Ahead of Barb, Sister Mary Martyr, representing the Vatican, toils to bear her cross. She is one of the few athletes on the warm day to wear a loincloth desiring even the small modest it gives her. She is quite beautify but today she finds it not a gift from God but a curse from the devil as more than 100,000 people looked lecherously at her nearly naked body as her ample breasts swayed and bobbed upon her chest with each step!
The worse part was the turnaround outside the Coliseum’s main entrance where the Wragg’s Concessions and Rotten Fruit Stands where several thousand spectators had relatively cheap tickets and would get a close-up look at all 150 contestants. Many of them had been drinking heavily since dawn and had invested much buying Wragg’s rotten fruits and vegetables. By the time Sister Mary Martyr went through gauntlet in addition to the rock-strew path that had tortured her feet the path was rutted from the 125 crosses that had been dragged across the loop and was covered with rotten food that had been tossed at the previous athlete. While discouraged so as not to miss a single contestant, men lining the barriers were relieving themselves urinating on the path and sometimes even on contestants that came to close to the barrier!
Don’t think Sister Mary Martyr was spared any of the abuse. No, the young nun seemed to draw the wrath of anyone who had attended Catholic schools. Even though she spoke English she didn’t know more half words shouted at her but was sure they were less than complementary! And then there was the sight of Eul now crucified more than twenty-four hours. She is baking under the midday sun and the Santa Ana winds are light but hot.
Sister Mary Martyr makes the descent 44 feet to the field level. Down in the bowl there is no wind and the temperature is 110°F. She pauses a moment and scans up the mound where already a hundred women are crucified. She knows she has only 300 meters to go before she is laid upon the cross and spikes are pounded through her. She whispers “I do this for The Church. God, give me strength!”
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