Openly Hostile | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: Openly Hostile | Previous Challenge Entry
By Art Westefeld
09/12/24
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Lori was expecting a warm welcome when she returned with the cure for the High Priest. What she didn’t expect was the pure hatred and dismissive tone she got from her mother-in-law. Gone were the smile and warm words that had convinced Lori to swim to the Irish coast. Mber’s first words were scathing. "Oh, you did the job, half-breed. I guess half-breeds stick together.”

Lori was exhausted from the long swim, but she still recognized the venom in Mber’s voice. She was just too tired to deal with it.

Awakening the next day, she was still fuming over the way Mber spoke to her. A still small voice in her soul told her to let it go. Unfortunately, another little voice was telling her to confront Mber about her racial slurs. A humorous memory came to mind of all the cartoons she’d seen with an angel and devil sitting by a person’s ears, offering contradictory advice.

By the time she finished breakfast, she still hadn’t resolved the internal conflict. Lori decided that following Biblical advice would help, so she told her husband she was taking a trip to the surface to see a friend. Eecuddas saw the look in his wife’s eyes and wisely decided against arguing with her.

An hour later, Lori was floating just beneath the surface, reaching out mentally to her friend Rebecca. When Rebecca, in her Mariness identity, swam to her moments later, Lori explained why she had come calling. Lori had one other request. “Can you get Pastor Steve to come? I need some pastoral counseling. Actually I want to talk to both of you.”

Lori waited another hour, until she saw Mariness flying in her direction with Pastor Steve in her arms. Lori wasn’t certain if Pastor Steve still had any of the pills that allowed him to breathe underwater, so she walked out in to the cool autumn day. They had the beach to themselves as they sat at a picnic table.

Lori burst out, "Pastor Steve, I’m trying to be a good Chrristian woman among the Curi. I even went on a mission to find a cure for the High Priest, but am still getting abuse over not being a pure Curi woman, not from my husband, but from his family. What should I do?”

Pastor Steve gave Lori the water bottle he’d brought, as he heard her voice getting weaker. “Well, Lori, I know you know better than to return hatred with hatred. I also know you know everyone is equal in the eyes of God…”

Lori interrupted him, “Yes, I remember what you preached.” She added in s sing song voice. “In Christ, there's no Jew or Greek, no slave or free, no male or female.” Returning to her regular voice, :What I need help with is dealing with being put down because I’m not a pure Curi.”

Pastor Steve remained calm and placed a hand on Lori’s arm. “Do I remember correctly, that during your premarital counseling with Eecuddas, it had been prophesied that he would marry a half breed to bring prosperity to the kingdom?”

Lori nodded. Pastor Steve continued, “Could it be that what's-her-name is just upset that she had to ask for your help?”

Lori’s anger had burned out by then, so again she just nodded.

Mariness inserted herself into the conversation. “Did it occur to you that saving the High Priest you fulfilled the prophecy?”

Pastor Steve shot her a look of gratitude as Lori said, “I hadn’t even considered that. I don’t care about their prophecy. I just want to be accepted for who I am.”

Pastor Steve answered her, “Lori, don’t worry about them looking down on you for not being a pure Curi. You are the only Christ those people may ever know.”

Lori rose, finished the bottle of water, and thanked them both. “I knew what the correct Christian response was. I just needed to hear it from people I trust. I will not rub it in Mber’s gills that a half breed was able to accomplish what a purebred Curi couldn’t. Thank you!”

As Lori left the pastor and the superhero, Mariness looked at Pastor Steve and thanked him for taking time out of his day.

Pastor Steve grinned with a look of pure mischievousness and said, “This one’s for the memoirs. How many other pastors can say they counseled a mermaid? Now, can you fly me back to the church, please?”

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Author's note, Lori is quoting Galatains 3:28

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