Rock Me Gently by Judith Kelly

her. Whenever people spoke of Jesus, her eyes brightened and when the Blessed Sacrament was mentioned, her face became almost transformed. To receive Our Lord in Holy Communion became the most important thing in her life, but in those days the practice was that the earliest age for first communion was twelve. It saddened Imelda to see the sisters receive the host and her soul yearned to join them.’
    The Mother Superior stopped suddenly, opening her eyes and glaring at us. ‘Who is making that infernal humming noise?’
    At this, Ruth stared vacantly at the ceiling, we all looked at Ruth, and the room grew very silent. Janet, who took all the troubles of the world upon herself, coughed nervously. Her fingers wove together incessantly.
    ‘Well, come along! Who is it?’ said the Mother Superior.
    There was an uncomfortable shuffling. Janet coughed again and sniffed. All eyes were on Ruth. She had developed a habit of taking off her shoes and rocking slightly, back and forth, her arms clenched around her knees, humming in a monotone. Whenever she felt the nun’s myopic stare on her, she remained still and silent. But the minute the nun’s eyes closed, she’d begin her rocking movement again, crooning softly to herself and occasionally blowing bored, glassy bubbles through her mouth.
    The Mother Superior’s gaze rested on Ruth. Her eyes narrowed behind her glasses.
    ‘Do you need to go to the what’s-it, Norton?’
    ‘No, Reverend Mother,’ she said.
    ‘Well, what’s wrong with you then?’
    ‘Nothing, Reverend Mother.’
    ‘Stop wriggling about like a parched pea in a colander! I’ve been told all about you, Norton, so don’t think you’ll get away with anything. And put your shoes on. If you’re going to undress, I shall have to cover up the picture of Our Lord.’
    Ruth put on her shoes and as Mother Superior stared at her through her black-rimmed magnifying spectacles, I noticed that one of the lenses was cracked clean across and had been glued together with yellow glue, beaded along the mend.
    ‘If brains were water, child, yours wouldn’t be enough to baptise a flea. Your behaviour is appalling. I’m reminded of Moses on Sinai discovering the excesses of the Children of Israel. Once again the literal truth of the Bible has been demonstrated!’
    Ruth, at that moment, popped a large bubble of spit with puckered lips. She seemed quite oblivious of the bottled rage that bubbled so near her.
    ‘Tell me, do you even know what the Holy Trinity is, you buffle-headed child?’
    I saw a quick flash in Ruth’s eyes. ‘Yes, Reverend Mother,’ she said smiling importantly. ‘It’s the old church at the bottom of Hastings Road, isn’t it?’ I wasn’t too sure if she was joking.
    ‘Oh, take care, child,’ hissed the nun. ‘One flick of Fortune’s wheel and you’ll be brought low. Wipe that smirk off your face or I’ll wring your ear for you a yard long. I know only too well what the punishment is for your kind of sin. It’s written over and over again in the Bible. If I have to speak to you again, you’ll not receive your luminous rosary on the day of your Communion. I shall give it to the missions instead. There’s enough wickedness in the universe without you adding to it. The Holy Trinity is three, three, three Gods in one. Now to return to my story without any further interruptions, if you would be so kind. The next girl who makes a noise like a wasp when I have asked for silence will get a sharp slap for naughtiness.’
    She swept a stern look over us all and closed her long thin lips an instant, but eager to get on with her story, raised an out--spanned hand to her spectacles, and, with trembling thumb and ring-finger touching lightly the black rims, steadied them to a new focus. We stared timidly back at her.
    ‘Where was I before I was rudely interrupted?’
    ‘Imelda felt sad watching the other nuns receive communion, Reverend Mother.’
    ‘Ah, yes.’ Fixing her glasses more firmly on