The Bishop - Chapter Seven: A Letter Arrives at Hampton's Corners

 Chapter Seven: A Letter Arrives at Hampton's Corners

"Judy, I would like to know why I have received this letter from Canon Sharpe telling me that we are in arrears to the Diocese with our assessment and that the diocesan treasurer and his team will be paying us a visit."

"Because we haven't paid it in three months," Judy replied smugly, "But don't worry, we have sent them the portion that includes your stipend and compensation, just not the assessment."

"What?" asked Maddie, incredulously.

"Our assessment has gone up steadily over three years, and Reg and I have decided not to pay it until the diocese reassess our monthly amount and offers us a better rate."

Maddie looked over at Reg Canon, her other church warden, a by-the-book sort of fellow who certainly would not have agreed to any such thing unless he had been bullied into it by Judy.  His eyes, however, were fixed firmly on the toes of his shoes.  "Is this true, Reg, that you and Judy have made this decision without informing either me, or the Advisory Board of the parish?"

"Oh, the Board knows and they are in agreement," Judy replied with utmost confidence.

Reg looked up finally, "Not all of them."

"All except Wally and Jim," Judy added, "But what can you expect from them?"

"Wait," Maddie interrupted, angrily, "You sought input from the Board, but didn't think to tell me about it? About your...your...'plan'?!"

Reg cast his eyes to the floor again.

"Seriously Reg," Maddie looked at him disappointedly, "You're on board with all this?"

"Well," he stammered tentatively, "Judy made a strong case, and we really can't afford..."

"But Reg...keeping me out of the loop?"

"I...I..."

"The Diocese has pushed us around long enough," Judy said with a wag of her finger, "And now that we have Mr. Perkins downtown, they'll listen to us! We will finally get a hearing!  Mark my words, he won't let us down!"

"It's BISHOP Perkins, Judy, and apparently he will be paying me a visit in a few weeks to discuss our 'delinquency' and you and Reg will be getting a 'friendly visit' from Mr. Argent and some of his accounting thugs who will give you instructions on how to 'trim the budget' in order that we might meet our financial obligations."

"Bring them on," said Judy with relish, "They won't leave here without lowering our assessment!"

"THEY DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO LOWER OUR ASSESSMENT!" Maddie shouted at her.

"Mr. Perkins will go to bat for us."

"BISHOP PERKINS!" Maddie again corrected her. "This whole plan of yours is so inappropriate and ill-thought out, I will have no part of it. I know for a fact that we have enough money to pay that bill to the diocese, and I expect a cheque on my desk to hand to the Bishop when he shows up in two weeks. I am directing you and Reg to pay it."

"I will not!" Judy wagged her finger again in Maddie's face and then folded her arms firmly, as if she were a toddler having a tantrum.  Then she said, "Are you part of this team or not, Maddie?"

"Why don't you tell me, Judy?  Keeping the leader of the team in the dark - is that team work?"

"We are the leaders, Maddie, Reg and me..."

"Then why does this letter from Canon Sharpe have my name on it? And why is my Bishop paying me a visit over this?" Maddie's rage was welling up again, "Just what are you trying to pull...?"

"Maddie," Reg interrupted diplomatically, trying to calm her down. "We have a way of doing things here...you just haven't gotten quite settled into that yet."

It had become quite clear to her that there was a way things were done in Hampton's Corners and it was Judy's way.  Everyone just nodded or stared at their toes when she came to a decision about a course of action.  Had sweet old Bishop Perkins just let her walk all over him when he was the rector?  How did he expect her to stand up to Judy when he had let this sort of toxic environment go unchecked? How could she expect him to back her up against Judy if he was not able to stand up to her, himself?

"Just watch," Judy sneered, leaning forward and getting into Maddie's face, "I will win this."

Maddie noticed that the idea that they were a team had suddenly vanished.  Judy continued, "I will not be beaten by the Diocese. The people of this parish count on us, Maddie, to stand up for them." (the idea of teamwork suddenly returned) "And you will do your part and we will do ours. That's leadership."

..."The Bishop" will return tomorrow...