SELFLESS OR SELL OUT?

CHAPTER 10

Saturday April 26, 1980

FEAR THE LORD AND DEPART FROM EVIL (Proverbs 3:7)

            “No, I’m sorry. I will not marry you two,” Pastor Kirk Samson told Mary Jean and John.

            The man affectionately known as Captain Kirk by his congregation, due to his military service, had stunned his parishioner. He could see it on her face with her wide eyes and gaped mouth. Her head rotated toward her fiancée, who sat next to her in the Pastor’s office. Pastor Samson also turned his gaze on John McQueen.

            He felt a twinge of anxiety from the cold hard stare of the business tycoon. But Captain Kirk gazed steadily into the wealthy man’s eyes. He braced himself for a verbal beat down, and prayed for a peaceable, wise response. But John remained calm and silent, and let his young fiancée ask the reason for his refusal.

            “Pastor, may I ask why?” Mary Jean asked meekly.

            “Do you really need to, my dear?” Captain Kirk replied with his own question, yet he answered it himself. “You just told me that two weeks ago Mr. McQueen proposed marriage with the incentive of financially helping your family.”

            “Yes, that’s right,” Mary Jean explained. “However, a few days later, the deal was off. Then Mr. M… I mean John took care of my family anyway. This stirred my heart. It told me a lot about his character, and I actually approached him about resuming our, um, courtship.”

            “I see,” Captain Kirk replied. “That was indeed very generous of Mr. McQueen, but it is still a small fraction of his overall wealth. By marrying him, you will become entitled to half of his vast empire. How much of that factors into your consideration?”

            John’s jaw tightened with dislike. But then he relaxed with Mary Jean’s bold response. Her chin lifted as she replied, “That wasn’t a consideration of mine.”

            “I see, so you’d marry Mr. McQueen if he was a grocery sacker who lived in your trailer park?”

            “That’s not a relevant question,” Mary Jean replied. “I wouldn’t marry the best-looking guy in my class, even if he was a Godly man, if he only aspired to be a grocery sacker.”

            “Okay, good, so you’d have no problem signing a prenuptial agreement?”

            “What’s that?” Mary Jean asked.

            Captain Kirk glanced at John, who’s jaw was as tight as a vice once again. “So, is there going to be a prenuptial agreement Mr, McQueen?”

            “That’s none of your business,” John replied with quiet menace.

            “Well, if you’re asking me to marry you two, it certainly is my business! Our church is not a quicky chapel in Las Vegas.”

            “What are you talking about, a prenuptial agreement?” Mary Jean asked with a frown.

            “It would be a document drawn up by Mr. McQueen’s lawyer, whereby you would agree to not take half of his worth if you two would divorce. Instead you would agree to a much smaller settlement.”

            “If a divorce were to happen, which is unlikely, I don’t want half of his worth,” Mary Jean insisted. “If we had any children, I would want them taken care of. That’s it! But as for me, I would want nothing! Therefore I would gladly sign any such agreement. I wouldn’t be willing to marry John if I didn’t trust him.”

            John’s face relaxed, and the Pastor noticed a look of admiration come into his eyes as he looked at his bride to be. He took hold of her hand and kissed the back of it. “Just so you know, I have no intention of a prenuptial agreement. What’s mine is hers!”

            John had in fact been in discussion with his lawyer about just such an agreement. But he was in love with this young woman. Much to his lawyer’s chagrin, he was going to have him tear up the agreement they had discussed. Even one week sharing a bed with this incredible beauty with stellar character would be worth half. Especially if she ended up pregnant with his child, his heir.

            “Okay, very well,” Pastor Samson responded, as he leaned back in his chair and stroked his long salt and pepper beard. “I suggest at least six months of premarital counseling.”

            “But Pastor, I told you we wanted to be married Memorial Day weekend,” Mary Jean pleaded.

            John looked at her with raised eyebrows, for he had agreed, per her wishes, to wait until the end of June.

            “You said a couple months,” Captain Kirk replied mildly. “That’s more like a couple weeks.”

            “No, it’s four weeks,” Mary Jean replied.

            “And I’m telling you that isn’t enough time.”

            “It is for us.”

            “Not for me.”

            “But it’s our wedding.”

            “Which I’d be a part of if you want me to officiate.”

            “Sweetheart,” John called Mary Jean. To Pastor Samson it sounded phony, and he fought hard not to judge this man that his human instinct coaxed him to dislike. “If Pastor Samson doesn’t want to officiate, I know that Reverend Paynton will. Let’s go talk to him.”

            “I’m sure he will,” Captain Kirk replied as the couple arose to leave his office. He instantly regretted his words.

            “What’s that supposed to mean?” John asked defensively.

            Although John loved his friend and mentor like a brother, he often perceived during their time in the Army as chaplains that Colonel Paynton seemed more concerned with rank rather than the souls to whom they ministered. “Nothing more than I expect that he will marry you two.”

            “Does that bother you?” Mary Jean asked with a concerned frown.

            “Yes, it does, on two counts. I believe that you are rushing into this, and I always hoped that if you got married that I would have the honors.”

            “Well you could if you complied with our wishes,” John said with the cutthroat businessman coming out in his tone.

            “It’s a two-way street, Sir. Yes, it is your wedding. However, I would be the one joining you before God and witnesses.”

            As they stepped from the office and into the sanctuary, Mary Jean looked around with sentiment, her eyes welling with tears. She said quietly, “I always hoped that if I got married, it would be in this church that I love.”

            “You still can,” Captain Kirk said.

            “Yes, if we follow your orders,” John replied coolly.

            “No, I don’t need to be the one officiating for you to use our fine chapel.”

            “You mean you’d let us use your church?” Mary Jean asked hopefully.

            “My dear Child,” Captain Kirk said with a warm smile, but calling her child on purpose. “This is your church as much as mine. You’re a baptized and faithful member.”

            Pastor Samson walked with them out to John’s car. He did admit to himself that he was a little impressed that it was a Mercury Marquis rather than a Lincoln or Cadilac.

            “So you’ll let Reverend Paynton officiate from your pulpit?” John asked with admiration.

            “It’s the church’s pulpit, and like I said, Mary Jean is a member. Of course Pastor Paynton can use it.”

            “Why don’t you call him Reverend?” John asked. “I believe he has earned it.”

            “Nobody can earn that title,” Captain Kirk replied.

            “What do mean?” John frowned. “The title is simply one of respect for a man of the cloth. Even though you and I seem to be at odds, I have no problem respecting your position by referring to you as Reverend Samson.”

            Pastor Samson chuckled but waved a dismissive hand. “Now, please don’t call me that. The Bible declares that Holy and Reverend is God’s name. That’s found in Psalm 111:9.” (King James version. Other translations such as New King James changed reverend to awesome.)

            John frowned, reached into his car, picked up his Bible and turned to the scripture quoted. “Well, I’ll be… It still seems a little nitpicking, though.”

            “Suit yourself,” Captain Kirk replied with a smile. “That’s what free will is all about. We seek, search, hopefully ask wisdom from God for guidance, and make our decisions based on prayer and the Holy Scriptures. The conclusion I have come to is no man is worthy to be revered.”

            “Suit yourself,” John replied defiantly. “The title Reverend is simply respectful, as well as tradition.”

            “In vain they worship Me…” Mary Jean began before John put his arm around her as he cut her off.

            “Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Matthew 15:9”

            Mary Jean giggled and put her arms around his waist. John kissed her forehead. Captain Kirk looked away, a little embarrassed. Maybe he was being hasty in his refusal to officiate. However, his refusal was mainly due to time. Yes, he was very uncomfortable with the age difference. But if they had a proper length of courtship, with Mary Jean declaring love and still wanting to yoke with him, he would willingly officiate. To be clear, willing, not gladly.

            Because of her best friend Sylvia, Mary Jean had been in John’s church a couple of times. So she knew it was larger, more ornate, had a fancier altar, and comfier pews than her church. As they approached the Pastor’s study, they heard his voice talking. The door being open, they saw him sitting at his desk, speaking into the phone. He smiled and waved them in.

            She noticed several awards and certificates adorning the walls. The Pastor himself wore an expensive looking suit. His silver hair was slicked back, not a strand out of place. On his left hand’s ring finger was a gold wedding band. On his right hand’s ring finger was some type of class ring. Next to it, he wore a gold pinky ring. A thin mustache almost seemed drawn on over his upper lip.

            She had seen Pastor Paynton several times before actually talking with him this day. She rebuked herself for disliking him in the past for his “just so” appearance and his seemingly “superior than thou” attitude. Especially when he couldn’t have been friendlier as he greeted them.

            However, her temptation to judge persisted when she perceived that his warmth was due to John’s presence. Especially with what happened after the two men greeted each other, and John introduced Mary Jean to him. It gave Mary Jean pause, causing her to take heed to her own Pastor’s council.

            While Pastor Paynton shook her hand, burying it with both of his as if he adored her. She noticed John’s hand go into his suit’s breast pocket, pull out his wallet, and retrieve a crisp one-hundred-dollar bill. When the Pastor released her hand and shook her fiancée’s, she noticed the bill, now folded twice, transfer hands from John to the Pastor.

            Just when she was feeling genuine love for her much older finance, she now returned to a feeling of being bought. She also examined her own heart. Just how much did his money, his home, and the security he offered play into her feelings of love?

            The conversation that ensued when they were alone would lead to the second deal breaker in the fifteen days since the initial proposal.