The Gathering Day
Saturday, May 20, 2006
At the coffee house, Friday night, there was a good crowd going – even Mrs. South and Lollipop, Mr. and Mrs. English and Mrs. English’s parents, Annamaria, Tor, and Adam-Age, all the Hobcoggins and Silverspoons, Molly and Stan, Joseph served coffee, Magnus dropped by on the way back from work, the Buckles, and Joe. Rose was at home studying. While Collette read through part of her 1910 edition of Hiawatha, she sat back in the clutter. And then she and Mrs. English had a chance to chat over the graduation and people involved, and catch up on the Ravens, Amy Humble (who was getting married, Sunday), Mercy and the Pretzels, etc. In addition, Collette found out that there was a good possibility Tyndale would hire Diana full-time in the fall, or even earlier – perhaps in July. And the last speaker for her conferences in the Empire State Building the following weekend, would be Ned Tate (the pilot for Jim Elliot in the jungles down south).
Molly also talked over things briefly with Collette. Apparently, Ashley-Sue and Miguel Dominguez were going to:
“Paris and France,” as Molly put it.
And were all giddy over the prospects of spending six weeks in Europe for business degree studies, even though their paths would cross only a few times.
Ah, graduation. One of about three times every year where all the old people gathered. More than any of the three times, it was the place where so many were there. And this time, Eve was the spotlight of the ceremony, as Bing and Carrie had been the year before. Joe’s turn would come next. Eve had grown up so much. It was quite stunning how much so. And she sang Be Unto Your Name, quite beautifully as Mr. English played along on the guitar and Annamaria performed the subsequent sign language. There was something different about Eve, true. She was also recovering still (Collette assumed) from the jungle disease (if it could be called that) which she had caught in Haiti. But she looked well and sound and strong in spirit and opinion. Collette looked forward to seeing what God had decided to do with her in the next few years.
Outside, the dark clouds blew in from the west as they left the church.
The latest Snicketts/Black news, compiled through Mom at Bristol’s college graduation party: Uncle Hilario had grown out his hair to his shoulders, Judah was to return in December from Australia, Polly was to obtain her PhD through John Hopkins University, Amanda’s guy was in the FBI, Esther was going to be involved in a music group over the summer somewhere, Brent was leaving for the Marines the following month and would not be sent to the front, as his brains were needed for other work, and the biggest news of all, and most surprising: Bristol was to be married. And not at home, to the gal who was not necessarily approved of very well. No – after receiving his commission in the Air Force, they would be married on a beach in Barbados. And that was that. Bristol had always been that way – to himself. Collette wondered if they would ever see him again. Whatever happened to family camaraderie?
“Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Those days of soda and pretzels and beer.”
– Nat King Cole