Mildred, the small town gossip and self-appointed monitor of
church morals, was always one to stick her nose into other
people’s business. Most members of the congregation did
not approve of her intrusions, but she was feared due to her
lethal forked tongue, so everyone maintained their silence.
She took that fatal step too far one day, when she accused
“Lightning”, a biker, and new member of the Church, of being
an alcoholic after she saw his old Chevy pickup parked in
front of the small town’s only bar all morning and late into
the night. She emphatically told Lightning in front of the
entire congregation that “Everyone seeing that pickup there
would know what he was doing”. Fact was, Lightning had
volunteered to help Gus, the bar owner, repair a leaky ceiling
in the kitchen. But Gus was not a member of the congregation
so nothing was brought to light.
Lightning, a man of few words but plenty of action, stared
at her for a solid minute, then just got up and left the
church. He said nothing.
Later that early morning; around 1:00 a.m., Lightning
parked his pickup directly in front of Mildred’s house,
walked home, and left it there all night long and late into
the lunch hour.
______________________________________________
‘Don’t do it! I lied when I told you I inherited money from
my Aunt Sarah.
HE paid for the Audi I gave you on our Anniversary.
HE paid for our new cabin cruiser.
HE paid for yo