THE BISHOP'S WIFE

“Bishop, I can hardly hear you,” I said almost shouting into the phone as my eyes drifted back to Trel who had finally stopped all his huffing and puffing.  “What?  Oh, you did?"

I released another deep sigh and loosen my grip on my cell phone.  Thankful, I glanced upward at the wooden beams then down at Trel, who by this time was lost looking down at his own cell phone. 

“Yes, Bishop…,” I said resting an elbow across the top of my knees.

Now, I was beginning to wonder if this conversation was ever going to end.  Usually by this time his cell phone would have disconnected us by dropping the call.

“Hello,” I said into the phone thinking the call had finally been dropped. “Hello…Bishop?  Oh…I thought I had lost-  Hello…hello…Bishop?”

Shrugging my shoulders, I dropped my hand from my ear and closed my cell phone turning it off.   I shut my eyes taking a deep long breath, almost forgetting that Trel was there until his voice startled me.

“Bishop?  Who’s that,” asked Trel flipping one of my kitchen table chairs around and carefully straddling one of his long legs across it taking a seat.  Dropping down onto it he rested an elbow on top of the back of the chair staring at me.  While his other hand rested between his legs ensuring that my robe stayed closed as he awaited my response.  

I tightly gathered my eyes shut thinking for a moment.  Then I reopened them slowly looking directly into Trel’s eyes and holding my gaze on him.

“Somebody you wouldn’t know,” I said with a hint of frostiness. “My fiancée.” 

“Your what? Your fiancée,” Trel repeated almost choking obviously overtaken by shock at my announcement, so much so that he nearly toppled off the chair.  He leaped to his feet almost kicking the chair over.  Gathering the robe about him, he gagged for a second.  He coughed trying to clear his throat and managed in a somewhat high pitched voice to say-

"What?  You're...you're getting married?"