The Perfect Son (7 page)

“You are quite welcome; it is my pleasure to sit with you. You may not remember me, but you and I were very close once. I’m not sure how much has changed, but I brought with me what used to be your favorite: blueberry dumplings,” she said just as politely as she held up a small container. Cody looked from her to the container, and then back, before giving a small smile.

“Thank you. I will be sure to eat them,” he said with his response lacking the enthusiasm one normally has when receiving a desirable gift. Sister Mary Ava didn’t miss it.

“You’re very welcome, Cody,” she said, before placing the container on the night stand. “How are you feeling? Do you need anything?”

“I feel fine, though I am a bit more tired than usual. If it isn’t too much trouble, would you mind if I listened to some music?”

“It’s no trouble at all. Do you have an mp3 player or some other device I need to retrieve?”

“Thank you, Sister Mary Ava. Actually, Mother purchased me a record player, because the mp3 player I have is filled with music I don’t listen to anymore. It’s sitting next to the window by my desk. I believe there is a Bach vinyl already loaded.”

Having to see it to believe it, Sister Mary Ava walked across the room, and sure enough, there sat a sight straight from her younger days: a record player. With a slight shift of the needle, Johann Bach’s
Violin Concertos
filled the room, and Cody instantly closed his eyes in pure tranquility. Sister Mary Ava, however, felt anything but tranquil. There lied a boy who once knew more about her than some of her fellow sisters, and she was finding it hard to detach herself from the situation, especially when one of her most treasured memories of him played through her mind.

“The more that I am around you, the more greatly you remind me of my late son,” Sister Mary Ava said casually, causing Cody to spit out his pop and choke.

“Son!”

“Yes, son.”

“Whoa, wait a minute. You had a son? But I thought…”

Catching himself, Cody let the statement die, but he wasn’t fast enough to stop his face’s reaction to his thought.

“You thought what?” Sister Mary Ava said blankly.

“Um…”

“Well, speak up, boy. What did you think?” she said with sternness.

“I… uh… I kind of thought…”

By that point, Cody was the color of a cooked lobster, and Sister Mary Ava couldn’t maintain the façade any longer, so she placed her hands over her face and laughed uproariously. Cody didn’t see the humor.

“Actually, that is another misconception people have about us. It is quite true for many, but there are those of us whose paths took a few more turns before we found our way, and I am one of them.”

“Really? So you…” Cody began, but quickly silenced himself when the sister quirked an eyebrow, making her laugh a bit more.

“Oh yes, really. I wasn’t always Sister Mary Ava, you know. In my younger days, I was a wild one. I was a proud atheist that lived a life of excess in the worst ways, and dared any and every one to tell me that I was wrong. Looking back on it, I think I was just trying to undermine my parents who were devoutly Catholic.”

“Hold on a sec, if you were an atheist, how did you become a sister?”

“That… was not a simple nor not easy transition. To explain it, you’d have to know a bit more about my upbringing,” Sister Mary Ava said, before sighing and gathering her thoughts. “As I just mentioned, my parents were devoutly Catholic, and my father in particular, was very strict about how he believed we should worship. Any little transgression would draw his ire, and he had no reservations about forcefully correcting us. Unfortunately, that was the only form of Catholicism I knew, so I rebelled.

By the time I turned sixteen, I had had enough, so I decided to strike out on my own. As I packed my bags, my mother came to me, and said, ‘Eva, your father and I are not perfect, but we tried. I would love for you to stay, but I won’t force you. My only request is that you allow your teachings to guide you. Please do not abandon the word over a flawed messenger.’ I heard her words, but they were quickly shelved, and out into the world I went.

The outside world was filled with every sinful thing imaginable, and I was determined to engage in them all. That went on for several months, before I met a kindred sinner who I got on well with. Within a year, we were illegally married, and I became pregnant with my son. That caused a shift in my husband’s priorities, and he became a very responsible young man that provided well for his family. I, on the other hand, was still trying to make up for lost opportunities. My goodness, I paid greatly for that.

It was the summer of 1979, and there were parties celebrating the end of the decade occurring everywhere. There was one in particular that everyone was talking about, but my husband had forbid me to go. He said that it was time for me to grow up and tend to our son. I was furious at him, but outwardly, I agreed and waited for him to leave for work. I knew that he wouldn’t make it home until well after midnight, so I had planned to put our son to bed, leave for a few hours, and then return undetected.

Sure enough, six o’clock came around, my husband left, and I put on my raciest clothes, did my makeup, and curled my hair. My son smiled at me and told me that I looked beautiful. I absently thanked him, hurried him to bed, and then off I went.

The party was everything I imagined and more. Music was blaring, alcohol was plentiful, and partially clothed people were everywhere. We felt untouchable, and we were prepared to stay engaged until sunrise.

Around one in the morning, however, we heard sirens. When we looked outside, we saw police cars, ambulances and fire engines all speeding down the road. Most people were happy that they were bypassing the party, but when I saw what direction they were headed in, I raced home. When I got there, I saw that my house was scorched all the way down to the foundation. It was quickly determined that an electrical fire had been the culprit. You see, the curling iron I had been using had several severed wires, and I knew that, which is why I always unplugged it after each use. That night, I was in such a hurry that I had forgotten. By the time my husband made it home, the fire was in full swing, so he ran in to save his family. Neither he nor my son made it out; he was twenty-eight and my son was merely seven.

Everyone sent their condolences and tried to console me in their own way, but I was lost. I was a twenty-five year old widow with a deceased son and no formal training to take care of herself. More importantly, I was drowning in hopelessness, and after finding no relief for several months, I contemplated committing the greatest sin. That was when I remembered my mother’s words. Feeling that it couldn’t get any worse, I fell to my knees, and I prayed. I wasn’t foolish enough to ask for forgiveness, because I didn’t feel as though I deserved it. I merely prayed to feel something other than pain. The next day, I woke up and there was a spark. I was still hurting beyond belief, but for the first time I felt as though I could survive it, and in that I saw God.

Slowly from that point on, I reconnected with my Catholic roots, and by the time I turned thirty, I heard my calling. After watching many people become disenchanted with Catholicism, I realized that this would continue to be a problem because we have imperfect people trying to convey a perfect message. In order to get the word across, we would have to all present our best sides, and hopefully, those sides in total would mirror the message. Now, I am Sister Mary Ava, and I can only hope that I am properly doing my part,” she concluded with a gentle smile that didn’t fully convey everything that she was feeling. Though she meant every word that she had said, she didn’t include that a tiny portion of her often wondered if her deceased family was proud of her.

“You’re doing your part, Nana. You’re the best sister and the best Nana I know,” Cody finally said, and it shocked and warmed Sister Mary Ava down to her core.

“Thank you, Cody. I try.”

‘You have always regarded me as a nana, but right now you need me to be Sister Mary Ava,’
she thought as she bowed her head, and began praying anew for the resting boy.

***

“Nana? Wow, it must have really gotten bad if they called you in,” Cody said as he opened his eyes, and saw the praying woman sitting beside him. From experience, he knew that she was in deep conversation, and he wouldn’t be addressed until she was finished, so he watched her for an additional ten minutes. Eventually, they met each other’s gazes.

“Well, hello again. I must say that it is a relief to have you recognize me,” Sister Mary Ava said with a smile, making Cody smile as well. That fully transformed into a full blown grin when he spotted what was sitting beside her.

“Nana, what’s in that container? It smells like dumplings. Is it dumplings?”

“Why yes, blueberry.”

Immediately, Cody started pulling on his restraints, growing frustrated by the second.

“Hey, hey, hey! Hold on a second,” Sister Mary Ava said as she contemplated releasing the boy. She then remembered Kelly’s request, and reluctantly decided to adhere to it.

“Here,” she said, and then carefully placed a dumpling in Cody’s open mouth. He chewed rapidly, and then relaxed with a smile once more.

“That almost makes all of this worth it.”

“And you’re still a bottomless pit, I see.”

At that, laughter rang throughout the room, and it felt like no time had passed between the two.

“Nana, I’m really glad that you’re here. When we left the church, I had wondered if I would ever speak to you again. I wish it wasn’t like this, but I’m glad that you’re here. Do you mind if I make a request?”

“First, I must say that I’m glad to be here. Second, you should already know that you don’t have to ask that. Of course, you can make a request.”

“Considering what I’m about to ask, I’m not so sure. But, Nana, can you call Father John here to give me my last rites?”

“Cody!” Sister Mary Ava was definitely not expecting that, and wasn’t going to entertain the boy’s thoughts of dying. “You know better than that. The last rites are for those not long for this world, and you–”

“Nana, I fit the bill. Please hear me out,” Cody said as his eyes filled with tears. “Everyone keeps saying that I’m crazy, but I’m not. There is something seriously wrong with me, and whatever it is, it’s killing me. No one really knows what’s going on, but each day, I feel like I’m losing more of myself and I’m scared. I’m so scared, and no one can help me. So please, have Father John give me my last rites so that I’ll be pure when I leave here.”

Stunned, Sister Mary Ava gaped at the boy as he turned his head away from her so that she wouldn’t see him cry. After a few moments, she snapped out of her stupor, and swiftly removed the boy’s bindings, before pulling him into an embrace. This made him cry harder, so more so for her own sanity than his, she prayed. Nearly half an hour later, he was finally somewhat calm again.

“Nana, you have to tie me back up. Mom is going to get mad if she sees me untied,” Cody said as he frantically pulled the leather bands towards himself. Sister Mary Ava quickly took them from him.

“Your mother has left me in charge, and I do not see the need. She was worried that you would become violent, but from what I can see, her concerns are unfounded. I’m sure if she was here, she would tell you the same.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Cody said with a humorless laugh.

“Cody, I am not up-to-date with everything that has occurred since we last saw each other, but I do know that your mother loves you very much. Her methods may seem harsh, but I’m sure she is trying her best in her own way.”

“I used to think that, too. Now, I’ve never felt more wrong.”

“I don’t understand.”

Not sure where to begin, Cody ran his hand through his hair, and then over his face. Carefully, he categorized everything so that it wouldn’t come out in a jumbled mess, and then jumped in at the part where everything went wrong.

“Do you remember Valentine’s Day last year? My mom had planned to surprise my dad with dinner and a night away, and had asked if you could check in on me.”

“Yes, I do remember that. Then at the last moment, she called and told me that the plans had changed.”

Hearing that, Cody nodded his head.

“The plans did change, but it was more to it than that. For weeks, my dad had been trying to get my mom to take some time off, and she kept saying that she couldn’t. Then, a week before Valentine’s Day, she told me about her surprise, and to keep it a secret. Valentine’s Day came, Mom came home early, dressed up, packed her bags, and then went off to surprise Dad. I didn’t expect to see either of them until the next day, so when she came back a few hours later, I was confused. I asked her what happened, and she said, ‘Your dad and I are getting a divorce,’ and then walked off like it was nothing. I tried to question her, but she just went into their room and closed the door in my face. I then figured I would just wait to hear what Dad had to say, but he didn’t come home.

When I woke up the next morning, Dad was already moving his things out. I tried to ask him what happened, but he didn’t even look at me. He acted as though I didn’t exist no matter how hard I tried to get his attention, and it went on for weeks. My first thought was that Mom told him not to talk to me, so Sean stole his mom’s car and drove me over to my dad’s new place. As soon as he saw me, he asked if my mom knew I was over there. When he found out that she didn’t, he called her to come and get me, and left me on the porch. Right after that, Mom sold our house and moved us to Bloomfield Hills.