Page 227 - What They Did to the Kid

What They Did to the Kid 215

“Do you feel you truly have a calling from God?”
“I’ve never felt my vocation more strongly than I have this past
year. This last week has increased my sense of its value immensely. I
had to make a concrete fight for it.”
“Then you should rejoice, my son. Let me counsel you to take
your examinations with a full heart and join in next week with all
your soul when the Holy Spirit shall be called down on the can-
didates for the priesthood who are only two classes ahead of you.
Ordination Day is a time of great hope and grace for all.”
“Yes, Rector,” I said and I knelt on the floor before him. I directed
the movie perfectly. “Will you please give me your blessing?”
Rector Karg moved toward me. His shoe tips touched my knees.
I could smell the hot metal of coins in his pockets. I imagined nickels
and dimes and pennies tangled in with his rosary beads and some
lint. My eyes crossed, focusing directly on his Knights of Columbus
belt buckle. He put the palm of his left hand against his chest and
with his raised right hand made the Sign of the Cross in the air over
my head and then rested both his thick cold priestly hands on my
hair. “No one of us,” he said, “can stand the close scrutiny of God.”
“None of us,” I intoned.
“There is one condition more.”
Still kneeling, I looked up at him with his hands open in the
gesture of priestly blessing.
“Yes, Rector?”
“I forbid you to write one more word.”
I wanted to punch him in his consecrated groin.

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