The Book of Zion
By D.T and Mr Stepford
1 Darlene 3
Naturally the table dominated the space in the dining room. Since it was covered with a tablecloth Darlene couldn’t tell if it was all one piece or one of those expandable kinds. She hesitated, unsure of where she was supposed to sit. Everyone else knew where they belonged. She was the stranger here.
The Prophet set at the end of the table the rest of the family took their place according. Darlene looked at Annkia “where am suppose to set” she ask “Where the guest of honor always sets” replied Annkia as she points to empty chair at the end of the table.Darlene took her seat marveling at how well-behaved all the children were. There was no squirming, whining, or teasing like in all the sitcoms she’d ever seen. Maybe that was because they were all girls? Boys might be a bit more rambunctious.
Once everyone was seated they all bowed their heads. Right, Darlene thought, time to say grace. Having never learned a formal prayer in her life, she hoped nobody would mind if she didn’t join in in case this was one of those situations where everybody was expected say it together.“Darlene would you do us the honor praying over this meal?” The prophet asked Oh, great. She felt like she was sitting in the middle of a giant searchlight beam. Everyone was waiting and soon they would start staring. She opened her mouth fully intending to decline only to hear her own voice say, “Heavenly Father, we ask that You bless the food upon this table and all those gathered around it. Amen.” Where the hell had that come from she wondered as the others said Amen as well.
Annika who was sitting right next Darlene gently grab hold of Darlene hand “That was perfect my dear just perfect” she said Darlene saw something in Annkia eyes that she has never seen in her mother a look of approval “Yes the light of Christ really shined through you” said the Prophet “The light of Christ? " replied Darlene “The light of Christ is in all of us sadly the world has dull it to most it is the light guide us shows right from wrong” said the Prophet “The light of Christ is what brought you here and it has been growing inside you since have arrived molding into the women of God you are meant to be, you will be able to see difference between right and wrong more clearly " said the Prophet as Annkia softly rubs Darlene hand
Right and wrong weren’t things Darlene was used to thinking about very much. Oh, yes, she’d tried acting out in the hopes of getting her parents’ attention, but it simply hadn’t worked so she’d basically given up and essentially cruised through life in an effort to distract herself from how lonely and miserable she actually was. Bull had been such a distraction. Darlene laid her free hand over her abdomen. And that distraction was what had led her here.
Now the other women and girls were passing platters and serving bowls around with the younger children’s portions being served by their mothers or older sisters. The main dish seemed to be meatloaf with mashed potatoes, rolls, butter, gravy, peas and carrots. The only beverage she could see was milk. Well, at least they weren’t trying to get her to drink Kool-Aid she thought as one of the girls placed a platter of meatloaf to Annika.
Annika served the meatloaf to Darlene the same way the mothers were doing for the younger children. It was no surprise that everyone table manners was exquisite. The dinner conversation turned to the children play coming up that Thursday. “I going to be a angel” said Emily to Darlene “That nice” replied Darlene " You’re coming right” ask Emily “I am afraid I have to back to the city before then” said Darlene Emily gave Darlene a perplexed look and said “But what’s in the city for you?”
That stark reminder of just how bleak her life in the city was jabbed at a sore spot in Darlene. She wanted to tell the kid it was none of her damn business, but the words wouldn’t come out.“Emily you are speaking out of place” the Prophet said as he turned his attention toward Darlene and looked deep into her eyes “Darlene must do what she thinks is best” “I’m sorry, Papa,” Emily said. The girl turned to face Darlene. “I apologize.”
Darlene had to force herself to look away from the prophet’s penetrating gaze to face Emily. “Apology accepted,” she said. Actually she’d intended to say something along the lines of, “no harm, no foul,” but it was as though some other force had taken control of her voice. For the rest of the meal she mostly remained silent watching and listening especially to the women. She couldn’t detect any hints of jealousy or rivalry among them, nor did any of them seem to play favorites among the children. There was such an atmosphere of, of, well she couldn’t really say what, but it was definitely there. And it beckoned to her like a shady resting spot after a long hike in the hot sun.
Once dinner was through the wives and child began the process cleaning the table . They ran like a fine oiled machine Darlene tried to help but being a guest the sister wives would hear nothing of it so Darlene reluctantly went to the living room where the prophet had retired. Darlene sat across from him and despite her best intentions her eyes lock with his “I have someone for you” said the Prophet as he hands her a book “use it however you see fit, whether it reading or using it to balance a crooked dresser” as she took hold of it she notice it looked just like the book Elizabeth was holding then she looked at the title THE BOOK OF ZION
Reading was something Darlene considered a secret vice. Well, maybe not reading itself but her choice of reading material: historical romance novels had garnered nothing but contempt from her teachers. None of them had seemed to get it when she pointed out that Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte were the Danielle Steel and Nora Roberts of their day. Most of the other books she’d been assigned to read had bored her silly, except LITTLE WOMEN. It had stuck with her in a way few others had. But his gift reminded her of something she wanted to say.
“I,” she had to pause to clear her throat. “I want to apologize for what happened this afternoon, running out on you like that. I don’t usually have freak-outs like that, but the last few weeks have been really stressful. Anyway I’m sorry.” “You have no need to apologise Sister, the truth of God’s word is quite overwhelming when our eyes are closed. When he first gave me the vision for this book I ran from him too” the Prophet lean and gently touched Darlene knee his blue eyes look into her “but once I LET GO of my doubt SURRENDER my pride and SUBMITTED to God’s will I knew what I had to do and where I BELONGED”
His voice felt like a warm caress along her nerve endings and she found herself straining toward him. She felt almost as though she were being wrapped in a warm blanket. The restlessness she’d come to think of as second nature had dialed down considerably since entering the house. As far back as she could remember she’d been aware of an emptiness inside her and in the last few years had become this almost gnawing hunger for something she couldn’t put a name to. Now sitting here with this man, she was beginning to get an idea of what that something was. “You wrote this book?” she asked laying a hand on the cover. “More like I allowed God to write through me to tell the gospel after Christ was in Israel. You see Christ visited all nation and all those stories will be revealed some day, these are the stories of the people that live on this land, Covenant” the prophet said as placed his hand on top of Darlene’s”This book has answer you need to restore your Covenant with God and for you to see that this is the TRUE CHURCH”
Darlene tried to think of a way to phrase her next question without it sounding sarcastic and decided to simply opt for a tone of innocent curiosity. “How is your church any different from all the other churches out there?” “Why don’t you ask God yourself.....in our meeting you said you never thought about God perhaps it time you do...I must retire for the evening and lady’s will preparing the child for bed so you will have sometime to yourself .... all I ask is that you pray to God and ask him if this is the true church and if this is where you belong”
Darlene almost told him she didn’t know how to pray, but realized that would probably sound silly after she’d said grace earlier in the evening. So she simply said, “I’ll do my best.” “That is all that God’s ask” the Prophet said as he rose for his chair. He walked over to Darlene . In what seemed like instinct Darlene kneeled down both hands clutching the book. She tilted her head slightly so the prophet could place his hand on top of it. “May the lord bless you in this time of reflective” As the prophet exit the room Darlene thought to herself “what the hell am I doing ?” If you would of told her a couple of days ago that she would be in a dress kneeling on the floor and about to pray to a God that she never gave a second thought too let alone believe existed she would of laughed in your face.
But here she was and a part of her was screaming at her to get up and take advantage of her first real opportunity to escape. While hitchhiking at night was not the safest choice it still seemed safer than this. She began to get up when she heard the voice of Emily in her head “but what is in the city for you?” This brought Darlene back down to her knee and allow that part of her that she so desperately did not want to believe exist to take hold and it was this part that spoke when she began to pray.“Heavenly Father I humbly kneel before you and ask that you reveal yourself to me if you are truly there and that you show me path that I am suppose take.”
After sitting there for goodness knows how long, the door opened and Annabelle walked in. “Darlene, I’m sure you must be tired after the day you’ve had. If you’ll come with me I’ll show you to your room. “Still holding the book, Darlene got up and walked over to her. Annabelle casually wrapped an arm around her shoulders and steered her upstairs to the second floor. As they went down the hall they neared an open door where most of the women and girls seemed to have gathered. At that moment Kelsey came down the stairs from the third floor holding a hairbrush. She smiled when she saw them. “Ah, Darlene, have you come to join us in our little nighttime ritual?”
Confused Darlene looked inside the room and saw the other sister-wives and the above pre-school age girls sitting in lines and brushing each other’s hair. “Um,” “You really should let Annabelle do it,” Kelsey said. “She has an incredible knack for it.” “All right.”
Once again this new voice of hers spoke before she had the time to process what was going on . As she enter the room she notice that all of them were wearing the same white night gown. Annabelle and Kelsey walked Darlene over to corner of the room and began to undress her. Kelsey removed her Mary Jane’s and stocking while Annabelle help with her headband and dress. As she stood there in her bra and panties one of the older children walked up holding a folded nightgown in her hand. “Lift you arms up sister” Annabelle said .Darlene lifted her arms and watched as the white fabric flowed over her face and on to her body. As she slipped into a pair of slipper a part of her was comforted by the fact that she looked like everyone else well all most as she touch her hair. While she was still puzzled as it seem to have grown it was nowhere close to the flowing lock the rest of the sister had. “Well at least this won’t take long” she thinks to herself
There was such a relaxed atmosphere in the room that it never occurred to Darlene to be weirded out by the fact that she had just been undressed by two women she’d met only a few hours ago. The nightgown felt incredibly soft against her skin and the slippers seemed to somehow be soothing any aches from her feet. She let Annabelle steer her over to a low hassock while the other woman took a seat behind her.
At the first stroke of the brush Darlene felt a prickling like feeling her scalp, kind of the way a limb feels after going to sleep and then blood flow is restored. It wasn’t painful, just strange, actually it was a little relaxing she thought feeling some more of the tension she’d always carried melting away.
With each stroke of the brush the more relaxed she became a blissful smile came across her face as she saw the loving eyes of her.....the sister staring back at her in the mirror “You do this every night?” she asked setting the mirror down. “Sure do,” Kelsey said moving around to brush Annabelle’s hair. “We’ve found it helps us to wind down at the end of the day, and caring for each other brings us closer together.”
The reasons Darlene chopped her hair off was because she used to envy girls who had moms or sisters to brush and braid their hair and if hers was so short she could fool herself that she wasn’t missing out. But she could not deceive herself anymore one of her most longing desire was being filled in the last place she would has ever looked. As Jacqueline began to comb Kelsey hair the rest of the daughters and wives follow suit and without any prompting they all began to sing
“As sisters in Zion, we’ll all work together;The blessings of God on our labors we’ll seek.”
Darlene felt the brush stroke move to the song
“We’ll build up his kingdom with earnest endeavor;We’ll comfort the weary and strengthen the weak.”
At first Darlene noticed the that the stroke would take longer with each turn but the rhythm of the strokes begin to hinder her ability to concentrate on something so tangible
“The errand of angels is given to women;And this is a gift that, as sisters, we claim:”
the lyric swam in her head as the gentle brush caressed her hair
“To do whatsoever is gentle and human,To cheer and to bless in humanity’s name.”
Annkia enter the room and handed Darlene a brush and sat down in front of her. Her arms as if they were caught in the rhythm of the song rose up and began to brush the First Sisters hair.
“How vast is our purpose, how broad is our mission,If we but fulfill it in spirit and deed.”
Darlene was now engulfed in the sisters siren call. Time and space was gone as if the world outside this room never existed.
“Oh, naught but the Spirit’s divinest tuitionCan give us the wisdom to truly succeed.”
When the song came to an end she blinked, disoriented. Still feeling the effects of nurturing and unity, it never occurred to her to protest as the girls lined up to hug her good night along with their mothers.Kelsey showed Darlene to where she would sleep and actually tucked her into bed. “Sleep well, sister,” she said kissing Darlene’s forehead.
Normally Darlene couldn’t get to sleep without popping at least one Benedryl, but tonight she drifted off easily with the words of the song and and the prophet’s words: LET GO of my doubt SURRENDER my pride and SUBMITTED to Gods will I knew what I had to do and were I BELONGED echoing through her mind