Healing - Day 10

 “I see what you mean. When does the thing start?”

“At one o’clock. Should work out perfectly. They make these bus trips all the time, this is big business.”

“Not at ten bucks a throw. It’s not too much of a big business.”

“They’ll get their money when you drop that hundred in the bucket.”

“Yea, lots of luck about the hundred.”

“Yea, that is true, I’ve seen what you drop in the collection plate.”

“Isn’t there something in the Bible about being thankful for what you get?”

“A lost cause,” says Bill.

“Wednesday came and the parking lot was full of people waiting for the bus, except when they arrived there were four shiny new Trailways busses awaiting their passengers. As Frank and Father Bill got out of the car Frank noticed Bill grab a small gym bag. “You didn’t feel any need to bring any police gear did you,” whispered Frank.

“No, what you said about boiled eggs and pimento cheese got me. I can’t stand boiled eggs.”

“Neither can I.”

“Then don’t worry. I stopped by the Colonel’s. We got enough fried chicken to make it.”

As they moved toward the line of people getting in the bus it seemed everyone wanted to shake their hands and introduce themselves.

“Friendly bunch of people.”

“Allot friendlier than the people at St. Claude’s.”

“Yea, agreed Father Bill.”

The hymn singing began before they cleared the parking lot and the strongest and the loudest was good Father Bill. Not only did he know and sing every hymn, part of the time he was up walking the aisle of the bus conducting the others. After every hymn, the entire bus cheered and applauded. Frank’s hopes for a quiet trip where he and Bill would both be unnoticed ended about the second chorus of “Bringing in the Sheaves”. As Frank watched Bill walk up and down the aisle waving his arms and encouraging everyone to sing, he realized why he loved the guy. Here was Father Bill, as out of his element as he could be, involved and having a ball. As long as Frank had known Bill, he couldn’t remember a time when Bill did anything half-way. He had won every trophy in every sport in high school. He wasn’t always the best, or even the most talented, but no one ever put more enthusiasm, or commitment, into what he was doing.