The Bells Of Saint Peter
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On May 1, 1996, in Arlington Heights, Illinois, the 15 members of Saint Peter's Lutheran Church choir were to meet for practice in the church choir loft. At 7 pm, the building was destroyed down to the foundation by a gas explosion in the basement, and yet, no one was injured. All members were late by six or seven minutes. Inexplicable reasons to the members, but not to Father Frederick Monahan
J.T. Evergreen
OCCUPATION - Retired from the grind. Reflecting on successes, failures, and regrets. Exploring new aspects of self, writing that book which will get me an Oscar, staying out of trouble - well, small amounts of trouble are ok. Bringing joy into people's lives with random acts of kindness - the ones who aren't expecting it are the best. Cheering up check-out clerks at WalMart.ABOUT ME - Alone in blessed singleness. Wicked sense of humor, enjoy my own company, glad I'm not young any longer. I do miss the intimacy of being in love. A good catch . . . at least I think so. Enjoy the possibilities of every moment, an imagination that won't quite, a master weaver - give away everything I make, excellent portrait painter, a national treasure - though no one agrees with me, a good listener, intuitive, a good conversationalist, avoid boredom and boring people at all costs - that's a career all by itself.INTERESTS - Intelligent conversation: hard to come by these days, metaphysics, mysticism, my pups - Charlie, Max, and Bailey, seeing the funny side of life, going to Macy's at Christmas time - kicking Santa and punching an Elf. If I had a singing voice, which I don't, I would sing all of the time, wherever I was - even in WalMart. Wouldn't that be enchanting? When I receive the Oscar for the book I'm writing, I will have some baritone sing On A Clear Day, and I will lip sync his voice. It will wow the audience.PUBLICATIONS – Short Stories to celebrate the NEW YEAR - 23 delightful short stories; Alone at the Beach 25 short stories to keep you company, Home Alone, 8 Great Stories to keep you company, Born in the Twilight, Injun Summer, This’nThat, Short Stories for a Summer’s Day. Holiday Short Stories, With All My Love, Father Frederick Monahan, Shangri la, Stepping Stones to God, I’m Gay Mother – Get Over it, The Olde Book Shoppe, Naked Before God, The Italian Call Boy, The Silence of Healing, Death of a Pope, The Best Short Stories Ever, and My Love Affair with Father Tomas McTavish, working on a new character, Father Gibbon with Sister Mary Magda in TheAdventure of Father Gibbon with Sister M. Magda - it's about murder. I get choked up when I re-read some of my sentimental stories. I’m told that’s a sign of being a good writer.LOVES - Color and lots of it, strawberry jam, hiking up Yosemite Falls, Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, sourdough bread, only made in San Francisco. Hearst Castle, Big Sur, sea air, Adams peanut butter, chocolate milk, rainy days, canaries singing, chocolate chip cookies my mother made, Greek yogurt with honey - oh, yum. Laughter. I make it a point of doing this many times a day.HATES - Stupidity, insensitivity, bad table manners - come on, how difficult is it to hold a fork properly - it's not a shovel for God's sake. Snow, ice, slush, freeway traffic, lima beans - what was God thinking, sleepless nights, people who are late, texting - it's a cop-out, tobacco, alcohol, red meat,FAVORITE BOOKS - The Spiritual Journey of Joel S. Goldsmith, How to Win Friends and Influence People - I collect this book and give them to people I hate - there's a waiting list.FAVORITE MUSIC – Let's Talk Dirty to the Animals – Gilda Radner - funny lady;; Joplin’s Peachrine, Ahmad Jamal - Country Tour - the absolute best jazz - never tire of it. Someone Waits for You – Carly Simons, Helen Kane singing Button Up Your Overcoat and I Want to Be Bad – I relate to the lyrics. And the Tenor who sang Springtime for Hitler in the Zero Mostel version of The Producers. No one seems to know who he is. What a voice.FAVORITE FILMS – The Celluloid Closet, Witness for the Prosecution, It Could Happen to You, Maltese Falcon, Inherit the Wind, 12 Angry Men, Harold and Maude, Murder on the Orient Express, Hope and Glory, Sorry Wrong Number, Speed, Practical Magic, Apollo 13, Where the Red Fern Grows, The original Producers - touch me, hold me - Estelle was terrific, and Zero - what can I say.FAVORITE TV SHOWS - I don't watch TV any more, but when I did . . . 2-1/2 men - when it was good. Everybody loves Raymond - some great writers; best sight gagsFAVORITE QUOTES – The poetry in writing is the illusion it creates: by me. Lord Chesterfield: “Sex: the pleasure is momentary, the position ridiculous, and the expense damnable.” The saddest words of tongue or pen are these - It might have been - indeed they are. If you want to make a success out of old age, you better start now: my mother when I was 15. On a clear day, you really can see forever - you just have to look. I may be rancid butter, but I'm on your side of the bread. Inherit the Wind.FAMILY – A father who was emotionally absent, a mother who provided all the necessities of life and nothing more. An older brother who is a classic socio-psychopath and made my childhood a misery. I hide from everything just to survive. My right of passage came when I was 18 and joined the Naval Air Reserves. In boot camp I hide in the back row the first day, and guess whose name they called to be the Company Commander – me. But it was the best thing that could have happened and I bless that moment. I had to lead those 50 plus men and boys for 90 days. The night of graduation we drilled in front of the audience and it was perfect. The guys carried me from the hangar in triumph. I came out of the shadows that summer and never went back. I'm a louse when it comes to cleaning house, too many other more enjoyable things to do.“The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor WitShall lure it back to cancel half a Line,Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.”Omar Khayyam
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The Bells Of Saint Peter - J.T. Evergreen
The Bells Of Saint Peter
Copyright 2019 J.T. Evergreen
Published by J.T. Evergreen
at Smashwords
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Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Khris Lawrentz for his tireless proofreading.
The Bells Of Saint Peter
PROLOGUE
On Wednesday, May 1, 1996, in Arlington Heights, Illinois, fifteen members of Saint Peter's Lutheran Church choir were to meet at 7 pm in the choir loft of the church for their weekly rehearsal.
At 7 pm, a gas leak in the basement of the church was ignited by the furnace. The resulting explosion demolished the building down to its foundation. Windows in the grade school across the street were blown out, as were some of the windows in the rectory next to the school. Nearby homes sustained minor damage.
No one was injured. The choir member's punctuality for this weekly meeting had never been an issue – until this particular Wednesday. All fifteen members were late by six or seven minutes. Inexplicable reasons to the fifteen members, but not to Father Frederick Monahan.
And now …
THE BELLS OF SAINT PETER
Myra Grace Beckway
It was 5:30 pm as Myra Beckway, a member of the choir, hurried into the Chicago train station with hopes of catching the 5:33 train to Arlington Heights. She arrived at the departure concourse slightly out of breath – the gate to Train No. 647- 5:33 was closed. She could still see the red lights on the last coach as it left the train shed.
She pulled the train schedule from her purse and examined other departure possibilities. No. 649- 5:47 was a local and would not get her into Arlington Heights until 6:41 – she would be late for rehearsal. It would have to be the No. 651- 6:01. It was an express and would get her into Arlington at 6:34. The church was three and one-half blocks from the train depot. She would be on time.
With twenty-five minutes remaining before departure, Myra headed to the station fast food vendor. She disliked fast food but had no choice this afternoon. She ordered a fish sandwich which appeared to be the healthiest item on the overhead menu along with a small chocolate shake, the ingredients of which would remain a mystery for all time. In the future, she would schedule her time with more care to avoid a repeat of this dining experience. She carried her food to the stand-up counter and began eating the sandwich while she reexamined the train schedule to make sure she had read it correctly.
She looked at her watch; a quick phone call to her mother was essential since she would not be home for dinner. The reason for missing dinner was choir practice so, her mother would have to bite her tongue. Myra was thirty-two and seriously thinking of getting her own apartment. Marriage and children seemed to be a fading dream which was