Another Life| Joel Pimentel

Five.

There was a loud knock on the door and Elizabeth turned around to answer it but Joel smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Let me go.”
Elizabeth dried her hands on her apron while her shoulder burned from his touch, there was something about this handsome stranger that ran deeper than her mothering instinct to look after people. Elizabeth heard some shouting and knew exactly who it was; she took a deep breath to prepare herself.

The door swung open and in walked Father Smith, he was a much older man and a little bit shorter than Kimberley
was herself, but very round showing he ate very well.
“Well Elizabeth Cole, I see the gossip is true?”

Elizabeth stepped forward.
“And what gossip would that be Father?”
Joel could feel the animosity between these two people and he had a horrible feeling it was something that had gone on for many years. Joel tried to make some kind of peace between the two.
“Can I get you a drink father?”
As the priest turned and started to nod. Joel walked over towards the pot on the stove, but Elizabeth spoke in a thunderous tone.

“No Joel, Father Smith won’t be staying!”
The priests face turned red with fury and Joel felt like a child stuck between two warring older enemies.
“Well Elizabeth Cole I am ashamed of you, taking this, this…. into your house.”
Elizabeth walked towards Joel and took hold of his arm as she stood by his side; Joel was mortified she was clearly trying to cause trouble with the priest.
“This …this Father, is Joel Pimentel and yes he is sleeping under the same roof as I am.”
The priest now banged his fist on the table his rage taking over; Joel jumped and looked at Elizabeth who was now beaming with pride.

Joel had heard tales of what the local priests used to be like, they practically ran the whole village and he had to admit Father Smith looked about as scary as a priest could be only Elizabeth didn’t seem to care at all, if anything she seemed to take pleasure in antagonising the man.
Joel carefully but firmly removed
Elizabeth’s hand from his arm and stepped forwards offering his hand to Father Smith.

“Sorry Father, you know what our Elizabeth is like. I’m Elizabeth’s cousin from California. James sent me to look after her.”
The priest nodded at Joel and gave Elizabeth a sly smile, clearly pleased someone was going to keep her in check now.
“Well that’s good to hear Joel and how is James?”

Joel hoped he wasn’t going to ask too many questions he couldn’t answer.
“Yeah he’s doing well, all the boys are. They started working with my Dad about six months ago and they asked me to come and check on Elizabeth. So here I am looking for work while taking care of my dear cousin.”
The priest only had one more thing he wanted to checkout.
“So tell me then Joel, are ye a God fearing man?”
Joel knew this one was coming.
“That I am Father and you will see both Elizabeth and me at service on Sunday.”
Father Smith laughed deep from his belly now.
“If you can get Elizabeth Cole into the Church, I will get you a job…. No one has ever managed that, Elizabeth Cole is a law unto herself and fodder for the devil.”

Joel walked Father Smith to the door knowing he would have to return to a furious Elizabeth.

“It was a pleasure to meet you Joel and it would be nice to see Elizabeth behave like any other girl in this village.”

Joel closed the door and leant his head against it knowing what he was now going to Face and have to try and talk himself out of.
Joel walked back into the room to find Elizabeth laying some shirts on the table as the heavy metal Iron warmed on the stove, she didn’t look up at him just continued her work. Joel felt very uncomfortable now as he sat himself in the rocking chair by the fire.

“It’ll be great if he does get me a job, I can bring some money into the house.”

Elizabeth snorted and shook her head.
“What are you gonna do? Sing?”

Joel could hear the animosity in her voice he needed to try and smooth things over. “Look for however long I’m stuck here then wouldn’t it be good to have extra money and not have the local priest on your back?”

Elizabeth now looked up and screwed her eyes up at him.
“He has been on my back since the day I was born; you just gave me a chance to get even with him that’s all.”

Joel tried to pacify her now.
“Come on, you have been kind to me and now I’m trying to help you in return.”

Elizabeth picked up the heavy iron and for a minute Joel feared it was going to come in his direction but she took her fury out on the shirt in front of her.
“I helped you because I wanted to help, I didn’t say I was going to promise you would do something you don’t want to do, did I?”
Joel somehow knew getting Elizabeth to church was not going to be an easy thing to do; it would take a lot or work and care. He did however pray he wouldn’t still be here on Sunday, why had he arrived here, what had he done that had been so wrong? He wanted to go home, not be stuck in some Sunday afternoon film his mum would watch. He wouldn't watch this kinda of movie with his mother.