Rex Nolan took me to a steakhouse for dinner.
I had steak, baked potato and gravy, green beans, homemade bread, and coffee.
“Mr. Sterner, you certainly made a good
impression on those folks. Mr. Sheetz has given you a very good recommendation.
Why did you leave the church in Arkansas?”
“I was asked to leave.”
I told him that my wife had died of cancer
after a long siege of suffering. I told him about the vicious rumor which
spread through the community.
“First the people believed it, then two of my
sons believed it and filed a lawsuit against me. When the facts came out, they
withdrew the lawsuit. The church had already asked me to leave by then. Most
people preferred the rumor to the facts. I decided to go to Montana to be with
my oldest son, his wife, and two of my grandchildren for Christmas. Joe Sheetz
encouraged me to fill out a minister’s data form before I left. That is how you
received it.”
“Why did you put down Wyoming Presbytery on
your data form? I can understand Glacier Presbytery as one of your choices because
that is where your son lives.”
I told him about my experience during the
Vietnam War in a steakhouse in Cheyenne while riding across the country on a
bus.
“Give me the address of where you will be in
Montana. If you feel like God is calling you to Laramie, call me!”
Mr. Nolan drove me back to my car. He led me
out to I-80. I drove back to Cheyenne and turned onto I-25 North. It is 670
miles from Laramie to Wolf Point. I decided to drive as far as possible today
and drive the rest of the way tomorrow. I would try to get to Casper at least.
I had had a lot of good experiences in Wyoming.
Today was December 12. The trip had been
expensive. I had stayed in motels every night. Two of those nights the church
in Laramie had paid. I had bought Christmas presents and a set of snow tires.
Altogether I had spent at least $2000 so far.
I had been in high altitude country for a
couple days. I’m always tired on Sundays after preaching, but the high altitude
made me feel especially weary.
By the time that I reached Casper I was ready
to give up for the day. I exited the Interstate and went to the Hampton Inn.
Fortunately, they were able to give me a room without a reservation. I signed
the registration card. It was then that I looked up at the young lady behind
the desk. Her name tag said “Laura”. My eyes filled with tears and I hurried to
the elevator. I held it in until I was inside my room.
I sat in the upholstered chair, buried my
face in my hands and cried and wailed, “Laura, Laura, Laura, why are you gone?
Why did you leave me? How can I go on living without you? O God, why did you
take her from me? What did I do? What didn’t I do? Am I supposed to be like
Ezekiel – lose my wife, but keep up a good front for the people?
“What is a church supposed to be? I have
dedicated my life to building a church, nourishing its members with Your Word.
One ignorant woman who isn’t even a member of the church starts spreading a lie
about me. Instead of the church members standing up for me and standing behind
me, they join the mob and run me out of town, Why, Lord?
“Laura, you are in heaven now. Does it make
any more sense from that perspective?”
At some point I stood up, went over to the
bed and fell across it face down and cried so hard my sides were hurting. I
fell asleep crying. I was still in my suit and tie and my shoes were still on.
I had a dream that Jesus was sitting in a
chair and I was seated in a chair. We were facing one another. It was like a
counseling session with a parishioner, but I was the one being counseled.
“Joshua, I died on the cross and rose again
from the dead to defeat Death. Now are you going to act like Death is the
victor? What do you think happened when Laura died? Do you think she was
snatched away by the sharp nailed claws of Death? ‘No one can take them out of
my Father’s hand.’ ‘To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.’
Believe what you have been preaching all these years. Laura went to her reward
ahead of you. Stop whimpering. Stand up and fight the good fight again.”
After that dream I woke up shivering. It was
cold in the room. I went to the room heater and found it had been left on
“Cool”. I turned on the heat, got undressed and crawled in under the covers.
After shivering for a few minutes I started to feel warm. I went back to sleep
and slept until 9 a.m. I went down to breakfast. After a delicious repast, I
went back to the room, collected my things, and went to the nightstand to leave
a tip for the housekeeper. There was a card there saying that “Laura” had
cleaned the room and she hoped that everything was satisfactory. This time when
I saw the name “Laura” a wave of happiness swept over me.
I checked out of the motel and went back to
I-25 North to continue on my way to Montana.
***********
After he had supper with his father, Nathaniel
returned to Joy’s house. After the children were put to bed, Joy went in for
her shower. When she came out to the living room to Nathaniel she was not
wearing her bathrobe but baby doll pajamas.
“You can go get your shower now, my fiancé.
Lose that silly towel when you come out”
That evening when they kissed and snuggled on
the sofa, Joy let him know that they would be a lot more intimate from now on.
At one point, when they were just holding hands, Joy said,
“There is something I want you to get me as a
wedding present.”
Surprised, Nathaniel said, “What is that?”
“I want you to buy me a bedroom suite and a
new mattress set. We can put the old dresser in Sean’s room and the old vanity
in Eibhlin’s room. The old bed and mattress we can give to Goodwill. Those were
the matrimonial bed and bedroom suite of Patrick and I. I don’t want us to consummate our
relations in the bed of my former marriage. Do you understand, my dear?”
On Wednesday morning, before he left to
return to Ft. Bliss, they went shopping for a new bedroom suite and for wedding
rings.
Nathaniel returned to Ft. Bliss Wednesday
evening. On Thursday morning, he received his PCS orders. The first sergeant
gave him a packet of forms to clear base. The first place he went was to
Personnel.
“I need to have these orders amended. The
home of residence is incorrect. The home of residence in my personnel file was
the address of my parents in Arkansas. Several months ago my mother died. My
father is a minister. While I was at Camp Dawson he left that church in Arkansas.
He doesn’t have a church or an address now. On the other hand I am going to be
married in three weeks. I want you to change my home of residence in my
personnel file and on these orders to my fiancee’s address. Here it is.”
After that there were over a dozen offices to
visit and be cleared or signed off. There was unit equipment to turn in. He had
to pack all his own uniforms, gear, clothing, and personal items. On Friday
afternoon he had cleared out of his billet. He waited around until after midnight
to sign out, and then headed for Pecos. It was about 3 a.m. when he arrived. He
had phoned Joy to let her know that he would be arriving in the middle of the
night. She met him at the door wearing another baby doll outfit.
“Come in here, I want to show you.”
She had the new bedroom suite set up in her
bedroom. It looked magnificent.
“Here it is all ready to be our marriage
bed!”
Nathaniel kissed her and then went out to the
sofa to try to get a few hours sleep. The next morning Joy and the children tiptoed
around, shushing each other, wanting Nathaniel to sleep as long as he could.
On Sunday, after church, Nathaniel and Joy
approached the minister as he was shaking hands. “Pastor, we would like to meet with you some
day soon.”
“Certainly. Would Tuesday at 10 a.m. be
satisfactory?”
“Yes, sir.”
On Monday, they called the Courthouse to find
out what they needed for a marriage license. They needed a birth certificate
and a blood test. They made an appointment with the doctor for Thursday. They
had agreed that until Nathaniel’s situation was settled, they would try to
prevent pregnancy. Joy would ask the doctor to fit her for a diaphragm. They
would have to wait until the following Monday to get the results of their blood
tests.
On Tuesday they went to see the Reverend
Wesley Asbury Johnston.
“Pastor, we would like to be married on
January 1 at 10 a.m. There probably won’t be anyone except Joy’s two children.
Would you be willing to perform the wedding for us?”
“I’ll be glad to. You are both grown adults.
I know Joy is a very mature person who wouldn’t do anything rash. I’m sure she
has considered how this will affect the children. How did you come up with the
date January 1 and the time 10 a.m.?”
“Joy is receiving a widow’s pension from her
first husband. Taxes and other paperwork will be simpler by beginning a new
marriage the first day of the year. I have to leave on a new assignment the
sixth of January. If we are married in the morning, it gives us one more day of
honeymoon before I have to leave.”
The Reverend Johnston said, “Those are
difficult circumstances in which to be married.”
Joy spoke, “My first husband was also in
Special Forces. I wasn’t looking for another husband. The children and I broke
down on a road that didn’t seem to have any other cars on it. Nathaniel came
along and rescued us. He was just so kind and considerate. The kids love him. I
didn’t mean to, but I just fell in love with him. I fell so hard, so suddenly.
I think the third time we were together I told him that I would always be here
waiting for him. I love him and I want to marry him.”
“I can’t argue with that. Now tell me, while
you are on your honeymoon, who will take care of the kids?”
“We don’t have anyone. My mother is in a
wheelchair and trying to take care of my father who has Alzheimer’s.”
“Oh, my.”
“We will probably do our honeymooning while
the children are at school.”
“Nonsense. I will check with my wife, but I
am sure that she will agree for the children to stay here from the time of the
wedding until you return on the fifth. We will get them to school and back.
Every couple days I’ll take them home to drop off their dirty clothes and pick
up clean clothes and fresh toys.”
“Pastor, you are an A number one minister.
You remind me of my father.”
“Thank you. I remember the Sunday he came
with Joy. Why didn’t you ask him to marry you?”
“He is up in Montana for Christmas. He will
probably be snowed in until Easter! Besides that, he isn’t registered to
perform marriages in Texas.”
Reverend Johnston had prayer with Nathaniel and
Joy, and they left his office.
On Wednesday, while the children were at
school, Joy took Nathaniel to meet her parents. Her mother was thrilled to meet
Nathaniel.
“Joy has told me so much about you. I’m so
happy that she has a man to love her and help her raise those children. She has
told me how much the children love you and look forward to the times when you
are there with them. Sean still brags about helping you wash the car.”
About then, her father came into the room. He
was a thin man who looked like he had once been a laborer.
“Is that Georgie? Georgie where have you been
all this time? I looked all over for you. Why didn’t you come home?”
He came over and hugged Nathaniel.
“You see, Maggie, I told you he would come
home when he was ready. Give him a beer, Maggie. He looks like he is old enough
for a beer.”
“Thank you anyhow, sir. I don’t drink beer.”
“Did you get too good to drink a beer with
your Dad?”
At this point he was becoming combative.
“Poppy, don’t ruin Joy’s visit.”
“We’ll go now, Mom. Call me if you need
help.”
Outside Joy explained to Nathaniel that when
she was young she had a brother named George who was a year older than she. One
day he wandered off into the woods. When he was found a week later he was dead.
Her father never accepted the fact that it was George. He always believed that
George would come back home some day.
On Thursday they went for their doctor’s
appointment. The doctor told his nurse to draw blood from Nathaniel and Joy and
send it to the lab. Then Nathaniel left the room while the doctor fitted Joy
for a diaphragm. Afterward they went to the pharmacy to purchase it. Nathaniel
bought a large pack of condoms, deciding that it was only right that they take
turns.
Friday, Nathaniel and Joy went Christmas
shopping. They bought Sean a bigger bicycle, and for Eibhlin they bought a
dollhouse.
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