I Hate New Sunday School Classes

by Timothy Ayers

Without turning to see who spoke, my Mom said, “My baby is gone,” She started wailing so loud that I could barely get a word out of my mouth.

  “What happened? How did it happen?” I asked as I walked toward the three of them. I couldn't believe that my baby sister had gone from this life to the next. The thought was unbearable.

  “The cat ate my son, Judachew,” she wailed even louder. I had to get her attention. I yelled as loud as I could.

  “Mom, it is me, Judachew. The cat didn't eat me. I am right here. I am alive. Look, not even a disgusting, cat slobber anywhere on me.”

  Lily jumped up from the floor and raced to my leg and hugged so tight that she cut off the circulation to my head. Mom and Dad spun around and stared at me.

  “You gave your mother quite a scare, young mouse. You need to stop all these heroics,” he scolded but I knew from the look on his face that he was a proud papa mouse.

  “Me, a hero? What about you, Dad? We raced out there to save Lily together. I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. Besides, I was doing as you both instructed me. I protected Lily,” I told them with a big grin on my face. Lily continued to grip my leg like an iron vise. I reached down, picked her up and kissed all over her face. “I am so glad that you are unharmed. We have to be more careful around the Great Catsby. He is not a nice cat.”

  “Jude, you and Daddy saved me. You are my heroes,” she said with a smile on her lips and tears in her eyes.

  “I will always protect you, little sis. That's what big brothers do.” I placed her back on the floor and she hugged my leg again. My mother dried her tears and hugged me like she had not hugged me ever before, but my Dad wanted to hear the whole story. I told it as my back was to the door. When I finished telling all the details about the hat and the limousine, I heard clapping coming from behind me. All the other mouse families had quietly moved into our home, surrounded the walls and filled in the doorway and hallway.

  Campbell's father was the first to speak. “I cannot express my gratitude enough. I have brought you my prized possession.” He held out a small piece of tin foil wrapped around what appeared to be a large slice of cheese. “This is a delicious piece of Limburger cheese. I have been saving it for the right time. I thought I would eat it alone but now I want to share it with you. You are quite the hero.”

  “I'm no hero,” I stated. I was embarrassed by the way people were looking at me.

  “You're my hero,” said Campbell. “That was a close call but I have to admit that this has been the most exciting Sunday I ever had. It was fun but the hero stuff is over” she said then turned serious. “You told me you had a plan to save the church building. We all want to hear that plan.”

  Ethan pushed his way to the front of the crowd and spoke, “Whatever the plan is, I am with my new best friend all the way. Whatever he says, I already agree with it.” Xavier, John and Isaiah crept up behind him. They said in unison, “Yep, we guys all stick together. Whatever plan our new best friend has then we are for it.”

  I looked around as the room hushed then started to explain my idea, “Back in New York, we had to save the pastor's job. One of the little human girls and I decided to sing the Christmas Carol that the pastor's wife sang every year before she became ill. It was a big hit and we saved the church and the pastor's job. I think we can save this church by holding a special concert, invite the neighbors and ask for donations.”

  “That is so ridiculous,” said Emily's dad. Soon the whole room was laughing.

  “Wait a second, everyone. There is a singing mouse out there. I saw him on TV one night. If we can just find out who that mouse is and contact him to come here then the idea might work. I just can't remember his name,” Ava stated.

  Elsie and Emily spoke up next. “I have his poster on my wall,” said Emily.

  “Me, too,” said Elsie.

  “What's his name, girls?” asked Ava.

  “Judachew,” they said in unison.

  “The same name as my new best friend,” said Xavier.

  “That is a coincidence, is it not?” added Izzy, who was never to be called Dizzy Izzy.

  “Where do we find this Judachew, the singing mouse?” quizzed Izzy's father.

  “I told you that I knew who you were,” Campbell said quietly to me. She then turned to the others and held up her hands to get their attention. “Fellow mice of Second Community Church, I present to you, none other than, Judachew the Singing Mouse. Star of stage and television, if I am not mistaken.”

  “Campbell is right. I do have a special gift and I want to use it to save our new home. I hate new Sunday School classes so I am going to do everything I can so I don't have to go through this again. I am not sure how we can go about it. I think we can successfully hold a concert two weeks from last night,” I said.

  Alida was jumping up and down waving her hand in the air. “That is perfect. That is also the Corn Harvest Festival that weekend. People come back to our little town from all over the country. They are always looking for something fun to do. This idea is really going to work. I want to be an usher,” she said with so much excitement in her voice that it started to spread to all the mouse families.

  Ava, Elsie and Emily all said they wanted to usher as well but Ethan was excited for another reason when he spoke, “Oh, mouse, oh mouse, oh mouse, that is the best time of the year. The humans make corn fritters, corn dogs, corn poppers, corn chowder, corn on the cob...”

  “Okay, Ethan, we get it. There are lots of corn foods to eat,” Campbell interrupted.

  “Corn bread, corn chili, grilled corn...” he added as if she never interrupted him.

  Campbell tried again, “Okay, okay. We get it. There will be corn everything. What we need to do now is make plans to have a great, super duper, fantastic concert. Judachew, what do we need to do?”

  “We need posters, a piano player and lots of other things. I haven't thought it all through with the Great Catsby trying his hardest to eat me. Does anyone have a suggestion as to whom of the humans would help us?” I questioned.

  It was Ethan's mom that stepped forward this time. “I think we would all agree that Deacon Bob Leever seems to be their leader. He and his wife, Bee, are constantly at the church and they could be the ones we need to contact. I just don't know how.”

  “I do,” said Campbell. Mrs. Leever is also the pianist for the church. She's been teaching her granddaughter, Faith Ann, the piano on Monday afternoons. I always go and listen to her practice and she knows I am there. Faith Ann leaves me a bit of her cookie. One time she even smiled at me. I think she is wonderful and beautiful, and I believe she will be the person that we need to make this all work.”

  “Then tomorrow afternoon Campbell and I go to meet Faith Ann. In the meantime, we need your best artist to draw a poster.” My classmate Isaiah stepped forward.

  “I guess that would be me, Judachew. Could you sit for a portrait tomorrow morning? I will do my best to make the most interesting poster possible but how do we make copies of it?” Isaiah asked.

  Isaiah's dad moved up behind him. “When I was a kid, I grew up in a print shop. I have watched humans use copiers for a long time. It is just a matter of getting the original drawing in place and then jumping up and down on the big green button. We can do it, but I will need the help of a lot of us to lift the top, and to get paper in the machine. We will prepare the machine in the church office to start copying right after Isaiah finishes the poster.”

  “I will not stand for this,” yelled out the oldest mouse in the group, Mr. Longsnout. “If God intended for mice to sing, he would have given them wings.”

  “The phrase is: if God intended mice to fly, he would have given them wings,” said his daughter who was also Campbell's mom.

  “Well, let's get moving then. Why are you all standing around when there is work to do,” commanded old Mr. Longsnout.

  Chapter 9

  The next morning came quickly after a good nights sleep. I was more tired than
I thought. Being chased by the Great Catsby had worn me out. My mother made us a filling breakfast from the food we gathered after the luncheon the day before. Lily begged to come with Campbell and me to meet Faith Ann. At first, I said no, but then thought if any mouse could win the heart of a human, it would be cute, little Lily. She would be my ace in the hole.

  When I arrived at Isaiah's house, he already had a sheet of paper tacked to the wall, and a mixture of pens and short pencils scattered around him. On his head he wore a small, blue beret. “What's with the hat?” I asked.

  “Every great artist wears a blue beret, well at least, a beret. If I am going to paint my masterpiece then I want to look the part. It also keeps this long tuft of fur out of my eyes,” he said pointing to the long pouf of fuzz between his ears.

  After an hour, I was getting restless and started to fidget. I now knew what the mouse in the famous painting, “Mousa Lisa” felt like. “Can we take a break for a minute? My left leg is starting to cramp,” I asked.

  “Oh, sure. That's a good idea. My Mom was making us some lemonade. Maybe it is ready. I could go for a cold one right about now,” Isaiah said as he walked out of the room. I stood and stretched to my full five inch height. I was still growing and hoped I would be as tall as my Dad. As I moved my front legs about in circles to get the circulation back in them, I strolled over to the painting. I was surprised. Isaiah was a really good artist. His likeness of me was very close. This poster would be an excellent way to advertise our concert. I was beginning to think that we really could save the church. The meeting with Faith Ann would be the most important moment for our plan. I was glad I decided to take Lily along. How could anyone resist a cute, little mouse with brown eyes so big that you can't wait to stare into them.

  After the lemonade break, Isaiah put the finishing touches on the drawing. We paw bumped as he told me that he would put the time and place information on the poster and have it ready for the work crew that would copy it. I wanted to watch how it was done. It would be difficult but a group of mice can always come up with a way to get a task completed.

  Upon returning home, I followed my mother into the front door. “Were you out making friends, Mom?” I asked.

  “Judachew, I joined the other woman in their Women's Auxiliary Basket Weaving Circle. They've been weaving baskets for months to get ready for the Corn Harvest. After the farmers detassel and harvest the corn, then there is an abundant amount on the ground for us mice to pick up. All the families bring it back to the church and store it for the winter. I am truly enjoying the sense of community in this little village of mice. Now, what can I get you to eat? I want to make sure you have your strength for your meeting with Faith Ann,” Mom told me.

  “You know, Mom. Our pastor always said that God has everything in His control and that God can be trusted. I am starting to see how moving to Iowa was part of God's plan. I still hate new Sunday School classes but this one doesn't feel new anymore. I feel like we are all a part of God's big plan,” I remarked as I sat on my little chair. Just then Dad walked in with Lily.

  “Did you enjoy the park, Lily?” my mother asked.

  “Not really. There are cats all over this town and these are not friendly cats. Dad and I had to stay in the bushes and I never got on one swing,” she told us in a very disappointed voice.

  “I will make you a nice lunch and that will help,” Mom said as she leaned over and kissed the top of Lily's head.

  Lily looked at me and said, “I am still going with you to meet the little human girl, aren't I? I have been waiting for a million years to do that.”

  “You've only been waiting for a few hours, Lily,” I reminded her.

  “Is a few hours almost the same as a million years?” she asked. Little mice don't have the same sense of time that we grown-up, at least almost grown-up, mice have.

  “I guess so, little sis. Both are a long time. Yes, you are going. I need your help this time. You will be my hero this afternoon,” I told her with a big grin.

  “Did you hear that, Dad and Mom? I get to be Judachew's hero today. This is going to the best day of all my born years. I will be the hero,” Lily said as she dug into a plate of delicious crumbs.

  With lunch done, the dishes washed and put away, Lily and I walked next door to Campbell's house, with all the soup cans, and knocked on the little door. “Are you ready to go?”

  “I just have to brush my fur and I will be right with you,” Campbell said as Lily and I sat down to wait. Lily was growing impatient.

  “Is this going to take a million years, Judachew? Will I have to brush my fur before going out or will Mommy always do it for me?

  I didn't get a chance to answer as Campbell stepped out of her room. She announced that she was ready. The three of us headed down the hall. As we turned the corner, I saw something I did not like. The Great Catsby had stuck his long paw with his razor-like claws on the end into the mouse hole in the wall. He was feeling as far in as he could reach in hopes of finding a little mouse snack.

  Campbell looked at me with sad eyes and said, “This is the only way to the choir room where Faith Ann practices her piano. Now, we won't meet her and our families will lose their homes. What are we going to do?”

  I thought for a minute, then cautiously approached Catsby's big, hairy paw. I looked around for an idea. There was nothing. Then I saw it!

  Chapter 10

  Along the wall, under a separated, floor plank, was exactly what I wanted. It was a set and never sprung mouse trap. Although it scared me to handle such a horrible weapon of mouse destruction, I knew this had to be done if we were going to save the church. I placed my little body behind it and shoved. It didn't move. I pushed again and I saw the trigger on the trap jiggle. I needed to be more careful because one wrong spring of that trap could send me to the great mouse heaven.

  I looked around again and saw that the trap was blocked by an old, uneaten, piece of corn. I guess that is the way it is in Iowa. There is corn everywhere. I kicked the corn out of the way and tried pushing the mouse trap again. This time it slid easily. I got the weapon near the claws of the Great Catsby and lined it up. He was moving his paw three grabs to the left then three grabs to the right. I waited. One grab to the left. Two grabs to the left. Three grabs to the left. One grab back to the right. Two grabs back to the right. I yelled to Campbell and Lily, “Be ready to run because this will be one very mad cat in exactly one second.”

  On the third grab to the right, I slid the trap under his paw. Snap! As we ran, we heard Catsby meowing and whining loudly. His final word as he ran out of the room and away from the hole was “Drat!”

  The three of us stopped at a hole that led into the choir room to listen for Faith Ann playing and to compose ourselves. Campbell tapped me on the shoulder and asked, “Do I look alright?” She was patting down her blondish tuft of fur between her ears.

  “Ah, yeah. You look great,” I said without even glancing at her.

  “Do you really think so?” she asked with a smile beaming across her face.

  I looked over at Lily. She was rolling her eyes. I turned back to Campbell, “Yeah, now go in the room so we can meet this girl.” After Campbell went in, Lily came up and punched me in the side and said, “You big, dummy.” I didn't get it. I didn't get it at all. Girl mice can be so confusing.

  As Campbell walked in, Faith Ann quit playing. She never looked down but said, “I know you are there. Anything you would like to hear?” Campbell tried to answer but her squeaks made no sense to a human ear, but I saw this as my opportunity.

  “Do you know 'How Great Thou Art'?” I said loud enough for her to hear me. Faith Ann nearly jumped off the stool.

  “Who is talking to me? Where did that come from? I must be going crazy,” she said. I rushed out to where the girl could see me, pushing my little sister in front of me. How could she resists two cute girls and a talking mouse. Faith Ann was looking all around the room when I spoke again.

  “Faith Ann, do
wn here. My name is Judachew, the singing mouse. This is Campbell, my friend, and this beautiful, cute little mouse is my sister, Lily. We need to talk to you.”

  “Judachew, I saw you on TV but I thought you were a cartoon or an animation. I never dreamed you were real. Let me catch my breath for a moment,” she said before pausing and breathing in a few sucks of air to calm herself. “Alright now, I think I am fine but no one I know is going to believe me. I don't believe me. I am talking to three mice. I am talking to two very cute mice and one mouse that speaks and sings. What can I do for you, my three mouse friends?”

  “We have an idea that might save the church,” I said.

  “My grandfather is the one who needs to hear that,” she exclaimed.

  “We know but you are the only one who can get him to listen. I want to present a concert, on the Saturday night during the Corn Harvest Festival. I will explain to everyone that we are trying to save the church from Bishop Potentate's plan to sell it. We think we can get enough donations to save the building,” I told her.

  “I still can't believe I am talking to you but I have to admit that your idea is a great one. Count me in. What do I need to do?” Faith Ann said as she sat back down on the piano bench.

  “Please get your grandfather to listen to me and we need your grandmother to play piano for the concert. Do you think you can do that?” I pleaded.

  “Nana will be no problem but Papa is a little hard-headed. The way to get him to agree is to convince him we can save the church and stop the Bishop. He is not very happy with the Bishop. I will talk to Nana in a few minutes. She will figure out how to talk to Papa. She's handled him for a long time. Can you meet me tomorrow at this time in this room? I will bring Nana to meet you,” Faith Ann told us. Campbell and Lily were jumping up and down with joy. I wanted to do the same but needed to appear to be a serious mouse doing serious business.

  “We can do that. Now, how about you playing that song so I can sing.” Once Faith Ann and I finished our duet, she continued to practice while the three of us ran back to our group of mouse homes to give everyone the good news.