Thirty and a Half Excuses
Page 52

Jonah started his sermon, and it was easy to see that while the music and the lure of the cameras drew the crowd to fill the pews, it was his charisma that kept them there. He was the perfect speaker, raising his voice when needed, showing emotion throughout, and talking about love and acceptance instead of shouting about fire and brimstone. When he finished, I realized that most of the people in the congregation had latched onto every word of his twenty-minute sermon. He took a story about one of the Marys washing Jesus’s feet with her hair and made it fresh and relevant to the people of Henryetta.
My heart felt like it had been filled with ten pounds of lead. I wanted Jonah Pruitt and this church to be real. Just like all the other people who filled this sanctuary, this is what I’d been looking for.
He seemed to be wrapping up his message when he held out his hand. “I’ve told y’all to become the Marys of our modern world. How about I give you a real example? Did you all know we have our very own Mary in church today?”
The people began to look around, trying to figure out who Jonah was talking about.
“This week, a local business opened its doors.” He took a step backward and to the side. “Here, let me show you.”
My heart slammed into my ribcage as the lights dimmed and a video appeared on the giant screen at the back of the stage. Jonah’s voice echoed throughout the room.
“Marys are hidden everywhere.” A montage of people assisting others played on the screen. “But sometimes they’re in our midst without our knowledge.” A video of Jonah at our grand opening appeared next, and then Jonah’s voiceover returned. “The New Living Hope Revival Church’s decision to support a local organization turned out to be so much more.”
The screen filled with an elderly woman talking about Bruce Wayne and his past.
Bruce Wayne let out a gasp, and I reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing for dear life. If Jonah Pruitt was digging up the dirt on Bruce Wayne, I wondered what was coming up for me.
Neely Kate turned to me, raising her eyebrows in question, and then leaned in toward my ear. “Did you know about this?”
I shook my head, a metallic taste coating my tongue.
The screen filled with headlines about Bruce Wayne’s arrest and trial.
Bruce Wayne’s head lowered as he studied his lap.
A white hot anger ignited my insides. Jonah Pruitt was exploiting us for ratings. I wasn’t sure why that surprised me. I knew he was swindling the older women in town out of their fortunes, and possibly much worse. This wasn’t much different.
My face appeared next, a photo of me at the grand opening. “Enter Rose Gardner, a shy, soft-spoken woman who stands in the shadow of her sister.” The screen cut to me standing behind Violet as she cut the ribbon with Brody.
Violet was going to be furious.
“Rose was picked as a juror for Bruce Wayne’s trial, but somehow she knew Bruce Wayne was innocent, and she set out to prove it.”
A headline from the Henryetta Gazette filled the screen. Juror Jailed on Obstruction of Justice, Mistrial Averted.
“But Rose didn’t stop there. She worked tirelessly to free a man she didn’t even know.” Next were headlines about Jimmy DeWade’s arrest and Bruce Wayne’s release from prison. If I was on edge already, the next screen caught me totally off guard. It was a shaky video of me. Jonah’s voice on the video asked, “Can you tell me why you did it? You were put in jail for trying to prove his charges should be dropped. What convinced you he was innocent?”
I answered him, a soft look on my face as I looked up at the camera. “I just knew. And because I knew, it was the only right thing to do.”
Where could the camera have been hidden? We’d had that conversation on the side of the church! What was Jonah Pruitt up to?
The video faded and the lights turned up. “It was the right thing to do,” Jonah said, his eyes burning with conviction. “Why did Mary wash Jesus’s feet?” Jonah crossed the stage as if he was searching the crowd for the answer. “Because it was the right thing to do.” He stopped pacing. “Be the Marys of the world. Help your neighbor with his overgrown yard. Help the single mother who is overwhelmed with responsibility. Help those who can’t help themselves. Live the example Rose Gardner has set for you. Do the right thing.”
Then Jonah called for the collection plates to be passed around and for the people to do the right thing for the church.
Violet’s mouth pressed into a tight line, and I realized Bruce Wayne and I were still clutching hands. I let go, suddenly self-conscious. People who realized we were in attendance had begun to stare. Every part of me screamed to get up and leave, but I knew it would make the situation worse. Bruce Wayne had spent most of his life flaunting public perception, though, so he felt no need to stay. He started to get out of his seat, but I pulled him back down.
“I didn’t know, Bruce Wayne. I swear I didn’t know he was doin’ that.”
He nodded, his eyes glassy. “I know Miss Rose, but I need to get out of here. I’ll see you at Reverend Pruitt’s house tomorrow. Is nine okay?”
I nodded, no longer sure whether working on Jonah’s parsonage was a good idea. Still, he had us between a rock and a hard place. Bruce Wayne needed the work, and I wouldn’t back out for the same reason my butt was still firmly planted in my seat. I wasn’t ready to lose face yet.
As soon as the service ended, I stood and hurried for the aisle, pushing past people in my haste to get away.