Chapter 16 #2
Old Sister Heinz, as everyone called her, had been, well, old, even when I was a kid.
I was amazed she was still alive and, more than that, she was smiling!
She was well known for her cantankerous demeanor to every child who ever walked through the doors of the Holy Church.
Anytime a child sniggered at an inopportune moment, dropped a toy on the floor, or sneezed at what she deemed an excessive volume, old Sister Heinz would reel around, clutch the back of the pew with both hands, and glare until the offending child would sit straight in a terrified manner or burst into tears and have to be escorted from the service.
Her bright smile managed to both cheer me and cause me unease of what other unexpected events might be in store.
We slid into the empty spaces beside Mandy and Donnie in the row second to the front. By the time we arrived, I could feel my face on fire.
Donnie bent closer to my ear. “See, I told ya I wasn’t worried. Mandy was prayin’!”
Mandy leaned over him and gripped my hand tighter than I ever would have believed possible for someone so small.
Her eyes glistened as she beamed at me. “I am so glad you came. So glad. Of course, I knew you would, but I must admit, when the service started and you weren’t here yet, I started to get a bit nervous. ”
All I could do was give her a frightened smile.
We had already missed the welcome and announcements.
They were just getting ready to sing when we walked in.
Even though the building had changed, the music had not.
The singing in the Bible Belt cannot be duplicated anywhere else.
I felt a little more at ease as the familiar harmonious hymns filled the room.
As we sang, I took in the sanctuary. Maudra was right. It truly did resemble churches on TV. It was huge. The vaulted ceiling seemed limitless, and the stage could have easily accommodated a Broadway show. How much I wished we were indeed at a Broadway show.
It was sparkly and beautiful. None of it felt familiar.
It felt cold, expected, exactly like every other big church everywhere else.
I grieved for what I would never be able to see again.
I wish I had been back before to tell it good-bye; I was profoundly glad that Grandpa and Grandma had not lived to see this.
They would have been devastated by the change.
I didn’t notice the final two hymns and was startled when the rest of the congregation sat, and I remained standing a fraction of a second too long.
Instantly, my face was once again aflame.
Donnie elbowed me in the ribs as soon as I was seated.
I could feel his body shaking in suppressed laughter. Mandy swatted his arm.
After a brief offering, Pastor Thomas stood up behind the pulpit.
This too had been updated and modernized.
The entire thing was made out of clear glass.
Cold, sterile. I couldn’t believe how much Pastor Thomas had changed.
I would have known him anywhere, despite the changes.
He always had the biggest bug eyes and most bulbous nose of anyone I had ever seen.
He’d resembled Ichabod Crane, even in his skeletal frame.
Somehow, that skeletal frame had morphed to resemble a small elephant.
His belly hung in a limp fold over his pants, his too-sheer shirt stretched to the limits.
His deep, gravelly voice, which had never seemed to fit his scrawny body, now seemed appropriate.
“Good morning, congregation. As always, it is a pleasure to be with you and to lead you into the truths that God would have in His will to reveal to us today. I am sure that none of you have forgotten, but for those of you who are guests with us, let me cordially invite you to the potluck directly following this service.” He lovingly patted his expansive belly.
“Don’t worry if you didn’t bring anything with you.
There will be plenty for all, unless I get in line first, of course.
” He laughed heartily, and the rest of the congregation joined in.
I have always been prejudiced against overweight preachers who rant and rave about homosexuality and “sexual impurity” while incredulously blind to their gluttony.
The fact that he had not chosen the option of pretending he had no awareness of his weight as so many do, but had embraced it and laughed at it, gained some of my respect.
“While we are on the subject of visitors, I need to welcome someone very special.” I quit breathing.
“One of our very own. Brooklyn Morrison! The prodigal son returns!” He motioned to where I was sitting. “It’s good to have you back, son.”
I felt Maudra and Donnie both stiffen on either side of me.
Thomas seemed genuine and innocent in his intention, but it seemed Maudra and Donnie were less certain.
I wasn’t sure if it was possible to regret my impromptu decision to come to church to any greater degree.
I was going to have to ask Mandy to never pray for me again.
If there had been any chance I would be able to leave without drawing any unnecessary attention, it had just gone up in smoke.
I glanced over at Maudra, but she was staring fixedly ahead, still as a statue.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed old Sister Heinz wave at me, her other hand in her lap. What had gotten into that woman?
By the time I was able to return my heartbeat to a level that allowed me to hear again, Pastor Thomas was stepping aside, and another man took his place behind the transparent pulpit.
Donnie bent to my ear yet again. “That’s Pastor Bron. Mandy’s dad.”
Mandy must have gotten her stature from her mother; her dad was roughly the same size as Donnie, and nearly as muscular.
He was extremely handsome. Close-cropped steel-gray hair, square jaw, wide-set shoulders, and Mandy’s bright blue eyes.
He was the kind of man who only became more ruggedly handsome with age.
I trusted that Mandy knew what she was talking about when she said she had noticed a sadness in her father, but it was not something that was put on display; both his smile and eyes shone with unfettered joy.
I couldn’t help but be drawn to him as he spoke.
I let myself get lost in his sermon. Donnie and Mandy had told me at dinner the night before that, during the transition period, her dad was preaching the three Sunday morning services, while Pastor Thomas oversaw the Sunday evening and the Wednesday night prayer meeting service.
They had yet to decide if Pastor Thomas was going to continue his role in the Wednesday evening service or if he would hand that over as well at the beginning of the year.
This morning, Pastor Bron taught on the uncertainty of life and how to find God’s presence in the midst of the ambiguity.
I hadn’t ever heard a preacher like him before.
It wasn’t like he was preaching and informing those underneath him from the vats of his wells of knowledge.
He spoke as if he were a friend over for dinner and was discussing his life experiences.
He talked about his doubts, his fears, his weaknesses.
I quickly forgot about being in church and that I had a couple of hours of interrogation scheduled directly after the sermon.
I began to sweat again as we stood for the closing prayer. All too soon, the congregation was dismissed and people began to file out of the pews and head to the reception area for the potluck.
Maudra asked Donnie to go to her car and bring her cookies.
Before I could get very far down the aisle, old Sister Heinz grabbed my hand.
Standing over her, I noticed how much she had shrunk.
Her upper back was bent at nearly a ninety degree angle, and looking up to my face obviously took extreme effort.
From this closer perspective, I could see that she was missing several of her teeth.
Her speech had become slurred, reminding me of Rose.
I wondered if she too had suffered a stroke.
“Brooklyn Morrison! It is mighty fine to see you, young man. Quite the handsome man you’ve become.
How proud yer grandmother and grandfather would be to see you.
They were such good people. I have missed them so much over the years. ”
“Thank you, Sister Heinz. I miss them too.”
Her smile widened. “Why, you remember my name. Bless your soul. That’s very sweet of you!”
I couldn’t believe this tiny sweet old lady was the same woman who had terrified me as a child. I smiled down at her. “Of course I remember you, Sister Heinz. How could I forget?” No need to add that fear tends to cement things in a person’s mind.
“I would love to have you and Maudra over for tea sometime. I hear you are staying with her, if I am not mistaken.”
“That’s true. She has very kindly taken me in. I’m sure she would love to get together with you.” Great, one more joy to look forward to.
“Well, I’m sure you are a comfort to her. She’s lived alone ever since poor Ray died all those years ago. ’Course, I know what it’s like to live alone. You probably don’t remember Mr. Heinz?”
I hadn’t realized that she’d ever been married. “No, I don’t. I’m sorry.”
“No need to be sorry. Can’t remember which of you young people were alive when Mr. Heinz died. Died in a train accident. Worked on the railroads, you know.”
“I’m so sorry, Sister Heinz.” She was sweet enough, but her reminiscing could go on for hours. Of course, maybe that was better than the alternative conversations I could be having.
“Oh, no need to be sorry, dear.” She put her hand at the base of her throat. “I’m sure it won’t be too long till I’m with him again.” She lowered her voice. “I can meet him with a clear conscience. I’ve been faithful to him all these years. It ain’t like I haven’t had offers, you know.”