St Nacho's 1 - St. Nacho's by Z. A. Maxfield

Author:Z. A. Maxfield [Maxfield, Z. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Sooner or later he was going to walk into the restaurant, though, because everyone over thirty did, and sooner or later, I’d be chopping his vegetables as well. I would have to swallow my pride and accept his disillusionment as well as my own. I did rather good trade, though, and made enough in tips to pay for food for Jordan and me for the whole week. Added to the pasta dishes and salads Jefferson let me take home on the days that I worked, I was going to be able to treat Jordie to a movie or maybe even a ball game in the cities.

I left Mama’s in a fairly good mood. When I got back to the apartment, the church contingent was there. “We missed you at services today,” said Stan.

“I’m sorry, I was working.” I put my violin in the coat closet. For some reason I didn’t want to go too deeply into what I was doing. Stan followed me into the kitchen where I washed my hands and started to make a salad.

“Have you thought anymore about what we talked about the other day?” he asked me. “About joining the church formally and coming to me for counseling?”

I hadthought about whether to join in and be part of Stan’s flock. It would require finding sincerity on my part and full-immersion baptism, two things I didn’t think I could

do. On the one hand, he was there for Jordan, someone for Jordan to cling to when he felt overwhelmed by the newness of living back among the good people of River Falls. He seemed to be a good man. On the other, I found myself feeling short of breath whenever he was around. Like something was surrounding me, trying to smother me.

“I don’t think I have any kind of religious calling,” I said. He watched me closely, waiting for me to continue. When I didn’t, I think he felt he had to change tactics. “What are you going to do, though? What’s going to happen when you’re tempted by drugs or alcohol, or you have a crisis and you need to deal with it sober?”

I shook my head. “I’ve been sober for over three years. I won’t be relapsing.” I knew that, at least.

“People say that, but they can never run far enough or fast enough that it doesn’t catch up. You have to have a plan in place. A strategy. You can’t do it alone.”

“What you say is true, but --”

“I can see you’re not ready to hear what I have to say right now, Cooper. I’m sorry, but I’m going to keep saying it.” He put a firm hand on my shoulder and squeezed it. He had warm eyes and a nice smile with big teeth that I suspected were capped. But when he talked to me I just felt dragged into something that I genuinely wanted to avoid. Sooner or later, I’d have to make a choice.

I felt tired and excused myself for a while.

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