THE DAY THE PREACHER MET MY AUNT AND UNCLE

THEN:


    When my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Leslie argued the world stood still. At least for them and anyone smart enough to keep their noses out of other people's business. They argued with all the passion within them. Their arguments were as strong as their hearts and their love.

    When I was about fourteen they showed up for a visit while our pastor, Brother Frank, was sitting around having a cup of coffee with my dad. We had not seen these wonderful relatives in months. Dad and I heard our surprise visitor's voices and the slamming of the car doors. We knew right away that the argument would be in the forefront of this particular visit. I was glad to hear them, glad to see them as I peeped out the window. And I didn't mind the argument. I thought maybe it was best to get it over with and get on to the laughter and stories. My wise daddy must have had the same idea, because he too just sat back to let the argument and the visit begin to roll right over us.

    The preacher was in the middle of expressing a thought when Aunt Nancy and Uncle Leslie made it up our steps and through the front door in record time. I went out on the porch, harboring the foolish notion that I might get a moment to bid them a bright hello and distract them from their disagreement. I did not. I stepped back in before I was run over by the arguers. Daddy had not even had the time to say to the preacher, "Well, here comes my brother and his wife." Aunt and Uncle came through the front door arguing loudly, and oblivious to any occupants of the living room, they headed for the back bedroom where they always bedded down when they stayed with us.

    The preacher watched them stride through the room; his eyes were big and he stretched his neck to see them clear the kitchen, still fussin' all the way. He then turned his wide eyes toward my daddy. The preacher's brows were raised and he had a questioning look on his face. I saw Daddy hide a smile behind his coffee cup. When he lowered the cup, he chuckled in spite of himself, cleared his throat and said, by way of belated introduction, "That's my brother and his wife." His voice was calm and mundane.

    I had to leave the room, else I would've exploded with rude laughter right in the preacher's presence, besides as long as you held your tongue and stepped back a pace or to it was quite safe to go to the back room, and that's where all the excitement was anyway!