ESCAPE - Chapter 11

   Thomas Sterner wore polyester suits. His law office was on the second floor, over a liquor store. Instead of filing cabinets he used the plastic “milk crates” that students use in their dorm rooms. They were strung along the walls and stacked on each other. He hired students to work for him as clerk-receptionist-translator. He only paid the State minimum wage so none of them worked very long for him. The bulk of his work load was helping Hispanics fill out forms, or make out deeds, bills of sale, or wills. That was why he needed someone who spoke Spanish to work for him. Despite being married to a Cuban-American, he had never learned to speak or read Spanish.

   On Monday, November 8 Thomas received a letter from Mr. Capon. In it Mr. Capon said that he had a report of an audit of the bills and checks written on the account of Laura Claudette Sterner. The audit was conducted by Graham Bilton, C.P.A. It shows that most of the inheritance was spent for medical bills. All the checks until January 2010 were written by Mrs. Sterner. When she became unable to write checks, Rev. Joshua Sterner began writing the checks. All the checks written by him were for medical expenses. The letter also stated that Mr. Capon had sworn depositions from Mrs. Sterner’s doctor and hospice nurse declaring that if Rev. Sterner had reached her room immediately, there is nothing he could have done to save her.

   The letter concluded, “I would respectfully suggest that you drop the lawsuit. Our courts are crowded as it is. When the judge sees this for what it is – a nuisance suit - he is liable to make the plaintiff pay the court’s expenses and pay for the defendant’s legal expenses.”

   He sat down at his desk to think of what he could do. Ofelia had been planning to use their portion of the inheritance, which she assumed would be at least $ 60,000, to buy a bigger house. They lived in a square, two bedroom house in a development of houses built just after the end of World War 2. The houses had asbestos shingles. The walls were plasterboard. All three of their daughters, Claudia, Mariela, and Elena, shared one bedroom. Ofelia’s father kept up a steady flow of criticism of his son-in-law. He said that if he were any good at all as a lawyer that he would be bringing home bundles of money for his family. Sometimes he and his wife would buy pretty dresses for the girls and then be sure Tom was home when they gave them to his daughters.

   Most of Tom’s clientele were poor. Many of them were Hispanic. The ones who paid their bills did so in installments. The temptations for dishonesty were rife, but Tom had resisted them so far. His father-in-law heard about some of the offers of work that he turned down for ethical reasons. He scorned Tom.

   “I wasn’t too proud to work as a plumber’s helper, even though I sometimes got my hands into someone else’s shit!”

   Several clients came in to pay on their bill. One paid $ 10; another paid $ 20. He thanked each one and gave them a receipt showing how much they had paid and how much they still owed.

   The telephone rang. It was Matthew.

   “Tom, this is Matthew. I received a letter from Mr. Capon, Dad’s lawyer. He enclosed the report of an audit by Gamble Bilton of the account which held Mom’s inheritance. The audit was thorough. Every cent of the inheritance was accounted for.  I’m going to write to the lawyer asking that my name be removed from the lawsuit. I am enclosing a check for $ 1000 for Dad’s expenses in having the account audited and also his legal fees. I am going to call Dad tonight, tell him that I have withdrawn from the lawsuit, and ask him to forgive me. I strongly suggest that you withdraw the lawsuit altogether.”

   “Thank you for calling and letting me know that you were going to do this. I’ll think it over, but I think you are right. If I do drop the case, I don’t know who I dread facing the most, Ofelia or her father.”

   “If you go forward with the case, and lose it, you will have to pay court expenses and probably Dad’s legal expenses.” Do you have a couple thousand dollars plus the cost of going up there? I don’t know if you have thought of this, but I doubt if you are licensed to practice law in Arkansas. The judge had better not find that out about you.”

   “You don’t have to rub my face in all your money.”

“   I am not rubbing your face in my money. I am advising you not be the cause of losing money. Get out while you can.”

   “Thank you for calling, Matthew.”

   Tom sat down and wrote letters to the Judge and Mr. Capon asking that the lawsuit be withdrawn. He wrote a letter of apology to his father and asked for his forgiveness. He decided not to tell Ofelia until he had to tell her.

**********

   Thursday morning Mr. Capon called me.

   “Reverend Sterner, you’ll never believe what I received in the mail. Both of your sons sent me letters withdrawing the lawsuit against you. I’m going to the Courthouse now to file their letters and have the case removed from the docket. I’ll have them telephone the judge and maybe we can have your accounts unfrozen by tomorrow. One of your sons also sent a check for $1000 toward your legal and accounting expenses.”

   “The Lord is good to me. The son who sent the money, Matthew, called me last night and told me that he was withdrawing from the suit and asking me to forgive him.”

**********

   On Friday evening Ofelia had a big meal and invited her parents. She seated her father at the head of the table and her mother at the other end. She seated Tom between Mariela and Elena on one side of the table. She sat with Claudia on the other side. The table was not very large and he had to help the two young girls with their food. It was a very uncomfortable meal for Tom. After dessert, Tom was going to get up and get a wash rag to wipe the girls’ sticky hands and faces. Rubin Costello, Ofelia’s father, stood up grandly.

   “I have an announcement. There is a four bedroom house in our neighborhood that is for sale. I have talked to the real estate agent. He assures me that if Tom and Ofelia trade in this house, which they own, and add to it the inheritance which Tom expects to receive next month, they will be able to mortgage the remainder of the asking price for the house. There would be a separate bedroom for each of the girls. The schools are nicer. The girls would be able to come over and visit their grandparents whenever they liked.”

   The girls all clapped their hands and beamed like sunshine. Tom stood up.

   “There is not going to be an inheritance. Matthew and I withdrew the lawsuit. As you said, Mr. Costello, we own this house. I could not make mortgage payments or pay to heat and cool a larger house on my income.”

   Ofelia stood up and hurled her coffee at him. The hot black liquid stung his face and neck and made ugly stains on his shirt, tie, and suit.

   “I hate you. I would never have married you if I had known what a loser you are. I thought you would give me and our children a comfortable life. Instead, we live on the edge of poverty. I hate you.”

   She broke down crying. Her mother and father came to comfort her. Claudia looked puzzled and left the table. Mariela and Elena turned toward him burying their sticky faces into his suit jacket and clinging to him with their jelly coated hands.

**********

   Since he was advisor to National Guard units which drilled on Saturday and Sunday, Nathaniel’s usual days off were Tuesday and Wednesday. He had talked to Joy on the telephone and asked if he could see her on Tuesday and Wednesday.

   “Yes, I’d love to see you again. In fact, you can take me to the garage Tuesday to pick up my car.”

   Nathaniel signed out on pass at 6 a.m. and made the trip to Pecos in three hours. He went to the garage and asked about Joy’s car. The problem had been the fuel pump.

   “Okay, when she comes in to pick up the car, you charge her only for the fuel pump. I want you to start right now and replace the hoses, thermostats, water pump, and the belt. Put that on a separate bill and I will pay for those items.”

   He went to Joy’s house. She thought they were going to the garage.

   “If you don’t mind: This is the day I do my laundry. Could I borrow your washing machine and dryer and do my laundry first before we go to the garage.”

   “You don’t fool me, Sarge, you were hoping to get some help with your laundry. I don’t mind a bit. Bring it in and let’s get started.”

   Nathaniel could not believe how the two of them worked so smoothly together. It was like they had done these jobs together for years. Joy put his fatigues in the washer first. After that load was done she put them in the dryer. While she was loading the dryer, Nathaniel was putting in another load of wash. When the fatigues were dry, she carried the basket into the kitchen, put up the ironing board and started pressing the uniforms. Nathaniel admired the way she quickly ironed them, putting sharp creases in the trousers and shirts. As she would finish one set she would put it on a hanger. About one o’clock, she gave a whistle.

   “Time to stop for lunch.”

   She had sandwiches already prepared on hoagie rolls. She opened a bag of potato chips and put out two cans of Coke. They sat across the table from each other. He was admiring how attractive she was, even sweaty and tired.

   “I’ve missed you so much these last two days. I’ve never known anyone that made me feel so happy inside and the feeling that now my life is complete. Do you understand what I mean?”

   She smiled and nodded. After lunch they worked another hour. Then Nathaniel said,

   “Let’s stop now and go to the garage so we’ll be back when the kids come home from school.”

   At the garage he said,

   “I’ll go in and see if the car is ready.”

   He went in, paid the bill for the items that he had asked to have replaced, then went back to the truck.

   “They have the car ready. You can go in and pay the bill at the cashier.”

   While she was paying the bill for the fuel pump, they brought her car out. She came out and smiling at Nathaniel got into her car. Nathaniel thought,

   “I’ll always remember that car because it brought Joy to me.”

   They were finished with the washing and ironing by the time the children came home. Sean and Eibhlin were happy to see Nathaniel again.

   Sean said, “Hey, Mom, I see you got our car back from the garage.”

   Nathaniel said, “Yes sir, and now you and I are going to go outside and wash it while your Mom and Eibhlin work on the supper. Go get some old clothes on that you can get wet and dirty in.”

   Sean smiled from ear to ear at being included in some activity with Nathaniel. They went out to the car and worked hard at washing it, even washing the hubcaps and the tires. Then they borrowed the vacuum cleaner and cleaned out the inside of the car. Sean worked hard and learned quickly.

   Joy and Eibhlin also worked hard at preparing supper. They fixed meat loaf, baked potatoes, green beans, and salad.

   Joy said, “You men get washed up for supper. Be sure you scrub all that road grime off your hands and arms and face. Don’t forget your neck and behind your ears.”

   Sean looked up at Nathaniel towering above him, beaming pride to be called a man.

   After dinner the children had homework. Nathaniel helped Sean and Joy helped Eibhlin.         When the children left to get ready for bed, Joy said,

   “I want you to plan on spending the night on the sofa bed every time you come. I want you to come every time that you want to come. You are always welcome. I want you to know from the beginning that no matter how close we become, I will not sleep with you unless and until we are married. I’m not saying this to push the agenda of marriage ahead of schedule. Let that discussion come when we both are ready for it. I just want you to know what my moral standard is for our relationship. That isn’t to say that we can’t kiss and snuggle. By the way, I am ready for some kisses and snuggling about now.”

   “Yes, ma’am.”

ESCAPE - Chapter 10

   On Thursday morning I went to the bank and cashed my November salary check for $2500. I didn’t feel safe carrying that much money or having it in the house. As before, I hid it in drawers and in the pockets of clothing. Then I went to the garage where Johnny Fox is the owner and the only full-time employee.

   “Hi, Johnny.”

   “Hi, Preacher. What can I do for you?”

   “Johnny, all the time that my wife was sick I neglected everything else so I could take care of her and keep up with my work at the church. One of the things that I neglected was my car. Would you go all over it, change the oil, change the filters, check the air pressure, and tell me what else the car needs to be safe and dependable for a while?”

   “Sure, Preacher. You pick it up at the end of the day.”

   I went back to the church and threw myself into working on the sermon. The way things have been going, I might not have two more days for writing the sermon. I worked steadily and had my sermon completed at the end of the day.

   Johnny called and said that my car was ready. The bill was $105. Considering all that he did I suspect that he only charged me for the parts. I know that the car ran a lot better than before.

   I went home, read my mail, fixed supper, and then settled down on the sofa to join Bilbo Baggins and his friends on their merry adventures. I became so much a part of their fantasy world that I was able to escape my own. That was what I wanted. Bless you, Mr. Tolkien, bless you Bilbo Baggins and bless you Gandalf.

   Friday, I went back to the hospital to check on Mr. Temple and Tommy Hammaker.

Tests determined that Mr. Temple had a mild heart attack. The doctor put him on several medicines, told him to reduce the amount of fats and starches in his diet, reduce the amount of coffee, and stop the use of tobacco in every form. He made an appointment for him with the cardiologist who comes to the local hospital from Little Rock once a month. Mr. Temple was going to be discharged that day.

   Tommy Hammaker was very happy. The venom has stopped its effects on his flesh. The doctor had cut away the necrotic tissue. Tommy would have a long period of healing, but he would not have part of his leg amputated. His mother was there with him.

   “Mrs. Hammaker, forgive me for asking, where do you work? You must have lost a lot of days off work.”

   “I don’t have a regular job, Preacher. I just do odd jobs for people like washing and ironing, mending, cleaning house, babysitting, or sitting with someone who is in the hospital.”

   “I need someone to come in one day a week to do housecleaning and run the washer and dryer for me. Would you be interested? I will pay $100 for the day.”

   “Yes, sir, I’d be happy to work for you.”

   “Okay, you come next Wednesday at 9 a.m. I’ll be out of the house by then. I will leave your money in an envelope on the table just inside the door along with a list of the jobs that need to be done. When you leave that afternoon, lock the door behind you. If the phone rings, do not answer it. The answering machine will come on and the caller can leave me a message.”

**********

   Nathaniel took off early on Friday and signed out on pass until Monday morning. He was stationed at Ft. Bliss, Texas. His duty was to be advisor to half dozen Texas Army National Guard units. Normally on the weekend he was with one or the other of them while they were drilling. The units drilling this weekend were going to the firing range at Ft. Bliss for their annual weapons qualification. The rifle range personnel would be in charge and he was not needed.

   He drove to Carlsbad Caverns. When he arrived, the motels were all filled and the guided tours for Saturday were all booked. He did manage to get in on a tour on Sunday. Since the motels were filled, he decided to drive back into Texas and look for a motel room there. Just into Texas, he saw Texas route 652. That ought to lead to some small town with a half empty motel. After driving thirty miles he hadn’t met a single vehicle. That wasn’t too promising. The sun was going down.

   Up ahead was a car sitting by the side of the road. He stopped and walked back to it. There was a woman and two children in the car. They looked hot and their faces were flushed.

   “Mister, could you please help us? My car stopped. I can’t get a signal on my cell phone. We have been here several hours. We live in Pecos. We had gone to Carlsbad Caverns and were on our way home.”

   Nathaniel went back to his pickup truck and brought back the cooler.

   “I think you had all better get something cool to drink first.”

   Nathaniel poured some cold water on a rag.

   “Each of you wipe off with this cold rag and get your body temperature down to normal. My name is Gunny Sergeant Nathaniel Sterner. What are your names?”

   “My name is Joy Muldoon. This is Sean and this is Eibhlin. My husband and their father was Army Captain Patrick Muldoon. He was killed in Afghanistan.”

   Nathaniel had met Captain Muldoon several times on one of his tours in Afghanistan, but he thought it was not wise to say so.

   “Okay, my suggestion is this. Put all your belongings in the back of my truck, lock up your car, and the three of you climb into the cab of my truck. We will start off for Pecos. If we see a tow truck along the way, we will send it back for the car. If we don’t, I’ll drive you to your house, find a motel for myself, and tomorrow I’ll find a tow truck and ride back to your car with him and make sure he takes it to a garage. Then I’ll come back to your house and tell you what garage it is at.”

   In about a half hour they came to a small Texas town, Orla. There was a diner and Nathaniel stopped.

   “Let’s get some supper. It’s my treat.” Sean and Eibhlin brightened.

   “That is very generous, but we can wait until we get home.” The children looked downcast.

   “Nonsense. You are riding in my truck so you are my houseguests. Let’s get something to eat They had better have apple pie with ice cream on it to finish off the meal and hold our food in place.”

   The children giggled. Then they squealed and clapped their hands.

   “You have found the way into my children’s list of friends, Sergeant.”

   Over supper Nathaniel and Joy opened up to each other like old friends. He told her about his mother dying recently. She teared up and then began to talk about how hard it had been for her and for her children to lose Patrick. They talked until the children were restless, and had to go to the restroom. They also saw by the dark outside that they must be on their way.

   They arrived at the Muldoon residence in Pecos at nearly midnight. Nathaniel unloaded their belongings and carried them inside.

   “Bring your own things in the house also. You are not going out looking for a motel after all you have done for us. That living room sofa makes into bed. I’ll have it ready in just a few minutes.”

   “Are you sure? It won’t look too good to the neighbors.”

   “You and I know that we aren’t doing anything wrong.”

   He brought his things into the house. Joy turned the television on for him, brought him a Coke, and handed him the remote.

   “I’ll get the children ready for bed, then take a shower, and come out and let you know when the bathroom is free. While you are washing the desert dust away, I’ll make up the sofa bed for you.”

   Nathaniel’s head was swimming. He had never met a woman like Joy. She was just like her name. She wasn’t giggly, or hilarious, just full of joy. She didn’t excite him; she made him feel at peace. He didn’t think they had been flirting with each other, but discovering that they were friends. He knew that he wanted to see her more often. He had never even considered marrying anyone. He had only known Joy for hours and the thought of marriage was already in his mind.

   After he had showered he came out with the bath towel wrapped around him. Joy giggled and her eyes sparkled.

   “Well, I don’t own a pair of pajamas. I just sleep in my shorts and T-shirt.”

   She smiled, “You look just fine.”

   He arose early, but Joy was already in the kitchen. He could smell coffee brewing and bacon frying. He hurriedly dressed and shaved. By then there was a plate with pancakes and bacon and a cup of coffee waiting for him. He polished them off while Joy sat at the table watching him, smiling, and sipping coffee.

   “Aren’t you going to eat any breakfast?”

   “I’ll wait and eat with the kids.”

   “Take the other keys off the ring with the car key. Get me the registration card. Then look in the Yellow Pages and circle the towing companies that are located near here.”

   “I can give you the car key. The registration card is in the glove compartment. I’ll start looking in the Yellow Pages now.”

   “While you are at it, look for a garage where you want the car towed.”

   Saluting him she said, “Right away, Sergeant.”     

   He called several towing companies before he found one willing to go that far. Nathaniel told the guy that he would be right over. They drove to where Joy’s car was stranded alongside the road. After the tow truck driver hooked onto the car, he towed it to the garage Joy had chosen. Nathaniel paid the driver with his own credit card. Then he drove back to Joy’s house.

   “What would you be doing today if you had your car?”

   “We usually go to the grocery store. After we get home, I fix a pizza and we watch movies.”

   “Get ready and I’ll take you to the grocery store.”

   They all climbed into the cab of the truck and went to the grocery store. There was an arcade near the store. With Joy’s permission Nathaniel took Sean and Eibhlin to the arcade and fed their games quarters while Joy did the shopping. Sean sat in front of a muscle car simulator and tried to drive fast without hitting the curbs, lamp posts, pedestrians, and other cars. Eibhlin stood before a bowling game. It was a game where with a swipe of her hand a bowling ball was rolled toward the pins. She did quite well and won a free game twice. Nathaniel watched out the window and when he saw Joy come out with a basketful of groceries he said,

   “Okay, kids, time to go.”

   He was amazed that they both stopped immediately and took his hand to leave. When they reached Joy, he took the basket, rolled it across the parking lot and loaded the bags of groceries into the back of his truck. At Joy’s house he carried all the groceries into the house.        Then he said,

   “Well, I guess that I’ll be going.”

   “Do you have to report back to the base this evening?”

   “No, not until tomorrow night.”

   “Then you are not going anywhere. You wash up for supper. I already have a pizza in the oven. There is also a salad for you and me. You’ll watch movies with us. After the kids go to bed, we can talk some more. You’ll stay here again tonight. Tomorrow we’ll all go to church together. I’ll fix a nice Sunday dinner. You can leave for the base with a full belly.”

**********

   Sunday, I preached on “Sola Fide” (Only by Faith). No one mentioned that I was leaving at the end of the month. I went home and had a lonely meal. I was tired and took a long nap. Late in the evening I received an amazing phone call from Nathaniel.

   “Dad, you’ll never believe it. I met the most wonderful woman this weekend. Her name is Joy. That name describes her so perfectly. She seems to have joy in her heart all the time and that is the way she makes me feel. She has two children, a boy and a girl. I was driving along and they were in a stalled car. I picked them up and drove them to their home. The next day I went with the tow truck to get her car. When I got back I took them to the grocery store. We all had pizza and watched movies that night. Today I went to church with them. Dad, she has been a Presbyterian all her life. Her husband was killed in Afghanistan several years ago. I actually met him several times, but I didn’t tell her.

   “Dad, I’ve never even thought about love before, but this woman has really bowled me over. Dad, I am so happy, and I don’t feel in a turmoil about it. I have real peace when I think about her. Pray for us, Dad. Well, I’ve got to go. I love you.”

   I smiled and wished that Laura were here.

ESCAPE - Chapter 9

   Tuesday morning I was in the office. I was looking on the internet for some material for my sermon for next Sunday, “Soli Deo Gloria”. I asked Diane if Mr. Bigelow left my check at the office.

   “No. He said that he was going to deposit it in your checking account at the bank.”

   “Why? He has never done that before.”

   “I don’t know. Just to aggravate you, I guess.”

   A middle aged man came to the office and asked to see the preacher and just barged right into my office. He was wiry, his face weathered and dirty and his jeans, plaid shirt, Levi jacket, and boots were grimy. He smelled of old sweat and grime. He was carrying a small bag. I asked him his name.

   “Corporal Wallace G. Simonton, Sarge.”

   He went on and on in some rambling dialogue about the Army and the Veterans Administration and then at times he seemed to be on a battlefield. I interrupted,

   “Hey, Buddy, have you had breakfast yet? How about some pancakes and coffee?”

   “Sarge, can you add some sausage to those rations?”

   “Yep, let’s go.”

   I said to the secretary,

   “Call Dr. Rumfeldt and tell him I am bringing him someone I want him to see, but the man probably won’t sit still in a waiting room.”

   I took the homeless man to the local pancake house and ordered pancakes, sausage, and coffee for both of us. Before I ate, I bowed my head and thanked God for the food and asked him to bless my new friend. When I finished praying the man joined me in saying “Amen”. We both ploughed into our food. I enjoyed the pancakes and sausage most of the time.

    Occasionally the man’s odor wafted over the table to me and I almost gagged. After we ate and as we were leaving, I said,

   “Why don’t I take you to see a doctor friend of mine and let him give you a quick check-up?”

   “Okay.”

   That was easier than I expected. We drove over to Dr. Rumfeldt’s office. As soon as we walked in the door, Nurse Nancy Friborg escorted us back to an examination room.

   “Sir, you’ll have to take off your jacket, shirt, and boots so the doctor can examine you. Reverend Sterner, you can wait out in the waiting room.”

   In about fifteen minutes Dr. Rumfeldt came out to see me.

   “Joshua, that guy is nuttier than a fruit cake. I called the Veterans Administration Hospital in Little Rock and told them that I was referring him to their care. If you will just take him up there, they will admit him.”

   “Thank you, Doctor.”

   A few minutes later, the Corporal joined me in the waiting room. It was obvious that someone, probably Nancy, had gone after his face, neck, arms, and hands with soap and water. His hair had also been combed.

   “The doctor wants me to take you to the VA Hospital in Little Rock where they specialize in treating military men.”

   “Yeah, I know all about the VA. See, I have a VA card in my wallet.”

   I took my new friend on the two hour drive to Little Rock. He did not seem as odoriferous, or maybe I was becoming accustomed to the scent. If I thought that I was going to drop him off and then head for home, I was badly mistaken. There was a room full of mostly men seated in front of a long reception desk. I walked up to it with Wallace and started,

   “I have brought this man here on a referral from Dr. Rumfelt.”

   “Take a number and wait until you are called.”

   We took a number and sat in chairs waiting to be called. Wallace’s number was 117. I heard them call 58. An hour went by and they were only up to 73.

   “Preacher, I’m getting hungry.”

   We left the room and looked for a cafeteria. We found signs pointing to the cafeteria and followed them. Wallace was carrying his bag. Even when we went through the cafeteria line, he carried the bag in one hand and his tray in the other. I couldn’t watch because his hand was trembling and I was sure he would drop the tray.

   Back in the waiting room they were just up to 100. We had been waiting about half an hour when Wallace got out of his seat and walked up to the front. He engaged in a heated argument with one of the women. Just then I saw a security guard coming in a door in the front. Wallace saw him too. He reached into his bag and came out with a large pistol.

   “IT IS MY TURN NOW! DO YOU UNDERSTAND? I AM TIRED OF WAITING!”

   He never pointed the pistol. He was just waving it around. The security guard knocked it out of his hand and threw Wallace to the floor. He put handcuffs on him and took him out of the room. I got up and left and went out to my car. It smelled of Wallace. Wallace was right, it was his turn now.

   I arrived back in town just as Diane was closing the office. She gave me the messages and I briefly recounted the story of Wallace.

   “You mean he had a gun in our office and in Dr. Rumfeldt’s office and none of us knew it?”

I went home, took a bottle of Febreze out to the car and sprayed it generously on the upholstery and the rugs. When I returned to the house, I took off my suit and put it into a bag to take to the dry cleaner’s. The rest of my clothes I took to the laundry room.

   When I looked through the mail there was an envelope with Molly’s name in the return address. Inside were a letter from Billy and a letter from Polly. I looked through my note cards for two with appropriate pictures. I picked one with a picture of an Indian teepee and a horsefor Billy. Polly’s card had a picture of a girl in pigtails running through a field of flowers. I wrote a letter to each one in their card. I put a dollar for ice cream money in each of the cards. I addressed the cards to them instead of their mother. That will make them feel grown up!

   On Wednesday morning, I called Joe Sheetz and told him what the treasurer, Mr. Bigelow had done with my check. He said,

   “Give me the phone number of Mr. Bigelow and the bank. I’ll handle this.”

   In about an hour a sheepish Mr. Bigelow came to the office with my check. I found out that the bank had not deposited it, but had just held on to it. They were going to call me if I didn’t come in for it.

   I went back to where I left off yesterday looking for sermon material. I looked on the internet and then I used my Bible program on the computer. When I began in the ministry I used to have a thick concordance open on one side of the desktop and a Bible open on the other side with my notebook in the middle. I would write my sermons in long hand, then Laura would type them for me.

   After lunch I went to the hospital to visit a member, Mr. Harry Temple, who was having gall bladder surgery the next morning. We chatted. He was sorry to be missing out on deer season this year. He had killed a deer every year for ten years.

   “I always quit hunting, hang up my rifle, whenever I kill one deer. That is all the deer meat my wife and I can use. No sense being greedy, save some deer for the other hunters. That’s my notion.”

   I had prayer with him and was going down the hall. A gaunt woman in a worn dress and torn sneakers came out of one of the rooms.

   “Preacher, come in here and pray over my boy, please.

   “My name is Doris Hammaker. This is my boy Tommy.”

   “Hi, Tommy. You must be in middle school, at least.”

   “Yes, sir. I’m in eighth grade this year. I was hoping to play on the baseball team in high school. Now, the doctor says I may have to lose part of this leg.”

   He pointed to his left leg.

   “They found a ‘reckless’ spider crushed inside his jeans leg. I had gone to that Community Clothes Closet the Baptist Church has. It is only open on Tuesdays from 2-4 p.m. I went there as soon as it opened to try to find a pair of jeans in his size. His other pair was so ragged that he was embarrassed to wear them. When he came home from school and saw them, he was so excited that he ran into his room and put them on right away. They say the 'reckless' spider must have been hiding in the leg of the jeans. They only bite when they are trapped and being crushed. Their bite is like a rattlesnake. The doctors are going to look at his leg again tomorrow and then decide whether they have to take it off.”

   Tears came to my eyes. I prayed for Tommy Hammaker,

   “Lord, I know how much my Philip liked to play baseball. I pray that Tommy will have that same opportunity. Lord, you had pity upon that woman in Cain who only had her one son. Have pity upon Mrs. Hammaker. Please spare Tommy’s leg and Tommy’s life. Add Your blessing to the medicine he is receiving. Please I beg this in the name of Your Son. Amen.”

   “Thank you, Preacher, but I’m not a Missus. Tommy’s father left me without lookin’ back.”

   “Please let me know how things turn out for Tommy.”

   All the way home I thanked the Lord for bringing me to the hospital and letting me meet the Hammakers.

   There was still time so I went to the Assisted Living Center. There were several of our members there. One of them was Ruby Garnet. She had one son who lived in Little Rock. He came to see his mother a couple times a month. I wondered how she occupied her time. Sometimes she sat in a rocker on the porch when there was pleasant weather. Sometimes she sat in a rocker in a sort of lounge for the residents. When she lived at home she crocheted and quilted in addition to all the usual chores of keeping a house. Now she didn’t crochet, quilt, or do any other craft. She was a very interesting person to talk with.

   She remembered the old days and ways that have passed from the scene. The church had a Sunday School and there was a high school girl who drove a big wagon drawn by two horses to pick up kids from the various farms. Trucks were new. There were only several in the county. This girl would pretend she was driving a truck. When they would come to a hill, she would pretend to be shifting down in the gears. Ruby’s uncle was the postmaster of a post office in his country store. She remembers that bottles of whiskey and boxes of baby chicks would be sent through the mail.

   Lonnie Farrell is probably in his nineties. When he was sixteen, both of his parents died in the flu epidemic. There were twelve children including him. The county was going to take all the children and the bank was going to take the farm. Somehow, he was able to keep the children and the farm. He had a team of horses. During the day he would haul logs for the loggers, hay for farmers, and work the crops on his own land. At night he would go up and down the county roads and the town streets picking up the bodies of flu victims. The corpses would be out by the curb or on the side of the road. He would take them to the funeral home. He also helped the funeral director bury the bodies since no one else would touch the bodies. Lonnie raised all of his brothers and sisters before he allowed himself to get married.

   Lillian Parker is a minister’s widow. When her husband died, she started a career as a school teacher. She is a very intelligent woman. She knows Latin and has read many of the Latin classics. She is also very learned in the Bible. She reads my sermons (I mail them to the shut-ins). When I visit her she has questions about the sermons that are really hard for me to answer. She loves to play Bingo on Bingo nights at the Center.

   I went home very happy that evening.

   After supper I looked for a book to read. I spied The Hobbit on the bookshelf, took it down and was soon lost in the fantasy world created by Tolkien.

ESCAPE - Chapter 8

   Sunday morning I was nervous. That seemed to help the delivery of my sermon. The attendance was about normal, maybe a little more people than usual. Before the service began I saw the Reverend Joe Sheetz sitting in the rear. I asked him if I could call on him for the Benediction.

   “No. If you usually recognize visitors, say I am Mr. Joe Sheetz visiting from Louisiana.”

   At the end of the service I pronounced the benediction, announced that the congregational meeting would now begin. I waited while a few people slipped out of the church. Then I opened the congregational meeting with prayer. After that I stated that a quorum was present. I asked Mr. Fike to be secretary and keep the minutes of the meeting. 

   I then told the congregation that I was requesting that the Presbytery dissolve the pastoral relations between me and this church as of November 30. My reasons were that the rumors that had gone around town after the death of my wife were making it difficult to continue to be a pastor here. Also, I have not been able to grieve her loss because of all the controversy.

   “I will now entertain a motion to tell Presbytery that the congregation is agreeable or that it is not agreeable to my request. We will then vote on the motion. If a motion to agree passes, Presbytery will grant my request. If it doesn’t pass, or if a motion not to agrre passes, Presbytery will give the Church an opportunity to state its reasons why I should continue to serve as your pastor. Does someone have a motion?”

   Mrs. Alfritz said, “I move that the congregation of First Presbyterian Church is in favor of Reverend Sterner leaving.”

   Mr. Bigelow, “I second that motion.”

   “The motion is made and seconded. Is there any discussion?”

   Nancy Friborg, one of Dr. Rumfeldt’s nurses stood up. Mrs. Alfritz also stood and said,

   “I am the maker of the motion. I have the right to be the first speaker.” 

   Nancy Friborg sat down. 

   “Our church has been the object of scorn ever since it became known that he let his wife die without doing anything to help her. Then we found out from his sons that there is an inheritance involved. Imagine, he is being sued by his own sons! Moreover, I think you will all agree that he has not been doing much work for the church since his wife became ill. Let him go and let’s get someone who will work at building this church up.”

   Nancy Friborg stood up again. “I can’t believe how many people believed and repeated that rumor. I know that they haven’t seen anyone in the last stages of cancer. Anyone who has seen someone dying of cancer will know how much work Reverend Sterner had to do every night to try to make her comfortable. Anyone with an open mind who will ask Dr. Rumfeldt or Patsy Godwin will find out that Laura Sterner lived longer than they expected and that there was nothing Reverend Sterner could have done to keep her from dying. It was a blessing when she died. You cannot imagine how much she suffered in these last months.”

   Johnny Fox, a quiet man who was a mechanic said, “When we vote, I want it to be by written ballot.”

   “Is there any more discussion?....Hearing none, it has been requested that we vote by written ballot. Is there a second to that motion?”

   “Second”

   “All in favor signify by saying ‘Aye’”.  There were a number of voices saying “Aye”.

   “All opposed the same sign.” About the same number of voices was heard.

   “I cannot tell from a voice vote. All who are in favor of voting by written ballot please stand. Mr. Bigelow, please count the ones standing on your side of the aisle, Mrs. Alfritz please count the ones standing on your side of the aisle. Then give your counts to Mr. Fike.

   “Please be seated. Those opposed to voting by written ballot please stand. Mr. Bigelow and Mrs. Alfritz please count.”

   The motion to vote by written ballot was defeated.

   “We are now ready to vote on the motion ‘…that the congregation of First Presbyterian Church is in favor of Reverend Sterner leaving.’ All in favor of the motion, please stand. You may be seated. All opposed to the motion, please stand. The motion passes. There being no other business, is there a motion to adjourn?”

   The motion was made and I closed the meeting in prayer.

   Joe Sheetz came up to me after the meeting.

   “Let’s go get some dinner. It will be my treat.”

   While we were eating I asked him,

   “When Presbytery dissolves the relationship, could it specify that I be allowed to continue living in the manse until the end of the year? My trial is scheduled for December 10.”

   “That is more than reasonable. Have you given any thought to what you want to do after this?”

   “If the trial is December 10 and isn’t postponed, presumably my bank accounts will be unfrozen. If so, I want to take a couple months vacation, maybe go to be with my grandchildren on Christmas. After that I will look for a church.”

   “That sounds good. You definitely need some time off.”

   After the meal we shook hands and went our separate ways. I went home and sat on the sofa. Despite the encouragement from Joe Sheetz, I felt depressed. As I looked back over twenty-seven years as a pastor, there was not one pastorate that I had left on my own accord. In each case I had left under some kind of pressure or another.

   After I had been in my first pastorate of three rural churches for three years, the presbytery urged me to lead the churches in increasing the amount of my support that they would pay and decreasing the amount they requested from the presbytery. The elders in the churches reacted strongly against this idea. They had been receiving support from the presbytery for over ninety years. They regarded it as their right. I was caught in the middle between the presbytery committee which had oversight over me and the sessions of the three churches. I began to look for an escape.

   I went to a church where half of the congregation wanted to leave the denomination and the other half wanted to stay. Neither half could have supported a pastor and a building without the other half. The presbytery executive helped me to work out a plan in which the church could designate how its benevolence money would be used. They could designate it for missionary work and orphanages and colleges, but refuse to support social action other unpopular causes. Everyone was able to unite under this arrangement. 

   The church had no children’s Sunday School or youth group. I was able to build up a large children’s work. We had scavenger hunts, bicycle hikes, roller skating and swimming parties, a Hallowe’en haunted house, and we took them to summer camp. All these activities were to attract and keep children and young people in the church. In the end it was young people who brought me tumbling down.

   Next door to the church was a large vacant lot which was owned by the church. The Deacons had said that young people could use the lot for recreation. One of the elders lived next to the lot. One Saturday when I was out of town at a Presbytery meeting, Philip and a dozen other boys were playing softball on that lot. In the middle of the game, this elder came charging out of his house, singled out Philip, and stood there yelling at him and threatening to throw him in jail if he brought his friends back to the lot again. The other boys walked away and went home. Philip went home shaking. He was white as a sheet. Laura asked him what was wrong. He was only 12 or 13.

   “Mr. Richfield said he was going to have me thrown in jail if I brought kids to play on that lot again. I didn’t bring them. Everyone just came together there. Anyhow, the Deacons said we could play on that lot.”

   When I came home, Laura told me what had happened. The next day, when Worship was over and people were leaving the church, I left the foyer, where I had been shaking hands with the people, and walked out to the sidewalk where Mr. Richfield was standing.

   “If you ever dare correct one of my sons, yell at him, embarrass him in front of his friends, you and I will go at each other with fists until one of us goes down. If you have a complaint against one of them, you take it up with me. If they need correcting, I will correct them. In this case you were in the wrong. The deacons voted that the young people could use that lot for play. If you don’t like that decision, go yell at the Deacons, not some 12 year old boy.”

   Needless to say my days were numbered in that pastorate. The next pastorate was a two church field. I was at that pastorate for eight years. I did a good work on that field and it is now two separate churches, each with its own pastor. Toward the end, something went sour. I’m not sure what it was. The collections began to decline until the treasurer couldn’t pay my salary. I was able to go on active duty with the National Guard for several months while I looked for another church. The salary I made on active duty was enough to support my family until we moved.

   My next pastorate was one church in a busy town. Our sons were growing up, Philip and Thomas were in college. For most of the time that I was there, the work prospered. In the fifth year, the woman who was treasurer resigned and quit coming to church. One of her daughters-in-law had a nephew who died. I had been preaching sermons on Elijah and Elisha. I didn’t know that this young lady was going to be in church. She had been away for several weeks. In the Scripture reading there was the story of Elisha raising a boy from the dead. The young lady stood up in the pew and screamed a high pitched primal scream and then marched out. At the next Session meeting they told me that they wanted me gone as soon as possible.

   That was when I came here. I had been here longer than in any other pastorate. Now it was again time to go. Am I a no good pastor? What do some men have that allows them to spend their entire career in the same pastorate?

   I took my shoes off and lay down on the sofa and tried to take a nap. When I awoke it was dark outside. The clock said that it was nearly midnight. I was hungry. I went to the refrigerator and got a can of peaches and the cottage cheese. I put some peaches and syrup in a bowl and topped it with cottage cheese. I ate these and then went back to the bedroom, undressed, showered, put on my pajamas and went to bed.

   The next morning I went to Mr. Bilton’s office. I asked him if he had completed the audit that I had requested.

   “Yes, I have. Here is the original and two copies of my audit. Here are the two envelopes of bills and cancelled checks.”

   “Was the bill $500?”

   "Yes.”

   “Here are five $100 bills.”

   “Thank you, Reverend Sterner. I am going to miss seeing you around town.”

   “Thank you, Mr. Bilton.”

   From there I went to lawyer Capon’s office.

   “Mr. Capon, I would like to give you the original of Mr. Bilton’s audit of the account that held Laura’s inheritance, and also two envelopes containing bills and cancelled checks from that account. I am giving them to you for safekeeping since they may be used as evidence in the lawsuit pending against me.”

   “Yes, we will take them and keep them safe. I’ll have my secretary give you a receipt. I notice that you have two copies of the audit. If you will give me the addresses of the two sons who are suing you, I will send a copy of the audit to them and suggest that they drop the lawsuit in the light of this compelling evidence. I will remind them that courts do not like frivolous lawsuits and that they could end up having to pay all court costs and your legal expenses.”

   “That would be nice if they had to pay.” 

   I started for home intending to spend the rest of the day resting and recuperating. On the way I made a spur-of-the-moment decision and drove to the Hazelwood Presbyterian Church. The dirt rectangle and a small tin marker showed me where Laura was buried. I won’t be able to buy her a headstone as long as my bank accounts are frozen. I stood by Laura’s grave and told her all that had been happening. I poured out my heart and soul to her, just as I had on other occasions while she was still with me. She is now in heaven, part of the great cloud of witnesses. God has wiped away all tears from her eyes. I can still be hurt and be sad, but not Laura! I cried my heart out.

   After supper I looked through the mail. The letters reminded me that it was time to write Nathaniel.                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Dear Nathaniel,

Here it is November already. Soon we will be thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Yesterday we had a congregational meeting at the church. I announced that I was resigning as pastor effective the end of November. There is just so much here that reminds me of Laura’s pain and suffering. I want to go to some place where I can escape those sad memories.

When I think of all the happy memories of life together with her, I always wish for you that someday you will meet a woman who will make your life as happy and complete as the life that Laura and I had together.        

Love,  

Dad