Though Mother spent exorbitant amounts of time talking about Jesus, Elizabeth never went to church. Every Tuesday and Saturday Elizabeth went to what Mother called "meetings" with people called "workers." Every week a new worker hosted the meeting.
On this particular Tuesday, Mother led Elizabeth into a dimly lit room the shape of an oval. Gaggles of women leaned on rickety knees, swaying back and forth with rosaries clasped in their sweaty palms. The sharp, angled carvings of the crucifix left red indentations in their skin where the sorry hands had held too tightly, waited too long to let go. Elizabeth observed the frantic motions: torsos limp like jello made to stand on its own, eyes fluttering open and closed as if desperately running away from the confines of a nightmare--buns of blonde, brunette, and red hair teetering and tottering in time with scared bodies of scared women apologizing for their fear and their follies.
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