Chapter 8

Well, we got the locks changed and stripped out the spoilt carpet and furniture. The insurance would come through, eventually, and the ladies collaborated in making a new altar frontal. The CCTV and an alarm system were installed, though Robert continued to sleep in the building, in the vestry. Somehow, he was adopted by the fellowship and each evening was in one or other of our members' houses for a meal and a shower. I, at least, had set aside concerns as to what else the Hardakers might get up to, but the next encounter occurred in late October. Robert was disturbed in the small hours by noise from the front of the building and called the police.

The couple failed to break in, though they damaged the reinforced glass of the front doors, and it had to be replaced. They'd left before the police arrived, but the CCTV recording left no doubt as to the identity of the vandals. As it turned out, when they were arrested, their attitudes were such that they were remanded for a psychiatric assessment. In due course they were sentenced to be detained in a secure psychiatric facility, and I'll come back to what happened with them later on.

We relaxed somewhat. Robert was invited to live with the Campbells, and accepted. Teri and I ... what can I say? The Bible talks about 'a helper meet for him', and 'becoming one flesh'. We somehow just kept getting closer – we even finished one another's sentences. The sex, well, that was just indescribable. She was always there, even when she wasn't, if that makes sense. The church building was brought up to where we wanted it and the fellowship continued to grow. In fact, if it grew much more, we'd either have to move, or go to multiple services each week.

It was one of those days where, for once, there were no immediate demands on my time and when Teri came in, I said, "Why don't we go out this evening? We haven't done anything, just us together, for months."

"What about last night?" She grinned.

"You know what I mean."

She sobered. "Yes, I do. But I'm afraid it's call for a pizza time. We have people coming; extra-ordinary committee meeting."

"No! Oh, please. What's happened that needs another meeting tonight, that can't wait?"

"I don't know. But Beth called. Phil, Ben and she are coming over later, probably about eight."

I shook my head. "Couldn't they have been put off?"

"She did say it wouldn't take long. They just need to put something to you to think about, she said. Oh, and Sian's out this evening. Robert's taking her out to see a film. Don't know which one."

"Sian ... and Robert?"

"I know. But I trust him, don't you?"

I thought about that. "Yes, I think I do. It's just..."

She nodded. "She's come a long way since we found her. So has Robert."

"Okay, then."

Pizza. Not what I had in mind for the evening, but, okay. Robert came and collected Sian; I resisted a temptation to warn him about how to treat her. Our meal arrived. We ate, cleared up, went back to the lounge and cuddled. It would have been nice to do more than cuddle, but we were both aware of the need for discretion.

Beth led off. "Jim, the core group have had a discussion and we have a proposal to put to you. Ben, Yvonne and Dick are all in agreement, so Phil, Isobel and I are here with their knowledge and approval."

"Okay," I said slowly. Teri sat forward in her seat.

"Teri," Beth transferred her focus to my wife, "I apologise we didn't involve you in the discussion, but you'll understand why in a moment."

"Okay."

"Jim, we think you need to go full time. Probably Teri, too."

"What?"

"We have grown so much in the last few months we need a full-time pastor. You and Teri are working too hard and it's not fair to you, and it's not right for the fellowship."

"But..."

"We're prepared to fund study for a BD or a B. Theol.," she continued, "and if you think it appropriate the same applies to Teri. Not that we think either of you need the knowledge, but having the letters after your names would help when we seek recognition as a new church."

I was stunned into silence. Teri got up and came to me, knelt next to me and leant against my legs, one arm wrapped around them.

"I can understand you wanting Jim, but not me, surely?"

"Teri," Phil put in, "You've been a prime-mover in all this. Jim is important, of course, this wouldn't have happened without him, but..." he frowned and thought for a moment. "It's as if, say Jim is like the bus that's taking us somewhere, and the fuel is the Holy Spirit, I think you're the fuel pump. That's crude, of course, but ... the two of you together, well, separately you're both incomplete."

She looked up at me. "Jim, I think they make sense, but..."

"But it's a big step, darling. Big step." I sighed and looked round at my friends. "Beth, Isobel, Phil ... it sort of makes sense, but you know I never looked for or expected this?"

"We know," Isobel spoke for the first time. "That's part of why you're the right people for this. If you were a power-seeker, well, we wouldn't be here now. We don't expect an answer right away, anyway. Just pray about it, okay? We trust you to do the right thing."

They let it go after that and a brief prayer; we had cups of tea and general chat for half an hour or so, then they left; leaving Teri and myself with their proposal. We prayed together without receiving any identifiable guidance, and would have gone to bed, but for Sian. She'd been out with Robert before, but only to church meetings. A date, going out together for the sole reason of being together, was different. Yes, I trusted them both, but, Sian was only sixteen, if her next birthday wasn't too far off.

They weren't late back, and after Sian dragged Teri off to the kitchen, I found myself sitting with Robert in the lounge. He gulped. "Um. Er. Jim?"

"Yes?"

"I'd like your permission to marry Sian."

I didn't respond immediately, but when I did, I said, "You don't need my permission. Sian is Scottish – she's legally an adult."

"Sian thinks we do. We both respect you and you've been like a father to her."

"Okay. Then I'd have to say I do have some reservations, Robert. There's, what, nine years between you? Not a great big deal, except that Sian is, yes, quite young to make a decision like that. Aside from that, I'd like to talk to both of you about your spiritual states, and also both of you carry quite a lot of mental and emotional baggage, don't you?"

"I hear what you're saying, Jim. Don't forget Sian was instrumental in beginning my recovery. I know about her history; she knows about mine. We both feel there's a connection between us. A connection, I'd have to say, rather like that between you and Teri."

"Well, if that's so, there's no argument. But Robert, let's make a date to get together to talk, and pray, all of us together."

He smiled. "Fair enough. I want to say 'goodnight' to Sian, before I leave."

"I think they're in the kitchen."

Sian stood when we entered the kitchen and went to Robert, who wrapped his arms round her. They moulded themselves together in an unmistakably close embrace, her head laid against his chest. "Good night, Darling," he told her quietly.

"Good night. Go safely." She lifted her face to him for a kiss; a kiss which was discreet enough, but clearly a lot more than a peck. Then they separated and I showed Robert out of the house.

When I returned to the kitchen, Teri and Sian were embracing. "I'm for bed," I said, and left them to it.

Teri appeared not too much later; I'd barely finished in the bathroom and was in the process of stripping for bed. She, too, spent time in the bathroom and flicked the bedroom light out when she came back. She slid into bed and snuggled up behind me. "I need you," she whispered.

"I belong to you," I said, turning toward her. "Aren't you tired?"

"Not too tired. Talking to Sian reminded me of just how much I love you."

I would have to be very tired indeed to resist the temptation of Teri's delightful body against me and my hands were already exploring.

Next day, Brenda challenged me. "You're very quiet today, Jim. Problems?"

It was quite an easy decision to share my dilemma with her. "I've been asked to go full time as Pastor of the church that's sort of happened around me. You know about that, don't you? We're up to about a hundred already; I suppose we need to start formalising membership ... Crumbs ... Mission statement, credal statement ... It's just piling in on me as I think about it. My friends think the fellowship can afford to pay me and to be fair, there is a lot to do. I suppose they're right. But to give up the security of a monthly pay slip and so on..."

She sat, looking at me, for a minute or so. Then, "Jim, I know that when ... that bitch ... left you, you had questions. You struggled with your faith, didn't you?"

"Yes – of course."

"But recently? Do you have questions now?"

I grinned. "Always! But I can see what you're getting at, I think."

"Seems to me God's been pretty good to you recently. I mean, it's not been smooth sailing all the way, but you really love that girl you married, and I know she genuinely cares for you, too. Jim, the office wouldn't be the same without you, but you need to, I don't know, follow your destiny? Something like that. In all honesty, you're wasted here."

Well, that was something to think about. That evening, we put it to our home-group and the topic monopolised our prayer time. We sat in the lounge for a while after our friends left, just sitting quietly, holding hands – no more than that – yet somehow linked more deeply than I can explain.

When Sian arrived home with Robert, we decided it was time for bed. We smiled at them. "It's been a long day and we're tired. See you in the morning, Sian," I said.

"Um, night, Jim, Teri. Is it okay if Robert stays for a cuppa?"

"Of course," Teri told her. Don't be too late to bed, though, will you?"

Sian blushed and Teri giggled. We headed upstairs...

Teri is beautiful. I can barely remember the mousy, quiet, girl I first met. At five foot six, she's a little over average height, and slim. With straight brown hair, often worn in a bun, and black-rimmed glasses (I eventually persuaded her to get some wire-framed ones that were less obtrusive) you would be forgiven for thinking she was the archetypal librarian. But once she committed to a relationship with me, well, she became a vixen. She had no reluctance in initiating sex and used her skills to explore the possibilities open to a heterosexual couple. In fact, if anything, I was the conservative one. As just one example, I've never seen the attraction of anal sex. She offered – I declined. She never pushed the issue. Anyway, when we left Sian and Robert downstairs and we'd finished our night-time routines, I found her in our room, naked and bent over the bed.