Mary Jo was concerned about what may have happened to Stephen/Somara for coming to the rescue of Samuel/Madeline. “Did you get in any trouble for interfering with the mood? I’m sure the Abbot wanted to keep the air of fear strong.”

Somara shrugged as she said, “All I paid for that saving grace for Samuel was to kneel holding the book in front of everyone for dropping it. I’m sure others here have similar stories that we need to hear. 

“You all know the feeling of the Abbot coming to get you or sending for you. I found out later that I was to get a penance for dropping the book at such crucial time.”

********* 

Somara continued her rendition of her/Stephen’s consequences for disturbing the situation. “When the Abbot was wanting for Madeline/Samuel to get into his office and I dropped stuff, I guess he felt, I shouldn’t have been anywhere around there, certainly not dropping things, disturbing the moment. I had no regrets; I knew if needed I would do it again.”

Cyndy said, “How ironic that you ended up getting a penance for helping Samuel when he was getting released from his penance.”

Jill added her experience waving her index finger. “Oh, I know exactly what you mean. When I got back inside from tending to my girls, the hens, I was told to report to the Abbot’s office. I had no idea what I had done or not done. I felt dizzy as I got closer to his office. 

“At first, I was swishing right along, beads clicking. I halted fifteen feet from the hellhole. What had I been doing out of the ordinary today? I didn’t even know why I had been led down this rabbit hole. As I was on my knees in front of Abbot Richard, he told me why I was there.  Evidently, one of the older brother spies must have tattled on me. 

“The Abbot said to me, ’It’s been reported to me, that you were breaking silence while completing your task with the chickens.’  When I explained I was talking enthusiastically to my girls about how well they were doing with their egg production, he reminded me they were not my girls. They were community property that provided food for the community.”

She had a look of disgust as she said, “My penance was to kneel holding eggshells from the kitchen.”

Caren piped in. “So, did you see me with the heavy wooden box of broken pottery? I was heating some of the pieces I had thrown on the wheel, and they exploded. It’s tricky, you have to slowly raise the temperature in the kiln and if it gets hot too soon, the pottery will either burst in the kiln or when it is cooling. 

“That got reported to the Abbot and I minced my way to his office.  My penance was to kneel holding a few shards of them. I’ve had some of my pottery in this century burst. With no Abbot around, no penances, just regrets, and a mess to pick up. But I have the will to begin again.”

There was a chuckle from Mary Jo. “Sorry for laughing, but that was me kneeling next to you holding some broken candles.”

If anyone broke anything, they had to kneel for the community of monks to see them holding what they broke. I added my part. “I thought it was a stupid rule. I guess we were supposed to be humiliated or something.”

Cordelia/Stephen laughed. “It just made us silently giggle. lt’s quite a challenge to giggle with no sound. Is it really a giggle? It may have looked like someone stifling a cough. Fortunately, our robes hid our jiggling bellies. If we were ever caught giggling and jiggling at a sacred moment like that, we’d have another penance slapped on us for sure.”

It was as if her words opened a sluice which had been blocked with all kinds of detritus. Everyone began nervously laughing then, giggling, becoming so loud other people were glancing or staring. We did not care. We just wanted to feel good again.

In unison, the members of our group turned in Cyndy’s direction, wondering what her story could possibly be. 
 

Without being asked, Cyndy began telling her story, which won the prize for being the scariest. “No one knows, but I had to report that one of the sheep escaped or was stolen. Of course, they were my sole responsibility. I mean you guys helped anytime I asked for assistance such as the sheep shearing with those nearly useless excuses for shears.

“To this day, l don’t know what happened to Stewy. I still think some scoundrel snuck in and secreted her away. Maybe it was an omen to name her Stewy. Let’s have a moment of silence for dear Stewy." Everyone bowed their heads, some stifling a snicker or two.   

 As always, caring Cordelia expressed concern. “But what happened to you? Your whole insides must have been shaking."

“I tried to pretend to myself and everyone else that nothing had changed. I deceived myself into believing I’d never get found out, that no one would venture outside counting sheep.

"When I was instructing and coordinating the sheep shearing, a senior brother was commissioned to help. Ooof. He noticed there was a shortage of wool for our purposes. Upon investigating, he reported to me that he only counted three sheep, saying he was sure there were originally four sheep.”