WA R C O U N C I L Chapter Two Easter In Millville by Craig Ruhl War Council is a work of fiction created by Craig Ruhl. This month we are pleased to present Chapter Two of War Council, Easter In Millville. Look for continuing chapters in future issues. Craig’s bio appears at www.faithoneverycorner.com/ meet-our-contributors.html War Council is copyrighted by Craig Ruhl 2020, all rights reserved.
My normal morning routine is to first make a quick cup of coffee in the one-cup machine on the kitchen counter. I’ll have finished that cup by the time I have showered, shaved, and dressed for the day. Although I work from home with Tori, I prefer to grab breakfast at a local diner or family-style restaurant before attending to our daily business needs. Tori is not a big fan of a big breakfast, happy with just a bagel or piece of toast eaten at her desk while working on her computer. I love the ambiance of a short-order restaurant and the variety of customers one encounters while eating and sipping coffee at the counter.
It was a very balmy day in mid-March, just a few weeks from Easter, and I was straddling a stool midway down the counter at the Millville Diner. I had just finished a plate of ham, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and toast. Earla refilled my coffee cup, making it three cups so far for the day. The buzz of conversations around me almost kept me from hearing a soft “Hello” from behind me. A tap on my shoulder got my attention, and I turned to see who it was. A tall older gentleman dressed in a blue dress shirt and beige corduroy pants held out his hand and greeted me with, “Hi, my name is Nick Turner and I believe you met a few of my fellow roundtable friends the other night.” “Hi, my name is Skip, and yes, I did.” I smiled and said as I shook his hand. “It was great that they invited me to sit with them and get to know them a little. They mentioned that there were several other men that I might meet the next time I came into the diner, but I didn’t see anyone at the roundtable this morning, so I just grabbed a stool here at the counter.” Nick nodded his head and said, “I just missed you. I left just before you came in. Jeff called me the next morning and told me about meeting you and he brought me up to date on what you guys discussed that night.” I motioned to the empty stool to my right and invited Nick to join me. Earla, the lady who had served me the first time I was in the diner, was working the counter. She set a steaming cup of coffee in front of Nick and asked him with a smile, “Hungry or just low on caffeine?” Nick laughed too and said, “I had a bite to eat earlier at home, so just the coffee will be fine this morning. There is a business luncheon across town that I am going to, so I don’t want to ruin my appetite for that.” I asked Nick, “What line of business are you in, if you don’t mind me asking?” He replied, “No, I don’t mind at all. I work for a non-profit group created to help people who have been displaced or replaced in
12 | M AG AEVERY Z I N E N ACORNER ME FAITH ON
