parents burst out laughing.
Sitting beside her, Kristina slung her arm around Penelope’s shoulder and pulled her close. The young girl was so happy, she had not even noticed Father Alexander beginning his sermon. The young priest was fairly riveting; he addressed the audience with a sense of authority. He smiled often, revealing pearly teeth. The flowing robes swung like a pendulum as he paced before congregation, throwing his arms out in grand gestures and shouting certain words to add emphasis to his message. The extravagant spectacle had onlookers sitting upright, following his actions as he moved back and forth across the stage.
Penelope did not much understand what he was saying, so she simply watched. The purple Gucci purse beside Kristina beeped and her sister reached inside for her cellphone, a laugh escaped and she slid her arm off Penelope’s neck and feverishly typed on the slide out keyboard. Their parents engrossed by the priest, Penelope watched her sister text. Frustrated with the lack of attention being paid her, she was determined to stare down the hanging Jesus. Without hesitation, she looked directly at the figure.
She first took note of the outstretched; inviting arms with hands drooped from the wrists and elbows unable to support their weight. Scantily clad, the man’s posture was horrendous; his body sank as strength sapped from his tired muscles. Expecting to meet its eyes, Penelope instead found the face hanging down and pointed slightly to the left. The anguished look of the beaten man shook her. Willing Jesus to make eye contact, to see him and have him acknowledge her, she was instead left to watch him agonize in his last moments alive. Next to her, Kristina laughed at another text message.
Father wrapped up his homily and parishioners began passing around collection baskets as the choir began singing a hymn. The people seated in the rows dropped cash and envelopes into the baskets, and she inquired what they were for.
“The money goes to the Church who gives it to the poor,” her father answered.
This reminded Penelope of the money in her wallet. She opened it up and grabbed the bill. After her father had dropped in a bill, she set hers gently down on top and passed the basket to her sister.
“Where did you get this?” Kristina snatched the fifty from the pile.
“It’s mine. I found it in an Easter egg.”
“Don’t you want to give it to me? I’m your big sis. Remember… we had so much fun shopping together?” Kristina said, handing off the basket.
“No. It’s for the homeless man by the coffee shop.”
“The…? Oh. I’ll make sure he gets it,” she said, putting the bill in her pocket.
“No!”
“Stop it you two,” her mother said, blushing.
“She took my money!”
“Shhh… that egg was supposed to be for your sister.”
“But!”
“Not here! We’ll discuss this after mass,” she said sternly
Kristina grinned and shot her a sideways glance. Penelope crossed her arms. It was her money. Why couldn’t she do whatever she wanted with it? Why did it have to go to her sister? Kristina already had enough money.
The rest of mass passed without Penelope paying much attention; she was so irritated with Kristina. Planning to create a commotion afterwards, Penelope stewed quietly and waited while the adults received communion.
After the final blessing and the procession out, Penelope’s parents got up to chat with some family friends. She was still furious, wanting her money back, when Kristina pulled her aside.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have taken your money. Here you go,” she said, handing her little sis a wrinkled bill that had been folded several times. “There are collection plates outside, let’s go put that in!” she smiled.
Overjoyed, Penelope beamed. Maybe Kristina wasn’t that bad. She did love her.
Walking out together, the elder Gallagher daughter led her to the volunteers holding boxes for donations. Telling her not to be shy, she shoved Penelope forward.
“Close your eyes, make a wish, and drop it in,” she said. “Quickly.”
Penelope shut her lids tight, and thought before releasing the bill. She looked at her sister and they exchanged smiles.
“What did you wish for?”
“I wished that the poor man get money to buy a house for all his stuff and to live in.”
“You are so sweet,” Kristina gushed. “Now go back inside and find mom. I’ll meet you at home later for dinner. We can watch your new DVD.”
Penelope hugged her and went back inside. Her parents finished their conversation, aided by Penelope’s persistence, and they drove home together.
Penelope passed the rest of her afternoon playing with her new toys and scarfing down candy. Whenever she heard a car, she hopped to the window to see if it was Kristina. Anxious for dinner, Penelope kept going into the kitchen, where her mother was cooking the ham, potatoes, and other dishes, to ask when her sister was returning. Mrs. Gallagher was clearly bothered and shooed the girl away.
When it finally was time to sit down and eat with the family, Penelope entered the dining room to find the table set with the fine china and serving dishes filled with delicious foods billowing steam. Climbing into her chair, she noticed that Kristina’s reserved seat at the table had not been set with a plate or silverware.
“Mommy, you forgot about ‘Tina.”
“Oh, sorry, honey. Your sister isn’t coming home tonight. She went out with her friends.”
“But… it’s Easter.”
“I know. She should be here tomorrow, before she flies back to school.”
Her parents joined her at the table and they ate in silence. Penelope barely touched the food and returned to her room.
While her parents cleaned the table, Penelope grabbed her Easter basket and scrounged through it, taking out all of the loose coins she had collected. She scooped it into the fold of her dress and carried it downstairs to her mother.
“Is this enough money, Mommy?” Penelope said disgusted. “I wanna change my wish.”
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