by T. K. Chapin
“You sure know a lot about her,” Rebecca replied.
“Her mother was my wife’s friend from a Bible study out in Chattaroy.”
“Wow, what a coincidence.”
Continuing their walk around the gallery, Rebecca checked each creation out. Some weren’t really a vase or pottery per se, like the phoenix, and some weren’t the most amazing pieces of art, but she still had an appreciation and fascination for each one. Arriving at the end of all the exhibits, she stopped and turned to Michael, “I want to make something.”
“Okay, what do you want to make?”
“I don’t know,” Rebecca shrugged. “How about a little pot for a flower. Is that hard?”
Michael laughed. “Nah, that’s not hard. Let’s do it.” Michael led her back into the classroom area and shut the door behind him that led into the gallery.
Helping her with her coat, he tossed it onto a table and took his off. Rolling up his sleeves, he motioned over to the potter’s wheel. “Go take a seat over there and I’ll grab a slab of clay.”
Slap!
Michael tossed the clay onto the wheel and bent a knee down by Rebecca’s legs. Picking up her leg, he softly set her foot on the pedal. Glancing up to her, he said, “You need to press down on this pedal to make the wheel spin.”
“Seems pretty simple…”
Nodding, Michael replied, “That’s the easy part. Go ahead and give it a try.”
Rebecca applied pressure to the pedal and the wheel began to spin. “Now dab your hands in that water pan next to the wheel and start kneading the clay.”
Rebecca began trying to knead the clay. Smiling, she looked back at him. “Am I doing it right?”
“Yes, you just need to soften the clay up so it’s moldable.”
“What got you into pottery?”
“Well, I’m a fan of art in general, but pottery, I found an interest in when I saw a cool demonstration at a church.”
“A church?”
“Yeah, the guy spoke about how we are clay in the hands of God… Wait, are you Christian? I don’t want to offend you.”
“I’m not religious, but I’m a good person.”
“Okay.” Michael watched her hands continue to knead the clay. “Start making a tower now.”
“What, how?”
Michael laughed, “Here, let me help you. Scoot up on the seat.”
“Okay,” Rebecca replied, scooting up. Michael sat down behind her on the stool and dipped his hands into the water before placing his hands over hers.
“You have to move the clay where you want it to go.” Michael guided her hands by pressing against hers, lifting the clay upwards. Rebecca glanced back to his face as it was right at her shoulder.
Her eyes were soft and he could see the desire in her eyes for him to kiss her in that moment. His pulse began to race as he leaned in and kissed her delicately on the lips. Releasing her hands from the clay, she turned and kissed him back as they both released their hands from the clay.
He moved off the stool as she turned around to meet him head on. Kissing passionately, they muddied their hair and clothing with clay. Wheeling the stool back up against the potter’s wheel, Michael climbed up on top of her as he continued to kiss her. From the lips, to the neck and then to the shoulder that her dress’s strap lay on, Michael let his lips speak his passion to her.
Rebecca grabbed for his belt and began to loosen it, but Michael stopped her. She pushed him off. “What’s the problem?” She asked, looking at him with an angered look.
“I’m not that type of guy…”
“What do you mean you’re not that type of guy? You mean you’re not straight?” She asked defensively.
“No, I’m plenty straight. I just don’t have sex.”
“Ever?” She asked, adjusting her strap back onto her shoulder as she sat up.
Michael had worried about just such an occasion as the one he was in. Meeting a wonderful woman, but not being able to keep her because he wouldn’t have sex. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have let myself get carried away. I don’t have sex outside of marriage, it’s part of my beliefs.”
“That’s still a thing?” she asked.
“Yeah, for a few.”
“I knew you were too good to be true.” Rebecca stood up, angered, and stormed over to the table with her belongings on it. Sliding her coat on, she shook her head. “That’s cute you want to wait for marriage or whatever, but I’m not that type of girl.”
“I know…”
“What the hell is that suppose to mean?”
“I saw your tramp stamp.”
“Oh, God.” Rebecca stormed passed him. “You can’t judge me.” Exiting out from the classroom in a hurry, she slammed the door behind her. The echo rang through Michael’s head, crushing his hope in that moment.
He took a seat on the stool near his potter’s wheel and folded his hands. Help me Lord… I’m trying to do your will. Michael felt his words weigh heavily on his conscious. I shouldn’t have mentioned the tramp stamp… he realized.
CHAPTER 10 ~ Rebecca
Rebecca felt such a strong connection with Michael, and she wanted him so bad in that moment, she was hurt and very irate that he could just reject her like that. Being beautiful as she was, Rebecca hadn’t experienced much, if any, rejection from a man she wanted to be with. She wasn’t a brat, but men weren’t hard to find, it was finding someone decent and kind like Michael that was the difficult part.
“I don’t even know, Chelsea, he just rejected me!” Rebecca said on the phone on the cab ride back to her apartment.
“There wasn’t any indicator?”
“He said something about his religious views, but come on!”
Silence was returned from the other end on her friend Chelsea’s line. “I know you don’t understand religion or the beliefs associated with them… but you should try to respect it. You aren’t a slut, you don’t need to have sex.”
“That’s true…” Rebecca replied, glancing out the window of the cab. “I just felt embarrassed and I was mad. I lashed out at him.”
“I know. You should try to patch things up with him. He doesn’t sound like a guy you want to lose.”
“You’re right. I don’t want to lose him, I was just hurt by his stupid comment. Thanks, Chels, I might go ahead and call him. I’ll talk to you later.”
Staring at Michael’s contact card on the rest of the ride home, she debated on calling. She didn’t want to be forced into a religion or the beliefs of one, but she wanted to be with Michael, even if he had strange beliefs. Sex wasn’t the world to her, and she hated how she probably made him feel that way. Recounting the events of the night, she recalled how comfortable she was talking to him. I can’t let this one go that easily… I’m calling him.
“Hey… I just wanted to say I’m sorry for storming out of there, but you can’t just judge me like that.”
“I’m sorry Rebecca… I shouldn’t assume or judge people by their outward appearance… that was wrong of me; and also for letting it get so far without me telling you about what and how I believe.”
“I don’t care what you believe in.”
“Oh.” He sounded hurt.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Rebecca said.
“How’d you mean it? Because my beliefs are part of who I am. I can’t hide them.”
“I know. And I don’t want you to hide them… I just don’t want you to think you can change me… you know?”
“I won’t change you, nor do I think I can change you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah…”
Whatever Michael believed in was nothing like what she was accustomed to with the Mormon missionaries who would knock on her door growing up. They were always trying to convert people into their cult-like culture and Rebecca was turned off by all religion as a result.
“I really like you, Michael, and I don’t want sex to come between us. I know there is more in life, so I want to see where this
can go.”
“Me too. Let’s go out again, Friday at seven o’clock?” He replied.
“Sounds like a date,” she replied with a smile on her face.
Rebecca continued to smile as she ended the call with him and arrived back home. It was an interesting first date, and even though she was offended by his judgment at the end of the date, she couldn’t help herself but to push past it and still have a fondness for him.
“Look who decided to come into work,” Jonathan said with a raised eyebrow as Rebecca stepped off the elevator. She hadn’t been late a single day the entire duration of her job at Howard Publications and only had missed a few days from a nasty cold she had a year and a half ago.
“Yep, I did.” Rebecca couldn’t help but smile thinking about the night with Michael. She hadn’t clicked like that with anyone ever before in her life.
“I give you a promotion and you start showing up late,” Jonathan laughed before continuing. “Late night I presume?” Jonathan asked curiously as he followed her over to her desk.
“Yeah…”
“The date?”
Rebecca dropped her purse into the drawer at her desk and turned around. “Yes, Jonathan, with the date.”
“You into this guy?”
“I like him, why?”
Jonathan suddenly became uncomfortable as he put his hands in his pockets and stood a little straighter. “I see, well, I hope it goes well.” Jonathan quickly left her desk and went into his office shutting the door behind him.
“Rebecca!” Vivian said coming up to her.
“You seem chirpy today…”
“Lance wants to work things out!” Vivian said, grabbing Rebecca’s hand excitedly.
“Oh, wow! That’s awesome!” Rebecca replied, hugging her.
“You were right! Everything really does work out!”
“I guess so! So what happened?”
“He called last night and we talked for hours. He just missed me so much and realized he wanted to be with me!”
“That’s great!”
“I know!” She glanced over to Jonathan’s office. “What was Jonathan talking about?”
“He was bugging me about my date I had last night…”
“Really?” She glanced over to his office again. “Do you think he’s thinking about breaking it off with Stacy? Maybe he finally realized how you’re the perfect gal for him?”
“I don’t know… I’m not going to be second choice though, that’s ridiculous. And why on earth he had to wait until I found a decent guy is beyond me. It’s infuriating!”
“Who’s the decent guy? Do I know him?” she asked, scanning the room.
“Nobody here. He’s a guy I met at Bella’s Coffee Shop the other day.”
“Oh, what’s he do?”
“He’s a writer and teaches over at MCC.”
“Is he cute?”
“He’s gorgeous…”
“You sound upset.”
“I’ve wanted Jonathan for a long time! I don’t want to choose between them.”
“I don’t know this other dude, but I’d go with Jonathan. He’s successful, gorgeous and a good guy. This other guy, you don’t even know him really.”
“That’s true… I’ve only been on one date with him.”
“Yeah.” Lingering for a moment longer, Vivian said, “Alright, well I am going to get to work.”
“Me too… and I’m glad everything is good with Lance again.”
“Thanks,” Vivian replied, smiling.
Vivian took off back towards her desk and Rebecca sat down to start her day. She thought about what Vivian had said about not knowing Michael very much. I’ve known Jonathan for years… I know exactly what I’m getting. But I know Michael somewhat and I like what I know… Who knows, Jonathan hasn’t even broken it off with Stacy. I’m not going to worry about it.
CHAPTER 11 ~ Michael
Unable to keep his mind off Rebecca for the last three days since their date, Michael decided to pay a visit to the one man of God that he knew better than anyone else, his uncle Floyd. He ran a dairy farm out in Chattaroy and attended the church that housed so many memories for Michael. His life growing up, his parents and even his late wife were all in the past and connected with the church that sat on the hill just off Old Faithful Rd. The road was built specifically for the church a long time ago.
The warm spring day felt good outside, and Michael had all the windows down for the car ride out into the country. He hadn’t been out to visit his uncle in a few months and wanted to check up on him and the family. Between the bundle of boys, the one girl and the dairy cows, Floyd stayed rather busy out in Chattaroy on his farm. His wife would go to town once a week for supplies, but Floyd hardly ever ventured into the city but on occasion.
Arriving at the farm, Michael pulled into the long stretched driveway that wrapped around a tree and right up to the house. Floyd’s two black labs came running from behind the house and up to his car as he parked.
Mrs. Nortaggen, Floyd’s wife Margret, pushed open the screen door that hung on the front door and held her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. “Is that you Mikey?”
Michael didn’t care for the nickname, but anyone who knew him when he was a kid called him that anyway, even through his adulthood. “How are you doing Margret?” Michael asked, stepping out of his car and taking off his shades.
“I’m well, Floyd’s around back in the milk house.”
Petting the dogs as they tried to jump up onto him, Michael laughed.
“Get down Copper and Daisy!” Margret shouted at the dogs. “You know better!”
“It’s okay,” Michael said, sidestepping the dogs. “I’m going back there to see Floyd.”
“Okay, lunch should be in thirty or so minutes. You’re good with egg salad sandwiches?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.” Michael rounded the corner of the house and journeyed back to the milk house.
Walking in, Michael had to plug his nose from the odor. He had gotten used to the smells when he was younger and lived and breathed the air out in Chattaroy, but his visits as an adult always forced a gag or two if he didn’t hold his breath or breathe through his mouth.
“Mike!” Floyd shouted as he set down the hose he was using to spray down the stalls. Floyd never called him Mikey but instead referred to the name that Michael’s father went by, ‘Mike.’
“How are you, Floyd?” Michael asked, embracing him with a hug and a pat on the back.
“God’s good, Mike, he’s been real good to us,” Floyd smiled warmly as he peered back across the milk house.
“Don’t you worry about anything?”
“What’s there to be worried about? I have God’s peace every single day.”
Michael nodded. “You’re a smart man.”
“Hey Dad,” Levi said as he approached from the doorway into the milk house.
“Yes son?” Floyd replied.
“I’m heading down to the Mud Hole to swim with Chris.”
“Okay… be back by supper and let your mother know on your way out.”
“Sure thing.” Levi glanced over at Michael. “How’s it going, cuz?”
“Good,” Michael smiled. “How are you?”
“I’d be doing good if my brothers would stop terrorizing me!”
“They do that because they love you.”
“Don’t be weird!” Levi replied. Glancing out the doorway, he said, “I’ll see ya later, I gotta run!”
“Okay. See ya around,” Michael said as he watched Levi dart out of the door. “He is sure growing up quickly,” Michael said.
“Yes, he is,” Floyd replied with a longing smile. Turning back to Michael he said, “How you holding up?” Floyd asked as they began walking out of the milk house and heading to the porch that sat off the back of the house.
Grinning, he replied, “I’m okay… I met a girl.”
“You met a girl?” Floyd said with his eyes wide as he sat down. “A real one?”
“Yes, a real one,” Michael laughed as he took a seat at the table across from Floyd. “She’s great…,” letting his words trail off.
“You don’t seem sure of yourself, is there a problem?”
“She isn’t a Christian…”
“Oh.” Floyd got up from his seat and opened the sliding glass door that led into the kitchen. “Dear, could you fetch us some ice tea?”
“After I finish loading this load of laundry I will.”
“Thanks, love you, Dear.” Floyd returned to his seat. “You can’t try to change that gal, you know that.”
“I know I can’t… And before you say anything, I also know about being unevenly yoked.”
“Yeah...” Floyd stopped and looked to be thinking for a moment. He was a man who knew the word of God and was more concerned about what God thought over other people’s feelings. He was the example Michael looked up to ever since his parents passed away. Even though Michael wasn’t a kid anymore, he knew he needed counsel and guidance in life, and Floyd was one he could always turn to in a time of need. “Being un-equally yoked is difficult, and some people fall hard into trouble when they are yoked with an unbeliever.”
“I know… I really like her though, and you know how difficult that’s been…”
“Yes, I do.” Floyd sighed heavily. “You just have to be careful, Mike, and let God help you.”
“I know,” Michael replied with a nod. “It’s just hard to see God’s will clearly. And when I met Rebecca, she knew the Lord. I’ve never run into this before. I still miss her, but I know she would want me to be happy. ”
“It’s only hard to see God’s will when we let our own will get in the way.” Floyd reached across the table and rested a hand on Michael’s shoulder. “His will is for us to be happy and the instructions we find in the Bible are there to help us, not hold us back. And the dearly departed Rebecca would want nothing more than you to live your life and be happy; I can say that with complete honesty boy.”
“Thanks.”
Michael knew the word of God and knew exactly what it said about yoking with an unbeliever. It wasn’t to be done. Maybe I could talk to her a little more and see if she’s interested in God at all? Maybe she’s already on the path? Michael knew the road he was traveling down was dangerous.