A Second Chance

By Dawn Natelle

The little yellow bus is back. I know a few of you have been waiting for a chapter. The story will continue until the end of the school year, and then will take a hiatus: Dawn

SUNDAY, June 12, 2016

Sunday Bobby came down to his breakfast wearing his hockey helmet. Was he still charged up over ‘the best birthday ever’? More than a little. After his French toast, Rachael made him wash up before getting into his church clothes (which, to his dismay could not include either hockey helmet or cowboy hat).

The family kissed Grandpa and then headed off to the little church. It was a beautiful spring day, and as they got near they saw that the Hobo Army was out in full force doing valet parking and directing traffic. Rachael left her family to go to Mrs. Winchester’s house. The woman has said at the party that she was willing to attend the church next door, now that she had met so many people there.

Rachael rapped on the door, and waited for the elderly woman to come down. “Did you let your friend know not to pick you up for church?” Rachael asked.

“I did, and she was sorry to hear that we wouldn’t be going together as usual. In fact, she said that she would come here too. I told her you would be helping me today, so she is coming to the later service. She said she has heard a lot of nice things about the church and the painting.”

Rachael helped the woman into one of her nicer dresses, remembering that she would have to help her out later in the day. The dress had buttons in the back that the old lady couldn’t manage.

“You know, if you won’t have anyone coming for you, perhaps we could let some people park in your drive,” Rachael suggested.

“Certainly, so long as they don’t trample on my roses,” Mrs. Winchester said.

As the two walked over to the church, Rachael told the Hobo Army man guarding the lane that he could let cars park in the drive. It was a double drive, and long enough that they could accommodate six cars.

In the church Myrtle wanted to pray at the painting, and Rachael got down with her, not having prayed to the painting for several weeks now. She was blasted with that warm feeling that she got at home at nights occasionally. She had decided that this meant ‘job well done,’ so was pleased when she stood. Myrtle stood several minutes later with a huge smile on her face. “That helped,” she said. “I have made up my mind about the house.”

Rachael took her into the hall, which was filling fast, and an usher led them to a single seat left next to the woman Myrtle had eaten with at the Wednesday dinner. She helped her into the seat, and then begged off to head to the nursery.

In the nursery she was pleased to see that eight girls from her class at school were already there, helping the three adult women. Rachael had mentioned the idea to the girls at lunch at school earlier in the week, and all of them decided to come in hopes of getting babysitting jobs, one of the few ways a 13 or 14-year-old can earn money. Only Larissa was unable to attend. She had asked permission to come to her priest, but was curtly told that she would be sinning by stepping inside a Protestant church. He told her to help her own church’s nursery, which she was planning to do.

Only a few of the girls were Presbyterians. Mikki was there, along with Carla, Angela, Becca, Janice, Layla and Lucy. Tanya from the Grade 7s also came. All had babies or small groups of children with them when Rachael entered.

“This is so much fun,” Mikki said. She was reading to a group of toddlers.

“I’m glad you are enjoying it. I’m going to have to break away halfway through the service. I should be down for the entire second service though.”

“What’s up?” her friend asked.

“A surprise. If you can get the others to stay down here to the end, Carly and you should be able to pop up and watch.

Rachael, of course, went immediately to a crying baby that Layla was holding, and it settled down immediately. “How did you do that?” Layla demanded. “She has been fussing since her mother left her.”

“I think it was because she recognized me from last week. I’m sure she will adore you next time you come,” Rachael said. “Oh, that might be the problem. She just had a poop. Time to learn how to change a diaper.”

“No way,” Layla said.

Rachael gathered four of the girls, including Layla, and showed them how to do the dirty task. It was not long before another baby had the need, and Rachael showed the remaining girls how it was done. Before the end of the sessions, all of the girls had changed a diaper, although for some it was only a peed-in diaper. There were a lot of ‘icks’ and ‘yuks’ but in the end all the girls had picked up a valuable skill. They were also learning that babysitting was going to be a job, and it would have unpleasant aspects as well.

An usher came down to get Rachael, and Carla and Mikki followed her. Rachael took a second to change her blouse in the washroom. It had baby spit on it. Then they headed up to the church where Pastor McNaughton was wrapping up his short sermon on “Coping with Change.”

Seeing Rachael, the pastor smiled, and then said: “Today we have a special treat. As you know, Pastor McFarland usually gives this service. This week I am leading both, as Pastor Helen has something special to do today. She is getting married to Constable Steven Winslow, a member of our local police force and a man I greatly admire.” With that about 20 members of the Ingersoll town police entered the church and stood at attention on either side of the main aisle. They were wearing their fancy dress uniforms, and stood at full attention facing the aisle.

“When Constable Winslow asked for her hand, Pastor Helen insisted that she get married in front of her congregation. That is what we plan for the last part of the service today.” At that point Steve entered the church, marching down past the members of his force, to take a position at the head of the church, in front of Pastor McNaughton. His younger brother Edward accompanied him.

With that the Pastor looked to Rachael, who moved near, but not onto the raised platform and began to sing to the accompaniment of the church organ.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The world shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun refuse to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Shall be forever mine.

When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we'd first begun.

Immediately as the sound cleared, the Wedding March was played, and Pastor Helen came down the aisle on the arm of an older man, her father. Rachael looked to the vacant seat at the front, where the man would sit, and saw that the next seat was filled with another man. Then she remembered Pastor Helen mentioning that her mother had died of cancer while Helen was in seminary.

The traditional service followed, with the only surprising thing being that Pastor Helen gave the traditional vows, not removing the ‘to obey’ clause that so many brides today refuse to include. The service ended, and as the register was signed by the new couple and their attendants (the maid of honor was the leader of the church women’s auxiliary), Rachael sang her second song:

He is now to be among you at the calling of your hearts
Rest assured this troubador is acting on his part.
The union of your spirits, here, has caused him to remain
For whenever two or more of you are gathered in his name
There is love. There is love.

A man shall leave his mother and a woman leave her home
And they shall travel on to where the two shall be as one.
As it was in the beginning is now and ‘til the end
Woman draws her life from man and gives it back again.
And there is love. There is love.

Well then what's to be the reason for becoming man and wife?
Is it love that brings you here or love that brings you life?
And if loving is the answer, then who's the giving for?
Do you believe in something that you've never seen before?
Oh there's love. There is love.

Oh the marriage of your spirits here has caused him to remain
For whenever two or more of you are gathered in his name
There is love. There is love.

With that the happy couple escaped down the aisle, with the officers marching in step, the stomping of their heavy boots in cadence with that of the applause of the congregation, honestly happy for their new pastor and glad that she thought so much of them to have them all at the service.

“That was so cool, Rachael,” Carly said. “I didn’t know you could sing so well.”

“Did you see the photographer?” Mikki said. “That was my Dad. He wouldn’t tell me where he was shooting this morning. I’m glad you invited me up to see this.”

The three girls hurried down to the nursery, getting there before many of the parents arrived to pick up their little ones. The parents all came over to Rachael and congratulated her on her hymns, and then picked up their children. Rachael had printed up sheets of paper with the names and phone numbers of each of the girls on it, and the girls handed those out to the parents who again asked about babysitters. Carla, Layla and Tanya all got promises that they would be called later in the day to set up a time for sitting in the next week.

The second service parents started coming down even before the first service ones had left, but with 11 helpers in the room there was no confusion. The girls were again handling the children with a greater confidence this time. Maria came down to help as well, but seeing she was not needed, headed off to the kitchen to see if Geoff needed help.

“What is happening at the back of the church?” Mikki said. “I saw lots of construction stuff back there when we came in.”

“Oh, that would be the scaffolding for the roof. The Hobo Army are going to put up a new roof next week. They will put scaffolds on the front as well, but not until Monday. The church will still be open, for the painting, and they plan to have everything done before next Sunday.”

“That sounds really interesting,” Mikki said. “I wonder if they would let me film it. I had a blast doing the video for school, and it would be cool to do one on how they do roofs. In fact, I could do a full series. Ingersoll Works. Do you think Geoff would let me do a film on how you make Love Bread?”

Rachael immediately got the idea. “Yeah, and you could also do one on Robinson’s Dairy Farm, and the egg farm next door to them. And there is the beef farm that Ruby works with. Then there are other plants in town you could talk to. It would be a great idea if you want a portfolio for film school. I’ll introduce you to Gary at the end of the services, and you can ask him if it would be okay.”

Maria and Geoff returned almost two hours later with a bag of cupcakes. By then the nursery was emptying again, and this time four more girls got promises of babysitting jobs during the next week.

Once all the tots and toddlers were gone, Geoff opened his bag of treats, and handed out cupcakes that his students had made. All the helpers, students as well as adult, slavered over the tasty treats.

Kevin Ripley, the gardener who had done Myrtle’s roses had taken her home after the services. She had told Rachael that she wouldn’t need help with her dress until after supper … she was coming to the Barron family dinner that evening.

Thus the young family was walking home just after noon, with Bobby munching on an extra cupcake. A few weeks ago Rachael would have made him wait until after lunch, but with all the racing around with his friends on their bikes, he was no longer pudgy. There was a little extra around his waist, but he would grow into it.

In fact, once they got home, and he finished the bowl of the soup Rachael has left simmering, he grabbed a sandwich in each hand and ran out to get his bike to head to Marc’s. He was gone all afternoon.

At 5:30 Rachael and Geoff took the van over to Mrs. Winchester’s, where the lady was ready and waiting, wearing the same dress as church, which Geoff complimented her on, to her delight. Then they drove to Grandma’s who got into the back and chatted with Myrtle on the way to the house.

Dinner that night was chicken, and there were two birds, impressing Bobby when he saw that there were four drumsticks, his favorite. He actually got three of them, with Geoff snagging the other.

After the meal, which included lemon meringue and cherry pies for dessert, Myrtle announced that she had decided to take the church offer for her house. She had decided in the prayer at the painting that morning, and had phoned her children during the afternoon. Both children were retired themselves, and had been pushing for her to move to a home for some time now, so they readily agreed with the plan.

“There will be a lot of work to get ready to move,” the old lady said. “Would you be able to help, Rachael?”

“Yes dear, I will,” she said. “I have the morning off tomorrow, then the afternoon the next day, and so on until Thursday. Hopefully we can get a lot done by then, and if not we should be able to spend the whole day on Saturday.”

“Oh my,” Mrs. Winchester said. “I hadn’t thought there was that much.”

“Well, it is a big house. Once you get in at the home, we will get the Hobo Army to move out the furniture and goods you don’t want. Gary can arrange a big auction sale.”

When they were getting ready to take everyone home, Myrtle noted that it had been a busy and tiring week for her, but the most pleasant one she could remember. Rachael went home with her, and after dropping Grandma off, Geoff waited in the car while Rachael went in to help Myrtle with her night dress. She promised to be over in the morning to help.

Then it was back home, where Maria had put Grandpa and Bobby to bed, and she nestled up with Geoff. “We are taking the day off tomorrow, right?” Maria told her man.

“Well, I want to pop in and check on Doug,” Geoff said. Maria just frowned. “Okay, okay,” he said. “At nine we will pop in for a few minutes, just to see how it is going, all right? There are a few chores around the house that need doing, and we can spend a couple hours planning for the future with the new schedule.”

“Good,” Maria said. “It will be good for the two of us to have a two-day weekend for once, even if it is Sunday/Monday.

That night Rachael prayed as usual

Dear Lord

Thank you for everything. Mrs. Winchester is becoming like a great grandma to us. I need to make sure Bobby and I can get to the home often as she is getting used to the place. But she is a friendly old soul, and I’m sure she will make friends there easily. Thank you for making the wedding so perfect. I know Helen and Steve had considered themselves married by the painting, but I guess the legal steps had to be completed with the church wedding. Now there will be no gossip in town.

Amen