Minnie Goes to Heaven (53)

(a novel continued)

"We'll have to get all the churches involved." John said to Minnie over supper the next evening. He was still wearing his work clothes and he smelled like earth and hand soap. 
"The churches never do things together," Minnie said. She suddenly felt very tired.
"I don't know. When it looked like we were losing our charitable status, there was a prayer meeting in just about every church in town." John used the last bite of a dinner roll to wipe the gravy from his plate. "Good dinner Minnie, thanks." He popped the roll into his mouth.
"Would you like dessert?"
"Maybe later with coffee, after we look at the map. I was thinking we could divide the town among the churches."
Minnie carried their plates to the kitchen and wiped up while John went out to the truck to get the detailed town map he kept in the glove box. He spread it across the table. Minnie sat down.
John counted 17 churches. Haven was naturally divided into four quarters. Cranberry Creek ran down the middle dividing the town into east Haven and west Haven. Main Street ran from east to west. South of Main the town was referred to as Old Haven and north of Main was called New Haven.  The majority of the churches were located in Old Haven with the Catholic cathedral dead center on Main Street beside the creek
"That's about four churches for each quarter," John said. 
"How are you going to divide them? Count the houses?"

John looked at Minnie. "Are you okay?" 
"Not really."
"Let's pray," John said.

"Why didn't I think of that?"