Mert shuffles along coming to the corner of Hemlock and 3rd where the enormous St. Marks church occupies nearly the entire block. Two steps down third and he feels that left boot slipping a bit again. He sets his lunch pail down and sits upon the wide cement steps to get to the root of that blasted shoelace. He unwinds the whole thing and makes both lengths even before rewrapping around the eyelets and making two windings around his ankle just as he did for the right side. He reaches back to the top step to retrieve his lunch pail when he notices another lunch pail also at the top step, but over much closer to a pair of huge red doors. He stands and walks up to the doors and is compelled to open them if only to see who is the owner of the container outside. It’s very dark inside, lit only by dozens of candles some seemingly on their last days others tall and fresh. Mert sees a person way up front so he walks ever so quietly toward the candles careful not to interrupt whoever is kneeling at the railing. That figure is also wearing dark green pants and a shirt like everyone at his plant. Once he sees that it is Grayling, he freezes in place. But even with his head bowed, the gentleman waves Mert to come closer and motions him then to kneel beside him. Mert hadn’t been in this church since he was a youngster, not including the Maloney wedding a decade or so back. As he knelt down he saw that his foreman had a piece of paper rolled up in his hand while he continued to pray aloud. Mert said a prayer that he had learned as a child and got up to his feet slowly and quietly walking back to those huge red doors. He stayed out on the top step for a few minutes waiting to say something, anything to his foreman even though his mind was blank at this time. It was awhile before Grayling opened a door and reached down to his own lunch pail, and then caught sight of Mert staring toward the twin smokestacks of the plant. Mert stumbled to make a sentence in his mind but nothing came out. Grayling spoke, “I didn’t know attended this church, Mert.”

“Not in a long, well, a really long time sir,” he said happy to get some words out.

“Do you stop before work very often, sir?” asked Mert.

“You can stop calling me sir. Derrick will do just fine. Yes, I stop in here before work every day.”

Mert asked, “You were in there for quite a long time. Is there anything wrong with a family member? I mean, I saw you had a piece of paper.”

“All is well at home thank you. I prayed for everyone on this piece of paper.”

He handed the folded sheet to Mert who held it at an angle to use the streetlamp for light.

“Why, this is a list a roll call of all the men that work at the plant with us!”

Derrick nodded then walked down to the sidewalk, as Mert stood motionless up on the highest step. He caught up to Derrick and the two men had a sobering conversation as they made their way along 3rd Avenue. That ear piercing whistle sounded before they were in sight of the main gate when two other men ran passed them trying to punch in before shift change. Mert and his foreman walked through the gates together in time for Huey the jovial guard to ask, “Hey Mert, you get lost this morning?”

Mert shot back, “Quite the opposite, yep. Quite the opposite.”