water for me to take with my blood pressure tablets?" said Sister Ruby.
"How is your Austin Cambridge running, Brother Reuben?" enquired Elder Jack.
"Good. I really love that car."
"I can get you a good price for your car. All the taxi drivers in Jamaica want to drive an Austin Cambridge. The car can handle the potholes extremely well."
"No Jack. My car is definitely not for sale," said a defiant Brother Reuben.
"Don't you think your car is too old and you need to buy a new and reliable car?"
"No sir."
Reuben was a very proud owner of an Austin Cambridge car and he kept it in mint condition. He was hypersensitive about his car. Elder Jack was walking on egg shells. Brother Reuben was defensive about his car and was ready to explode if there was any more criticism of it. His eyebrows were raised higher than usual. A group of horizontal lines were etched across his forehead. He was upset and his wife, Sister Edna, who was married to him for more than twenty years, shoved him gently with her elbow beckoning him to walk in love. It was enough to divert a dramatic fall out between the pair.
"Did you know Brother Reuben has now got two allotments?" said Sister Edna.
"You're joking."
"It's true, Brother Jack."
"How does Brother Reuben find the time to manage two allotments?"
"He is passionate about growing vegetables."
"I can speak for myself, Edna."
"Well, speak then Brother Reuben."
Brother Reuben was a tall, straight, muscular and a semi-literate man. He left school at the age of 14 and worked on his father farm supporting his mother and younger siblings. He was a man of a few words but spoke them from his heart. He was not afraid to speak his mind. He was blunt at times but a kind hearted man who never strayed from his commitment to Sister Edna.
"The Bankers have soft hands like Elder Jack and they don't know what hard work is."
"Non-manual work can be just as stressful as manual work, Reuben," said Sister Edna.
"Manual work is real man's work," argued Reuben.
"Women's work is far more stressful than men's work."
Brother Reuben was an old fashioned man. Many years ago Sister Edna led Elder Reuben to the Lord. He felled in love with her at a local youth meeting in Lower Ashworth and has been her constant companion ever since. He visited the church to be with Sister Edna until a young Pastor Fred challenged him to make a commitment to Jesus. He's been a Christian ever since taking up the challenge.
"How long have you lived in this house, Brother Phil?" enquired Sister Edna.
"We brought the house in 1977. That makes it about 20 years ago."
"I don't know where the time has gone, brother. Because I remembered when you first moved into the house it was like only yesterday."
"Time waits for no man, Sister Edna" and "It waits for no woman too, Brother Phil," announced a gleeful Elder Jack.
On that point Elder Jack, the founder of the church, stood up from around the table to speak. Brother Reuben asked him to sit down to no avail. Elder Jack ignored Brother Reuben directives and he proceeded to address the group.
"Time has a way of creeping up on us. I was once young and but now I'm old. I want to tell you that no man, great or small, rich or poor can stop time. The queen of England is one of the wealthiest women in the world but she can't stop the clock from ticking."
"There is a time to be quiet Elder Jack," said Brother Reuben.
"The queen is getting older with every passing day. We all have an appointed time with our maker and it makes no difference whether you are rich or poor. It's an appointment we cannot miss. It is our destiny. Time is in the hand of God. We give praise Him and thanksgivings."
Elder Jack continued his sermon on the mount and Brother Reuben was becoming more annoyed with him until Phil took control of the meeting.
"Thank you Elder Jack for your insight. I want us to start to focus on this meeting. It has been brought to our attention that a certain pastor was seen late last night coming out of a flat occupied by an unmarried woman."
Phil suggestion stirred them up. "Oh my Lord, have mercy upon us," and "What a disgrace," yelled Sister Ruby.
"That pastor is bringing the church into disrepute. He's giving the church a bad name," said Elder Jack.
"I hope it's not our Pastor Mantel."
"He's such a good and decent young man."
"We are all jumping to the wrong conclusion. Let us all calm down" and "assess who is this so called pastor and this unmarried woman we are talking about," demanded Jeff.
"Don't you know, Deacon Jeff?"
"If I knew that, Phil, I would have named him?"
"Pastor Mantel was seen coming out of an unmarried woman's flat."
"Oh my God, the church is finish," cried Sister Edna.
"The church is not depended upon any man, Sister Edna. It is Christ's church. Yes, Mantel is God's messenger but we are all God's messengers too and we must stop putting individuals on a pedal stool," said Sister Ruby.
"Before we take the beam out of other people eyes we must first remove the plank out of our own eyes," argued Jeff.
Jeff stared at Phil trying not to give away any signs of revulsion.
"It is true. Mantel was seen coming out of Naomi's flat, Jeff."
"Yes. So what's the big deal, Phil?"
"He was seen coming out of a single woman flat, Jeff."
"Yes."
"It was Naomi's flat."
"I know that, Phil. What is the point?" reiterated Jeff.
"The point is what was he doing inside of her flat?"
"Can't a man visit a woman's flat without being accuse of fornication, Phil."
"Yes."
"What's your problem, Phil?"
"It's Mantel who has a problem with Naomi not me, Jeff."
"They are just talking to each other. They have a platonic relationship."
"He's a kind man and she is a vulnerable woman in need of a shoulder to cry on. She is an attractive woman on heat."
"Naomi is not a cat Phil and she is not looking for a relationship of that kind."
"She is not a born again Christian, Jeff and she will pounce on Mantel or any other man. Naomi is a tigress looking for a mate."
"Oh yea" and "We are supposed to believe in all that garbage."
"Naomi has lured him into her den and has devoured him. She is no different from her dad."
"What are you implying, Phil?" and "Naomi is much different from her father. Naomi Is not responsible for her father past sins. Let the past stay in the past."
"Pastor Fred was seen visiting unmarried women in their homes and it nearly destroyed the church. People weren't happy with him and they left the Church in grove."
"We worship God only because He is a jealous God. We are all equal in the sight of God and there are no needs for people to be led astray by the antics of celebrity Christians."
Phil and Elder Jack were annoyed with Jeff for persistently challenging their authority and leadership.
"Are you referring that Mantel is having sexual liaison with Naomi, Phil."
"We're not saying such a thing," replied Phil embarrassingly.
"Well, what are you saying then?"
Everyone was silent. They stared at Jeff.
"How do you know?" shouted Elder Jack.
"I know them both well and they have my full respect" and "Nothing perverse is going to happen. They are decent people. I can assure you of that."
"We are not saying, that Pastor Mantel is doing anything improper with Naomi," said Sister Jan.
"Well what are you saying, people? "Argued Jeff.
"We are saying Mantel is a decent man but.."
"But, what are you really saying?"
"Most pastors have human fragilities and they have the propensity to fall into temptation."
"Mantel is no Joseph, Phil. But he will flee from temptation and Naomi is no temptress in the mould of Delilah or Potiphar's wife."
"They are rumours circulating that she had an affair with an older man and Mantel is the replacement."
"I wouldn't listen to rumours or gossips, Phil. They are worse than adultery. I have known Naomi for a number of years and she is a virtuous woman. She would never take advantage of Mantel's sexual weaknesses."
Phil was annoyed with Jeff defence of Naomi virtue and Mantel vulnerability. He thumped his hand hard on the table to demand attention.
"We are saying that the previous deacons of our church refused to listen to rumours about Naomi's father, Pastor Fred. They denied and ignored the allegations coming from members of the congregation and the church was nearly destroyed. We can't bury our heads in the sand anymore and think everything is okay. We have a divine responsibility to look after the flock and we don't want the congregation to go astray again."
"I can't believe I am hearing this from you, Phil" and "What does everyone else think?"
The meeting became increasingly tense. Jeff was extremely upset and shocked by the accusations presented to him at the meeting. The very thought of Mantel having an affair with Naomi leading to the demise of the church was absurd to Jeff. Many members of the congregation had not forgiven Naomi's father for bringing the church into disrepute. To them, Naomi was a symbolic reminder of those dreaded days when her father pastured the church. Jeff supported Fred fully in his quest to acquit himself. Jeff had a no nonsense approach to rumours.
They all kept quiet and Jeff acknowledged that their silent meant acceptance of Phil and Jack views. Jeff asked Margaret for a blank sheet of writing paper. Everyone was wondering what on earth Jeff was doing with a blank sheet of paper. He spent five minutes writing down a few lines and passed the sheet around to every deacon around the table.
He wrote on the top of the sheet:
'Cast the first stone if you are without