The Book of Zion
By D.T and Mr Stepford
2 Darlene 6
Next to the table was a cart with plates and utensils. Like she had done it a thousand times before Darlene began sitting the table. She dropped a fork and bent down to pick it. While on the ground she heard someone enter the room from her line of sight all she could see was a pair of legs deck out in a pencil skirt and a pair of heels. “Is there anything I could do to help Darlene? " Darlene looked up in shock when she recognized the voice “Kate?” Darlene stood up. “Kate, are you okay?” Darlene asked in a rough whisper. What was going on here? She was feeling slightly dizzy and had to lean against the table for support.
“Of course silly,” Kaitl...Kate said with slight smile “Everyone has been so helpful with my....research ....everything is becoming much clearer” Darlene held on to the table as dizziness increased “Why are you you wearing that?” Darlene asked “Oh....um...Annabelle brought this in during our interview. ..and I....well....um....do you think it is appropriate for dinner?” Kate replied “Of course it is dear” Annkia said as she walked into the room and grab hold of Darlene and Kate hand “You both look like wonderful example of God’s standards for modesty and femininity”
Darlene sincerely hoped their car would be fixed soon. If Kate was starting to succumb, there wasn’t much chance she herself would able to hold out. “But why do I want to hold out?” That familiar voice returned in her head. This caused Darlene knees to buckle as dizziness increased. Her head begin to spin as her leg gave way. She had no choice but to lean into Annkia “Oh darling” said as she gently grab hold of Darlene “let’s set you down” as Annkia and Kate helped her to her chair Darlene mustered up all her will to keep from passing out because if she did it would spell the end for her and Kate.
“There there child you just relax” Annkia said as she begin to rub her shoulders “Kaitlyn would be so kind as to finish setting up” Annkia asked “of course mame” Kate replied. Darlene began to feel better as Annkia gently rubbed her shoulders and began to sing...
Annkia lone voice soon became a chorus as her fellow sister wives along with Elizabeth and Judy enter the room food in hand.
Darlene tried to focus on just breathing but Annika’s voice and touch were lulling her into a state of relaxation, as though she was soaking in a warm bath. She had worked so hard in the last month to become strong, strong for herself and her child, but apparently it just wasn’t enough.
“I must stay strong” Darlene thinks to herself “I must resist. ......why do I resist?...why am I fighting this?...no...I..don’t..want this....then why did I come back?.....to return my..their clothes. ..is that the real reason?....yes...no....yes” Darlene looked over at Kate as if seeing her would be an anchor to reality.Kate was setting the table chatting with Kelsey and Samantha as though she’d done it every day.
It’s just low blood sugar, she told herself. Once I get some food in me, I’ll be fine. I just hope my car gets fixed. Finally Annkia finish rubbing her shoulder and then leaned down and kissed her on the top of the head. The warmth Darlene felt increased ten fold “why do I want to leave?....this is not my home....it can be....no..what do I have to go back to ?....I....out there is rejection and pain....here is LOVE. ...LOVE of family....LOVE of the church. ...LOVE of GOD”“Dinner’s ready,” someone said jarring Darlene out of her reverie. As before she hung back to see where she was supposed to sit.
The Prophet enter the room with Robert along side him. Robert sit down at the end of the table with Judy and Elizabeth setting on each side. The Prophet took his place at the head of the table Annkia gently lead Darlene to sit on one side of him while Kelsey lead Kate over to set at the other side then both sister wives took their seat next to their respected guest.
The fact that they placed her next to the prophet made Darlene feel suspicious and flattered at the say time. But these feeling all but cease when his big strong hand took hold of hers and Kate’s and he began to say grace. A sense of rightness, of belonging seemed to settle over her as her hands were engulfed (at least in the prophet’s case) by the others. After saying “amen” he seemed somewhat reluctant to let go of her hand and as he did she saw a golden glimmer out of the corner of her eye, but she looked there was nothing.
My eyes are playing tricks on me, she told herself. Whoever Miss Seventh Bride is, she certainly ain’t me. Why in the world would this man and these women accept me of all people as part of their marriage. Even setting aside the whole pregnant-with-another-guy’s-kid issue, I’m only about four years older than Theresa. Kelsey has to be at least five years older than me…..wait….why would i even consider this” She felt a slight ache in her chest. Her doctor had warned her that would happen as her breasts prepared to make milk, but this seemed more than that somehow.
As dinner went on the conversation range between church business to child rearing. “Kaitlyn I hope we have been helpful with your research” the prophet asked “yes...it ...certainly has given me a different perspective” Kate replied “Wonderful perhaps after dinner you and I could set down and I could answer any lingering questions you might have” said the prophet as he stared deep into her eyes “yes that would be....swell” said Kate as the smile on her face grew. Swell? Darlene could hardly believe her ears. Sure, Kate seemed happier and more relaxed than she had in all the time Darlene had known her, but even so.
What is it about this place? she wondered. “Maybe it is truly blessed by God....no it can’t be....why not...why can’t this be the true church? ...no no no” Darlene gripped her spoon tightly to stay grounded. “So Darlene” the prophet said to her staring deep into her eyes “I assume Kaitlyn told you about all my passed discretion” “She told me a little about your parents,” Darlene said. “It couldn’t have been easy growing up that way.” She just couldn’t seem to look away from him.
“It wasn’t and started me down a dangerous path. But God’s love put me on the better path” he said as his eyes seemed to look deeper into Darlene soul “you see no matter where we come from " his eyes went deeper “no matter how unloved we feel” and deeper “the One True Church will always welcome us” and deeper “always love us” and deeper
“Darlene felt pinned in place by those eyes as his words swirled in her mind. Her tension also seemed to melt away slightly as a sense of, of helplessness?, powerlessness? started to dawn on her, an awareness that she was not the beginning and end of her own existence, that there were far more powerful forces as work in the universe which was much vaster than she could possibly comprehend. In a very real way she was as helpless as the baby growing in her womb. For now it was safe inside her, but even after being born it would be helpless, relying on others, relying on her to provide for all its needs. Materially, she felt ready to do that, but what about its other, less physical needs? Could she raise a baby to be as happy and healthy as the children at this table? Could she do it by herself? Wouldn’t it be better to have a support system, a community, a family?
“Why do I resist this....what is in the world for me....the world is cruel lonely....sinful....why would I want to expose my child to sin....yes...there is something greater to me...I must live by a higher standard than the sinful world.... I.. I must..embrace the teachings of the one true ch......” Darlene is shaken out of her thoughts by the sound of the doorbell. Their eye-gaze broken Darlene blinked a few times trying to reorient her thoughts. One of the wives got up from the table and left the room. She returned a few moments later coming to the prophet and leaning down to whisper in his ear.
While whispering she handed him something " Well Darlene it seems that brother Stu has fixed your car. The hour is getting late if you two sister would like to spend the night and get a fresh start in the morning. We would be more then happy to have you” the prophet said as he reveal the keys in his hands Darlene was leaning a bit toward staying, but Kate piped up, “We’ll be leaving,” she said sounding much more like her old self. “Just as soon as we get back into our own clothes."“Is it wise for you to be driving, Darlene?” Kelsey asked. “Oh, I’ll drive,” Kate told her. “But I—” Both Emily and Loren piped up only to be nudged into silence by older sisters sitting next to them. “It was very nice of you to have us here,” Kate said standing up and turning to the prophet but not quite meeting his eyes. “It was definitely, enlightening. Come on, Darlene.”
“Darlene....Darlene? .......Darlene!” Kate loud voice awoke Darlene from her haze. She looked out her passage window and could see from the scenery that they were halfway home “that like the third time you have zoned out since we left” Kate said " what the hell happened back there?” “I don’t know I tried to warn you” Darlene said “yeah I know” Kate said “My ego got the best of me. I don’t know what their method is but it unlike anything I have seen before” “um...Kate. .” Darlene said as she looked at herself " We never changed” “Shit!” replied Kate “that was one my favorite shirts”
“I can get you another shirt,” Darlene pointed out. “But what are you going to do about your hair?” Kate pulled over to the side of the road and examined herself in the rear view mirror. Her reaction was what Darlene had come to think of as an F-cluster bomb. “Do we at least still have our purses?” Darlene asked. Her tote was still with her, thank goodness, but one of the first items she pulled out was a copy of THE BOOK OF ZION.
As she looked at the book she could see clearly in her mind his blue eyes and that warmth consumed her. “How the fuck did they do this?” Kate continued to rant as Darlene stared blissfully at the book. “It like those stepford bitches turned me into.....” Kate voice trailed off as she saw the book in Darlene hands “.....a wonderful example of God’s standards for modesty and femininity” Darlene shoved the book back in her bag out of sight, though she thought it might be more effective to roll down the window and toss it out of the car.
“Look, let’s just get back to the city, okay? We never have to go back there again. You didn’t give them any contact information, did you?” “Um...I....no..I didn’t” Kate replied “Are you sure?” Darlene ask “Yes...of course for heavens. ...we just need to get back home and clear our heads” Kate said “I sure there is a completely rational explanation for all this...yes...a...completely. ...rational. ....explanation”. Unsure what had occurred the ladies remained silent for the rest of the trip back to the sinful worl...home