Christine woke up with a start. Addie lie next the bed on the floor on a small rug. The young women realized that she had been dreaming. She looked at the clock. It was two in the morning. Wrapping up in a black robe, Christine opened the only door to the cottage and stood on the small porch. Thousands of stars shone out of the dark sky. The usual late August haze had lifted and the sky was clear. Addie came up behind Christine, like the good guard dog it was. She bent down and petted its head. Addie followed Christine into the yard. She could not believe the number of stars. Yet, her attention was brought back to her dream. She shuddered a bit and walked back to sit own on the porch rocker for a bit. Addie followed her and curled up at her feet. Immediately, the dog fell asleep.
Christine could not understand why she had dreamt of Michael after all these years. She did not even know where he lived now. The last letter she had received from him, or rather, an email, indicated that he was living in Germany with an old friend. He wrote that he would never see her again, as his old friend was female. Christine had put him out of her mind until tonight. How odd that he would seem so real to her in this dream. They were together again and in Sicily, where they had become engaged. They were walking in the rocky semi-desert land which lay behind Michael's new farm near Enna. He planned to turn it into a holiday farmhouse, but live there part of the year. The two were making plans when Christine found out about the "other woman".
Christine looked up at the sky again, but the sky was silent. No messages from God, or Michael or anyone called from the depths of the Milky Way. She turned back into the house, again, followed by Addie. The dog had awakened as soon as she stood up.
In her bedroom, Christine said three Hail Marys for her old flame. Then, she laid down and fell immediately asleep. Addie curled up on the floor again.
Christine fell into another dream. This time, she was not in the dream, but saw Michael walking on a small cliff by the sea. He was calling out to her.
She woke up again and decided to say a rosary. Perhaps he was in trouble somewhere. After all, he was her brother in Christ. Christine fell asleep again before finishing the fifth decade. Her soul felt strangely moved by the dreams.
The next morning, after a huge breakfast and after the men were in the fields again, Uncle Jay gathered up ropes and lanterns. "One should always be prepared," he noted. He grabbed two large flashlights, and a thermos of water.
"I would like to show you all the rooms plus the chapel," he said as the two walked the short distance to the copse. Scullery Maid was not under the trees this morning. The goldfinches were gone for the season, as many birds were leaving the area, both in noisy flocks and silently.
Christine and Jay walked to the larger of the two openings. Jay led the way and helped Christine, who was not as agile with her injury. Then, they began the long climb down. Christine noticed that here and there in the wall on one side hand-sized iron "handles" for handing on to had been driven into the sides.
After about fifteen minutes, with Jay leading with the largest flashlight, the two entered a huge underground cavern. Then, Christine saw something she would not have believed possible. In the cool air, a gate of white lattice work made out of some type of metal filled a large hole, making it into a gate to the room. This gate spanned a natural rock arch, through which one could see a room furnished like a house of sorts. Jay took out a large key and opened the gate. The two walked into a magical setting of white iron lattice work which resembled the ruins of an English abbey. This workmanship surrounded the open area, which included wooden, iron, and wicker chairs, tables, armoires, small cabinets, and boxes the size of chests.
Jay cautioned Christine to walk on the right side of the room as they were entering another room to the right, a room slightly lower and down a stone ramp. One entered this smaller room through another stone arch guarded by another white iron gate. Jay unlocked that gate and the two stepped into the chapel.
Christine gasped. There, before her, was a complete chapel in the French style, with a rounded back, which was hidden by the free standing wooden reredos carved with vines and wheat sheafs. The chapel lacked nothing, and every was in place for Mass.
Credence tables, golden candlesticks, Mass cards, were all in place.
Then, Jay beckoned her to go to yet another room to the left of the chapel. He opened a small wooden door and stood to the side. In that smallish room was an apartment for a priest, complete with vestments hanging in another armoire, breviaries, and other books.
Christine could not believe it, but there was a complete set of the Summa in Latin on top of a large chest of drawers. A bookcase held many of the writings of St. Augustine and other Doctors of the Church. Christine sat down on a wooden chair.
"Did you do all of this, Uncle Jay?" Jay paused a moment. "No, your father did most of this, but I helped. It was all the idea of John and Iona. They had something in mind."
The two grew silent in their own thoughts. Christine stood up. "Can we see the streams?" Jay led her back to the main room, locking doors behind him. There in the middle of the huge cavern room, two streams burbled out of the rock. In the back, a waterfall fell into a pool. Yet, the air was dry, and no mold or dampness touched any of the items. It was as if the entire place had perfect temperature and humidity control.
Christine had seen all she wanted to see. Her mind could not take in the wonder of the place or the planning behind this oasis of peace and security. Jay and she walked through the gate which Jay locked and climbed up the rough stairs. Addie was waiting at the opening of the cave, and Scullery Maid was eating grass in the copse. But, Christine had a hard time adjusting to the reality of the "upper world". She felt like she had been awake in a dream.
"What is this all for, Uncle Jay," she asked, timidly.
"Hard times ahead, I think, which are coming soon." He said nothing until they walked back to the Big House and sat down for coffee. Christine could not understand what hard times Uncle Jay meant.
She waited, as she knew he would tell her."Iona and John saw the signs of the times. They both felt that the Church would not be tolerated in another one or two generations. So, they started to gather things for an underground church. They thought, maybe, priests would have to hide and say Mass in private sort of."
Jay got up for a cookie tin. He laid it on the table. Addie begged for a dog biscuit.
"The Supreme Court has decided, finally, that all ministers and priests have to abide by federal laws regarding marriages. Anyone can get married to anyone and no cleric can say no. Iona and John did not know what would cause the crisis, but they wanted to be ready for it. I have already spoken with Father Corrigan at the Latin Mass parish, which will be closed after next Sunday. He will come here. He is too old to change and he is a good priest."
"You mean he will live here?" Christine felt a cold shock.
"Yes, and no one will know except the men and us."
"And James?"
Jay said of course, and drank his coffee. "It is a stop-gap solution, I know, but better than nothing. The bishop will not cooperate with the feds and will probably be arrested or fined or both. This has already happened in Nebraska in one diocese. The entire seminary at Denton is empty of priests and seminarians who are all in hiding."
Christine could not take all this news in..."How do you know all of this, Uncle?"
"I helped move them with the men and don't you go asking me where they are, because I won't tell you."
Christine realized how stupid she had been. She knew that her time in the hospital had kept here away from many newsy events. But, this news caused her to suddenly feel old.
Jay washed the mugs and gave Addie another biscuit. "I do not want to get you involved for your own safety. What you do not know won't hurt you. Now, I have to go out and meet Sam about the wheat sale tomorrow. I shall see you at dinner."
Christine felt more love for Uncle Jay than she could express. She merely went over and kissed his old forehead.
"I know. I know," he said and patted her good hand.
to be continued....