Chapter Fourteen

The morning dawned bright and promising. Sarah awoke fully rested. Since she was in a single room, there was no one to fight with for time in front of the mirror, and no worries about dressing in front of a stranger.

Sarah opened the small closet in the room and removed her dress from the hanger. She shook it to rid it of surface wrinkles, and laid it on the bed. A glance at the clock told her it was only seven thirty. The gurgling in her stomach convinced her to take time and have breakfast in the cafeteria.

The place was pretty empty. Sarah wasn’t surprised, considering it was so early on a Sunday morning. Many of the students wouldn’t emerge from their rooms until at least noon, if they came out at all. Though the dorm had been quiet, Sarah was sure there were parties somewhere. She had no desire to know anything about it, or be a part of it. She’d seen what it had done to her Mother.

After making the rounds and eyeing all that was offered for breakfast, Sarah finally decided on oatmeal and a small bowl of fruit. She was hungry, but felt a little nervous. As much as she’d love more sausage, she was afraid of what the grease would do to an already nervous stomach.

With no one to talk to, Sarah’s breakfast passed quickly. She returned her dishes to the dish window, then headed back to her room to get changed. Since she had showered the night before, Sarah had only to brush her teeth, fix her hair, then get dressed.

Even with taking her time getting ready, she still had thirty minutes before she was to meet Tyler and his Dad in front of the dining hall. She had even packed up all her things so she just had to make a quick stop and change before they headed back to the airport. Since the sun was exceptionally bright, Sarah decided to take a short walk around campus.

After making sure the door was locked behind her, Sarah went down the stairs to greet the morning. The campus was beautiful. All the walkways were cobblestone, and the one leading up to the girls’ dorm was lined with dogwood trees.

Sarah inhaled deeply. She was very happy to be outside. She continued down the pathway and stopped when she reached the point where all the walkways met together. She turned a slow three-sixty and looked at each building in turn.

This little collection of brick and mortar would soon be her home for the next four years. The campus had a homey feel to it, and Sarah found herself looking forward to start of her classes. She glanced at her watch and headed toward the dining hall.

Tyler was sitting on the half wall that ran along the sidewalk. His father was standing in front of him. They were both wearing suit coats and ties. Sarah approached from behind Mr. Williams, and noticed Tyler’s eyes light up when he saw her.

“Good morning!” He said as she walked up. “Looks like you slept well last night. No more all-night study sessions, eh?” he joked.

“Well, I don’t have a Bible, but if I did, I may well have spent a few hours digging into it again. The one at the hotel had a neat table of contents in the front that addressed certain issues like loneliness and things. That looked pretty interesting to me.” Sarah replied.

“Yes,” said Mr. Williams. “The Bible is full of interesting things. I’m sure when you get your own, you’ll have a hard time putting it down.” He smiled at her then turned and walked away from them to look through the windows of the dining hall.

Tyler dismounted from the wall. Sarah stood before him in uncomfortable silence. “So,” Tyler began. “have you eaten? We have time for you to run in for a few sausages or something.” He winked at her.

“No, thanks.” She laughed. “I ate earlier. Oatmeal this time. I have to admit I’m a little nervous. I’ve never been to a church before. Hope I don’t do anything wrong.” Sarah fiddled with her bangs then patted the bun she had twisted her hair into.

“We’ve never been to this church before either.” Tyler said, then gestured to the three of them. “So we’ll be newbies together. And it’s church, what could you possibly do wrong?”

Just then the van from the church pulled up. The driver’s name was Matt and he was head of third grade Sunday School. He had a thrown-together look about him. His blond hair was cut in a flat top style which accentuated his strong jaw line, and bright blue eyes. His Snoopy tie hung a little loose and crooked around his neck, and one side of his shirt hadn’t quite been tucked in. He definitely looked like the kind of guy who enjoyed hanging around elementary school-age kids.

Matt shook hands with both Mr. Williams and Tyler. Then he put his hand on his hip and gave Sarah a casual salute. He was careful to keep his eyes to himself. Sarah noticed a wedding ring, and was glad, for his wife’s sake, that he wasn’t a creep.

The introductions were friendly but to the point. They all loaded into the van and had lively conversation during the short drive to the church. Matt made Sarah feel at ease. He told them about the church, when it was founded, and how many members there were. As they rounded a corner on a tree lined street, the building came into view.

The church looked impressive to Sarah. Not so much because of the size of the building, but from the fact that the parking lot was filled almost to capacity.

The large double wooden doors situated at the top of the cement stairs were open, and Sarah could hear piano music and people singing. Her eyes moved up to the white steeple at the top, and Sarah had to shade her eyes to avoid the glare of the sun. The heavily wooded backdrop made the whole scene seem like something from an old southern movie set.

Matt parked the van in a visitor’s parking spot near the building and turned in his seat. “Sorry we’re a bit late. I admit I didn’t know you-all needed a ride until this morning. My family was running behind, so we’re all a bit late for the service. I have a class to teach, but I’ll walk you in and help you find seats, alright?” He smiled at them and then unbuckled and exited the van. The others did the same.

Sarah faced the building and took in a cleansing breath. She would not let herself be afraid of this. Neither the building or the people inside it could hurt her. She was simply here to learn whether the Bible was true or not. What could go wrong?

Tyler walked up beside her and placed his hand on the small of her back. He leaned over and whispered “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry. I’ve been praying for you.” Then he followed his Dad inside.

***************

After finding seats near the middle of the auditorium, Tyler and his Dad placed their Bibles behind them on the long bench and joined in the singing. Sarah folded her hands in front of her, and stood politely listening.

She couldn’t resist looking around. The people near her seemed interested in the song. Some of them had their eyes closed and swayed gently as they sang. Sarah looked in the other direction. An older woman next to Tyler’s father had her hands raised in the air and a peaceful expression on her face. Sarah had never seen anything like it before, and she was more than a little uncomfortable. She glanced behind her to find the closest exit, just in case, since the main doors at the back had been closed after they entered.

The song came to an end, and a middle aged man with a microphone started to speak. Everyone immediately bowed their heads, but Sarah was still looking around. It took her a few minutes to realize he was praying, and that she should shut her eyes and listen. She was still nervous, so she kept her eyes open and let them rove around the room, though she did bow her head.

When the man was finished, he welcomed the Pastor to the platform. An older gentleman walked up the stairs, placed his Bible on the pulpit and glanced at the crowd. He smiled warmly, and Sarah liked him immediately. There was something about him that seemed totally honest. His face was kind, and it was obvious he truly cared for the people that sat before him.

As he spoke, his voice sent a calm to Sarah’s ears. Something about it soothed her. She could hardly wait to hear all that he would have to say.