Confused y bemused, but not abused.
“La hermana se llamaba Escolástica, tenía cuarenta años y estaba cumpliendo una manda con el hábito de San Francisco cuando salía a la calle, y sólo el cordón en la cintura cuando estaba en casa.”
“The sister’s name was Escolástica, she was forty years old and she was completing a vow to St. Francis when she went into the street, and only the cord in her belt when she was at home.”
This is from “El amor en los tiempos del cólera” by Gabriel García Márquez. Escolástica is the spinster sibling of Lorenzo Daza and, apparently a nun. I deduced that from the “hábito de…”. She cares for Lorenzo’s daughter. I don’t understand the part about the cord in her belt when she was at home.
2 Answers
It was confusing to me as well. I did, however, find this translation which makes much more sense.
"she was fulfilling a vow to wear the habit of St. Francis when she went out on the street and only the penitent's rope around her waist when she was at home."
According to the SD translator, "cumplir" can also mean to carry out, observe, or fulfill. So, she wore the full habit when she went out in the streets and only the belt (maybe a rosary?) when she was at home.
This is partly a guess. Certainly in the UK monks or nuns refer to their clothing as their habit. After Vatican II many orders became more open and the nuns except for a veil wore normal clothing. However I assume the author is talking about a traditional dress. I assume she went out wearing a conventional habit but indoors wore the knotted rope (traditional with Franciscans) I don't know if that meant she didn't wear the belt from knotted rope away from the convent.
