An Eggcellent Proposal Read online

An Eggcellent Proposal

  By

  Misty Baker

  *****

  PUBLISHED BY:

  An Eggcellent Proposal

  Copyright © 2012 Misty Baker

  Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes.

  This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  Toby Elbredth stepped to the pulpit to deliver his first Easter sermon. Among the congregation were familiar faces who hadn’t attended since Christmas. The regulars were there—stern Depression-era widows, frustrated parents with fussy toddlers, and the old men on the back rows, who encouraged Toby with their resonating amens.

  On the front row sat the children's director, Sarah Abbott, pretty in her pink skirt and jacket. Her sweet smile brightened the sanctuary. It had been almost a year since Toby first arrived, eight months since they started dating, and today Toby could hardly hold back his excitement. He tried to forget about the engagement ring he had hidden in his office so he could focus on his preaching.

  The congregation listened with rapt attention to the story of the crucifixion and resurrection. Even the usual middle row nappers were still awake when Toby reached the conclusion and gave the altar call. He heard three simultaneous amens from the back row.

  No one stepped forward for salvation, and Toby sighed as the invitation hymn came to a close. Sarah’s spot in the pew was empty, but he spied her pink skirt scooting out the door, along with the Sunday school teachers and a few grandparents, all on their way to hide the children’s eggs on the church grounds. Toby smiled. It couldn't be more perfect.

  He hurried the ushers out to collect the tithes, and the choir belted out "Are You Washed in the Blood?". Toby gave one final, fervent call to the altar. Sarah slipped back inside, where she stood with the other child herders. He closed with a heartfelt, but abbreviated, prayer.

  Kids ran for the foyer, little heads bobbing up and down like a whack-a-mole game. Toby escaped to his office behind the pulpit. He stepped carefully across the paint drop cloths on the floor and nodded to the portrait of the late Julius T. Gosser, as he always did upon entering. The old pastor had led the First Baptist Church of Southville for forty years, leaving behind this office and his three-legged bloodhound Bowser, who never left the church grounds. Toby hoped he could fill the beloved preacher’s shoes.

  He imagined Brother Gosser cheering him on today. Then, he pictured Sarah's surprise when he presented that egg to her right in front of the congregation on the porch after the egg hunt. So, he headed straight for his desk to grab the Easter basket full of eggs, which held the one very special egg that...wasn't there!

  Toby froze for a moment, arms held out in front of him. The basket had been there last night when he put the ring in the big golden egg. He was sure he had seen it there early this morning before sunrise service. He ran around behind the desk and looked under it. Nothing. Pulled out the drawers. Nothing. Filing cabinet. Nothing. He slapped his forehead, and his eyes darted around the room. Then Sarah stepped in the office.

  "Sweetie, you're missing the egg hunt," she said. "What are you doing?"

  Toby stepped around the desk and tried to remain calm. "Have you seen that big Easter basket that was here on my desk?"

  "Yes, and it was so sweet of you to bring those extra eggs. I got them right after the sunrise service, and we hid them all. Some lucky kid will love that big golden egg. Did you put something special in there?"

  Tucking his trembling hands behind his back, he asked, “And you hid it where?”

  Sarah looked puzzled. “I don’t know. I didn’t hide that one.”

  “Who hid it?”

  She shrugged. “It could have been Mrs. Murphy or Samantha or Jenny, but she was hiding the preschoolers' eggs—“

  “I’ve got to get that egg!”

  “What? Why?”

  Toby didn’t stick around to answer. He streaked out of the room, but lost some traction on the plastic drop cloth. His shoulder banged into the door frame. Ignoring the pain, he stormed through the church, and burst through the doors.

  Mrs. Murphy had just yelled, "Go!" and kids swarmed across the church yard. Toby flew off the steps and down the sidewalk. He leap-frogged over little Mike Shultz, who had bent over to pick up a dropped Snickers. Zig-zagging like a pinball, he dodged the preschoolers, carefully avoiding the little girls in pink dresses and bloomer-covered diapers. Toby scrambled up the hill where the elementary children were, sweeping past them in defensive moves reminiscent of his high school football days. A basket got stuck on his foot, but he kept running until a gleam caught his eye.

  Right on top of the slide sat the golden egg. Toby careened down the hill again, and charged across the sidewalk toward the playground. A sweet little red-haired girl was reaching for that egg.

  "No!" he screamed as he ran toward her, the basket on his foot smacking and flopping and breaking apart.

  Before either he or the little red-haired girl could lay claim to the egg, Bowser, who had been napping under the slide, stood up on his two good hind legs and grabbed the egg in his slobbery mouth.

  Toby froze.

  The little red-haired girl froze.

  They both eased toward Bowser, who mouthed his prize until he had a good hold on it. When his droopy brown eyes spotted his pursuers, he took off as fast as a dog with three legs could go.

  “Bowser! Get back here!” Toby ran after the dog, the now-bottomless basket still clinging to his foot.

  “Baroo!” The egg muffled the old hound’s bellowing as he galloped behind the church toward Ted Carter’s murky fishing pond.

  Toby was in hot pursuit, followed by the little red-haired girl, who expressed her injustice in high-pitched squeals the whole way. Half of the congregation migrated behind the building to witness the commotion, but Toby ignored them and picked up speed, gaining on the bloodhound. Bowser reached the edge of the pond, took a sharp right to avoid the algae-ridden water, and Toby leapt for him.

  Landing hard on the ground, he was rewarded with a handful of dog tail.

  “Ba-ROO!” Bowser wailed. The egg flew from his mouth, did a loopity-loop in the air, and landed with a splash in the pond.

  Toby let go of the bloodhound, who looked at him with wounded pride, tucked his tail, and scampered back toward the playground. Toby scrambled to his feet, holding his breath as the egg bobbed playfully between patches of algae. He rushed to the water’s edge.

  To his horror, the egg gave one final bob and sank like a log. Sarah screamed when he dove in headfirst.

  A few tense seconds passed while Toby, eyes clenched shut, searched frantically through mud and muck. His fingers met lost golf balls, rusted fishing lures, crushed soda cans, and things he’d rather not remember. Finally, he came across a smooth object of the right proportions, and his palm closed over it.

  Toby emerged from the water with a triumphant splash, holding his trophy high. Women and children screamed. The little red-haired girl wailed. He blinked water from his eyes and saw green. With a tentative hand, he swept a veil of algae from his face, and touched the top of his head. He quickly inspected the rest of his body. Draped with green slime, he had now become The Swamp Thing.

  Mrs. Murphy fainted.

  Egg in hand, he remembered his mission and beamed at the crowd. “I found the golden egg!”

  Sarah stomped up to the edge of the pond, hands on her hips. "What on earth has gotten into you, Toby Elbredth
? Are you completely nuts?"

  Toby's smile faded. A baby cried. There was only one thing he could do. Toby trudged out of the water and onto the bank. He dropped to one knee and opened the egg. Water poured to the ground, and the diamond glinted in the sunlight.

  "Sarah Abbott, will you marry me?"

  Sarah gasped, and to Toby's surprise, a cheer went up through the crowd. A sheepish grin spread across his face.

  Sarah laughed and raked slime from his forehead. "Yes, Toby, you crazy man, I'll marry you!"

  Toby slipped the wet ring on Sarah’s finger, jumped up, and opened his arms to hug her. When she held up her hands and backed away with a grimace, he opted to peck her cheek instead. Sarah giggled.

  The little red haired girl tugged on his shirt. “Aw, that was nice, Brother Toby. Can I have my egg back now?"

  He tossed her the egg. Toby and Sarah headed back through the laughing crowd. Men slapped Toby on his algae-covered back as he passed. Even the old women nodded their approval. Toby kicked the last bit of soggy basket off his foot. He imagined Brother Gosser smiling down on him, and he knew the old preacher would have been pleased. Very pleased indeed.

  THE END

  About the Author:

  Misty Baker is a full-time wife, mom of three, and a writer. Misty graduated from the University of Louisville in 1998 with a biology degree, but writing has always been her first love. After many years of pursuing life in the biology field and as a mother, she began her writing career in earnest in 2009. She and her husband Bryan reside in Buckner, KY with their three children.

  Misty writes fantasy romance under her pen name, Mysti Parker. A Ranger’s Tale was published by Melange Books in January 2010, and is the first in a series. Serenya’s Song, book two of the series, will be published in April, 2012. Other writing credits include “The Carpenter’s Wife”, published in an anthology called Christmas Lites, by Creative Reviews and an honorable mention for “Buyer’s Remorse” in the Women On Writing 2010 Summer Flash Fiction Contest. Misty is also the proud owner of the blog, Unwritten, voted #3 Top Writing Blog by eCollegeFinder.com.

 

  Connect with Me Online:

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/@MystiParker

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mysti-Parker/103786449704221

  My Blog: https://www.mystiparker.blogspot.com