AZOTUSLAND chapter Fifty-Nine

It was the most surprising dinner of his life Ted thought later.

Jim had suggested the broiled salmon or the steak with brie, and Ted had opted for the steak.

The shrimp cocktails came and the potato skins and they had full helpings and Jim asked Ted about his own upbringing and interest in theology in a non-intrusive way. When Ted's glass was empty, Jim was careful to fill it if the waitress did not.

When Ted got testy and tried to argue at one point, Jim simply said "Ted, just for tonight, let's share what we have in common. Tomorrow we can go back to the old paradigm if you want...but we have this dinner together. Let's enjoy it, okay?"

"Okay, sure Jim," Ted said. "But I'll kick yer butt tomorrow."

"Fair enough," Jim said and then their meals arrived.

Jim asked Ted what authors he liked beside Lewis. He took note in his head.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Jim finally said.

"Sure Jim," Ted said a little tipsy from the wine.

"What touched you about the Rev. Tanka?"

Ted was silent for a moment. He was not quite sure. Then he said "He seemed, toward the end to have one foot in and one foot out," he said.

"It was wierd," Ted said. "And he had me read him from the book you gave him by that Feminist Pinko Radical Lamott."

Jim laughed. "yeah...well what did he, or you think?"

"Well it was sweet kinda," Ted said suddenly serious. " The story of being on the plane...and the other one about the man with AIDS."

Yeah I like those too," Jim said. "Just like I like Lewis. Maybe we have more in common than we think Ted."

"I doubt it" Ted said suddenly.

"How is your steak?" Jim asked.

"It's good, thanks."

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Mitchell Lloyd had long since finished his presentation in the Azotus Library. He went out on the deck with a diet coke and looked at the stars. He sat down with his journal and pulled the cnadle closer so he could see and write in his journal.

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Ked Woman was looking for Jim but could not find him. He had given her access to the Bunkhouse anytime and she went in and laid down and picked up his Buechner book again and read from it.

She read the following:

The first stage of love is to believe that there is only one kind of love. The middle stage is to believe that there are many kinds of love and that the Greeks had a different word for each of them. The last stage is to believe that there is only one type of love.

She thought about Jacob and missed him. She thought about the puzzle that was Jim. She wondered how she would learn to love herself, but she steeled herself to do so.