Entry 6 - Centre of Attention

The trip though to East London was interesting. Elders Finchley and Crane were still surprised at my Mum deciding she wasn't going to be attending church . Crane decided to use this opportunity to ask me on my thoughts. To be honest, I was in two minds. On the one hand, I was disappointed I would be on my own this Sunday, on the other, I knew it was coming. I explained to Crane that my Mum just didn't feel like it was something she wanted to do. Crane asked if there was anything they could do to perhaps change her mind. This surprised me a little. I think my Mum was pretty clear when she explained her decision to the elders, but it seemed Crane was not intent on giving up. I was hesitant in my reply, but answered as truthfully as I could. "No", I replied. Finchley intervened and explained that they were both fond of my Mum and really thought she was coming along nicely in the short time she had spent within the church. I explained that my Mum would always listen to other peoples views and opinions, she went along to church and the firesides to see for herself, and what she has seen and what she has heard, was not right for her. I reminded them though she was fond of the them and that they would still see her and chat to her whenever they visited me. Finchley added that he was pleased I was still going along to church and the other functions and that my Mum and Dad were wonderful parents for not stopping me in my beliefs. I never really thought of it as that. At this stage, I wasn't 100% convinced of my beliefs, I was however happy with the church and the people in it. So there was no reason to stop going.

We arrived at the church just after 6 that Wednesday evening. The elders were dressed very casually, jeans and t-shirts. It was a social type of meeting, so I suppose that was to be expected. We walked through the main entrance and into the back of the church to the main hall. I spotted Jamie Farraday and Harvey McKinley and went over to say hello. It seemed to be a real mix of ages. Craig Hindley was in a little group with Carla Robertson and her brother Shane and two other girls whose faces I recognised, but not their names. In total I would say there were about 15 - 18 people there. As I was talking to Jamie and Harvey, Grant Howard came over with his girlfriend Caryl. He shook my hand and said it was good to see me. I didn't know what it was about Grant , but he had a real presence, which on the surface was probably strange because he was quite a short fella. I would guess at 5ft 5. But yet, he held his own and then some. The group gathered together, Grant led us in prayer and then we split into groups of 4 or 5 and played volleyball in the church hall. I can't remember who won what and if I was on the winning team, but I did enjoy it although I wasn't that great at it. I do remember Craig Hindley making an exhibition of himself , throwing himself after every ball and leaping here ,there and everywhere. After the volleyball, there were drinks and snacks and a few of the lads played a game of football. I spent most of my time with Jamie and Harvey. I was also introduced to Milicent and Tracey Meyer ,the two girls whose faces I recognised from a previous church visit. Tracey was pleasant and quite sweet, Millicent was nice too and she was a looker. Blonde hair, blue eyes and very pretty. In truth, everyone was very welcoming, they all made me feel a part of their group. That is, all except one. Craig Hindley decided to come over to talk and tell me all about how his school beat the pants of my school at rugby and basically my school was a load of shit. Not that I really cared, I hated rugby anyway. I didn't really bite back and just smiled politely. I wasn't as patriotic about my school as he made out to be about his. However, I suspected it had very little to do with school rivalry anyway. I noticed him talking to Carla and Shane in their little group and having a laugh, looking at me when they did. But on the whole. I wasn't that bothered. I enjoyed myself. The others were good fun.

I spent quite a while taking to Grant Howard. He asked all sorts of questions, about school and home and music (I played the piano) . In turn, I asked him about the army, the church and his family. He was fascinating. He said that the church was very big on youth, they realised that the youth of today , would be the future of the church going forward. He asked how I felt about my Mum deciding not to attend church anymore, the elders had spoken to him earlier and he was sad to hear this. I repeated what I had said to the elders and Grant told me that although the church was built on "families", I mustn't feel alone because mine were not a part of the church. He said we were all one big family within the church and I should consider the congregation as my extended family. That was a really nice way of putting it and the way I was made to feel so welcome, I understood what he was saying.

I also spoke to Ivan Farraday too, older brother of Jamie.I think Ivan was about 16 or 17 . He was a lot "quieter" than Jamie, not as hyperactive. He was what I would call trendy. He spoke about music and he seemed to like all the "cool" stuff. It seemed Ivan was not the eldest of the Farraday family though, he had two older brothers, Warren and Simon. Warren was living away from East London if I recall and Simon would be coming back to East London soon. I think Ivan said he was completing his mission or had just completed it, either way, I would meet Simon. Harvey McKinley was someone I was becoming friends with, of everyone there, he was the one person I really sort of bonded with. Perhaps because he was so introverted and had a serious side to him that I liked, perhaps because he made such an effort to befriend me, either way, I'm glad he was there.

At the end of the evening I said my goodbyes to everyone. It had been an enjoyable evening and Grant asked me if I wanted to come to another one, I said yes but that I would have to check with the elders first if they were able to fetch me. Grant shook my hand and Caryl , who was very quiet most of the evening, came over to say goodbye as well. I said I would see them Sunday. The drive home was time for me to reflect. I had so many names going round in my head of the people I met and spoke to, but the foremost in my mind was Grant Howard. I was was already starting to look up to him , almost like an older brother . That is the way he spoke to me and made me feel. I didn't have an older brother, and as I would be attending church on my own as from this Sunday, I felt less concerned , knowing I was fitting into an extended family within the church. New friends in Harvey and Jamie ,the elders looking out for me, particularly Finchley, I was really now a part of something. Finchley wasn't going to let my Mums' decision interfere with their commitment to me. I suspected Crane might have other ideas. I was pretty sure he didn't see my Mum as a lost cause just yet and may just lean on me to help my Mum return, I wasn't certain, but I felt it.

Upon my return, the whole family were in the front room and wanted to know how it had gone, I told them how much I enjoyed it and that I wanted to go to more meetings like this. My Mum wanted to know what the elders had said to me about her decision not to go. I decided not to share my thoughts on Crane but said they were disappointed and that they both liked her. I also said they thought I had "wonderful" parents for allowing me to to go, my Dad smiled and said " soft parents". I laughed. I suppose he was right on this occasion. My Mum was also worried if I would be alright going on my own to church . I told her I was 14 , I would be fine. She ignored the cocky reply and said that she was being serious. I told her I wouldn't really be alone, I was with the elders and I was making new friends at the church, so I would be fine. That seemed to appease her. My brother Peter went off to bed, I followed a little later. We shared a room back then, much to my annoyance. He asked me about the evening, saying I was mad for going to church on a Wednesday, I told him it wasn't church, it was a social evening. He asked if I was going to become a "moron", his little name for "Mormon". I said I might. He said Mum and Dad won't like it. We went back and forth with little comments, harmless and the normal sort of brother talk. But as I lay in bed that night, my brothers teasing about becoming a Mormon was in my thoughts along with half a dozen other things. Would I actually become a Mormon? Would my Mum and Dad change their stance if I said I wanted to be baptised in the church? Letting me go to social evenings and firesides and even church services was one thing - but a baptism?

The remainder of the week went by pretty unspectacular. School was school!. And my school was punishment. I can honestly say I hated the school I went to. Lots of different reasons, mainly because everything revolved around sport and sport didn't revolve around me. If motor racing had been a school sport, it would have been a different story, but my once a week tennis hour was the only sport I participated in. I liked tennis and as it was a summer and winter sport I didn't have to play another sport, although the rumour was the school was going to force us to play 1 summer and 1 separate winter sport, meaning I couldn't use tennis for both. I tried not to think about it, instead I concentrated on my piano lessons, my debating team and of course, my new church. I was already looking forward to Sunday.

The elders called round Saturday, just to see how I was and to confirm they would be here at 9 tomorrow morning. My Mum invited them in and was her usual polite self. She offered them a drink, but they said they wouldn't stop long. However Elder Crane decided to ask my Mum if she had had any change of heart since their last conversation, and that without any pressure, should she at anytime want to attend a service in the future, she would be most welcome. My Mum thanked them, but her mind was made up.

As Sunday morning arrived and as I was getting myself ready for church, I was glad to be going. I spent extra time messing with what clothes to wear, I wanted to look really smart on my first visit "alone", so to speak. I wanted to make an effort, to show I was serious, to show my Mum and Dad too. I was in a cheerful mood for someone who was out of bed before 8 o'clock on a Sunday morning. However, it would only be a matter of a few hours before that would change. Someone was about to throw a spanner in the works.

NEXT TIME: Sticks and Stones