Liberty's Sparkle (44)

   "Liberty's Sparkle (44)"
   
   Liberty was in cell phone communication with the Rock Hudson-looking Monsignor, of course, not out of lust, for she was Liberty, yet to tame the shrew of pain and neglect.  The conversation was like unto a thing of iron, giving energy, holding the blood, the life, and thus:  mystical.
  
LIBERTY
We had to cremate him.  And my best friend Faye said this was an insult to the Hebrew people--is that correct?

MONSIGNOR
Reason:  poverty--you had no choice; furthermore, Virgin, Queen of poverty, pray for us.  The Disciples basically laughed at a woman giving barely any money at the Temple, yet Christ scolded them, saying:  "And He said, of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all."

LIBERTY
So, I'm not a really, really bad person?

MONSIGNOR
You did what you could, and you should be blessed due to your singular circumstance; Christ further knowing and speaking:  "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other.  Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

LIBERTY
I'm very well read, but the Bible was never my thing.  Science fiction, poetry--stuff like that.

MONSIGNOR
Here's some Shakespeare from A Midsummer's Night Dream:  "The old moon wanes!  She lingers my desires, like to a stepdame or a dowager withering out a young man's revenue."

LIBERTY
You speak in riddles.

MONSIGNOR
Hell, Christ spoke in parables.  Just hold your chin up Liberty.  Like I told you, sparkle.  Tom is not dead, but alive in Christ.  And as for what you confessed to me previously about his nefarious sister, well, Tom is so sublime, he'll even pray for her in hell, where she will be eternally stupefied.

LIBERTY
But what about real life?

MONSIGNOR
Life is an illusion, but death my dear--death is as real as it gets.