Sins of Sevin - Penelope Ward Page 0,19
What happened?”
She shook her head as if she didn’t want to talk about it then whispered to Elle, “It’s Lorraine.”
“Did she die?”
She shook her head. “No.”
Olga entered the dining room. “My word, Evangeline. What is going on now?”
“I can’t talk about it. You’re gonna get mad at me, and I can’t deal with this tonight.”
Lance raised his voice, “Does this have to do with those lesbians?”
“Lance!” Olga turned to Emily. “Honey, please go to your room.”
When Evangeline kept quiet, Lance repeated, “Well, what is it?”
“You don’t really care. So, why do you want to know?”
Olga leaned in. “Honey, what’s going on? You can tell us.”
Speaking through tears, Evangeline said, “Lorraine is dying. She may not even make it through the night. The cancer has completely ravaged her. Adelaide is suffering. Lorraine’s family is at the hospital and won’t let Adelaide in the room. They’ve been together for twenty years. Lorraine is the love of her life, and Addy can’t even be by her side when her partner takes her last breath. It’s breaking my heart, and there is nothing I can do.”
Everyone was silent. Watching her cry was causing me physical pain. I remembered the story she told me on that first day about having to sneak around to visit her friends, and the reasons behind her having to hide it were now even clearer.
“Evangeline, those women…they’re sinners,” Lance said. “What’s happening is unfortunate, but the laws of the state and the laws of God are the same. The way they’ve been living is wrong.”
“You’re wrong, Daddy. Love is not wrong!”
“I beg to differ. It is wrong when it’s between two members of the same gender. The Bible confirms that as well. I’m sorry. It’s perverse. That poor dying woman is going to hell.”
My fists tightened. I could feel my blood boiling as memories of Lillian and the hate she used to spew flooded my brain. I wanted to punch Lance in the face in that moment. The frustrating thing was that I knew he truly believed he was right.
Evangeline stormed out of the dining room. The front door slammed. I felt sick.
Lance and Olga retreated to the kitchen, leaving Elle and me alone at the table.
I turned to her. “What do you think about what your father just said?”
“What specifically?”
“That those women are going to hell for loving each other.”
“I don’t know, Sevin. There’s a part of me that feels like it’s wrong…you know, two women together. It’s not what God intended. At the same time, I feel real badly for them and what they’re going through.”
That wasn’t the answer I was hoping for out of her, and it only made me angrier. I’d had enough of this night. Needing to be alone, I got up from the table.
“Thank you again for today. I’m kind of tired. I’m gonna head over to the house.”
“Can I walk you?”
“No. It’s okay.”
“Alright.”
Stepping outside was a welcome escape. Smoke mixed with the cool night air; a neighbor must have been burning firewood. My heart felt heavy, and I couldn’t even pinpoint the exact reason why anymore. I just wanted to get under my covers and shut off the world.
On my way to the guesthouse, I noticed a light coming from the small red barn on the property. Either that meant someone had accidentally left it on, or someone was in there. I needed to know if it was her.
She was huddled in a corner sitting on a mound of hay when I found her.
“Hey,” I said.
She jumped and covered her chest with her hand. “You scared me,” she said, sniffling.
“I’m sorry. I saw a light on and thought I’d come check on things.”
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“I know.” Instead of leaving, I walked toward her and sat down on the pile next to her. After several seconds of silence, I said, “You’re right, you know.”
“About what?”
“Your friends…they don’t deserve what people are doing to them, keeping them apart. That’s the real sin, and I truly believe those asshole family members are the ones going to hell.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t let my father hear you say that.”
“Well, he almost did. I almost lost it. I should have said something.”
“Don’t. It’s not worth it. He’s too far set in his ways. It would be a waste of effort. I love my father, but I’ve just had to learn to agree to disagree.”
“My brother is gay.”
I’d blurted it out. It was the first time I’d ever admitted it aloud.
“What? Really?”
“Yep. No one knows, and I’m not