Hobo's Pastor
by Ann Bogle
That Sunday three of us drove almost as a family to turn over a word processor the head of the family had used in writing his memoir, beginning with the loss of members of his Italian-Hungarian Jewish family during the khurbn and his survival after crossing the Alps on foot into Switzerland. We transported the word processor to Mason City, Iowa, where a man we expected would be a priest—found via Craig's List—met us halfway between Grinnell and Minneapolis. Al corrected our vision over lunch at Perkins. He was not a priest but a retired U.C.C. pastor who had searched to replace his word processor model, now past manufacture. He had resumed writing sermons by hand, and it was not going as well. He did not want to convert to Internet in buying a new computer. We talked through lunch about religions and history. The wretch in “Amazing Grace” is not a wretch though he feels like one, who comes to accept God's acceptance, Al said. Then lunch ended in keeping to our time table. The three of us traveled seven hours that day and Al traveled as far in the service of finding the right tool for his writing. In part, we were left thinking of Al's pastoral service to Britt, Iowa, Hobo Capital of the World, where a hobo had killed a woman he had promised to marry.
I like the twist at the end. Nice piece, Ann.
Lean & mean. Yes, great punch line. *
"He did not wish to convert to computer over the Internet." - I'm going to be processing that sentence for a long time.
The ending opens into another story, a trajectory very appealing in its refusal to return to earth.
Thank you, Sam, Jake, Elizabeth, and David.
Thanks, Steve, for helping me spell the name of the hobo capital. I added a total of 5 words to the story, now 190.
2:58 p.m. July 5,2013.
The meaty last sentence leaves my head spinning. Very interesting. Reminds me of urban legend, I guess pastoral legend would be more appropriate in this case.
I've read this about 5 times. The first time was a tough read for me. The cadence I think. But I met the challenge and find this really fulfilling. It takes me into a mind that doesn't possibly work the same as mine. And of course, as you know, I have a college pal from Britt.
Interesting and useful comment, Steven. I think I adopted the same tone -- cadence perhaps -- that I used in a set of entries at my blog, Ana Verse, tagged "russion cruise." I wrote those entries while on a ship in Russia. I worried about offending authorities, as in, in today's world, who doesn't worry about it? Thanks.
Thanks, Emily. I like your suggestion of pastoral legend. I'll take legend to mean true story that takes on new proportions with each telling.
Yes, I like this. Well written, and many doors.*
excellence.
Lovely, James. Thanks.
Edits, August 23, 2013, 11 p.m.
Edits, December 9, 2013, 10:30 CST
Like a sestina paragraph story in recurring images as theme.
Emendations, 10/30/2014, 11:59 a.m. CDT