The Last Jeskey - Chapter 45

 

The Last Jeskey

By Karen Singer

 

Chapter 45

(Day 11 – Saturday to Sunday)

 

Freaky

 

Writing is hard!  Lisa made me sit down at the table with her and she handed me a pencil and this weird thing that I was supposed to use to sharpen it.  She showed me how to do it then sat there and watched.  It wasn’t really hard, but all I could think about was how much easier it would be to just use a knife.

When I had the pencil ready, she showed me what the letter A is, and showed me how to make it.  Then she had me draw a whole line of them in a row.  Before we went any further, she opened that story book and started going through the words on the pages, pointing out every time there was a big letter A.  Before long, I was turning the pages and finding them myself.  Then it was back to drawing the letter again.

That was when the cop came in and said he was leaving.  Once he was gone, Lisa made me go back to writing the big letter A again.  It didn’t take long before I wanted to sharpen the pencils again, just to stop writing.

Big letter A.  Big letter B.  Big letter C.  That was all we did, but as far as I was concerned it was more than enough.

“Come on,” Shantel said.  “We got wheels, and since Miss Natalie isn’t going to take us to church tomorrow, I want to make sure we can find it ourselves.”

It would mean I would have to leave the farm again, but I figured that would be better than sitting there and learning how to write.  A few minutes later, I was alone in the huge back seat of the truck while Lisa drove, and Shantel was sitting next to her.  The scenery leaving the farm was beginning to look familiar.  Somehow, Lisa managed to drive straight to that church place where we had heard Shantel sing.

“I wish we had some money,” Lisa said.  “It would be nice to be able to go out to eat again…like normal people.”

“Sure would,” Shantel agreed.  “And we don’t even have any money for the collection plate at church tomorrow.”

“That’s right!” Lisa said.  She looked at Shantel.  “Do you still want to go?”

“Are you kiddin’?  Nothing’s gonna keep me away.  I’ll feel bad about it, but it’ll have to do…for now.”

With nothing else to do, we drove home.  Shantel and Lisa worked on clearing out all the guys’ stuff from their rooms, except Gary’s things.  Shantel decided to take the room that had belonged to Ben and Steve.  Lisa said that she would take Gary and Dave’s room, despite all of Gary’s things being still in there.  The surprise though came when they both told me that I had to take Bo’s bedroom.  The biggest room.  What did I need a bedroom for?  Or a bed for that matter?  I had been sleeping in there already, but I stayed on the floor.  What if Bo came home and caught me?

“Honey Pie, you is sleepin’ in a bed tonight, if’n I have to tie you to it!” Shantel told me.

I wasn’t sure if she was kidding or what, but when bedtime came, the arguments started again.  And once again Lisa laid another of her biggest arguments at me.  “Good girls sleep in beds!” Lisa told me.  “And so do you!”

That wasn’t what I had been told.  Did it count that there were five guys who told me that I was supposed to sleep on the floor, and only two women who said otherwise?

I started out the night sleeping in the bed, then moved down to the floor.  They were going to have to settle for being happy that I had at least slept in the bedroom instead of by the back door.  How do people sleep in those bed things?  They’re so uncomfortable!

The next day, Shantel got everyone up early.  She seemed awfully excited about going to that church place.  Once we were up, I was subjected to all of Lisa’s new rules once again.  Good girls clean themselves every day.  Good girls shave their legs.  Good girls brush their teeth every day.  Good girls comb or brush their hair every day.  Good girls try to always look pretty.  I was supposed to remember all that, and all those letter things that people used when they were writing?  Who did they think I was?

Before going out the door, Lisa brushed a bit of what she called blusher on my face.  The brush was nice and soft, but I had no idea what she had done it for.  Then we all got into the truck and Lisa drove us to church.

“We’re not the only pickup truck here,” Lisa noted as she stopped the truck next to another one in this big area filled with cars and trucks.

“There may be more trucks than cars,” Shantel agreed.

As we walked from the truck to the door, I noticed that most of the people going in had skin like Shantel.  That reverend guy was standing outside the door shaking hands and talking to the people as they went in.

“Shantel!  You came,” he said.

“You better believe it Reverend,” Shantel replied.  “I been wantin’ to get back to church for a long, long time.”

The reverend took a moment to hug her, then he turned to us.  And it’s Freaky and…uh…”

“Lisa,” Lisa told him.

“Right!  Sorry.  Welcome, both of you.”

We went inside.  I was surprised to see so many people there, most of them sitting in the chairs, but a few were moving around talking to other people.  A few people came over and said hello to Shantel.  Some of them nodded towards Lisa and me, but nobody said anything.  I figured that was good.

And then the reverend guy walked up in front of everybody and began yelling at us, but nobody seemed to mind.  He yelled and everybody seemed to agree with him and shouted back how right he was.  I couldn’t figure any of it out, but I noticed that Shantel seemed to be awfully happy about something.

And then this big group of women stood up together at the front and started singing.  I thought it was the most incredible thing I had ever heard.  A whole bunch of women, all singing together, and that reverend guy was playing that piano thing at the same time.  Everybody in the church was clapping and singing along with them, and some of them were standing and moving their bodies around to the music too.

And then the reverend guy left the piano and started yelling at everyone again.  And the people seemed to like it.  I was going to have to get Lisa and Shantel both to help me figure out what he was talking about, not to mention what was going on.

And then the reverend guy yelled something about wanting to do something a bit different, and something about putting someone on the spot.  And then he looked right at Shantel and waved his arms.  “Shantel honey, come on up here.  Let me introduce you to everybody here.”

Shantel got up and walked up front.  She looked embarrassed.  Why?

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the reverend guy said.  “This here is Shantel.  Shantel grew up in a church just like this one.  She grew up knowing the grace of God.  But she left that church and she left that grace behind to consort with sinners of the very worst sort.  Shantel rubbed elbows with the very devil himself!  But let me tell you, she knew the error of her ways and has fought and fought hard to get herself back into God’s good graces, and consequently, God has led this brave young woman right here to our church.  Give me an amen!” With that, I heard everyone in there shouting amen…whatever that meant.

“Now ladies and gentlemen,” the reverend continued.  “I want you to know that while Shantel here was living and consorting with the devil himself, God never abandoned this poor soul at all.  No!  You know how I know?  I know because when Shantel was born, God gave her a gift.  A wonderous gift.  A mighty gift.  And when I met Shantel a few days ago, I was taken completely by surprise by that gift.  So surprised that I want to put Shantel here on the spot, and ask her to share her gift with you.  Would you like that?  Would you all like to hear a bit of Shantel’s gift?  Give me an amen!”  The people had been shouting amen a few at a time, but once again everyone there shouted that word back.

And then the reverend said, “Would you all like to know what this wonderous gift is that God gave this poor woman?  Would you like to know?”

I heard a lot of people shouting yes.

“Let me tell you,” the reverend guy said.  And then he screwed his face up into the funniest face you could imagine and said.  “Shantel can siiiiinnng!”  While people were shouting different things, the reverend said.  “Shantel, will you share a bit of your gift with the people here today?  Let them hear that golden voice of yours that God himself gave you.  Will you sing for us?”

“You want me to sing?” Shantel asked as if she couldn’t believe it.

“Oh heavens yes,” the reverend said.  “Show us the glory of your voice.”

“Me,” Shantel said.  “Singin’ in church again.  O happy day!” she shouted.

The reverend stopped and stared at her.  “I was gonna have you sing what you sang for me the other day, but do you know Happy Day?”

“Reverend, what kind of gospel singer from a church choir doesn’t know Oh Happy Day.”

With that, the reverend made a mad dash for his piano and started playing, and a moment later, Shantel opened her mouth and began singing and clapping and moving around.  And then all the women from the choir got back up front and began singing with her.  And all the people were standing and clapping along with them and singing and moving around too.  The entire place was going crazy.  I had never had so much fun in my life!

When it was over, everyone shouted and clapped their hands.  Shantel came back to sit with us and I saw Lisa hug her.  Shantel looked so happy I couldn’t believe it.  And then that reverend guy started yelling at us again.  Why did he do that?

I was never going to figure this world out.