Chapter 14

            The meeting was set to be in Aaron and Cheryl’s dining room.  Aaron sat at the head of the large oval shaped maple wood table to establish that he was in charge.  Charles was given a seat in the middle of one side.  George was at the other end of the table and each man’s wife was seated to his right.  They waited for Kyle and Terry who were late.

            The gathered group tried to make chit chat conversation about the weather or other such benign topics while they nervously waited for the third couple, all secretly hoping they would show up.  Finally the doorbell rang, and Cheryl yelled out “Come on in, it’s open.”

            Terry marched in with a determined look on her face and Kyle came in sheepishly behind her.  They had barely taken two of the remaining seats before Terry ordered, “Okay, we’re here, let’s get on with it.”

            “Shall we pray first?” Aaron suggested.

            “Some people need to repent before they pray” Terry mumbled.

            “God help us, in Jesus’ name.  Amen” Aaron prayed briefly.

            “Alright, we all know why we’re here” Aaron began.  “There have been some concerns about Charles’ marital status and the trip to Kenya.”

            Charles sat with his head down, biting his lower lip trying to restrain himself from speaking too soon.

            “George and I had a chance to confer with brother Charles yesterday and although it is true he has two wives in Kenya, he points out that that is legal there and we don’t see why that should in any way jeopardize the trip.”  Aaron paused to see if there would be any response.

            Terry spoke up “Trip?  As far as Kyle and I are concerned there is no trip.  We’re going to trade our tickets in for tickets to Hawaii and see if we can get the rest of our money back.  There is no way we’re going to go on a so called missionary journey with a bigamist!” She spat out the word bigamist with disgust.  Then turning to look at Cheryl and then Juanita, she continued “As far as you ladies are concerned you’d be real smart not to let your husbands go either!”

            Charles could no longer hold his peace. 

             “Let them go?” he scowled.  “Let them go?”  He said again.  “You make it sound like they’re little boys who need mama’s permission.  They are men!  They go if they choose.  It’s you women that don’t have the choice.  You’re supposed to obey your husbands.  Not vice versa!”

              Terry blew up.  “That’s it!  That’s it.  I’m through!  We’re leaving Kyle!”  She screamed as she grabbed her husband by the arm, pulling him to his feet.  With anger in her eyes and a snarl on her face she spat out her next words “I refuse to let my husband be contaminated by a filthy rotten polygamist who is bent on destroying everything right and decent.”

            Cheryl, with tears in her eyes, pushed toward Terry as she moved toward the door.  “Wait” Cheryl cried, “Terry what you do or say could ruin everything for all of us,” she pleaded.

            Terry stopped for just a moment before going out the door after her husband.  She turned and looked her friend in the eyes.  “For you and only for you” she paused before going on, “ I won’t publicize who and what he (glancing at Charles) is.  For now.”  With that she slammed the door behind her.

            “I guess we won’t see them at the airport tomorrow,” Charles said quietly.  He didn’t know someone else would be missing as well.