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 15
October 1970
The rest of the week was all downhill after Wednesday night. Olivia had played me in a game of ping-pong before the youth group disbanded. She had also asked me to walk her home. Something about the Flaming Five being at Albertville First Baptist speaking to their youth group about how basketball had changed their lives. Olivia said her father was hard to figure, “He wants John, Fred, Wade, Randall, or James, to walk me home on Sunday and Wednesday nights, even though I only live next door. But, he lets me ride my bicycle to the Lighthouse, and sometimes to school, all alone. These times I feel like I’m being watched. I’m getting tired of being so smothered.”
This had given me the opportunity, or so I thought, of asking Olivia to go with me to Friday night’s football game. Boaz was hosting Guntersville. She turned me down. Cold. She said that her father didn’t allow her to date, he says she is too young to be alone with a boy. Something about Christian girls should be at least 16 before they started dating. I had learned Olivia’s birthday was in May. She was now only 14 and it would be an entire school year before she was 15 when she could date, supervised. I would never get to date the sweet and naive Olivia.
Olivia’s rejection was the beginning of my troubles attending Boaz High School. Friday night Dad and I had gone to the game. We sat up high in the bleachers, behind the band and the cheer section, where all the other students sat. It was midway through the first quarter before I saw her. Olivia was sitting in the next section over, towards the fifty-yard line. And, she wasn’t sitting with any of her girlfriends. She was sitting up close and comfy to John Ericson. I first thought about what Olivia had said. Her dad was smothering her by always insisting on her having a protector, a chaperon of sorts. He, Pastor Walter, no doubt believed that he could trust his son Wade’s four closest friends, the four other members of the Flaming Five. As the game progressed, all I could do was watch Olivia. No one in their right mind, if they had been in my shoes looking at Olivia and John, would have concluded that the two of them were not on a date. I saw nothing that would persuade me otherwise. Of course, this wasn’t the worst thing. It was what I already knew about John and his four teammates. They thought about nothing else except basketball and naked girls. Their Christianity, rather their fake Christianity, was nothing but a cover, a way to cozy up to the girls in the youth group. During the game, all I could think about was how vulgar a mind John almost daily had expressed during lunch the entire first week of school. I hated myself for being such a damn chicken. On Wednesday I had vowed to find another place to eat but hadn’t done a thing but fall right back in the same routine and sit with these five guys.
Before going to bed on Friday night it hit me like a rock. Were Olivia and John dating? Secretly? Maybe John had everyone fooled. He had won the trust of Pastor Walter and Olivia’s mother, Betty. Olivia too was part of the conspiracy. She was playing along with her father, being the quiet and obedient little girl while all along letting her natural hormones drive her conduct. I became so agitated imagining John’s dirty mind directing his big hands to wander all over Olivia’s body, I had to get up and drink a glass of milk. I think it was nearly dawn before I ever dozed off to sleep.
Saturday afternoon, I rode my bicycle to the Lighthouse. During the ride I realized the power of a Christian community. More particularly, I thought how easily I was falling into indoctrination. Not so much believing in what Brother Randy and Olivia were always spouting about, but in being drawn to the youth group. This was one of the strongest draws. Everyone needs other people in their life. We, as humans, are social animals. I knew the youth group was like a magnet and I was becoming virtually powerless to resist. I had to keep my focus on my mission. But, already, that had become a secondary objective. I guess my reason for going to the Lighthouse was the hope of seeing Olivia. Who was I kidding?
When I arrived, Brother Randy was talking with a group of kids around the podium at the back of the large room. Gerry and the Candlesticks were playing contemporary Christian rock from the little stage. Gerry Goss was the best guitarist of the three. James was dozing in an Auburn Tiger beanbag chair, soaking up the afternoon sun which beamed through the large glass windows that covered the entire front of the building.
“Hey Chicago.” It was a nickname James had coined almost from the first night we had met in the basement of First Baptist Church of Christ. After slamming the ping pong ball down my throat, he had said, “Take that Chicago.” The name had stuck and more and more of the youth group, even students at school, were trying it on for size.
“Hi James. What’s happening?” I said, comfortable that this question was as common in the South as it was in Chicago.
“Just hanging out. Waiting on the gang. We have a pick-up game at the gym at 4:00. You better join us.”
“Thanks, but you already know, from three weeks ago, that I’m not too coordinated when it comes to basketball. I’m okay if you don’t add in the part about running, shooting, passing. That doesn’t even include the dribbling part.”
“Oh yea. I forgot. You are totally spastic. You could come and watch you know.” James said getting up, stretching his big frame that seemed to span halfway across the entire front wall of the building.
We walked back toward the refreshments bar. The bell on the front door rattled just as we took a sip of our Kool-Aid. I turned and saw Olivia coming first through the door followed by her brother Wade, Fred, Randall, and my biggest enemy, John Ericson.
“James, you retard. We waited thirty minutes on you. You were supposed to meet us at Wade’s to plan our game strategy. Those guys from Albertville, we hear, are dog gone good.” Randall said to us and grabbing a handful of chocolate chip cookies.
“I knew you could handle it. It’s just my way of keeping you guys guessing whether I’m just your little puppy dog. If you didn’t know. I’m not.” James responded.
For the next hour we all sat in bean bag chairs at the front of the Lighthouse. It seemed everyone else was frozen. Even though kids came and went, it appeared they all gravitated to the back where Brother Randy must have been handing out free cash (just kidding), or sharing a new Biblical insight. Gerry and the Candlesticks, according to Olivia, were experimenting with some of their new music. They seemed talented in turning old gospel songs into something a little more modern and with a faster beat. I don’t think I said a thing for the whole hour. I just listened as the Flaming Five gossiped about who was with who at the dance Friday night after the game. I hadn’t even known there was a dance. I noted that Olivia had not joined in the conversation either. At two different times she had looked at me and smiled, once offering to get me some more Kool-Aid.
I was truly thankful when the Flaming Five left for their basketball scrimmage. I wasn’t disappointed that Olivia had stayed at the Lighthouse. For a few minutes it was awkward, mainly, unknown to her, because of my desire to find out about Friday night. Just as I was about to ask her how she liked last night’s game she jumped over into the bean bag next to mine.
“Matt, I feel I owe you an apology.” She said, straightening up and laying her hand on mine.
“What on earth do you mean?”
“Last Wednesday night you asked me on a date, for us to go to the game last night. I declined. I should have told you that John was taking me but that it wasn’t a date. I saw you walking out of the stadium with your Dad last night. All I could think was, ‘I bet he saw me with John and believes we were here on a date.’”
“You are brilliant I said with my best sarcasm. That’s exactly what I thought. Olivia, it’s okay if you don’t like me or want to go out with me.” I said.
“You must be the most stupid boy from Chicago to think I don’t like you. Matt, my father won’t let me date.” Olivia said, returning her hand onto mine.
“It sure looked like you and John were nothing but a couple, a dating couple. I guess I watched you for nearly two hours. Damn, I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Watch your language sir. It’s okay to be open and honest. Just be careful what you say around Brother Randy. He hates foul language.” Olivia said looking towards the back area of the Lighthouse.
“I hate it too. I rarely ever think about saying an ugly word. Olivia, thanks for talking with me. I know you have a million friends and don’t have to spend any time with me.” I said, being fully honest.
“Can you keep a secret?”
“You wouldn’t believe how good I am at keeping secrets.” I said, almost trying to admit me working for Dad on his little project. But, I didn’t. I knew that would kill any chances I had with Olivia.
“Out of all my friends, I had rather be with you. You kind of have been on my mind lately. You are so different than John and his buddies. You seem truly interested in me as a person. Matt, I’m not so naive as to think that if it weren’t for my Dad, John, and for sure, Randall, would be doing everything they could to date me, which obviously would include trying to get me in the back seat of a car.” I was shocked by what she had said.
“Let me let you in on a little secret. I would bet my last dollar that’s what those two guys are after regardless of being Wade’s friend and the respect they have for your pastor father. They are playing games. They know that if they reveal their hand, they will lose. They will no doubt be kicked out of the youth group and lose all chances of being around you. Please Olivia, be wise, be careful.” I said beginning to feel like a counselor.
“You are wise beyond your age Matt. Thanks for caring about me. Now, let me hear about your “Who Made God?” poem.
The Pencil Driven Life 