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Stories from the Verse
Con Version
Chapter 148: Cooper 48
Table of Contents
Previous chapter: Takano 130
Reaching the bottom of the fire stairs, Brian swung down and sprinted for the S&L, trusting that Tommy would be able to keep up. The intersection took up a valuable two minutes, but allowed Tommy to catch up. Across and up the road he forced himself to walk as they approached the bank. Running and bank robbers had too strong of an association for him to risk being halted by a security guard.
Entering, he groaned. The lines were long, and all the cashiers were busy. Glumly he took his spot, and waited, filling out the withdrawal form while in line. Thankfully he had taken a pen with him or he would have been forced to use the small table with the pens chained in place which would have meant an even longer wait. Tommy was almost bouncing next to him, and he looked over at her, and deliberately breathed out. She took the hint, and calmed herself.
Twelve minutes later by the clock on the wall he walked up to the nice lady with the golden orange perm, and started the process. Two minutes later, knowing that there was almost nothing he could do to speed things up so he might as well conform to the process, he got his money. Walking out just quickly enough to draw notice, but not so much as to draw shouts, he and Tommy exited the S&L. Getting clear of the steps, they ran for all they were worth toward the manse.
Crossing two roads, he arrived at the front door. Tommy came up behind him a few seconds later. He was still pretty worn out from using his speed boost with the Sword, and he noticed that she looked a lot healthier and less skin and bones than when they had first met. Even with that, he was faster than she was.
As they reached the church, a man younger than Brian opened the door.
“Mister Barrelmaster, and Tommy, is that right?” he questioned them still in the doorway, and receiving affirmative nods spoke. “I was just about to head out. I thought you two were going to miss the appointment.”
“Sorry, pastor. Something came up, and I’m afraid we’re still in a rush,” Brian apologized. The pastor shook their hands, and beamed at them, and everyone smiled at each other for a bit, but then he snapped his fingers. He led the way toward the other building, the house out back, where he unlocked the door, talking along the way.
“I’m Thomas Calvin, Reverend Tom to the congregation. And no, despite my name, and my being Presbyterian, I am not related to the more famous Calvin. Come in.”
He waved a hand about. “The entranceway, mudroom. Here’s the stairs, which go up to the second floor. But first--” he walked over to a door past the bottom of the stairs to the left. “The pastor’s study.” Brian having already seen everything let Tommy take a quick look.
There was a small half bath directly across from the study, but Tommy and the Pastor crossed to the kitchen just beyond that with stove and refrigerator/freezer combo and a small number of closed cabinets and some mug hooks on the wall, with sunflower wallpaper dirtied by old grease. The tile underfoot was in good condition.
The pastor excused himself through them, and went to the other door of the kitchen, revealing a living room/dining room with a large console television in one corner.
“The television is old, and has a bit of snow.” The pastor frowned a bit as he said that.
“There are three bedrooms and a full bath upstairs, and an attic suitable for another room, although the two of you shouldn’t need it.”
There were so many more questions Brian wanted to ask. What was the heating system was near the top of the list, but he had no time.
“We’ll take it, pastor,” he said, pulling the forty-five dollars from his pocket and offering it to him.
“Good.” the pastor grinned, and so did Tommy. Taking the money, he handed Brian two keys, one of which Brian handed to Tommy.
“Now, I understand you were interested in being a choir director? For five dollars a week?”
“I wanted to know what the job entailed,” he said. “First, though--Tommy, take a look upstairs, decide which bedroom you want, and then scurry back to work. I might be late. If I am, just tell Granville that I’m looking at a new place to live.” She vanished up the stairs, and he walked with the pastor back toward the office.
“It’s not that much,” the pastor said. “One night a week we have choir rehearsal--Thursday is the night we usually use, because there are occasional services on Wednesday and Friday nights, and you get fewer members if you make it Friday or Saturday, but if that’s not convenient you can pick whatever night you prefer, as long as it’s regular. You lead the youth choir--the teens--plus the adult choir. We have Sunday services at eight-thirty and eleven, and you have to have the choir sing at both services every week, except that the fifth Sunday of any month the children’s choir sings, which is led by one of the women in the church. You also have to care for the music library, but I think your predecessor left it in good shape. And that’s about it.”
“Sounds good,” Brian said. “If I say I’ll start this Thursday, will there be anyone at the practice?”
“Probably not,” Pastor Tom replied. “Better let me announce it Sunday morning. If you can make it to church, I’ll introduce you to the congregation. You can also meet the organist, who is good enough to accompany the choir on most things if you let her know a week in advance, but doesn’t get paid to come to your practices. Here’s the key to the music library, which is just down the hall, and the practice room is across the hall from it, can’t miss it, there’s a baby grand piano in it. I’ll try to get you a key to the office entrance so you can get in here when we’re closed, but I don’t have a spare at the moment; I’ll have to get one from Miss Granger.”
“And I’d better get back to work before they miss me. Thank you, Pastor.”
“Call me Tom--and you’re Brian, yes?”
They shook hands again, and Brian scampered out, walking swiftly the three blocks to work. Tommy was already there, but the department was just getting organized for the afternoon. Someone asked them if anything interesting happened during their lunch break, and they just burst out laughing.
“What?” the questioner asked.
“Oh, not really that much,” Brian answered. “We just landed a very nice rental home three blocks from work, and found a church.”
As to the old stories that have long been here:
