Bamboo and Lace (33 page)

“Jeff?”

“Yeah, I'm here. Is Lily standing right there?” Jeff needed to know.

“No.”

“I got your letter.”

“Did you?” Gabe asked, feeling unbelievably tense.

Jeff began to laugh.

“What could you possibly be laughing at?” Gabe asked, thinking his hearing was going.

“Gabe, Gabe, Gabe.” Jeff finally found his breath long enough to speak. “You can't believe the way I wrestled with God over having to come here. I desperately wanted a good reason for my being sent away, and the only thing I could come up with was that you might fall for my sister.”

Gabe had to sit down.

“Are you there?”

“I'm here. I just needed a chair.”

Jeff laughed again.

“Jeff, you're not putting me on, are you?”

“Not at all, Gabe. I couldn't be more excited.”

“But what about all the questions I asked you?”

“They were good ones, by the way. I can see you're thinking, and this is all I can tell you: Lily is going to fall for you.”

“How can you possibly know that?” Gabe asked, even as he began to relax. Jeff sounded so much like himself, and it felt good just to talk about this.

“Because I know the two of you. There are no two people more suited. If she hasn't fallen already, it's because you're not doing something right. I think if you show the slightest bit of interest in her, she'll tumble.”

“That's what Evan said.”

“Then I agree with him.”

“What about your father, Jeff? What would he say?”

“I can't honestly tell you, Gabe, but I find it hard to believe that he would stand in the way of Lily's happiness, even if it meant her moving away.”

“Okay. Thanks, Jeff.”

“Thank
you
. I've since come to terms with God about why I'm here; in other words, He doesn't owe me an explanation and I had better be thankful. But if you and Lily found each other, I would be very happy.”

The men rang off shortly after this, and for a moment Gabe sat alone in the kitchen. He was rather drained but realized how special it was to have Jeff's blessing.

But what if Lily doesn't do what Jeff and Evan think she will?
he asked of God. Naturally there was no answer, and Gabe knew that the only way he would know anything was to keep spending time with the lady in question.

Gabe came from the kitchen to find the Markhams playing a board game at the dining room table. Ashton had gone to see Deanne's parents, and Lily was nowhere in sight. When Gabe asked Bailey about Lily's whereabouts, he was told that she'd gone toward the pool.

Even though he was quite certain of the answer, he still asked, “With or without her swimsuit?”

“Without.”

Gabe headed that way and found Lily. She had slipped into some shorts—unless she was exercising, she could usually be found in the lightweight slacks that she wore in Kashien—and was sitting on the edge of the pool, her feet and calves in the water at the three-foot end.

“Are you upset with me?” Gabe asked. He sat directly across from Lily.

“No. Did you think I was?”

“Not exactly, but I guess I wouldn't blame you if you were.”

Lily shook her head. “I understood why you called, and Jeff and I had a good talk.”

“He seems to be doing well.”

“Yes. Did he tell you he met a woman he's interested in?”

“No, but that's great.”

“I think so too.”

Gabe watched as she said this and could see that her feelings were genuine, but he wasn't sure she was ready to continue that line of conversation.

“So tell me,” Gabe began again, “what did you do all day, Lily?”

“I read quite a bit. I visited the resort store. And I wrote a paper.”

“On what?”

“Luke 1:18,19. In fact, I was going to ask you if you would be willing to critique it for me.”

“Certainly.”

“Do you want me to go and get it right now?”

“Sure.”

Gabe watched as she dried her slim calves and feet and then waited by the pool for her to return. His heart was headed to a place of no return, and until Lily came back he begged God to lead him in the days ahead.

“Here it is,” Lily said, presenting it to him just a short time later.

Gabe was so captivated that he immediately began to read.

“Zacharias said to the angel, ‘How shall I know this for certain? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.' And the angel answered and said to him, ‘I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God; and I have been sent to speak to you, to bring you this good news.'”

What Gabriel Understood

How often do I question You as Zacharias did, Lord? I think too often. How often do I do as I'm told or instructed from the first moment? Not often enough. I am just as swift as the old priest was to offer excuses for why I can't believe, obey, or trust You.

Is Gabriel at an advantage since he is a heavenly being? I'm so struck by his sentence about standing in Your presence, Lord. I try to picture it, but I'm not sure I can take in the full measure. Do You sit on a throne as Your subjects come before You? Or do You stand when You give orders of the utmost importance? But then, wouldn't all Your orders be of the utmost import?

And what of the subject who has come before You—Gabriel for instance? Can he even walk upright into the room if You are present, or must he crawl or come with face bowed low as he realizes into whose presence he has stepped?

But still it comes back to me. Have I ever once said I am Lily Walsh, and I stand in the presence of God? Nothing in me desires to compare myself to the special agent You have in Gabriel, but do I not stand in Your presence every time I open Your Word? Should not my heart, and possibly even my stance, show immeasurable reverence and awe as I realize that I have a way to You? Do I fully comprehend the magnitude of being in Your presence? Does my human heart stand a chance?

I think what Gabriel understood was who You are. At times I have asked myself if humans can survive a love as huge as Yours, but that is before I remember that You are willing to save us. And that You save us from Yourself, for Yourself.

Gabriel understood what I am still working to grasp: You are holy, just, mighty, all-powerful, and do not suffer fools lightly. But Gabriel also understood the love You have for the frail humans You've created, a love so great that You allow us to come to Your Word, and thus, stand in the presence of God.

Gabe lowered the paper and looked across to where Lily had sat back on the edge of the pool, her feet in the water again.

“This is excellent.”

“Thank you.”

“What made you think of studying this passage today?”

“I'm not sure that it was anything in particular. I was thinking quite a bit about my father, but with no answers or conclusions. The book I'm reading is interesting, but it was hard to concentrate because I was so hungry. So I eventually turned to Luke—it's my favorite Gospel—and tried reading very slowly and carefully. I was struck by Gabriel's response for the first time.”

“If you could do today over, Lily, what would you do differently?”

“I would have told you this morning about the conversation with my father. I know you were in a hurry and needed to go, but I would have asked for your advice.”

“What if there hadn't been anyone to ask? What if we'd all been called away and Wang hadn't heard the conversation?”

Lily thought for a moment.

“Maybe I would have tried to golf on my own, or maybe I would have eaten a little just to get through until you could teach me.”

Gabe was upset with Lily's father all over again. He didn't want to show his anger, but he wished for answers to the questions rolling inside him. He suddenly wondered if Lily could help.

“It's hard for me to imagine a person like your father,” Gabe admitted, working to be tactful. “I want to understand, but that type of treatment is a bit out of my realm. How do you deal with it?”

“When I'm at home or here?”

“Both.”

“Well, at home I just know my place, and I keep it. And here, well,” Lily had to stop. Gabe watched her shrug a little before she said, “Please do not picture me miserable and ill-treated at home, Gabe. My father does take some things too far, but I have been raised to submit to God and to authority, and I think that is a very good thing.” Lily paused a moment before going on. “My father is not a young man. I know that does not excuse wrongdoing on his part, but he's been this way for a long time, and I wish to honor him, even from afar. It was foolish of him to ask me to promise, and just as foolish for me to agree, but even at that, I wanted to do everything I could to keep my word.”

“I think your father must be so proud of you, Lily. I don't know how he could be otherwise.”

“I think he is, at least most of the time. And it's very kind of you to say so, Gabe.”

“It might be kind, Lily, but it's also true. I'm not trying to make you feel better, I'm giving you a genuine compliment. I too have worked hard to honor my mother, but I haven't come as close as you have.”

Silence fell between them. Lily felt slightly uncomfortable and found her eyes lowering with embarrassment. She then realized she hadn't done that for a long time and saw very clearly how much she was changing.

The word “change” reminded Lily that one of the men at Bible study the night before had talked about change during his prayer request. This led to one more thought.

“May I ask you a question, Gabe?” Lily asked, all reserve falling away in her ongoing search for knowledge.

“Certainly.”

“Why have we not been to Bible study on other Wednesday nights?”

“Oh, let me see. I think it was canceled the first week you were here because Harris was sick. The second week and third you were still quite burned, so Evan and Bailey stayed home. And now last night we finally all made it.”

“What day did I come to the resort?”

“The fifth.”

“And what's today?”

“September 30. Tomorrow is October 1.”

Lily didn't know how so much life could have been lived in such a short time. Life was slower in her village in Kashien; everything moved at a greatly decelerated pace. Amid these thoughts, Lily realized that people could have been anywhere during the time when she was burned, and she would not have noticed or even cared. For a moment, a chill swept over her skin. It had been so awful, and right now she was tremendously relieved to be past it. At times her shoulders were still a little tender, but nothing compared to what they had been.

“What does that look on your face mean?”

Lily glanced up, not aware that she had been under Gabe's scrutiny.

“I was thinking about my sunburn.”

Gabe only nodded. Knowing what a trauma that had been, he didn't need to hear more.

“Do I have a lesson of some type tomorrow?”

“I don't think so. What would you like to do?”

“Oh! I don't know.”

“Must you do something?”

“What do you mean?”

“Only that a few days of lazing around might be nice. You've either been burned and in pain or going nonstop since you arrived. And don't forget, we leave for my mom's next week. There'll be plenty to learn there.”

“Like what?”

“Well, they live in a neighborhood, so they have houses close by. You might find that interesting. There's a shopping mall within walking distance, and they have several boats.”

Gabe smiled when he was the recipient of Lily's silent “oh.” His heart did a flip-flop as he watched her eyes light up with anticipation. At the same time he prayed for wisdom and patience, because all he had wanted to do lately was take this woman in his arms and tell her he loved her.

Kahaluu

“When Deanne called last night she mentioned that you have someone visiting right now, Ash. Is it a guest? I thought you still had time off.”