Our Lady of the French Quarter

Chapter III. Tuesday

On a clear morning, it would have been blue hour, the time right before the sun rises and the world glows a kind of sapphire blue that slowly, but all too quickly, dissolves into gold. Unfortunately, last night's storm raged on and the grey morning sky was just a few shades lighter than black. The rain continued to pour and the wind swirled, pounding the window panes.

Feeling responsible for her, Rose decides to knock on Louise's door. It was her fault she went to bed late so she will make sure she wakes up on time. There is no answer. She knocks again. Without waiting for a response, she goes inside. "Louise, it's time to get up. You don't want to be late again." She flips the light switch only to find piled up sheets on an empty bed.

"Rose."

Startled, the young woman spins around to find Bernadette standing in the doorway.

"It seems I have a way of frightening you."

"Where's Louise?" the girl asks, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"At the hospital."

Rose's heart sinks and pain shoots from the back of her neck down to her feet. "She's sick?" She was wrong to force Louise to go out last night. She was more wrong to leave her alone in her room drunk, too drunk, and in wet clothes.

"No, no. Sister Philomena brings her to distribute Communion every Tuesday. I'm surprised Louise didn't tell you when you two were out last night."

Rose exhales and the pain disappears. Then she considers Mother's words, and a gnawing tension returns. "You know?"

"I know everything." Bernadette holds the door for the postulate. "Come on, let's get to mass." She follows into the hallway.

The two women walk side by side down the stairs. Rose begins to realize the most uncomfortable moments with Mother Bernadette are the silences.

"How is Sister Jeanne this morning?"

"That was you I heard last night." It is not a question.

Rose realizes she's stepped in it again. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Lying is a sin."

The perjured doesn't say another word.

A few hours later, after mass and after breakfast, the rain stops. Rose sits alone in the office, working on the papers in the box. It is mostly trash. As she starts organizing the postcards from Rome chronologically, she hears the front door open followed by, "No! You have to go. Shoo!" That would be Louise's voice. The door slams. "Damn cat!"

Rose pokes her head out of the office to check on the commotion. She finds an invalid, bowled over against the door frame.

"Louise! Are you all right?" Rose rushes to her.

"That cat followed me inside."

"Louise?"

"Sister Philomena sent me home. She didn't want me around the patients."

She must be hungover. What a lightweight. Rose knows how to handle this. "You want something to eat? It'll make you feel better."

"No!" Louise screams, gagging at the thought of food.

Okay then, plan B. "Do you want to lie down?"

"I don't think I can make it up the stairs right now."

"Come on, you can sit in here." Rose guides the ill into the office, getting her to a chair just in time to shout back in response to a knock on the door, "Just a minute!" The knocking turns to pounding by the time Rose finally gets a chance to answer it- "Mr. Laguerre."