Mama told Joey Frank, “You missed a powerful sermon at church and I think it was one of the best that Reverend Leroy Michaels has ever preached. The topic was ‘Money Is The Root Of All Evil’. The Reverend told the congregation that he believed that God Almighty had spoken to him to preach on that subject because of what happened to Rene Tolbert. The Reverend poured out his heart and cried as he spoke of the Widow’s ordeal the day before a lone gunman walked into her office at the bank and demanded money. He said her Maker was surely standing by her when the young man shoved a pistol into her face and cocked the hammer. The poor Widow Tolbert begged the young man not to shoot her, giving him all the money she had in the desk drawer.” Mama went on, “The Reverend Michaels asked the congregation to pray, and pray hard that, the gunman wouldn’t return and harm the widow as he threatened, if she reported the robbery. He asked the Lord to have mercy on the young man and to forgive him as he did the thief that hanged on the cross beside Him.”
Joey Frank didn’t tell Mama what he was thinking, that Reverend Michaels shouldn’t have preached a sermon on Rene Tolbert. He certainly shouldn’t have repeated the unverified information that had got out by some rumormonger like old Miss Mattie Hogan. He believed that the Reverend should have kept his mouth shut about the wealthy and highly recognized widow, and preached his sermon on the Good Book alone.
Joey Frank would like to tell the congregation to start bringing their dogs to church with them. After the sermon they heard today, they needed to tie them to their wagons to keep Satan frightened away as they traveled back home.
Reverend Michaels wasn’t one of Joey Frank’s favorite people anyway, and he hadn’t been since the time it was Mama and Pa’s turn to feed him on a Sunday. It was a tradition the church had long ago adopted. He would never forget the day when Mama chose the nicest chicken from the yard and fried it for dinner. Joey Frank and Gloria dearly loved the meat, but it wasn’t put onto the table very often. Reason being, they needed the hens for laying eggs so they could sell them for much needed money.
It was proper and a rule at the Cooper’s home that when the preacher was over for Sunday dinner, he and the grownups would eat first. Joey Frank remembered that Mama and Pa, being proper, ate the two drumsticks of the delicious-smelling fowl, while Reverend Michaels, smacked his lips and ate the whole rest of the chicken. Reverend Michaels didn’t care if anyone else got dinner.
Gloria cried after the Reverend left, because she knew better than to let him see her cry. Joey Frank was so angry he felt like cursing, because Gloria and he had to eat the chicken-flavored gravy and biscuits that were leftover.