The Bishop - Chapter Eighteen: A Vestry Victory

 Chapter Eighteen: A Vestry Victory

It was mid-March and still quite cold. Tony and Maddie walked out of the diocesan centre, where Tony worked in the Archives and they took up a brisk pace as they headed to their favourite restaurant.  The cold was no match for Maddie’s excitement, though, as she related the events of last Sunday’s Vestry meeting to Tony.  She told him that all the usual business had come off without a hitch, but that as the time grew closer for the election of officers, you could feel the tension mount amongst the parishioners in attendance. Maddie, herself, felt her own anxiety begin to grow and to reach the same uncomfortable level it had reached when the ballots were being counted back when she had championed Archdeacon Fulman’s candidacy for bishop.  She had done what she could then, and she had done what she could now, and she could only hope that her efforts would yield more successful results now than they had done then.  Judy had campaigned vigorously to be elected People’s Warden.  Maddie had told several of her colleagues about Judy’s relentless pursuit of the office, and most were, quite frankly, mystified.  It’s not that power-seeking is unusual in church-land, quite the contrary, but most of the clergy she consulted could not believe she would have to hold an actual election for a People’s Warden. As I, myself, look back on many years of parish ministry, I don’t think I can ever recall a time in which it wasn’t like pulling teeth to get all the roles filled and the entire slate approved by acclamation. People simply don’t fight for these offices.  As clergy, if we can get enough volunteers, we breath a sigh of relief. Likewise, for the laity, if some dear soul agrees to take on a whole lot of work that someone else doesn’t want, no one would ever stand up to challenge that.  Yet, in Hampton’s Corners they were ready for a “Battle Royale”, and this is how Maddie set it up when sharing the play-by-play with Tony: in one corner, was the defending champion, the indomitable old bull Judy Jumplejump, who had successfully defended her title since God knows when; and in the other corner was the youthful and highly competent HR professional, Christina Marlowe, not quite aware when she had accepted the nomination that she would be entering the ring with the forces of darkness. 

Now, Tony knew the outcome of course, but he still hung on every word of the story as she told it. She had related it to him over the phone, after the event, but she couldn’t resist telling him again in person as the cold winds pressed upon them, and he felt her pure excitement as she recounted it again.

Unlike Judy, Christina had not campaigned at all, she simply accepted the nomination, somewhat naively and was going to let the chips fall where they may.  If called, she would be happy to serve, but she had no desire to usurp anyone else. She was loyal to Maddie, though, and quite fond of Reg Canon.  It was only when Judy began her relentless campaign to hold on to power that Christina realized what she had walked into.  For Judy, unlike Christina, it was a matter of pride, and dignity, and in her own mind at least, the very well-being, the survival even, of Christ Church, Hampton’s Corners.  The church would never make it without her at the helm. She was confident of this, and thus she did “campaign,” or rather cajole, harass, and intimidate her fellow parishioners to vote for her.  And when she won, she would lead a delegation to Bishop Perkins in an effort to have “Miss Maddie” removed for gross incompetency and for endlessly harassing Judy these past two years.  

And how did that all work out?  Here is where Maddie beamed with delight and basked in her own victory.  She knew Tony knew it all but she asked him again, “How many votes do you think she got, Tony?”

“Tell me,” he begged, playfully.

“One! One vote! One fucking vote!”

“Her own,” he said, adding with an authentic sensitivity, “how sad.”

“Don’t wreck it for me,” she looked at him with a feigned sternness.

“God, she must be so humiliated.”

“She is, but is it so wrong that I have a caring problem, Tony?”

“Well, you are priest,” he said, continuing to egg her on.

“But she has been such a beast, so hurtful, so abusive, not just to me, but to everyone, and Reg! Oh, how she has bullied him for years!  Even old Lillian Littlestature was the recipient of her rage more than once…and Grace Goodham, dear old Grace Goodham, Judy was always bullying her about her flower arrangements, and can you think of a more dear soul than Grace?  And then poor old Mr. Perkins! Just think of how many years he had to suffer her…”

“Okay,” Tony conceded, continuing the game, “I will grant you that. It was time she was taken down a notch, but…”

“But…?” She gave him a playful shove.

“But, how must she feel, Maddie?”

“Not good, I’m sure. But I know she will be back. Reg cautioned me not to count her out just yet…”

“I’m sure he’s quite right about that!”

“Yet, after the meeting he came to me and thanked me for helping to ‘retire’ her.  For the first time, after years of bullying, he told me he felt he could at last stand up to her, and more than that, the parish could stand up to her.”

“You taught him how to do that, Maddie,” Tony said, quite seriously now, “and in his own way.  He didn’t have to bully her back. He just had to be himself. He would have never realized that he had it in him if you hadn’t believed in him. And you know what?  I think that the rest of the parish seeing Reg’s courage helped them to find their own.”

“Hmmm…” she smiled and looked up at him.

“And I expect that even though Judy is hurting now, the people of Hampton’s Corners will use that same kindness and tenderness for which they are so well known to nurture her through her pain. They may have said ‘no’ to her bullying, but I don’t believe they will abandon her. That’s not the kind of people they are.”

“She will have to learn to accept their care,” Maddie said.

“And that’s on her, Maddie,” after a moment’s pause, he continued, “Maddie, I’m so proud of you. You did what Mr. Perkins couldn’t do in all his years there, and it will make all the difference for the parish going forward.”

“Poor Bishop Perkins,” she said blushing at the compliment and changing the subject, “I wish things had gone better for him these last two years.”

“Yes, his resignation has really come as a shock.  I think it’s the shortest episcopate our diocese has ever had.”

“I wish he had stuck it out,” Maddie said, “I know that all the conservatives are pulling out, but I don’t really count that much of a loss…” She paused, realizing the consequences of her dismissive attitude, knowing that a big reduction in the diocesan budget might lead to Tony’s position being slashed, “Oh Tony, I’m sorry…this might really affect you.”

“Well, if it does, I’ll be one of the last standing. They will still need someone left to archive the bankruptcy papers.”  

They both gave a little chuckle as the wind rushed around them.

“It won’t come to that, I’m sure,” Maddie said, slipping her arm around his to keep warm.

“No, I don’t think it will,” he put his hand on her arm and squeezed, “Still, it is sad to see him go. After Bishop Verity he really was a breath of fresh air. They hated him up there on the third floor, and he even made that old bat Canon Sharpe resign, which I count a victory.  Yet, if ever there was a Christian gentleman, it was he, but I guess bishops need to be made of sterner stuff. We always say we want a ‘pastoral’ bishop, and when we get one, we drive them out of town.”

“Still,” Maddie added, “he was brave when it counted. We’ve been dawdling on same-sex marriage for decades now, and who would have thought that dear old meek and kindly Bishop Perkins would be the one to finally pull the trigger?”

“The Holy Spirit has its little jokes,” Tony smiled, “And you must be happy, after all, you have a vested interest in all this…”

“I suppose I do,” she said tentatively and looking up at him and studied his face, “You know, Tony, I don’t know how I could have done any of this, these last two years at Hampton’s Corners without you - from figuring out what they would call me, to Lillian’s funeral, to standing up to Judy, to helping the parish find a strength to stand without her - you’ve stood with me through it all, encouraged me, been my…friend.” They were now at the stoop of the restaurant entrance, but they didn’t go in just yet for she had stopped to face him, “Tony, when Archdeacon Fulman left, I didn’t know what I was going to do without my mentor. I didn’t know how I could take up this new ministry, and fill Mr. Perkins’ shoes.  What I realize now is that I didn’t need a mentor. I needed…you.”  They stood quietly in the enclosure for a moment, only slightly protected from the frigid wind, without words.  Then, unexpectedly she every so gently pressed her lips to his, in a tender, loving, ever-so gentle kiss. 

He did not resist her, but when the kiss ended, he said with some confusion, “Maddie…I…I…I thought you were…you were into women?”

“I am, I guess, but I’m also into you.”