Both Ways

by Edward Goble

  He was quiet for a second while he savored the thought. “Didn’t you say the guy had blond hair, this Madison?”

  “Right, tall blond, blue eyes, Redford-type.”

  “Well, I don’t know about Redford, but this guy sort of fits your description. It’s just a black and white image, but his hair is light, I can see that.”

  “What did I ever see in this sissy,” Judy thought to herself then said, “Jack, you are a prince. If this is the right guy, I’m going to buy you the biggest steak in Galveston. Can you email me the article?”

  Jack sent the article and attachments to jturnbull and sat back at his cluttered desk to daydream about dating her again. This Madison guy was supposedly the long-lost brother of her roommate, so he was a non-issue, Jack thought to himself. “Some day, boy, some day.” He pulled his computer cursor down to the left corner of the monitor, activating his screen saver, a picture of Judy and himself at Red Lobster on their date. She didn’t appear to mind that he’d brought his digital camera into the restaurant to capture the moment. He was glad he did.

  Judy clicked the “Get Mail” button repeatedly until the message from Jack popped into her inbox. She clicked it open, glancing around the office to assure privacy. “Let’s play, Where in the World is Tall Blond And Handsome,” she whispered, straightening up in her chair. Her entire persona changed before she finished the title of the article. “Local Pastor Fights to Fix the Family.” And there he was, her Madison, pictured sitting back at a desk, holding a football, wearing a short-sleeve polo shirt.

  “What in the world?” she said out loud. The article, with the byline of Steven Franz, began:

  “In a world of failing marriages, dysfunctional parent-child relationships, addiction, poverty, war and God-knows what else, Pastor Madison Enright, Senior Minister of the booming Community Chapel in Almond Grove, California, has chosen his battle - he is going to fight for the family.”

  “Madison Enright has been Pastor of Community Chapel for 16 years, starting in the fall of 1990 with a broken-down building and a few dozen admittedly dysfunctional members. Madison and his new wife, Jill, rode in to Almond Grove with, in their own words, ‘a lot of energy and not much else,’ and began to make a difference almost immediately. Community Chapel is now one of the leading churches in the Bay Area with growth and expansion plans that would make a Fortune 500 company proud. The Enrights have been happily married for nearly seventeen years and are raising one child with another on the way. According to many who know them, they are people who practice what they preach. And what they preach is family, family, family. In fact, Community Chapel is holding three special State-of-the-Family services in the coming weeks to help spouses rekindle priorities and help parents adjust to the pressures of the Back-To-School season. One member of the congregation, who chose to have her name withheld, said, ‘Pastor Enright is a wonderful man. Safe. He makes you feel safe to be around, same with Mrs. Enright.’ Our interview with Pastor Enright left us with a similar impression...”

  The article went on and on about how wonderful these people were. Judy thought to herself, “This can’t be the same man I’ve been flirting with on the Internet. Unreal! Talk about someone wanting it both ways!” She had no earthly idea when she had said that to him in the diner, just how far from his daily reality a casual affair would be. She had to laugh, she actually laughed out loud. “Oh... My... God!” she said, then looked around again self-consciously, whispering, “I’ve fallen for a priest!” She went home early Tuesday afternoon after concentrating on work became impossible.

  By Thursday morning, after another generic volley with Madison via email, she couldn’t resist. She opened her browser and booked a one-stop flight from Houston to Sacramento. She needed to see the man in his element. She told herself that she wouldn’t believe it till she saw it with her own two eyes. “Now, what do I have to wear to church?”

  Chapter 43

  Mrs. Thompson stepped out of the Pastor’s study after a brief executive calendar meeting just as Dave Bean walked into her office. “Well, good afternoon, Mr. Bean.”

  “Mrs. Thompson, please, call me Dave, or David, or even ‘hey you,’ for that matter. Mr. Bean was a guy in another life.”

  “David, then. What can I do for you today? Here to see Pastor Enright?”

  “And you, of course, but yes, is he in?” Dave said.

  “You are a charmer. Just a moment.” She picked up the receiver and dialed intercom-1, “Pastor, David Bean here to see you... I’ll send him right in.”

  “Go right in. It’s good to see you, David.” Dave smiled with approval and opened the thick mahogany door to find Madison clicking away at his iBook.

  “Hey Green,” Madison said without looking up, “Be with you in just a second... there.” He closed the lid of the computer and stood, “Have a seat.”

  Dave took one of the imposing leather side chairs he would never quite get used to as Madison sat back down. “So, Jill told me you guys really blessed the socks off that new lady, Dawn, I think her name is.”

  “It was fun. She’s good people... Jill found out, huh?”

  “Yeah, she hears everything. You know how it is... Hmm, wait a minute, I think I’m on to something. Shani, Dawn... I’ve got it! You could carve out a new ministry for yourself, kind of like Daddy Warbucks, you know, for all the single women in the church. Who’s next?”

  “You’re sick. Besides, it wasn’t just me, I had help.”

  “I’m just kidding. It was a good thing you guys did. Wish I could have done it a hundred times through the years. So, seriously, David Bean and Shani Andrews, tell me about it.”

  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, Mad. Am I moving too fast? Because I think she’s the one.”

  “Doesn’t seem like your type, honestly.”

  “My type?”

  “The old Dave would have been on his eighth date with Dawn Neilson by now. They would have been snorkeling in Hawaii or flying to Cancun, playing on the beach.”

  Dave couldn’t help but register the fact that Madison went from being unsure of Dawn’s name, to using her full name with ease with an obvious reference to her looks.

  “So, Dawn is more my type?”

  “Well, c’mon.”

  “What?”

  “You know, Dave, it’s just us here. She’s every red blooded American man’s type, isn’t she?”

  “To be honest, that sounds a little strange coming from you.”

  “Hey, just because I wear a collar on Sundays doesn’t mean I’m blind.”

  “You’re also married to one of my best friends.”

  “Don’t get the wrong idea, buddy. I’m just talking to my best friend here, just stating the obvious, no underlying agenda. I know I’ve got the best wife in the world. Hey, she thinks Dawn’s gorgeous, too!”

  “You guys have actually had that discussion?”

  “No, but you know what I mean.”

  “I’m not sure I do,” Dave said, causing Madison to lean back in his chair and look out the window, shaking his head as a few seconds rolled by, the thought briefly crossed his mind that he couldn’t be honest with anyone, even his oldest friend. ‘Who do Pastors get to be real with,’ he wondered to himself.

  “Hey, Mad, I’m sorry. You’re right, she’s a knockout and, in the old days, I would have been drawn to her like a magnet. But I’ve changed, at least I think I have, and all I see now is a pretty lady that has had a hard run, someone who needed friends and maybe a little kick start to her life. I’m happy to be able to help her, and I’m happy to have her as a friend, but that’s as far as my thoughts or actions have, or will, go.”

  Madison smiled and leaned forward resting his forearms on the desk. “I apologize too, Green. I shouldn’t be talking like that, and I shouldn’t think of the worst in you, or anyone. We good?”

  Dave nodded, his mind still not clear on what had just transpired.

  “So... let’s get back to you and the Andrew
s girls. You want to know if you’re moving too fast.”

  “It’s kind of rhetorical. I know I am, but I’m wondering if that’s necessarily a bad thing.”

  “I knew Jill was the girl for me the moment I met her.”

  “Really?”

  “I just melted. Those emerald eyes, the southern drawl, the attitude. She was the kind of girl that you just knew was, I don’t know, her own woman, I guess. Really knew who she was. She was the only daughter of Billy and Eerlene Boyles of Ponca City, Oklahoma, and she was proud of it. She wasn’t going to take any crap from me or anybody else. She’s still like that. I just love that.”

  “So, how long did it take, before, you know, you popped the question.”

  “Probably a year. Just because I knew she was the one, didn’t necessarily mean she felt the same way. It took some time before we were both on the same page. Do you remember her back then?”

  “Oh, she was amazing. We had freshman English together, remember? Isn’t that how you met?”

  “Exactly, you and I were messing around before class, and she passes us and walks into the room.”

  “You followed her right in - and you didn’t even have that class.”

  Madison laughed, “I sat in the class two days before the Prof realized I wasn’t supposed to be there. It worked though, got her attention anyway.”

  “I think her accent was thicker then, right out of Gone With The Wind or something. She called me Dive. She’d say, ‘Mornin’, Dive.’ I think if you would have struck out with her I might have taken a turn at the plate just because of the accent. Genuine Southern Belle.”

  “She told me recently that she was actually surprised to find out that I was interested in her. Can you believe that?”

  “Didn’t they have mirrors in Oklahoma?”

  “Exactly. She had no idea how beautiful she was,” Madison said. “You know what sealed the deal for me though?”

  “What, it wasn’t your boyish good looks?”

  “I wish. No. She said it happened one time while we were out on a date, and I asked her if she wanted to change the world.”

  “Why’d you ask her that?”

  “I knew she was the one, but I also knew, in my own life, I didn’t want to settle down and run a feed store in Ponca City or something. I wanted to impact a generation. I figured the only way to find out if she was on the same page was to ask. It’s funny though, I don’t remember asking her. But she remembers it like it was yesterday. She said it really hit her in a profound way - said she’d never thought about it before. It was cool. I mean, I won her heart at a moment when it was the furthest thing from my mind. You just never know what is going to touch another person.”

  “And now she’s pregnant again. Amazing times,” Dave said.

  Madison grinned and shook his head, “I still can’t believe it. Just a few months till we have another baby. So, long story short, yeah, I can believe that you knew Shani was right from the first moment. I’ve been there and done that.”

  “Got the t-shirt.”

  “And the ring... ha!”

  “I have an idea I’d like to run past you. It’s a little out there,” Dave said.

  “All your ideas are a little out there. Let’s see, sailing to England comes to mind.”

  “It was an adventure.”

  “Hitchhiking across Europe after you had enough money to drive or take the train.”

  “What would Jesus do?” Dave threw up his hands, incredulously.

  “He would have taken the train, you numbskull.”

  “They didn’t have trains.”

  “If He were here - arrgh. You are impossible, which is exactly my point. So how hare-brained can this idea possibly be?”

  “Mmm, you tell me.”

  Chapter 44

  (Drs.) Raymond Culbert and Leon Cross, former colleagues at RLU, had arranged to meet in Sacramento on Friday evening. Culbert had arranged for a ride to the Residence Inn by the airport, and Cross was flying in from Dallas. They would spend a leisurely day together and then surprise the Enright’s Sunday morning, showing up at church on the last day of the three-week family series. Culbert had his grandson drive him to the hotel on Friday afternoon where he checked in and paid in advance for both rooms. Dr. Cross arrived from DFW at 7:30 p.m., rented a car and found the hotel. Dr. Culbert was waiting for him in the lobby.

  “Leon, my old friend,” Raymond said, stepping up to the check-in counter beside Dr. Cross.

  “Raymond!” The friends embraced.

  “I’ve taken care of your room; you just need a key.”

  “Oh, no. Now you needn’t...”

  But Dr. Culbert was already raising his hand to stop the protest. “Leon, that’s the deal. You fly out for a visit, and I provide lodging. I am still your elder regardless of the fact that I have retained most of my hair.”

  “Ah, the bald jokes begin. Have we not yet grown past that?” Cross said.

  “Not while I still use a comb and require the services of a barber,” Raymond replied.

  “Now, let’s take your bag up and then find some dinner, shall we?” The two collegiate war horses walked to the elevators - Cross, always a formal flyer, in a blue suit with burgundy tie, and Culbert, in his customary gray.

  “How was the flight, Leon?”

  “It was very pleasant. I really needed the break, I’ll tell you. The Family Conference is just a few months away. We really need to have everything finalized by Thanksgiving, because you really can’t do much during the holidays, too hard to reach people. But, I will do my best to leave all that in Texas, enjoy our time together and then hit the ground running again Monday morning.”

  “That’s the spirit. A rest will help. You will actually be more productive having taken this little break, and the Enrights will be thrilled to see you.”

  “Us. Don’t you mean?”

  “Oh, me? I’m old hat. I was just there last month. When Madison was out meeting with you, I preached for him. You know, they are up to three services each weekend. It nearly killed me.” Raymond put a hand to his chest, “I don’t have the wind to preach three times each weekend.”

  “The students used to say you were plenty windy.”

  “Well,” the men chuckled together.

  Dr. Cross placed his bag on the bed and looked around the room. “Nice,” he said. “You’ve got pretty good taste for an older guy.”

  “Thanks. I’m right across the hall.”

  “Dinner, then?” Cross asked.

  “Back to the lobby we go. They have a nice cafe, save us having to drive, and, they accept room keys as payment. What a country.”

  Dr. Cross didn’t know if he should tell his colleague that they actually add the cafe tab to your room bill, or if the old wisecracker was just playing him, so he left it alone.

  The waitress brought coffee for Dr. Culbert and an iced tea for Leon Cross.

  “Nice girl,” Raymond said as she left with their order. She was bottle blond and very pleasant, with brown eyes and a quick smile. She made the two friends feel right at home.

  “Mhmm,” Leon nodded as he sipped his drink. “That reminds me. I talked with the sweetest young woman on the flight. We were sitting across the aisle from one another. The person seated by her must have had a small bladder, because she constantly had to get up and let the poor guy out. I figured they would just trade seats, but the gentleman insisted he sit by the window. Anyway, we got to talking about how each of us always requests an aisle seat. She was a bit claustrophobic and said she needed the extra space to her side to help her relax during a flight. And, of course, that is my issue, as well. So we had a nice little talk. Turns out she is going to the Bay Area too. Said she was going to surprise a friend. Very excited about it, too. I said, “He must be one lucky man if you are going to be his surprise.” She accused me of flirting with her. “My dear,” I said, “if you want to hear flirting, you should meet the old friend I’m going to see, Dr. Raymond Culbert. He i
s in a league of his own.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “I did, too. We had a good laugh.”

  “Leon, I am charming and engaging, I speak well and I compliment. That is not flirting; that is called being a gentleman.”

  “My friend, as my students are recently prone to say, ‘Dr. C, you are so 20th century.’”

  “Well, then, here’s to the 20th century!” Culbert raised his cup to toast.

  Chapter 45

  Saturday evening was a buzz of activity around the chapel. Momentum had reached a crescendo, and people were arriving an hour early for the last installment of the Family Series. The staff was forced to lock the doors to the foyer and hang signs that said, “Doors Open at 6:00 p.m.,” just to give themselves time to run through the sound, lights and video for the service. Terry Fields’ commercials had proven to be a huge regional success, and all indications were that this final weekend installment would draw standing room only crowds.

  Steve Franz had arranged to visit in order to experience first hand, the magic that Paula had talked about. She had reserved seats for him toward the back of the main floor, at his request, since he wanted to watch the congregation nearly as much as the leaders on stage. She assured him that she would join him after the service was under way. He arrived early, and she let him in through a side door as the line waiting to get in started snaking around the building.

  “This is amazing,” he said. “Is it always like this?”

  “Never. This is by far the biggest thing we’ve ever done. Madison really hit a chord with people this time. Home run. Thanks to your complimentary series in the Chron.”

  “Hey,” pointing back towards the line of people waiting to get in, “that many people don’t even read my stuff.”

  “Well, there was also the brilliant promotional campaign, somebody put together, but nobody likes a braggart,” she teased. “Really though, you’ll see why people are here when Madison gets up there. He’s really that good. We just get ‘em here, and he does the rest. Here’s your seat. Save the aisle seat for me. I have to stay mobile.”

  Steve sat down just as the doors were open for the public. The way people rushed the front of the auditorium reminded him of a general admission rock concert. He took out a notepad and started jotting down thoughts. After the initial rush had filled up about half the sanctuary, the pace settled down as those he assumed were regulars began filing in.