POST 6: SAINT MAYBE CONT.

I READ CH. 6 184- 225

On Saturdays, the Church of the Second Chance does Good Works. They paint or repair an elderly member's house, or help someone who is in need. Today they are painting Rev. Emmett's house. Thomas and Daphne love Good Works. Agatha is fifteen and has to be talked into coming. On the way over, Agatha talks about what they would do in a nuclear war. She suggests that the entire family move into a grocery store, where they would have plenty of supplies to live. The young people, including Claudia's children, would be the future generation. The old people, like Grandma and Grandpa Bledsoe, would bring wisdom. When Thomas questions if Ian should come, Agatha insists.


I READ CH. 7 226-243

Agatha was the one who came up with the idea of finding a wife for Ian. With Agatha headed for her first choice college, Thomas a gregarious high school freshman and Daphne 11 going on 80, they feel Ian needs someone. Daphne instantly thought of Miss Pennington, her fifth grade teacher with the hourglass figure and sexy 1950s clothes, instead of pantsuits. Daphne insists Ian needs a Parent/Teacher conference to discuss her homework. When Ian demurs, Daphne says she just wants him to appear interested. Ian protests that being a grade mother and baking six dozen cookies for Parents night, makes him interested, but Daphne finally wins. Later, Daphne reports the meeting went well. Miss Pennington wore her scoop necked blue dress. Ian did not say anything religious.

I READ CH. 8 244- 266

Rev. Emmett has a heart attack. The first Sunday, a retired Baptist minister, Dr. Benning, preaches, but he has to leave for a bus tour of the Sun Belt. The second week a non-denominationalist, who got his Thy and Thou mixed up, preaches. The congregation prays for Rev. Emmett to come back. The third Sunday, nobody preaches, they just say a few extra prayers. The fourth Sunday, Rev. Emmett finally returns, looking pale and even thinner than usual. After Church, Rev. Emmett asks Ian to stay behind. Rev. Emmett wants to discuss his successor. He wants Ian to go to seminary, so when the time comes, Ian can replace him. Ian demurs. Daphne, at 16, is more trouble than all three children at any other age.

I READ CH. 9 267-308

May of 1988 is the wettest spring anyone can remember. It rains every day, and the Bedloe's roof develops a leak directly over the linen closet. Ian calls Davidson Roofers, but they say they can't come out until the weather clears. June was dry as a bone, but no one cared. One morning early in the month, Bee awakened unable to talk. Two days later, she was dead. Agatha, an oncologist in L.A., flew out for the funeral with Stuart, her handsome husband. Claudia and Macy came from Pittsburgh with their two youngest, George and Henry. Their oldest, Abbie, flew in from Charleston. Even with all these people in the house, Daphne kept wandering around aimlessly. It seemed as if somebody was missing, she thought, then realized it was Grandma.

I READ CH. 10 309-337

Rita and Ian have only been married for four months, and already she is asking when he wants to have children. Ian says in a few years. When Rita protests that she is almost 30, Ian assures her that is young. At 42, he feels ancient, especially when he thinks of having a child. On Sunday, the two walk to church together. Daphne seldom attends services, although she is still a regular at Good Works on Saturdays. During the hymn, Rita turns to Ian and confides that she may be pregnant, and she intends to be glad about it. Ian can only reply, "me too." Ian nervously starts to construct a cradle of Virginia cherry for the baby, joined, without nails so it will last a hundred years.

THEME:

The myth of the perfect family is once again exposed in this novel. On the first page, the Bedloes are described as the "ideal, apple-pie household" and their philosophy of life is "Don't worry. Everything will turn out fine." But Danny kills himself; Lucy dies; they are stuck with three children unrelated to them; and Ian takes religion seriously, dropping out of college to take care of the children. The Bedloes are not the perfect family after all, but they have a bedrock closeness and love that keeps them together and helps them overcome their trials. When the children are planning what to do in the event of a nuclear attack, they decide to commandeer a grocery store just for their immediate family. They make a point of including Ian, who is, in fact, not related.