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file in next. They shake hands with similarly well-seasoned
gentlemen, and then they take their seats next to their doting
wives of thirty to fifty years. The first generation offspring
then sit, young men clad in pastel plaids, and women in thick
pearls like brunette prototypes of their mothers-in-law. lou-
ise sewell elegantly cranes her neck forward to tell dorothy
anne cobb so sorry for not returning her lovely call last
night, but the chocolate cake, which was not cooking to its
full potential, demanded her attention, and by the time it was
done baking, it was ten o’clock, which is of course far too late
to give any good friend a call. dorothy anne pats louise’s
shoulder with her newly manicured fingers; of course she un-
derstands.
no one talks to the pastor’s wife. she sits alone, appearing
consumed by the worship, crying as Jesus enters her soul ev-
ery sunday. They admire her regal position in the front pew,
and they study her as she takes note of each profound word
that the pastor, her beloved husband, says. Today they espe-
cially love her blonde highlights and her perfectly tailored
up-do. From this distance, they just adore her.
When the first hymn arrives, the congregation looks to
him to rise and raise his hand, motioning them, like a flock
of obedient sheep, to stand with him. she does not want to
stand, but habit pulls her up (or perhaps it is that expression
in her husband’s eye). she knows this hymn without even
looking. she sings, and she concentrates on squinting so that
she does not cry this sunday.
his charcoal robe nearly scrapes the ground; for ten
years, she had said she would hem it. but he stopped asking
her to do it nine months ago, when she told him that four
nights out of seven was not enough to spend with his wife,
blue moon 55
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