Snakes Among Sweet Flowers (29 page)

A man Cam felt sure to be the minister was positioned at the open doors, greeting people as they entered. It occurred to Cam then that all preachers had a look to them, although he couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was that made them recognizable. There were all kinds of preachers, just like with anything else in the world, but good or bad, they still all had some quality that made their vocation apparent.
Huh.

The pastor seemed to have something personal to say to everyone that walked by him, shaking hands or patting shoulders in welcome. He had an honest face and his smile appeared genuine. Although Cam had never thought of preachers as someone he would like to know, this guy didn’t seem so bad. But that opinion could change, depending on the next couple of hours.

When it was their turn for the meet and greet, the pastor’s eyes widened, as did his smile. “Jackson! So good to see you today.” He shook Jackson’s hand and slapped his shoulder, then turned his attention to Cam. The smile didn’t falter even a bit as he grabbed Cam’s hand and shook. “And you must be Mr. Sanders. I’m Jimmy Brown. So good to meet you. I’ve been remiss with coming to welcome you to the town. Welcome to Hog Mountain First Baptist.”

Cam was a little shocked by Jimmy’s enthusiasm but smiled back. “Glad to be here.” While that wasn’t necessarily true, he figured God wouldn’t smite him for that little white lie. He hoped.

He followed Walter and Jackson farther into the building and through another set of doors to a room full of padded pews surrounded by stained glass windows. People were already seated throughout the auditorium, and Walter and Jackson seemed to know where they were going as they headed down the main aisle. Maybe members were assigned seats or something.

Walter turned into one of the pews about six rows from the front. Jackson followed right behind, and they traveled across until they were almost at the outside. When Walter sat, he left room for another person on the outside end, Jackson dropped down beside Walter, and so Cam took a seat too, glancing around to see others finding their places as well.

“So what happens now?” Cam asked Jackson in a hushed tone.

“Have you never been to church?” Jackson responded.

He sounded so incredulous that Cam felt the need to lie. “Well, yeah, but this could be different. Right?”

Jackson appeared not to completely buy his answer but didn’t argue, instead shrugging. “It’s pretty standard. We sing some songs, have some prayers, the pastor gives a sermon, and then some more singing and praying. Nothing crazy.”

Cam nodded. “So an hour?”

“About,” Jackson said. “I don’t think they have any baptisms scheduled for today, but Mom would know better.”

That seemed to be Pamela’s cue to slip into the seat left open beside Walter. She didn’t lean forward to acknowledge Jackson or Cam, but took Walter’s hand when he offered it.

The rest of the pew to Cam’s left was empty, and while other pews were filling up, no one seemed eager to sit with them. Cam was about to mention that development to Jackson when an older couple turned into the pew and Cam smiled as he recognized Ida and Charles. Charles wheeled a small canister of oxygen behind him as they made their way over.

They both returned his smile, and Ida patted Cam’s leg as she sat down beside him. “I am so pleased to see you here, Cam. We love you so much.” She then leaned forward and patted Jackson’s leg too. When she sat back, Charles leaned forward and shook their hands. He appeared a little out of breath from the trip into the church and huffed a bit as he turned his attention to the front.

Just as a group of men walked up the steps to the podium, Cam felt a pat on his shoulder. He turned to see Dotty was just getting situated in the pew behind them. She smiled and winked, then pulled a hymnal from the back of the seat and looked to the man now waiting for everyone’s attention.

Cam followed Jackson’s actions, and for the next half an hour, he stood and sang, sat and sang, stood and prayed, and sat and prayed. He wondered if all the movement was just to make sure everyone stayed awake. It did keep a person from getting too comfortable.

Then Jimmy Brown stepped up to the pulpit and looked out over the congregation. Cam wondered if they weren’t supposed to do something, since the man appeared to be waiting on something, but he sure wasn’t going to be the first to make a sound in the quiet that suddenly surrounded him.

After what felt like an eternity, Pastor Brown nodded, as if finally seeing or hearing what he wanted from the crowd, and began his sermon. “You know… each year, I try to touch on all the topics I think we need to remember. I am blessed to lead a strong congregation, and I feel most of my messages are more like Post-it notes, similar to what my wife leaves me. ‘Remember to take the trash out’ or ‘the electric bill is due on the tenth’ or ‘daylight savings starts this weekend.’ But in the past week, I have been struck with the fact that even in a godly community like our own, there is still a need to preach the basics. I have been lax with my responsibility, but I will make it right today.”

There were a smattering of replies from those in the audience. “Amen” and “Yes, Lord” came from all around Cam, and he began to worry at what the preacher might be about to preach. It hadn’t crossed his mind until just then that this would be the perfect opportunity for a sermon on the evils of homosexuality and that could account for why the pastor was so pleased to see that he and Jackson had attended the service.
Well, shit.

“Rarely do I teach an old-fashion come-to-Jesus sermon, because this flock is so strong, righteous. But today, there is a need for REPENTANCE AND RENEWAL, and I KNOW that those I speak to will accept the Lord’s word with an open heart.” When Jimmy emphasized certain words, they echoed in the high-ceilinged room.

“Praise God!” came a cry from the back of the auditorium, and Cam looked back over his shoulder but couldn’t identify who said the words. This might get awkward right quick. In fact, there might be a stoning immediately following the service. Did they schedule those too?

“From this day forward, the blackness at our door will be washed clean.” Pastor Brown got quiet as he opened his Bible and flipped a few pages. In the crowd, people nodded and smiled. Cam bounced his leg nervously and glanced over at Jackson. Maybe they could make a run for it.

Jackson sat with his lips pursed. He looked nervous too, and didn’t that make Cam want to beat someone’s ass. Fuck ’em all. He’d just have to stay and make sure no one messed with Jackson.

“Acts 16:31. ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.’ Romans 10:9. ‘If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.’” The preacher paused again and looked around. Cam did too, and this time he saw much confusion on the faces in the crowd. Cam had to admit, he wasn’t sure what point Jimmy was going for anymore either.

“I want everyone to open their Bibles and look up Romans 10:9.” There was the sound of many pages flipping, and Cam was impressed at the control Jimmy had over his audience. But if comic books had taught him anything, it was that with great power comes great responsibility.

When the page turning quieted, Pastor Brown continued. “Read that scripture again. I’ll wait.” And he did before adding, “Is there an asterisk at the end of that verse?”

The crowd mumbled, “No.”

“Does the next verse start with the word ‘except’?”

“No.”

“And do you believe? Do you believe this is the truth?”

Louder now, the crowd answered, “Yes! Amen!”

“Then I have a surprise for you,” the preacher said, leaning on the pulpit as if about to tell a juicy secret. “Whether homosexuality is a sin or not, if a man or woman believes that Jesus is the son of God, he or she is going to be in heaven right beside you, sitting at the Lord’s feet. And if God loves them enough to welcome them into heaven, who do you think you are to turn them away from your own home or community?”

Cam’s eyes widened, and he turned to Jackson, who also seemed flabbergasted. Ida patted his leg and Dotty patted his shoulder. Cam was liking this church stuff more by the minute. The rest of the crowd appeared to be as shocked as he was. He couldn’t work up the nerve to lean forward enough to see what Jackson’s mother’s reaction was, but he could tell Walter had put his arm around her in a protective way. The crowd was now eerily quiet after being so boisterous at the beginning of the sermon.

As the preacher went on to talk about casting first stones and how love was the greatest among these and gossip being a sin, Cam leaned closer to Jackson and whispered, “And you told
me
not to stir the shit.”

Jackson shushed him, but there was a grin threatening at the corners of his lips.

“So when Jesus says to love your neighbor, does he mean only the ones that go to church? Only the ones we think are good enough? We are all sinners, and the road we walk on this earth is a hard one. We don’t need to waste our time making sure everyone else is doing what they are supposed to. We need to keep our eye on the path we walk in order to keep from stumbling. Sure, we should encourage each other, help one another along. But can anything that has happened in this town in the past few days be considered as encouraging? Helpful? As far as I have seen, it was nothing but a disgusting mess. And we should be ashamed. Hate has never been what this town is about.”

Charles’s voice rang out louder than Cam had ever heard it when he said, “Amen!” Cam felt his eyes sting with the threat of tears at the conviction behind that one word.

“As far as I can see, we have not done unto others as we would have them do unto us, have we? No, children, we have not. Our behavior has been shameful. Shameful and unworthy of the people we hold ourselves to be, both to the Lord and to each other. If we judge, then should we not be judged?” Pastor Brown pointed out into the audience. “What if your son or
your
daughter should grow up to be different? What if
their
child sees love in a different way? Will you disown them? Damn them as something unholy?”

Cam was getting uncomfortable again and began squirming in his seat. To his surprise, Jackson reached over and placed his big hand on Cam’s thigh, giving a squeeze. He didn’t pull it back, just left it there, a strong weight that felt warm and reassuring. Cam glanced over and Jackson smiled, a smile full of confidence that made Cam’s heart break a little.

With a rumble, the crowd rose to their feet, and Cam realized they were going to sing again. He’d been so distracted he’d missed the end of the sermon. He was surprised when, as soon as the singing began, people exited the pews and started walking to the front. Cam glanced around in confusion. Jackson hadn’t told him about this part.

Jackson leaned over and Cam realized Jackson’s eyes were watery. He whispered, “They’re going forward to confess their sins. We’ll just stay here.”

Cam nodded. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Jackson said and sniffed. “Real good.”

Then Pamela leaned over and touched Jackson’s arm, whispering, “I’m so sorry.” She nudged Walter out of the way and pulled her son into a tight hug, holding there for a minute before reaching farther and pulling Cam in to the embrace too. “I’m so, so sorry,” she whispered again, then turned and stepped out of the pew, heading down the aisle with the others going forward to confess their sins.

Jackson crumpled into the seat, his shoulders shaking with his sobs. As he slumped there, Walter and Cam sat beside him, although Cam wasn’t sure what to do other than rub his back in small circles. That seemed to help, and Cam was happy for it.

The rest of the service went by in a blur, and after dismissal, Cam shook hands with more people than he would ever be able to remember. He would have grabbed Jackson and made a run for it, but Jackson appeared to be enjoying being right where he was. So Cam backed up against the wall and just watched. Cam wasn’t dumb enough to think that sermon had changed how everyone thought, but it seemed to have changed enough to make Jackson feel better about things, and that was what mattered to Cam.

After a while, Dotty sidled up beside him with a grin. “Are we going to start seeing you here every Sunday?”

Cam smiled but shook his head. “I doubt it, but it wouldn’t be so bad to visit every once in a while.”

She nodded. “Jackson would like having you with him and we’d enjoy seeing you.” She patted his arm. “I need to get home and heat up some lunch. You boys have a nice day.”

Cam waved, and as he was watching her make her way down the front steps of the church, Jackson stepped up next to him. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah,” Cam said. “Wanna go eat at the diner?”

“That sounds nice.” Jackson took Cam’s hand as they walked out the door, and Cam had to admit he was surprised. But it was a nice surprise, one he could definitely get used to.

TWO DAYS
later, Junior’s funeral was held at a small funeral home off Highway 365, not far from the hospital. It looked as if the entire town showed up, which Cam was pretty impressed with. Although Junior had been a man with an addiction, not some monster or anything, Cam got the feeling death kinda wiped people’s memories of all the bad that had gone before. In the last few days, Junior had risen to saint status, which Cam thought was good as far as the kids were concerned but odd otherwise.

Speaking of the kids, they all seemed so small and lifeless, dressed up in clothes that made them almost unrecognizable, their hair tamed into styles Cam had never seen on them. They hung their heads as they sat next to their mother, nothing like the boisterous kids he’d come to know. Ruby was trying to be strong for the kids, but she looked crushed as well. Cam wondered if they blamed him for all that had happened, because there sure was a part of him that did.

After sitting through a service at the funeral home and then standing through another at the graveside, he and Jackson headed to Ruby’s house. Death was another occasion that called for food in Hog Mountain. Since they couldn’t go empty-handed, Cam and Jackson had learned to make a roast and veggies in the Crock-Pot. Dotty had given them a list of ingredients and they’d gone shopping for both those and the appliance to cook it all in. Then the night before, Dotty had talked them through mixing it all together and turning the thing on. It’d smelled so good as it cooked that Cam planned to do the whole process again the next day, only for their own dinner this time. Since Jackson had been staying with him while his house was cleaned up following Harold’s rampage, it would be nice to have a home-cooked dinner together.