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well, indeed!
"No one's ever laughed that hard," she said, chuckling herself.
"No one's ever laughed that hard," she said, chuckling herself.
"Sorry," I said as I tried unsuccessfully to stop laughing.
"Don't be. Went into the convent because I loved women and
left it because in the eyes of the church, I loved them too much.
Guess that's funny."
"Not to some people. Sister Margaret told me you weren't well,
but I'll tell you this much, I don't know what she was talking
about. You look a hell of a lot better than she does."
"Happiness will do that to you." She enthusiastically hit the next
three balls straight into the sky.
"But I must say, you certainly don't look like a nun, or even an
ex-nun, for that matter."
"Girl, in my heyday I did. Had a hairdo that would have scared
God." She let out a deep laugh.
I chuckled.
"I was thinking I'd have to meet you in a nursing home and hold
your hand. And now, here I am sitting at a golfing range,
watching you hit the ball farther than I can see."
"If I were any younger, I'd let you hold my hand anyway.
Wouldn't that shock the good Sister Margaret?"
We laughed and laughed until the golf pro came by and asked us
if we could quiet it down a bit.
In silence, except for an escaped giggle here and there, Fran
Green hit the rest of the balls in her bucket, and we adjourned to
the clubhouse for drinks.
"What was it like being a nun?" I asked as I took my Dr. Pepper
and twisted it in my hands.
and twisted it in my hands.
"Quite challenging really. Contrary to popular belief, we're not all
teachers, and not any of us are waifs. Strongest women I met
were nuns."
"What kind of work did you do for St. Peter's?"
"Handled what would now be called 'Social Services.' Worked
on adoptions. Set up a soup kitchen for the homeless first of
its kind in Denver. Visited the elderly in their homes and in rest
homes. Developed a prayer program for prisoners. Name it, and
I probably did it," she told me as she sipped her soda.
"Destiny was your first adoption?"
"Yep. Would have handled her second adoption, too, and done
a heck of a lot better job of it, except I was out of state when
her parents died. In Minnesota, nursing my mother. There for
almost a year before the cancer beat her."
Reflexively, I said, "I'm sorry."
She dismissed my condolences with a wave of her hand. "Don't
be. Wasn't a great way to go, but it was her time."
"Did you choose the Kenwoods for Destiny?"
"In a sense, yes. But mostly, they chose each other. I knew
Destiny would need more love than most babies, and when I met
Peter and Barbara, I knew they could give it to her."
I was confused.
"Why did Destiny need more love was she ill?"
"Don't you know Destiny was a child of rape."
My eyes must have bugged out of my head. I was so shocked, I
choked on my Dr. Pepper. To her credit, she immediately
jumped up and came around the table to assist me.
jumped up and came around the table to assist me.
"Sorry. No delicate way to put it," she said as she thumped on
my back. "But I shouldn't have been so blunt."
"No kidding," I agreed as I struggled to breathe. "Her natural
mother was raped?" I asked after I'd swallowed hard a few
times.
She nodded.
"Tell me about it," I requested when I was done hacking,
coughing and clearing my throat.
"Not much to tell. Young woman was from a prominent family in
the parish. Going to school at the University of Denver when it
happened. Raped by a boy who asked her out. Ending her
senior year at the time, I believe."
"How tragic!"
"After the rape, she moved back with her parents. Weeks later,
found out she was pregnant. They put her in isolation. Told
everyone she was traveling in Europe for a year. Actually, she
never left their house. One tragedy after another, that poor girl
suffered. I counseled her extensively after the rape. She wanted
to keep the baby, but the parents insisted she give it up for
adoption."
"Abortion wasn't an option?"
"Afraid not in those days."
"So she gave her up?"
"Not easily. Gave us quite a scare there for a few days. She had
an extremely difficult pregnancy and an even harder labor. After
the baby was born, she wouldn't sign the papers to give her up.
Cried for days about her little girl. Funny thing is, no one ever
Cried for days about her little girl. Funny thing is, no one ever
told her it was a girl. Still, she knew."
"Did you advise her to give Destiny up?"
"I did," she admitted without pride. "To this day, not sure if it
was the right thing. Never forget the vacant look in her eyes the
day she signed the papers. Later that afternoon, one of the
nurses took me aside and told me the girl would never be able to
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