TONIGHT, RUSSELL LEARNS A THING OR TWO
Easter night, once the Exultate is sung, only the lights around the altar come on. Jeff Cordino steps up to do the first reading.
“In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth
a—and the earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over the waters—
bThen God said: Let there be light, and there was light.”
And if course, Easter night is the beginning, and so the beginning of all things is read. As the readings go one, and there are many of them, more lights come on in the church. Between each reading, the choirchants the the psalms. Russell’s voice rises in a solo
“As the deer longs for running water, my soul thirst for you!”
If God is sanity. If he is clarity, if he is love without selfishness, then Russell’s soul does thirst your Him. He almost feels that he has him…
Kristin and Reese remain in town a few more days, awaiting the the return of R.L’s ashes. When Graham Kandzierski brings them himself, in a plastic box with a label, the final remains of Russell Lewis, Russell shudders a little, but give them to his grandmother who says, “Thank you. Fresh out of the oven.”
There is little debate about who will keep them. Everyone seems to think they should go to Kristin.
“But I don’t want them. I don’t think anyone should have them. Let’s just scatter them.”
Russell calls Gilead to tell him the ashes are here and they’re all scattering them in Finallay Park. Gilead says, “That’s where I am. With Mark.”
“Tell them they can join us,” Thom says. “If they want to. I mean, I can’t see why they’d want to, but…”
They do join, and Brad and Nehru come with Cody. Russell tires not to let his mind wonder what sex looks likewith them. He imagines it looks like that night when something came over him and he seduced Ralph and Jason.
It’s windy, and on a hill, Kristin, and then Thom and then Jackie spill the ashes. Finn has already gone home saying that R.L. is gone too, so why stay? It comes back to Kristin, and then the wind lifts and Thom coughs as grey white ashes blow into his face.
“Bye, Dad,” he says, wiping his face and wiping grit from his hair.
“This is where I came,” Mark says. “I ran all the way here the day Joe died. The day I survived. I screamed and screamed. I thought I’d never be okay.”
Gilead does not say, because he has said it before, that Brad Long had seen it and told them, that hearing it, this was the day he’d known he loved Mark, but he felt like he wanted to hold him. It was the only thing that had made him go to that funeral. Now he just poked Mark’s hip, and made him smile, lifted him gently from the contemplation that sometimes went to dark places.
Russell remembered what Father Branch had said. In the last few days there was so much going on, but after Kristin and Reese had left, and Jackie and John were headed back to Port Gregory, Russell said, “Dad, who is Bob Wynant?”
“What?” Thom looked at Russell as if he’d said something in Chinese. But no, it was as if he’d said something in Chinese, and Russell should not have known that Thom knew Chinese too.
“Bob Wynant? Father Branch asked me to ask you who Bob Wynant was.”
“I haven’t heard that name in years.”
“I haven’t heard it ever,” said Patti.
“Bob Wynant was your Dad’s best friend in high school,”Kathleen said.
“Well, sort of,” Tom said. “I mean, we fell out after junior year. Not fell out like fought, just fell out of touch. He got other friends. Maybe I did too. It’s hard to remember. I wonder why Branch…”
Thom lifted a finger and went upstairs. It wasn’t long before he returned with what Russell knew was a yearbook. It was a lot more tacky than the ones they used now at OLM, dark blue fake leather done up with goldc, and Thom thumbed through it.
“Bob!” Thom shook his head.
Russell let his mother have a look first, and he observed as she said it, “He looks just like you.”
“Or Finn,” Thom said.
“He’s got the O’Donnell face,” Kathleen said. “That’s how Thom knew him. He helped Tommy loose his accent when he first came up here. The Wynants were my cousins. On my mother’s mother’s side. Bob was some type of cousin. He was younger than me, obviously, but his great grandmother was the sister of my great grandmother.”
“So not related at all,” Russell said.
“Well, that O’Donnell face always pops up,” Kathleen said. “And we were the kind of family that made cousins out of everyone. It’s a mountain thing.”
“Spitting image,” Patti marveled, shaking her head.
“We did not look that much alike,” Thom insisted.
“No, Dad,” Russell said. “You did.”
“Still, Thom wondered, “why would Branch ask you to ask about him.”
“I dunno, Dad. Father Branch is mystery.”
Thom shook his head and laughed.
“He sure in the shit is.”
“At daybreak on the first day of the week the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb;” Father Branch read. “But when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.”
Saint Adjeanet was filled with light and dense with incense while they stood to hear the priest read:
“While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling garments appeared to them. They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day.” And they remembered his words. Then they returned from the tomb and announced all these things to the eleven and to all the others. The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles,
but their story seemed like nonsense and they did not believe them.”
Puzzled. Nonsense. Terrified. Remember, remember what he said. They remembered. The truth seemed as nonsense. These words moved about like the incense. They were the substance of his faith. And he did believe. He knew that now. He believed more than ever.
“Father, can I talk to you?” Russell demanded, skidding to a stop on the fourth floor and catching his breath.
“Mr. Lewis, you used to have more manners. You clearly see me speaking to Mr. Story and Mr. Young.”
“Sorry guys,” Russell said to his friends.
“It’s alright,” Gilead said. “we interrupted him too.”
“Yes, apparently I put out the vibe of someone who wants to be consulted by the young. So, what is it, Russell?”
“Bob Wynant. He was Dad’s best friend.”
“Yes.”
“And then they stopped talking. Stopped being friends.”
“That’s not a surprise.”
“But Dad said he didn’t know why.”
“That’s also not a surprise.”
“Wait,” Mark said, “so like, you knew Russell’s dad when eh was a student here.”
“Yes,” the priest said.
“That was a long time ago! You must be—r”
Michael Branch eyes Mark, and Mark put a hand over his mouth.
“It was twenty years ago, and one day you;ll learn twenty years isn’t that long of a time. And what’s your question, Russell, even if I bet I can’t answer it.”
“My question is: why did you have me ask Dad about him?”
“That,” Father Branch said, “is a matter for the confessional.”
“Can’t you get around the confessional?” Russell asked. “After twenty years.”
“Ask your friend Cody to ask his mother if she remembers Bob?”
“What?” Russell cried. “Father, can’t you just?”
“Bonehead,” Gilead smacked Russell in the head. “Can’t you see?”
Russell looked at his friend.
“Father Branch is getting around the confessional as much as he can.”
Russell felt stupid, like the answer was right in front of him, but for some reason he couldn’t see it.
Mark Young said to Father Branch, “This Bob guy came to you cause he felt guilty for sleeping with his best friend’s girl. You think he’s Cody’s dad? Don’t you?”
Russell’s mouth hung open, more because it was so obvious he couldn’t believe how stupid he was being, but Father Branch said. “Behind that door is my private apartment which I was on my way toward.”
He opened the door, went in, stuck his head out, said, “Goodnight.”
And shut the door firmly in the boys’ faces.
