She left the church soon after, but it took a few months for her to track
Rachel down. Fortunately several members of her family were quite good at
locating people, and Detective Michaels, who'd recently transferred to
Buffalo, was also able to help.
Mary rang the door bell, and soon Rachel peered through the door window. After a brief hesitation Rachel opened the door slightly, leaving the safety chain on.
"How did you find me?" she asked. Followed rapidly by "Are you alone?"
"Yes, I'm alone. I asked my family to help me find you. They have a lot of contacts."
"Your family? So, I guess you've left the church?"
"Yes." She paused awkwardly. "Can I come in?"
The hall was dimly lit and Mary stumbled as Rachel led the way to a door at the back of the building. She gestured for Mary to go in first.
Mary looked around the small bachelor. She turned around to ask Rachel about it and stopped. She could see what had been hidden by the door and then the darkness of the hallway.
Rachel, hand over her protruding belly, looked at her wryly and said "When he said we should 'be fruitful and multiply' you didn't think he was just referring to the gardening, did you?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"It's his?"
"His or someone else's. I don't know. But don't worry, I was yoked with a believer."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"In a way I'm grateful. Before this" she waved her hand at her belly "I couldn't talk myself into leaving. It was comfortable - being told what to do, not having to make any decisions. My only responsibility was to follow Pastor David." She sipped her tea. "But, now I have to think beyond that."
Another sip. "So, what about you?"
"I didn't feel like I could leave. I owed all that money, and I got that loan."
"They weren't your friends, Mary. They were using you."
"I know."
"They were using all of us." She hadn't said anything about her job.
"Yes."
"You know what's funny, though? I sometimes miss the certainty I had when I first joined. That's what I really wanted. It was so nice to belong. To know what was right and wrong. Everything was made so simple."
"How can you say it like that? How can you not be angry? When I think about it . . . How can you see good in the world knowing that someone could use your trust that way?"
"I am angry. But I can't let myself believe that that single person is proof that everyone is like that. There is good in the world. There is a God. I think it was God that helped me get through this."
"So, you'll reject one false prophet, but you'll keep looking for another?"
"No. No more prophets. No more ministers. Just God. And myself."
"I wish I could believe the way you do." Mary said at last. But even as she said it, she knew that on some level she did. Not all religion was bad. It could be misused, certainly, but the misuse was not proof of anything. She wouldn't let Pastor David's deceit or even the example of her sister's false pride, convince her otherwise. To do so would be to let them win.
"I wish I could help with your rent and stuff." She trailed off, looking at the dingy apartment, sparsely furnished.
"Are you kidding? You're doing worse than I am." She giggled. "But I would appreciate having a baby sitter."
"Absolutely."
They smiled at each other shyly. Maybe it had started the wrong way, but they were friends, real friends. It might not be simple. It might not be easy. But it was real.
"The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend. I have no wealth to bestow on him. If he knows that I am happy loving him, he will want no other reward. Is not friendship divine in this?" -Henry David Thoreau
Mary rang the door bell, and soon Rachel peered through the door window. After a brief hesitation Rachel opened the door slightly, leaving the safety chain on.
"How did you find me?" she asked. Followed rapidly by "Are you alone?"
"Yes, I'm alone. I asked my family to help me find you. They have a lot of contacts."
"Your family? So, I guess you've left the church?"
"Yes." She paused awkwardly. "Can I come in?"
The hall was dimly lit and Mary stumbled as Rachel led the way to a door at the back of the building. She gestured for Mary to go in first.
Mary looked around the small bachelor. She turned around to ask Rachel about it and stopped. She could see what had been hidden by the door and then the darkness of the hallway.
Rachel, hand over her protruding belly, looked at her wryly and said "When he said we should 'be fruitful and multiply' you didn't think he was just referring to the gardening, did you?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"It's his?"
"His or someone else's. I don't know. But don't worry, I was yoked with a believer."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"In a way I'm grateful. Before this" she waved her hand at her belly "I couldn't talk myself into leaving. It was comfortable - being told what to do, not having to make any decisions. My only responsibility was to follow Pastor David." She sipped her tea. "But, now I have to think beyond that."
Another sip. "So, what about you?"
"I didn't feel like I could leave. I owed all that money, and I got that loan."
"They weren't your friends, Mary. They were using you."
"I know."
"They were using all of us." She hadn't said anything about her job.
"Yes."
"You know what's funny, though? I sometimes miss the certainty I had when I first joined. That's what I really wanted. It was so nice to belong. To know what was right and wrong. Everything was made so simple."
"How can you say it like that? How can you not be angry? When I think about it . . . How can you see good in the world knowing that someone could use your trust that way?"
"I am angry. But I can't let myself believe that that single person is proof that everyone is like that. There is good in the world. There is a God. I think it was God that helped me get through this."
"So, you'll reject one false prophet, but you'll keep looking for another?"
"No. No more prophets. No more ministers. Just God. And myself."
"I wish I could believe the way you do." Mary said at last. But even as she said it, she knew that on some level she did. Not all religion was bad. It could be misused, certainly, but the misuse was not proof of anything. She wouldn't let Pastor David's deceit or even the example of her sister's false pride, convince her otherwise. To do so would be to let them win.
"I wish I could help with your rent and stuff." She trailed off, looking at the dingy apartment, sparsely furnished.
"Are you kidding? You're doing worse than I am." She giggled. "But I would appreciate having a baby sitter."
"Absolutely."
They smiled at each other shyly. Maybe it had started the wrong way, but they were friends, real friends. It might not be simple. It might not be easy. But it was real.
"The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend. I have no wealth to bestow on him. If he knows that I am happy loving him, he will want no other reward. Is not friendship divine in this?" -Henry David Thoreau