The Colours of Salvation [Complete (Slowly Editing)] #Wattys2016

Chapter Six (Part 3)

CHAPTER SIX (PART THREE)

Sapphire

"May the Godfather and Godmother, please join us," the priest says.

I look for the archangels confused. I didn't know they were going to be the Godfather and mother of the baby...mother...mother? I say in my head once more trying to make sense of this, as apart from us, there is no one else in the church and Raphael and Gabriel are both male.

Shifting my back to lean against the wooden bench, so I can look at the archangels, who sat first and were at the other end, I freeze. Instead of Gabriel and Raphael, I see Michael and Mary standing up to join the couple.

"What the he-" Silver starts, shocked as a few moments ago, it was Gabriel who he was sitting next to, not Mary.

"Silver, stop right there! We're in a church!" Sky warns him, although she looks just like he does: surprised, perplexed and amazed.

I feel my heart beating extremely fast and so take several slow breaths to slow it down, whilst attempting to make sense of it all.

Mary and Michael had not come with us to the church, they told us they had somewhere to be. So one, why are they here? Two, why didn't they just come with us, since they are here now? And three how did they get here, when they didn't come with us, and a few minutes ago (seconds really), only the priest, couple, baby, Raphael, Gabriel, my siblings and myself were in the church and no one else came in?

As Mary and Michael make their way to the couple and hold the baby, I feel Sky, clutching my hand tightly.

"I-I'm confused Saph. Did you hear Mary and Michael come in? I thought they said they had to go somewhere?" she tells me.

"Yeah, I'm confused too..." I reply, even though confused it not a strong enough word to describe what I am feeling.

"Lea Guantini, I baptise you in in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit," the priest says pouring water on the baby's head - cold, I presume, as prior to this moment, the baby had been calm and quiet but she was now crying.

I look around but don't see Gabriel or Raphael. Where are they?

"God Bless you," I hear the mother of the baby say.

Mary and Michael retreat and come past us to sit down. I look at them perplexed but not long enough to ask them anything when I hear cries of joy and laughter from the parents as the baptism concludes. They turn to us and wave us over. I look at Silver and Sky who are both looking at me unsure too. None of us know the couple, making the situation a bit awkward but soon enough we decide to join the couple and the priest to greet them.

At the corner of my eyes, I see Gabriel and Raphael also standing up to greet the couples, Mary and Michael no where to be seen! Am I dreaming? Where they really even there?

"Are you okay Sapphire?" Gabriel asks me, resting his hands on my shoulder.

"W-w-what? Oh right, yeah I'm fine. W-were you here this all time? I-I thought I saw Mary and M..." I begin stopping when Gabriel looks at me with deep concern, like he thinks I've gone crazy. "Err...you know what? Never mind!" I say shaking my head.

***

After making polite conversation with the priest and couple, who knew Raphael as he assisted in the delivery of their baby (he's apparently a male nurse - how he manages to have the time, to be a nurse and an archangel, I do not know!), we came back home and relaxed.

As we left the church, right as we were about to get in the car, some boys wolf whistled at me and Sky, shouting comments like "Sexy twins" and "Let's have some fun", making me shiver in disgust.

Even though they were joking - I presume, Silver nearly ripped off their heads. He would have succeeded if Raphael and Gabriel had not blocked his path, leading him back to the car.

"And there you go!" I tell Sky, as I wrap an elastic band to secure her second French braid. Even with her hair in two plaits, Sky's hair reaches the top of her waist - as mine does too. We both have pretty long hair, which is great but very hard to take care of, as everything takes three times longer than I wish it would. To think that Sky used to straighten her hair every other day during school term! I don't know how she did it!

"Thanks Saph!" she says inspecting her hair before hugging me. "Are you going to sleep now?"

"Yeah, I'm really tired," I say stretching. It has just gone past ten in the evening and my eyelids were beginning to feel heavy. Before starting Sky's hair, I had showered and dressed in my nightgown, as I knew I would feel tired after. Aren't I the clever one?

"I'm not that tired so I'm going to join Silver and the archangels in the living room. Night," Sky says closing the door.

"Okay. Goodnight." I say as I get in bed and fall asleep.