The Preservers

Written for Rena’s Xploration Challenge;
the image seen below is our inspiration.
Here’s where the prompt took me.

The annual minutes of the Parish Historical Preservation Society had never once been completed on time, and this year would be no different.

The problem, as always, was the three transcribers.

Pam wrote in a looping, generous hand and included everything …. the weather, who’d brought biscuits, what the biscuits were like, whether they were as good as last year’s biscuits, etc., etc.

Sidney wrote in tight, suspicious capitals and crossed out whatever Pam had just written. The biscuits were irrelevant. The biscuits were always irrelevant. He had been saying this for nine years.

Young Father Brennan …. who was fifty-three and called young only to irritate him …. wrote in Latin whenever he felt the other two were being unserious, which was often. He considered this a form of dignity; the other two considered it showing off.

“You’ve spelled Alderman Hopper wrong again,” said Pam.

“I’ve spelled it correctly,” said Sidney.

“You’ve spelled it how you spell it.”

“Yes …. correctly.”

Father Brennan wrote something in Latin.

“What does that say?” asked Sidney.

“It says the truth is eternal.”

“It says he thinks he’s right,” said Pam.

It did, in fact, say exactly that.

Outside, the church clock struck four. They had been at this since noon. The page was mostly crossings-out.

Next year, someone suggested, they might hire a secretary …. with a computer.

NAR©2026

This is “The Village Green Preservation Society” by The Kinks

Reena’s Xploration Challenge #433

^{Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.}