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Authors: Christa J. Kinde
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platter along to the mailman. “What about you, Harken?”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” the old shopkeeper assured with a ready smile. “This year’s performance is sure to be memorable.”
Prissie couldn’t help but notice that for angels who only needed manna to survive, their heavenly guests could put away a lot of food. It made her feel good to watch people enjoying something she’d helped prepare, and they lingered at the table for quite some time after the empty plates were pushed aside. Finally, Naomi stood and announced, “I’ll put the coffee on. Shall we move to the family room?”
Immediately, Baird raised his hand and waved it like a schoolboy hoping for attention. “If you don’t mind, ma’am, I did promise Prissie that if she could wrangle us a place at your table, we’d sing for our supper! Kester and I came prepared!”
Jayce shook his head and kindly said, “There’s no need to repay us for your company.”
Baird nodded, but countered, “Just the same, we’d love to sing with you. I guess you could call it our kind of hospitality.”
“Meals and music are often best when shared with friends,” said Kester.
“Fair enough,” Jayce agreed. “What did you have in mind?”
The red-haired Worshiper bounced from his chair and swept the table with an assessing gaze. “When we packed Harken’s trunk, Kester here got a little carried away. There must be half a dozen pieces of precious cargo out there, which means I need at least six hands. But God only saw fit to give me two! I’m taking volunteers!”
All five of the Pomeroy boys and Koji scrambled to followBaird out the door, and Kester quietly gathered his dishes and carried them over to the sink. Grandma Nell was quick to scold. “Let us take care of that, young man.”
The serious-faced musician inclined his head and graciously replied, “Pardon my intrusion.”
Grandma Nell tutted. “You’re not intruding. You’re just being over-helpful! We’ll exercise our gifts, freeing you up to exercise yours.”
Kester’s dark eyes warmed with the smile that graced his lips. “I shall bow to your wisdom. Thank you, Mrs. Pomeroy.”
Grandma Nell shook her dishtowel at Pete, Jayce, Kester, Harken, and Milo, chasing them out of the kitchen. “Off you get, the lot of you! And call me Nell!”
Naomi laughed at her mother-in-law’s good-natured bossing and accepted a quick one-armed hug from Jayce, who kissed the top of her head. “Thank you, ladies,” he said, including all three generations. “We’ll get out from underfoot.”
Prissie moved to help with the clearing up, and a moment later, there was a
clatter-bang
as the boys returned with Baird. She peeked into the front hall long enough to see that they were weighed down by four instrument cases and two amplifiers. Jude popped into the kitchen to report, “Mister Baird’s guitar is
blue
!” before disappearing back into the living room.
A few moments later, the strains of a wistful melody filled the house, and Prissie realized that one of those cases had held Kester’s violin. Grandma Nell sighed happily as she loaded the dishwasher, and Naomi’s expression grew dreamy as she transferred leftovers into storage containers for thefridge. While she dried the pots and platters that needed to be done by hand, Prissie stole peeks into the living room where Beau and Neil were giving Baird a hand setting up the equipment.
The three women didn’t take long getting the kitchen squared away, and they joined the menfolk. Naomi walked around the room, lighting candles, and Grandma Nell cozied up to her husband on one of the love seats. Tad, Zeke, and Jude watched with undisguised interest as Kester opened another case and withdrew an acoustic guitar. The black instrument gleamed in the lamplight, and Zeke boldly reached out to touch the pattern of paua shell insets that ringed its sound hole. “What’s this for?” he asked.
“That is called the rosette,” Kester answered.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” the old shopkeeper assured with a ready smile. “This year’s performance is sure to be memorable.”
Prissie couldn’t help but notice that for angels who only needed manna to survive, their heavenly guests could put away a lot of food. It made her feel good to watch people enjoying something she’d helped prepare, and they lingered at the table for quite some time after the empty plates were pushed aside. Finally, Naomi stood and announced, “I’ll put the coffee on. Shall we move to the family room?”
Immediately, Baird raised his hand and waved it like a schoolboy hoping for attention. “If you don’t mind, ma’am, I did promise Prissie that if she could wrangle us a place at your table, we’d sing for our supper! Kester and I came prepared!”
Jayce shook his head and kindly said, “There’s no need to repay us for your company.”
Baird nodded, but countered, “Just the same, we’d love to sing with you. I guess you could call it our kind of hospitality.”
“Meals and music are often best when shared with friends,” said Kester.
“Fair enough,” Jayce agreed. “What did you have in mind?”
The red-haired Worshiper bounced from his chair and swept the table with an assessing gaze. “When we packed Harken’s trunk, Kester here got a little carried away. There must be half a dozen pieces of precious cargo out there, which means I need at least six hands. But God only saw fit to give me two! I’m taking volunteers!”
All five of the Pomeroy boys and Koji scrambled to followBaird out the door, and Kester quietly gathered his dishes and carried them over to the sink. Grandma Nell was quick to scold. “Let us take care of that, young man.”
The serious-faced musician inclined his head and graciously replied, “Pardon my intrusion.”
Grandma Nell tutted. “You’re not intruding. You’re just being over-helpful! We’ll exercise our gifts, freeing you up to exercise yours.”
Kester’s dark eyes warmed with the smile that graced his lips. “I shall bow to your wisdom. Thank you, Mrs. Pomeroy.”
Grandma Nell shook her dishtowel at Pete, Jayce, Kester, Harken, and Milo, chasing them out of the kitchen. “Off you get, the lot of you! And call me Nell!”
Naomi laughed at her mother-in-law’s good-natured bossing and accepted a quick one-armed hug from Jayce, who kissed the top of her head. “Thank you, ladies,” he said, including all three generations. “We’ll get out from underfoot.”
Prissie moved to help with the clearing up, and a moment later, there was a
clatter-bang
as the boys returned with Baird. She peeked into the front hall long enough to see that they were weighed down by four instrument cases and two amplifiers. Jude popped into the kitchen to report, “Mister Baird’s guitar is
blue
!” before disappearing back into the living room.
A few moments later, the strains of a wistful melody filled the house, and Prissie realized that one of those cases had held Kester’s violin. Grandma Nell sighed happily as she loaded the dishwasher, and Naomi’s expression grew dreamy as she transferred leftovers into storage containers for thefridge. While she dried the pots and platters that needed to be done by hand, Prissie stole peeks into the living room where Beau and Neil were giving Baird a hand setting up the equipment.
The three women didn’t take long getting the kitchen squared away, and they joined the menfolk. Naomi walked around the room, lighting candles, and Grandma Nell cozied up to her husband on one of the love seats. Tad, Zeke, and Jude watched with undisguised interest as Kester opened another case and withdrew an acoustic guitar. The black instrument gleamed in the lamplight, and Zeke boldly reached out to touch the pattern of paua shell insets that ringed its sound hole. “What’s this for?” he asked.
“That is called the rosette,” Kester answered.
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