Being Magdalene by Fleur Beale Page A

do.’
    ‘Yeah. I know. He prayed about it for ages.’Abraham sighed again. ‘He’s a good man, I know that. But I wish he wasn’t so fixed on that bloody Rule. It’s all stuff the Elders make up, so why can’t he admit it?’
    My stomach hurt. Abraham would leave. Neriah’s family had gone. Our own father had asked the Elders to break the Rule.
    ‘Elder Stephen says the Lord speaks to him. How do you know he makes stuff up?’ Zillah’s eyes were huge.
    Abraham shrugged. ‘We can’t prove it. But nobody ever asks if he can prove the Lord does speak to him.’
    ‘Then why do you stay? You could easily get another job.’ I couldn’t believe I was saying these things out loud, but I wanted to know, to understand — to prepare for the shock of him leaving. ‘You could go to university like Daniel did.’
    He would leave us. We’d lose a second brother. Nothing in my life felt certain any longer.
    Zillah said, ‘Is it your immortal soul, Abraham? If you go away, will you worry about your immortal soul?’
    We went round two corners without getting an answer, and we had reached the bottom of our street before he said, ‘No, brat face. You lot are the only reasonI’m still here. Don’t get excited. If those bloody Elders do one more idiot thing, then I’m off.’ He held up a hand to stop our protests. ‘I won’t disappear without telling you. How many times do I have to say it?’
    We had to be content with that.

    Sunday came. My hands were healed enough for me to help Mother make potato salads to take to worship for lunch. She lectured me non-stop on the sin of making myself ill.
    Abraham drove us to the temple, perhaps for the last time. I wanted to pray for him, but I didn’t know what to say until I remembered Luke’s prayer to the nice Lord. Lord, we pray for our brother Abraham to be able to use the talents You have given him. We pray for his life to be filled with your love and grace .
    It was easy to pray to Luke’s Lord.
    As we walked into the temple, Zillah whispered, ‘Salvation.’
    I gave a choke of laughter. I was glad she wanted to play our game. I was glad she wasn’t terrified Elder Stephen would have some new way of punishing our family. ‘Do you think he’ll say it more than five times?’
    ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘because Abraham wants worldly education.’
    She was smart, my little sister. If she could have worldly education, she would go to university just like Daniel had, I felt sure.
    I was so wrapped up in my thoughts, I didn’t noticeElder Stephen was talking until Zillah squeezed my hand, and then again. Two salvations in his first sentence.
    He was preaching about disaster. I tried to listen only for salvation . Our leader’s disaster sermons always frightened me, but today my attention was caught, for he was talking about Auckland, where Abraham wanted to study. What disaster had befallen the city?
    ‘The Lord in his wrath has brought affliction upon a sinful people. My children, be warned! Flood, earthquakes, famine — all are manifestations of the Lord’s wrath.’
    I felt ill. How many people had perished?
    None.
    ‘The Lord in his mercy has sent the city a warning. The floods have destroyed property, not people. But be warned, my children, the wrath of the Lord is fearsome. Keep your feet on the path to salvation lest you too suffer the affliction brought upon you by the wrath of the Lord. Obedience will save you. Only obedience to the Rule will lead you to salvation.’
    Usually our game made the long hour bearable. Today, it had lost its power.
    As was the custom, there were announcements once the sermon was over. Sometimes Elder Asa would read them but today Elder Stephen did it. ‘Your Elders have been praying about the matter of worldly education.’
    From the corner of my eye I saw Abraham jerk upright in his seat.
    ‘We have prayed to the Lord, and it has come to us that certain skills are required for the Children of theFaith to conduct their