Dawn's Light (43 page)

The curtains opened to the backdrop of the garden, with Adam and Eve played by two of Beth's classmates, and a funny little boy named Matt who wore a snake costume and crawled around on his belly.

Eve spoke like a valley girl. “So, like, I'm sorry, okay? I only ate a stupid apple. It's not like I've brought a curse on mankind.”

Adam crossed his arms and looked at the audience. “Um … actually? You have.”

Matt the serpent agreed. “Yep, you've done it, all right. Now my fun begins.” The serpent laughed like a wicked scientist, rubbing his hands together.

Kay and Doug laughed through the depiction of Joseph being sold by his brothers, who talked like gang members and did a funny rap song while slave traders carried Joseph away.

Next came Daniel in the lions' den. The lions were played by four second graders whose moms had made them gigantic manes that dwarfed their small bodies. Daniel was a fifth grader with a painted mustache. As the lions came for him, he said, “Nice boys,” threw a stick, and told them to fetch. The lions retrieved the stick like trained puppies.

The play followed all the major events of the Bible right through the nativity. Amber's youngest played Baby Jesus, and Cher and Jimmy Scarbrough played Mary and Joseph. The stage filled with the youngest boy actors—toddlers to preschoolers—who were told to scream as a mean King Herod came stomping through to kill the boy babies. Cher and Jimmy whisked the baby away. The children screamed with delightful smiles on their faces, lightening the heavy moment in the play.

Kay glanced back at their former sheriff, Ralph Scarbrough, who had finally been able to venture out in public after his long convalescence. He beamed with pride at Jimmy's star performance as Joseph.

In the depiction of Jesus' miracles, Ben Latham played a leper with spots all over his body, and Jesus healed him. Ben posed then, like a Mr. Universe, eliciting applause. Drew Caldwell played the demoniac in chains, ranting and hurting himself until Jesus healed him. Then he shook off the chains and did a hip-hop dance until the curtains closed again.

The mood grew serious as Chris read again of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, and the false accusations, and his betrayal by his friend.

As Chris read, a memory came to Kay: Beth coming outside as Kay stood over the fire, dripping with perspiration as she cooked.

“Mom, I'm having trouble with Jesus.”

Kay's oil popped and bubbled, and she didn't have much time to look away. “What kind of trouble?”

“When I'm writing about him, it seems disrespectful to have some kid playing his part on the cross. People laugh when they see their children on the stage. How could I show Jesus on the cross in a way that he likes?”

Kay remembered smiling. “Just think about it for a while, honey. I'm sure Jesus will show you the right way.” She hadn't known what Beth was writing and had never asked more about it. Until today it had fled from her mind.

Now, as the curtains opened, she saw two boys tied to crosses on the stage, with a larger pole in the middle. The boys looked toward the top of the middle pole, as though Jesus' cross were higher than the audience could see.

“If you're really Christ, save yourself and us!” one of them yelled.

“Shut up, you jerk!” the other one cried. “We're here for breaking the law. But he didn't do anything to deserve this!” The first boy looked up at the cross between them. “Jesus, remember me when you get to your kingdom, okay?” His face changed, and he started to smile. “Did you hear that? He said today I would be with him in paradise!”

The audience clapped as the curtain closed. Chris read of Christ's resurrection and his promises that “Where I am, there you will be also.”

When the curtains opened again, the final backdrop returned them to the garden, a sweet depiction of Beth's idea of heaven. Beth had clearly come to the conclusion that it wouldn't be irreverent to show a heavenly Christ in the happiest place on earth. Jimmy had been recast to play that role. He wore a white robe and a long brown wig, and his face was painted with gold paint that seemed to glow.

A crowd of children in robes assembled there, dancing, pretending to fly and eating the apples from the Tree of Life. A blind boy arrived at the gate, and Jesus met him like a long-lost son, healing him as he came in.

“Wow, the colors are way cool!” the boy said as he joined the group.

A deaf girl came in, speaking frantically in sign language. “No need for that here,” he said, and healed her.

“Oh, my goodness,” the deaf girl cried. “I have
so
much to tell you!” And then she chattered on and on.

The next person to come in was played by Cher again. Beth's best friend wore a bandage on her head.

Kay's hand moved to her heart.

The crowd went quiet. Kay tried to hold the tears back as Jesus picked the girl up and whirled her around, like he'd been waiting for her. He set her down and pulled the bandage off, throwing it on the floor. “We don't need this anymore. Here, we don't have bandages or broken bones or sickness or tears.”

Kay reached for Doug's hand. She saw him take Deni's, and Deni took Logan's, and Logan took Jeff's.

“You're safe here. Nothing can hurt you ever again. There's no Next Terrible Thing. Only good things. And soon your family will be here, too.”

By the time the scene was over, Jimmy and Cher were as teary-eyed as Kay was. Her heart was full as the children came to the edge of the stage, one by one, and read lines from the last chapter of the Bible.

Olivia said, “ ‘And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God's dwelling is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.” ’ ”

A lion stepped forward. “ ‘They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ ”

The gangster brothers of Joseph came out and spoke in unison. “ ‘He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” ’ ”

One by one, the little performers came through to great applause, dancing and strutting and bowing.

Kay burst out of her chair for a standing ovation, as tears of joy ran down her face. Beth … oh, Beth. She had single-handedly taught dozens of children the major events of the Bible, and had probably driven them and all their parents back to Scripture to read more. She had shared the gospel even from death.

Finally, Chris stepped back onto the stage. “At this point, we would normally applaud for the author,” she said. “But since she's not here, we'll point you to heaven. Beth would want us to give those of you who don't know Jesus the chance to know him now. The men of our little lakeside church are coming forward now, to counsel anyone who wants to learn more about Christ.”

The men came forward as music played—the ones Doug had shepherded and taught over these last grueling months—and met several children who came off the stage in response to the invitation.

And then Kay saw a miracle. Brad Caldwell, her next-door neighbor, the prosecutor who hadn't been able or willing to believe before, made his walk through the lawn chairs. Instead of going to the men waiting at the front, he came to Doug.

Doug let Kay's hand go and got to his feet, embraced his best friend.

“It wasn't all for nothing, was it?” Brad asked, weeping. “There's a pattern … a plan … a God.”

“
The
God,” Doug said.

Brad nodded. “I believe that Jesus died for my sins—and for the sins of all those I prosecute every day. And I believe that Beth is in heaven with him, just like she wrote, waiting to greet each one of us.”

Kay got up and joined that hug. Her heart felt cleansed and lighter now. Beth's purpose had been fulfilled. Now she saw the privilege of being part of that.

Brad was so right. It wasn't for nothing.

L
ATER, WHEN SHE RETURNED HOME
, K
AY WENT TO HER BED
room to put her shoes away. Basking in the good memories that were coming back to her, she knelt in her closet. Gratitude washed through her. Beth had shown her that she
had
been healed. Her broken skull was whole, her bandages were gone. She wasn't mourning her family as they were mourning her. God was so good to have led Beth to write such a play … a play that would be used to comfort her family when she was gone.

Wasn't that how he always worked? Intricately weaving a web of events throughout their lives, intersecting them with others, connecting the dots in a way that no genius ever could.

Kay's sadness over Beth had lifted for a while. Now she could cling to memories of the joy Beth had brought to their family, and all they had to look forward to.

one hundred four

M
ARK'S HEART WAS FULL OF JOY AS THE CROWD BROKE UP
and the parents began disassembling the stage. Craig hung around to help them.

But Mark didn't want to help right now. He saw Deni sitting at the end of the boat pier, her feet hanging in the water. He slid his hand in his pocket and felt the ring he'd been carrying for the last few months. After Beth's death, Deni had been too mired in grief for him to propose. But today he could see that the cloud of her mourning was lifting, and blue skies were beginning to break though.

He whispered in Chris's ear. “Keep Craig busy for a little while, okay?”

Her face lit up. “Is it time?”

Mark gave her a crooked smile. “We'll see, won't we?”

He drew in a deep breath and walked down the pier. Deni looked up and smiled as he sat next to her.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I'm great. I feel like I got to see Beth today. Like I got a glimpse of where she is. That she's all right, and she wants
us
to be. There were so many things she wanted for us. I hope she'll know when they all come true.”

Mark suddenly felt as nervous as a kid on his first date. He slipped the ring on the tip of his index finger, pulled it out of his pocket. “Speaking of things Beth wanted … I've been carrying this since the day Craig rode back into town. It's never been the right time.”

She sucked in a breath, and joy rounded her eyes as he showed her the ring. Holding it up, he slid off the pier and into the four-foot deep water, and knelt on one knee. The water hit him up to his chin. The ring stayed dry.

He looked ridiculous, but he didn't care. “Deni, will you marry me?”

Deni laughed and fell in after him, pulling him to his feet. “Yes, I'll marry you! Of course I will!”

They laughed as he put the ring on her finger, then hugged and fell back into the water, splashing and gurgling and laughing some more. Deni got to her feet, soaking wet, and raised her left hand in the air. “He asked me to marry him, everybody!”

Mark lifted her like a bride over the threshold and carried her out of the water. Friends and neighbors crowded around to congratulate them. His dreams were finally coming true.

Deni was going to be his wife.

one hundred five

C
RAIG DIDN'T NEED A NEON SIGN
. H
E COULD SEE THAT
Mark had proposed, and Deni had accepted. She was in love with Mark, and there was nothing he could do about it. She'd given up a great future to be with a man who would trap her in mediocrity. It was her loss.

But it was his too. He clenched his jaw as he walked to his car.

He got behind the wheel and slammed his door. Chris came and leaned in his window. “You okay?”

He planted his hands firmly on his steering wheel. “I can't believe it. She's going to marry him. After all I've been through with her.”

She gave him an apologetic smile. “I'm sorry, Craig. But it can't be a surprise, can it? She told you from the beginning.”

“She was mine first.” He looked back toward the happy couple. “Where'd he get money for a ring, anyway?”

Chris glanced back at her friends. “He has a little nest egg.”

He swallowed and took a deep breath, wishing she didn't have to see him like this. He didn't like being a loser. “No, it's okay, really. You're right. I did see it coming. I was just in denial, I guess. But hey, I don't have time for a wife now anyway. I have important work to do.”

“Yeah, you do. We're all counting on you.” She looked down at her feet. “Where are you going now?”

He turned the key and the engine roared to life. “Back to work, I guess.”

“It never ends, does it?”

“No, it never does.”

“Have you eaten? My parents got hold of some sirloin steaks. They're throwing them on the grill as we speak. Want to come?”

He hesitated. “Sounds tempting.”

“I'm a good listener too, if you want to unload.”

He almost said yes. But wallowing in it would do him no good. He should get right back to work. That was the only thing that would get his mind off what he'd lost.

“Maybe a rain check?”

“Sure.” She backed away from the car, and he drove away.

Maybe he would take her up on that someday.

one hundred six

D
ENI LIFTED HER WHITE SILK SKIRT AND STEPPED CARE
fully down her front porch steps. Two horse-drawn carriages waited in front of her house—one of polished black for her mother and brothers. The second one was painted white, with gold filigree, and two white stallions pulled it. Men in black tuxedos sat on the front benches, holding the reins.

Awestruck, she brought her hand to her mouth. “Where did that white one come from?”

“Your groom built it just for you,” Kay said. “He's been working on it since you said yes.”

Deni had known he was working on something secret, but when he put the gazebo together at the lake, she thought that was it. It was crafted just as perfectly, with the same painted gold filigree, and the skillful carvings that spoke of devoted love.

“You look beautiful, sweetie.” Kay kissed her cheek, then with glossy eyes, pulled her veil down over her face. “It's a far cry from Vera Wang. But I like it better.”

Deni whispered a laugh. The designer dress she'd had for her wedding to Craig had come to a bad end, but it was just as well. She wasn't the same debutante who had needed designer labels. She'd found no shortage of neighbors willing to loan her their wedding dresses. She'd settled on Judith's simple but elegant silk dress. With a few alterations, it fit her well.