Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 01:22:48 -0000 From: Kathy Lind 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