The Old Hotel, Part Four

That night the three muffinteers slept in room #116. They had several rooms to choose from in the sparsely populated Old Hotel. Some of the rooms had actual chairs, chests of drawers and beds on frames with sheets that had been changed within less than one year. The girl cousins slept in different rooms on different nights whenever Mother would allow it.

Some nights Mother would punish her bad daughters and make them sleep with her in the designated bedroom. Room #10 at the back of the first floor had three beds for Mother, Hank, Kathi, Carol and Jan. Daddy was away, TDY at a Greenland Air Force Base.

Luckily, Victoria was in a good mood after work and didnt want a crowded bedroom on such a hot night.

Room #116, on the second floor, was furnished with two deflated mattresses thrown on the dusty floor. Banty opened the window, but not even a wisp of air stirred. To the girls it was not a dismal flop room, but a grand chamber of sizzling mystery. They were in the exact same room where Bernice had committed the forbidden act with her boyfriend that very same day. They could not stop giggling.

Back then, sex was a sin. God did not approve of his men and women joining bodies and spirits. God made very strict rules governing sexual intercourse. Only reproduction between a husband and wife was allowed and only because God wanted a bigger flock. It was committed infrequently and quickly with the lights out. Christians were not allowed to think about it to much. It was definitely forbidden to enjoy it. If sex was done improperly then the humans were sent to hell. There in the underground Kingdom of the Devil they would be painfully tortured forever and ever.

Back then, sex was even more treacherous than it is today. Today, you can get diseases, unwanted pregnancy and a broken heart. All bad stuff, but minor glitches, compared to eternal burning fire.

Back then daughters of good Christian families were kept ignorant about the basic facts of reproduction. Girls were especially at risk from the horrible dangers. Good Christian parents structured their daughters with a wall of silence. Some taboos are talked about, children are warned, but the strongest taboos are kept vaulted in an unmentionable vacuum.

God did, however want men and women to multiply. He needed a large population to satisfy his gluttony for abject adoration. Thay is why he programmed humans with a magnetic drive. God did not make mistakes. However, he did realize that he needed to control sex, because it was one of the most empowering things that humans had. Sometimes sex made people happy and that was not good. Happy people tend to get uppity. Also, God had detailed plans for social structure and unregulated sex could play havoc with societal organization.

To assure that his people did not wander from the straight and narrow God invented Church. Certain special men, like Papa Gordon, heard the direct voice of God, they recieved "a calling" to be preachers. After that they could boss a flock around and threaten the lambs into following God's commandments.

Humans were required to go to church at least once a week. Mother dragged us there about three times a week. That is why I know so much about devine rules. What I am telling you is not what I learned in Sunday School. The preachin' teachin' confused me so much, that I had to think about it a lot. I am telling you about the conclusions that I deducted, after many years of working to make logical sense of it all. My hope is that this will help you to straighten out your own thoughts, if you are confused.

God invented SHAME to assist his children on the righteous path to heaven. Heaven is the place with the pearly gates and streets paved with gold. You get a harp and praise God the whole day long, every single day, for eternity. God needs a lot of admiration, I havnt figured out why yet, but am still working on it. Shame is the short chain leash on pleasure.

Papa Gordon, in his prime (when his brain still worked, before the oldtimers disease kicked in) could fill a congregation with such shame over being human that they would get down on their knees and beg the Almighty Father for forgiveness. Papa Gordon spoke the Word of God, he channeled the fearful threats from the Gread Dictator in the sky. He was devinely inspired, direct from the Lord. He still had the power to make me shiver in my Mary Janes.

He raised Victoria with a righteous loathing of her womanly flesh, and Mother tried to pass that on to me.

Yes, girls were especially at risk for falling from grace. Their sweet ripening fruit drove men, even preachers, mad from lust. Really, this was a situation that had to nipped in the bud. Budding females must not realize the great power that they had. Holy old adult males hated the persistant lust. Girls were the cause. Sin was their fault. Ever since Eve ate that apple.

To be continued when I get around to it.