“Mary,” the nun started with a reproach.

“Na-ah,” Mary interrupted, rebellion flowing through veins once paralyzed with fear.

“Mary,” the nun continued, “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m here to straighten a few things out with you. When you were a child, you had a lot of chances to be adopted by wealthy and caring people. You could have had a perfect family…”

“And I repeat for the zillionth time,” interrupted Mary, “I already have God as my Father, and Saint-Mary as my mother.”

“Your stubbornness is ridiculous!”

“You are a nun, aren’t you?” the girl practically screamed.

“It’s not the same!”

“Look, Sister, you know the score. I only wait for the next two years to take a veil. I’m managing our team! I’m giving the kids gymnastic lessons! I’m taking part in all the orphanage’s events!”

“And yes, that is the least you could do. We give you an apartment on the campus. Have you any idea how much it costs to raise a child? When your parents died, you were only three! Our orphanage raised you and you have lacked of nothing! But now it’s time to pay us back!”

“If you think I’ll become a prostitute to pay off my debts, you are deadly wrong!”

Augusta snorted in contempt. “That is not the point of this conversation!”

“So what is this all about then? As if it is normal to walk in on girls coming out the shower? Forget it,” She made to walk past the nun, but her way was blocked. She felt a strong spiteful hand grip her upper arm.

“This not open for discussion, my child! Mister Noirson is rich enough to buy our whole orphanage and he has enough power to close it forever. You’re not a selfish girl, are you?”

“And?”

The nun continued, “You have to think about the other poor kids that we take care of.”

“So?” Mary was breathing hard.

“I’ll take this sin on myself, Mary… The sense of duty will force you to lay with Mister Noirson if he so wishes, not lust! As you accept your penance now, think about the other girls and boys. Their future depends on you!”

“I have nothing to repent for,” trembling all over, Mary mumbled.

She dressed quick, and dashed out. She collided with Father Frank.

“Mary, guess what?” He smiled nervously. “Mister Noirson paid for you to live in building #7. Lucky you! You’ll have security, free room service…”

The girl just stared at him.

“You should thank Mister Noirson,” sister Augusta said, trying to take Mary’s hand, but the girl gasped, side stepped both adults and ran out and along the corridor, haring downstairs into the basement.

Her thoughts were mixed, her mind confused, in a panic.

Get away! Get away! was beating like a drum inside her head. What should I do? What should I do? was the chorus.

She knew one secret window in the basement. Nobody, unless they wanted to break their necks, dared enter through it, but she often used it as a means of escape.

She reached the wall, routinely spat on her hands, and, like a lizard, climbed up the brick wall to the window. She slid through it effortlessly.

The window frame was at ground level. Mary crawled out into the dusk, and once away from the building got to her feet.

The darkness of the summer night helped her calm down. She looked up at the sky.

In the middle of the city, surrounded by tall gloomy buildings, the girl felt as if she were stranded at the bottom of a well.

One or two stars were visibly twinkling from far above, and not for the first time in her life, Mary wept and cried out, “Oh, dear God! Please help me be strong!”

“Wow! What a passionate plea!” somebody said in a deep gentle voice.

Flabbergasted, the girl literally jumped in surprise. She glanced around, and her hair stood on end. Usually this street was empty but not today. A few cars were parked nearby, and a group of rough, hefty men, accompanied by their matching playmate girlfriends were getting out and gradually making their way towards her.

Mary had grown up in this part of the city; she knew all the local gangs and went to great lengths to avoid any and all contact with them. She was perturbed, not so much that she was in gangland, but that she had never laid eyes on such people before. It was not just the menace of their appearance; it was the military-like orderliness that made Mary’s blood curdle.

Oh my God, she thought looking about her, having shivers. Whoever they are, I’m not a welcome guest here, that’s for sure.

“What a nice prayer,” continued the same bizarre voice; tender and soft, yet threatening in a very obvious way.

Mary licked her dry lips.

There is no way I am going to survive this little party, she mused, grimly. She casually slipped her hands into her jacket pockets and prepared her trusted brass knuckles and switchblade for battle. Self-defense classes are an obligatory part of monastic training, and the congregation that Mary had attended was no exception. But they’ve got it dead wrong if they think they are going to have it easy.

Taking the initiative, she tried to buy herself some time.

“Guys,” she pronounced as peacefully as she could in the direction of the dozen ferocious night stalkers. “I’m a local, okay, a real nobody. I am so much a nobody it is sad.” Her declaration was met with disinterest, but she persevered. “Look, I didn’t see you, and I don’t know you. I live just along from here, so please, I only want to go home.”

“But it was a strange way to leave the church gym,” the man, invisible in the shadow, said, mocking her. “If you wanted to say a prayer, why didn’t you go to the chapel?”

Mary gazed through the dark in the direction of the voice.

He’s the boss here… she understood. He’s my only hope.

“Look,” she addressed the shadow. “Nobody wants trouble. It seems you know me, and I am begging you, just let me go.”

“Maybe I will. But only if you answer honestly why you left like you did.”

Mary swallowed hard and said quietly yet audibly, “I wanted to keep my purity. But now I see, I’m in shit up to my eyeballs!”

Everybody laughed, even Mary in her nervousness. She had lost all hope, but one bonus to her advantage was that her sense of fear had also evaporated into the night air.

“Oh, girl,” the man said, shaking his head. “That is rather improper language for a nun.”

“A nun?” an angry whisper ran through the ranks of the gang members surrounding her. Mary’s heart throbbed again, not expecting the reaction she was getting.

“Do you think God will protect you if I allow my men to do whatever they want to you?”

“No,” she answered at once.

“Why not?”

“God doesn’t rule this world.”

“Good. Who then?”

“Satan, the Devil,” Mary said calmly. “Would you like to hear quotations from the Bible to prove it?”

“No, it’s okay,” the man replied. “We have already wasted a lot of time. Look, Mary, let’s get to the point. I’m a really busy man, but I want to talk to you. Could you give me two hours a day, maybe more, I’m not sure? But two hours is what I have in mind. I promise, we’ll meet only in public places. Is it okay with you?”

“You mean, all this scary shit was just to ask me out for a date? Neat!”

“I suppose it is a bit over the top, but that is exactly how it is. So, assuming you aren’t intending to smash my teeth in with that knuckleduster in your pocket, are you in agreement to meet me – for friendly conversation?”

Mary was unnerved by his remark about her weapon hidden from view, but nodded anyway.

“Great! Tomorrow, wait for me in the ‘Green Streets’ cafe, it’s just across your street, between McDonalds and the book-shop.”

“I know where you mean. Fine.” She hoped he would let her go before arranging a time. No such luck.

“Wait for me until 1:00 p.m. if I’m able to make it, I’ll come. By the way, I’m going to pay you for your time: thirty dollars an hour. Is that okay with you?”

“What, you mean sixty dollars a day?” she had never earned that amount of money before.

“Some day, there may be more, if I’m able…” He misinterpreted her look of amazement. “Ah, you want more? I’ll pay you cash so you won’t have to pay any tax… What a Scroogette! Out of interest, before you go, Mary J, do you remember, I’m paying for your campus apartment?”

“You?” she yelled angrily. She rushed toward him, but the man also stepped forward out of the shadows. In the ghostly streetlight the girl recognized Robert Noirson.

He was smiling smugly, but when their eyes met, his grin faded, and a worry washed out his self-confident expression.

“Are you okay?” he asked, uncertain.

“Y… yes. I think so.” She puffed her mouth out and exhaled, as if in the middle of a breathing exercise, taking herself under control again. “I just realized that there is no running from fate. I honestly tried.”

“Mary, dear, I beg you, don’t think about me this way! Wait a second!” A thought had struck him. “What did your tutors say to you?”

“Nothing much. Only that you are paying for my apartment in the most fancy building in the campus. So I have to be an obedient girl in any way that you decide. And we all know what that means.”

Mary regretted saying what she had said. Robert’s eyes flashed yellow and all-consuming anger distorted his beautiful face to such an extent that Mary stepped back in fear.

But he instantly calmed down, and smiled. “Sorry for that.”

He turned to the man and the girl standing closest to him, said something very quietly, then walked back to Mary. “Let’s go.”

Robert walked her to her old apartment.

“Pack your stuff, dear,” he told her. “I’ll be back.”

***

Moving into her new apartment took less than an hour. Mary was unpacking, when she heard a bell, and when she opened the door, there was Robert.

He looked tired, upset and gloomy.

Oh poor man, Mary thought. She involuntarily reached out her arm to touch his cheek, but dared not. She was deeply surprised with herself at the strong attraction to a man twenty years her senior. “What happened?”

“I have just talked with your tutors. Don’t worry – they’ll never disturb you again. Can I hug you or do you think I’m going to abuse you?”

“No, it’s okay. I’m thankful towards you.”

It was a father-like hug. Mary finally calmed down; she melted with a feeling of security and peace. Robert unclasped his arms, and Mary J. felt a loss.

“Mary, I’m no ordinary man.”

The statement drew a smile from Mary’s stern face.

“Right, you’re my guardian angel,” she joked.

“Well,” Robert faltered. “Sort of. Look, Mary, it’s going to be a very long talk, I really have to go. See you tomorrow, I hope.”

“Good night,” she whispered.

He left, and Mary locked the door.

Not bothering to finish her unpacking, she jumped onto her new bed, drowning in “the honey-heavy dew of slumber” even before her head touched the pillow. And in her dreams, she relived the hug that she had shared with Robert but in a much different way.