Fatima

Chapter 45: Captivity

August 14, 1917, 6:30 pm

Ourém Municipal Jail, Ourém, Beira Litoral Province, Portugal

The Magistrate, Artur Oliveira Santos, gave up bribing the three shepherd children when the clock reached six o'clock in the evening. So, the Magistrate held them as captives or prisoners in the Municipal Jail of Ourém. After they were imprisoned by the Magistrate, one of the three shepherd children, Jacinta, begins to burst into tears. Her older cousin, Lucia, and her older brother, Francisco, both try to comfort her. 

"Why do you cry, Jacinta?" Lucia asked Jacinta as she comforts her.

"What's the matter, Jacinta?" Francisco asked Jacinta as he also comforts her.

"Because we are going to die without ever seeing our parents again. None of our parents have come to see nor visit us. It seems that they don't care about us anymore," Jacinta cried. "I want to see my mother for one last time." 

"Don't cry, Jacinta. You know what the Lady from Heaven requested to us. You also know that we are offering this sacrifice for the sake of sinners," Francisco interrupted. The three shepherd children raise their hands in the air towards Heaven.

"My Jesus, all this is for love of You and for sinners," the three shepherd children said as they repeat the phrase over and over again. 

"And for the Holy Father," Jacinta added. "And in reparation for the offenses against the Immaculate Heart of Mary."

"Let's add that to our prayer," Lucia said. There were many men imprisoned in the cell and none of them could remain unmoved at the sight of the three shepherd children. Some of the criminals try to console the children as they give an advice to tell the Magistrate Her secret.

"Why don't you tell the Magistrate the secret? So, you three will be free from your suffering," one of the prisoners suggested.

"Yeah, and you three are leading yourselves into trouble. Instead of suffering like this, tell the Magistrate the Lady's secret in order for you three to be free and no one will disturb you again," another prisoner advised.

"Never, Senhor, we would rather die than forcing ourselves in telling him the secret," Jacinta refused. The three shepherd children haven't thought in mind of being imprisoned in jail. However, Jacinta could not accept herself to the thought of being executed without seeing her parents. To make her happy, the prisoners thought of an idea to make her happy.

"What are we going to do in order to make her happy?" one of the prisoners asked one of his inmates. 

"I guess we should sing or dance with them in order to make them happy," another prisoner replied. After that, the prisoners have the three shepherd children to dance with them as they sing and one of them plays the accordion. A tall man picks up Jacinta in his arms and dances with her. 

"Let's dance, little girl,"the tall man said as he picks her up in his arms and dances with her. However, she begins to have a thought about the Lady from Heaven. Jacinta thinks that dancing is not the right preparation for Heaven.

"Excuse me, Senhor, I know that you're trying to make me happy. However, I think this is not the right way for me and my cousins to prepare for something," Jacinta said as she stops him. After that, she takes the medal from around her neck.

"Senhor, could you hang this medal from a nail on the wall?" Jacinta asked the tall man. The tall man takes the medal and hangs it from a nail on the wall. 

"Here, I already hang it on the wall," the tall man said.

"Thanks, Senhor. Lucia, Francisco, let's pray the Holy Rosary," Jacinta said as she kneels with Francisco and Jacinta. When the prisoners saw the three shepherd children praying, the prisoners feel embarrass as they also kneel in joining the Holy Rosary. While praying, Francisco sees a prisoner wearing his hat. He stands up and goes to him.

"Senhor, when we pray, we take off our hats," Francisco said as the prisoner takes the hat off and drops it on the floor. Francisco picks the hat from the floor and lays it on the cell's bench.