Works and Days

The second coming of ann ford

3

“I want to thank you all for coming this afternoon,” Bobby said, spreading his purple robed arms over the congregation. “We’re so near Christmas. Really, only a little more than a week off, and I find myself in this new place, but not a strange place, among a family I didn’t know until now. I suppose I’m only a little more surprised to be here than all of you who may have gotten my phone call or heard by word of mouth about the new priest in town. I want to tell you that we should thank God right now. Right now, in our midst, he is reenacting the very miracle of Christmas. How in an unlikely place, an unlikely couple found their way into a shelter from the cold. Just a stable, just a cave the way this is just a building of mortar and stone. But there was born the family of God and the light of the world. This evening, after such a long and tiring day, I want to invite you to come here and enjoy your family, the shelter from the cold. Christ is born here, his light glowing as surely as it was two thousand years ago. I invite you. He invites you to come and dine and be renewed. My brothers and sisters....”

    

“It was a beautiful sermon, Father,” Jackie Lewis was shaking Father Bobby’s hand as she headed out the side door.

“I’m glad you could come, Jaclyn.”

Geoff, beside Bobby, marveled that he could know Jackie Lewis’s name so quickly. What kind of trick was this?

“Oh, and Hannah, I want to thank you for playing organ on such short notice.”

“Thank you, Father,” she said beside her husband, “for such a wonderful Mass. I wonder why we never did a five-thirty before.”

“You always said—” Geoff began.

“Well, we’ll see you on Sunday, Father, Come on, Will.”

In the midst of tugging at her husband’s sleeve she said, looking startled, “Oh, Father Geoff, we didn’t even see you,” while right behind Geoff popped Bill Dwyer, declaring:

“Father Bobby,  that was the best Mass I’ve ever attended....”

“Don’t you just love a lively congregation?” Bobby asked Geoff as Ann brought dinner to the table.

“I wouldn’t know,” Geoff commented, dumping salt onto his food.

Ann sat down at the end of the table facing the kitchen, the two priests were in the middle of the long table, facing each other.

“Don’t you think we should all say a blessing before we just rake in the food?” Bobby asked.

“Oh, yes,” Ann smiled brightly. “Certainly.”

“Lord Jesus,” Bobby said, looking up at the ceiling, eyes closed, “we just want to thank you for this wonderful meal our beloved sister Ann has prepared for us, and for our rising and our lying down. For every good thing. I especially want to thank you for the wonderful family I’ve found at Saint Adjeanet’s, and my new brother Geoff, whom I pray I might be a worthy helpmeet too. In your holy name we do ask blessing on this food. Amen.”

“Amen,” Geoff muttered, picking up the salt shaker.

“You know, Geoffrey, all that salt’s not good for you,” Bobby said.

“He just likes to give it flavor,” Ann told Bobby.

“Oh, Ann, let me in the kitchen tomorrow, and I’ll help you learn to season so he won’t have to use all that salt and ruin your gracious culinary attempts.”

Ann wasn’t sure if she should feel praised or insulted, but was leaning toward insulted.

“So, Geoff, is there any part of church administration you want me to take over?” Bobby asked. “Just think about it. You don’t have to tell me now.”

“I’m not sure I could tell you now.”

“It’s just that—can I confess something?” Bobby leaned closer as if there was someone to hide this from, “I have a passion for youth ministry. Especially working with young men. After eighth grade, when they’re not altar boys, it’s so easy to lose them.”

“Ah,” Geoff sounded as if he were just waking up, “Most of the young men of our parish go to Our Lady of Mercy, the high school a few blocks down Kirkland.”

“Wow, I should probably run down there tomorrow and talk to the people and see if I can speak with the boys. I’d like to start a basketball team. I love B-Ball. You wanna help. Geoffrey?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Geoff said lamely, turning the broccoli around with his fork. “I’m not much good at... B-Ball.”

It would be good to sleep.

When the alarm went off in the dark and Geoff Ford’s palm smashed it to silence, his first thought was,“It’s only Tuesday!”

He pushed this thought aside. He could smell the coffee Ann had started and he groped for his Liturgy of the Hours.

Geoff stumbled down into the living room to get his cup of coffee, sit down in his chair and pray the Hours. The door flew open and in ran Father Bobby drenched in sweat.

“Good morning, Geoffrey! Man, it’s great, just to commune with the Almighty when no one else is really up. You’re missing it, Geoff.”

The priest took off his sweatshirt, then his tee shirt to reveal a glisten chest that made Geoff feel immediately inferior.

“Time to hit the showers.” Bobby Heinz announced, jogging up the stairs.

Ann Ford came out with a cup of coffee on a white saucer.

“Just the way you like it,” Ann said

Geoff ignored his sister and went to the long mirror in the dining room. He studied himself. It was impossible, in the very little light he tolerated this early in the morning to really see himself, and he knew that better light would be a harsher judge. His non-descript hair, sometimes flatteringly called golden brown, was still sticking up. His lips were small, he detected a touch of a double chin, and a dimple under his lip that made him look fat. He tried to smile and make his blue eyes sparkle. They were supposed to be his best feature, but they did nothing for him right now. Ann watched her brother patting down his hair, touching his round belly, displeased by the plumpness of his hands.

“Geoffrey, what’s wrong?” she said at last.

“Ann,” he said at last. “Do you think I’m attractive?”

“Yes, very.”

“What do the people think of me?”

“People?”

“You know,” said Geoff. “The parish.”

“They love you.”

“They love the new—Bobby.”

Upstairs they could hear the shower water running and Bobby singing.

“They loved his Mass yesterday,” Ann said. “They haven’t stopped loving you.”

They were both quiet for a while. Geoff pressed his fingers together and then sighing said, “Do you think that it would be possible...”

“Yes?”

“To take an... unofficial poll.?”

“What?”

“Go around and just sort of ask people how they feel about me?”

“Geoff, that’s so silly!”

“I know. I know.”

They both knew, but because Ann Ford was silly too, she did it.