Chapter 9
Fred finger-tightened the bolt at the top of the new shock absorber.
This was not a job that he expected to be doing tonight, since Thursdays were normally a night off for him.
But switching things up with the worship team had given him the opportunity to fill in for a guy who had called in sick.
So, now, he was the one with his head and hands under the rear end of a car taking out old parts and putting in shiny new ones.
“Yo, yo, yo, Fredster. Long time, no see.” Parker Shaw poked his head under the car Fred was working on. “I hear you might be available to help a guy out.”
Parker was an interesting character who was full of bravado and who had watched far too many old shows and movies with his Aunt Patty.
To him, Fonzie – the guy from Happy Days – and Danny Zuko – the guy from Grease – were people to be emulated.
It didn’t matter to him that they were fictional.
Real or not, they were his heroes. He even wore his hair in a modernized slicked back hairstyle that he liked to call the Fonzuko.
“What kind of help are you looking for? I won’t be much longer here.”
“Nah, it’s not with a car. Sean said you’re here when you shouldn’t be because your gig at the church is up soon, and I could use a guitarist.”
Fred shook his head and smiled. “Worship team is not a gig, Parker.” The guy was not into church things. He had made that quite clear over the past two years that they had worked together at Drummonds. “And it’s not up until after the new year. It’s just shifted right now.” To avoid Esther.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. Thing is, I need someone to play with me at the Waterwheel tomorrow.” He handed Fred the torque wrench.
That sounded like fun, but Parker wasn’t known for keeping conversations and jokes clean while at work, so Fred wasn’t sure what he’d be like during a music session. “I don’t do music that strays from my belief system.”
Parker huffed. “My guys do country – not the old stuff.” He shuddered. “The good stuff with a beat instead of a whine. And I know you like that kinda country ‘cause I’ve heard you singing it in here.”
“Perhaps that’s because it’s what’s always playing.” Not that Freddie disliked country music, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to play with Parker and whoever else made up his band.
“Not always,” Parker protested. “When Ginny’s in the office, we get to listen to eighties tunes.”
That was true. Ginny Drummond, wife of the current head of the store, loved all things eighties but most especially the music.
“So, here’s the deal,” Parker said. “If we keep our selection to clean stuff without too much drinking, cheating, and carousing in the lyrics, do you think you could strum a few chords for us?”
“That doesn’t leave too many songs to choose from, does it?” Sean teased as he wiped grease off his hands while waiting for the car he had finished to be backed out of the garage.
“Oh, shut up, Sean,” Parker grumbled. “We’ll have enough songs for a set. In fact, I’d say we’d have enough for two sets.”
Fred stepped out from under the car. He had the other side to do, but it could wait until this conversation was over. “I don’t do bars.”
“The Waterwheel is a pub. Families eat there.”
Fred’s head bobbed from side to side as he considered it. His objections had all been overcome. So really it just came down to whether he wanted to do it or not. Whether he should or not. And he sort of felt a stirring inside him that he was supposed to do this. Weird as that sounded.
Parker huffed and rolled his eyes. “Forget it. You’re too good to help a guy out.”
“Hold up,” Fred said before Parker could strut away – because that’s how Parker moved from one place to another. He strutted, with a little left leg limp, in a very retro fashion. “So it’s not a bar, and you’ll give me a set list to approve?”
There always had to be a bit of insurance when it came to making deals with Parker. He was known for fudging things now and then to make his life a little easier. He wasn’t an out and out con artist or anything, but he wasn’t always one hundred percent up front either.
Parker’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Yeah, I can make that happen. And for what it’s worth, I never play bars. Too much drama at those places, and Aunt Patty would refuse to come listen.”
Well, that was interesting. Aunt Patty had raised Parker, and as far as Fred knew, Parker still lived with her. “So will your aunt be there tomorrow?”
Parker nodded. “She’s the reason we do this.”
Fred’s head tipped. “Yeah? That’s cool.”
This was met with a very nonchalant shrug – too nonchalant. That meant that his aunt being there was of great importance to him.
“So, you’ll do it?”
Fred nodded. “What time?”
“Eight.” He rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. “And we’re done by nine. Aunt Patty isn’t a night owl.”
“I’m done here tomorrow at four, so that works for me. Just send me that set list as soon as possible so I can practice a bit.” Hopefully, there wouldn’t be anything too tricky on it or anything that he’d have to refuse to play.
“You’re seriously going to do it?”
“Yeah, if you want me to.”
“I need you to,” Parker admitted.
“Is there a dress code for this?”
Parker’s lips curled into a taunting smile. “It ain’t church, so no suits. Just come casual.”
Fred laughed. “I don’t wear suits unless forced to do so.”
Parker’s brow furrowed. “You don’t? Isn’t it, like, a requirement that you wear the whole suit and tie for church, or God’ll be unimpressed and strike you down?”
“Nope.”
“Not even when you’re up front singin’?”
“Not even then. Though to make my mom happy, I usually don’t wear jeans and tend to wear a collared shirt. But it’s not a requirement.”
“Huh. You don’t say. Well. That’s interesting.” Parker looked completely flummoxed by this information.
“My dad doesn’t even wear a suit most times, and he’s the preacher.”
Parker blinked and shook his head. “You sure that’s church you’re going to? Doesn’t sound like it to me.”
“You should come check it out. I think you’d see it’s definitely church.” Fred moved to start the rear passenger side shock absorber repair.
“That’s not going to happen, but I’ll admit I’m curious.” He started to walk away and then came back. “So the music you play at church. Is it more than those songs from the books in the pews?”
“We don’t have pews or hymn books.”
“You sure it’s a church?” Parker asked in unbelief.
“Yes. We sing worship songs. A mix of old and new ones. The words go up on a screen so everyone can follow along.” Fred left his spot and walked over to the computer where they entered the jobs that had been done and pulled out a notepad and pen.
“Here. This is where you can find our church online. This way, you can scroll through a video or two and hear me playing. Maybe you’ll decide you don’t want me. ”
“Nah, Sean here says you’re good. Said you were in the band in high school and everything.” He took the slip of paper that Fred handed him. “However, I’ll admit to wanting to see exactly what it is that you do at church without having to actually go to church.”
“So, you’ll get me that set list, right?”
Parker pulled out his phone and tapped a few things. “Sent,” he said as Fred’s phone pinged that it had a message. “Let me know if we need to make any changes.”
“Will do.”
“Oh, and one more thing. Do you sing?”
Fred blew out a quiet breath. Here it was, the extra that Parker was trying to slip into the deal. “I do.”
“Might need you for back up.”
“Just back up?”
Parker’s grin was sheepish. “And maybe a duet? Or two? The words will be printed out.”
Fred shook his head. “Fine. I can help with that, too, if necessary.”
“Seriously. Just like that?” He nodded his head. “You know, you’re maybe as alright as Sean says you are.”
“I guess that’s good?” Fred shot a look at Sean who had just opened the hood on the next car he had on his list to do for the night.
“I only and always say good things about you.” Sean said.
“He’s not lying. You’d think you were a saint the way he talks.” Parker lifted a hand in a wave as he walked away.
“The internet link thing was genius,” Sean said. “I wish I had thought of it when I was telling him how good you are.”
“I didn’t give it to him just to brag on myself.” He hoped that something Parker saw on any of the videos online would do something – anything – for him that would point him to God.
“Oh, I know you didn’t, but you know Parker. He needs proof.”
“Or to be desperate? I’m assuming that’s why he’s asking me even though he knows I’ll have boundaries about what I’ll do or not do.”
“Yeah, one of their guys moved last week, and the replacement guy flaked.” Sean crossed over to where Fred was. “So, just a heads up. He might be looking for longer term help and not just one night.”
“Ah. I see. Thanks for the warning. Are you working tomorrow night?” Fred asked.
“Nope. I think I’m going to the Waterwheel at eight.”
Fred chuckled. “You know when I gave up the worship team, I asked God to let me use my music somewhere.” He shook his head. “I’m not sure if this is where I’m supposed to use it, but I’m willing to check it out.”
Sean’s face was scrunched in disbelief. “I’m pretty sure God doesn’t go to pubs or likes non-church music. But then, the God you’ve always talked about doesn’t fit what I’ve always thought about a lot of things.”
Fred sighed. “That’s because you don’t know Him.
You only know things you’ve heard about Him, and there are a lot of people out there saying all sorts of things about Him that aren’t right.
You know I don’t push the church or God stuff with you.
I accept you just as you are, and you accept me as I am – church and God stuff and all included.
But, you should maybe try finding out for yourself who God is. ”
“You mean go to church?”
“You could. Or you could listen to some sermons online. But if you really want to know Him, the Bible is the place to go.”
Sean shrugged. “I’ll think about it, but for now, I’m not sure I want to do that.”
Fred held up his hands. “It’s up to you. I’m not going to force you to chase Him down and get to know Him. It’s always your choice.” He grabbed the breaker bar and began working on loosening the bolts.
“Just like with your friend who’s dating the other guy and not you?”
“What?” Fred asked. What did Esther have to do with any of this?
Sean shook his head as if trying to get the mental pieces to fall into place.
“You said something about love being a choice when we talked about her last. And we were talking about God then, too.” He shrugged.
“I’m still not sure that just letting her walk away is best, but…
” He shook his head again. “If God wants me to know Him, why doesn’t He call me up and tell me? ”
There were a few things there that Fred was going to have to think about later – and maybe even ask Henry about. Maybe he was taking the hands off, let them choose their own way, approach too far. Maybe it wasn’t leading Sean to God but only causing him to wander into more confusion.
He removed the old shock. What would Henry do?
Henry excelled at introducing people to the Kingdom of God.
He blew out a breath. He knew exactly what Henry would do.
He wouldn’t let an opening slip away. So, he pulled out his phone and opened his contacts.
Then, after selecting Sean’s name, he typed: God’s calling.
Are you answering? Would you like to meet Him on Sunday at church with me? Or can we read the Bible together?
Having sent that, he tapped Esther’s name.
Was he stepping back too far where she was concerned, too?
He had wanted to send her a text yesterday before her concert and then, again today, he had wanted to ask her how it went.
But… she was at worship team practice. And he wasn’t – because of her.
He shook his head and stuffed his phone into his pocket.
It was going to take a bit longer to figure out what to do where she was concerned.