Unwelcome

Leta stood in the living room with her mother Julia, her mouth nearly hanging open in shock. While she was embarrassed and surprised, she could feel those emotions quickly churning into rage.

They had invited their guests to sit, sip coffee, enjoy one of Leta’s raisin-filled cookies, but the guests refused politely. The quartet of three men and one woman were content to stand close together, as if for protection, in the doorway that separated the small entrance of Julia’s house from the living room.

“Is it true, Sister Chetister, that you have left your husband to be with another man?” the spokesperson of the group, an older man called Brother Adamson, asked.

“Not quite,” Leta responded questioningly.

“As we understand it, you have left your lawful husband, our blessed Christian Brother Ralph Chetister, taken his beloved children away and moved in with your mother.” He gave a conciliatory nod to Julia who was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. “All this in order to fraternize with a man who is not your husband. Correct?”

Leta nearly scoffed. While her estranged husband Ralph did attend church with her and the children, he did so reluctantly, referred to the preacher as an old windbag and rarely participated in other activities, such as Bible study or helping to maintain the property. When he was invited to undergo deacon training, he informed Leta that he told the church elders that his work schedule prevented him. His interest in faith was based almost exclusively on his understanding that a churchgoing man was more respected in the community.

“And we know that you have previously prevented him from deacon training,” the second man, Brother Roberts, a pale, sniffling, mostly timid fellow, added in a rare moment of aggressiveness.

At this comment, Julia scoffed loudly enough for all to hear, and Leta quickly turned her head to send a firm, silent request that her mother refrain from further outbursts. Immediately, Julia’s face resumed its blank expression, but anyone who knew her well could see in her body language that the older woman, well into her sixties, was poised to launch an all-out verbal attack on their increasingly unfriendly visitors.

“Yes, well,” Leta stammered a little, but grew more confident as she spoke, “I am sure that you have come here out of the goodness of your hearts. I greatly appreciate your concern for me and my children. To set the matter straight, though, while it is true that my husband and I have separated, and the children and I felt compelled to move in with my mother, it was not to pursue a relationship with another man. I did not meet my friend until after trying every means at my disposal to reconcile with Ralph.”

That was what she said. In her mind, she was screaming at them for their unacceptable and vicious assault on her and their unbelievable support of Ralph who had immediately ceased attending the parish when he moved back in with his parents. When Leta finished, there was a short pause. She could—everyone could—hear the asthmatic breathing of the third gentleman, older brother to the woman. While he rarely spoke and seemed to never posit his opinion, he was always present at such actions. Leta’s church friends referred to him as “the doom.” Finally, Brother Adamson spoke again.

“Nevertheless, a good Christian church cannot abide having a woman who has rejected the blessed marriage bond remain in our company,” he declared, “and far less can we abide having such a woman as to do this and take up with another man remain. Women are to submit to their husbands and remain steadfast to the marriage bonds, Sister Chetister. That is what the Bible teaches us.”

“This sin is just…just…shameless,” their female companion, Sister Rose, added, so frustrated that she clung to her brother for support.

Sister, we beseech you,” Brother Adamson continued, “turn away from this great, grievous sin, repent and return to the husband God has so generously selected for you. Your current situation is unacceptable to the Lord and good Christian people. When you are ready to come back to the godly life, we will be happy to receive you. Until then, please do not darken the glorious house of our Lord.”

“We are a generous people, Sister Chetister,” Brother Roberts added condescendingly, “but in this matter you have gone too far.”

After a moment, Brother Adamson nodded his head, turned and left the house, with Brother Roberts gently guiding their silent companions to follow. Just as she reached the door, the woman turned back, tears streaming down her reddened face, to beseech Leta to heed the command of her companions so that she might return to the faith.

Then they were gone, and Julia, moving like a flash of light was standing at the closed door. She locked it with a ferocious flourish and turned to Leta.

“The nerve of some people!”