The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.
The Boaz Secrets, written in 2018, is my third novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.
Book Blurb
Fifteen year-old Matt Benson moves with Robert, his widowed father, to Boaz, Alabama for one year as Robert conducts research on Southern Baptist Fundamentalism. Robert, a professor of Bible History and new Testament Theology at the University of Chicago’s Divinity School enlists Matt to assist him as an undercover agent at First Baptist Church of Christ. Matt’s job is to befriend the most active young person in the Church’s youth group and learn the heart and mind of teenagers growing up as fundamentalist Southern Baptists.
Olivia Tillman is the fourteen year old daughter of Betty and Walter Tillman. He is the pastor of First Baptist Church of Christ. Robert and Matt move to Boaz in June 1970, and before high school begins in mid-August, Matt and Olivia become fast friends. Olivia’s life is centered around her faith, her family, and her friends. She is struck with Matt and his doubts and vows to win him to Christ. Over the next year, Matt and Olivia’s relationship blossoms into more than a teenage romance, despite their different religious beliefs.
June 1971 and Matt’s return to Chicago comes too quickly, but the two teenagers vow to never lose what they have, even promising to reunite at college in three years after Olivia graduates from Boaz High School.
The Boaz Secrets is told from the perspective of past and present. The story alternates between 1970-1971, and 2017-2018. After Matt left Boaz in June 1971, life happened and Olivia and Matt’s plans fell apart. However, in December 2017, their lives crossed again, almost miraculously, and they have a month in Boaz to catch up on forty-six years of being apart. They attempt to discover whether their teenage love can be rekindled and transformed into an adult romance even though Matt is 63 and Olivia is 61.
In 2017, Olivia and Matt are quick to learn they are vastly different people than they were as fifteen and sixteen year old teenagers– especially, when it comes to religion and faith. Will these religious differences unite them? The real issue is the secret Olivia has kept. Will Matt’s discovery destroy any chance he and Olivia have of rekindling their teenage relationship?
Chapter 7
July 1970
It was my fourth Wednesday to be living in Boaz, and I still had not met the girl who was becoming more perfect and more mysterious in my mind as every day went by. The first two Wednesdays she was in New Mexico on the Church’s missions trip. The third kept her home. According to Youth Pastor Miller, she was sick with a virus. Last Sunday Dad made me go with him to First Baptist Albertville, so I missed a chance to at least see Olivia. Hopefully, today would be the day I met the mysterious ninth-grader.
I spent half the morning at Boaz High School. It was my second trip to register. Last Monday, a week ago Monday, I had gone and a lady, a Ms. Gilbreath, in the office told me I needed my birth certificate and records from Woodlawn High School. I had returned home and called Mrs. Beaumont to request she mail a copy of my ninth and tenth grade transcripts to Boaz High School. I had also called Mrs. Gregg, our neighbor across the street. She was watching our place while we were away. Dad had given her a key. He had also told me to bring my birth certificate, but I had forgotten.
When I walked in, Ms. Gilbreath saw me and smiled. “Hi Matthew.” No doubt she had received my records.
“You can call me Matt. It’s shorter. Matthew sounds too, well, Bible.”
“Okay Matt. Looks like we have us another scholar. Congratulations on being a straight A student.” She said walking to the counter where I was standing. She was probably fifty or so years old. Attractive, a little. No make-up. I would have bet my life that she was deeply religious.
“I’m pretty average at Woodlawn. But, I do work hard and try to keep up. I’ll do my best to do the same here at Boaz High.”
“We are all set to complete your registration. I just need to know which electives you have chosen from the list I gave you last week.”
“I’ve decided on Poetry and Vocational Agriculture.” I said.
“Mr. Johnson’s Poetry class is a mixed class. Oh, that sounded weird. What I meant is there will be all ages, from ninth-graders to seniors. There are so few interested that we cannot limit registration to simply one grade.”
“That’s okay. I don’t see a problem. I’m used to mixed classes at Woodlawn, truly mixed.” I said wanting to gauge how well my subtle humor would affect Mrs. Trudy Gilbreath. I had just noticed her name tag.
“We don’t have that problem here. Thank the Lord.”
“Yes, thank the Lord.” To her, I wasn’t humorous at all. I was deadly serious.
“I’ll register you for Poetry and Vocational Agriculture. Oh, here. I almost forgot. Here’s the Pirate Practice. It’s our guidebook. Read it and know it inside and out. It will keep you out of trouble. The first day of school is Monday, August 10th. We’ll see you then.”
I rode my bicycle home. I was as frugal as Dad, well, almost. I tried to conserve my weekly advance. For the next hour I sat out front in the swing and read through the Pirate Practice. It seemed all standard. I then took a long run all the way to the Boaz Country Club and back. I returned and napped until Dad woke me a little before 5:00 p.m.
As usual, Dad and I walked to First Baptist for the Wednesday night fellowship meal and services. No way was I going to miss my fourth opportunity to see, and maybe meet, Olivia.
I sat with James Adams, which had become my custom after the first week. Two missionary couples had taken an interest in Dad and the five of them unintentionally pushed me away. Tonight, Wade Tillman and Randall Radford, along with James and me, sat over in the corner by the back door. As I listened, and the three basketball stars discussed their skills at passing, including making passes at lucky members of the opposite sex, I saw a group of girls sitting two tables over. James and Randall were bantering back and forth about how the twins were already dating, even though neither of them had started the ninth grade. Randall surprised me when he said he knew the two guys who had moved in on the two Boaz girls. “That’s not going to work. No Aggie is going to get first servings from either of these girls. James, you agree?”
Even though I might at times have less than honorable thoughts, I would never have said such a filthy thing. Girls were not food. I couldn’t help but think of Mother, she had made sure that I had learned the importance of treating members of the opposite sex with honor and respect. She had said that gentlemen never tried to take advantage of anyone, especially of a young girl. Mother also taught me that even when I had a girlfriend and she appeared willing to explore and become a little loose, as she called it, a gentleman maintained control. I didn’t have any personal experience in these things, so I believed Mother knew what she was talking about, and she believed I had the ability and power to become a true gentleman.
At 6:30 p.m. I was seated in the Church’s basement with about fifty other kids. After the mission’s team had returned, Youth Pastor Miller had added another concentric circle to accommodate the growing youth group. I tried to not be so conspicuous, but I was able to look all around me. I again was disappointed that I could not see Olivia. Or, maybe all the facts I had gathered about her were wrong. Maybe, Olivia was that rather plump redhead sitting directly across from me. The poor girl needs a Dermatologist.
Pastor Randy, as he instructed us to call him, again, just like last Wednesday night, stepped into the middle of the two circles and began his sermon. It was nothing like what Pastor Tillman had done on Sunday mornings. I guess the energetic youth minister knew that young people are wholly different than adults, with unique ways of learning. Last week Pastor Randy had talked about freewill and how it was a blessing and a curse. He had said, the decisions you make during your teenage years will go with you the rest of your life. If they are good decisions, you will be rewarded. If they are bad, well, you can fill in the blanks. It will be like shooting blanks. You won’t hit your target, your goals.”
It seemed last week’s talk beat us up. He seemed to leave us with the thought that we had one chance to get it right, and if we got it wrong, we would be forever doomed. Tonight, it was a radically different talk. He called it redemption. “Only God’s children get a second chance. If you screw up, you may suffer some unpleasant consequences for a while, but you can start over. No matter what you have done.” He said walking the circle and engaging, it seemed, with every one of us.
I particularly liked how he interacted with our group. He would be talking and then would call someone to the center with him. Tonight, I thought it was absolutely fitting that he called Randall Radford out and said, “big double R, we all know you are a young man and you have the desires that all young men have, which is to pursue the girls. If you don’t allow God to guide your mind, you will most likely make some mistakes. Oh yes, sin is fun for a season, but it always comes at a price. I’m not trying to embarrass Randall, but simply want each of you to know, whether you are a young man or a young woman, sexual desires are possibly the most difficult desires to conquer. Hear me carefully, you cannot, by yourself, even come close to defending yourself, warding off the attacks. Satan will use every one of his powers to seduce you into believing that it is okay to fool around, to go all the way. Let me tell you the world will tell you, gosh, it is already telling you, do what you want, do what feels good. Hear me carefully, that is a lie. Be smarter than that. Call on the power of Jesus to come walk beside you and let Him battle the Devil.”
Pastor Miller went on for a full forty-five minutes, keeping Randall Radford beside him the entire time. I was feeling frustrated when the two of them walked outside the circle towards the refreshments table along the back wall beyond the ping-pong tables. As everyone else got up and started following them I remained seated and pondered what I had just heard. It all sounded pretty good. Especially, if you believed that God and Jesus existed. What I didn’t understand was the detailed mechanics of how it worked. How would I ask Jesus to help me? I figured it was by simply saying a prayer. But then, did He always respond positively and invisibly go tie up the Devil and change my mind about those sexual desires Pastor Randy spoke of? I was confused.
Standing in line for some lemonade I learned that at 7:45 we were to reassemble for a skit. While all the youth were enjoying refreshments a group of adults had moved all the chairs to the other side of the basement. I hadn’t paid any attention before to a stage with an open set of long curtains over behind a large row of boxes that seemed to divide the basement.
I sat with James and Wade on the front row. James had encouraged me to follow him if I wanted to finally see Olivia. The skit was in two scenes. Both took place in a make-shift cardboard box car. Someone had done an excellent job of creating a make-believe Bonneville. I suddenly thought I should have persuaded Dad to buy the 1964 model David Adams had offered.
The first scene opened with a boy and girl inside the car. The sound of crickets and a background setting out along the edge of some woods, indicated the couple was alone, parking. Without words, the two started making out, kissing. Remember, it was a skit. They didn’t kiss but it sure looked like they did. After a few moments of intense kissing the boy said, “you wanna get in the back?” The girl responded. “I know we shouldn’t but okay if that’s what you want.” The scene ended with the boy and girl crawling into the back seat and disappearing from the audience’s view.
The crowd was howling until Pastor Randy got up and said, “I hope you know that was what you are supposed NOT to do. Now, let’s watch another scene.”
In a few minutes the curtains reopened, and the setting had changed. The car and the woodsy background had been moved to the right side of the stage. In the center was what no doubt was a movie theater. Another boy and girl sat with their faces away from us. It hit me like a brick. I could see this girl had silky straight blond hair. I had no doubt this was Olivia. I missed details from this skit I’m sure. But, the gist of it was, as the two were exiting the theater walking back to his car, the boy asked her if she wanted to go parking. I didn’t think that’s probably how it would happen, but I acknowledged time was of the essence in theater productions. The girl said, “I don’t think that is a good idea. Christians are to flee temptation. Why don’t we instead, go play cards at my house. My parents love playing cards.”
There were a few boos coming from the back of the audience. Again, Pastor Randy stood up front and seemed disappointed. “Ladies and gentlemen, that’s what I want you to become. I pray you will take this seriously. Olivia, in the second scene, was obedient. She let Jesus help her avoid a dangerous situation. David and Karen, in the first scene, were virtually doomed by their initial decision to go parking in the first place. Take note of this example. If you get inside the lion’s den, you stand a big chance of getting mauled. You are safer on the outside. The key to battling sex sin is to be smart, make wise decisions. In other words, stay close to Jesus, listen to Him, allow Him and the Holy Spirit to control your every thought and action. That’s it for tonight. Take care and see you on Sunday.”
It didn’t take five minutes for everyone to leave. Except me. I couldn’t move. I was still in a daze from seeing Olivia after she and Ryan had left the movie theater and she had faced the audience. I was in no way disappointed. She was more beautiful than I had let myself imagine. She was tall, maybe as tall as me. I couldn’t tell exactly since she was up on the stage. Her straight blond hair came down to her shoulders. It looked natural, not dyed. She wore baggy clothes, so I couldn’t tell much about her figure, but she was not as slim as had been described to me by James.
As I was contemplating what I would say to her the first opportunity I got, the basement lights went out. I realized that whoever was the last to leave had not seen me. I was on the stage side of the row of boxes and they would have blocked the view. “Hey, I’m still here.” I didn’t know what else to say. I sure didn’t want to get locked down here.
“Whose there?” It sounded like a mix between Pastor Randy’s voice and a young girl.
“Matt Benson.” I said walking back towards the main door.
“Come on Matt or you’ll be stuck here until Sunday.” Pastor Randy said.
As I rounded the row of boxes I saw Olivia standing beside the youth pastor. She was smiling. “Hey Matt, I’ve been hearing about you. It’s nice to meet you.” Olivia said walking towards me and reaching out her right hand.
I took her hand. I almost held on too long. That would not have been the right way to start off.
“Matt, this is Pastor Tillman’s daughter and she helps me manage a rowdy bunch of teenagers.”
“It’s nice to meet you too.” I said looking straight into Olivia’s eyes. They were blue. Oceanic. I hated that word, but it popped into my head. Olivia surely wasn’t a rising 8th grader. She was too, well, mature looking.
“I hear you’re from Chicago. I’d love to hear about the windy city. I’ve always wanted to visit there. Will you be at the Lighthouse this weekend?”
“Lighthouse? I’m confused.” I responded barely able to listen and respond while experiencing a shock, a feeling I had never had before.
“It’s a weekend hangout on South Main Street. It’s run by none other than Pastor Randy and a group of adult volunteers. That sounded funny, Randy is an adult too.” Olivia giggled.
“Well, you are not an adult Ms. Olivia, and don’t you forget it.” Randy said. I wasn’t sure what his intent was.
“The Lighthouse was started last year to give local young people something to do, a Christian alternative from hanging out at the movie theater or the skating rink. Too much temptation around those places. There’s always plenty of good food, music, and fellowship. I’m usually there on Saturdays. Come if you want to. Again, I’d love to hear about Chicago and your Christian experience.” Olivia said.
I could tell Pastor Randy was ready to leave by the way he was looking back and forth. Olivia apparently had concluded I was a Christian. Boy, was she in for a surprise.
“Sorry, I assumed you are a Christian. Matt, have you been saved?” Olivia blurted out. I couldn’t believe what she had just said.
“Uh, I need to get home. I’m already late. Dad will be worried. I’ll try to come to the Lighthouse on Saturday afternoon. We can talk about my Christian experience and Chicago if you want.”
By the time we were up the stairs and outside the church I was pouring sweat. I was glad it was nighttime, and my discomfort wasn’t so apparent. I said goodbye and started walking west on Sparks Avenue.
The Pencil Driven Life 