Saturday Morning Cartoons

On this rainy Saturday morning I find myself at the local Seventh Day Adventist Church. English thrown in to season their Tonga. I think Tonga sounds like bubbles. The deep bubbles massaging a hot tub and floating above to pop at the surface. And in the sermon they reach out to me with english phrases. "a flower blooms" tonga tonga "and God is love but" bubbles bubbles. But what? And where is this flower?
Im almost as lost as the time I alternated between attending Catholic Mass and Pentecostal celebrations. Everyone organizes their own language to describe that haunting spark that connects all humanity. If you dont know the lingo than you follow the herd. sit, kneel, stand, sit, utter Amen.
I sat next to the pastor's wife because she has the hymnn book I casually glance at to follow along. And on my other side sat a lady with bugs bunny stitched on her hat. I like sitting in places to be entertained.
Sometimes at school I would find the most awkward looking couple in the cafeteria and sit, slowly rubbing elbows with them and nodding my head in their direction. Once I even leaned in to answer a question in their confused conversation, "the term in mullato" rub, rub and then I got up and walked away. You ever rub elbows with a stranger? Its a weird sensation. I think because our elbows rarely touch anything. When a stranger touches your butt you know how to react. (well, usually. it relies on a sensitive Stranger-To-Butt ratio to determine Annoyance-To-Heres My Number reaction) But your elbow? Do you say,"um, excuse me. keep your pointy away from my pointy." Because that sounds lame.
So yes, sitting and being entertained while listening to bubbly tonga. Then Bugs got up and switched seats with a fat lady that put her hand on my knee, said "hello" and stuck out her tongue. The preacher continued tonga "for the erection" bubbles. My eyes shot open, "no bugs, come back Bugs!" Tell the fat lady to get her grubby hands off the skirt I scrubbed by hand yesterday.
Wait, did the preacher just say "erection"? The Pastor's wife showed me her bible study book. The title of today "Resurrection and Ascension". ok, phew I feel better. Its just the lack of "r" sounds and those breath filled "ss" that got me all riled up. pun intended.
Ah, crap. The kid wrapped in the citenge on the back of the woman in front of me just woke up and is staring at me. I give him 45 seconds before he starts to cry. I smile. blink kid. 30. I blew him a bubble from my ever present orbit gum. blink kid. 15. He starts tapping on his mom's shoulder. I smile. blink kid. 5. The mouth opens and the mom swoops him forward. ok, phew I feel better.
I look around the church and there is that familiar question in my mind. Where are all the people my age? My closest friends in the village are in their 30s. The rest are strong old women or dirty kids. I guess the children of the 80s are either working in town or dead; leaving their dirty kids to be whipped into shape by the strong old women.
Grubby Hands next to me is laughing. And quietly repeating bubbles "seka, seka" (laugh, laugh). I sucked in my elbows.
Glancing behind me I see Jane, wife #2 of the family I live with, yawn and smile as we lock eyes. The preacher said "vocation of trust and location of spirit." At least thats what it sounded like. Thats an intersting phrase. Before I had time to contemplate it they rang the cow bell and I stood with the herd for the closing prayer.
Or so I thought.
A lady, looking smart in glasses and a sweet leather jacket, steps forward and raised a wand. Yes! This is why I come. The singing grows louder with each verse - turns out Grubby Hands is a baritone, no surprise there. The wand is thrust about as if the lady was casting spells. While I was instinctively ducking and dodging, 3 young men with 2 makeshift guitars moved forward to sing a Mariachi style ballad. The her "Amens" throughout.
Another man steps forward and the herd politely sits to hear sermon #2. This man is much more fired up then the opening act earlier and he is passionately bellowing "Judas" every other sentence.
Which reminds me of my best friend's stuffed gingerbread man she named Judas. So now I picture him running along the rafters of this crumbling building. You cant catch Judas, RUN!
I should mention that there are 2 loofah sponge balls hanging from the rafters as decoration. So now Im giggling, as preacher man screams "Judas, Confess Judas" and I visualize a gingerbread man swinging on the ball, cackling "I wont confess."
And I look at Grubby Hands and whisper "seka, seka." She nods, I blow a bubble and we rub elbows.