“Yeah.”
“No wonder she’s so cute. He spoke this morning? You made me miss him so I would have to sit through this idiot tonight?”
“Shut up and listen.” I gave him a dirty look. “You weren’t complaining this morning. Just consider it paying it forward.”
Pastor Bron looked even more startlingly good-looking and modern standing next to Pastor Thomas. His muscular physique made the other man appear a hundred pounds heavier than he already was, which was quite a feat. Pastor Thomas was wearing his ever-predictable, too-thin, too-tight shirtsleeve button-down; Tyler a black corduroy jacket and thin leather tie.
“Thank you, Pastor Thomas.” For just a split second, I could see Tyler try to figure out how to positively spin the sermon. He apparently decided to just jump over that formality. “Many will miss your sermons when you step down in a few weeks. I am glad you will still be with ourchurch family and I will have you as one of my elders.” I was going to have to remember to give him a hard time for lying in front of the entire church.
Pastor Thomas took a seat on one of the benches behind the glass pulpit, and Pastor Bron turned his attention to the rest of the church. “I stepped outside a little bit ago for a few moments.” I was willing to bet it had been for more than a few moments. I would have rather been out in the snow too. “The snow has stopped, so you should have an easier time making it home, but please be careful. It’s still icy. While I hate to do it, I think I will cancel our tradition of going to Pizza Hut after our evening service.” I noticed Pastor Thomas’s lips tighten. “While very few things are better than fellowshipping with my church family over pizza, I don’t think it is worth risking losing some of our congregation to a wreck. So, if you will let me, let’s shake it up a bit. After Pastor Thomas’s sermon this coming Wednesday evening, we are going to have a decorating party directly after the service, getting the church beautiful and in the holiday spirit. Mandy has already been coming up with some new ideas of ways we could decorate the sanctuary.” I glanced over at her beaming face and wondered if she realized that would not be good news to most people. Ever since I was a kid, we decorated the church the exact same way every year. Of course, with the new addition to the building, maybe those traditions had changed. “So, for those of you who are up for it, please stay after on Wednesday. We will get the church ready to celebrate Christ’s birth and then gather again at Pizza Hut, weather permitting. Of course, if you choose not to participate in the decorating, you are still more than welcome to eat with us after. Please let those know who were not able to join us this evening due to theinclement weather. And with that, may you have a blessed week, and be aware of God’s presence in your life until we gather again. You are dismissed.” He clapped his hands in a final, cheerful manner.
The congregation sat stoically still, an air of uncomfortableness filling the room, all except for Jed who started to stand up but quickly realized that he was the only one. Even I realized Pastor Bron’s error. I was surprised to realize how ingrained in these traditions I still was after all these years. Tyler looked perplexed momentarily, but before he could remedy the situation, Pastor Thomas was back at the pulpit.
“It is a good thing you will still have me in the congregation, Brother Bron, so I can help you stay on task.” He laughed and patted Tyler on the shoulder in an outward sign of good humor, which fooled no one, at least no one who didn’t want to be fooled. “Let us dismiss in prayer. That way God can give Hisownblessing for the coming week.”
Tyler’s face reddened as we bowed our heads. I wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment or anger. I caught his eye and gave him a smile. He nodded back.
As we made our way out of our pew, Ms. Heinz, whom I hadn’t noticed, stepped across the aisle and reached out to give Maudra a hug. She then turned her attention to me. “Hello, dear.”
“Hi, Sister Heinz. How are you this evening?” I glanced behind her. A few people were looking over at us, openly inspecting Jed. Most, however, were shuffling toward the door, probably anxious to get home. Those who wanted to speak to us were not willing to wait around for Sister Heinz, who was notoriously long-winded. This was thesecond time she had saved me from countless inane and tense conversations. I was going to have to buy her flowers.
“I’m wonderful, dear. Simply wonderful. I love this time of year. Christmas was always Mr. Heinz’s favorite time of year. Most would say I should be saddest now, but this is when I feel closest to him still.”
Maudra put her hand on her shoulder and gave her a sympathetic smile. “Sherry, how’d ya get here, girl? You shouldn’t be drivin’ in this mess.”
“Maudra, you know I can’t drive anymore. Not with all this arthritis.”
“Oh, that’s right. I’m sorry. I clean forgot.”
“Mandy, the sweet girl she is, gave me a ride. I’m only a few blocks away, anyhow. I could walk if I needed to.”
Maudra’s face got stern. “Don’tcha dare. I’ll call that nursing home, have ’em come pick ya up.”
Sister Heinz just laughed. “And I’d do it right back at ya. You know I would.” She gently pushed Maudra aside. “Now get outta my way. I talk to you all the time. Didn’t come over here to make small talk with you. I thought I saw a new handsome man over here.” She took a step toward Jed and me.
“Sister Heinz, this is Jed, my—”
She interrupted me before I could make myself say “husband” in church. “Don’t be silly, Brooke. I know who this is. Your ‘special friend,’ right?” She lowered her voice and gave me a wink.
I laughed. “Yes. That’s one way to put it. He is my ‘special friend.’”
She stretched out her knobby hand toward Jed. “Awfully nice to meet you, Jed. I’m Sherry Heinz. Maudratells me that you’ve been taking good care of our boy here.”
Jed gave her his hand and smiled warmly at her. “It’s a full-time job, which I’m sure is no surprise to you. Always getting himself into some sort of trouble.”
She gave me another big wink. “I’ve no doubt of that at all.” She focused back on Jed. “I hope you find El Dorado a pleasant enough home. You’ve gotta give it time. We’re small and we tend to gossip quite a bit, but most of us are harmless enough and warm up after a time.”
“Everyone I’ve met so far has been very welcoming.”
I thought about bringing up Iris, but then thought better of it. Sister Heinz’s attention was again focused on me. “I’m sorry I haven’t asked before, dear. How’s your mother?”
“Oh….” Where to start? She’s verbally abusive, she’s trying to seduce my husband, she’s the devil incarnate…. “She seems to be doing fine, really. I don’t know that the stroke has had that big of an effect on her. Her walk takes a little more effort, and her left hand is fairly useless, but other than that, and her speech, she seems pretty much the same. I have noticed the past couple days, though, that she’s been sleeping later. Most of the time when I get there, she is awake and sitting in her chair watching TV. However, the last two or three times, she’s still been asleep for a couple hours after I get there.”
Maudra looked at me curiously. “Rilly? You hadn’t mentioned that.”
“To be honest, I haven’t thought that much about it.” I only now realized how bad that sounded.
“Well, we’d better keep a closer eye on her, then, I reckon. Don’t want her ta take a turn fer the worse.”
