The First Ladies Club Box Set

by J B Hawker

  The impromptu prayer circle disbursed, and Thom shook Merrill’s hand before turning to leave.

  Trotting in his wake, Christine turned and mouthed, “Thank you,” to Merrill as she left.

  Merrill felt humbled and grateful to God for getting between her pride and her people and giving her the right words that morning.

  If she’d followed her own impulse, as she had done on the first meeting with this couple, she might have alienated them forever.

  Giving the man an opportunity to salvage his dignity was a small gift costing Merrill nothing.

  Climbing into bed, she included Thom and his wife in her prayers and handed them, along with the rest of her concerns, to God before drifting off to sleep.

  *

  Merrill and Ryan were both up early Monday morning.

  Neither could eat many of the blueberry muffins Merrill baked for this special day.

  Ryan was waiting at the door with his backpack in hand before his aunt had finished putting away the leftovers and washing the dishes.

  “Okay, I’m ready. Don’t worry, Ryan. We are still early and have plenty of time to get you registered and settled in.”

  “I know. I’m just sort of anxious to get this first day of school over with,” Ryan replied, opening the door to let Merrill go ahead of him.

  They didn’t talk much during the ten-minutes before pulling into a visitor parking space in front of the school.

  Few other cars were in the parking lot at this early hour.

  “Ready?” Merrill asked.

  Ryan shrugged with an uncertain grin, then stepped out of the car, ready to face the day.

  After getting her nephew checked in at the high school, Merrill stopped to pick up groceries before going to her office.

  She was amazed at how much food a grieving teenage boy could consume.

  If she didn’t do the shopping now, he wouldn’t have anything to eat after school to tide him over until dinner.

  Merrill’s office hours began at nine, giving her plenty of time to stock up before beginning her workday.

  Returning to the apartment with her shopping, she was surprised to find the door unlocked.

  In all their nervousness about Ryan’s first day of school, it seemed she forgot to lock it behind them.

  After putting two bags of groceries on the kitchen counter, she returned to the car for the rest.

  She was bringing in the last load when she almost dropped the bags in surprise.

  There was a man standing in the middle of in her kitchen.

  The church handyman, Alden Boreman, reached into one of the bags on the counter and popped open a can of soda.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, trying to remain calm.

  Alden gulped down about half the can before replying.

  “I needed to hit the head and couldn’t wait until I got over to the restrooms in the annex, so I stopped in here,” he stated.

  “But, how did you get in?”

  “Oh, I just used my key,” he said, jingling the key ring on his belt and chugging down the rest of the soda.

  Merrill’s shock turned to outrage, but she took several deep breaths before speaking.

  “I see. You probably needed that key while there was no one living here, but now you can give it to me. It will save the cost of cutting a duplicate for my nephew.”

  Alden covered his keys protectively, a mulish expression on his face, but when Merrill resolutely held out her hand, he nodded slowly.

  He made a production of working the key off the ring, but eventually dropped it into her palm.

  “I can always get another one, you know. Just about everyone’s got one,” he muttered, as he sidled around Merrill to reach the door.

  Merrill shut and locked the door behind him.

  Realizing there was truth in what he’d said, she decided to have the apartment’s locks changed, as soon as possible.

  Chapter 11

  Merrill arrived early and sat in the empty Sunday school classroom waiting for the deacons to arrive for their regular monthly meeting.

  She looked over the report of her church-related activities since coming to Bannoch and a synopsis of her hopes for the future of the congregation.

  Under the heading “Maintenance Needs” she crossed out the top item “Change Apartment Locks.”

  On the phone with her brother earlier, she’d mentioned Alden’s uninvited visit and Sage had been furious. He’d promised to drive down to Bannoch tomorrow to change all of her locks.

  She hoped the board would be pleased not to need to pay for this work.

  Merrill also told Sage about the leaky baptistery and other maintenance problems keeping the congregation from holding services in their sanctuary.

  When she shared her frustration at seeing the beautiful space unused, Sage said he would look the place over to see what needed to be done. If he could do the work himself, without taking too much time away from his own business, he would be happy to help out.

  She decided not to say anything about this possibility to the deacons until after her brother determined what he could do.

  If Sage did the work, not only would they save money, but Ryan might be able to help him. It would be good for the fatherless boy to spend time with her brothers.

  She was mulling over the pleasant prospect of having a houseful of men around, when she was interrupted by the deacons arriving.

  Manny Lum came in first, greeting her warmly. He began sorting packets of paper and putting them around the table while the others drifted in.

  The last to appear was Manota. She took her seat and, with a sour expression, began reading her set of papers.

  Merrill thought the unfortunate woman must still be suffering from whatever malady had struck her on Sunday.

  Manny called the meeting to order and opened with a prayer.

  The clerk and treasurer gave their reports, and then it was Merrill’s turn to speak.

  “Before I read my report, I want to say how much I appreciate the way you and the whole congregation have welcomed my nephew into the church family. I have been your pastor for such a short time and your kindness means a lot to me. Thank you so very much,” she said, and was interrupted by several, “Happy to help,” and, “It was no trouble,” comments before she could continue with her report.

  Merrill recounted the hours she’d spent in the office, home and hospital visits she’d made, and sermons given, then presented her hopes and plans for the future.

  “Every morning, as I walk down the hallway to my church office, I pass our beautiful sanctuary and see the dust gathering on the hand-carved pews and expensive musical instruments. It hurts to see this space, built and equipped for the glory of God, sitting idle. I understand the reasons for abandoning the sanctuary were the necessary structural repairs and the high cost of heating such a large open area.”

  “Our small congregation is on a very tight budget, I know,” she continued. “However, I’ve been praying and seeking our Lord’s guidance and I am convinced we are meant to return the church building to its original use. I’ve petitioned God to make it possible for us to worship in the sanctuary before this summer ends, and I ask you all to join your prayers with mine.”

  There was a loud, “Amen!” from Edgar Richardson. “That’s just what I’ve wanted to hear. It’s a sin to let the church building lie fallow like we are doing. The Addison family donated this land and built our church, way back in the boom times in the 1800’s, for God’s glory. Nothing glorious about a big empty building.”

  “But, it’s so drafty,” Manota protested.

  “Did you ever read any place in the Bible where it says we have to be comfortable when we’re worshiping?” Edgar asked.

  “Edgar has a point,” Manny said. “Maybe we were too hasty when we decided to let leaks and drafts drive us out of our sanctuary.”

  “That’s fine in principle, but how do you think we are going to pay the bills, if we all die of pneumonia
from sitting in that leaky old barn?” Manota retorted.

  Before the discussion could become heated, Merrill stepped in.

  “For the time being, let’s simply pray for God’s will to be done regarding the sanctuary,” she said.

  She finished up her report with the news that her brother was donating his labor to change the locks on the apartment.

  “Change the locks? Why?” Manota demanded.

  “Well, for security and privacy. I understand why many members of the congregation need to have keys to the church and annex, but the apartment is my home,” Merrill explained.

  “What if we need to make repairs or something?”

  “Well, then, we will arrange a convenient time for me to be there to let the repairmen in, of course.”

  Manota seemed about to object, then clamped her mouth shut and began to fiddle with her papers.

  “It’s really kind of your brother to save us money, like that, Pastor. Be sure to give him our thanks,” Manny said, resuming control of the meeting.

  After reviewing and approving the monthly bills and hearing a report from the social committee about plans for the Lenten bonfire beach picnic coming in March, the meeting was adjourned, and the deacons quickly disbursed.

  Walking across the dark parking lot to her apartment, Merrill muttered to herself, “Well, that went well…I guess.”

  Ryan was doing his homework when Merrill returned from the board meeting, so she only stuck her head into his room and wished him a good night before going up to bed.

  She was relieved to hear Ryan say he thought this school was going to be okay.

  Having one less concern on her mind helped her to fall asleep quickly.

  *

  The next morning, Ryan decided to walk the mile or so to school, and Merrill went to her office early to work on plans for the mid-week Bible study she would be leading during the Lenten season.

  Many Baptist churches pay little attention to the forty days of Lent and focus solely on Palm Sunday and Easter, but Merrill thought taking those weeks to appreciate Christ’s sacrifice made the celebration of the miracle of the resurrection all the more glorious.

  She hoped her new church family would feel the same.

  She was interrupted at mid-morning by a light rap on the Pastor’s Study door.

  Looking up, she was delighted to see Sage enter, accompanied by their older brother, Wolf.

  “Wolf! What a nice surprise. I didn’t know you were coming, too,” she cried, jumping up and attempting to enfold both her tall, rugged brothers in her arms.

  Standing on tiptoe with her arms stretched to their limits, she just managed to scrunch the two men awkwardly together.

  “Whoa, Bluebell!” Wolf said, calling Merrill by his childhood nickname for her.

  As the older, wiser brother, Wolf had flaunted his knowledge of the meaning of Merrill’s given name, “Indigo,” to create the moniker.

  Merrillanne had been called ‘Indigo’ while growing up, but before going away to university, she’d decided ‘Indigo Rose’ sounded too much like an exotic dancer and switched to a shortened version of her middle name.

  “Sage told me what he is up to, so I thought I’d take a couple of days off and come give you guys a hand…to be sure you don’t make a mess of things,” Wolf said.

  “I’m so happy to have you both here,” she said, ignoring her brother’s teasing.

  “Are you having a hard time here, Sis? That hug you gave us seemed a little desperate,” Sage said.

  “No, no. I’m fine, just glad to see you. Everything’s fine,” Merrill assured them. “You know about Robert and Jeanie, and that Ryan’s come to live with me, of course. He’s settling in fine, though. Better than I’d dreamed.”

  “How’s this church treating you?” Sage asked.

  “Fine, fine. They couldn’t be nicer, for the most part.”

  “For the most part? What about the rest?” Wolf asked.

  “No, it’s fine, really, everyone’s been fine. Some are just harder to get to know than others. I’ve been here only a short time, after all. I’m sure we’ll all shake down together just fine,” she said.

  “So, I gather you’re fine, just fine, fine, and fine,” Sage said with a grin. “You obviously went into the ministry because of your flare with words.”

  Merrill swatted him on the upper arm and led the way out to the sanctuary.

  “Before we get to work on the locks, I want to show you the sanctuary. I didn’t have a chance to give you the tour when you helped me move.”

  “You said it needs some work done so you can use it, right?” Wolf asked.

  “Yes. The baptistery leaks, as do quite a few of the windows. I’m not sure what else needs to be repaired… except I know the bell rope needs to be replaced.”

  “Lead us to it, then,” Sage said, pulling out a small notebook and carpenter’s pencil from his pocket.

  After giving the sanctuary a thorough going over, Merrill showed her brothers the bell access cabinet before taking them up to the tower.

  It was a bright, sunny day, but when she stepped onto the belfry platform, Merrill’s mind immediately flashed back to the night of the storm and her sad discovery.

  She remained near the stairs, letting her brothers approach the bell and its workings.

  She couldn’t suppress a shudder as Wolf walked across the dark stain on the floor.

  “This anchor rope must have been tied off by a monkey. Don’t the people in your church know how to secure a bell?” Wolf asked.

  “That’s a sorry excuse for a knot, I agree,” Sage said, leaning over to see Merrill’s handiwork more closely.

  “It’s not my fault I was never a Boy Scout or a sailor. You don’t know what I went through. I was happy just to get the thing to stop clanging in my ears,” Merrill protested.

  “You tied this? Why didn’t you get someone to do it for you?” Wolf asked.

  “It was the middle of the night while a storm was raging. I didn’t know how difficult it would be…or what I’d find up here.”

  “Why, what did you find? Were there rats and bats and spiders and all?” Sage teased, wiggling his fingers like spider legs.

  “I found the body of a woman who’d come up here to hang herself,” Merrill said, looking grim.

  “Hey, I’m sorry for joking! You actually found a suicide victim?” Sage asked.

  “What was she doing in your belfry, for cripes sakes?” Wolf asked.

  “Nobody knows. She was from the Portland area, not anyone local. Just some sort of sad coincidence, I guess. Maybe she was driving by and saw the church and came in on impulse.”

  “If it was during the storm, maybe she came in for shelter,” Sage suggested.

  “No, according to the authorities, she’d been dead for quite some time before I stumbled into her.”

  “You mean she might have been hanging up here when we were moving you in?” Sage asked, looking a bit queasy.

  “How the heck did she get in? Do they leave the building open?” Wolf wanted to know.

  “The church is kept locked, although it seems everyone and his dog has a key, but how she got in is another part of the mystery,” Merrill told him.

  “Look, there’s a coil of rope in that corner. Let’s get this thing fixed and get out of here,” Sage said to his brother.

  “Yeah. I’m ready to get some lunch and tackle those locks,” Wolf agreed.

  *

  The next few weeks fell into a pleasant routine of church, school and getting acquainted with new friends.

  Ryan enjoyed helping Merrill’s brothers on their weekend sanctuary work parties.

  On one visit, Judy and the twins joined in and the day became a real party, ending with a bonfire picnic in the sheltered cove.

  The women of the First Ladies Club were chatting about it over tea and cookies in the Methodist Church fellowship hall following their meeting.

  “Your brothers are really nice, Merrill,” Judy s
aid from across the long, wooden folding table. “And they are both single, too, right? It makes me wish…” she continued, letting her sentence hang.

  “Wish what?” Peggy asked. “You are a happily married woman, remember.”

  “Not for me! I was just wishing I knew someone I could fix them up with.”

  “I learned a long time ago not to meddle in my brothers’ love lives, Judy. Wolf is gun-shy since his divorce, and Sage is practically engaged to a very nice woman,” Merrill said.

  “Oh, well, then…They are both lots of fun, and really hard workers, too. You should see what an improvement they’ve made in the First Baptist sanctuary, Elizabeth.”

  “Did they manage to fix the baptistery?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Yes, and caulked the drafty windows and I don’t know what all else.”

  “So, will your congregation be moving the worship services, now?” Peggy asked Merrill.

  “That’s the plan. I’ve scheduled an inspection tour with the deacons for next week. If they give the okay, we’ll be back where we belong the following Sunday,” Merrill replied.

  “But you still have a very small congregation. Won’t they feel lost, scattered around that large space?” Olivette asked. “I’ve always felt our small sanctuary is so cozy, even when we have few in attendance.”

  “I’ve roped off the back two-thirds of the pews, as well as the balcony area. I’m hoping the deacons agree to leave it that way until we begin to grow, especially now nobody has any claim to a favorite pew. I’d like to take out those back pews to create a gathering and display area, but I haven’t mentioned it to the deacons, yet.”

  “You have some interesting ideas, Merrill. I sure hope your congregation appreciates you,” Gwennie interposed, as the others exchanged amused glances.

  Chapter 12

  Merrill led the group of deacons around the sanctuary, pointing out her brothers’ repairs.

  “This is really nice, Merrill. Your brothers did a good job,” Manny enthused.

  “And all for only the cost of materials, too,” added Edgar, as some of the others nodded in agreement.

  “Still seems awfully drafty to me,” Manota grumbled. “It’ll cost an arm and a leg to heat this big old mausoleum. How are we supposed to pay for it? That’s what I want to know. Are your brothers going to foot the bill?”