EDENVILLE

Flim Flam

By @lyttlejoe

They watched the Panto unobserved and watched how the citizens were enthralled with the performer's actions, then nodding with assurance, left to erect their tent on Frank's back forty. With the neighbours ox running continually on top of the waterwheel and a few dozen of Wilfred's rats linked in parallel, Frank proudly provided power to the tent.
Smiling ladies wearing aubergine coloured robes and holding signs with arrows, urged the noisy audience wending its way from the playhouse down the candle lit street, in the direction of the illuminated tent.
Inside the audience was seated in semi darkness and all was quiet until the strains of Black Sabbath's Heaven and Hell filled the tent and they were dazzled by the 7 X Par Can 56 Lighting Filter Gel Disco Colour Effects. Then the display stopped and a solitary blue spot lit the centre stage and a man, head back and arms out, in a halo of blue light.
The music became piano and the man looked out over the audience and smiled.
"Brothers and sisters, WELCOME!
Welcome to Brother Redemption's Church of the Shaky Faith!
I can feel the need that brought you here tonight." He clasped his hands. "You need your troubled minds to be free. I have felt that need, brothers and sisters. Like many of you I was a fallen man, shaky, but I was saved - yes saved by brothers and sisters who reached out. They reached out to this shaky sinner and we rejoiced!"
The spot followed him across the stage, bobbing whenever he bobbed. The music rose again and his voice grew stronger.
"They saw my need and they reached out, first one hand and then another. Yes my brothers and sisters they reached out with both hands and restored my shaky faith. Halleluiah!"
A few of the audience joined in.
"That's right! Halleluiah! I want you all here tonight to shout halleluiah and reach those hands out to help those poor shaky sinners around you. Reach out brothers and sisters, reach out and relieve their need."
Warm amber light replaced the gaudy spots as Brother Redemption's Creole assistant, Sister Tam Boureen passed through the audience with her sin bin for collections.
"Bless you brothers and sisters! Bless you for reaching out. Bless you for relieving that need of your fellow sinners." He raised his arms and looked to the top of the tent. A single white dove slowly circled down over the audience and there were oohs and aahs as Tam Boureen urged coin into her collection bin.
Frank grinned with glee at how his dove drone performed.
"Brother Redemption will be here for two more nights so you can stretch those arms and save another shaky sinner. HALLELUIAH!"
The lights brightened and the audience filed out silently, uncertain of what just took place.
"Well, Tam how'd we do?"
"Magnifique, cher. Maybe four hundred, a gold pin and a piece of red flannel of all things."
"Maybe we can melt the pin down and we can use the flannel as a piece of the robe that--"
"Burt? Burt Gospel you old flim flam man you! Now it's Brother Redemption? What happened to Reverend Book?"
"Bessie Herford! Were you here?"
"I was and you still have that old magnetism, Burt."
They embraced. "How long has it been, Bess?"
"Last time was when the tent went up in flames after your lightning strike fiasco failed."
"Ooooh yes . . . the real sinner was struck that night, eh?" They shared a laugh. "Tell me, is it worth staying here a few nights?"
"I wouldn't recommend it. The local Reverend is a prominent force here . . . with some forceful friends. The kind we used to avoid back in the day." She twisted his robe front with a finger and smiled slyly. "But the next town south of here could be much easier pickins'."
"Are you suggesting . . .?"
"Sister Poor Celaine could be resurrected. This town has lost its charm for me."
"Well halleluiah! We could leave at dawn. Meanwhile, care to come backstage and toast our reunion?"