Sundresses & Sins Pt. 01 by Leifore..,
Everyone appearing in this story is over 18 years of age.
“Cammy…Cammy…….CAMILLE ST.CLAIR” My mother’s voice rang up the staircase.
Groaning, I turned over in my bed to look at my phone. It was 7 in the morning. Why on ear- Oh….Oh Poo
Hearing her feet as they stomped on the wooden steps, I flung my bedsheets off and jumped out of bed. The warm morning air felt nice on my smooth, pale skin. In a huff I tossed my curly ginger hair out of my face and ran into my closet. Grabbing the soft yellow dress I wore on this day every week,I had just slipped it on when I heard my bedroom door open.
“Camille, what on earth are you doing? We’re going to be late” My 45 year old mother exclaimed as she strolled into my room, waving her arms about at the mess on the floor. I had neglected to clean my room since graduation, feeling a little lost as to what my future would look like. “Sorry Mom, I’m up. Lets go”
“Whoa, not so fast young lady.” I knew immediately what she was going to say, the dress I wore did little to show off the features I had been blessed with, A round and firm butt, Long legs and an ample chest. “Cover yourself young lady, My daughter will not dress like a prostitute.” Rolling my eyes I went back into my closet and looked at myself in my body mirror.
Sure the dress had a low cut top which gave a good view of my cleavage but what was the harm in that? This is why I only had one boyfriend in Highschool, Everyday my mother told me what to wear which usually were baggy clothes. The guys never gave me a second look and the Girls teased me for dressing like a teenage boy.
Grabbing a black button up and putting it on, making sure every button was clasped so nothing was showing I gave myself another look. Now I look like I did every Sunday morning. Conservative and plain.
“Much better, now hurry up. Your Father and Daniel are waiting in the car!” She practically pushed me out of my room, there was no chance of grabbing a snack. She wouldn’t want me to get any crumbs on my freshly laundered clothes. Out the front door it was your typical sunny morning in Salona, The sun was already heating the sidewalk. A cool ocean breeze kept things from getting too warm but with a projected heatwave about to hit, That wouldn’t last long.
My Brother and Father were chatting up inside the four door sedan, Likely about Danny’s upcoming college tryout. He had played baseball all his life and it was looking like that dedication was going to pay off with a full ride through college. Lucky him, I had never been permitted to do anything extracurricular beyond knitting….Which I did not have a talent for.
Sliding into the backseat, Danny gave me the usual look a brother gives his little sister, One of annoyance and pride for being the favorite child. I turned my gaze out the window and watched the ocean as we pulled out of the driveway and headed for the Sunday Mass. It had been two months since I graduated highschool, being held back a year didn’t give me any extra time to figure out what I wanted to do. Instead I was a 19 year old about to turn 20 in a couple weeks, with no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.
Anything I showed interest in was deemed not good enough by my Mother, my Father just agreed with her. I suppose he had gotten used to that. It’s easier than arguing with her. I know that. The sunlight hit my pale, freckled face, Instead of turning away I soaked it in. Being raised here was difficult. Being a ginger I tend to burn easily so the hot weather was a nightmare.
I was dreading this, I never felt like I belonged in church but I was forced to go as long as I was living under her roof. She was raised devout and had forced it on her children when we were still young, I often thought it was similar to being raised in a cult. Letting out a yawn and stretching my arms, I turned my focus to my parents. They were gossiping about some lady who was selling her jewelry at the family store later today, Henry; My older Brother. Was minding the shop for my father this morning.
I looked over to Danny just as he looked away. What was he doing? Did I just catch him doing something and didn’t know about it?
As we pulled into the parking lot I kept my sight on him, he was acting strange….and moving strange. He got out of the car and stretched, bending over at the waist to tie an already tied shoe? He had gotten so weird in the last couple years, especially around me. He acted distant and superior but oftentimes I would catch him staring at me, he would deny it everytime. Saying I was weird for calling him out for it.
Service went….slowly, I followed along and said the prayers but my heart wasn’t in it. It hasn’t been the same since I discovered I had the right to choose what I wanted to believe….and I didnt believe in this. Going with the motions as everyone bowed their heads for a silent prayer, There was this odd feeling someone was looking at me. You know that sense you get when you can feel someone’s eyes on you? I had it but didn’t want to look up to find who it was.
When instructed to break from the silence, I swiveled in the pew. Looking for any eyes that may be lingering on me but only saw faces, dozens of faces and hundreds of eyes. There was no way I could find who it was. “Camille, face forward” My Mother chastised, I sank back in my seat and pretended to listen.
The Sermon dragged on into the morning hours and with a closing prayer the congregation began to leave. We stood up, being shorter than the rest of my family I couldn’t see anything or anyone. Then I felt Danny bump into me. “C’Mon, move already” His passive-aggressive tone didn’t go unnoticed. Rolling my eyes I followed behind my mother, moving out of the church. On the way out the Pastor was shaking everyone’s hand. He was well known and well liked despite the stigma that follows a lot of Pastors in this modern age.
When it came to my turn, a Nun took my hand instead of the Pastor. She clasped her hand around mine and rested her other hand on my wrist.I met her gaze with my own.. Her eyes were like a swelling storm over the ocean, Gray and meaningful. There was something else there, Something I couldn’t quite place. I felt Danny nudge me again to break me from the swelling storm in this stranger’s eyes.
She let go of my hand and took a step back, allowing the pastor to resume saying his farewells. I got back to the car before everyone else. My parents were chatting with some other business owners about the big sale coming my fathers way. He was thrilled at the chance and was being congratulated for it. It was being set up as an auction at the store. He was nervous about it, never having set up an auction before but was excited for the new experience.
Leaning against the black sedan I crossed my arms over my belly and looked down at the pavement. It would be another twenty minutes until we were on our way home so I had time to kill. ‘Where the fuck did he park the car?’ I could hear an unfamiliar voice seep into my mind, one that wasn’t my own.