"When?" I ask into the phone.
"Don't we have class in like 15 minutes," he says.
"Sure," I respond then immediately say, "Hold On! Someone else is calling."
Call waiting is in it's infancy and everyone's enthralled.
"Hello," I say placing Bill on hold.
"Well Hell-Ohhhh," she responds.
"Yes," I reply in my Preacher's voice.
Bill and I are in Seminary, working in the Inner City of Louisville, Kentucky, a couple of blocks from the Porn District where they love us because we take the love of Christ straight to where they work.
"Rev," Naughty Nita says, "I need condoms. I'm out and I have to go to work."
"Now?" I answer, "Bill and I have class in 15 minutes and he needs me to pick him up because his wife has the car."
"There's a convention in town," she pleas.
It's when you ask "What would Jesus do?"
The Church sits in poverty, Prostitution and drugs drive the economy so we offer A.A., counseling and free condoms.
"Hold on," I tell Naughty Nita.
"Bill," I say flipping to the original call," we may be a couple of minutes late."
"Alright," he answers hanging up.
"Nita," I instruct, "Be standing on the corner because we're in a hurry."
"Aw thanks Rev," she coos, "you're a life saver."
"Probably," I say hanging up.
Twenty minutes later I pull into Bills drive way and he's sitting on his tiny little porch drinking a beer.
Seeing me he holds up another so I park, climb out the car and take a seat next to him.
"We've already missed class," he explains taking a swig. "May as well enjoy it."
"Yeah," I say taking a swig of my own, "let me ask you this ... you think Jesus would have gone to class or would he have helped Nita?"
"Oh he would have helped Nita," Bill fires.
"Yeah," I concur.
We sit in silence.
"How much beer you got?" I ask breaking the solitude.
"This is it," he says. "We're poor ... drink slow."
"Well, Nita owes us a six pack," I reply.
"Jesus wouldn't think so," Bill says draining his beer.
