by Susan Thomas
Kathy liked the pastor and the whole idea of being part of a family church again appealed to her so she decided she would go. All she had to do was see the chaplain and get permission. Chaplain Bill Jones was extremely kind to her, even helping her obtain a local driving licence and pointing her in the direction of a good reputable used car showroom. The following Sunday she arrived in time for morning service, still using a hire car, and was greeted at the door.
"Hi there, are you new here?"
"Yes first time, I'm a student at the college."
It wasn't intentional on Kathy's part that she never mentioned the Anderton part of her name just introduced herself as Kathy. She was young and her name was Kathy so that is what she said. It had a curious result as no one ever asked her what her surname was...she was always just Kathy.
The person greeting introduced her to a couple of folk and Kathy soon found that she was the subject of friendly interest. Then there was a man standing in front of her. He was just above medium height, strongly built but clearly in his sixties. He was smiling in a friendly and relaxed fashion.
"Hi there, I hear you're Kathy. Welcome Kathy to our church. Hope to see more of you here. If I can do anything to help in any way just ask anyone for me. I'm Matt Anderton. If your problem is a practical one I'm your go to guy. If it is intellectual see the pastor." He laughed at his own humour.
Kathy managed to keep her reaction friendly and neutral. This man was her grandfather. Kathy boiled inside at his hypocrisy. 'Go to guy' - what nonsense. Her mother hadn't been able to go to him. When he left her she noticed that he went over to a woman she guessed was his wife. He saw the woman giving her a puzzled look and wondered why. She had one photograph of her father and she didn't look like him, and even if they had met her mother she didn't look like her either. She shook off her feelings unwilling to go into a church service with such negative thoughts.
The service wasn't like the church back at home but it had the same warm feel and Kathy felt this was the right place for her. She wasn't a believer but she liked being among believers... very strange she knew. Before she left at the end of the service she was invited to join in the Wednesday evening 'Pioneers', a group for the sixteen to twenty-one year olds in church. It was a mixed sex group and Kathy thought it would be good to have some male contact in her life even though she had no intention of dating at present.
---oOo---
Stacey arrived back on the Monday morning in her usual whirlwind fashion. She always seemed to be dropping bits wherever she went. Kathy slowed her down and helped sort her out until finally everything was put away. Stacey had brought her a piece of her grandma's birthday cake which seemed huge to Kathy so she shared it with her.
"So how did your grandma's birthday go?"
"Oh it was great. Must have been nearly two hundred folk all in all. She had a ball. My grandma is a great one for a party. We all enjoyed it. Sunday I went to see some of my friends and then I got spanked by Dad."
"Spanked! Heavens you were only home for the party whatever did you do wrong?"
"Well I was late back for family prayers."
"But that is outrageous. You can't spank someone for being late to prayers."
"Well, it wasn't being late exactly."
"OK what was it then? Come on Stacey you know you want to tell me."
"Dad asked me if I was going to be back for family prayers."
"So you could have missed them?"
"I could have but I said yes I would be back. Only then I lost track of time." Kathy rolled her eyes. "And I guess I could have phoned but I got in a panic." Kathy sighed and shook her head. "And I arrived back late. I realise now I'd have been better going quietly to my room but I didn't, I tried to go in. And it wasn't my fault exactly that I fell over the table or that the vase..."
"Oh Stacey, you muffin. You didn't get spanked for being late you got spanked for being a tornado right in the middle of a prayer meeting when you didn't need to. Was it bad?"
"No the lecture was worse. He just used his hand. There really isn't anything much to see now but he did spank my bare butt so it made me squeak some."
Kathy was more shocked that Stacey had been spanked on her bare bottom than that she had been spanked at all but she had no wish to offend. She said nothing but tucked that nugget away in her mind under 'differences' - the differences she was encountering between her upbringing and life here in this area.
She frequently shared those differences on Skype with Kelly back in England and with the vicar of the church. He liked the fact she was in a family church and going to the college chapel every day. He had really wanted her to stay in Lancashire and do a degree at the local university. She would then have had the support of the church, but Kathy was strong-willed and had chosen her own path. He prayed daily that God would bless it.
---oOo---
On the Wednesday Kathy went to Pioneers for the first time, her college curfew extended to eleven pm which was after lights out. She had to be very quiet when coming back in. She enjoyed the meeting thoroughly it was good fun and she agreed she would attend the following week. At the second meeting they were in groups devising drama skits on everyday problems affecting young Christians. Kathy was excellent at drama and her group excelled but not everyone was well behaved. One group of three girls was especially silly and their behaviour became quite disruptive. Finally Meg Landers, the leader, asked everyone to sit down. Kathy ended up sitting next to the girls, her quiet composure in sharp contrast the idiots next to her. Meg sent for help.
The cavalry arrived in the form of Assistant Pastor Jack Myerscough, his name on a name tag on his jacket. Kathy casually recognised the name as a Lancashire name in origin. He was a tall stern-looking man, in his late twenties she judged, and he seemed to know instantly who had caused the trouble. He gazed at them disapprovingly for a moment and then spoke in a deep voice.
"I wish to see you three girls in my office. We will discuss this matter in private."
The room went silent and the three girls suddenly lost all silliness and reluctantly stood and made their way out of the room. Pastor Myerscough turned to Kathy. "Where you part of all this nonsense, young lady?"
Kathy shook her head and several voices chimed in saying she was no part of it. He seemed to accept that and turned on his heel and left. The groups continued performing their skits for each other and deciding which ones could be used for a show later in the year.
Kathy whispered to a young man in her group, "What happens with those three idiots?"
He grinned. "Oh Pastor Jack will be spanking some sense into them you can be sure. They'll be sore tonight and serves them right."
Kathy was horrified. "Spank them! You are pulling my leg I trust!"
He looked at her, puzzled. "No of course I'm not. Families give blanket permission to the two pastors to use corporal correction on us if necessary. Only of course most of us are too grown up to ever need it. It happens only rarely."
Kathy really felt at sea. Stacey spanked by her dad. These girls spanked by the pastor. This was just so different. Not that she disagreed, the three girls certainly needed pulling up. At the end Kathy was disappointed that everyone just left without helping Meg to clear up. She glanced at her watch. She had enough time before her curfew so she stayed helping Meg put things away and the leader was very grateful. When she'd done, Kathy bade her goodnight and went out into the main part of the church complex. She was just about to go out of the door to the car park when Pastor Myerscough stopped her.
"Just a minute, young lady. You were sitting with those three badly behaved girls. Were you part of that bad behaviour?"
"I have already answered that question."
"Now don't you be sassy, young lady. You didn't answer properly you just shook your head. I want a proper answer."
"No I wasn't. I don't even know them. As a matter of fact I don't really know anyone in Pioneers. This is only my second week of attending."
He looked puzz
led. "Second week? Who are your family?"
"I have no family here. I'm from England. I'm a freshman at the college."
At that point Meg came out. "Now you leave Kathy alone, Jack. She was wonderful at our drama. Real gifted, and she stayed and helped me clear up. Take no notice of him Kathy, he has to keep the silly teenagers in order but that doesn't apply to you."
Meg bustled off and Jack Myerscough looked at Kathy clearly about to say more but Kathy intervened. "I don't wish to be disrespectful but I have an extended curfew in order to come here and I mustn't be late back."
"Sure you go. Sorry for doubting you. Will you be at church Sunday?"
Kathy nodded and left. As she walked across the car park she wondered just why her heart was banging so hard. She certainly hadn't been afraid he would spank her, she simply wouldn't have let him, so why was it going so fast? Curiously, Jack was wondering exactly the same thing and already planning how he would be the one to greet folks as they arrived on Sunday.
---oOo---
When Kathy arrived on Sunday, Pastor Myerscough was greeting those arriving. He shook her hand but didn't let go at once. "Welcome Kathy, did you get back on time?"
"Yes thanks, I had about five minutes to spare."
"It's good to stick to the rules Kathy so well done and I apologise again for my suspicions. That I didn't know you was the problem and thought you'd tagged along with those three very silly young ladies."
Kathy found her heart was racing again and she felt strangely weak inside. She had no idea what was the matter with her. Surely she wasn't afraid of him, she had nothing to be afraid of.
"Kathy, I'm not involved in today's service so I wonder if I might sit next to you."
Kathy's voice sounded young and silly to her as she replied, "Oh well if you wish. Shall I save you a seat?"
"Please."
Her heart was banging even harder as she walked to a place and carefully put her Bible on the seat next to her. She felt as if his eyes were boring into her back even though she knew he'd be greeting others. Just as the service was about to start the pastor slipped into the seat next to her handing back her Bible with a lovely smile. Kathy didn't dare look at him but began to concentrate furiously on the service. Then they all stood to sing a worship song.
Kathy had a lovely voice and as she sang she found Pastor Myerscough singing along with her in a fine baritone. She looked up at him and found he was smiling down at her. It was if they alone were raising their voices in perfect unison to the creator. Kathy had never enjoyed singing in church so much.
After that she kept glancing at him. He certainly had an interesting face she thought; not handsome exactly but strong and kindly looking. His eyes were the most intense blue she had ever seen and his dark hair wasn't black but a rich brown and slightly wavy. She wondered how old he was, perhaps late twenties, maybe thirty. Too old to want anything to do with her that was for sure. He was just being kind to a teenager he had suspected of something she hadn't done.
At the end of the service he walked with her to get coffee, discussing the sermon with her in a lively way and helping her to get meaning she had not understood. The invitation when it came was a surprise to her.
"Kathy, how would you like to come with me to the theatre? The local Little Theatre is staging Our Town by Thornton Wilder. Do you know it?"
Kathy felt as if she was stammering and sounding silly. She was unaware that she appeared calm with that heart-breaking air of melancholy that was her default expression except with Stacey. "I don't know the play at all - in fact I've never heard of it."
"It's fascinating, most unusual and most definitely worth watching. Please join me. I can get two tickets for Friday evening. I'm sure you can get a curfew extension for that."
Surprised at both the invitation and how weak she felt, she agreed to go with him and he told her he'd pick her up at the college and return her again afterwards.
---oOo---
Back at college Stacey was delighted that Kathy had a date with Pastor Jack Myerscough. She knew her friend had suffered a great loss but worried that she just wasn't really living her life properly.
"Great, a date. How good looking is he? Does he look like a movie star?"
"It's not a date, he just feels sorry he thought I was in with those daft girls. It's an apology and probably he has no one else to go with. That'll be the end of it."
"Garbage sacks! Of course it is a date. Why you'll be Mrs Pastor Myerscough before you know it."
Kathy poked a tongue out at her and the girls left it there. Wednesday evening Kathy tried to get Stacey to come to Pioneers with her but Stacey struggled with her work and was desperate for some catching up time so she went on her own. She arrived to find that the evening would be taken up with the first of a series of talks by people with different views on the subject of 'Marriage in Modern Society'. Each speaker would talk on the same title but the talks would be every five weeks or so. The speaker for this session was the Reverend Matthew Erbersbacher.
From the beginning of the talk he annoyed Kathy. His whole manner was condescending, and that coming from an overweight man with a shiny face somehow made it much worse. He used scriptures almost as weapons, hurling them into his talk as irrefutable truths no matter how out of context they might be. Women today were defying God and setting themselves up as equals to men both inside and outside marriage. They wished to emulate men and be in charge when emotionally and mentally they were not fit for that purpose. That was not how God made them and not how he wanted them to behave. Their natural role was as a helpmate to man, to bear children and nurture them to become God-fearing people. Within marriage they had to be submissive to their husbands. No other way of life was acceptable to God and it wasn't a matter of choice it was a matter of right or wrong. To be submissive to her husband was right for a woman. Any other way was wrong and she was defying God. Most of the ills of modern society tracked back to this fundamental defiance on the part of women.
Kathy boiled silently throughout his talk but then question time came. Had some of the others attending asked any questions all might have been well, but most of them were either bored to tears or so bemused they didn't know what to ask. Kathy raised her hand. Meg and Jack, who were also in attendance, smiled relieved that someone showed a spark. Their relieved looks disappeared quickly.
"Mr Erbersbacher," the edge in her voice apparent in the incorrect title, "What would you say of a man who marries a woman, gives her a baby and then walks out when the baby is only six months old, leaving her virtually penniless?"
It was clear that the reverend gentleman was not in the least dismayed by the question. "To begin with, the man concerned has clearly failed in his Christian duty as a husband. However, one must look to his wife that he should make so spectacular a failure. She clearly failed in her duty of submission and was in all probability a contentious wife. He, as her husband, should have corrected her behaviour but instead he chose the path of running away. Both need to be brought before the Lord in a state of repentance."
It was downhill fast after that response. Kathy became so angry she simply wouldn't stop and her questions became ruder and more outrageous, matched only by the utterly insensitive and downright stupid responses of the speaker. He started to sweat as Kathy got under his skin but would not concede to Jack Myerscough who several times tried to bring proceedings to a halt. The other Pioneers were fascinated, many turning their chairs to watch first Kathy ask yet another nasty question and then watch as the Rev Erbersbacher gave yet another insensitive response.
Jack was fairly new into his ministry and clearly had never encountered anything like this before. His guest speaker would not concede the floor to him but finally he got up, simply took the microphone from him, thanked him for his illuminating talk and announced a refreshment break and that the Rev Erbersbacher would doubtless wish to mingle, once he had some refreshment, and impart his wisdom to his young audience. Jack then left the speaker to Meg and went
to head Kathy off before she could get anywhere near the guest.
With a very stern look he took her arm gently, but firmly, and worked her into a corner where he stood in front of her to prevent any escape. "Kathy that was an outrageous display and I don't mean Erbersbacher, I mean you. You have been rude and contentious with a guest speaker. I know he is controversial. Many of our speakers will be. We have a strongly viewed feminist coming who will undoubtedly claim marriage is a form of prostitution. We do not believe in hiding different opinion but we do believe all guests, without exception, should be treated courteously. By all means ask difficult questions, but there are ways that may be done and you failed to use any of them. That was a bar room brawl." Kathy stood looking at him her temper cooling. "I am surprised at you to be honest. You seem such a sensible and level headed girl."
"I have my reasons but that man-"
"Is opinionated, outrageous and mainly wrong, but he is still our guest and that is the whole point - that our Pioneers hear different views on the same subject. An important subject I may add." Jack took a deep breath and clearly squared his shoulders before continuing. "You are in an unusual position here in this church. You are not with a church family nor are you a member in your own right. Any other Pioneer behaving like that would be visiting my office for a spanking. Given your unusual status I cannot demand you make such a visit but I would hope that your own conscience would make you realise that behaviour like that has consequences. I would further hope that before you leave tonight you would pay a visit to my office and take the spanking that frankly you deserve. Whatever you decide you must now leave that man alone."