He Is Risen

A controversial Easter display in the shop window raises a few eyebrows.

The last touches were being added to the Easter window when Helene Shelby stopped by the 

shop to share a hot crossed bun with Brenda. The controversial Miss Grayson quit what she was doing, and fired up her coffee pot because she needed Helene's opinion about the final "icing on the cake" that was to be her Easter Window Display. 

Helene parted the curtain, and laughed. "Excommunication" was all she could say. Brenda locked the front door, turned her "out to lunch" sign toward the street, closed the rest of the curtains, then sat down for a snack with Helene.

Magician "Waters" was on a footstool hovering above the Pink and Blue clad "bunnies" Joseph and Fannie Blundon. The magic man's functional hand held the glittered magic wand, and he sported a pink carnation in his lapel. A yellow chenille chick sat upon his top hat with a ribbon in her beak. 

The ribbon ran from her tiny beak to a hot air balloon the size of a beach ball, and just below it, in the basket, stood a "Jesus Christ" doll in a long white robe with pastel rhinestones. His arms were raised above his head, and a fake cloud hung from the store ceiling. 

"The Blundon Rabbits," and "Jesus on the rise" would greet shoppers in a few hours. "Waters" would take it all in. There were colored spotlights aimed on each of the figures for night time viewing. Helene had no objection to the witty display, but warned Brenda to expect a lot of criticism from the people who had no sense of humor. Brenda said that she would be going to Saint Jerome's church in Hyattsville "very soon" to light candles for her loved ones. 

She had a feeling that this particular holiday window would not be featured in any newspaper, but in agreement with Helene, knew that someone would probably tell the priest. She tried to think of ways to "soften the blow" but the display was a celebration, and showing  Jesus on a cross had already been done for a few thousand years, so why not make him look like an adventurer on a spiritual journey ?

Brenda would warn Daniel about the display when he called again. She wondered if Caitlin might take strolls past the shop when the walls of her house began to close in on her.  Mr. Griffin would love the windows, of course, and the Spiritualists would, as well.

Helene was doing a brisk business in her shop right next door. 

Her images of animals, and children sold easily. She was happy in Brenda's old apartment. Helene was open minded about seances, and metaphysics, but never got involved in anything outside the world of Art, Art, and more Art. Brenda gave her a small booklet about "Spirituality beyond Religion," and let it go at that.

Helene helped her to open the curtains, and when the next trolley came by, 3 women and a little girl wandered over to the shop window. They smiled, and walked into the shop. The little girl said she had never thought about Jesus in a hot air balloon before, but thought that he would like it. 

One of the women bought a set of framed pink flocked bunny prints. The older woman said that she had heard of the Blundons, but couldn't recall what it was in reference to. Brenda filled her in about the house, and the family.  

The controversial window wasn't so controversial after all, but then, the Catholic Church might not see the "significance or need" for a hot air balloon when the savior can just go "straight up" by the "invisible hand of god." 

Brenda had a ready answer for them if anyone should be bold enough to offer such an opinion. It had to do with being able to see up the savior's robe as he ascended. That ought to set the record straight on yet, another oddball  Holiday Window Display.

C J. Marks