Overheard at Chipperfields' ... Part LVII ...

One of the regulars approached the counter, with greetings to J-- and the crew sitting in front of the juke box he smiled at Jaydee as he spoke, "I'll have a large Chipperfield's to go please."

"To go?" said Jaydee, "you usually have it here?" she was puzzled, then she noted his work clothes, "oh, you're on the train today?"

"Yeah," answered the regular, "my partner is off and so they're moving us around a bit to cover. I'm starting my day a couple hours earlier than usual."

"Well," Jaydee smiled as she slid the cup across the counter towards him, "atleast you'll be done a couple hours earlier ..."

"Yeah," came the reply from the regular, but the words rang hollow, his attention was captured by the cup Jaydee had placed in front of him, "What in the hell is THAT?" he asked as he surveyed the cup and the lid plug.

"Ross' new idea," answered Jaydee, her eyes looking down at the till, intentionally avoiding any eye contact, "he came up with it last week ..." her voice trailed off ...

"Pretty sweet isn't it?" J-- said grinning like the cheshire cat and nodding.

"Does The Rev know about it yet?" asked the regular, holding the cup up and carefully turning it in his fingers examining it carefully.

"Nope," answered Kriss, as she came up from the kitchen with a basket full of muffins, "Ross didn't tell anyone until this morning before he left for his day job."

"Bonnie?" asked the regular.

Both women shook their heads solemnly.

"I smell something bad coming," laughed J-- as he picked up his coffee and took a long sip, "This one will be good ..." he grinned as his voice trailed off ...

"How did he?" the regular's voice trailed off as he pulled the lid plug free and examined the tiny round picture stuck on the top of the plug. He shook his head as he examined the smiling face of Ross wearing a Santa hat that was stuck on the round plug top, "a sticker?" he asked.

Kriss nodded, "Ross got them made in Brandon." She lifted a sheaf of papers up from under the cash register as she continued, "he has several different designs that he wants us to use. They include Ross, Bonnie, Dani, Jaydee, Anna, Tracey, Me and a couple of the part timers too. All of us in festive santa and elf hats and 'oh look'," her voice dripped with sarcasm, "here's me with reindeer antlers ..." She pointed at a sheet in the pile spread across the counter before her.

"What was he thinking?" asked the regular looking at the assortment of Holiday type pictures spread before him.

"He wanted to get rid of some of the lid plugs in the basement," answered Jay-dee, "and he got the idea that putting personalized stickers on them and changing which ones are used when might lead to a collector's drive for the stupid plastic plugs."

"Didn't we just go through this?" asked the regular, "didn't you have people coming in last week trying to trade their plugs for free products?"

"Yeah, I got my baggie with 89 of them in it," answered J-- as he approached the counter for a refill, "only 11 more to go and I get a free latte."

"You drink latte?" asked the regular.

"No," answered J--, "but I'll take anything for free!"

"You're NOT getting a free latte," scolded Jaydee, "even IF you hand over 100 of those stupid little plugs."

"That's not fair," moaned J--, "do you know how long I've had to collect those plugs, and how much coffee I had to drink to get 89 of them?"

"You never drink take out coffee?" answered Kriss, "so how did you get so many plugs?"

"I have friends," answered J--, "and if you did it for a teacher, you should do it for a poor retired gentleman ..."

"Sure thing," quipped Kriss, "we'll give up a free coffee when a gentleman comes through the door ..."

"Oh oh, you gonna play like that are you?" laughed J--, "You don't think I'm a gentleman?"

Kriss just smiled at J-- and said nothing. He smiled in return.

"So gettting back to this," said the regular, his hand holding up the coffee cup, "what about the insulating sleeve? Who's idea was it to put the advertising on it?"

"Ross," came the answer from Jaydee.

"I would have thought he would get businesses and organizations to advertise?" the regular mused as he considered the insulating sleeve on his cup.

"So did we," commented Kriss.

"Ah, but this is way more fun," J-- answered, stretching out the 'way' in his sentence, "just think what The Rev is going to say when he sees it."

"You think he's gonna get mad?" asked Jaydee, looking worried.

"Nay," answered Kriss, "he's a big pussy cat. He'll just shake his head and grit his teeth and smile ..."

"I think it's a pretty good rendition of him," said J-- looking more closely at the insulating sleeve, "whoever sketched it, got him pretty good."

"So, what exactly is the Prairie Spring Ministry anyway?" asked the regular, "something that The Rev has cooked up?"

J-- was once again grinning like the Cheshire Cat, "no, not The Rev," he answered with great delight, "He's against the whole thing. It's one of Ross' ideas."

"Ross' idea?" repeated the regular as the two women and J-- nodded earnestly, "how do you start a ministry involving someone, without them wanting to be involved?"

Jaydee and Kriss both shrugged, J-- smiled as he spoke, "You know The Rev has been doing blogs and stuff on the internet, and he posts his sermons there."

The regular nodded.

J-- continued, "well, it turns out that Ross has been collecting The Rev's sermons and taking the good ones and putting them into pamphlets and letters and things like that, and he's been putting ads in weekly newspapers and things like The Producer, with headings like 'words of wit and wisdom from a prairie preacher" and "prayers of healing and encouragement"."

"And people are writing in?" marvelled the regular.

Kriss nodded as she waded in, "and not only are they writing in, but they are sending money for the packets of holy water!"

"There were over 40 letters last week alone," observed Jaydee quietly.

"And all of this is happening without The Rev knowing?" again marvelled the regular.

J-- nodded, his face bearing a broad grin, "But today the cat is out of the bag." His finger pointed to the advertising on the insulating sleeve, "when he sees this, he'll know what's going on ..."

"And he won't like it ..." interupted the regular.

"Nope," said Kriss.

"I still can't figure out how Ross could get all of this rolling without The Rev even knowing?" mused the regular, "the man ain't dumb."

"Got that right," answered J--, "he's pretty smart, and he gives a good sermon. But that's what Ross has used to his advantage. The Rev is a good writer, and a better speaker." With that he spun the cup, "See here, tapes and cds of the Sunday Services are also available ..."

"How'd he do that?" gasped the regular, "how can The Rev NOT know that?"

"Dunno," answered J--, "but I can't wait to find out what's gonna happen ..."

"Me either," said the regular, "this has been quite a morning. Tiny smiling Rosses looking back at me from my coffee cup, a cyber-church, and a whole ministry using the words and works of The Rev, without him even knowing ... Damned ... I wish I could be here when he arrives ..."

As he spoke a train whistle sounded, the regular glanced at his watch, "Oh, I better run ... that's my train ... Let me know how this all turns out will ya?" he headed for the door.

"Absolutely," shouted J--, "I'll call your cell as events develop ..."

"Thanks," said the regular as the door closed behind him.

"I'll take my refill now," said J--, "I'm gonna be here for awhile. I wouldn't want to miss this for the world ..." He smiled as he spoke. Jaydee nodded as she filled his mug.

"Me either," grinned Kriss, "me either ..."