AG01 - Washed Away (5 page)
A Pentecostal living in Neosho had few decisions to make. Most of the important decisions had already been made by the decades of Pentecostals that had preceded this modern age. In order to be accepted in Pentecostal circles – especially those in Neosho, MO – there were certain conditions to be met. Because many of these conditions were created back when technology was almost nonexistent and technology equaled worldliness, it became increasingly difficult for modern-age Pentecostals who lived in a world filled with technology to avoid appearing worldly in the eyes of the older generations. Additionally, each new generation that came along had its own ideas of what was considered worldly, thus making it more difficult for the younger generations figure out the complex set of rules that governed the Pentecostal churches.
The older generations believed that the evil force was technology and its effect on the world. Television, radio, mass communication and transit had almost completely obliterated the good that was left in society. WWW stood for "what went wrong" with our country.
The fact that many older-generation Pentecostals had passed on was of little comfort to the modern-agers because there were unplumbed depths of wisdom in their biblical knowledge as well as strength in their spiritual guidance. The modern-agers mourned the passing of their mentors, and especially the passing of the Golden Age of Pentecost. To the modern-agers, it seemed as if a flood had washed away most of what was good about the Pentecostal movement and the society in which they now lived. They felt almost as if they were drowning in a sea of worldliness and that they had to struggle just to keep their heads above the waves.
Modern-agers like Alexa found it even more difficult to conform to the Pentecostal standards because in her line of work, technological tools and the mindset that went with them were impossible to avoid. Also, she worked in a pretty liberal field where the free-flow of ideas sometimes swept aside morality and ignored the means by which a "miracle" cure could be developed. The word miracle no longer connoted a divine intervention from God; it had been redefined to mean something that could be attained with the help of science. She really did want to be a part of the Pentecostal movement – what she considered the truest form of worshipping Christ – but she struggled daily with her need to support her family and her need to be accepted by her church peers.
She was more than thankful that her friends, Missy and CC were members of her church. She felt an unexplainable closeness to both of them, but especially to CC, and even more so since the kissing cookie incident a few days ago.
After they had polished off the cookies and most of the milk, CC and she had talked for hours about their relationship. They reminisced about when they first met and how their friendship had grown over the two years they had known each other. What worried Alexa the most was how to break the news to her daughter Tara. And then, Tara had solved the problem for her by arriving home early to catch CC and her mom sitting on the couch kissing.
A look of utter disbelief had quickly passed over Tara's face, but then she broke into a huge grin and looked from one to the other, "Mom? CC? Wha…? Can this possibly be happening?? After breaking the age sound barrier you finally decide to settle down into a relationship? At least, I hope this is a relationship… If it isn't, you are grounded old woman!!"
"Just because you are my oldest child (as well as the youngest), you think you have to mother me. Chill girl! But, yes, to answer your question, this is a relationship," Alexa looked at CC for confirmation.
"Your mom is right Tara. We decided tonight that we were going to begin dating. The cookies made us do it," CC said with a chuckle in his voice.
Tara looked at him like he had green goo for hair, but after hearing the kissing cookie story, she laughed for nearly five minutes straight. Throughout the remainder of the evening, Alexa and CC periodically heard Tara giggling through her bedroom door whenever she thought of it.
Alexa and CC spent another hour on the sofa cuddling and kissing (
here the narrator must pause to shudder… this is getting mushy)
. They talked about the difference this relationship would make in their lives. They talked about which pew they would occupy at church – hers or his. They discussed their hopes and dreams. It seemed they could not learn enough about each other
(more shuddering).
They had just moved out to the porch to say goodnight when CC turned to Alexa, took her hands, and asked her the question she had been longing to hear…
"So, what's for dinner tomorrow night, darling?"
Alexa, although a little disappointed at not hearing the question she had expected, laughed, "I don't know sweetie, what are you planning on cooking?"
Men! Forever stuck in the 1950s.
Women! Why can't they at least re-visit the 1950s – just for dinner?
After one last lingering kiss, CC walked toward his truck, "I'll pick you up tomorrow about seven, ok?"
"Sure. Where are you taking me?" Alexa asked, thinking that he looked very cute with his shaved head catching the moonlight. She had never seen his real hair color because he had always kept his head shaved. She could only guess that he had black hair because his eyebrows were that color. But his eyes were definitely his most striking feature – dark brown pools of molasses. A girl could drown there and not even care.
"It's a surprise, sweetheart," he said, using his best Humphrey Bogart impersonation while he wiggled his black brows. He waved at her as he pulled out of the driveway.
She's so beautiful standing there on the porch. I was a fool to have waited this long to kiss her.
Neither of them saw the shadowy figure run down the street toward a parked car.
They both ate the cookies. This is better than I could ever have planned. Two with one blow! Perfect!
A few days later, Alexa picked up the phone after the fourth ring. She had been feeling a little under the weather, running a low-grade fever, general aches and pains, nothing unusual for the early fall in Missouri. She wondered who would be calling her when a familiar voice came over the wire, "Hello, this is the Dallas, er… Neosho Police Department calling for Alexa Inez Graham," this statement was followed by an even more familiar giggle.
"Missykins! What's up girl?" Alexa was pleased. She hadn't heard from Missy in several days and hadn't had time to get in touch either.
"Hey, meet me for lunch today. I haven't seen you in forever!! I miss my best friend! Plus, I haven't received an update on how things are going with Chris. How can you keep me in the dark, woman??"
Just naturally defensive, Alexa said, "You just saw me on Sunday. And, I emailed you the other day about what CC and I did on our date."
"Yeah, I know. But, you never give any details. If I want to know anything, I have to ask Tara. Although how that girl seems to know everything is beyond me. Hey, just remembered, I'm gonna have a dinner party on Saturday next and was wondering if you and CC can come. I'm inviting Phil and Lisa too. Our little group is growing." Missy was definitely excited.
"I don't know about what CC might have planned, but he's off that night. I'll ask him tonight. He's coming over after his shift. He had better bring pizza! Maybe I should text him to that effect, eh?"
"That would be nice of you, Kanook. Ok, gotta get off this phone. I have things to do, people to see, and places to go. Let's eat at that new place, Bertha's Bread Basket."
"Ooh! Sounds good, and rather girly. I guess that'll do. See you there at noon."
Hmm… Noon… Just enough time for me to come up with another surprise for my buddy Alexa
, he thought as he skulked away from the window.
That night when CC arrived at Alexa's house, he had to let himself in. At first, she was nowhere to be found. Then he heard her in the bedroom.
Perfect opportunity to scare her out of her wits. Maybe this will teach her to leave the front door unlocked.
The closer he got to her bedroom, the weirder the sounds became. Then it hit him.
She is sick. She is vomiting.
He looked around the room as he rushed in to see about her. There on the bed was another box of cookies. The same heart drawn on the top, no post mark, nothing identifying. He began to get scared.
What if they really were poisoned and I let her eat them
, he thought.
"Lex? What's wrong honey? Did you eat something that didn't agree with you?" He tried to keep his voice calm so as not to alarm her about the cookies.
More retching from the bathroom, "Don't come in here. It's bad enough that you have to hear me like this, I certainly don't want you to see me in this condition." More retching.
"I'm taking you to the ER. Come on, I'll get your coat."
He heard the water running in the bathroom and teeth-brushing sounds, "I'm not going to the hospital, CC. This is just early onset flu coupled with the bean sprouts that were on my sandwich at lunch. If I were really sick, I wouldn't fight you. You know I'm a baby when it comes to being sick."
"You are for a fact," he said as she came out of the bathroom. She was dressed in a sweat suit and extremely pale. She still looked a little shaky. She pulled her hair out from under her collar where she had tucked it before her last bout of nausea.
She looks so pitiful, poor baby. And she's all mine!
"Guess you won't be eating any pizza tonight, huh sweetie? Come here. Let's go take it easy in the living room," he said as he enveloped her in his arms.
"Just the thought of pizza makes me want to go call Earl again," she mumbled into his chest. The smell of his shirt and the comforting squeeze of his arms around her made her feel better.
"You got another box of cookies I see. Did you eat any of those? Maybe they added to your already distressed stomach." He led her gently to the sofa where they sat down. He pulled her legs over his lap and cradled her head on his chest as he held her close.
"I only ate one. After I got home from lunch, I started doing the laundry and cleaning up the house. Then I thought I heard someone on the porch. But when I got there, the box of cookies was just sitting on the welcome mat. They smelled so good I couldn't resist. But, I was already feeling kinda queasy before that, so I don't think it was the cookies."
"You feel really warm. Have you taken your temperature lately? You stay here, I'll be right back with the thermometer. Er… where
is
the thermometer?"
"Medicine cabinet, third shelf," she said weakly as she lay there on the sofa. Her stomach began to cramp again.
UGH!
Maybe if I lay very still I won't have to vomit again
, she thought as she curled up into a fetal position.
"Ok, sleeping beauty, open up." He waited the appropriate amount of time, and then checked the thermometer. "Hmm… 100.1. Not too terribly serious, but something to watch. You're going to bed right now missy. No arguments!" this as she began to protest.
"CC, can you stay for a while? Tara is spending the night with friends and I don't feel well enough to be alone." She said this with a pitiful pleading look on her face. He could tell she was about to fall asleep. He leaned over and kissed her forehead.
"Wild dogs couldn't drag me away from you! I'll stay here all night on the sofa. Whenever you feel sick, I'll be right here to help. I'm gonna put you to bed and run out for some supplies right quick, but I'll be back in about fifteen minutes. Don't you worry, I'll take good care of you."
She seemed satisfied and nodded sleepily, "Ok. I'm gonna nap for a while."
CC headed out the door and grabbed the box of cookies as he went.
Just want to make sure…
