Flora

It was against the very fabric of the Catholic church to not believe in the supernatural. Take for instance demons - they were soundly believed in by the church and as such, Flora was not allowed to cackle so early in the morning, roused by a very panicked sister.

The thing with Kidogo was that, she had not only come to acquire the bread tender. She also had to do little things like minister to a couple of people here and there. Pray with them. Lead them to the nearest priest who could help them with any other thing her womanly wiles could not do for them. Because Kidogo had very few people, there had never been any need for a preist who lived there and so small things like conducting exorcisms fell to the laps of the sisters who stayed there.

For she had embelished her C.V. quite impressively, she had thrown in that she had had a couple deliances with demons never once expecting to be called out to do it (normal ordinary people fully grasped the nonsense of this). Though, asked if she had come close to meeting a demon, her suspisions reigned high as she had met one Pendo Ototi and if that woman just didn’t…

By nine thirty, she had settled herself sort of demurely, reeling high from the hour long work out she had done under the guise of preparing for the meet with the demon. Her right leg bounced up and down, lulling both the old bible and phone on her lap to the sleep innanimate projects did take. She was uncomfortable in her seat but she was too lazy to move so she looked up at the ceiling, marveling at the fact that it was so wonderfully designed. Then the door to the small school cathedral was flung open and the quite was soon replaced by a gaggle of people who ought to have been at work and not hauling a demon possessed man.

With a spring to her step, she got up and tried for smiling in a comforting way - only, she seemed not to be comforting anyone in particular. In fact, the longer she looked, the more she realized it was a sort of celebration that was taking place - which was not the standard feel of a yet to be completed exorcism.

“Excuse me,” she reached out to touch someone whose back was turned to her when she caught a glimpse of the heart of all the commotion. Her eyes narrowed. “Of course,” she said, pursing her lips.

On the shoulders of a rather tall man sat Pendo, not smiling but looking down at the group of people as though she was better than them. Typical. Flora wanted to throw something right at her to make her come down from that high horse she thought herself on. Unfortunately, no one else seemed to actually have possession of sense as more people came in, ululating and other holding a bundle of a bloodied person.

“Eh…” Flora wanted to say something. Instruct them on where to take the bloodied person but, just like most of her life, focus was all on Pendo and Pendo, as always, was doing nothing progressive with it. “Move,” she begun as she pushed into the crowd. “Bring the person to me,” she went on, not caring that not a single soul was listening to her. Well, that was until someone with too big a voice called to her and she turned to look.

In the sea of confusion stood a small woman. A round familiar face and eyes that twinkled. She looked very farmiliar. “Sister Michael!” she called again and that was when she pieced it together. It was the woman Pendo had brought to meet Sister Shibuna with.

“Hello,” she said, hoping her practiced smile was in place though she was very, very annoyed.

“Make them put my niece down,” the small woman said, her lips pursing in that way she had known for far too long.

Flora wanted to just about gag. How much of Pendo was she supposed to interact with in her single lifetime? Her smile, as she was better than that family, did not drop though she could have sworn her eye had twitched just the little. “Why would I do that? It looks like they are celebrating.”

“No, no.” She took Flora’s hand. “That’s not what happened. Just tell them to put her down and say it was you who helped the man from afar.”

Flora pulled her hand away, the smile disappearing. “I would never.” She’d meant to add, take credit from Pendo’s deeds mostly because they were all smiply dark and cursed deeds but she didn’t. Instead, she added, “That man needs my help and I think Pendo can work herself out of her predicament.”

Because the world had a sick sense of humor and loved tormenting even the most godly of women, the man who had been carrying Pendo about his shoulders tripped over nothing (as it was a church and churches had nothing on the groud save for smooth and walkable floors). It was as though everything was moving in slow motion as Flora was reaching out for the man and Pendo was falling right between the two of them. Then, because it just was, Flora managed to break her fall, grunting as she tried to right her arms to seat the infernal woman in a bridal position.

She looked down at Pendo who had screwed her eyes shut, her arms about Flora in a way that was far too intimate. “Couldn’t save yourself, eh?” She asked and this prompted Pendo to opening her eyes. They were brown and full of evil. “Well then,” Flora said as she dropped Pendo right down to the floor.

Pendo groaned as she looked up at her. “Fuck you.”

Flora smiled. “It’s the little victories.” She pushed her out of the way as she reached for the bloodied man, completely ignorant of the crowed of people who had been watching the two of them.