The Moore's VII (27)

A Chapter by Joe

The Moore's VII (27)

When they arrived at the First Church of 100 Oak Valley in Christ's Name, the place was filled with people talking and laughing, waiting for the sermon. Stephen looked at his watch and saw it was 6:55. Almost time for the sermon to start.

"Here's a seat," Henrietta said and, holding Vivi's hand, shuffled into a pew where, Stephen saw, Edna and Ed McDonald were sitting. He immediately recognized them from the preservatives shop the other time.

Tyler, his eyes half-closed with sleepiness, sat next to Vivi and Stephen sat at the end of the pew. He picked a Bible up from the rack on the back of the seat in front of him, opened the program he'd received in the vestibule, and began to bookmark the Bible passages that the pastor was going to quote with torn edges of the program.

That morning, Stephen and Henrietta had awoken at six and, while Henrietta was showering, Stephen listened to a news report from St. Claire on the radio. As an update on the dead man who was found in the Crick came on, his ears peaked up and he listened.

"...the man who was found by two boys in the small town of 100 Oak Valley," the radio spoke. "Did not die of drowning, but of a brain hemorrhage. When the coroner looked inside the man's skull, he found a massive fissure that the hemorrhage came from. The man has been laid to rest in Vermont today. In other news..."

He took his shower and then Stephen helped Henrietta wake the children, with some reluctance on their parts, and then, after a breakfast of Cocoa O's, the family got into the car and drove down to 100 Oak Valley. All the while, Stephen thinking about the guy who those boy's found in the Crick.

"Hey, dad,"

Tyler's voice brought Stephen out of his thoughts and he looked at his son.

"What's up?" He asked.

Tyler pointed to the altar, behind which an extremely pale man stood, a handkerchief to his mouth.

"That guy doesn't look too good," Tyler said.

"No," Stephen said. But it was more than that. The man looked as though he were incredibly sick. He was sweating rivers and he had heavy bags under his eyes. From where the family sat, he could hear the man coughing and the cough was horrendously sharp and harsh. For a moment, Stephen thought that he should call 911 and have an ambulance get this guy out of here and into the hospital, but he knew that would be crazy. It was starting to become fall, but there was still pollen and dust in the air from summer. The guy was probably incredibly allergic to one or the other or both and was having a reaction. Wasn't the church's lawn freshly mowed when they had come inside? Yes, Stephen had seen the lines of shredded grass. It was probably just an allergic reaction. Besides, other than the sweating and pale skin and cough, the man seemed fine. He was even smiling as he came out from behind the parted curtains and stood up to the pulpit.

Stephen looked down at his watch, saw it was 6:58, and looked back up at the altar again. The man up there, no doubt the pastor, was drinking from a cold water bottle.

"I'm sure he's fine," Stephen whispered to his son, the din in the church quieting as service began.

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