Forest

 Why was he going? He didn’t need consolation, he didn’t need closure, even before his mother’s death due to his father’s drunken negligence, Matt had hated the him. He knew at this gathering he’d hear marginalized people talk about what a good man the Reverend Bennett was. How he had contributed this and sacrificed that to help them overcome hardship or alleviate suffering.

 But his son knew how The Reverend was the master at doing little deeds, easy things that took minimum effort and exacted maximum gratitude. For those who felt abandoned The Rev would be there with a kind word or prayer, not much, actually not really anything, but still more than anyone else was prepared to give them in their time of need. His motive was not to lift up the downtrodden but one of self-aggrandizement. The Reverend was incapable of love other than for himself.

 Matt certainly wasn’t attending this charade to fulfill the Fifth Commandment. He told himself he was going to glean some more insight into the gold and who else knew about it. He told himself it was as good a reason as any to get drunk in the afternoon.  But the real reason was curiosity. Matt wondered how his father had lived the last twelve years, if he had changed.