The Adventures of Madeline Brewer (6)

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The nave of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church was half full I’ll say with around sixty people sitting spread out in the wooden pews. Small puffs of gray smoke hung above our heads and the air was scented with the smell of burning charcoal and incense pellets. The flicking orange and yellow light of the twelve burning candles divided into two groups of six. Six to the left and six to the right of the high altar.

The rector, a young priest by name of Fr. Thomas had just finished the last set of prayers before going onto Communion. The congregation had just finished shaking hands and doing that painful ritual called “The Peace” that nail biting rite where you had to shake hands with people you only see once or twice a week. People who rarely speak to you outside the walls of the church. Anyway, Fr. Thomas was starting to walk up to the steps to the pulpit. Once there he cleared his throat and spoke.

“Welcome to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church.. On the twenty fifth Sunday of ordinary times. “ He started as the shuffling of the papers in front of him could be heard. “I have only a three announcements. First our Bishop will be down for his yearly visit. On September the third I believe. Those wishing to be received into the church, please see me after mass. If not there is a signup sheet in the narthex. The second one is we will have mid-week mass this coming Wednesday. And last but not least, with the approval of the vestry board.. And to help with our bills.. We will be holding a charity slime vote. We’ll need one male and one female to step up and throw their name into the hat.” He said fighting down a blush.

I’ll be honest with you, I had been drifting in and out of sleep since the service started. I had slept through most of the sermon and was about to sleep through Holy Communion till the mention of the slime vote reached my ears. Quickly the last episode of ‘Heather’s House Party’ flashed through my head as a wry smile formed upon the bow of my lips.. Taking a deep breath and noting a sudden silence falling over the crowd. I stood straight up and in a loud clear voice called out.

“I volunteer!” You could have heard a pin drop. “I volunteer as tribute!” I called again as raised my head. To the right of me, a look of shock was dawning on my sisters face as shook her head. To the left me.. Robin and Lily were shaking their hands there faces planted firmly in there open palms.

Fr. Thomas blinked and blinked again.

“Madeline,” He said forming a half smile on his face. “I’ve seen you’ve read the ‘The Hunger Games’.. a good series. I recommend it. Along with ‘Harry Potter’.. but books aside, it looks like we have are female.. Tribute, now we need a brave boy.”

“Pastor.” A boy from across the church said, he wore a simple button down white shirt, charcoal gray trousers, a navy blazer and rounding out the outfit some brown penny-loafers. “I’ll volunteer too.. Don’t know about tribute.” He swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “But since Madeline done that dunking booth thing and now she doing this thing. Think it only right I do this thing.” He color was starting to bloom on his cheeks,

I saw Fr. Thomas blink a third time and then a fourth time as he peered toward the boy. A soft smile formed upon his lips, “Very Well.. Matthew.” He said, beside himself with hidden amusement. “That closes the matter, Madeline will be are girl and Matthew are boy. I guess it's fitting that I add ‘May the odds ever be in your favor.”

Silence. He cleared his throat and then said, “Whatever you do, be it in thought, word or deed. Serve God to the fullest and go in peace. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy spirit.” He crossed himself and the service resumed. But in my pew things were getting pretty heated.

“Who was that boy?” My sister said peering toward me, “Madeline do you have a boyfriend?” She said giving me a level look, “Not that I’m mad or anything..” She quickly added.

“So you and Matthew are like a item now?” Questioned Robin with a small smile.

“Totally knew it, did you see how he looked at her.. Girl you have a keep there. He’s a little on the shy side. But he a hard worker. A really hard worker.” Robin added. “He’s a courtesy clerk down at Sunflower.”

“Would you three hush!” I said under my breath. “He’s just a boy! A boy I sometimes talk too on my strolls around town!” I folded my hands in my lap released my breath.

“You never mentioned anything about a boy?” My sister whispered a girlish giggle escaped her lips. “So have you kissed him yet?” She said narrowing her eyes and giving me a smirk.

“NO!” I said in a harsh whisper. “Where taking it slow.” I quickly added.

All three of them started to giggle like schoolgirls sharing a secret. Robin then chimed in.

“We totally need to go out for like Mexican one day. Like all three of us!” My sister said with a small smile.

Thankfully at this point the conversation stopped as Father was going into the rite of Holy Communion. The prayers where read and then one by one we marched up and knelled down in front of the railing. Hands open. Down the line Father walked, placing the host in each hand. Repeating the same words over and over again. “The Body of Christ.”

“Amen” I said as I took the host and swallowed. The truth was starting to dawn on me, I had volunteered to get slimed for charity. In front of the whole church if not half the town. Memories of how Josephine wiggled around as that orange and black waterfall fell down upon her made my cheeks blush with color. The chalice was then passed to me.

“Blood of Christ. Cup of Salvation.” The women muttered as she held the gold chalice in front of me.

“Amen.” I said again as I swallowed some strong red wine that caused me to cough. My mind was far away. So very far away.

Taking a deep breath, I stood up, bowed to the Cross and returned to my pew. Father then read the final rites and we were dismissed. Dozens of small personal conversations sparked to life. Everybody seemed to chattering about upcoming vote. Already the members of the vestry board where grumbling about the cost and the kitchen crew members were wondering how to make.. Slime? From the tail ends of the many conversations I passed one possible idea was to use oatmeal and green food coloring, another offered the idea of using green water.. And still another, the one with the most pull finally butted in and said she had the “Official” recipe for slime.. One she found in her son’s collection “Nickelodeon Magazines” a publication that had ceased to exist some years ago.

The women, loudly proclaimed that the “Official” recipe for “Nickelodeon Green Slime” was applesauce, vanilla pudding and green food coloring. And since she spoke with such passion and authority.. That was the recipe they settled on. Somehow that made me shiver. I was just about to leave the building when from behind me a voice called out.

“Hey there Madeline!” It was a male’s voice and it belonged to Mark. He was blushing and breathing pretty hard. I found it cute for some reason. He came to attention in front of me and took a deep breath. Quickly he offered his hand and smiled.

“I’m guessing, since we like the tributes.” He said smiling. “Might as well do as they do in the movies. Shake hand and such.” He said grinning like a cat who just snatched the song bird.

I smiled and took his tough farm boy hand into mind and gave it a squeeze. A shock flowed from his hand and into my body as a sudden onrush of color filled my cheeks. Sure it was just a hand shake.. But in a way I was holding hands with the boy I had a crush on! The same boy who might just vote for me to get slimed? Or would I vote for him?

“May the odds ever be in your favor.” We both said in unison. Before bursting into a fit of giggles.

“DORKS!” Cried my sister from behind us. She stood there, One hand planted firmly on her hip the other to her side a little of delight and amusements played across her face. And that how this episode ends.

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I love her 'head nod' to the

I love her 'head nod' to the Hunger Games books and movies. District 12 where Katness is from is made up from portions of West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky. Think Coal Mines regions. Good way to volunteer.