by Gail Sattler
Josh squeezed his eyes shut for a second before he forced himself to smile and reclaim his dignity as he turned around. “Hi, Miss Klassen. This is a pleasant surprise to see you in church. I don’t think you have to call me ‘Uncle Josh’ here.” He covered his heart with his open hand. “I’m not in school today.”
Her cheeks turned a cute shade of pink, which Josh thought quite appealing.
“I guess you can call me Melissa today then, Unc. . .uh. . . Josh.” Her cheeks darkened even more, and Josh had to try very hard not to laugh.
He glanced around them, but everyone in the area appeared to be going about their own business. No one lingered waiting for a lull in their conversation.
“Are you alone today? Would you like to sit with us? I’d appreciate it if you could let me know a little about the routine here. I see some of the kids’ friends, and I’m hoping we can plug in here, since it’s so close to home.”
She smiled at him. Suddenly Josh thought she looked much prettier than in the classroom on Friday afternoon, but he couldn’t figure out why; after all, she wore the same kind of clothes.
“Yes, certainly. I’ve been coming here for years, so I’m fairly sure I can answer most of your questions. But I think that’s going to have to wait until after. We really should get a seat.”
He nodded. “Of course.”
It pleased Josh to discover that he knew most of the songs this congregation sang during the worship time, although he was somewhat distracted watching the five boys. Before he took his place as their legal guardian, he had rarely missed a Sunday service, attending either alone or with friends, most of whom were single adults like him. For the moment the boys appeared to be enjoying the music, although Josh knew it wouldn’t last because they weren’t used to sitting still for prolonged periods of time.
As he expected, when they were asked to stand, Ryan and Andrew began elbowing each other in the ribs and giggling, disturbing not only himself but also those around them. He hunkered down into a rather undignified squat and settled them down as best he could, then tried to return his thoughts to the words of the song, once he found out where they were and how much he’d missed.
In the past, he’d frequently become annoyed when parents couldn’t control their children during the service, but he had a bad feeling that he was going to learn the hard way it wasn’t as easy as it looked. He recalled a few families from his home church whose children always sat nearly still and actively participated in the worship time. He suddenly developed a healthy dose of respect for them.
When the worship leader dismissed the children for Sunday school, Melissa rose as well.
He looked up and touched her arm to get her attention. “Where are you going?”
She leaned down to whisper her reply. “I’m teaching this week. In fact, I’ll be Bradley’s Sunday school teacher today and for the next month. Your timing to pick this as your first Sunday here is good. Bradley will feel more comfortable in a strange place since he knows me, as well as a couple of other children from his grade. There is Sunday school for up to grade seven, so you’ll have only the older children with you for the sermon. I have to go now. See you later, Josh.”
Before he knew it, all the younger kids from the congregation, Melissa, and a number of other adults were gone, leaving a strange hush in the large room after the rustle of clothing and thudding of running feet echoed out the exit door and down the hall.
The pastor was a gifted speaker, evidenced not only because Josh found himself enjoying the message, but because Andrew and Tyler were also paying attention most of the time. He found Tyler often sneaking peeks across the room to where a number of teenagers sat in the back corner, which reminded him to ask Melissa about the youth group. He had a feeling that if he encouraged Tyler to take his friend Allyson, it would be good for everyone.
After the service closed, Josh made the rounds with Andrew and Tyler in tow to pick up the other three from their Sunday school rooms in the basement.
Josh left Bradley until last.
While the boys either checked out the room and its contents or stood around in the hall talking with friends from school who also attended, Josh approached Melissa. He picked up the eraser and helped erase the lesson notes and pictures from the whiteboard while she gathered the papers and felt pens.
He checked over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t in hearing range of any of his nephews, then stepped closer to Melissa when she made her way to the desk at the front of the row. “So how did Bradley do?”
She lowered the stack of notebooks to the counter. “Well. . . ,” she drawled, not looking at him. “He was well behaved and fit in nicely with the rest of the class.”
“I suppose that’s good. But what I meant was, how did he do with the class and lesson in general? He’s never been to church in his life, so this was really different for him.”
Melissa raised her head. “That explains a lot, actually. He really didn’t know anything, not even the major names in the Bible.” She paused to smile. “Except Jesus. He knew that. Also, he was a little disruptive while we were praying, and when we passed the tin for the offering, he wanted to take money out, not put it in.”
Josh felt his cheeks heat up. “Oops. I forgot to give them some change before they went off to their classes. You see, Brian and Sasha never took the kids to church. They’ve never had any spiritual nurturing or any experience praying, not even saying grace at the table. Brian and Sasha never even paused for a word of prayer on Christmas Day. And now that I think about it, they didn’t on Thanksgiving Day, either. That’s something I plan to start, but I couldn’t start them praying without giving them a basic understanding of who God is and what prayer is all about. I’ve had them over a month now, and I figured this would be a good time to start. There’s been a lot of things to get used to before I made this kind of change in their lives.”
He grinned and straightened his tie. “It’s taken awhile, but we’re getting used to living together, although I think it’s a bigger adjustment for me than it is for them. They’ve always been together as a large group, but up until recently, it’s just been me and Cleo.”
Her brows knotted. “Cleo?”
“Yes. She’s made the adjustment to living with the boys much more easily than I did. I was worried about it for awhile, but all the boys just love her, and she loves them all just the same.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but Ryan came bursting into the room, halting their conversation.
“Uncle Josh! Uncle Josh! Did you know that Sarah comes here too!”
He bent down to address Ryan. “That’s great. Anyone else you know?”
Bradley and Kyle chose that moment to come in, running. “Uncle Josh! Uncle Josh! I saw Brandon!”
“And I saw Cody!”
Josh gave up any attempt at conversations with any of them. He stood and turned to Melissa. “I guess I should go find Andrew and Tyler. I was thinking of making their first day of church attendance a memorable experience and taking them out for lunch, if the restaurant can handle us. Would you care to join us? No promises on being quiet or civilized, though.”
“Well, I. . . ,” her voice trailed off as Bradley began tugging on the hem of her skirt.
“Please, Miss Klassen? We’ll behave. And I promise we won’t throw anything.”
Josh felt his cheeks heat up again. He rested his palm on top of Bradley’s head. “I don’t think that came out right. They really don’t throw things in public restaurants. It’s kind of a private joke. You know. Kids.” He tried to laugh, but it fell flat.
“I guess I could. You said you had a few questions about the church. I can give you a rundown of the groups and activities they have on a regular basis, if you want.”
“Great. I’d like that. We’ve got one empty seat in the van. Would you like to come with us?”
Andrew and Tyler chose that moment to saunter into the classroom, which was now empty except for Melissa and his family, which, come
to think of it, totaled seven people, making it not so empty after all.
“I think I’ll take my own car and meet you there. Where are we going?”
❧
Melissa followed the McMillian family van into the parking lot of a respectable midpriced restaurant that served hamburger platters as their mainstay menu item.
She found a parking spot and had just turned off the engine when she glanced in their direction and began to watch the horde of male bodies exit from the van.
As she watched them pile out, she wondered why Cleo wasn’t with them. The more she thought about Cleo, the more it puzzled her. Not that Josh’s private life was any of her business—she’d just met him, and her only contact with him was because of his responsibility of guardianship for one of her students. But since the change in Bradley’s family situation had affected Bradley’s schoolwork, that made it her business, at least on a professional level.
She’d known Josh was single according to the form she’d seen at the school regarding the change in the legal guardianship, but apparently he wasn’t as single as she’d first assumed. She’d never heard Bradley mention his aunt Cleo, but if Josh and Cleo weren’t married, Cleo wouldn’t be an aunt, simply his uncle’s girlfriend. Perhaps just being his uncle’s girlfriend wasn’t worthy of a mention in the eyes of a small boy.
However, Josh’s reference to Cleo made it sound like they were living together, and now living together with Josh’s nephews.
Because of Josh’s familiarity with the general routine at the church, his knowledge of the worship songs, as well as his desire to share the gospel and the message of the love of Jesus with his nephews, she could tell he was not a new Christian. Being an established Christian, he also would know better than to live with a woman without the benefit of marriage. While she knew that the parents of some of her students over the years were living together and having children without being married, as a Christian Josh knew such a lifestyle was wrong in the eyes of God.
Melissa wondered if this was the reason he left his previous church—which was where he should have taken the boys—where he should have had friends who could help him teach the boys about the love of God in their lives, not to someplace new to all of them.
Maybe he had been reprimanded because he was living with Cleo and chose not to make any changes in his relationship or lifestyle.
The more she thought about it, the less reason she could see for not going back to one’s own home church unless there was something preventing him from doing so. She only wished she knew what it was, and if it was because of the situation with Cleo.
She, too, wanted to see the entire family come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Her heart especially went out to Bradley, not only as her student, but because she truly liked the little boy.
Therefore, her first step would be to learn more about the relationship between Josh and Cleo. When she got to know Josh better, then she could gently suggest to him to look at the error of his ways.
In the forefront of her heart was the worry that he would be a better Christian witness to his nephews if he put himself under God’s moral laws and practiced what he preached in terms of general obedience to everything God’s Word outlined. Pursuing him for such a reason would not only put her in an awkward position on a personal basis with Josh, but she also had her reputation at the school to consider.
She owed Principal Swain no explanation in regards to anything she did in her personal life, which meant both her friendships and her romantic involvements. Yet, very little in the life a teacher could remain private when young children were involved, especially in the close community of the school where word traveled fast. Principal Swain would be very interested when he discovered she was seeing the acting parent of one of her students, especially since Josh was not exactly single in the eyes of the general population. What was wrong in the eyes of God not withstanding, her actions would quickly meet with his disapproval, even though there would be no courtship involved.
Principal Swain’s mandate wasn’t in their contract, nor could he fire her or take any disciplinary action for anything regarding her personal life. However, he could and would easily magnify any minor problems or disturbances to a point where they would sully her so-far-spotless teaching record. She couldn’t afford to have that happen.
Melissa closed her eyes for a second, reminding herself that God’s rules were more important than man’s rules. Her responsibility as a Christian lay in gently pushing Josh in the path the Lord demanded he should go, and that meant the sanctity of marriage, not common-law.
In order to do that, she would have to develop a friendship with Josh, which could be tricky with Bradley involved. Knowing Bradley as she did, she didn’t think he would expect favoritism or special treatment, but a six year old wasn’t always predictable. Bradley was a sweet little boy and going through a difficult time in his young life, so she couldn’t give him unrealistic expectations of her friendship with his uncle. On the other hand, Bradley needed extra love and attention at this difficult time in his life. Melissa decided she could easily afford to show him a little favoritism, as long as she expected and demanded that his schoolwork meet with the expectations of his level, which at grade one weren’t unreasonably high.
Last of all, Melissa had to consider Josh and Cleo. All she needed to do was to gain his respect enough to nudge him in the right direction in the eyes of God without stepping into the middle of an existing relationship, and certainly not to cause division. She prayed she could do that without compromising her own Christian witness.
With her mind made up, the first thing she had to do was to find more information about Cleo.
Melissa locked up her car and joined the McMillians as Bradley hopped onto the pavement and one of the older boys slid the side door shut. “Here I am. I guess we can go in now.”
Josh checked the van door to make sure it was locked and dropped the keys into his pocket. “Do you know if this place has lots of large tables? I know that when we’re trying to seat so many, we often have to wait a long time.”
“I’m not sure. There’s only one way to find out.”
Once inside, they didn’t have to wait too long for a table that would seat seven, especially considering it was Sunday. As the waitresses pushed two tables together for them, a little voice piped up beside her.
“You want to sit beside Uncle Josh, don’t you, Miss Klassen?”
She smiled at Bradley. She would have rather sat across from him in order to see him while she talked to him, but she didn’t want to make a scene. “Yes, Bradley, I think that would be nice.”
When she took the chair beside Josh, Bradley sat on her other side. “I bet Uncle Josh will let you order anything you want, even dessert—right, Uncle Josh?”
Without waiting for Josh to answer, Bradley leaned his head closer to her and lowered his voice to what he probably thought was a discreet whisper, even though Melissa was sure the people at the next table heard him quite plainly. “The kid’s meal comes with dessert, but yours doesn’t. But you gotta eat your vegabulls, or Uncle Josh won’t let you have any dessert, even if it did come with your meal.”
“I promise to eat my veg-e-ta-bles, Bradley. But I might not want dessert.”
His eyes widened. “Then can I have it?”
Melissa heard Josh’s sharp intake of breath on the other side of her. “Bradley! That’s enough!”
Melissa turned to Josh, whose cheeks were a charming shade of pink.
She rested her fingertips on his forearm. “It’s okay, Uncle Josh. I’m an elementary schoolteacher, and I promise there’s very little a child could do or say that would surprise me.”
“Well, I don’t know. . . . I’m sure these guys can come up with something.”
A tugging on her sleeve made Melissa turn back to Bradley.
“If we come to church every Sunday, can you always come out to lunch with us, Miss Klassen?”
“I don’t know, Bradley. I ma
y not be invited.”
The tugging increased in speed and intensity. “You’re invited! And you can even sit with us in church on Sunday! Uncle Josh will let you have dessert, even if you don’t eat all your vegabulls. Right, Uncle Josh?”
Josh’s voice came out in a lower pitch than she’d heard before. “Please, Bradley, leave Miss Klassen alone. And can’t you give one of your brothers a turn to talk?”
The oldest boy plunked his elbows on the table and rested his chin in his palms. “I don’t know. He seems to be doing fine for all of us.”
Josh choked on his coffee, and a couple of the other boys, whose names Melissa wasn’t quite sure she could match to the rightful owners, started to giggle.
Rather than leave poor Josh out to dry, after their orders were taken, Melissa changed the subject to the usual weekly and weekend activities happening around the church, especially noting the Boys Club and the youth group meetings, as well as a quick rundown of some of the adult Bible studies, many of which were planned on the same night as the kids’ activities to avoid baby-sitting problems.
When two waitresses arrived with their meals, she found it odd not to stop for a prayer of thanks for the food, especially on a Sunday following a church service, but the younger boys dug into their food before all the plates were distributed. She didn’t want to think of what mealtime was like at their home, where there would be less formality than in a restaurant setting.
Josh leaned toward her. “I know what you’re thinking. I’ll be working on that too.”
From the looks of things, Josh had a lot to work on besides getting them to eat all their vegetables. She wasn’t absolutely positive if he meant the lack of a prayer before eating or the mayhem in general, although considering the situation he found himself cast in, the boys seemed generally happy, at least on the outside. She knew that often what went on on the inside was another matter.
Despite the general confusion, Melissa had a wonderful time among the active family. Their hijinks and the silly schoolboy jokes amused her, and she knew that if Josh asked her next Sunday to join them, she would again, whether or not Cleo decided to attend with the family.
