Gideon's Chair

Chapter 1 Near Nottingham Present Day

Then almost shouting

" God be bloody with me ...your god with me ....I have bloody heard it all now " my words echoed angrily almost defying an halleluya response from within the church .

The priests face contorted in anger .

"This is a house of God , you are in Gods house ....please leave now ...leave "

" Or what " I replied " I will face the wrath of god ...I'm facing that "

" Go Go Go " the priest demanded . " Do not bring your filthy mouth into this place "

I turned , saying nothing . The old woman looked at me . Maybe I'd seen her in the post office , not that it really mattered .

The big wooden doors shut behind me . I stood staring at the Graveyard, not really knowing why I was there . This old cemetery looked like me I thought . Tired and in need of some help.

I decided to wander through the overgrown path of weeds and crumbling headstones . I leaned over to one particularly ancient one , trying to read what it said

'Mary West Lies Here With God 1798'

At least someone is I thought .

The next read

'Molly Rose 1790'

Not much to say about her I thought poor old girl.

The path led me past a damaged bench , which looked like Molly was the last person to sit on it. Its stone supports at one edge virtually disintegrated . An old posie of flowers laying on it .

At that moment as I walked further a shaft of sunlight burst through the trees which surrounded the graveyard dazzling me .

" You ok "

I turned , it was the priest .

" Yes , look , I well Im really sorry about all that in there Father....really sorry " I replied

"Want to talk" the priest held his hands out again walking towards me .

I shruuged again " Not really , just having a bad time .....we moved in down in the village about three months ago , you know ...the top end . Since then everythings gone wrong"

" How do you mean " the priest asked placing his hand on my arm" I didn't think Id seen you before"

I shook my head looking down  " Just horrible , coincidences ...I don't know , I don't know ...first my cat dies for no reason , I mean ..like ..hes perfectly healthy , never ever ill ...then he is just laying there dead ...Then my dog " I felt tears well in my eyes " Fit ..fit so fit so healthy totally devoted to us ..he just dies . With both Father , the vet can't find a cause , a reason anything .Then on Saturday , the Saturday just gone , my wife faints whilst shopping . They call an ambulance , took her to hospital ...She's still there Father , they can't bring her round ...shes unconscious ......and again they have no idea what's wrong with her ..just a rose like blemish on her arm.....this village Five Acres was meant to be our idyllic country life "

I shook my head

"Anyway Father thanks for listening , I must go "

The priest put his hand on my shoulder

"I'm here anytime , I will pray for you ...and your wife "

Looking at my watch " Thank you Father "

The priest smiled

"Call me Michael , Father Michael "

I held my hand out

"i'm John Tutbury , thank you "

The priest looked at me , his kind face frowned

"Did you say Tutbury ? " he asked quizzically

I opened my mouth to reply . However without waiting for my answer the priest turned and hurried back to his church , glancing once over his shoulder . He hurried to the  entrance marked Choir.

So much for anytime , I thought.

At the door he paused turning. THe door dwarfed him.

"Which house do you live in John Tutbury , which house , where in the village "

The priests voice wavered into almost a whisper

I pointed in the direction of our house .

"We bought the Old Hall Father , at the end of the village ..Judges house its called ...the stone one"

Before I could say another word he was gone. The choir door slammed , causing the crows on the gate to scatter into the sky.

Bloody great , I thought this just gets better .

Walking further into the graveyard , tripping over fallen branches and winding vines I glanced at my watch . Twelve noon . I had at least another hour to waste before I could visit my wife in hospital . I lifted myself up to sit on an old stone wall that looked as though it had been part of an older building , much older than the church . I just stared ahead , my head in my hands . Wondering if I was going to simply wake from this nightmare .

Realising I wasn't alone , I glanced to my left and noticed the old woman who had been in the church earlier . She was removing some flowers from a pot a glass vase by the wall. She placed fresh flowers back in it .Then lovingly started to tend the grave , almost stroking it as it was a pet . The headstone had a small cross over it .She seemed oblivious of everything around her . Getting up off the wall , I brushed the white dust from my trousers and started to walk through the overgrown path and out of the yard .

Some salvation this has been I thought.

Walking past the old woman I gestured

" Good morning "

She didn't look up , just continued tending the grave as I walked past .

As I got to the gate , she shouted after me

" We all one day come before the judge , the judge is God . To die is to enable rebirth ...rebirth enables new life ....You must invite him in ....Then he will protect you "

I turned to reply . She had gone .

"What the bloody hell is going on" I muttered outloud.

Closing the gate , I held it closed for a moment. Wondering what kind of madhouse nightmare I had moved into.

I started to walk to the end of the village . Past the green and then the old post office...past the poplars and the old cottages and then through  our gates and down towards our lovely house and then inside.

Walking down my hallway I touched the walls of the rambling old place steeped in faded glory . I ran my fingers over the Oak fire surround , carved ornately into it my fingers moved around the pattern. To its centre surrounded by a garland the date 1818 stood proud of the rest . My fingers worked around the numbers.

Not wanting to stay in the house I decided to take a slow drive to the hospital . The house seemed vast without Carol, I felt totally lost there on my own .

" How is she nurse " I asked whilst stroking my wifes arm , looking up at the nurse.

The nurse was the same i'd spoken with yesterday , a young tall woman, maybe in her early twenties , who never smiled . She had long black hair tied tightly in a bun then a hat placed precariously on top .Regulation shoes and an upright prim manner . Appearances can be deceptive , but I wondered if she'd ever had a second of fun in her life.

Without looking up from her charts she calmly responded

"Pretty much the same , were doing all kinds of tests , but its hard to treat something when we have no idea of its cause . She is comfortable"

"Thank you " I quietly replied hoping she'd say more . " Maybe tomorrow"

She had all ready replaced the chart and left the room.