The Salvationist - Chapter Eleven

“It is such a shock, but we are all so excited for her!” shrills Ms. Bates “Ann is the kindest woman I know and she’s finally experiencing so much happiness in her life! Mr. Weston is the perfect man for her. I’ve always thought so. They fit so well together. Life couldn’t be better!”

“Yes, I agree . . .” states Emma but Ms. Bates continues “A short month for an engagement isn’t very long but they have known each other for years it seems. He is such a thoughtful gentle soul too. He will be an excellent soul mate for her. Ann will make such a lovely bride, don’t you think? Brides are always so beautiful no matter who they are or what they where. I think it is being in love. Love glows everywhere – around the couple, around their friends, around the world. Such a wonderful life isn’t it? Isn’t it wonderful to be in love?”

“We are all very happy for Mr. Weston and Ms. Taylor. I am praying that they have many happy years together of mutual love, respect and appreciation for each other” sincerely expresses Jane putting down her book for a moment to contemplate the future happiness of the couple.

“Have you seen the invitation? The embossing and rice paper with the cord to close the invitation – so lovely! Ann has such good taste! I always say that. She has good taste. It’s a fact. Have you sent your R.S.V.P. yet? I’m so excited!” chatters Ms. Bates.

“Do you think we will finally get to meet Grant Churchill at the wedding?” teasingly asks Emma sipping on her cup of hot orange tea peering over her cup at Jane.

“Yes, yes, yes. I received a letter in the mail today from my cousin, Charlotte Lucas, who attends Longbourne Citadel but also has friends who attend Netherfield said that Grant is finally going to come to Crestwood for the wedding! Jane is so excited! I’m so excited! Mother is so excited! We finally get to meet him! I’m sure you are excited too, aren’t you Emma?” enthusiastically asks Ms. Bates as her mother lets out a loud snore sleeping in her bathrobe and slippers resting in the comfortable brown recliner next to where she is sitting on the sofa.

“The last time I saw Grant, we were both children on the playground. It has been such a long time ago. I wonder how much he has changed. He use to tease me quite a lot as a child” muses Emma out loud but really to herself “What was he like the last time you saw him, Jane?”

Jane cheeks turn lightly pink as she remembers and pauses for a moment “He was very nice. He has lots of friends and is easy to get to know. He’s considerate and fun to be around. He’s charming but not a flirt. He’s the nicest guy I know. But I don’t know him that well. I haven’t been around him very much lately since I have been away all summer.”

Emma looks a little perplexed by the contrast of her statement and her behavior but lets the thought pass her by for now. “Do you think he will be much like Mr. Weston?” taking another bite of a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie.

“They both are thoughtful and compassionate. Their physical features are similar but I think Grant is a little more outgoing than his father. But they both can make friends wherever they go” reminisces Jane feeling a sense of excitement coming over her as she thinks of the possibility of seeing Grant again but not wanting to give her feelings away “Grant is special. I really don’t know anyone like him.”

“That’s interesting” frankly states Emma not sure how to analyze Jane’s opinion of Grant. She decides that it would probably be better to meet him herself at the wedding and decide then what she thinks of him then. But the idea of someone new coming to Crestwood is rather pleasing to her.

“Would you like to stay for dinner? We have plenty and would really enjoy your company too! I always try to prepare a little extra when you come over just in case you would like to stay” graciously offers Ms. Bates.

“I’m so sorry but I can’t today. Harriet asked me to help with the street ministry at Devon tonight. Lt. Elton is also coming to help. It is the first night either of us have helped prepare the soup and distribute the blankets” apologetically explains Emma aware of the thoughtfulness of Ms. Bates to include her unexpectedly for dinner.

“Well, then would you like to come next week for a meal? I could fix whatever you want. I could fix your favorite dish but I am not sure what that is. What would you like?” sincerely asks Ms. Bates as she picks up the empty tea cups before heading into the kitchen.

“Anything you choose would be great. I’ll put it in my blackberry so that I will make sure that I am here and don’t make other plans for the evening” states Emma organizing her calendar on her phone while she speaks.

“Thanks for coming Emma” kindly explains Jane “it is nice to have a friend to talk to during the week. It gets a little lonely even though I enjoy the time with my aunts. I spend most of my time catching up on some reading by some of my favorite authors that I haven’t been able to do for while since I was so busy at school this last year. I’ll see you again at church on Sunday.”

“See you then!” waves Emma putting on her jacket while she walks out the door. The breeze is nice and cool. The leaves are starting to change color. It is going to be a beautiful autumn season.

She drives for about twenty minutes to the other side of town by the Devon Outpost. It doesn’t take too long because there isn’t much traffic tonight which she is grateful for. It has been a hectic week but her habitual Friday nights with the Bates is rather relaxing for her. Now that Jane is visiting the time passes much more quickly. She likes Jane but wishes that she would open up a little more so that she could get to know her better. But Emma thinks to herself that Jane probably doesn’t get much of an opportunity to talk with Ms. Bates in the room. She pulls into the faded lined parking lot with potholes distributed throughout the worn out asphalt.

The Devon Outpost is nothing like Crestwood. The building is at least one hundred years old and the pipes “speak” at night. Thinking of Halloween that is coming up in the next month, Emma thinks it would be a great place for a group of youth to create a haunted house. As long as it was pitch black there wouldn’t have to be much done with it.

The cement stairs are cracked with little red ants forming a parade through the gaps. The paint from the thin metal railing is peeling which wobbles with any pressure that is applied to it. The wooden entrance doors have scratches from many years of use and the weather that has banged against its doors. The metal Victorian handles clank as the door opens. The smell within the building is a mixture of must, rust, and carpet cleaner. The windows are tempered beveled glass that cannot provide a direct view to the outside world. The eggshell paint on the walls has faded to more of a dingy gray over time.

The building serving now as an outpost is mostly three rooms with a bathroom. The chapel is the largest area. The altars, holiness table, and pulpit are a blended mixture of wood from donated pieces from other corps in the area. The chairs are from the chapel at the Long Branch camp before it was remodeled. The floor is made up of industrial tile in shades of stone and granite.

The second multi-purpose room serves as Sunday School classrooms, community dining room, fellowship hall, character building and youth activity rooms and anything else that seems fitting for a church to have.

The third room which is more the size of a large closet is where Major Dashing keeps her office with a lap top from home and a couple of filing cabinets with a student size desk. There is a floor heater for the winter, and a fan that hangs from the ceiling to keep it cool during the summer months.

The hall is full of people from the community coming in and out of the building. An optometrist is giving free basic eye exams in one corner; a lawyer is meeting with some potential clients in providing pro bono legal advice at a table; a case worker from the county is meeting with a mother who is trying to improve herself to have her kids returned from foster care; and an Narcotics Anonymous group is holding their weekly meeting in the chapel; while outside there are plenty of neighborhood children playing on the swing and gym set that was donated by the local oil company. It is the true definition of a community center.

Closing her bird cage after giving “This” and “That” her pet black masked lovebirds some fresh seed, Mrs. Dashing whistles and they keep time to her melody of friendship in return. Looking up, “I didn’t notice you there. How are you doing Emma? It is good to see you again. Harriet told me you were coming by today. I think she is out in the canteen with Robert. I have not seen Lt. Elton yet, but I would think that he is on his way too”.

“Thanks. It’s good to see you too. I’m going to see if I can find Harriet. I’ll see you later” greets Emma observing everything that is happening around her.

As Emma walks up she can hear Harriet’s voice, “I think you are burning the chili. There is way too much smoke in here!” After a few coughs she adds “You better be careful or we’ll have to call the fire department to put that out!” to the sound of laughter between Robert and Harriet. “Trust me, it is good chili made the way that it is suppose to” states Robert mockingly defending his cooking skills.

Emma walks up to the window of the canteen with a red “Doing the Most Good” with a shield painted on the side. The technical name is an Emergency Response Vehicle typically used for natural disasters, fires, explosions, parades and other special events. The Outpost uses it for their weekly evangelism ministry that includes passing out soup and blankets as well as praying with people that they meet. It is also used for cooking meals for the corps, serving refreshments to police and firemen, cool drinks during the heat wave, and meals for summer day camp.

“This is the best chili I have ever tasted!” gleefully states Harriet “How did you become such a good cook?”

“I like to cook and experiment in the kitchen with ideas that pop into my mind. I’m glad you like it. It is an old family recipe” states Robert stirring the chili and pleased that Harriet is impressed.

“A group of us are going to Six-Flags-Over-the-Ocean a week from Saturday. Do you want to go?” asks Robert.

“Yes. I would love too!” exclaims Harriet “Are you going to Ms. Taylor’s wedding the night before?”

“I was planning on it. Would you like to go as my date for the wedding?” asks Robert feeling encouraged by Harriet’s enthusiasm.

“Sure. When do you want to pick me up?” asks Harriet already daydreaming about finding the perfect dress for the day.

“How does 6 pm sound?” asks Robert tilting his head to the side taking it all in.

“Great!” states Harriet beaming at Robert sharing in the excitement of the moment as Robert leans towards her.

“Uh hi, Emma” states Robert catching a glimpse of Emma and backing away from Harriet a little afraid of her response “I didn’t know you were standing there.”

“It seems to be that way all day today. I seem to be catching people unaware of my presence” jokes Emma trying to make things a little lighter.

“Emma!” giving her a hug Harriet explains “We’ve been making chili. Robert is an excellent chef. You should try it!” Robert jumps out of the canteen and leaves to check with Mrs. Dashing on the route for tonight.

There are two large steaming carriers secured to the floor. Harriet cannot recall which one Robert said was mild and which was his ‘three alarm’ chili. She grabs what she thinks is the mild container and pours a cup of chili. As Emma takes a taste her mouth feels like every crevice is on fire. She gasps her throat unable to speak. Robert walks up to the back entrance at that point “I see you have tried my chili.” Emma gasps again “w-a-t-e-r …”

“I put some jalapeños, tobacco sauce, and some hot chili pepper seeds in it too. I hope you like it!” delighted shares Robert as he finds a cup to fill with water for Emma.

When she can speak, Emma looks at the Styrofoam cup in her hand. “Why are we using Styrofoam cups in the canteen?”

“Because we are giving out hot drinks and chili tonight” plainly answers Robert.

“Why aren’t we using the paper cups with the shields?” firmly asks Emma “It is more healthy for our environment.”

“It may be more “green” but it is also more expensive. The paper cups need an extra wrapper because of the hot liquids which is an additional cost” frankly answers Robert.

“The paper cups and wrappers are recyclable. The Styrofoam takes much longer. It is better stewardship to use the paper cups” confidently answers Emma.

“It may be better environmental stewardship but it is better financial stewardship because you only need one item to pour a beverage into a Styrofoam cup and not two for paper. Besides it is a one movement action to pour a cup of coffee into a Styrofoam cup” defensively states Robert as he takes the cup in one hand and pushing the button on the coffee container with the other. “It is easy. The other way you have to take more time to open up the wrapper, put it on the cup and make sure that it doesn’t spill or fall off in the meantime.”

“That’s just nonsense. It is only pennies more for the paper and you are being irrational” Emma responds irritated by Robert’s argument with her.

Robert and Emma take turns glaring at each other. “I’m going to get the keys so we can leave” Robert finally states.

“So, when are we going to leave?” asks Emma taking in a breath “is that grass I smell? It smells something like gas and grass. Is there gas somewhere?”

“No, it is Robert. He mowed the lawn and trimmed the bushes of the Outpost for Mrs. Dashing this afternoon. He wanted to go home and take a shower but I told him not to worry about it because no one would notice. But you did” sighs Harriet as she explains not wanting Robert to be further offended by anything Emma might say “He and I sat around and talked for awhile and he didn’t really have time to go home before getting things ready for tonight.”

“I guess that makes sense. However, it was very thoughtful of you. It really helps Mrs. Dashing out a lot” justifies Emma glancing over to Robert but preferring that there wasn’t a slight hint of body odor with the gift of service as well.

“Hey! Is the chili ready? I can smell the aroma from a block away, it smells delicious!” shares Elton “How can I help?” Elton is dressed in a white polo shirt with a shield in the corner and a pair of pressed blue khaki pants and loafers. He has just taken a shower and his hair is still lightly damp. An appealing fog of expensive men’s cologne hovers in the air of the canteen.

“So what do we do?” asks Elton as he looks into the boxes of light blue blankets about the size of those who might find on an airplane with a shield in the corner. “I think that I gave something similar to these blankets last year at the senior care facilities for the seasonal community care distribution” picking up one from a box, holding it up and looking at it.

“Here are the small New Testaments to give out. They also include the Psalms and Proverbs. A lot of the people we help ask for a Bible. With this size, they can keep it in their pocket wherever they go” explains Robert “They are in “The Message” version which is written in every day modern language so it is easy to understand and read”.

Robert climbs into the driver’s seat as the others take their places on the benches in the back of the canteen. It feels as if the canteen is going to tip over as it pulls out of the parking lot as Robert runs over the curb. There is a lot of laughter and the mobile kitchen heads down the neighborhood street.

“Hey! Let’s sing a song! Do you guys know the ‘Do the Funky Chicken’? I’ll lead and you guys can follow my cue” enthusiastically encourages Harriet ignoring the ‘I’d-rather-not’ looks of her two companions.

“I say, let me see your funky chicken!” yells Harriet to the two stone bodies in front of her “Oh, come on – just try it. It won’t hurt” comforts Harriet who begins again “I say, let me see your funky chicken!”

“What’s that you say?” in soft tones Elton murmurs as Emma sits with her arms crossed still contemplating whether to join in.

“I say, let me see your funky chicken!” yells Harriet in an outlandish dialect.

“What’s that you say?” goofily responds Elton moving his shoulders up and down with Emma quietly joining in too as she can’t keep back the smiles.

“I said oo – ah – ah – ah” chants Harriet with Elton bouncing their heads in time “oo-ah-ah-ah” with Robert as he drives joining them from the front.

“One more time now!” shouts Harriet with finally everyone joining together “oo-ah-ah-ah, oo-ah-ah-ah, oo ah-ah-ah”. The song continues for many verses and versions.

As Robert stops at the a street light, he brakes a little too hard because a teen has dashed out in front of him on his dirt bike. He is wearing a tank undershirt and his blue boxers are hanging out above his jeans which are being held up by a chain belt. His baseball cap rests backwards on his head as a few gold chains hang around his neck.

Everyone in the back falls forward. Harriet has forgotten to use the seat belt and flies landing smack down in the aisle. Emma stunned shouts “Are you all right?” Harriet giggles as Elton helps her up and finds the seat belt buried between the cushions and hands it to her.

“I think you might have hurt your forehead Harriet” states Elton as he opens up the first aid kit positioned on the wall of the canteen next to him. He finds a band-aid and places it on Harriet’s wound. He then offers her a piece of gum wrapped in foil from his pocket to get her mind off the embarrassment of landing flat on her face. Robert is busy driving and blissfully doesn’t pay any attention to the events happening in the back due to his expert driving skills.

They finally arrive at their destination. Their new friends are very appreciative of the tasty chili and friendly company. The blankets can be used for warmth, for protection against the elements, and a way to keep their belongings from the damp in their chosen method of storing their possessions. The community is aware of the faithful volunteers who come into their area and offer a moment of kindness each week.

There is a blues street band on the corner that people are listening to as the food is being given out. Emma is serving up the coffee with some help from Harriet. The music continues to play. As a new song starts Harriet jumps up and down, “I’ve had my three espresso shots in my coffee and I’m ready to dance!”

She jumps out the back of the canteen yelling “I’m Wonder Woman!” landing as the comic character might in the old TV show with Lynda Carter with her band-aid still attached to her forehead. Harriet runs as fast as she can over to the corner and starts moving every inch of her body to the music.

Emma curiously looks out the canteen window and asks Elton standing next to her serving the chili in a very perplexed tone “WHAT is she doing?” as Harriet mimics the movements of a chicken bobbing her head in and out in front of her.

“It’s the Blues Brother’s “Twist it or Shake it Like a Tail Feather”. Haven’t you seen it before on Youtube?” chuckles Elton as he watches Harriet’s creative movements in time to the street band. Robert and a few others decide to dance with her too.

Robert speaks to everyone. Several men and women come up and greet him explaining what has happened to them this week. They know that Robert cares and they trust him. Several of the ladies talk to Harriet whom she has come to know better through the various services offered at the Outpost during the week. Harriet is working with Mrs. Dashing to find some free counseling services with the hospital and community clinic for a couple of the ladies with whom she has developed a bond of friendship with over the past few weeks.

After the food has been given out, Elton decides that this would be a good time for an open air. He stands in front of the canteen. “Shall we sing the Founder’s Song! Join me in singing!” he starts but no one joins in to sing.  "So, how about we try His second favorite song  . . . Have you been to Jesus for the cleaning power? …” But the rest of the observers are quiet and a little confused. Emma turns to Robert, “I don’t think they know the lyrics”.

Feeling slightly defeated but not by much, Elton states “Let’s try another one together. How about “Joy in the Salvation Army! The words are simple Joy, Joy, Joy in The Salvation Army . . .”

“I think that I am going to give him a little help” Robert says as he walks over to the band and asks to borrow their bongos.

Elton begins to sing an unintentional solo “Joy!” and hears a “bump bump” then “Joy!” followed by another “bump bump” looking around him he sings “Joy!” with another “bump bump”. He continues “in The Salvation Army!” Robert adds a Caribbean style beat. Elton repeats the same first line again but this time is joined by the street band who adds their own island flavor to the song. Elton is raising his eyebrows. He has never heard the song sung this way before. After the song finishes, the band leader requests to sing “I come to the Garden alone”.

Again the lyrics to this traditional song are sung to a Jamaican beat to the enjoyment of everyone except perhaps Elton who by the end of a few songs finally loosens up and enjoys himself.

He offers a short devotional which is well received because of his sincerity and sharing of his personal story of how Jesus changed his life and continues to move within him.

After spending the evening praying with people and giving out the New Testaments, each person has been enriched by a conversation that they shared with the people that they visited with. The evening is very special for everyone who has participated.

Harriet cleans the last pot as Emma puts it away in the storage bins underneath the benches. Elton carefully sweeps out the aisle of the canteen and Robert checks off the items on the vehicle maintenance log to make sure the canteen stays in working order in case of any unexpected emergency or for the next week’s ministry.

“Emma and Elton, I was just thinking. Robert invited me to go to the amusement park a week from Saturday. I think that there is a group of us that are going. Would you like to go with us? It is one of the last week-ends that the park will be opened” asks Harriet.

“Isn’t that the day after the Weston’s wedding?” asks Elton.

“Yes. An amusement park sounds like fun. I haven’t been to one in a few years” offers Emma then turning to Elton “What do you think?”

Believing that Emma is specifically inviting him so that they can spend more time together, Elton wholeheartedly agrees to go already anticipating the week ahead.

“Emma, I’ll call you later this week to get more details”.