Devotion

01: Visitor From New York

St. Donatus - Iowa; even on a sunniest day, one would not get a clear vision far below the shady valley. One would think that it is indeed some European old world city as mist blurs the vision. You need to walk steadily as possible, yet it would seem quite impossible on slanted edges, well…. even in the vicinity of St. Donatus small town.

Rev. John Mitchell, the man who helps residents of St. Donatus receive the Holy Orders resides just behind the St John’s Luthern Church. Yes … Rev. John prays for St. John … he has to, most definitely to conceal his disdain whenever a tourist pronounces St. Donatus as St. ‘DOUGHNUTS’. No matter how many times he patiently corrects the misguided tourist, “… No, my son … it is not ‘DOUGHNUTS’ … it is pronounced as Do-nay-tus…”. St. Donatus would be ‘DOUGHNUTS’, for some ignorant tourists.

Rev. John has patience … yes; in fact he has extra patience with his small town congregation even if they bring little brats who start playing ‘Catch’ inside the Church premises. But he has no patience with his own children.

Theresa, the loving wife of Rev. John and the Sunday-School teacher at St John’s Luthern Church, could possibly win the ‘most patient wife / mother’ award considering the number of quarrels she has to settle in her family per week. Not only does she have to put up with her God fearing, rule abiding, controlling husband, she sometimes has to stand between her two strapping sons, Malcolm and Connor who had polar opposite personalities. Daniella; the youngest and the only girl in the Mitchell family, some might think, lived her life almost like a nun.

Malcolm … they have not received any news from their eldest child in weeks.

Rev. John was fuming, he needed to blame someone, and yes, he blamed his wife for supporting Malcolms’ decision to leave Iowa. Malcolm is in New York, and God knows what was going on in such a monstrous city.

Rev. John tried the telephone booth at the towns’ salon, dialed Stephanies’ number several times, to no avail. He returned home and spoke with no one. No one dared to ask anything anyway.

The following day was a Saturday. The sun just came out from its’ hiding place and lit the valley below. But the trees did not let the rays of the sun land on Daniellas’ face as she sat outside the porch. The small wooden cottage standing on a hill behind the church was their home. It was surrounded by hills, a picturesque view around, but inside, it lacked the coziness of a holiday retreat. It was just a house. She had been living in this small house with two bedrooms and a bath ever since she was born. No one complained. They were happy with what they had; a preachers’ family, living by the generosity of the parish and the community … and their farm. The very life Malcolm detested secretly.

Something sparkled down the valley below, where the river flows through. The main road to the town fell along the river banks. Daniella could see the dust clouds rising and she knew it was a vehicle and it was either heading towards the church or towards their house. After a few more minutes her Aunt Stephanies’ red color Ford Mondeo appeared in her drive way. It was the 90’s. Everyone who had enough money owned a Ford. The Mitchells’ owned a Ford too. Only it was not a car. It was just their fathers’ tractor. Malcolm never liked to be on it, definitely hated it when he had to ride to the school in it. Well … Malcolm was never happy with their circumstances anyway.

Daniella stood up with a smile just as her mother Theresa came out of the house wiping off her hands in her apron.

Aunt Stephanie got out from the car and walked towards Daniella, extending her arms for hug.

“Hello, hello … my dear girl, I am seeing you after a long time … look at you … you are far more beautiful than your mother … (in a lowered voice) … and believe me … no one would imagine the grump is your father”, she said with a smile.

“It is so good to see you Aunt Stephanie … dad tried calling you yesterday”, said Daniella.

“Oh I am sorry, I was out the whole day and I wouldn’t know if anyone called when I am out … you know I live alone … (in the same breath) hello Theresa … is the Rev home?”, she asked.

“Hello Stephanie … he is … please … let’s go inside”, Theressa replied.

As they sat on the cramped sofa, Rev. John walked in to the living room. He stood leaning on to the dining table, with his hands folded.  

“Yesterday I tried reaching you, sister … where’s my boy? … No replies to his mamas’ letters in weeks”, he said in a displeased tone.

“John … why don’t you pull a chair and sit down?” invited Stephanie. The seriousness in Stephanies’ voice made Theressa and Daniella quite uncomfortable. It seemed like something is not right.

Rev. John sat at the table and looked at his sister expectantly. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“John … I have some upsetting news … I can’t find Malcolm”, Stephanie said, casting her eyes downward.

Rev. John stood up, “what do you mean you can’t find Malcolm? He was living with you for Gods’ sake”, he yelled.

For one whole minute, there was deafening silence in the room. Breaking the tension, the door opened and Connor walked in to the house. His clothes were full of mud and soot after football practices.

“Hey Aunt Steph … how are you … where’s my big bro … is he here? … Did he come with you?” he asked in a chirpy voice.

Stephanie stood up and hugged him but said nothing. She walked towards her brother.

“John … I swear, for a whole month, I dropped Malcolm at the college in the morning … every single day before I headed to work … he seemed very happy to travel with me at first … and then he found friends … you know how boys are … so, eventually he wanted to travel with his friends … and I thought, ok, I will let him have some freedom … because I trusted him, you know … he is a good boy …” she paused.

Stephanie started to speak again,

“Two weeks ago … Malcolm suddenly said that he wanted to train at a job while studying … I thought wow, what a brilliant idea it was … but I specifically told him to seek your permission … he came back one day and said he wrote to you … and you were okay with the idea … I am pretty sure … that I asked all the right questions John … and he convinced me … that he was going to study during the first half of the day … and will be working for the rest of the day” Stephanie paused.

“Malcolm returned everyday around six in the evening … then it became seven, then eight and then some days he came home past nine … I was getting annoyed …. I told him that he can’t do this to me … keeping me on pins when it gets late … you know Malcolm … he hugged me … kissed me and said not to worry” Stephanie suddenly burst in to tears.

“He never came home drunk John (sobbing) … but one day he did … and I yelled at him … he said sorry over and over … and … and he did not come home Thursday night and today it’s Saturday … I looked for him everywhere … made a missing person report at the police … and I drove here straight after … I didn’t know what else to do” Stephanie continued to sob.

It was difficult to read Theresas’ expression, she looked dumbstruck.

John was pacing.

Daniella was hunched forward in the sofa.

Connor was fighting back his emotions.

Finally John looked his wife who was wiping tears quietly, “Tess, we are leaving, going to New York … pack everything you might need … we are leaving tonight” and he vanished into the house.