Nunsense Confusion

In 1945 we moved to Wilmington, Delaware where we lived until 1965.  Soon after our arrival, Mom answered our door to be greeted by a team of Nuns, who felt obligated to save my brother’s seven-year-old soul by enrolling him at St. Joseph’s School. Luckily for Mom, Dad arrived and fended them off with sheer Lucha logic. "We have the best public school in the state of Delaware two blocks away, why would I send my children anywhere else?" 

Even though I was spared religious education six days a week, I still had to face the rigors of Saturday Catechism classes. Around age seven, I remember telling Sister “something or other” that I wouldn’t be in class the following week because the family was going to Rome for Easter. I still see her face beaming in reverence as she quickly made the sign of the cross and confused me with the following statement, "You will see the Pope!”  Her tall and imposing frame loomed heavily over mine. My blue eyes looked up at her admiring brown ones. I shrugged my tiny shoulders. I didn’t know if we would or not.  

She insisted, “Surely, you will see the Holy Father.”  

“I don’t know about a Holy Father, but we'll see  my uncle." 

She looked confused. 

I smiled with confidence, "We go every year.” 

She gasped. “You go to Italy every year?”   

What was she talking about? I gave her a short geography lesson, ”Italy?" I corrected her,  "My Uncle lives in New York State. Eight hours by car. ”   

Her face contorted in anger. She whirled to her desk and spun back with a ruler-raised hand. Anger shot from her eyes as she moved toward me. I backed toward the door, which was suddenly opened by Dad. My Stetson hatted father had arrived in the nick of time to inform her that there really was a Rome, New York.

Twenty-years later, my mother and I ended our round-the-world Pan AM l, birthday tour in Rome, where I bought several Pope blessed Rosaries as anonymous Christmas gifts for those Nuns in Wilmington. I envisioned Sister Something or other's wimple encased reaction as she opened a package from Rome, NY and wondered if she would remember our interaction as much as I did.