Open to the public

     A special alert popped up on Evie’s calendar. She had received an invitation from Dillon to tour the sheriff’s office. The school was doing classroom tours. And the office was open to select members of the public, press and the like. She replied with  her standard 💕. 

     The class that Dillon was speaking with just happened to be Mrs. Ledbetter’s. Evie was at the back with another teacher and a city cop. Dillon talked as they stopped in the room where the cells were.

     One little boy asked above the group, “if you are the sheriff; that means you’re the boss?”

     “Yes.”

     “So why do we see that other man on t.v. all the time? My mom says he looks like a turtle.”

     Dillon lowered his head trying so hard not to laugh. He finally said, “ I would like for everyone to close their eyes. When I ask you a question, raise your hands to answer.” He waited a minute for the children to close their eyes. “This room that you’re standing in, is there one cell?” 2 children raised their hands. “Two of you raised your hands. Are there 2 cells in this room?” He waited. “Most of you raised your hands. Keep your eyes closed, how many of you think there are 3 cells in this room?” He looked up and saw Evie, winking at her. “Four of you raised your hands. Now open your eyes.”

     The same little boy that asked the original question trumpeted, “2, I was right!”

     “But not all of you agreed on that at first. The reason Deputy Banks is the one you see and hear all the time is because it’s best to have one person do all the talking. We meet, gather all the information we know, then tell the public what we know. So there isn’t so much confusion.”

     “My dad says the sheriff’s department is fucking useless and y’all need to hire Sunshine Sue.”

     “Richard!” Mrs. Ledbetter scolded. 

     The other children in the group laughed at Richard’s cus word. 

     Bradley was standing in the back of the room. He put his hand over his mouth, to hide his smile. 

     Dillon cleared his throat, “the sheriff’s office has laws that we have to follow. Those same laws that we have to abide by, sadly don’t apply to Sunshine Sue?”

    A little girl spoke up, “my mom says you should be on t.v. more, you look delicious.”

     Dillon swallowed hard, looking up at Evie. She was smiling from ear to ear, then winked at him. 

     “That’s the end of the tour.” He smiled. “Any more questions?”

     “I would like to ask,” Mrs. Ledbetter opened her mouth about the time a camera shutter went off. It was a reporter from the Sunshine Daily. Then she remembered, last year, she was allowed to have Simon meet her and take the tour with her. ‘Members of the press and select public’. Evelyn must be this year’s ‘select public’. Come to think of it, this was the first time she’d ever seen the sheriff active in the tours. 

     The reporter asked everyone to gather for a picture. She even gathered the adults standing in the back to come around. Dillon motioned for Evie to come stand beside him, on his left side. As she did, he put his arm around her waist. The city cop stood with Bradley. And the other teacher with Rebecca. “How would you kids like to do a fun one?” They all shouted. She looked at Rebecca, “is it okay?” She nodded yes. 

     Some of the children acted like they were trying to break out of the cells. Some posed as if they were fighting. One little girl set on the floor like she was crying. Richard, the boy that dropped the f- bomb, looked like he had his foot on another boys chest. He stood over the boy like a proud hunter standing over a buck. Bradley and the city cop held up their hands like they were handcuffed to each other; with a look of confusion on their faces. The teachers looked defeated, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Dillon pulled Evie over to him, caught her in his left arm and kissed her as the camera clicked the picture. 

Sunshine Valley

Hen party continued 

     Della smiled, in an attempt to redirect the conversation – maybe, she wasn’t sure. “Thanks for taking the hard months.”

     “Why are they so hard?” Evie sniffed, wiping at her face. 

     “Everyone knows Sheriff Pace has a soft spot for Coal Town.” Widow Blake spoke. 

     Sara 2 added, “most people want to be with their families on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Few people want to be with someone else’s people. Society has built up those holidays as all about family.”

     “Domestic violence is hard. By Povol’s own admission.” Patty added. 

     “Why is it so hard?” Sarah asked, “just leave.”

     If Evie started talking, they would know. Hell, they are gonna find out anyway. She sighed, “it’s not that simple. Women don’t fall in love with getting punched in the face. They fall in love with a false identity. Perpetrators have their victims so ‘in love’ with an idea; with a person that never existed. When victims do get the courage to leave, money, children, whatever weapon that can be used to keep victims in their place, as it were, is used. Sometimes to the point of physical imprisonment.”

     “As an E.R. nurse, I’ve seen victims come in that looked like they’d been in a car wreck.” Patty was looking down at her plate.  “Bradley will be the first person to tell you that domestic calls are the most volatile.”

     “Dad will ‘hand cuff’ you with that.” Sarah sighed. “But I still don’t understand.”

     “Perpetrators will use religion too. They throw Bible verses like confetti.” Evie added.

     “Really?” Sara 2 asked exasperated. 

     “Really. It’s never about love. It’s about power and control. I have often wondered; Adam and Eve were both cursed. I’ve often wondered if this need for power. That need to lord over someone, was part of Adam’s curse. Men have done it throughout recorded history. Women (mostly) have been their target. Or people they felt were  inferior or weak.” Evie sighed.

    “I’ve never thought about it like that?” Della thought out loud. “It could be one of Satan’s tricks; makin’ us think it’s part of the curse. That it’s some kind of blood lust. An inherent  need?”

     “Just ramblin’, I guess.” Evie sighed. 

     “Povol always asks someone to speak at the October dinner. Usually a victim survivor.” Sara 2 commented. “There have been a couple men.”

     “Men are victims of d.v. as well. Statisticly, there are more women than men.” Evie added.

     “Bradley spoke, as a representative of the law,” Patty volunteered. 

     “Good, good,” Sarah mocked her dad. All the ladies gave a light chuckle.

     Della stirred in her plate, “goin’ to those dinners, listenin’ to the speakers, my mom might have been a victim. Dad was meaner than a junkyard dog. I remember tellin’ Bill when we got married that if he was ever mean to me, I’d hit him across the face with a skillet.” A couple of the ladies drew a collective breath causing an oooo sound. “Never had to make good on that threat.”

     Evie sighed, “maybe coming home was a mistake.”

Sunshine Valley 

Hen party

     Evie rolled out of bed. Her watch was going insane. Women were pouring out of 2 cars that parked in her driveway. Patty was ringing her doorbell. She opened the door to a smiling Patty and a chipper Widow Blake.

     “Good mornin’”, Widow Blake sang pushing Patty in the house; takin’ Evie by the arm, and escorting both women to the back porch. On the back porch, Della and other women had laid out breakfast. “More chairs,” she continued to sing as the kitchen chairs were packed outside for Sarah, Patty, Della, herself, and another woman Evie didn’t know. But looked familiar. 

     Della looked at Evie, stopping her prep, “lady, did you just roll out of bed?”

     “Yes.” 

     “You make me sick. Look how cute you are.”

     Evie smiled, “thanks. I’m a 50 year old woman. I think I’m well past cute.”

     The new girl chimed in, “you are not!” She blushed, “I’m Sara 2.” 

     “Hello Sara 2.”

     “Let’s eat.” Della spoke. 

     As they sat, Evie asked, “what did I do to deserve breakfast?”

     They prayed over the food. Widow Blake began, “men can be very insensitive. Pastor Sam was tellin’ me that you asked him to leave. I told him, I didn’t blame you. There is a right way and a wrong way to do everything.”

     “My only regret is that I’ve gotten Dillon,” she thought for a minute, “Sheriff Pace drug through the mud. He doesn’t deserve any of this.”

     “And you do?” Sara 2 quipped. 

     “Dad is fightin’ mad,” Sarah commented. Patty nodded in agreement.

     “What do I do?” Evie asked. “The thing that bothers me the most, Pastor Sam didn’t defend me. I’ve never moved my letter. Got baptized in that church. Though it wasn’t him, it was Pastor Packard. It should be on file. My parents never went to another church. My tithes are split between the church and an other faith based organization I’m passionate about. But why is it anyone’s friggin’ business?” Sara 2 started wigglin’ in her chair. Evie sighed, “ask.” She received a few confused glances. 

     Sara 2 glanced at the other women, “it’s honestly none of anyone’s business.”

     “Sex before marriage is considered immoral. I know this. Sheriff Pace and I used to be unbeatable in Sunday school Bible drill competitions.” She sighed, “this has never happened to me before. I’m not sure how to process this. I’ve never been churched.” She sighed, “

     Sara 2 played with her food, “I never knew his name was Dillon.”

     Sarah chimed in, “I work with a woman who, every day at work, is tellin’ us some new thing she’s learned about her husband. They met on social media, had been talkin’ for years. Met and got married. Because she says, ‘she wanted to have sex with him.’ He’s not a Christian and she is.”

     Sara 2 droned, “so it’s better to get divorced in 3 years than to explore their feelings?”

     “Depending on which branch of Christianity you practice, some consider divorce a sin.” Evie added.

     “So you’re stuck in a loveless marriage because you what?” She sighed, “were lonely? Horney? In love? Lust?”

     “God set out his plan for us in the Bible because we are his children. To protect us and keep us safe. Though modern medicine has come a long way in treating illnesses that would have killed someone alive during Jesus’s day; those illnesses still exist and can wreak havoc on our bodies.” Evie spoke.

     “Amen!” Patty exclaimed. 

     “I can’t speak for men but for us sex is so much more than just an act. It’s all of who we are wrapped up with a bow. Intimate, emotional, we are not just performing the act. It’s more like exposing our soul.” No one said a word. There wasn’t any noise. The women just stared at each other. “It seems we get attached easier, need something more than a penis. We need to feel safe. Be able to express our vulnerabilities without fear of exposure.” She hugged up her knees in her chair. It hit her in that moment, she was talking about Dillon. She was describing how she felt about him. Around him. He never made fun of her. Never told her she was weak, childish, being a stupid female. He hadn’t ever brought her down. She wished he was here right now. Wrapping his arms around her, in essence, ending this conversation. She laid her head on her knees. “I’m aware as a Christian woman, it’s expected of me to keep up appearances. Do as I do not as I say I do. But gossiping is frowned on in the Bible. Proverbs 20:19, Romans 1:29; 2 Corinthians 12:20, 1 Timothy 5:13; 2 Thessalonians 3:11, Ephesians 4:29, Psalm 101:5. Now I understand what Paul was talking about when he wrote, ‘women should remain silent in the churches’.” She raised up, “Ms. Blake, I’ve seen you hold dad’s hand in church. That doesn’t mean the 2 of you are seeking a relationship. You 2 have been friends since I was a little girl. I remember Charlie.” She sighed, “I do apologize. I’m deflecting. Mom always told me that it was impossible for men and women to be platonic. Friends were always crashin’ on our couch. No one was involved in wild sex parties. Drunk off their asses. It never occurred to me to turn them away. Maybe that was the one lie mom didn’t tell me?” 

     “If I may be honest,” Widow Blake reported; “Dillon,” she paused. 

     Patty picked up where she left off, “husbands and wives talk.” She pointed around the table, “friends talk.”

     Sarah jumped in her chair, “he bought a smart phone just for you. You are the only person he talks to on it. If you ever ask him about why he still has a flip phone, you will get ‘hand cuffed’ about it for hours.”

     Evie looked confused, “hand cuffed.”

     “Sheriff Pace started it. It’s what they call it when they ‘hand cuff’ you to a lecture when you ask a simple question.”

     “If I may,” Sara 2 pulled the conversation toward her, “don’t you think that comment by Paul is extremely sexist?”

     “I did for a long time. Even to the point that Paul was a jackass who hated women. Through some excellent teachers, I now believe that Paul was referring to a group of women that were causing dissension in the church at Corinth. Women have their place in the church. It’s not just a social club for men.” Evie explained.

Sunshine Valley

Pastor Sam

     Evie was almost done with her last call for the day. Her doorbell rang. It was Pastor Sam. She jotted a note for him. Need 5 more minutes. You can wait inside or out. Front porch or back. She pointed to her head set as she handed him the note. He read it and wrote, back porch? She gave him a thumbs up.

  She poked her head out the door, “would you like something to drink?”

     “Water is fine.”

     On the tray, she had 2 glasses and a pitcher of water. Each glass was half full of multi colored plastic stars. And some were floating around in the pitcher. She noticed the look on his face. “I don’t buy bottled water nor do I use traditional ice.”

     He smiled, filling up his glass. 

     “Thanks for defending me.” Evie spoke as she sat down. 

     “I am so sorry. I was shocked to say the least. Are the accusations true?”

     “I beg your pardon?”

     “She brought up some good points that in my joy to finally have music back in church, I didn’t think to explore.”

     Evie just sat there, stunned. Words had left her. The thought raced across her mind to tell him to get off her porch. She got up, “‘we have adopted Christianity merely as an improved method of agriculture’,” she quoted. “Get off this property.”

Sunshine Valley