The Re-education Camp
My mother’s voice drops. She leans toward me in the dark living-room. Out of habit they never switch on the lights until the last daylight is gone. “You wouldn’t believe the things they are telling us now.” Stay longer than an hour and they begin to speak freely. They think I am one of their party. I lower my eyes and say nothing.
“They say the Vatican is abolishing limbo. The baby souls go straight to heaven.” I scraped my foot along the skirting. Examined my fingernails. Things are worse than I expected. “And all the prayers I said through the years, what becomes of them?”
“I’m sure they’ll be . . . reassigned,” I said.
By Aiden O’Reilly.