Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34532 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 173(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34532 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 173(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
“Move over. You better watch your mouth. Mother Nadine has her eye on you.”
“Mother Nadine can kiss my crumbs.”
Libertine leans into my ear. “Ass. Kiss my ass is the correct euphemism, I believe.”
“I know,” I whisper looking over at the older ladies. “You are becoming such an outsider.”
Even though I’ve lived here in the community all my life, I know swear words. It’s just that I’ve been so programmed to believe good girls don’t swear, it’s nearly impossible for my lips and tongue to form them even when I try.
“Not really. Just trying to balance these two worlds.”
“Wish I could.”
She gives me a sympathetic smile. “At least your dad let you go to Patriot this year. That’s got to feel good. He gave you a little freedom. And you have a cell phone. My parents still won’t let me have one.”
“I guess. I just wanted to go to the outsider college like you. And my cell phone? Yeah, it’s got Papa’s number, Mother Nadine and he just approved Cameron’s number. Although he thinks it’s a girl from class, not a boy. Your parents are so much cooler than Papa.”
Patriot is a Christian, Faith based college not far from our community which after much begging, Papa finally allowed me to attend.
I rock my head back and forth as I scrub an enormous pot that is caked with hardened bean soup while Libertine works on the silverware in the adjoining sink. The water is nearly scalding, but after all these years, I’m used to it, although it still turns the skin on my hands bright red.
After conceding to my pleas to go to Patriot, Papa insisted I have a cell phone in case of emergencies. Except, he went to the cell phone store and had them show him how to limit the numbers I can call or receive calls from. We don’t have a computer or internet, so he has to go into town with my phone if he wants to make any changes, like adding Cameron, my classmate at school.
I only got him to allow his number to be added because I said there are occasions when I have questions about our assignments. And Papa insists I get straight A’s. As well, I told him Cameron was a girl. I’m such a sinner.
“I guess that’s the price you pay for being the preacher’s daughter. He has to keep up appearances, and you have to be part of the show I suppose. Perfect daughter.”
My stomach drops when I think back on the conversation I had with Papa as I served his breakfast.
“I know. This morning, he said he’s found me my match. We are supposed to meet in a few days. We’ll get to talk and ask each other questions, then next month at last Sunday dinner we’ll finalize the details before having the ceremony as soon as possible after that.”
My eyes burn at the thought, and my stomach lurches.
“Wow, are you excited? Maybe you’ll like him.” Libertine shrugs and I don’t miss the forced enthusiasm in her voice.
“Maybe.” I try to keep my own voice steady but fail. “I have this vision for my life, and I’ll never have the opportunity to see it through. I’ll move to West Virginia with my match if the families all decide it works and I’ll have to give up Patriot and my blog.”
Libertine is one of the only people in the community that knows I’m doing an online cooking blog. I do it all at Patriot, which is a faith-based college about an hour away from Thomas Valley, where we live in central Ohio. I get the feeling it’s a little too liberal for Papa’s tastes—they teach that scripture is secondary to accepting and welcoming everyone, no matter their differences—but after two years of begging, he finally allowed me to enroll in some classes on strict conditions. He required two classes of four to be religious study of some kind, while the other two were my choice albeit subject to his approval, of course.
He wouldn’t allow me to enroll in a degree track since he expects me to be a dutiful wife and mother to a man of his choosing within our faith very soon, so I am taking non-credit survey courses. Which is still like the best vacation I could imagine compared to staying home and working with the other women day in and day out.
My two other classes are Baking Basics and Meat Identification. It’s not my dream education, but it’s still the highlight of my life right now. And once I figured out I had access to a computer in the library, and I could sign up for a sample making kitchen with video capability?
Well, the “Food is my Church” blog and YouTube channel was born, with the help of several of my fellow students who had to teach me almost everything technical. I re-paid them with some of my baking and lucky for me, they came back for more.