Cain Was Able

This is an excerpt from a short story I’m working on.

Sister Serina droned on, reviewing the chapter of Genesis she had read to the catechism class last week. Sara sighed and wished Sister Serina would just get on with it. They had stopped right where God had thrown Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden. It was such an epic story, with betrayal and murder and sex! Sara really wanted to hear what happened next. Well, of course she knew, but hearing it right from the bible was fascinating. She doodled on the paper that had been handed out to each student for drawing pictures about the upcoming chapter of Genesis. Cain and Abel. This is where sex and murder enter the story! She was learning about sex in health class. The book Wifey by Judy Blume had been circulating amongst her friends. She’d read the good parts and was looking forward to hearing the bible’s account of sex. It had to be there, and this was the prime place. It wasn’t exactly in the Ten Commandments. There wasn’t a commandment against sex, just one against having sex with your neighbor’s wife.

“And today,” Sister Serina said, “Cain and Abel.”

Yeah! Sara thought. She settled into her chair more comfortably.

“The man had relations with his wife Eve,” Sister Serina read, “and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, ‘I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.’ Next she bore his brother Abel. Abel became…”

Sara stopped listening. That’s it? she thought. The ‘man had relations with his wife?’ Aw man, and I was expecting something really juicy! She slumped in her seat. Well, I should have known better. It is catechism, after all. Sister Serina sure wouldn’t be caught reading something juicy. Sara smiled at the thought. What would happen if Sister Serina read Wifey? She imagined the Sister doing it now and saw the Sister’s face grow red and her head burst into flame. She giggled.