Temptation and the Priest

There are many Catholics in Tamil Nadu. Many of the lower casts who are marginalized by the higher caste Hindus have converted to the Catholic religion. I don’t know whether their lot is better or worse but perhaps psychologically they feel free from the constraints of the Hindu religion.

I had a Christian maid when I was selected to undergo the Staff College course at Wellington. She was young maybe 21 and had converted to the Christian faith just 15 years back when as a young girl of five her mother converted. One of the incentives to convert was the big bag of powdered milk which was distributed to her by the local church. That was the best thing she liked because she could even eat the powder directly, and all the time she remembered the words of the priest that these had been sent by the son of God, Jesus Christ.

The young girl was given clothes, some frocks, and dresses and admitted to the local Christian school, but after studying up to the fifth standard, she was taken out by her mother who had converted earlier, and told to do the maids job because she said we need money and the church gives us things to eat, but they don’t give us money.

When I reached Willington, I was given a wonderful house on Gurkha Hill, and I settled down comfortably. It is a prestigious course that leads to a degree in military science and is a step in the ladder of the military hierarchy.

For most of the time I was single, as my wife had to proceed to her hometown off and on as she was a practicing lawyer in the High Court, and many a time I was left with the maid who looked after the house and prepared food for me. You must be wondering what the name of the maid was. Her Indian name was Vellama, but she had adopted the name Mary.

She was 20 years old and of average standard, but she was young and had an animal magnetism despite a dark complexion.

One day I was sitting on my porch, and I asked Mary to get me a cup of tea. She brought it and said,” Sir can I take off for about two hours.”

I was surprised and replied, “But you had taken the whole day of yesterday. Where were you?”

There was a look of consternation on her face she said nothing.

“And where are you going now?” I asked.

“I’m going to meet the Local priest.”

“Who is this good man?”

“He is, Father Joseph.”

“Okay,” I said,” you can go and come back.”

I drank the cup of tea and left. I was wondering what she was going to do with the priest and why was he calling her, but the thought went from my mind and I began to read the Indian Express.

I began reading a review of a movie called Sins. It was an English movie made by Bollywood and concerned the infatuation of a priest with a young Christian woman, ultimately leading to the woman getting pregnant and running away and the priest following to kill her.

After reading the review of the movie, I was a little tired and decided it was not worth it. I looked at the star cast and found it starred a South actress and an upcoming Bollywood star Shiney Ahuja. Much later this star was accused of raping his maid and sentenced to 7 years in prison. I think the appeal is pending in the High Court.

I have an imagination and began to think what if the present priest, whom my maid had gone to meet, would not do the same thing? One of the drawbacks of the Catholic faith is that the priests are supposed to dedicate themselves to God and remain celibate and don’t marry.

Two hours passed and the maid didn’t come back for another hour. Later I saw her walking slowly up the compound. When she had left, she had tied her hair neatly, but she came back with her hair open, and that intrigued me. I wanted to ask her about it, but then thought it better not to bother and told her to get the dinner ready because I would be going for the evening lecture which was going to be delivered by one of the top scientists on the Indian rocket program.

I came back and saw the maid, standing in a pensive manner in the dining room. I had dinner and I was happy that she prepared good chicken with Indian bread.

“Okay,” I said,” once you finish the food, you can clean the plates and go home.”

“Sir,” she said, “can I stay the night here?”

I was intrigued, “Why would you like to stay here?”

“I feel safe,”

“That’s very silly,” I replied, “You can always go home and stay there with your mother” I didn’t know how much about her father."

“Sir, my father left us when I was just 4/5 years old and we haven’t heard of him again.”

“Okay, but your mother is there.”

“She is not a proper mother because she is influenced by the local priest.”

“You mean Father Joseph?”

“Yes”

“What’s wrong with it? when you have belief in a particular faith, then you are apt to follow the representative of the faith and in this case, it is Father Joseph.”

“I don’t know if Joseph is a man of God.”

“Well,” I told Maid, “Don’t think about it. He is appointed by the church and I’m sure he is doing a lot of good.” I remembered meeting this man a couple of days back. He was coming on a bicycle with his white robe, I was driving my Fiat car. I stopped and the man came up and stood by the side of my car, and said,” Good morning Sir, you have come to undergo the staff course and I believe Mary is working with you.”

“Yes,” I replied,” what’s your name?”

“Sir, my name is Father Joseph and I’m heading the church here, but I will request that as and when Mary asks for leave of absence, do let her go because she is a very religious woman and comes to the church to pray.” I nodded my head and the priest left on his bicycle.

I drove back home but after dinner, I was surprised when the maid told me that she didn’t want to go home and would like to spend the night here brought my conversation with Father Joseph back.

I was thinking what to do when the telephone rang. I picked up the receiver and found it was Father Joseph.

“Yes father,” I asked, “how can I help you and how come you’re ringing at this unlikely hour.”

He said,” I need your help.”

“How can I help you?”

“Sir, I had told Mary to come tonight to the church because she doesn’t have any time in the day and do a little bit of cleaning and she could also cook some vegetables and Dal for me.”

I replied, “She’s finished her work here, but she’s not wanting to go. She says she wants to spend the night here.”

I could sense a trace of irritation in his voice, and he said, “Sir, somebody has to work for God and the church here doesn’t have much money to hire people. It is people like her who must come and help out with social service.”

I thought for a moment and replied,” But why not get the job done in the morning? I could send her between 10 and noon when I’m going for my classes, and she will clean up the church.”

“But in the morning, we have the sermons and many visitors and she wouldn’t be able to clean up the place.”

I thought for a moment and realized that something was fishy. I replied,” Okay. I will instruct her to come to you right now and after that obviously, it would be too late for her to go home, so I suggest you you send her back here.”

“Rest assured sir, I will look after her.”

Mary was looking at me with open eyes as I said, “Mary, I think you go for two hours and come back because the priest says he needs some help to clean up the church.”

“Sir, I had cleaned the church in the morning today.”

This was a bit of a surprise and I said, “But he said the church needs cleaning.”

She was silent for a moment and then replied, “I don’t want to go.”

I thought for a moment and said,” Listen why don’t you tell the priest that you cannot come now and will come in the morning and also talk to your mother.”

“I cannot talk to my mother.”

I was surprised by this and said,” Why don’t you want to talk to your mother.”

“She’s part of the game.”

I am a mentally sharp person and realized that something was afoot.

I thought for a moment and went to my room and put on my overcoat because Wellington is a cold place in winter when the temperature comes down to 01°C and told Mary,” It’s okay I’m coming with you and will be behind you and don’t worry I will be there. We will go to the local church now.”

Seeing me, dressed up with my coat, brought her confidence back, and she said,” If you are going to come, I will go, but you please be there.”

“Why what’s going to happen?”

“I cannot tell you.”

The church was about a kilometer and a half away and on the cool winter night, both of us walked out. She walked in front, and I followed her behind. The sky was overcast, and the stars were invisible. A cold breeze was blowing, and I knew it would become very chilly soon, both of us walked slowly to the church.

It was a small church and we soon reached it. I stood outside and told her,” I will remain here and if you need help just shout; now you go inside.”

“You will help me, sir.”

“Yes, yes let’s get the game over.”

She opens the door and enters as I stand outside. I took a small stone and put it as a wedge between the door and the hinge connected to the frame. As a result, a small part of the door would remain open because it had a hydraulic closer.

From my position and the small chink in the door, I could see what was going on inside, I saw Mary move inside. The priest came out from behind the altar, and he held out his arms to her and said,” Mary why didn’t you come when I called you, the first time, I am dying because of you.”

“Sir father, please spare me.”

“I have already spared you and I have prayed to the Lord to forgive all your sins and don’t forget, I have given to your mother ₹1000 and she is going to go and buy bangles and other things for herself. I don’t think she is bothered by you, but at the same time, I want to see you naked,”

“But this is the church.”

“Yes, it is,” he replied. I could see the priest moving towards her and I was wondering what to do. I was reminded of the movie Sins and realized it was not the fault of the priest. He was a pretty young chap and obviously, he had been forced to take the vow of celibacy, but after all, human nature is something that cannot be quantified.

The voice was coming clear and the priest asked, “Are you a virgin?”

Mary didn’t answer.

The priest continued,” Mary when you were here yesterday, I really wanted to savor your beauty at that time but we had some visitors and so let you off but today nobody is here; it’s night and it’s a wonderful cold night and I will cuddle you with me and make you a woman.”

The priest now moved towards her. He took her in his arms and began to kiss her. Mary wrenched herself and then fell back, and the priest was getting irritated. “You do not know that God does not forgive anybody who does not follow the will of God more so when your mother has directed you to me.”

He was becoming a little harsh now, and he said,” Allow me to take off your saree. I don’t know whether you are wearing a panty or not but I want you as God made you and in this place, I will make you my own, and believe me, the Lord will be very happy.”

He pushed Mary onto a rug, which was there, probably because he had placed it much earlier, and began to unravel her sari.

“Sir, “Mary shouted,” sir”

The Priest had now divested, her of the saree, and was pulling her petticoat from her waist.”

That is the time I entered and picked up the priest by his collar, and gave him a mighty blow, an uppercut something of which Mohammed Ali would be proud because the priest perhaps did not know that I was one of the champion boxers of the command. The blow got the priest on the side, and he went and fell 3 feet away. He looked at me surprised and said, “What are you doing here?”

“That is not a question I can answer, but man you have a lot of answers to give”

“I was doing nothing, sir.”

Mary, was feverishly, wearing her petticoat and sari again, the priest now looked frightened and said, “Sir. I won’t do anything, but please let this news not go to the higher authorities because in that case I will be divested of my portfolio,” I didn’t reply.

The door of the church opened, and I saw two military policemen with a civil policeman entering. I had rung up the Local Provo unit. They entered and moved to Father Joseph.

The priest was taken away. I don’t know what happened to him, but I understand the church was soft on him and they let him off with a warning. The trial in the civil court began, but Mary never went to the trial as a witness, so the priest was acquitted. What happened to Mary? I don’t know because she worked for another day with me and then left because she was being ostracized by the local community for action against the priest. I kept another Maid once Mary left but I realized it's all part of the great game by Lord Krishna, " Not a leaf moves without my will."