Forgotten Wind: Disclosed Memories

Chapter 10: Religious Aspects

The following Sunday morning was hot. It was also the morning that I went to church... for the first time.

My Uncle Carl came early in the morning and waited in the living room while I and grandma got dressed. I opened my closet and took out my blue collared button-down shirt and black creased slacks.

I put my pants first and then I started tucking in my shirt as I put that on.

As much of the places that I've gone to, I have never gone to church.

I tied on my leather loafers and grabbed my jacket. When I walked out of my room, I saw that grandma was already dressed with help from Uncle Carl. She had on a beige striped blouse with a floor-length skirt and black flats that completed her outfit. There were two pearl necklaces around her neck that dangled down her chest.

We headed out the door pretty early that morning. It was only six o'clock and the service didn't start until six-thirty. I guess we were making pretty good time getting there as early as we could.

We went out the door and I locked it behind us until we got back. Aunt Helen has a spare key anyway.

The horizon of the sky was breaking with daylight. The sun rose slowly exposing its orange and red hue.

We got in the car and Uncle Carl started the engine and started cruising down the road. It was a long way to the church. Rosella St. was where it was. That's where my grandmother and her sister went to church. She told me that she had memories of good times there.

"Uncle Carl, how much longer until we get there?" I asked him.

"Not long now, just a few more turns." He replied, his chubby fingers gripping the steering wheel and turning it.

He was rather a heavyset man and had a black goatee. He was also bald, which is what I usually characterized about him.

The street that we passed was very residential. It was sparsely populated and quiet. Houses were neat and looked very contemporary. Some of the windowsills were painted and the rooves were either slanted to one side or rectangular with steep tiles.

Needless to say, I thought that this church would be more pertinent than I expected. We parked in a large parking lot next to a row of other cars that were just getting here. Uncle Carl put the stick shift in the parked position and said we could get out of the car and head inside the church. He said he'd meet us inside. I and grandma did as he said and made our way up the steps of the entrance. 

When we got inside, we took our seats in the front of the podium stage where I guess the minister was supposed to speak.

Church for some people may be for them to feel closer to god but not for me. It's not the most common reason that I practice my faith in other ways. I mean, if I did have faith. I'm not saying that I don't believe in god.

That being said, I'm not saying that I believe in him either. 

A couple of minutes after Uncle Carl and the rest of the people came inside the church, the gospel chorus on the stage came up and started singing a hymn. My ears were wide as their voices synchronized with each other. One of the choir members was off-key but I could see that the director was trying to ignore it.

The church was really big inside with an architectural design on the ceiling and the stained glass windows had decorations of little angels with wings on them. Rows of hardwood seats were divided apart for the large aisle beside us.

After the choir finished singing, Pastor Brian came up to the podium and recited the morning prayer for us. He was an average built man with a slender build. He had bristly brown hair and a small goatee, which made me see that he wasn't that old.

"Good morning, everyone. I hope y'all have gotten a good night's sleep." He said with a loud southern accent. "Let's get started with this morning's sermon."

He pulled a bible out and so did everyone else. We stood as we sung a prayer this time while looking into the Bible. Uncle Carl and grandma both sung lowly while the rest of the church was singing in harmony. I didn't sing. I just stared into the Bible and mouthed whatever they sang.

While they kept singing, I was thinking about Alicia and what she said yesterday. I think I'll call her when we get home.