EDENVILLE

Little Week

By @naomimrshl

In the little week twixt Christmas and New Years strange happenings abound.

Bits and pieces of occasions held throughout the year make their way to the top of the heap and demand solution and closure.

Folks with axes to grind and bones to pick find themselves wandering through doors wondering how to tie up loose ends.

It's a funny, odd, nervous little week... and Edenville was no exception to its effect on the generally cautious mood.

Along with the attempt to prune back minor irritants, came the irresistible urge to come up with resolutions for the coming year and a strange hunger for instant gratification.

Into this stew of the temporary uneasy nature of the "little week", Buck and Bess successfully attempted a Revival.

Both had observed the behavioral phenomena that peppered the little week with discontent and had discovered what prosperous preachers had long known... December 25 through January 1 was the perfect season for Stewardship Committees to conclude their harvest of funding that was begun in September.
Needless to say, this caused a general grumble amongst the pew sitters... as they also faced the cost of recent celebration.... but they invariably paid up.

Into this communal balancing act of the emotional... and the generally peeved... a good old Revival was a welcome reprieve.

It was group therapy at its religious best... a concert of, and for, the Righteous... it smoothed over much of the angst and brought light, color, and delightfully warped conspiracy theories to folks who desperately needed the entertainment.

Onto this stage strode the handsome couple: Brother Revival and Sister Celaine.

Each night, they healed the sick , made the lame walk... the blind see... against a backdrop of purple-robed gospel singers, strobe lights, and rhinestone covered angels with collection baskets.

On the third night, Dobbs and Dipsy decided to take a stroll down to the throbbing tent along the river... they had stopped for green tea ice cream cones and had decided to enjoy them along the winding
River Walk'n' Run.
As each finished off their cone, they noticed the lights... the music... and decided it might be fun.

As they entered the brightly lit tent, they were quickly led to the corner of a crowded pew by a happy angel whose quivering, glitter wings seemed to have a life of their own.

For the next hour, the two friends danced and cheered with the saved sinners who surrounded them.
They put all their coins into the constantly circulating offeratory baskets and, as the frenzied atmosphere demanded, stood up... a lot!

At some point, upon descending back onto the pew, they found their hips pressed against each other... neither pulled away.

Suddenly, Porter Dobbs felt a flame inside, formally only caused by the opportunity to touch a Faberge Egg and - without caution or pause -he turned, picked up Dipsy and headed for the exit flap.

"Would you like a healing? " a voice called out to him from center stage.

There were shocked squeals when Porter Dobbs turned, still holding Dipsy, and informed the gathering of precisely what he wanted.