“I’m sick of it, too,” Laura Dobrinsky said, standing up. “So that makes two of us. Anyone else?”
En masse, the rest of the cool girls stood up. The heat in the room was suffocating Clem. Laura Dobrinsky addressed his father directly.
“The younger Navajos don’t like you, either,” she said. “They’re sick of being ministered to. They don’t want a white guy condescending to them and telling them what his white God wants them to do. Are you even aware of how you sound to other people? Maybe you had a good thing going with the elders, way back when. And maybe they’re still cool with that. But they’re elders. The missionary bullshit won’t cut it anymore.”
Rick Ambrose was glowering at his boots, his arms tightly crossed. Clem’s father’s face had gone white. “May I say something?” he said.
“How about trying to listen for a change?” Laura said.
“If I can do nothing else, Laura, I believe I do know how to listen. It is my job to listen.”
“How about listening to yourself, then? I don’t see much evidence of that.”
“Laura,” Ambrose said.
Laura turned on him. “You’re defending him? Because he’s, what, the ordained minister? That’s a strike against him as far as I’m concerned.”
“If you have an issue with Russ,” Ambrose said, “you should take it up with him directly.”
“That’s exactly what I’m doing.”
“One on one.”
“Fuck that. I have no interest in that.” Laura addressed Clem’s father again. “I have no interest in a relationship with you.”
“I’m very sorry to hear you say that, Laura.”
“Yeah? I seriously don’t think I’m the only one here who feels that way.”
“I don’t either,” Sally Perkins said. “I don’t want to have a relationship with you. In fact, I don’t even want to be in this group if you’re in it.”
More than half the group was on its feet now. Over the tumult of voices came Ambrose’s bellowing. “Sit DOWN. Everyone SIT DOWN NOW and SHUT THE FUCK UP.”
The mob obeyed him. Though Ambrose was technically subordinate to Clem’s father, everyone knew who the group’s real leader was: who was strong and who was weak.
“We’re going to skip the prayer tonight,” Ambrose said. “Is that okay with you, Russ?”
The older man nodded meekly. He was weak! weak!
“You’re not listening to us,” Laura Dobrinsky said. “You don’t get it. We’re telling you either he goes or we go.”
There were shouts of agreement, and Clem couldn’t stand it. However ashamed he’d been of his father in Arizona, he couldn’t stand to see a weak person beaten up. He raised his hand and waved it. “Can I say something?”
Immediately all eyes were on him. Ambrose nodded with approval, and Clem stood up unsteadily, his face burning.
“I can’t believe how mean you guys are being,” he said. “You’re going to walk away because you don’t like a two-minute prayer? I’m not into it, either, but I’m not here for prayers. I’m here because we’re a community committed to service to the poor and the downtrodden. And you know what? My dad has been committed to that for longer than anyone here has been alive. He’s more committed than anyone in this room. I think that ought to count for something.”
He sat down again. A girl next to him touched his arm supportively.
“Clem is right,” Ambrose said. “We need to respect each other. If we don’t have the guts to work through this as a group, we don’t deserve to call ourselves a community.”
Sally Perkins was staring at Clem’s father. She seemed to take cruel satisfaction in his inability to look at her. “No,” she said.
“Sally,” Ambrose said.
“Let’s put it to a vote,” she said. “How many people want to stay in this group if he’s in it?”
“We’re absolutely not doing that,” Ambrose said.
“Then I’m leaving.”
She stood up again. More than half the group stood up. Clem’s father’s eyes were wide with pain. “I’d like to say something,” he said. “Hear me out, all right? I’m not sure where all this is coming from—”
Laura Dobrinsky laughed and walked out of the room.
“I’m sorry if I’m not the person you want me to be,” the old man said. “I guess I still have a lot to learn from you guys. I care about this group, deeply. We’ve been doing great work, and I’d like to help us continue to do that. If you want Rick to lead the prayers, or Rick to lead the group, I’m okay with that. But if you care about personal growth, I’d like the chance to experience it myself. I’m asking you to give me that chance.”