Chapter Five

Sneaky Worship

I got up bright and early on Sunday morning. I needed time to get ready and to figure out a way to go on an extended bike ride without Mommy being suspicious. I was not normally allowed to be riding my bike for very far or by myself.

I began to rummage through my closet for something nice to wear. You have to dress nice for church. Nancy has a lot of church dresses. I have seen them in her closet. I could not dress too nice though. For one thing, it would not be practical to wear something fancy while riding my bike and for another, I did not want to make Mommy or Seth suspicious.

I settled on a denim jumper with a purple and white striped long sleeve t-shirt underneath. I did my hair in a side ponytail with a purple scrunchie and put on white knee-socks and purple Mary Jane shoes with thick soles. I surveyed myself in the mirror and decided I looked cute but casual. It was the most gigundoly perfect outfit.

I ran downstairs for breakfast. Only Mommy was awake. She sat at the table drinking a mug of coffee and reading the newspaper. I got out cereal and milk then sat down to join her.

"Good morning, Karen. You certainly are up early," Mommy said as I served myself frosted flakes.

I poured milk on my cereal, "Well it is a nice day outside and I do not want to waste any of it. I am going to go bike riding after I eat."

"Make sure you stay in the neighborhood. And wear your helmet." Mommy said absently and went back to reading her newspaper.

"Do not worry Mommy. I will," I was only half lying. I would wear my helmet for sure but as for leaving the neighborhood I was not making any promises.

I gobbled down my breakfast and put my dishes into the dishwasher without saying another word to Mommy. She was so absorbed in her newspaper anyway that I doubt she cared. Then I went out to the garage and got out my bike. Soon I was riding down the street.

I tried to remember where the closest church to my house was. I thought it might be two streets over and near the playground so that was the way I went. I had ridden my bike to the playground lots of times so if anyone asked where I was riding to that is where I would say.

Soon I was getting tired but I had not found the church yet. I had not found any churches yet. Discouraged, I sat down on the sidewalk with my bike beside me and pouted. I just had to find a church or the whole day would be wasted. I was tired so I leaned back and felt something hard behind me. I turned around to see what it was. It was a sign. I read the sign and suddenly I felt very happy. The sign was a church sign. Not just for any church either but for the church from the television show I had seen last night. It was like a good omen.

Quickly, I found some bushes and stashed my bike and helmet inside them. I brushed off my dress and adjusted my ponytail so that I looked extra beautiful. After I had done that I got up and went to the door of the church. Other people were walking in so I followed them and tried to look inconspicuous.

I was disappointed to see that the inside of the church was rather boring. It was just rooms and white paint and a brown carpet. Boo and bullfrogs. It should have looked like a castle. There was even a kitchen and a basketball court. It was almost as boring as the inside of my school.

I heard some people mention going into a room called the chapel so I joined the crowd heading down the hall into a room which must be the chapel. People were sitting down on long cushioned benches. I scanned the room for a place to sit down but before I could find one, someone touched my arm and stopped me.

"Excuse me little girl. Are you lost? I am Bishop Harding and I have never seen you here before." A very tall man in a suit had stopped me.

"Um I am just visiting," I smiled my biggest smile and hoped that would get him away from me. The last thing I needed was another suspicious grown up on my case.

The man looked like he might believe me but then another voice piped up, "No Daddy. That is Karen Brewer. She does not belong here." It was my worst enemy, Pamela Harding. She was dressed in a gigundoly sophisticated outfit of a black sheath dress, red cardigan sweater, black tights and red shoes with low heels on them.

Pamela's daddy smiled at her, "Why not honey?"

"Kids are not supposed to be at church without their parents or a grown up. I do not see a grown up with Karen. Also Karen does not belong to our church. She has never been here before or I would know about it. Karen is too fat and ugly to miss easily." Pamela gave me a nasty smirk.

Pamela's stupid daddy kept smiling, "Well here is what we will do. Karen will come to my office and then she can call her family and see if she can stay for church. She can sit with you and you can take her to primary with you."

"No Daddy!" Pamela whined but her daddy did not care.

I was not sure what to do. If we called my mommy, I was going to be in huge trouble but if I ran away or threw a fit, Pamela would tell everyone at school and it might leak back to my mommy anyway. There are some really gigundoly big mouthed kids at school like Hannie and Nancy who tell their mommies everything.

"Karen?" He motioned for me to follow and I decided I would. Well really I was mad at Pamela for being here and seeing her here had made me realize that visiting all the churches in town was a bad idea. There was probably a kid I hated as much as Pamela at every single one. I decided I would face whatever punishment Mommy gave me today and then I would form my own church. I deserved to be worshipped anyway.

Pamela's daddy led me into his office. I gave him my phone number and sat down in a comfy chair while he dialed. He had a dish of candy on his desk and told me I could help myself. I took a big handful of course.

"Hi Mrs. Engle? This is Pamela Harding's father. Karen showed up at our church this morning and I would like your permission for her to stay and attend class with Pamela." He was quiet for a moment, "Uh huh, okay. I am sorry Karen cannot stay but I understand. I will tell her you said so. Bye!"

"What did she say?" I asked although I already knew the answer.

"She is coming to pick you up and would like you to be waiting in the parking lot when she gets here. Sorry you could not stay today, Karen. I will walk you out." He stood up and opened the door.

Once I was out in the parking lot, I retrieved my bike from underneath the bushes and sat down on a curb to wait. Mommy got there soon and she looked gigundoly mad.

She waited until she had put my bike in the trunk to yell at me, "How could you disobey me Karen? I thought you understood. No television or unsupervised bike rides for a month."

I was sorry about the extended television plan but I did not care about the bike rides. I could not wait to get home and get started on my church. And if Mommy does not like it then boo and bullfrogs to her.