Of Faith and Doubt

2.



Matthew had paid extra attention to the sermon. He always tried to adapt the speech to the current events, and today it had to be about strangers and their influences. The whole village was buzzing of excitement. Their new stranger had arrived.



He’d seen him, the whole ceremony, sitting at the back near the door. A young man, fit and healthy looking, dressed in black jeans and a simple, but neat black shirt. He’d been wearing a knitted cap, which he’d taken off at the doorstep, as a gesture of respect. His hair was short and brown. He could be a very normal guy…



“Thank you for the lovely sermon, vicar…”



Matthew stood at the door, shaking hands and saying goodbye, as he did every Sunday. “Thank you, Mrs. Coley,” he smiled friendly. He wanted to look at her, but his eye was drawn to the next and last in line. He could be such a normal guy… But there was something about him. Just… something.



“Reverend Matthew, right?” The newcomer grabbed Matthew’s hand, and shook it firmly. “Great sermon. Very appropriate. I feel flattered.”



“I’m commonly called vicar,” said Matthew. He tried to avoid the man’s eyes. They were brown and had a golden sparkle around the irises. And he wondered why on earth he even noticed that. “Thank you… I’m happy you came, today.”



“Of course!” Letting go of Matthew’s hand, he put on his cap. “My name is Randy Knight. Granny Willows insisted I would be here today. If only to see how much work has to be done on the church!”



Typical Granny. Matthew rolled his eyes, smiling sheepishly. “We’re a bit behind, with maintenance,” he admitted. “I did what I could, but… you know how it goes.”



Randy patted Matthew on his shoulder. “That’s why I’m here. I fell in love with that house, because I like houses with work on them to be done. There’s a lot of work here in this village. I could easily do some fixing on your little church as well.”



“We don’t have much money…” Carpenters were expensive. If Randy had planned to make easy money, he had come to the wrong place.



The man laughed aloud, a short, pleasant sound. “Oh honey, don’t worry about pay! Say, we should have a drink. This doorstep is no place to get acquaintance. There’s a church and a pub here, I’ve seen the church now, so let’s go to the pub. Are you coming?”



Matthew opened his mouth to say something sensible about alcohol, but instead, he said ‘sure’. It wasn’t as if he never came in the pub, after all…



Matthew didn’t lock up. In this town, doors were commonly unlocked, even during the night. The church was a place for the people, and they could come and go whenever they liked. Locals cleaned the place while he was away, at least once a week. He was away a lot… Matthew wasn’t just the vicar; he was the psychiatrist, social worker, doctor assistant, marriage counsellor… or in general; he was a patient ear to talk to and trusted by everyone in town. It wasn’t easy for a stranger to win their trust. Matthew wondered why Granny Willows was so fond of this one.



“Man, the air is so pure here…” Randy walked leisurely, his eyes half-closed, and with his nose in the air. “That’s another thing I liked about this place. It’s so quiet and fresh!”



“You should smell it when it rains,” smiled Matthew. “I love it when it’s wet. You can smell the grass and the trees, and everybody is indoors.”



“Wonderful,” nodded Randy. “Does it rain a lot?”



“This is England.” Matthew laughed softly, looking at the white clouds. It wouldn’t rain that day. “The weather changes hats as often as you change socks…”



“That’ll be daily, thank you very much.”



“I’m glad! Want to go in? It’ll be very busy, I’m afraid… I never know if I have to be insulted or pleased to know everyone runs to the pub after my sermon.”



The place was very busy indeed. A few women –most would be at one of the homes, having tea– and most men were inside, having schnapps and whisky. Matthew was welcomed, and Randy received a few pats on his back. Matthew was amazed at how this stranger seemed to be accepted so easily.



“Here… There’s a table in the corner where we can chat. Hello Stan. A whisky please.”



“Same, Stan, two doubles, alright? Is the barrel still leak proof?”



“Works like a charm, Randy! Here you go, on the house. Want the bottle?”



“That would be lovely, thank you. Come, vicar…” Randy led the way, and groaned contently as he shifted into the bench against the wall. “Cheers…”



“Cheers.” It tasted sinfully good, Matthew had to admit. He moaned in appreciation at the first small sip. “It’s been a while since I took the time to be here…”



“Really! All work and no play? You know, vicar… it makes a dull boy or something like that!”



Matthew laughed with Randy. It was inevitable; the warm laugh was contagious. “I do a lot more than just a sermon on Sunday and the occasional wedding and funeral. I’m quite busy.”



“I know; Granny Willows told me a lot about you. She adores you. And she insisted I would help you in the church.”



“She insists a lot, doesn’t she?” Matthew chuckled, but it sounded warm. Granny Willows was called Granny because that’s what she was, everybody’s grandmother. The woman had a big heart. “I could use some help, but as I warned you before, the church doesn’t have money.”



“I’m not here for money, Matt. If I wanted to be rich, I wouldn’t have bought a ruin. I would’ve invested my inheritance in a company in the big city, with workers to do the dirty work for me. So there.”



“Okay…” Parents died, inheritance, need for peace. Matthew understood a little more, with just one sentence. “Why this town, Randy? Why England, instead of the US?”



“Because I adore your cute accent.” Randy refilled the glasses, chuckling.



“Accent? We have an accent? Let me see… ‘Knight’, hm? Since when were there knights in America? Hm… since never, right? You have your Native Americans, and you’re not one of them. So who has the accent now, eh?”



“Ohh… I love it when you get insulted. You blush, and your eyes begin to shoot fire.” Randy shifted closer a bit, and leaned on the table to look Matthew in the eyes. “You’re a very young vicar. How come?”



Matthew had to take another sip of his drink to repress a sudden shiver. Randy seemed to burn… It was a very strange sensation, as if he was radiating, and Matthew could feel his skin tingle when he got closer. “My father was the vicar. He died quite suddenly, when I was seventeen. I had no other choice than to climb into the pulpit. I’ve been the preacher for ten years now.”



“Mm… That explains Granny’s love for you… She’s protective of you, isn’t she? It makes sense. But hey, vicar…” Randy’s voice lowered to a sultry tone. “There’s a lot of work to be done in that picturesque little church of yours. How about I come down tomorrow morning, and go through all the work with you?”



“That’s… That would be nice,” nodded Matthew. That voice… It was the voice of an angel. At least, of the angels visiting him in his dreams, at night. The dreams of which he awoke with stains in his sheets. Oh Lord, don’t test me, he thought desperately. “But what would you like as payment?”



“Payment? Hm… I know something. You provide me with my every day’s needs, and I work for you. Deal?”



“Every day’s… needs? Like what?” That blush came up again, but this time not because he felt insulted. Matthew had to sip again.



“You know, like coffee, breakfast… Or lunch when I come later. You don’t have to pay me, when you give me what I need to get through the day. Sounds good?”



“Sounds perfect… If that’s all you need, on a daily bases…” He was flirting! Please Lord, it wasn’t deliberate.



“Mm…” Matthew wished Randy wouldn’t make that sound so often. “We’ll see, won’t we? Tomorrow at seven. Is that a good time for you?”



“I’m there,” nodded Matthew. Oh, he would be there. But he needed a lot of prayers that night.