A prompt a week - 9. Change of Direction - Prompt 306

“I can’t do this with you anymore. I’ve got to have my own life.”

Those words echoed in Alex’s head six months after Sean left. Six months of making excuses and cutting himself off from his friends who offered sympathy. Time spent hiding out from his sister, who wanted to make sure he was doing alright. Six months of working himself till exhaustion and then falling into bed praying he would sleep.

Alex was heading home, tired and exhausted only to see his sister sitting on the stoop of his brownstone.

“Tina? What on earth are you doing here?”

Christina stood, slid her phone into her pocket, walked over to Alex and slapped him right across the face.

Alex touched his face and stared shocked at his sister.

“Let’s see, I’ve called you twenty times and you never once answered the phone or called me back. Do you realize I had called the cops to have them check on you?”

Alex stared at his sister.

“No. Of course not. You were still too hung up on your own feelings and hiding out from the rest of the world. Sean left you, Alex. You didn’t die. This isn’t the end of the world. Stop being a selfish little shit.”

“How am I being selfish?”

“How? Christ, you know Billy got married? You know your best friend since, what, third grade. You were supposed to be in his wedding. You never even called him. He called me frantic; he had stopped by the brownstone because he couldn’t reach you. You never answered the door or his calls. He was afraid you had done something to yourself.”

Alex looked down at his feet. “I didn’t know,” he mumbled.

“No, you didn’t know. You don’t know anything do you? I had to finally come to you, not because I thought it would matter to you, but because Mom got sick and asked to see you.”

“Mom is sick?”

Christina stood before him; arms crossed and frown on her face. “You know, if I thought a foot up your ass might wake you up, you would be on the end of my foot by now. I swear,” she paused and looked him over again, “you look like death warmed over. Get your door open. It took me four hours to drive down here to you. I am not driving home tonight.”

Alex blushed and walked up and opened his door. The house was spotless. Since Sean had left and taken all his things, there were gaps in the brownstone. No table in the entryway, no couch in the living room, and the guest bedroom lost its dresser and the mirror.

Christina didn’t even seem to notice. She grabbed a bag out of her car and followed Alex into the brownstone.

“What is wrong with Mom?”

“Oh, interested at last?” Christina shook her head. “Look, it isn’t anything major. She has to have surgery on her foot, but you know mom, anything to panic everyone. However, since she hasn’t been able to reach you, every sniffle, cold, or pain is her impending death. She has been driving me nuts with her illnesses and upcoming surgery. Naturally she has also been guilting me because no one has heard from you, and as your sister I should be checking on you. So here I am. I had to leave Nick with the kids and come down to make sure you hadn’t been stupid.”

“I wouldn’t.”

Christina shook her head. “How would anyone know? You haven’t talked to anyone in months.”

The two siblings spent an uncomfortable night together. Alex was tired but didn’t dare to say anything because he was finally realizing how he had upset his family and pissed off his friends. Tina for her part checked to make sure that Alex had food and was eating. She could see he had lost weight, but she wondered what the hell he had been doing if he was avoiding everyone.

They had gone to bed shortly after ten and Tina was up early on Sunday morning.

“Heading home?”

“I'm going to church. Come with me.”

Alex shook his head. “They don’t like men like me.”

“Hmm. I’m not going to force you, but I think it might do you good.”

Alex stood there, feeling torn. Eventually he gave in to his sister and pulled on something to go to church in.

They found a church a few blocks from his Alex’s brownstone. The building was very pretty and there were lots of people. Alex figured they would just blend in with so many people. He noticed two men holding a baby a few feet ahead of him pause to stop to talk with some of the women on the way in. It didn’t take him long to realize the men were together and the child was theirs.

“I’m surprised people are accepting,” Alex whispered to his sister.

“You shouldn’t be. Not everyone is closed minded.” A deep voice commented from behind him.

Alex and Tina turned to find the pastor of the church behind them.

“Oh.” Alex stood there feeling guilty again.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I recognize either of you. I’m Pastor Francis.”

“Hello Pastor. I’m Christina and this Alex. I’m visiting my brother and sort of brought him with me to church.”

“Well, nice to meet you both. I think you will find The Church of the Lamb pretty accepting. We have a lot of converts.”

Alex found it strange to be in church again. He watched as people talked, hugged, and connected with each other. He found that he no longer felt so out of place, and the more he talked to people the more he found that this Unitarian Church accepted members of every race, creed, color and sexual preference. There was little here that shouted discrimination, just acceptance. At the end of the meeting Alex found himself volunteering for the Church’s Food Pantry, which desperately needed people to help out in the evenings.

“I’m glad to see you found something besides work, Alex.”

“Yeah, but I never thought I would end up working for a church.”

Tina smiled. “Don’t look at it as working for a church, look at it is helping people who need it. Just as this might help you, it certainly helps others.” Tina kissed Alex on his cheek. “Call mom. I don’t want to be forced to check on you like you were five again. Okay?”

“I will. And Tina,” he kissed her cheek, “thank you.”

“Behave bro. I’ll talk to you later.”

Alex watched her drive off and headed back into his building.

After work on Monday, Alex appeared at the All Souls Food Pantry. The pantry was staffed by little old woman who greet Alex as soon as he came through the door.

“Hi there. I’m Cassandra. Most people call me, Cassie. How can I help you?”

“I’m Alex. I told the woman at the church on Sunday that I would be here today to try and help out.”

Cassie smiled brightly. “Finally, there's some new blood. Glad to meet you Alex. You can set your coat and bag in here and I’ll show you around and explain what we do.”

There were a few people who followed Alex in. Cassie went over and helped them get some food. Each were already registered and regulars here at the food pantry. It didn’t take Alex long to learn what he needed. What surprised him was some of the foods available and how little some people even looked at things like rice.

“Cassie, why aren’t more people taking things like the rice and some of these vegetables? I mean they are fresh and all, but they keep taking the canned stuff.”

“Some are afraid they will spoil before they can use them. Others, I’m afraid just don’t know how to use them.”

Alex paused a moment and looked at Cassie. “Well why do we get stuff they don’t know how to cook?”

“Most of what we get is donations from various companies or larger food banks. We don’t get to choose what our needy people would like. I’m always glad when we get fresh vegetables or fruits, but unfortunately most people don’t know what to do with some of the stuff we are given.”

“People don’t seem to know about star fruit or dragon fruit. What are some of the other things that come in that the people don’t know about?”

Cassie talked about the food that came in that was rarely touched, and Alex began to write up a list. By the end of the night, Alex had an idea on how he could help the people of the food bank and maybe help bring in some extra cash to help out as well.

Three days later Alex arrived down at the Church and talked to Pastor Francis explaining his new idea. By Saturday he was interviewing with a bunch of chefs who were willing to donate their time to help. The following Monday a new sign was hung up at the All Souls Food Pantry.

Not sure how to cook your food? Afraid of the food on the shelf?

Well, that is no longer a problem.

All Souls Food Pantry and the Church of the Lamb

Now proudly offers the Cooking Class

Offered on Friday and Saturday afternoons.

The new class was introduced in the Church kitchen. The cooks showed new ways to prepare some of the different fruits and vegetables that were given to the pantry. How to make relish out of star fruit, how dragon fruit could be used in drinks or ways to serve it with other fruits as a snack were part of the first class. There were lessons on how to make fried rice, rice pilaf, and even rice pudding. The class was free to anyone from the food pantry, and for those who wanted to attend the class it was fifteen dollars. Every class ended with those who attended receiving step by step instructions for all the recipes. In no time at all it was one of the most attended projects the Church had ever seen. The food pantry, which had often been nearly empty soon found itself being filled with a steady supply of not only donated foods, but foods purchased due to the money generated by the cooking class.

Alex found that getting involved and helping others really ended up helping him. It was by meeting Dexter Stephens, one of the chefs who donated his time to the cooking class at the church, that Alex even found love again. Sometimes life just opens the door and waits for you to go through it, other times it take a nudge from a friend or loved one. Of course as Alex admitted, sometimes the reason you change your life is because you got smacked and told to wake up. Anyway, Alex no longer was living in the past with Sean, but was now making a future for himself with Dexter.