Swallow the truth

Christian Coming of Age Drama

Written in response to: "Start your story with a non-visual sense. Use a certain scent, texture, sound, or taste to ground the beginning before continuing the narrative." as part of Hidden Threads.

Mary abruptly burps and holds back the ounce of vomit that managed to surprise her vocal cords as she contemplated stepping out of the car. The vomit slipped up just enough to reach her taste buds but not enough to have her spit it out. Forced to swallow it, she connects to her conscious mind and reminds herself that God is always with her and she can face this upcoming chapter of life trusting that he will provide.

Desperate to catch a wind of fresh air Mary try’s to open the car door but the child lock feature is on and she is trapped. She touches the window button but the window is locked too. Her PTSD kicks in, thoughts racing, veins pumping, fear knocking at her hearts door. Mary takes a deep breath and begins to pray.

Our father who art in heaven hallow be thy name. Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Glory be to the father, the son, and the holy spirirt, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end Amen.

Outside the car were Mary’s sister and mother discussing an altercation that occurred earlier that day. The sheer thought of joining the conversation, where she was being talked about, could be what almost made her vomit. She quickly reminds herself that she gave this to God, and there’s no turning back.

You’ll always be called crazy no matter what you accomplish in life, might as well learn to live with it. Maybe you’ve heard this too?

Mary is seated in the backseat of her sisters car next to three bags of her belongings and a suit case. Not any suitcase, this is a green suitcase that came from the apartment of the man she had an affair with 7 years ago. An affair that abruptly ended after a sensual encounter at a hotel room and the exchange of $800 USD.

On the other side of the bags is a car seat with her newly 6 year old niece buckled in playing on a tablet. Mary also isn’t sure if the vomit showed up because of her niece or because of the suit case.

Both tie into the same Lustful demonic attack that attacked Mary and her sister in 2018. As the seventh-year Sabbath approaches, this is meant to be a time for rest, a test of faith for the people, and a reminder that God is the ultimate provider as established in Leviticus 25:1-7. From the international children’s Bible:

The Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai. He said, 2 “Tell the people of Israel this: ‘I will give you land. When you enter it, let it have a special time of rest. This will be to honor the Lord. 3 You may plant seed in your field for six years. You may trim your vineyards for six years and bring in their fruits. 4 But during the seventh year, you must let the land rest. This will be a special time to honor the Lord. You must not plant seed in your field or trim your vineyards. 5 You must not cut the crops that grow by themselves after harvest. You must not gather the grapes from your vines that are not trimmed. The land will have a year of rest.

6 “‘You may eat whatever the land produces during that year of rest. It will be food for your men and women servants. It will be food for your hired workers and the foreigners living in your country. 7 It will also be food for your cattle and the wild animals of your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

You see, Mary has sworn off aspects of her lust demons, like adultery, fornication and masturbation in an attempt to experience Gods merciful rest after surviving the consequences of 2018. But it comes with a catch… she has to witness the mirror. In the mirror she sees her sister, who has failed to change her ways and continues her adulterous affair with the man from 2018.

But Mary has hope, you see it’s The Year of Jubilee. Pope Francis designated the Jubilee 2025 Holy Year as a time to renew ourselves as "Pilgrims of Hope." His death affirms the importanance of hope because it isn’t until you die that people value you and so God ensures to keep Pope Francis alive long enough to open the kingdom of heaven for Easter 2025 in Rome. On 21 April 2025 (Easter Monday), at 07:35 CEST he had his last breath. He was 88, the infinite infinity symbol twice. The energetic essence of this year is beyond comprehension to the human experience.

As stated in the jubilee pledge of 2025:

“As pilgrims of hope, we are on a mission to build a world where: We recognise the dignity of every person, loved and created by God. We work for the common good of all, understanding that our actions impact our local and global family because we are all interconnected.”

What exactly is a jubilee year you ask?

A Jubilee year, also known as a Holy Year, is a special year of forgiveness, reconciliation, and renewal in the Catholic Church. It's a time for Catholics to deepen their faith, seek forgiveness for sins, and experience God's mercy through various practices like pilgrimages, prayer, and acts of charity.

The revolution for this begins in the home. Mary’s act of charity includes holding onto her deep sense of faith while almost vomitting the unequivocal sinful result of her 2018 demonic attack:

Her bastard neice

Born out of wedlock

From an adulterous affair

That has somehow become a truth that Mary’s sister wants to portray as conveniently irrelevant

What does it feel like to pretend that Marys neice is

her fathers daughter, When she is not?

Well

Like an ounce of vomit coming up your throat,

But not enough to spit out…

Posted Jul 26, 2025
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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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