Twisted in Mystery, is a fiction story of a teenage girl named Annie, who in her prime, struggles with an inordinate affection towards a catholic priest who doubles as her principal. Fr Arnold, who tried beyond odds, to avoid falling for this temptation, despite the fact that Annie never gave up on expressing her love for him. She was however, deceptively married out to a Muslim sheik by rev Sr Rose who doubles as her godmother. Annie at such a tender age, was forcefully married to this old Islamic leader to whom she bored him children. Years later, fate brought fr Arnold to Annie where they were unable to fight this demonic affection that fr could no longer withstand his will power. It was a fate that was completely twisted in Mystery, exposing the frail nature of this celibate religious leader(fr Arnold) and the emotional attachment that was found in Annie which lead to their sinful fall. Genre- twisted in Mystery, is a realistic fiction that expresses some day to day struggles of the teenage girls, struggling with emotional attachment and their sexuality. It also exposes the fact that priests are no saint. They are human beings, selected from among the people therefore, they have frailties too.
Chapter 1 Why gifts is these crosses
If Only Annie did not carelessly fall in love, instead of standing up to love, she may never have been the scapegoat and would probably not be in this predicament she finds herself. Now, history shall forever be preserved. The story of how she, from her teenage age, fell in love with a catholic priest, deployed all possible means to seduce him into falling for her, Nonetheless, she has to face the community of people because herself and Fr Arnold, found themselves in a circus that is twisted in Mystery.
Not like the regular 16 years old teenage girl who were mostly victims of sexual abuse, physical molestation and torture by those who ought to protect them and guide them. Annie, on the other hand, was the one having feelings for the man who should have been her protector and guardian even though she was aware that he was a priest. Annie fell in love with this same man, the very being she was sure, had taken the vis of chastity, celibacy and obedience to God and the church. Annie was a young lady in her prime. She was barely 16 when Fr. Arnold came to her. He was a young catholic priest who was just posted to work as the vice principal at St. Rita's secondary school Ikot-ere, where she was a student. Annie was a very talented and intelligent young lady who was just in her prime. She was an exceptional and divinely gifted child. She was an orphan and was being taken care of by the sisters of St. Rita's. She was brought to them as a child after her mum abandoned her immediately after birth due to the fact that she was a bastard child. Her mum conceived her from a rape scenario and decided to do away with her immediately she was born. She grew up with the sisters of Saint Rita. Everyone believed she was going to become a reverend sister too until Fr. Arnold came in and everything changed. Why do you always keep smiling and always absent minded whenever fr. Arnold comes to class to teach us Christian religious studies? Joan asked Annie. Joan and Annie had been best of friends and had been like sisters from different parents. They were both orphans and were brought almost the same time to sisters of st. Ritas. They were very close and did everything together. It was easy for Joan to know that Annie was falling in love with Fr. Arnold. He was a young, handsome and intelligent priest. He was a priest who had the body of a basket baler, he was tall, smart and always wearing a well ironed cassock or sometimes he wears his black collar shirt with a white roman collar. He never wore other outfits worn by common men. He was never seen on jeans and t- shirts like the former vice principal. Fr. Emma. Fr Arnold, was never caught unfresh. Some of the girls at Saint Rita's secondary school had admired him and wished he was not a priest or that he was just someone of their age who would come to them and ask to be their lover. Annie would not admit to Joan that she was in love with Fr. Arnold. She in fact called on the blessed mother Mary, who is the mother of Jesus Christ to have mercy on Joan for having such a negative thoughts about her and the holy man of God. It was Friday evening and as it was customary in the school, a penitential service was done, where every student was expected to go for confession and confess their sins to the priest. Everyone was expected to say whatever wrong they had committed and sometimes use that medium for counseling and vow never to sin again. This time, there were about five different priests who were available to listen to the confessions of the students and Annie told herself how she needed to confess to fr. Arnold how she felt about him, the sexual fantasies, the imaginations and the sleepless nights where she constantly battle with herself on how to avoid these demonic fantasies with a man of God. Bless me Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was a week ago. Annie's voice shakily uttered those words at the confessional and Fr. Arnold blessed her for willfully coming to confess her sins. She carefully narrated her ordeal and how she consistently have sexual fantasies whenever she thinks of him. She confessed how much she dreamt of becoming his lover. Fr. Arnold raised the veil of the confessional and directly starred into her eyes. They maintained a silent but passionate moment of eye contact. Fr. Arnold saw her innocence while she lustfully saw his nakedness. She moved closer believing he wanted to give her a kiss, until he reminded her how much God loves her and how much she needed to focus on her education and kick against such thoughts. He had told her how priests have taken a vow of chastity and of celibacy. He and other priests had accepted to willfully stay away from sex and marriage. It was what he signed for. He knew and tried to convince Annie that it was normal for her to be attracted to him but his position as a priest makes it a missio impossibile. He could not love her in the way and manner she wanted but he promised to love her in the love of Christ.(Agape love). He counseled her and absolved her of her sins. She couldn't eat her supper that night and was so moody that Joan noticed something was wrong with her. I'm I not beautiful? Annie questioned Joan. Of course you are very beautiful, intelligent, smart and everyone's choice for a good friend. What is wrong with you my friend? Joan sort clarification. Fr. Arnold rejected me explained Annie. Holy Mary! Do you mean you toasted him? Like you shot your shots like a guy would do a lady? Well not toast as in toast Annie responded. I just told him about my feelings but he doesn't seem okay with it. I think he is eyeing another girl and not me. Fr. Arnold back in his rectory, had a really sleepless night he was trying to process the confessions of Annie. He was wondering why and how a young girl of 16 years would summon such courage to tell him how she felt about him. His concerns and fears were that these things were said at the confessional and he knew the position of the church when it comes to confessional secrecy. He was not allowed to discuss this with anybody. He knew he had to trash this and keep it all to himself and never to involve a third party. He decided to deal with it his own way.