Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 01:22:48 -0000
From: Kathy Lind <lindkathy@hotmail.com>
Subject: The selection process

The selection process
By an African Sister travelling through northern Italy.

The conference of older nuns was already under way when Sister arrived.
They stood in greeting, a group of ladies, contented in their faith and
way of living.

Sister was their guest. Indeed she was gathering material for a history
of the Order. The years has been both kind and unkind to the Order but
over the centuries their faith, if not their numbers, had remained
steadfast. And now they might be entering a new era as a surge of
interest in the Church has brought them a new group of would-be
candidates for the novitiate.

Today their written examination results would be verified, and then an
aptitude and health check, for all newcomers needed to be strong in
spirit, education and body to take them through the first years of
becoming a nun.

The top dozen of the brightest girls were selected for the first group.
Others might follow in a second group, for all the girls had excellent
marks. The names of two girls from the first group were assigned to each
nun for another round in the selection process and the top girl in the
second group was assigned to Our Dear Sister from Africa, Our Guest of
Fine Grace.

Light rain came the next morning as the nuns stayed in their rooms
awaiting the would-be nuns. The girls were handed pieces of paper
indicating where they were to go, and in due course a fine young girl
called O quietly knocked on Sister's door.

Time flew and Sister was greatly impressed as O and the Sister chatted
about the spiritual life. She noted O's good points on the interview
sheet. O was nervous as, although being top of her group, she was in the
second group. "I hope I can be chosen," she declared.

Sister turned the page of the interview record to where the health check
was to detailed.

A little nervously O took off her school tunic as instructed and lay face
down on the tiny bed as Sister probed her muscles and bones. Underclothes
were removed and every inch was examined. O's legs were tense so a little
African massage was administered until O was ready to be turned over.

O was a northern Italian girl, fair of skin and hair, with light blue
eyes. Those eyes looked up at Sister's dark eyes, skin and hair and
smiled. They smiled at each other as Sister examined O's feet, her legs,
her stomach, her chest and neck as they both listened to the gentle rain
on the tiled roof. All was well as Sister bent lower to examine O's pubic
area. The hair was new, soft and fine, and O spread her legs as Sister's
fingers touched deeper to find the bud as the examination sheet
instructed.

O sighed and raised her arms. A hand touched Sister's breast. Sister
opened her habit and O squeezed a long dark nipple.

"I love doing this when it is raining," O said. "Will I make the cut-off?
Will I be selected?

"You may be, my dear. Let me remove my habit - I am naked underneath. And
I will lie down and you will examine me, just as I have examined you. And
when it is over I will add up the marks from both of us and perhaps I can
write their total on you health score sheet."

Naked, Sister spread out on the bed. It was two small for both of them.
"Lie on top." "Yes, I will, Sister."

The fair hair of the Italian north mingled with the dark hair of eastern
Africa. And as O's lips moved down the nun's stomach and a river of fair
hair spread out over Sister's legs, the experienced nun considered adding
up what could be the finest score north of Rome.

--- Ends