When I was in kindergarten, we knelt down every morning before school started to say prayers. We prayed about ten minutes - the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be and the Litany of the Saints. Ora Pro Nobis! (We all spoke Latin in kindergarten.) One morning, some of us were doing penance prayers. They were the prayers that we forgot to say the night before. I have to explain: Every morning, Sister asked, "Who forgot to say their prayers last night?" If you forgot to say your prayers you would never lie, cause your hand or some other part of your body would stick up from your grave when you died. I had forgotten to say my prayers the night before so I was down on my knees by the radiator in the back of the class with the few other souls bound for purgatory. Ora Pro Nanny, Granda, Mom, Dad, sisters, brothers, cousins - blah blah blah! Eyes lowered. Hands joined in prayer. Collars and cuffs. Gosh! My left knee hurt really bad! I couldn't check it out because I'd have to haul down that old brown sock and garter so I waited till lunchtime at home. Mom had a look at it and sure enough! There was a little hill growing on the top of my left knee - geez! My sins were coming out through my knee! Ora Pro me! Next day it was a visit to see Dr. Tulk who shook his head - a bad sign! The day after, it was out to Botwood to see Dr. Twomey. That night, and for a few after, the Rosary rang out right after supper. Whispers of "B9" and "Mel's Ignorant." B9 Bingo? Sure everyone knew Mel was ignorant! Another trip to Botwood. Ora pro no! no! no! White-masked bandits and big devil Twomey's mustache! Scoopin' out the sins on my wobbly knee. I screamed a litany of profanity! "Ora! Ora! Ora! Poor me!" Home again, blessed with the green scapular. Never going to Botwood again! I only had B9 on my knee. Mel's ignorant anyway. Ora pro happy day! Madonna Cooke Kelly Bishops Falls   Submitted By: NULL