Sunday Morning

                                  

I am to be the crucifier this year. I am to hold the cross and lead the choir into the sanctuary  Pastor Schudde meets with me. I lead the choir into the building while the parishioners are standing up, facing the cross, as if I am a bride clad in white waiting to be wed.

One Sunday a month I am the crucifier. I sit at the altar of God.

I have not worn a robe since confirmation

On Sundays when I am not the Crucifier I sit with my family.

We Sing this is the Feast. The Victory of our God.  Pator Schudde sounds rather Gandalfian when he says the word God, pronouncing it Gawd, two bass clefs lower.  We sit in the front of the church, the same pew every Sunday,  the second pew form the altar, behind one of the acolytes.  We sing loud. We sing Holy Holy Holy. We sing God of Grace and God of Glory. We rise and sit accordingly. My father normally sits at the end of the pew near the choir loft.

The hymnals are deep sea blue and are reminiscent of the cover of Enya’s latest album.

I stand next to my father. I note what has always looked like the perennial pimple on his brow. I note how I am his same height.  I feel his warm instant coffee and peppermint breath float into me. I think of Renae Holiday. I think how yesterday was the first time in my running career that I finally nailed it. I think about how I have two more chances to break my cousin Todd Brooks freshman record at manual and that, if I would run the way ran Saturday morning in Morton, the record is mine.

It is after the Gospel reading. Pastor Schudde motions with his arms for us as a congregation to sit down.During the sermon we take notes. Pastor Schudde bows his head during the pre-sermon hymn and prays in front of the ivory statue of Christ.  After the service I exit the carpeted ramp and get a cup of coffee before Sunday School.Eggplant Elmore grew up three blocks away from Manual only his parents moved so he could go to Limestone. Unlike David he is not in band. Akin to D. Best he is into everything musical and somewhat annoying. I walk into the Listerine colored bathroom next to the community room at Church after first service. He is next to me.

I splay my legs and stand over the urinal. Eggplant Elmore begins to speak.

“So, I heard you went out with Renae Holiday the other night?”

“Elmore please have a heart I’m trying to concentrate,”

He steps back. An usher with damp cardboard forehead walking with a pace-maker walks up and straddles the urinal next to me. Elmore comes up propping his chin on my shoulder once again.

“Elmore!!!”

“Renae’s really hot. She’s hotter this year than she was last year and she was pretty hot last year when she was with Dave.”

I step back, punch the saluting chrome handle. The urinal whooshes into a porcelain flood of tears. As I step to the sink Elmore still is over my shoulder.

“So are you guys going out?”

“What?”

“I heard you guys were going out.”

I am perplexed.

"No we just went to a movie together. She's really cool."

 

Elmore is still hovering over me.

                    

“Renae’s really hot man. She really likes you. You outtat ask her out.

Elmore tells me that he would if he were me.