They drove in silence to Grace Baptist Church of Clayton. It was located in downtown Clayton, a small brick building that faced the parking garages of large skyscrapers. The church itself was very unimpressive—a small carpeted narthex led into a low-ceilinged nave. At the front, a simple wooden cross hung over the pews. The floor was hardwood, and the only bright colors came from the lush floral arrangements at the front. When Elly had first become a member four months ago, they had been silk arrangements, a cringe-worthy mix of dusty carnations, moldy old mums, and disintegrating foxtail. That had changed a week later, when Elly began bringing tall glass cylinders, filled with all her leftover flowers from the week. It was a vast improvement to the church, and had endeared Elly to everyone immediately, except for the ancient Miss Penny, who had made the original arrangements thirty years ago. She always gave Elly an evil eye when she came into church, mumbling about a “chubby white girl, thinking she knows everything.”
Other than those awkward moments, Elly loved her church. When she walked in on Sunday mornings, with the light streaming in the few stained glass windows that bordered the altar, there was a peace that washed over her, a comfort that could only be expressed in worship, prayer, and thoughtful listening. Reverend Mack was a force to be reckoned with, a large, portly black man with thinning hair and the loudest voice this side of heaven. In true Baptist fashion, his sermons tended on the long side, served with a side of sweat and hallelujahs. The Grace Baptist singers, a soaring gospel choir, was the church’s pride and joy, a testament to musical excellence. From classic gospel songs that Elly grew up hearing to more funky, contemporary mixes, the Grace choir brought the house down every Sunday, and Elly was constantly wiping tears of inspiration and joy from her face when they sang. Even Keith clapped along, thoroughly enjoying himself, and completely off count, unaware that he was usually the only white man in the entire church. Elly didn’t feel the peace she expected to rush through her today, however, as she was too busy watching Dennis, who had suddenly developed a nervous leg twitch and a sweaty forehead. He looked so uncomfortable, as if entering the church had brought on a violent flu. His eyes shifted from side to side as he took in all the ladies’ bright hats, and the men’s suits and ties. He sat next to Elly, constantly fidgeting with his bulletin as the opening hymns began. The songs were uplifting and powerful, and soon everyone was on their feet. Everyone except Dennis, who sat solidly planted on the pew, his hands tucked in his pockets.
Elly told herself that it didn’t matter, that all that counted was that her brother was sitting next to her, that she had gotten him to come, gotten him out of that room, away from the computer. Still, she was more than a little mortified when he just got up and walked out in the middle of the sermon. Elly tucked her crazy curls behind her ears and went to stand when she felt Keith’s solid arm wrap around hers. “I got it,” he said.
Elly gave him a loving smile, one that she hoped conveyed the adoration she felt for his kind heart, his patience, and his willingness to deal with her smelly and somewhat-repressed brother. Keith left, and Elly stayed for the sermon, which dealt with, of all things, forgiveness and the unconditional love of Jesus. After the service ended, Elly spent a few minutes giving hugs to her church friends and catching up with the Bible study schedule.
Keith and Dennis were outside the church, sitting on the exact same bench where Revered Mack had first met Elly. Lingering on the words of the sermon, Elly told herself to be loving and forgiving and a model of charity. Then she saw Dennis’s scowling face and forgot all about it. “Why did you leave in the middle of the sermon?” she asked.
He gave a shrug. “I told you I didn’t want to go.”
“Was it really so bad that you had to walk out right then? You couldn’t have waited for a few minutes?”
Dennis glared back at her. “That guy talked forever.”
Behind them, Elly heard a deep chuckle, a belly laugh that could have only come from one person: Reverend Mack. She envisioned herself strangling Dennis. In front of the church.
“That guy certainly does talk forever. If I were you, I would try somewhere else, maybe somewhere where they only talk about Jesus for just a short time. You know, so it fits your schedule.” Rev. Mack gave a friendly chuckle.
Dennis’s bold facade crumpled and Elly saw that he was close to having some sort of meltdown.