Chapter 1. The Confessional.

The click-clack of a woman's high heels approaching the confessional stall gave the priest an unarguable guess of his next penitent's gender. The door swung open and almost immediately, the fragrance she wore stole the atmosphere. Fr Gregory became the curious cat. Well, he has always been. Then the overwhelming and compelling need to see this woman whom reminds him of Rose of Rome. This penitent who was there for absolution and whose fragrance reminds him of the years he hoped to spend his youth on the thighs of Rose an Italian beauty queen. Some how, this fragrance evoked feelings of sensuality and hot coitus desires even though it felt wrong at the moment.

''In the name of the father, of the son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen!. father bless me for I have sinned..." she began almost as soon as she knelt at the other side of the dock.

There she was, this penitent whose fragrance has taken the righteous servant of God to the forbidden memories of passion. How can the presence of a stranger do this much to a shepherd of the Lord's flock? Doubts of his credibility as a confessor grew within him. He had the authority to pardon and forgive sins but how could he do that at the moment when he needs to be pardoned too. Mortal sins! Nearly impossible to avoid. 'I am a priest and I am lost in sexual thoughts of the past right in the confessional!'. He thought.

Rose was a remarkable part of his life during seminary. For Rose's sake, Gregory was ready to become a renegade as thoughts of not spending forever loving the sweet silky skin of Rose was dreaded. In those years, he had challenged his long standing desires of being a priest and serving God. His calling... His faith...

It's been ten years after his entanglement with Rose but he is still unsure if the decision to be a priest in the order of Melchizedek was right. 'Would it have been better if I never took this vocation that adorned me with chasuble?'. He further thought to himself.

"...For these and those I do not remember, I am sorry for my sins"

The only phrase he heard after she said 'forgive me father for I have sinned...'. He had spent the last 8minutes thinking of his entanglement with an Italian beauty from his youth therefore paid no attention to the confessions of a lost sheep looking for her way back to the shepherd. 'well, we both are lost the moment.' He softly rolled his eyes while he adjusted his stole and made the sign of the cross. May be he was asking to be forgiven too.

If he had listened to the confessions of this lady before him, this next step would have been a personal interaction with her thereby offering best ways to avoid repeating same sin. He had the responsibility to fix the breech his absent mindedness created because she obviously can't be asked to re-do the confession. This was his call so he has to do it right. In other to avoid embarrassing himself and his authority any further, Fr Gregory decided to wing this by offering some general guidance also suggesting ways to avoid sins in the future.

He had instructed her to say the Prayer "the Act of Contrition".

At this moment he got swayed by her soft spoken voice albeit unclear as she said the prayer in an undertone. He gently reached for the curtain and parted it a little to the left while he softly gazed at her. She was beautiful. Certainly 'one of the wonders of God's artistry'. He needed to know the owner of this fragrance. It was right to put a face to the woman with such silvery voice, who had such impact on him in just few minutes.

He wasn't certain why he wanted to see her face. Was it to avoid her in the future or just to be sure she wasn't Rose of Rome? Well, either ways it felt good to see her face. Her hands were slightly below her chin as her fingers interlaced, eyes tightly shut.

He swiftly dropped the curtain as she was almost done saying the prayer. Fr Gregory blessed her while reminding her of the penance which was necessary for total absolution.

"Amen" she said as she made the sign of the cross and whispering the words almost inaudibly.

The creak of the door was the only evidence of her departure from the confessional considering her fragrance took over the room and the total silence made memories of the past 12mins feel like a better company.

"I should have asked of her name. It doesn't mean anything. The shepherd needs to know his flock..." He paused "Well, a sheep you didn't pay attention to her confession" he replied in Soliloquy.

Someone was approaching the confessional stall. "I definitely needed that" he whispered to himself as he heaved sigh of relief while he adjusted his robe, kissed his stole and ready for the next confession. This time he would not get distracted for any reason.

Hopefully...