Operation Wolfe Cub: A Chilling Historical Thriller (THE TIME TO TELL Book 1) (36 page)

As Mr. and Mrs. Coolidge walked with Doll into the stream of people, they gazed down the row of churches so beautifully lined up. They were decoratively constructed in different styles, mostly of finely crafted wood. All of them revealed beautiful, high steeples in different colors and shapes, ranging from short to tall.

All of these establishments shared a similar camaraderie. Most obvious were their small gathering lawns, of which their members quickly took advantage. They were pristinely kept to the point of indulgence, with a tasteful variety of plants and rocks. This gave the people even more of that
something
they longed for on special occasions.

The town’s small, close-knit population had a longstanding tradition of good showings every Sunday. Church
Street’s sidewalks were the most worn-out in town. Heavily worn trails inside the sidewalks themselves established the fact that people had loved to congregate here for a very long time.

Church Row seemed to grow longer and longer the further they walked. Attractive churches were popping up about as quickly as the pace of their walk as well. Quite admittedly, the first church at the entryway was the most beautiful establishment of all. It sat on the largest stretch of property on the corner. It was called the Second District Church of My Christ. From the way the Second District Church looked, one might wonder what the First District looked like. This church’s name was proudly engraved on a monument of granite out front, riling up one’s curiosity of exactly how something so big had actually got there.

On this church’s elevated lawn, stood the example of what looked like town’s most prominent residents. They talked discreetly among themselves. Their conversations were loud enough to hear from the sidewalk. They felt no compunction about their membership being the most exclusive in town. Interestingly, they were the ones who gained the most interest from the flow of other churchgoers passing by. The most elite members among them were the best positioned on the lawn. They were the men who held their heads up the highest, showing off the most elaborate pipes and fattest cigars. Their apparel sparked the idea that their expenditures were nothing short of astronomic. All of it was there on display, from pinstriped suits and fine fedoras to shiny, gold watch fobs.

The women standing next to then were largely the same, on display in more flamboyant apparel, like dazzling peacocks. Some actually wore peacock feathers, which happened to be in style at the time. The other women were dressed in angora wool frocks, tweed swagger coats, elegant fur, wedgeheeled shoes, gypsy brown head scarves, and lettuce-green
cloches. The riskiest showstoppers dared dressing in black felt toppers.

As if that wasn’t enough, this entire stronghold on the best corner lot in town were looking down from their elevated lawn at the Coolidges walking by with a few others just then.

Eddie subtly waved up to the crowd, of whom he knew little about. None of them even acknowledged him, but they did keep staring and talking as if they had important things to say as they looked on.

Chantain longingly looked back at them as if desiring to be part of their world as Eddie sorely whispered, “
Ah
yes, just what I like to see and do…walk by the biggest snobs every Sunday. Welcome to Church Row.”

Chantain pulled on his shirtsleeve, whispering, “
Shhhh
, quiet…they might hear you.”

As they continued on, another popular church with a stout sign of bronze letters that read “1
^st
Fatherhood Mission of the Original Baptist” came into view. This establishment appeared mainstream and they too were standing on an elevated lawn in large numbers.

As Eddie hobbled by, he discreetly elbowed Chantain. “Oh no, here we go…wasn’t too long ago, we went there.”

Chantain whispered back, “Until we had a falling-out with their beliefs…they’re too blasé if you ask me…worked out for the better…just wasn’t me.”

Eddie looked the opposite way as those various members kept watching him like hawks. Finally, a couple of them waved as Eddie went on, “Great...real great. We get to walk past this every Sunday too, just to get the cold shoulder…all because we joined forces with a new church we know nothing about.”

“So…they’re a bunch of dominoes anyway. Why do you care?”

“Because you dragged me away from the only friends I had in town…they’re all there. You see ’em? That’s why.”

Before they got too far, Eddie kindly waved back at them. He almost said something, but Chantain pulled him away. “
Shhhh
, don’t say it, whatever it is…they’ll just talk about us.”

And so they continued further down the long, busy row of religion. After they had passed a few more churches, they seemed to be leaving their petty thoughts behind. More importantly, the traffic was beginning to taper down the further they walked.

Eddie tipped a good day to an older couple passing by just then, but for some reason, the old couple acted like complete strangers and didn’t acknowledge them whatsoever. After Eddie and Chantain passed them by, they looked back, speaking to one another rather loudly. “See that man? Why’d he wave?”

“That’s strange. He’s not from our church.”

Eddie heard the insolent little comments. Without thinking, he looked back, compelling himself to say, “A good day to you too! May we all praise the Lord and love thy neighbor!”

Chantain yanked his arm again, whispering, “Shut up, Eddie. That was
rude
. These are good people around here. What’s getting into you?”

Eddie turned back around, except this time, he looked fed up. “You can let go of my shirt now. They’re gone…thank you.”

He smirked, “Good people? I was no ruder than they were…you hear what that lady said, or do you need hearing aids like they do?” Quickly, he turned back to yell at them again, “Hey, old man…we’re Old Testament down here. An eye for an eye!” He then turned to Chantain as if he were surprised. “Did you see that? Those old folks jumped onto their church lawn like it was some kind of safety barrier. Now look at them. Now they feel brave enough to glare back at us.”

The old couple grumbled, “Why, I never. Did you hear that?”

“What church does he go to? I wanna know right now. Speak to their preacher’s what I outta do.”

Eddie kept walking as he adjusted his tie. “This walk’s getting to me...three or four more churches and a block to go.
Ah
yes, smell the air, Chantain. Isn’t today just a fabulous day?”

“Why do you do things like that?”

“Do what? Oh. Well, we go to the Church of the Old Testament. Might as well start preaching it.”

“Oh, Eddie…just because they call it that doesn’t mean you have to go out and shout about it.”

“Shout? I wasn’t shouting…I can hardly wait to see what it’s about. I’ll make a guess…it’ll be just as crazy as the rest of these places. They all tag themselves with who they are. It’s idiotic.”

“Calm down, Eddie. You’ll see…it’s not what you think it is. I can tell you that right now.”

Suddenly, another family was about to cross their path. Having witnessed Eddie’s comments already from a half a block away, they crossed the street as quickly as they could to avoid them entirely.

As Eddie tipped a “good day” to them, those people whispered among themselves. “Why’d he wave, Mom?”

“Quiet, son…just be glad they’re not ‘n our church.”

“Yeah, sinner’s what he is.”

“But, Dad…”

“Hush up son…just keep walkin’.”

Eddie calmed down just long enough to glance ahead to another gang of church members huddled close together. They were hanging out at the edge of their church’s lawn, waiting for Eddie and Chantain’s arrival at any moment. Unlike the other churchgoers, this group was dressed uniformly, in mainly black. Additionally, they and their children
did well to stand at attention with papers and Bibles over their chests.

Eddie dropped his smile. “Haven’t seen these people before. Who are these people, Chantain?”

“They’re new around here…growing fast, I know that. They call themselves the ‘Prophet of the Witness,’ I think.”

“Prophet of the—what?”

“Yeah, they steal members away from Julie’s church all the time, she said. She told me not to listen to them when we walk by.”

Eddie covered his smile. “How do you steal members?”

“No, it’s not funny…it’s easy. The most convincing ones win…the way it should be, I guess.”

Eddie smirked. “The way it should be, my butt….Julie hates you. She’s got to be the one who called the constable about me finding the baby. Why did you listen to her about her church?”

“I don’t listen to her. It’s hard to explain. Guess we have this love-hate thing goin’ on…besides, I can’t think bad of her for calling.”

Eddie looked the other way, muttering, “
Pshhh
, black widows again. Love and kill.”

“What did you say?”

“Oh, nothing. Do you love to hate Julie? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Something like that…not really, why do you care anyway? Friends are just friends.”

“Oh, just trying to understand you better, that’s all.”

Suddenly, the Prophet of the Witness members jumped out onto the sidewalk while Eddie cordially stepped up closer to them. He tapped off the seconds with his cane, waiting for them to move, but they didn’t.

The tentative group came closer as the tallest one, committed a faux pas by rushing into Eddie’s face. “Our church is the
true
church,” the tall man touted as he raised one of two different Bibles.

“You must not look any further,” the older lady pleaded as she waved her hands.

“Please take one of our pamphlets,” the young lady said, as she shoved papers into their hands.

“The end is coming. Save your soul!” the shorter man predicted while shaking a Bible.

Chantain quickly became overwhelmed. Weakness sprouted from her face and body like fast-moving vines, strapping her up. Quickly, other Witness members saw their best chance in her first, so they encircled her.

Eddie was much less receptive. He and the tall man stared eye to eye at each other, as if they were being introduced in a boxing match. The tall man put on a frowning face and then grabbed Eddie’s arm. He pulled Eddie even closer to look into his eyes. He was shocking and believable too—even before he said a thing with his shaky voice, “
Ho ho
the end is nearrrr. Our church witnessed it. Do you know what that means? You know what it meeeeans?”

As unwelcome as the solicitation were, all of them seemed to be within the virtuous bounds of their beholder.

They continued until Eddie abruptly fizzled to the end of his patience. He threw their literature to the ground, and grabbed Chantain out of the crowd by her arm. As he kept tugging, he looked like he was pulling a body out of a haystack. “Come on, let’s go!”

Finally, the upheaval stopped once he had pulled her and Doll loose. As quickly as the charade had started, it quit, but their next ploy seemed almost as well-rehearsed as the first. Immediately, they silenced their rhetoric, only to throw out appalling looks.

Eddie backed away cautiously from the synchronized scorn. All the while, he kept Chantain and Doll close, guarding them with his arms. “We’re going down there—to
that
church. We’ll be going now. Thank you very much.”

As they stepped up their pace, Chantain patted her chest. “
Whew
, that was a little claustrophobic back there.”

“Just keep walking. We’re almost there.”

Surprisingly, Chantain managed to look at the literature she held onto. “I didn’t know what to do when they circled us like that.” She turned the pages. “Julie, she never—she never told me they were
that
way.”

Eddie looked over his shoulder, only to find that they were still being watched.

Quickly, the Witness members got back on the lawn of their church, falling into the position of holding their literature and Bibles again, as if nothing had happened.

Eddie twisted his face into a bizarre frown. “Good gosh, look at them. They’re glaring at us like we’re the enemy now.”

Chantain recovered all too quickly. She was already in the stages of being amused as she continued looking through the literature they gave her: “I don’t know, I kind of like how they do it. Sure made a believer out of me; that was strong. Did you see how hooked they were on this stuff?”

Eddie balked, “What? You mean you liked it? You know, it disappoints me that you drift from one idea to the next, Chantain.”

She yawned, walking and reading at the same time. “That’s how easy it is to make up your mind, Eddie…try it sometime.”

“
Sssss
, do you even remember which church we were going to this morning, or does it matter?”

“Yes, silly…those people back there were good…I must say.”

“I can’t believe it.”

Chantain kept turning the pages. “Believe what?”

“It’s like you got this—floating mentality.”

“What’s wrong with that…there’s a lot of people like that…prevents boredom.”

Eddie snatched the literature from her hands and flung it over his shoulder before Chantain could even blink. It’s not like she wanted to blink either. She pretended to read more of what wasn’t in her hands anymore. “Wow, big boy, what a shotgun move that was.”

Nonchalantly, she gazed at her beautiful hands. As they kept walking, she turned them over to look at her manicured nails.

Eddie noticed what she was looking at. “I bet you feel like scratching me with those fingernails of yours. If that’s the only way I can get my back scratched, then do it—please.” Sarcastically, he pointed to the back of his shoulder. “Here, over to my left a little bit…scratch there for once.”

Chantain licked her lips and rolled her eyes. “You wish, dreamer…why did you throw my stuff away?”

“
Hmmm
, let me see now. We’re going to your new church?
Hmmm
, let’s see what this one’s about before you take us on another wild-goose chase.”

Chantain seemed to do well to forget and move on. When they got closer to the end of the row, she quickly saw a pair of recognizable faces in the crowd, straight ahead on the lawn of the Church of the Old Testament. “Here we are…hi! I can see Al and Julie out front waving at us right now.”