It's All About Faith Ch. 01

A fair warning, this story is very long so it is broken up into nine parts.

Part One

Philip Johnson

Prologue

They were a typical couple doing their best to live a typical and proper life. Words like, stuffy, buttoned down, or far right conservatives would fit them nicely in fact. Though not religious, they did believe in charity. It all came down to always doing the right thing. At the young age of thirty one, Mitch Chandler was owner of Chandler Real Estate, and he had three offices in the Scranton and Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania area. He was doing quite well for himself, especially considering someone his age. Of course, Scranton was rated in the top ten in the nation for growing real estate sales, and that didn't hurt.

His wife Layla, was a fairly tall brown haired woman with perfect posture. She had a young slender beauty that was perfect for her profession of newscaster for WNEP channel sixteen. Layla was certainly good looking, but more than that, it was her quick smile and her connection with her audience that served her so well. It was because of her popularity that she and Mitch tried to escape the area whenever they could, so they could become anonymous and just relax.

Mitch and Layla's best friends, Buck Andrews and his wife Anita, owned Scranton Plumbing, Heating, and Electric. Not surprisingly, they were very much like Mitch and Layla: Young, successful, and oh so conservative.

Now, what would happen if one of those couples were to find themselves in a totally opposite, very liberal environment, and nothing they could do to escape? Both of them would have to look for the strength to survive, or more accurately, adjust and decide where to go from there.

There really is a Scranton, Pennsylvania, of course, population seventy two thousand, give or take. Also, there really is a channel WNEP there. But as far as I know, there is no Chandler Real Estate there, and I'm betting there is no Layla or Mitch Chandler. If there is, I extend my apologies, or thanks, whichever fits the situation. Well, you get the idea. There is a truth here and there, and a whole lot more that is not true. Another thing to remember, is sometimes things aren't always as they seem.

Oh yes, and you'll have to read awhile before you get to any juicy parts. Enjoy.

Chapter One

"Mitch, I talked to Anita at lunch today, and we're going to Jad's Place for dinner, unless you have other plans."

"Sounds good to me, what time?" As a reflex, she consulted her watch like it was going to speak to her and told him, "Seven, but they'll pick us up at six thirty."

"So we have a whole half hour to relax."

"Are you going to be grumpy tonight?"

"Sorry, honey. I'm okay, just a little tired."

"We can cancel if you'd rather."

"No, let's go, we haven't seen Anita and Buck for over a week. Besides Jad's Place has good food."

"Some of the best, I think."

It was just before six thirty when Buck and Anita arrived and then they went to dinner. They didn't even make it to their table, before a stranger approached Layla and blathered on about how good she was and how good looking she was. As they waited for their drinks Mitch asked Buck, "So what's new?"

"Not very much other than we have to have our roof redone."

"Ouch."

"I was trying to wait until next year, but we now have a small leak, so it has to be done. What about you two?"

"We're running away tomorrow morning for a few days."

"So where are you going on this short vacation?"

"We're going to hit some of the small towns and look for antiques."

"So, no place in particular?"

"Not really, just a general direction. Mostly it's so Layla can get away from her adoring fans as I call them. She just needs some escape time."

"I can appreciate that. We didn't even make it to our table this time before one of her fans found her."

"That's why we're running away. No thoughts about the news or jobs or anything, just her, me, antiques, and maybe a couple of the small community museums."

"Well enjoy."

They talked through dinner and were having an after dinner drink when Buck told Layla, "Love, I only say this because I love you and your work, but that series..."

"Yes I know, the Morals of America series. I've had a lot of negative feedback on that mess. Just for the record, it was my boss' idea to do that, not mine. I know I didn't give it my best effort because I just wasn't comfortable with any of that. I tried to talk him out of it, but I think the decision was made for him, so he was just passing it on to me." She didn't even look at Buck as she said, "I just don't understand the perverted things that some people can come up with. So much of that is beyond my emotional and mental reach, to say nothing of my moral position."

"Why not have Gary do that series then?"

"I was the only one with the time to take it on. My Boss could have waited, but like I said, I think he was getting pushed from above. They could have gotten wind of somebody else doing something like that so it could have been to beat the competition. Our business isn't anymore immune to pressures and politics than any other."

"Well, at least you and Mitch can get away for a few days and forget about all of that."

"I can't wait. Just head west and get lost. Are you two planning any trips or anything?"

"We're in the talking stages is all, but if we want to do something in this part of the country, we have to get moving so we can do it while it's warm."

Speaking of getting moving we haven't even packed."

Chapter Two

Mitch and Layla took the time Saturday morning to have a good breakfast, and then headed west in their quest to look for antique treasures, especially small figurines. They were soon in the country and Mitch watched as Layla relaxed a little more with each mile they put behind them. She was a slightly intense woman anyway, but that was okay because that intensity was also reflected in their her passion when they made love. For the next two days, they browsed their way through small town antique shops. They didn't find much, but that didn't really matter. They were enjoying themselves and that's what counted.

Going down the road on Monday, Mitch noticed they were getting a little low on gas, but that was no crisis because he figured they had seventy five miles or more before they would run out. But it was then that he noticed the engine was overheating and that was a much more serious issue. He told Layla about the problem and then added, "I don't think there is anyplace ahead of us that can help, so if I see another road, I'll take it and hope for the best. Now I really do wish we had a GPS unit in this car." It was about four miles later that he saw a small paved road going off to the right. No name or number to be found, and that concerned him, but he had to try. They just might have to pull over and let the engine cool down if they didn't find something soon. The only thing helping them, was his car had a small motor, so it didn't generate heat as quickly as the bigger motors did. He slowed down to about forty miles an hour and coaxed the car on down the road until Layla said, "I think I see...yes, there's a small water tower ahead of us."

"In the nick of time, now I just hope they have some kind of auto repair."

"Isn't that nice, the name of the village is Discovery. That has kind of a quaint sound to it." Mitch coasted into town and eased the over heated car through the center of town and straight ahead. There on the right was Dwayne's Auto Repair and Mitch pulled in there, shut the engine off, and gave a sigh of relief.

"Damn, we are so lucky, Layla." He went inside and was met by Dwayne himself. After describing the problem, they went out and as Layla sat in the car the men looked under the hood.

"I was sure I'd find a missing belt and I did, but you have a bigger problem than that. Your air conditioner compressor is on its last legs, and that's what broke your belt."

"Is it something you can fix?"

"Oh sure, but not today, in fact, probably not for a couple of days or more, because I'll have to order one for ya before I go home tonight. If we're real lucky, I'll have it by the end of the day tomorrow. Puttin' it in won't take more than an hour or two though."

"So, maybe some time Wednesday?"

"If we're real lucky, that's about right, but don't hold me to it cause they might not get it to me that quick."

"I'm just glad we made it to town."

"How'd you find this little town?"

"Just luck. I saw that road and decided to take a chance that we'd find help."

"That's fairly typical for this little town. Find us by accident I mean. Well, the only place to stay is the Twilight Motel down at the end of town. They have eight or ten units. Nothing fancy, but it's clean and nice, and Blanche will take good care of ya."

"Thanks Dwayne." Mitch pulled their luggage out of the car and they started the two block walk down the street. They met Blanche, and as they signed in, they told her about their car problems and she nodded and said, "You'll be comfortable here. There are two restaurants in town. Ethel's and Ma's Kitchen and they're owned by sisters. One's as good as the other, but I always thought it was a might better to have breakfast and lunch at Ma's Kitchen, and then dinner and drinks at Ethel's. She's the only one in town with a liquor license. Ma's opens at seven and Ethel's at nine."

"Any antique shops in town?"

"As a matter of fact there are two. They're owned by Ethel and Grace the same as the restaurants. Town this small, it takes a lot to make a living."

"You can't get a lot of business for the motel."

She smiled and said, "Oh my, I'm busier that you'd think: Too busy sometimes for this old woman."

"That's surprising, but the town does have that nice small town feeling to it and I love the name of it."

She smiled again and nodding said, "Now, if some of the town folk don't seem overly friendly, it's just that we are so self sufficient. We take care of ourselves and each other, and unfortunately, over time people tend to either ignore strangers or not trust them. If you experience that, forgive them and give them time. They'll come around soon enough."

"Thanks for telling us, and we'll be sure to be tolerant and patient."

"Then you two will do just fine. I'll give you room number three, because some of the rooms are having television problems. I'm here for another hour, but if you need me, just push the buzzer by the front door. I live in the back so I'll see to what your problem is."

"Thank you Blanche, I'm sure we'll be just fine."

Mitch and Layla were soon settled in their quaint room and Layla said, "Pretty rustic, but clean and charming in its own way."

"Let's go find Ethel's and have a drink before dinner."

Ethel, though somewhat more reserved, was a little like Blanche. Willing to share a story, or advice, and a smile, as she delivered their two whisky and waters, but then she disappeared, not to be seen until they were ready to order dinner. To keep it simple, they ordered the daily special of beef roast and had another drink with dinner. Mitch had been looking around and then said, "Well, judging from the customers in here, the locals spend a lot of their money eating out."

"Can you imagine being restricted to just two restaurants?"

"I can't imagine living in this little town for many reasons. It's clean, and like you said quaint, but I wouldn't make it very long living here."

After dinner, they took their time and walked the length of the town and then back down the other side window shopping. "Mitch, it's a lot like it was years ago, when people went to town to do their shopping rather than to the malls or wherever. This may be the first time I've ever walked a town and window shopped in fact."

"Pretty straight forward stuff, the biggest store in town is the hardware store, and it's nothing to be impressed with by any means."

"People we've passed haven't seemed too withdrawn."

"Have you noticed there has been very little eye contact though."

"Well yes, I did notice that."

"They probably roll up the sidewalks and the street at six o'clock."

"Well it's almost six, so I guess we'll find out soon enough. There is something else I've noticed. No kids. Not one and in fact, I haven't seen anybody that I'd take for under twenty one."

"Now that you mention it I haven't either. How weird is that?" There really wasn't anything to do to pass the time, so they went back to Ethel's and had another drink at the corner table and just talked softly about nothing in particular.

"You two hiding from somebody," Ethel asked them.

Layla smiled and said, "No, we're just trying to stay out of the way and pass time since the stores will be closed by now."

"People still gather in town and just walk up and down the streets and sit on the park benches along the sidewalk."

"Do they really?"

"Oh sure, as long as the weather cooperates anyway. We don't have a town square, so we just use our one street and pretend it's a square. Go see for yourself, and then come back for another drink before you give it up for the night."

"We'll finish our drinks and go stroll the town then Ethel, and thanks for the tip."

"My pleasure. You may even find that we're not as sleepy and backwards as most outsiders assume we are."

Mitch gave her his best smile and told her, "Ethel, something tells me you're not the least bit backward or sleepy." She just smiled at him and walked away. "Layla, did you notice the old names like Ethel and Blanche and Grace? They aren't nearly that old, so why do you suppose they were given those names?"

"I wouldn't have a clue." Then with a conspiratorial smile, she whispered, "Maybe they're secret agents," and laughed. They took their time working their way back down the other side and rested a few minutes on one of the many park benches in front of the stores. "It's nice that the stores provide these benches. It really makes it more pleasant to be out like this."

"We better go slow shopping tomorrow, because there's nothing else to occupy our time: No internet, unless somebody has a satellite dish."

"That's it; I saw one on Ethel's roof. Do you suppose?"

"Probably for television, because that's about the only way they'd get programming out here I'm sure."

Chapter Three

Mitch and Layla once again slowly walked the town, but now, there were more people out and the evening almost had a small carnival feeling to it. Like people were celebrating being done with the day's work. Nothing special was going on, but there seemed to be a surprising number of people moving about considering the small size of the town. Most people ignored them, but one man, they guessed to be near fifty, said good evening to them so Layla gave him her show stopping smile and said, "We're so surprised that there are so many out tonight."

"Oh, this is fairly typical for a weeknight. Those that live farther from town wait until the weekend to come join our little parade. You two just passing through I take it?"

"Car trouble, so we may be here for two or three days."

"Sorry to hear about the car trouble, but at least you will be comfortable here."

"Yes, we will."

"My only advice is to get rid of all of the old small town notions."

"Why is that?"

He just smiled and said, "Just keep my words in mind. Enjoy your evening," and he walked off leaving them there to ponder what he said.

One young woman walked past them and Layla said, "Oh my God, did you see her top?"

"What there was of it, I did, very impressive even by big city standards."

"Look, there's another woman in...I didn't think they made shorts that short, but to wear them in town? God how tacky can you get. That's even worse than the top we just saw."

"Honey, don't look now but even that older woman is dressed very suggestively."

"It's like an Easter parade, only instead of wearing fancy hats, they're wearing very little of anything. I'll have to keep all of this in mind as I try to write another series on sexual mores of the country." She looked down at herself and said, "Well at least I have sense enough to dress decently."

"You seem to be the only one. Even those that are more modestly dressed, are still showing a lot of skin, even those that should be hiding it."

"You're going to have tired eyes."

"I find all of this a little uncomfortable actually."

"Well, if you're worried about staring, I'd say relax, because the other men are openly staring at every person that walks by them and the women seem to be enjoying the experience."

"Well, they talk about being isolated, so I guess they've developed their own customs and standards. It isn't for us to judge, but I can't get over how strange this is. Look at that woman in the green top for instance. She's too old to dress that way don't you think?"

"Well, I'd think so, but I have to admit she does look good and she has to be at least forty."

"I was going to guess older than that. At least between forty and forty five, and there she is in heels, shorts, and that...I guess you'd call it a top."

"I feel like we're suffering from culture shock. Like we were in Africa and the women were going down the street topless carrying baskets on their heads, that kind of feeling."

"Well you should get some material for your next series before we leave here."

"Oh my God."

"What?"

"We walked right past it. That little shop between the hardware store and that boutique. Is that what I think it is?"

"What...I don't believe it. Can it be? Can they really sell adult toys here?"

"Well, it looks like it based on the shape of the sign and the name: Jim's Emporium, Adult novelties."

"This can't be happening."

"Layla, I'm overwhelmed by this little place, but do you realize what an opportunity this is for you and your writing?"

"You're not suggesting we go into that shop tomorrow."

"Well, it comes to mind. At least here, we're anonymous and the stores in this town all seem to be kept up very clean and nice."

"I can't go in there. My God, what if that Jim was in there, I'd be so embarrassed that I'd faint."

"Well, give it some thought. Maybe I could go in first and see if Jim was in there or a woman."

"I can't believe you'd even consider us going in there."

"Honey, I've seen most of the things they're likely to sell in that tiny place, so I wouldn't be shocked."

"Well, I'm aware of those things of course, but to go in there and gawk at the merchandise? Oh my God, I shiver at the thought of that."

They slowly made their way back to the motel and settled in for the night. As they got ready for bed Layla said, "Mitch, were you really bothered by those women and how they dressed?"

"It seemed so crude and tacky at first, but I got used to it, and after I reminded myself that we're in their town and that seems to be the norm here, I was okay with it. I have to say, none of the people we saw could be considered ugly or ancient. This is just a very strange town that defies description."

"I still can't decide what to think about any of what we experienced. Consider that so many people were dressed very provocatively, and right in the middle of town is a purveyor of adult...of sex toys of all things. Those stores are always tucked out of the way in some seedy part of town normally."

"I doubt they have a problem with unsavory people gathering at that store in this little place. I just can't imagine granny going in there and selecting a certain vibrator like she's picking out a toaster."

As they slipped under the sheets she asked, "Do you really think it would help for me to go in there?"

"I really do, but that's up to you. I understand what you mean about it being awkward to say the least, but I'm willing to go in first if that would help."