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April 14, 2008
Can I get some money?
I was sitting on the couch when Ryan came home. My husband was normally so graceful but when he carried his luggage and backpack and guitarcase he looked like some wearied salesman.
"How did it go?"
"Oh it was great," he said, "Sometimes things can be a little rough at the beginning. The people just aren't used to the sound or the structure, but this group just entered right into worship."
"Oh, that's great." The truth is I'm one of those people who just doesn't get it. The music my husband makes is so bizarre to me. When I go to church, I want to sing something I know, no something that he just makes up right then and there. He comes comes to the couch and kisses me.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too, Karen." He kissed me again. "We had dinner with a homeless guy."
"Oh, really? And did you bring the homeless man home with you."
"Why did you ask that? Did someone tell you already? Who told you?" Ryan was smiling that impossible smile. Playful insincerity vs. Shocked disbelief. I prayed for insincerity.
"No one told me anything. Ryan, you aren't bringing some strange man into our house. It's insane."
"Don't worry, I'm not the crazy one. He's staying with the Watersons."
"Why do I not know any of this? Explain this to me."
"Ok, so all of the people who went down with us to Nashville were going to lunch."
"How did you get there?"
"On the bus we had chartered."
"Which restaurant?"
He blinked quickly and shivered his head back and forth like he was trying to shake something loose from the back of his eyes. "I don't remember, do you want me to finish?"
"Yes."
"As I got off the bus, this guy walks up and asks for some money. I told him that I'd be happy to get him some money and if he wanted to he could come to lunch with us. We sat down, it was pretty clear that our waitress didn't enjoy serving someone who smelled like Calvin did, Oh that's his name. Calvin."
"Ok, so you are having lunch with this guy and he just decides to come live with the Watersons."
"Not exactly. He told us that he had just been dumped in Nashville the night before but eventually he told us that he had been on the streets for six months. Any way, he got this gigantic steak, we used Isaachar money to pay for it, and he just downed the whole thing. We went back to the church and he went and lay down in the prayer room.
“Great, I bet all that freaked him out.” Why can’t I just let it be?
“No, not really. I think he was tired. And was glad to have a pillow under his head. Sunshine and her mom prayed for him and I think it went pretty well. Speaking of Mrs. Waterson, Kennedy and I almost killed her during the next service. She just disappeared during the service and it took us a half hour to find her. She had gone to the kitchen with Calvin because he was hungry again. Kennedy took his mom out in the hall and probably reminded her that it was completely safe to go off with men she didn’t know, but while Calvin and I were in the kitchen he told me that he wanted to come to Detroit. I told Mrs. Waterson and after that it was just a matter of figuring out the details.”
These people are crazy.
Posted by johlinco at April 14, 2008 06:57 PM