Catherine Cade (Darry Curtis)

Chapter 13

I decided to wake up fifteen minutes early that Sunday morning to ensure that all the boys were up and ready to go by 0745 and not complaining about something like the little children they tend to act like sometimes.
Well I was beyond right to prepare like that.
Firstly, Two-Bit decided that the first time he's stepping in a church since his birth would be the perfect time to start wearing one of the micky mouse tees I made him for his birthday in the past summer. Then Steve and Soda started fighting on the mirror space in the bathroom complaining about how they can never get their hair ready this early. And of course because all of the other boys were acting a fool, Johnny and Ponyboy decided today would be the perfect day to wake up late, meaning they rushed through breakfast, meaning they got eggs on their shirts.
But we were out the door on time by only the blessing of the lord.
When we finally arrive near the doors of the church I felt like I was the mother of five boys all in nursing age and I was about ready to spank all of them. Two was kicking up dirt which got in pony's hair which almost led to a wrestling match that I put a stop to with the help of soda, who was only being nice because he was kicking dirt before and it got on my white socks. Before we enter I pull the boys aside like I do every week and hand them each a nickel.
"My Cat I would have come with you a long time ago if I'd have known you were paying pony and Johnny to come!" Two bit said shoving the nickel in his jeans pocket.
"Nah two that's for the collection. For the lights and stuff." Johnny mummers putting his nickel in his pocket as well.
"That's right. Now y'all go get us some seats, I'm sure the choir will be up soon I'm just going to say hello to Ms. Louise." I shoo them along so that I can say hi to my boss. Ever since I've started working I've always had Sunday's off for church, encouraging her to attend with me sometimes, opening the shop a little late that day. I assume she is also responsible for the extra nickels I found in my tip jar last night when I told her about all of the boys. "Hello ma'am, it's lovely to see you outside the shop." She gives me a hug and pats my head with her fan.
"Oh I wouldn't miss this week for the world! You said you were bringing the boys, most of the boys, to this Sermon and I had to. From the little snippets I've seen of them man I know this one is going to be a blast." She gives me a wink with a smile. "Well I hear the choir better get up inside."
The Evangelical Church of Christ is not a rich church in the least. It's in the middle of the hood with a liquor store two doors down. But it is a highly southern church. At least that's what Mrs. Curtis used to say. She said that meant that even though you know that half of these people are a month late on rent or something of the sorts, they'll still judge you based on your attire or your "connection to the Holy Ghost" as she used to say. To me that meant how loud you can praise and show off to everybody else that you're a perfect Christian. I am much too quiet and so are Johnny and Ponyboy so we never really get up in some of the church drama, but sometimes we come early enough where we can watch old ladies in bright hats with crazy embellishments gossip with each other while judging one another. It's free entertainment really. But it does get into your head. The judgey stares. Eventually I started making Johnny and Pony nicer clothes for church and bringing along my own bible, notepad, and pen to take notes in just like all of the other young good Christian women did to learn to be good Christian wives and eventually we started blending in to the rest. But this week we stuck out as if we were wearing miss Marie's stuffed vulture on our head.
Two bit was really into the hymns when I came in, belting along with the choir as if he was the center stage of his own concert. Steve and Soda were torn between giggling and belting along with him, so they did both. When that was over the preacher was making the weekly announcements, and the tithe buckets were going around, we all put in our nickels, but not without Steve's not so subtle attempt to put the whole bucket in his jeans pocket, which seemed to peeve off the usher. By the time the sermon started I could already see that the boys were getting antsy. They were bouncing their legs and tapping their fingers. Two seemed to be making jokes in his head that he was laughing at. Then it felt like the devil decided today was his day to come back and open hell right under our church in little Tulsa Oklahoma.
Two bit snatched my notebook out of my hand with a giggle and started crumbling up paper and throwing it across the bench to Steve, who was next to this aisle, but turning to the front with what he must believe is a serious innocent look, but he looked like he had to use the toilet and was asking for an extension on homework at once. This went on until Steve and soda ganged on Two bit with all of the paper balls and started decking him with them, a few hitting me of course since I'm sitting next to him. Johnny and Ponyboy look like they wanted to fall into the ground and never come out, their eyes were unwavering from the boring sermon about courage leaving me to mother the nearly grown men.
"Boys shhh stop it, no more!" I whisper yell at them, tapping them on their head trying to get them to listen. I catch Ms. Louise across the row and she looks like she is in tears, but I have a feeling that the preacher's words have nothing to do with it. Steve is now trying to whack Two bit with a hymn book, I say trying because there are three people in between the two. Until eventually. He dropped the book. I have never heard such a loud silence. Everyone was looking, and I just noticed that I as half way out of my seat in a compromising position trying to wrestle Two bit back into his own seat. I drop to my seat and try to look innocent and move past this. But then two bit waved. I have never asked the lord so many times that day for the ground to swallow me up whole.

Hey y'all. Sorry for being so mia, I obviously took a long break lol. But when I left I had about two hundred reads, but now it is at 3k ??? What even! Thank y'all so much, I decided to make a fun chapter about a part in the book I know I wish I would have witnessed as my little comeback!