Three Cans of Soup (20 page)

Sal held up two aprons for Lisa and Robby and told them they could serve the rolls and butter at the end of the line. Bill and Sharon took their place at the head of the line serving the potatoes and turkey. Sal went out into the dining hall, which was packed with people, and offered a prayer and then invited people to come forward and be served. Robby and Lisa later said that they never worked so hard and enjoyed it more. A steady stream of people, single young men, older men, mothers with children, even a few teenagers came through the line. All had the look of people who had seen too much and endured too much.

Lisa noticed that many seemed to know her mother and father. Lisa and Robby watched as person after person wished their parents a Merry Christmas, handed them a little hand-made card, or shook their hands. “
How could people with nothing be so generous
,” Lisa thought. By the time everyone was served it was late in the afternoon. The serving line looked like a battleground. Those who had shelter in the Mission returned to their rooms, others hung around the warmth and shared stories and coffee.

As Bill was taking pans over to the sink to get ready to wash, an older gentleman approached him. His apron was splattered with food and sweat ran down his tanned face. Bill had met him before. He was Vince Lawrence, President of First National Bank and an elder in the Brice Street Presbyterian Church. Vince was also chairman of the Mission Board. Many years before, Sal and Maria had turned the deed of the Mission over to an independent board that would oversee its operation. Sal and Maria took a modest salary and housing allowance. Later the board authorized an apartment on the third floor of the building, right above the rooms for the homeless where they could live rent-free. This freed up more funds so that the Board could provide health care and retirement for couple. Bill had once been approached to be on the board when he was the minister at Central but had turned down the offer because he was, at the time, too busy and stressed to add one more thing. He had met Vince several times at the mission but their conversations had only been casual.

“Bill, I want to thank you and Sharon. Are these your kids?” Vince wiped his hands on his apron.

Looking at his two children with pride, Bill said, “Kids, this is Vince Lawrence, president of the bank here in town.” Bill then added, “Vince is one of the faithful volunteers down here.”

“Thanks, I have always had this place in my heart,” Vince replied. “Your father and mother have really brought a new spirit to this place.”

Robby smiled and replied, “I can see why, it is sort of infectious. Most people don’t even see or know what is going on right under their noses.”

Vince again welcomed them and then pulled Bill to the side. “Bill, I know we don’t know each other very well but I would like to meet with you to talk something over with you. Do you have some time this next week?”

“I don’t know, what is this about?” Bill replied, and for some reason he felt some of the old anxiety rising to the surface.

“I know you work and Sharon works, but if you could I would like you two to join me sometime this week or next, whenever it is convenient. I will take you to O’Malley’s for lunch, my treat.”

Sharon by now was at Bill’s side. Again Bill asked what it was about, but Vince just smiled and said he would rather wait until they had lunch. “Oh, by the way, I have also invited Sal and Maria to join us.”

“Well, this week the kids are here, how about the week after the New Year?” Bill asked. “Sharon doesn’t start back to class for another week, so how about Tuesday?”

“Fine with me. Just come to the bank and I will take you all to lunch.”

Bill looked at Sharon and wondered what this was about. She just shrugged her shoulders and said, “Maybe it is just a thank you!”

With that they went to work cleaning up. It was late in the evening when the volunteers and Sal, Maria, Bill, Sharon, Robby, and Lisa all sat down to their Christmas Dinner. As they toasted and prayed and sang, other volunteers had arrived to get ready for the evening meal. They ate turkey, dressing, potatoes, green beans, salad, and tortillas, enchiladas and refried beans, which was an odd combination to say the least. It reminded Bill of the stories his Dad had told of Thanksgiving Dinner with their Italian relatives. “First they would bring out the Italian food and then after that they would bring out the American food. We would eat until we burst,” Milt would say.

Throughout the evening Bill could not lose the thought,
“I wonder what Vince wants to talk to us about?”

It was cold but clear on the Tuesday that Bill and Sharon were to meet Vince. O’Malley’s was a popular restaurant. Its menu consisted of fresh salads, pastas, and wonderful sandwiches. As Bill and Sharon drove over to the restaurant, parked and walked up toward the door, they were still perplexed by this meeting. They had been invited to too many things that seemed innocent, only to discover there was an agenda. Bill hoped that it was not to break bad news. He had heard that a group of investors wanted to tear down the Mission and several other buildings to make room for restaurants, parking garages, and shops. The investors believed they could transform what they considered an eyesore into a profit-making venture. Bill wondered if Vince was involved and wanted to break the news. Central had taught Bill that sometimes things do not work out as one wanted.

Vince was waiting for them at the door. He again introduced himself to Sharon and escorted them to a table that he had previously reserved. The table was set back in a corner so that they could have a quieter conversation.

“I hope you like Italian,” Vince said. He was dressed in a black-striped suit, white shirt and red-patterned tie. It was obvious he had come to the restaurant directly from his bank. Vince added, “They have a lot of things here, but their pasta dishes are great.”

“Love it all,” Bill and Sharon said simultaneously.

They sat down and quickly a server took their drink order. Vince told the server that they were expecting two other guests. For a few minutes Vince asked Sharon about her teaching and Bill about his work at the bookstore. It was not long before Sal and Maria were making their way back to the table.

Vince rose and gave Sal a hug and then gave a hug to Maria.

“So good to see you two!”

Sal and Maria seemed overly joyful. The Christmas season always caused people to be more generous. The Mission was a reminder that everything was not going well in the world. The recent layoffs from Maysville’s plants only added to the general misery of many. Christmas seemed to be one time of the year when people became conscious of the suffering of others and at the same time generous in their support of programs like the mission.

“We have not ordered yet,” Vince said sitting down again. He beckoned for Sal and Maria to do the same. When the server returned, Vince asked her to bring them a bottle of wine and some breadsticks.

Vince began the conversation. “It looks like we did pretty well this season.” Turning to Sal he said, “I think I faxed over to you the present financial status and it sure looks good!”

Sal, sipping on his water, smiled and said that this was one of the best years that the mission had had. Sal had started it both with a vision and passion for helping those who seemed to have nowhere to go. In the beginning he and Maria had rented two rooms several blocks from the present location of the mission. Sal, who had skills in carpentry, had built most of the kitchen himself. They scrounged some tables and chairs and opened a soup kitchen. At the time Sal and Maria were working full time and would come to the kitchen in the evenings, prepare and serve a meal, and hopefully give some hope to those without hope.

Their efforts came to the attention of some influential people who approached Sal about expanding his outreach. The donors bought an old department store and along with volunteers transformed the old building into the present day mission. For a time it was just Sal and Maria’s ministry. Fearing that some might raise questions and being concerned about being ethical Sal had approached several interested persons in forming an independent board and becoming a non-profit organization. It took two years to complete all the paperwork, but the Second Street Mission was born as a non-profit outreach.

Although Sal, Maria, and many volunteers were motivated by a deep Christian faith others who worked at the mission represented other faith traditions such as Judaism, Islam, Hindu, and Buddhist. There were several volunteers who claimed no religion but only a passion to love their fellow human beings. Sal wanted the Mission to be independent of him. His dream was that the Mission would go on long after him.

The server returned with wine and breadsticks and took their orders. Talk turned to families, what they did on vacation, how their Christmas celebrations had been and so forth. Lunch arrived and attention shifted to enjoying the wide variety of dishes that each one had ordered.

Bill was nervous and did not say much during the meal. He still wondered if the purpose of the lunch was to break the bad news to Sal. As if on cue, when the main meal was finished and desert orders had been taken, Vince took a deep breath and turned to Sal.

“Sal, I just want to say that when you talked to me a couple of months ago I was really saddened by what you said. I also was mystified with how hopeful you were that God would somehow work things out. Then when I saw these two working at the Mission I knew that I never should have doubted what you said.”

A smile and nod in the direction of Bill and Sharon accompanied the “these two”. Vince paused again and looked at Sal, who took a sip of wine and interjected.

“What Vince is trying to say is that I met with him some time back and told him that I would be retiring at the end of this year.”

Bill and Sharon said a simultaneous, “No.”

“Yes, Maria and I have dedicated our lives to the mission. We have watched it bloom and grow and we have seen thousands of persons helped. But I have some health problems and so does my lovely Maria.” Sal patted Maria’s hand, who then took over the conversation.

“Sal and I both prayed and prayed that God would send someone our way to take over the mission. Then, Bill, one day you showed up. You were bruised like so many that come to the mission. But we watched a wonderful transformation. You told us about the gift that Mary had given you, the three cans of soup. Well that gift is now you. You have brought so much joy and you have a real gift. We both see it.”

Vince looked at Bill and his voice took on a more business mode. “Bill, I am aware of the troubles that you had with the Church. I am also aware that you have not been very happy since you left the church. As far as I am concerned, and this goes for other members of the Board, that is all ancient history. What we are getting at is that we would like you to succeed Sal as Director of the Mission. We can pay you a modest salary. In fact, we will include a housing allowance, pension, and health care. We have been doing that for Sal and Maria for some time. Now, we don’t expect you to live at the mission but if you choose to that is okay with us. If you choose to take the housing option, we have some plans to expand the mission by remodeling the upper floor into some apartments where families could live while they get back on their feet. Anyway, that is all more detail than you want, forgive the banker in me.”

Bill sat stunned. He had not seen this coming at all.

“Bill,” Sharon finally said, giving him a nudge under the table. “Say something.”

“Well I don’t know what to say! Sal, are you really retiring?”

Sal smiled and looked at Maria. “Yes. We hoped that God would send us someone and we believe you are that someone, Bill.” Sal paused and then continued, “Maria has been in charge of the kitchen and she has trained a wonderful replacement for herself. Sophia will be hired to run the kitchen. Our granddaughter will also help at least for a while. Larry, you met him, will handle maintenance. Bill you will be the director and manager. It is a big job, but I know you can do it.”

The desserts arrived and as they began eating them, Sharon interjected something that had been bothering her. “I do have a question. This may sound silly. But, well, this has been something Sal and Maria have been doing together.”

Vince immediately sensed the real question. “Sharon, we really appreciate your help at the mission. We do not expect you to step in as a couple. Besides, as you will find out, the salary is not all that great and you two deserve much more. No, we don’t have any expectations of you. This is not like a church. I have been on my church council several times and I know the pressure on a pastor’s spouse and all the ‘two for one’ pressures. We hope you will be supportive but we are really just seeking to hire Bill.”

Sharon looked relieved and said, “Thanks, I appreciate that.” Then added, “Sorry for being so paranoid, but in some ways I have enjoyed this time. There have not been any Church functions that I have been expected to attend and no extra duties, or anything. I have just enjoyed my work at the college.” Then Sharon added again, “Not that I am complaining. I did not hate being a pastor’s wife. There were a lot of rewards. . .”

Bill patted Sharon’s hand and finally spoke up. “It was no picnic for Sharon after I left the church either. She has been by my side all these years, put up with me and especially in this last year, put up with me not at my best. In fact, I am still healing. I am curious, though. I have not been involved very long at the Mission. Why me?”

Vince turned to Sal and said, “Over the years I have learned never to question the wisdom from this man. Some of the things he has told me have seemed impossible, like expanding the mission to include the homeless. Then it just happens. I have learned to trust the instincts of this man.”

Sal spoke up. “Bill, I know that this is going to sound strange. But I hope you as a man of faith understand that sometimes things happen for a purpose. When you walked in to the Mission that first time I knew my prayers had been answered. You are the one God has sent. I pray you will accept the offer.”