Mother Melba Gould carried a tray supporting a pot of hot java, clean cups, cream and sugar. She carefully set it down on the coffee table in the front room. Steel followed behind her holding a pie. Dutch apple. There was also a carton of vanilla ice cream, a scooper, glass bowls.

“Pastor Stikk,” Melba said. “Would you like to say another prayer before we enjoy our dessert?”

He stood among them and smiled. “Yes, of course.” He cleared his throat and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. He mumbled something inaudible and sighed. “But I’ve been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a confession to you all.” He looked over at Carrie. “Some serious love has been happening in this room. It happened while you two were in the kitchen. I’m sorry, Steel, Melba. This is all too powerful for me to hold in any longer. I love Carrie. I’ve loved Carrie for a very long time.” He glared at Steel. “Long before you set foot in Berlin, Wyoming, young man.”

Steel took his time pouring himself a cup of coffee. He worked in the cream and sugar, stirred it with a silver spoon. “So, you’re a thief?” he said. “You’re going to steal another man’s woman just like that? That’s real Christian of you.”

“I can’t steal something that already belongs to me,” Pastor Stikk snapped.

Carrie broke in. “Wait a minute… Don’t I have a say in this? I’m not some cow to barter over.”

Someone in the clouds snickered.

“I believe your moans of ecstasy earlier said enough, Carrie,” the pastor pointed out.

“Ecstasy!?” Melba cried out. “What kind of ecstasy has been going on in here? Do you not see the pictures of our beloved Jesus hanging on the walls? You did this in front of his eyes?”

Pastor Craig Stikk pumped the brakes at her with his hands. “Hold on, Melba. The Lord spoke to me. He told me that Carrie would be mine. Was it a few moments of heavy lust? Yes, it was. But it was lust blessed by God.”

“Lust?” Steel said.

The pastor laid foul eyes on him. “I ventured into Carrie’s private area, if you must know. With my face. It was wonderous.”

Steel shot up from his seat, nearly tossing his cup of coffee to the floor. “You’re nothing but a creepy pervert. How dare you molest my girlfriend! I ought to knock your block off and kick it down the street like a soccer ball.”

Mother Melba put a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. “Enough! she said, shaking her face. “I’ve heard enough. This day has become twisted into something I never dreamed of. Such talk.” She turned to look up at Steel. “But then again… I have a confession as well.”

Steel’s eyes grew wide. “You don’t have to say anything, Ms. Gould.”

Carrie looked over at Steel. “What is she talking about? What’s going on?”

Steel took a deep breath. “As long as we are all spilling our sinful and lustful guts… I kissed your mother, Carrie. In the kitchen. Twice.”

“What!?”

Pasator Stikk chuckled. “This is great. Open, lustful communication. Please, tell us more, Steel… Because there is always more.”

Steel paused for a moment. Then he looked around at them all. “I touched her between the legs, too.”

“Mother!” Carrie cried out. “How could you allow it?”

“How could I? How could you!?” Melba snipped. “Poor, poor, Steel. You were cheating on him… And with a man of God no less!”

“And tally ho… He was cheating on me!”

Pastor Stikk put his hands in the air to settle the voices. “Please, friends. None of this is cheating. We are merely putting the puzzle pieces of love in the proper places. We fit better like this. This is God’s will. Now, watch.” He went over to Carrie and forced a kiss upon her mouth. “There. Let that linger for a moment. Okay, Steel. Now you give her a whack.”

“What?”

“Just do it. Kiss her.”

Steel went to Carrie and gave her a kiss as well. The pastor was envious because it was long and deep, and he began to worry if his little experiment would backfire. “That’s enough,” he said. “Well, Carrie. Whose kiss moved you more? Whose kiss made your loins shiver?”

Carrie stood and put her hands in the air, palms out. “This is all too weird. You are putting too much pressure on me. Love cannot be forced. I won’t allow it to be forced upon me like this. You both need your heads examined. I’m going to my room to be alone. Good day to you both.”

The men watched as Carrie disappeared up the stairs. They looked at each other. Pastor Snikk sneered. “Good job. You drove her away.”

“Me?” Steel said. “You’re the one being all weird with your twisted kissing game. Do you even realize how bizarre you are acting?”

“I’m merely acting upon the will of my Lord.”

“Bullshit. You’re acting upon the will of your old, crunchy balls.”

Mother Melba shot up from her place of meekness. “Out!” she yelled. “I’ve had enough of this god damn bickering!” She suddenly clamped both of her hands over her mouth. “Oh dear,” she said. “Do you see what you two have done to me!? I’ve taken the Lord’s name in vain.” She went to one of the portraits of Jesus on the wall and her sorrowful eyes fell upon the image. She petted his face with her fingertips and spoke softly. “I’m so sorry, Jesus. Please forgive me. I’ll eat a bar of soap if it is what you wish of me.”

 Steel threw his hands up in the air. “I’m out of here. Thanks for one of the weirdest days of my life!”

Once he was out the front door and down the walk, Pastor Stikk went to Mother Melba who was still stuck to the wall and whimpering to her framed Savior. He cleared his throat to gain her attention. “Melba? Are you all right, dear?”

Her eyes slid slowly to gaze upon his face. “I think I may have a broken soul, pastor. For the first time in my life, I seriously fear Hell.”

“Come now, Melba. It was a simple slip of the tongue. Don’t be so hard on yourself,” the pastor said.

She wet her lips and moaned oddly. “A slip of the tongue?”

“A mistake. No one’s perfect.”

“Would you mind helping me up to my bedroom? I think I need to lie down for a while.”

The pastor nodded and put an arm around her. He held her like that all the way upstairs and into her room. She sat down on the edge of the bed. “Close the door,” she said. She patted the soft place beside her. “Come sit with me.”

Pastor Stikk moved toward the bed and sat down beside her.

“I haven’t been with a man in a very, very long time,” she confessed.

“There’s no sin in that, Melba,” he said. “Purity is often a blessing.”

She slid a hand onto his thigh. “Perhaps, but would you be willing to remind me what it’s like?”

“Melba. I think your emotions are overwhelming you now. I don’t believe you are thinking straight… And besides, I love Carrie. She’s in the very next room. I could never…”

“I just need you to fill the gaping emptiness inside me. Just for a little while.” She stood and began to undress.

The pastor’s eyes danced upon the morbid vision of her unshapely body. He had a sickness in his head and so slowly reached out a hand to touch her. She slid back onto the bed, and he smoothly followed after.

TO BE CONTINUED  

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