So why do we adore this cantankerous, scrubbing-obsessed, tiny terror? Because in a world of bleeding hearts, Sister Evangelina is the sturdy backstop. She’s the one who will deliver your baby, tell you to stop whining, and then brew you a cup of tea that tastes like encouragement and discipline mixed together.
She’s proof that you don’t need to be sweet to be kind. You can be sour, prickly, and still carry a flame for humanity that could light up the whole East End. Just don’t tell her I said that. She’d probably make me scrub the chapel with a toothbrush.
And if you ever meet her? Do what everyone in Poplar does: nod, smile, and hand over your bedpan. Quickly.
