By Crystal Arbogast

-----I had always heard stories about Uncle Charles through the years. Things like "free spirit", "hobo", and "drunken bum" seemed to crop up in conversations where he was mentioned. Aunt Maudie loved her brother, though. In her eyes, there was always something worth saving about Charles. After all, he was one of God's children and even an errant soul such as his could be saved.
-----My aunt Maudie was a regular at the Riverside Community Church, "where the love of God flows". I had attended Sunday school there during my childhood. She was a widow, and childless, prone to borrow a niece or nephew from time to time on weekends.
Her church was a holy roller and her eyes gleamed at the news of an upcoming revival. Talk of "last days" and the book of Revelation consumed the congregation during these times, and it was one such time that Uncle Charles showed up at his sister's doorstep.
-----It was my weekend with Aunt Maudie. Being a dutiful nephew, I had finished mowing the back yard when I heard, "Hey Maude, you home"? followed by a steady rapping on the screen door. As I peered around the corner of the house, I noticed a rather worn suitcase. Standing beside the ragtag piece was a small, slight of frame man with gray hair. His shirt was bright yellow and his pants looked as if they had been white at one time. His shoes shared the same fate, but in my 13 year-old eyes, he looked rather matched. I marveled at how both his pants and shoes could match the dingy gray of his hair.
-----"Hello there!"
-----Startled, I looked up into a pair of laughing brown eyes set within a face browned by years in the sun.
-----"Uh, hello. My aunt is in the basement doing laundry. I'll get her, unless you're selling something. She won't buy anything."
I had become rather protective of my great aunt, even more so, listening to my parent's conversations of how elderly people were always being taken advantage of by unscrupulous people. The smile broadened and the stranger walked down the steps, reached out, and ruffled my head.
-----"Which one are you? You belong to Jimmy? Well, I'm your Uncle Charles." Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "You sure look like Jimmy. Is your mom's name Pat? I remember a long time ago Maude sent me a picture of Jimmy and his high school sweetheart. She was a pretty thing."
-----"Yes sir, my mom and dad are James and Patricia. I'm Scott."
-----"Well Scotty…….
-----"Charles!"
-----Aunt Maudie had appeared at the door and her eyes widened in surprise. Stepping out onto the porch, she wrapped her arms around the brother that she had not seen for fifteen years. It was quite apparent in my kid eyes that there was much love between the two. Maude cupped his face in her hands and spoke to the sky. "Thank you Lord! Thank you for bringing Charles home!"
-----Shifting uneasily, I looked up and down the street. My aunt's exclamations of joy to the Lord could be embarrassing, especially if a fella's friends were around. Charles's eyes twinkled. He seemed at ease with the situation.
-----"It's been a long time Sis. I sure am tired. Got anything to eat? I'm starved."
-----With a wink in my direction, he picked up his worn suitcase and followed his sister into the front door. Aunt Maudie wiped at a tear that had brimmed over and traced its way down the soft crevice of her cheek.
-----I sat at the kitchen table with my head in my hands, unable to move my attention from Uncle Charles. I had already finished the lunch set before me and Charles was on his third sandwich and second glass of lemonade. I sat in rapt silence as he talked, in between bites, of his travels and adventures in other parts of the country. I also noticed the smile fade from my aunt's face as he spoke of the gambling boats along the Mississippi. It didn't take long for me to realize the Uncle Charles was a man of luck, and luck had not smiled upon him in a long time.
-----As if oblivious to the change in his sister's demeanor, he looked at me and said, "Well Scotty, what'd you say to a game of cards?"
-----"Scott has some raking to do and then he's getting washed up for church." My aunt had been quick with the reply and then smiled sweetly. "Why don't you come with us, Charles? -----There's a revival being held for two whole weeks and the Lord is moving. You wouldn't believe how many people have been saved…….."
-----"That's okay, sis. I'm kind of tired. If you don't mind, I'll take a nap now. I'll see you two tonight."
-----The disappointment in her face was apparent, but faded quickly as she led her brother down the hall to the last bedroom, chatting about family and friends.
Later in the evening, I couldn't keep my mind from wandering back to my long lost, now found, great uncle Charles. The preacher's voice, along with shouts of "hallelujah!"
and "amen"! faded into a hum as I tried to picture the places he had been to. My view was distorted by scenes of old movies I had watched since I had never seen the inside of a casino or gambling boat. I pictured him in a western setting like Wyatt Earp. His hat was cocked to one side of his head and he was holding a winning hand. Pretty women were snuggling up to him and all the while he was not letting them affect his perfect poker face. The lively piano music switched from "Camp Town Ladies" to "I'll Fly Away".
-----What?
-----The preacher's voice boomed through the door of my private world. "These are the last days children! Are you ready? Wars and rumors of wars! The day is coming, my friends, when two men stand in the field. One is left standing while the other is taken by the Lord! Only the clothing remains! Glory, hallelujah, the time of the Rapture is upon us!"
My aunt was in her usual excitable state by this time and knocking me in the side of the head with her elbow every time she jumped up to shout, "hallelujah!" I scooted closer to the edge of the pew and managed to stay in the present for the rest of the service.
In the weeks that followed, I stopped off at Aunt Maude's more often than usual. While sitting on her front porch and drinking her lemonade, Uncle Charles would carry on with stories of his travels. He spoke of places I had never heard of and places I had always wanted to see.
-----"Life is a card game, Scotty boy. You play the hand dealt you, bluffing whenever you can."
-----"Bluffing. Is that like cheating?"
-----"No! I never cheat. Besides, that would take all the fun out of the game."
-----"You ever win a lot of money, Uncle Charles?"
-----"I've won my share. Lost more though. But, who knows, one day the cards might shine for me. Then, Scotty boy, your old uncle will be looking smart."
-----Days turned into weeks and pretty soon my friends started to realize that if they wanted to see me they could find me on Aunt Maudie's front porch. Uncle Charles had quite a fan club after a time. From the snow banks in Alaska to the Las Vegas Strip, he weaved tales of near misses and lucky hands. When he spoke, I couldn't help but notice that it was as if he were far away and I wondered just how long he would be around.
-----He became quite helpful around the house. My aunt would take pride in pointing out improvements made by his hand such as new porch steps and cabinet doors made like new. She would shower him with unadulterated praise and he would just smile and wink in my direction. Before long, there were the evenings that found him smelling fresh from the shower, and with a nod in our direction, he would disappear out the door, leaving a hint of aftershave in the air. I could hear him whistling as he moved down the street and caught the glimpse of sadness in Aunt Maudie's eyes.
-----A few weeks before the end of summer vacation, I was awakened on my Sunday morning at her house by the smell of bacon and chatter in the kitchen. Both my aunt and uncle were involved in a lively conversation.
-----"You think this shirt will be alright?"
-----"Oh Charles, it'll be just fine! I'm so happy! Just wait until Scott hears! Scott!"
-----I entered the kitchen rubbing my eyes to see Uncle Charles holding up his weathered yellow shirt for Aunt Maudie to inspect.
-----"Hey, Scotty! Mind some company this morning? "
-----"You're coming to church with us?"
-----"Sure am. I think an old heathen such as myself should at least check in with the Man upstairs once in a while, don't you?"
-----"Sure, and today it's chicken and dumpling day at the parsonage. It'll be fun, I mean; it'll be good to have you there. Aunt Maudie and I always stay and eat when they have supper after church."
-----That would not be the only surprise in store for me on that Sunday. I had to pinch myself when I saw Uncle Charles make his way to the front after the preacher's usual wail for the alter call. The call for any and all sinners to come and repent their sins before it was too late was much more interesting on this day. Aunt Maudie shouted and wept to the heavens and I sat dumbfounded. This state of mind was with me all through the evening, even after I got to my own house.
-----I lay awake all night wondering about the changes in Uncle Charles and thinking about others, like my older cousin Celia. Celia was a lot of fun in her day. We would go swimming in the neighborhood pool and she would take me and others to the movies. After that fateful day of her finding "the Lord", she just disappeared from my life altogether. The Lord didn't approve of her showing her body in a bathing suit and spending money on movies was sinful as well as wasteful. My fun loving companion was no more and I could not bear the thought of losing Uncle Charles to the same fate.
-----The next morning, Aunt Maudie rose in a rather happy and euphoric state. She decided to make her brother something special for breakfast. She knocked softly on the door of the bedroom where he slept.
-----"Charles?"
-----As no answer came, she opened the door softly and peered inside.
-----"Charles?"
-----In one corner of the room stood the worn suitcase and by the bed were his old gray shoes. On the still made bed lay the old gray pants and the once bright yellow shirt. Perplexed, she turned and searched all through the house, even down to the basement.
-----"Charles?"
-----After a while, a frantic Aunt Maudie called my parents and waited for her family to arrive. -----She had wanted to call the police, but my parents had thought it best to not get them involved. After all, this was Charles and he had a way of disappearing.
-----While my parents were busy consoling our aunt, I wandered into the living room looking for anything that would lead to finding Uncle Charles. I stepped into the bedroom that I usually occupied and saw something sticking out from under the pillow. As I edged closer, I saw that it was a card from my uncle's deck. I pulled it out into view and gazed upon the queen of diamonds. A smile spread on my face and turned into a full fledged grin. I tucked the card into my pocket.
-----In the time that followed, my aunt and I felt Uncle Charles' absence. His things were left in the room that he had occupied. For those who were interested, the room became a sort of shrine to a brother that had mysteriously gone to the Lord after giving his life to Him. While Aunt Maudie rambled on about the Lord's coming and the Rapture, I would pull out the queen of diamonds and smile. Uncle Charles was a man of luck, and somehow I knew that luck had finally smiled on him.