Chapter 5 --- DAYSPRING

DAYSPRING
Chapter 5

         It was the second week in September and the summer was not letting go. As long as the weather held there would be plenty of work, and Jesse was thankful for that. This Saturday afternoon he had knocked off work early, not that he didn't need to stay and get in a couple more hours. But he had an errand to do that wouldn't wait.
         He arrived home just in time to hold the door for Lillian who was coming in with a basket of sun dried clothes. He went to the sink to get a drink of water. Lillian said, "You're a mess!"
         "I've been spreading roofing cement; it's likely I'd be a mess. Where's Joey?"
         "Out back; he's picking up clothespins for me. Did you get paid?"
         He set the glass in the sink. "Yes, Mom I'll give you some money next week. I need what I've got now."
         "I didn't mean I wanted you to give me money, it's just I know Roy Hodie and I wondered if he paid you yet."
         "Yeah he paid me." Joey came in then with the clothespin bag. He ran to Jess who said, "Watch it Little One I'm all dirty," but he picked him up anyway.
         "What do you need money for?" Lillian asked. With Jesse it was always something and she wanted to know.
         Jess set Joey down again. "To go buy Joey a suit of clothes to take him to church in."
         She began folding towels. "So you're really going to go through with it."
         "What choice do I have? Mr Treacher said he'd as soon lock me up as look at me if I don't meet his terms. He means it."
         "I know it. You can count on it he means it."
         "Could you please clean Joey up a little, Mom? Mr Treacher is going to take us to the store and I need to go get a shower."
         "You surely do."
         "In my line of work you get dirty." He went upstairs. He reappeared a little later having made himself presentable. By then Lillian had Joey washed up and in a clean shirt.
         Treacher arrived then. He said, "Don't worry about their supper, Lil. I'll take them to the diner."
         Sunday morning with Lillian's help Jess got Joey into the new suit over his many protests. "Why have we got to wear ties, Jess?"
         "I don't know why. We just do. Hold still."
         He sat on his heels and gave Joey's hair another lick with the comb. "There. You look fine. Don't get dirty!"
         Jesse had grown a little thicker and taller since he had worn his suit last and he was aware of showing a little too much wrist and ankle. Besides that, the thing smelled of mothballs. If Treacher wasn't going to back off on the church thing, he was going to have to get a new suit for himself.
         He asked Joey "What did I tell you about behaving in church?"
         "Why? Don't you remember?" Lillian covered her mouth and turned away.
         "Of course I remember! I want to be sure you do."
         "Watch the others and do what they do," the child recited.
         Jess prompted, "And ~~ "
         "Sit still and no talking."
         "Right. Can you do that?"
         "Sure! I do it all the time at school."
         It was time to go. At this point Jesse was secretly wondering if ten days in jail could be that much worse. He bent down and kissed Lillian. "I wish you were coming with us."
         "Maybe someday, Love," she said.
         Jess set out across lots. Joey couldn't keep up any other way so he let him climb on his back. ‘Someday,’ he promised himself, ‘I'm going to get a car.’
         Carthage in those days was a church going town. People were gathering. Jess was getting that all too familiar feeling of being a fish out of water. He thought, ‘If I hadn't hit the Bull I wouldn't have to be here.’ He led Joey up the front steps, scanning the crowd for Treacher. He knew most of the people there and some of tham looked surprised and some said they were glad to see him.
         Then Treacher arrived. "Come on, Son, let's get inside."
         Holding Joey by the hand he followed Treacher. Joey was looking around with wide-eyed curiosity. Treacher herded them into a pew and sat on the aisle, thinking Jesse looked as if he might be getting ready to make a break for it.
         The sanctuary was typical of small town churches in those days, simple and elegant with white stucco walls and dark polished beams overhead. The church boasted one stained glass window, which was above and behind the pulpit. It was a representation of the Good Shepherd: a young man with long hair carrying a lamb in one arm and a staff in the other hand. Jesse knew there were things in the Bible about shepherds, keeping watch over their flocks by night or something like that.
         Pastor Milgrim opened the book and read, "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully."
         This did not sound good, Jesse thought. He reasoned that the holy place would be this place and by the rest of the text he did not belong here. Clean hands ~~ his own were still stained with roofing cement even after being scrubbed with a brush. But he knew that was not the kind of clean it meant. And as for a pure heart, that didn't sound like him either. Lifting up ones soul unto vanity was obscure to him but as for swearing deceitfully, he knew what that meant! Or even just swearing; he did that, too. He had come here sort of hoping to get help with his temper and already he was hearing about his other sins. And it hadn't even really begun yet. He thought about getting out of there, but Treacher was in his way and in any case he couldn't leave Joey so he sat. He felt like a heathen.
         When the teaching began he settled himself to listen. He was here for his own good to learn something so he might as well pay attention. Soon he was hearing some encouraging things: that sins could be forgiven and people's lives could be changed and stopped from going in a wrong direction, like his was going. Then he forgot about the people and even about Joey sitting between him and Treacher. This was some good news he was hearing! How come, he wondered, nobody ever told me about this before?
         At the end of the teaching, Pastor Milgrim told the people that if anyone wanted to be prayed for or to ask a question he should come up front while the people were singing the last song. Jesse looked at Treacher who nodded and put his hand on Joey's shoulder to indicate he would look after him. Jess climbed over Treacher's feet and walked toward the front of the church. He thought everybody was looking at him but then he didn't care. He sat on the front pew with Pastor Milgrim and began a conversation that was to be the beginning of a new life.
         Joey had sat still for just about as long as he was going to so Treacher took him outside. After a while Jesse joined them. Treacher asked him, "Well, Jesse, did you get what you came after?"
         Jesse smiled. "I don't know what I came after. But I sure got something!" He picked Joey up in a bear hug.
         Later in the afternoon Jess asked Lillian, "Can you take care of Joey for me tonight? I want to go out."
         She gave him a searching look. It was always something with Jesse. She said of course she would take care of Joey. "Where are you going?"
         "To church."
         "Did Paul say you had to go tonight too?"
         "No. I just want to. Mom it's like I was starving for something and now I know what it is."
         She could remember when she felt like that. "Then go, Love; I'll take care of Joey."
         "He has school tomorrow; he'll need a bath, and don't let him stay up too late okay? You know how he is about getting up in the morning."
         "I think I know how to put a five year old to bed."
         He wanted to go to church to learn more about this amazing new thing that had happened to him. Lillian could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice. She remembered feeling like that. She was starving for it, too.