Childlike

Chapter 21 The Girl with the Mistletoe

Thanks for reading! If you like hardboiled mysteries check out my other books, "The Money Club" and "Different Degrees"

Chapter 21

The Girl with the Mistletoe

I stood outside of Pastor Matthew’s antique Victorian listening for Christmas carols. The outside of the old house was glistening with lights, and a manger scene adorned the lawn. There was a wreath on the door and fake snow glazing the windows which seemed out of place on this warmer than usual Christmas Eve.

I rang the doorbell then stepped back from the door, glanced up at the clouded night sky, fumbled with my jacket and looked down at my shoes. “Ah, nervous?” Mick would say, if he was here and I would have to say yes.

Since Pastor Matthew called me the day before and invited me to his house for Christmas Eve caroling, I had felt nervous. I suppose that for me, Pastor Matthew represented a link to God. For it was he who reminded me every time I saw him, whether by words or his actions, that I needed to commit my life to the way of Christ. Whereas Yvonne and her missionaries pushed committing my life to the way of the church! “The church is true,” they continually said, almost as if they were convincing themselves.

“Joshua! I’m glad you could come,” Pastor Matthew said, greeting me with a handshake.

“Thank you for inviting me,” I replied. “By all the cars out front it looks like you’ve quite a showing.”

“Well we have quite a few new friends who are all hot for Jesus,” he said laughing. “Come on in. We’re about to start singing again.”

I went into a beautifully made-up room decorated for Christmas with garland, shepherd scenes, candles and pictures of the first noel obviously drawn by young children. There were other decorations either bought or made by adults. In the center of the room was a tall, full-looking Douglas fir decked out in lights and ornaments; a toy train snaking its way around the trunk with a small town laid out around the tracks.  In the center was a church topped with a tall pointed steeple. The aroma of evergreen wrapped its arms around me, crushing me to its bosom.

I could hear a lot of voices coming from somewhere but could not see any people. “Everyone’s in the basement,” Pastor Matthew explained, reading my thoughts. “We’ve got a piano down there.”

He took my coat and hung it on a coat tree, then I followed him down the steps to the cellar which turned out to be almost as large as the first floor but full of people, young and elderly. They were all eating and drinking from mugs, oblivious to the pastor and me. There were more wisps of garland and another tree, this one with a manger scene beneath its boughs. Silent Night was playing from somewhere and I could hear someone plinking out a few notes on the piano. Then the doorbell rang.

“There’s another guest,” he said then called out, “Cindy! Come here a minute please!” She walked over and gave me the once over with piercing dark eyes. “This is Joshua Nun. Joshua, this is my oldest daughter Cindy.”

“Hi Joshua,” she said, holding out her hand. “Glad you could come.” I stood there, my tongue hanging out like some dumb mutt. It was the pretty Asian girl, the lady in red, the one with the cold stare and the short cheerleader skirt.

“I’ve got to get the door,” Pastor Matthew said. “Why don’t you introduce Joshua to some of the others.”

“Sure,” she replied as her father took off for the front door. “So we finally meet! Joshua Nun the man who changed my dad!”

“I think God had already changed him.” I managed to get out, still stunned.

“But you gave him the opportunity to express the change,” she said smiling, blowing a strand of nearly black hair away from her matching colored eyes. “At first I was angry at you for causing this disruption in my life, but then I could see that it was God’s doing. Come on, I’ll introduce you to everyone.”