The Truth in Their Rumors

Chapter 2

          The church was filled with radiant multicolored light protruding from the stain glass windows that mirrored each other on either side of the building and the arched wooden ceiling created an almost open air feel to the church. The rows of pews led up to the altar, which was adorned with freshly picked wildflowers, and a large wooden cross was hung on the back wall, overlooking the people in all the pews.

            I had not been inside a church since my father died, and I had quite forgotten what it was like to be in the presence of God, the feeling of being in His house again was overwhelming. I felt a bit nervous, but mostly happiness had taken over my soul as my mind was instantly taken back to childhood memories. Although those memories were not made in the exact church I was standing in, it still gave me a pleasant feeling.

            Clara and I sat in one of the rows toward the front. As she sat down Clara elegantly took off her white gloves and laid them next to her on the seat. “Isn’t it beautiful,” she said to me while gazing at one of the stain glass windows.

            “It is quite so,” I said to her.

            “Look who’s here, Mr. and Ms. Emerson,” Clara said turning her head toward the crimson carpeted aisle. I turned to look too and indeed saw the two walking arm and arm towards our pew.

            I happened to overhear part of their conversation on their way over. Ms. Emerson whispered in Mr. Emerson’s ear quite loudly saying, “Don’t let that Mr. Winchester hit you again, you know how protective I am of my little brother.”

            “I am not little,” Mr. Emerson replied. “And we have already discussed that it was my fault that he struck me.” The two had not forgotten the incident that had happened only a few nights before to my dismay.

            “Good morning, Mrs. Winchester. May we sit with you?” asked Ms. Emerson to Clara, ignoring me completely.

            “Why of course, Ms. Emerson, do sit down,” Clara replied. Ms. Isabelle Emerson took a seat next to Clara and Mr. Emerson took a seat next to me. “Any news since we last saw you?” Clara asked.

            “Yes, indeed! Very exciting news. Troy is going to propose to a young woman he met a few months ago at a dance. My little brother has finally found a girl,” Ms. Emerson said confidently.

            Mr. Emerson leaned over and said, “Who said I was going to propose, Isabelle?”

            “Well, myself, I can just tell by the way you are acting around her. It is inevitable that you will propose now,” Ms. Emerson said.

            “Well-,” Mr. Emerson began to say but then the church mass began with the sound of the massive pipe organ. That was one of the things that I disliked about church, I found the pipe organ and its music to be all too much and quite overwhelming.  

            The mass went on in a dull state and I found I had forgotten how to say the prayers in Latin and I had no idea as to what the hell the priest was saying, because it too was all in Latin. The only parts that were in English were the readings.