A Return
Saturday, March 5, 2005
“So you remember all of this?” Dad was asking Collette as they walked around the atrium of Kirk.
“Oh, yeah,” Collette smiled, recalling old times. “It even smells the same down there.”
They both leaned over the balcony railing to the floor below. There, every Sunday morning at 7:45, as they waited for the the service to begin, Collette, Carrie-Bri, Joe, and Rose watched the activity below, once they were tall enough to see over.
There, two tall slender green-leafed trees sprouted from the red tiles on the lower floor and grew up to the glass ceiling above. And across the balcony were two equally tall glass windows where one could see into the grand sanctuary of Grecian white molding and pillaring and the red velvet and gold candelabra chandeliers, the massive pipe organ… And every Sunday, down from where the trees grew, they could smell the coffee beginning to percolate near the library for the adult Sunday School classes.
“Have you walked around yet?” Dad continued, as they headed over to the wall of missionary pictures.
“Oh, yes – several times. The only place I haven’t been back to is the gym. You know – the Applerocks and Mrs. Goose are still teaching the preschoolers down there?”
“Wow. Really?” Dad was also surprised.
It meant they had been teaching for nearly fifteen years, at least.
“Nothing’s really changed since we left,” Collette noted, as they walked over to the small chapel.
“You remember when they fit the whole early service in here that one summer?” Dad reminisced.
“Oh, yeah. I wonder how we all fit.”
It had been a walk down memory lane for Collette. It had been so long, and dozens of memories flocked to her mind as she retraced the steps she took so many times those many years ago.
There were the Gumbos who had given her the old violin she once played (the one Mr. Gumbo had taken with him on the streetcars in downtown St. Louis to his violin lesson every week), and to Carrie-Bri the lovely emerald bracelet, and Mr. Gumbo, the retired dentist who always shook Joe’s hand when he was a little guy with his hair flipped back (the Joe-flip) and his little black shoes, and who joked with Dad every Sunday morning.
The Jacksons and Mrs. Battledore. There were the many Vacation Bible schools, the Cub scout gatherings, the K-groups, the Sunday Schools, the Sparrow family always sitting so prim and proper in the morning service ahead of them to their right – all eleven of them – the girls in their little white and pink sweaters and long blond hair and the boys looking as if they had stepped right out of the fifties. It was truly an experience to re-walk the halls and recall all the good times she had. Yes, they were the good days.
And now they were back once again for Idelwild’s wedding, and everything was looking most elegant.
“Smile, Linnea,” Mom whispered, as Linnea prepared to walk down the aisle with her little porcelain basket of rose petals.
Linnea brightened and was no longer nervous after meeting the bridesmaids and seeing how very kind they were, and helpful.
Collette began helping Mrs. Turtle tack down the white aisle runner with pearl pins just as they were running out of time to get to the restaurant. And they laughed and ate salads and prime rib and chocolate gooey butter cake.
Judah had grown quite desperate from hunger when they were finally served the supper. And he and OLeif and Joe the Elder, laughed and joked and discussed things while Mom and Dad talked over things with Joe’s wife, Angelina, and Collette helped Linnea open her gift from Idlewild – a white silk purse with an embroidered flap and three small pieces of baby pink makeup to place inside. She was delighted.
And as the candles burned low and everyone laughed and talked, Collette saw her vision beginning to fade as a wave of tiredness crept over her. She watched Idlewild walking around the tables with Jordan, so beautiful and happy and glowing. She was glistening, thrilled to welcome the coming day. And Collette recalled how she had felt the night before her wedding and wondered about things. It had been a good and pleasant evening.