My Father's Gift (6 page)

“So when will you be ready?”  D’Cerner’s felt her blood pressure rising and knew that at any moment, she was about to blow.

“I’ll let you know.  Sister Everett, how do you keep your skin so soft?”

“What?” She was so startled that she almost dropped the phone.  How do you know my skin is soft?”

“I don’t, but I thought I would ask.  Whatever your method is, you should write about it so these young girls will know how to take care of themselves,” he continued as though there was nothing unusual about the conversation.

D’Cerner barely heard him because she was staring at the phone remembering this conversation as if it were yesterday. 

“Sister Everett, are you there?”

“Yes.  I was thinking about something else.”

“Someone else?”

She gasped.  “How did you know?”

“Just guessing.  So do you believe in tithing?”

“What?” Was he deliberately trying to confuse her to keep her off balance, she thought?

“Tithing, you know, giving your tenth to the church.”

“Cal, don’t you think it’s a little late for this kind of discussion?”  She stared with disbelief at the phone, wondering if she were truly losing her mind.

“No.”

From that point onward, D’Cerner could not dissuade Cal from his particular course of action.  She believed he was apparently determined to drive her batty. They ended up reading scriptures to each other in support of their beliefs about tithing and speaking in tongues.  After a couple of hours of volleying beliefs, D’Cerner was ready to go back to sleep.  However, that was not Cal’s plan.  He had another agenda. 

He asked her how tall she was and D’Cerner was just about to respond when she heard a voice saying,
“you’re giving each other too much information.”
  She then tried to turn the conversation around to discuss what they both heard days earlier, but Cal wasn’t giving an inch.  They finally decided they would not meet until they were sure of what they heard and would give themselves time for their spirits to mesh.  They agreed that when they met, they would discuss what they heard. 

Throughout the duration of their conversation, one of them would start to say something and the other would know immediately how to finish the statement.  The situation was so intensely bizarre they decided they really didn’t need to verbalize anything except as confirmation of what the other was thinking.  Finally, they agreed to get off the phone and get some sleep.

“I really have to get to off the phone.  I haven’t been in the office for a few days and I really can’t stay away any longer.” Weariness caused D’Cerner to sound as if her tongue was anchored in place.

“Okay, have a good evening.” Cal responded curtly and hung up the phone.

“What was that all about?” D’Cerner lay thinking.  “How on earth could I have known what he was going to say?  I felt as though he could read my mind and I was reading his.”

“You were listening to me.”

“Okay, Daddy.  How long are we going to do this?

“Until the two of you are willing to obey.”

“You mean he’s not?”

“Not yet.  He’s not sure what he’s getting, sight unseen.”

“And I am?  What if he’s some ugly throwback to the Stone Age?”

“You won’t be disappointed.”

“Are you’re sure this is what you want me to do?”

“Yes.  It is what I told you.”

“Okay, but this guy seems a little stretched to me.”

“He needs balance in his life.”

“I heard you before, but are you sure I’m the one to help him?”

“Yes and I’m not addressing this again.”

“Good night Daddy.  Thank you for your protection while we sleep.”

*****

When Cal hung up the phone, he had a similar conversation with God about D’Cerner and was told the same thing. 

“Are you sure, she can handle being my wife?”

“Yes, but she doesn’t think she wants be a wife.”

“So what am I supposed to do about that?”

“Exactly what I told you.  You pushed too hard.  It made her nervous.”

“I know I got carried away with the questions, but I was trying to get an idea as to what she looked like.”

“Don’t worry about her looks.  You won’t be disappointed.”

“Well, can I find out what she likes and doesn’t like?

“You may.”

“Thank you, Father for your many blessings.  Help me to stay in your will so that I will not displease you.”

After praying, Cal fell asleep, wondering what was ahead for him and D’Cerner.

Chapter Eight

The next night, Cal called D’Cerner and again, the word the Lord had spoken to her was confirmed.  She and Cal were discussing a song and ended up singing it together, and later, before they hung up, prayed for each other, just as God said they would.

Cal and D’Cerner spent the next two months talking on the phone almost every night.  Some nights they talked so long, they fell asleep on the phone and would have to wake each other up the next morning.  They behaved as if they were two teenagers in high school. 

She would listen to him talking to his children and he would interject when she was talking to hers.  By the time their children were asleep, they would be ready to spend time either asking each other questions or discussing the bible.  They discussed their personal dislikes and preferences.  He discovered she preferred plants to flowers and she discovered he didn’t like dumplings and both liked a quiet day in the park near water when seeking answers.

One afternoon, Cal invited Carlos to join him and his son, Don, along with some others to play basketball at a community center.  When Carlos got home, D’Cerner was tempted to ask him what Cal looked like, but didn’t.  Later that evening when Cal called, he asked her if she had asked her son about him.  She was glad she had not asked so she could honestly say, no.  When asked if he had asked Carlos what she looked like, Cal admitted he was tempted, but didn’t.  Things would have continued in this vein with just the phone calls, except for the fact that Cal’s church was sponsoring an athletic event. Neither realized that this event would put them on another path.

“Dad,” D’Cerner heard Kathy say over the phone, one evening while she was talking to Cal.  “Would Sister Everett’s son like to play in the basketball tournament?”

“Why don’t you ask her?  Just a moment,” he said to D’Cerner and handed the phone to Kathy.

“Sister Everett, this is Kathy.  Would your son like to play in our basketball tournament?”

“I’ll have to ask him.  When is it?”

“It’s coming up in a few weeks, but I have to know now so we can get the money turned in to the center,” Kathy responded.

“Okay, just a moment.”  D’Cerner went into the family room where Carlos was watching a game.  “Carlos, would you be interested in playing in a basketball tournament with Brother Recinoire?”

“Yeah, sure.  When is it?” Carlos asked.

“In a few weeks.”

“Can I bring some of my friends?

“I don’t know.  I’ll check with Kathy.”

D’Cerner went back to her room and picked up the phone.  “Kathy, he wants to play, and he wants to bring some others, is that all right?”

“Sure.  My dad will give you the information.  Will you be there?” Kathy asked innocently, not knowing anything about the agreement between D’Cerner and her father.

D’Cerner hesitated.  “I’m not sure sweetheart, ask your dad about that,” she responded.

“Okay, well, here he is.”

“So, your son wants to play, does he?” Cal asked, obviously having overheard part of the conversation.

“Yes, he said he did.  Cal, did you hear Kathy ask me about being there?” D’Cerner asked twisting the phone cord nervously.

“Yes.”

“Do you want to explain to her why I can’t be there?”

“Why can’t you be there?” Cal was amused at her tone.

“Cal, there’s a little matter of our agreement about meeting that you seem to have forgotten.”

“Oh that.  It’s all right.  I’m ready.”

“Ready for what?  To meet or to discuss what we heard.”

“To meet you.”

“That wasn’t the agreement.”

“I know, but aren’t we beyond all that now?”

“No.  An agreement is an agreement.  Don’t back out on me now.”  By now, D’Cerner was pacing her bedroom floor, wanting to strangle Cal.

“I’m not backing out.  Look, we have to meet sometime, so why don’t we get this over with now.”

“Are you sure?” Her pacing abruptly halted.

“Yes.”

“Cal, wherever we meet, it should be—“she started.

“In a public place,” he finished.  “I know.  How about lunch at Edwards Café?”

“Okay. When?”

“Tomorrow, one o’clock.”

“Okay, how will I know you?”  She was already thinking ahead about what she would wear.

“Don’t worry about it; I’ll wait for you in the lobby.”

“But how will you know me?”

“Oh, I’ll know you.” Cal was smiling to himself.

“Really?” D’Cerner smiled in response to his playful tone. You’ve never seen me before.”

“True, but our Father has.”

“Okay, you got me on that one.  See you tomorrow.”

“Have a good evening.”

Chapter Nine

By noon the next day, D’Cerner was a wreck.  She was getting on everyone’s nerves at the Stradus Youth Center and everyone was getting on hers.  She finally decided to leave the office early so she could wait in the parking lot of the café.   Before leaving she checked herself out in the bathroom mirror and decided she liked what she was wearing.  She wore a red, tailored suit with navy pumps.  The hem of the skirt reached mid-calf and showed just enough nylon-covered leg to make a person curious.  The silk print blouse was a perfect complement to the suit and even her hair decided to cooperate.  Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and held in place with a twist of red and navy satin ribbon, instead of her usual French twist.  The weather was warm enough for her black London Fog, but she wore a three-quarter length navy jacket instead.  After an intense self-inspection, she left the office.  Arriving almost thirty minutes early, she listened to some gospel music while sitting in the car.

Equally anxious, Cal arrived just about the same time she did and sat in the parking lot for a moment as well.  He noticed the white Buick Lucerne and recognized it as the car D’Cerner’s son had driven when they met for the basketball game.  He waited to see how long she would sit there and after watching her get comfortable when she laid her head back on the headrest, decided to go into the café.  He smiled as he thought about the fact she didn’t know how he would know her.  She had apparently forgotten she had let her son drive her car to the game.  Or maybe she hadn’t forgotten and was playing games with him.  Either way, they would soon know.  His view was slightly impaired from where he was standing, but he did like what he could see.

At five minutes to one, D’Cerner got out of the car after rechecking herself in the mirror and locked the doors.  She was over being nervous and was now very curious.  She had noticed a nice looking gentleman in a dark blue Mercury Sable pull into the parking lot not long after she arrived.  Since she did not wish to appear to be rudely staring, she just leaned her head back on the headrest, trying to get a better look.  When the man got out the car almost immediately, she concluded that it wasn’t Cal.  Her plan now was to get into the café to go to the restroom before he arrived. 

“That way,” she thought, “I’ll be inside and will be able to see him first.”

When D’Cerner walked inside, there, standing in the lobby, was the nice looking gentleman she had seen in the parking lot.  But he wasn’t just nice looking. He was well over six feet tall, with a slim well-kept body, graying hair at his temples and a smile that could make chocolate bubble over.  But it was his eyes that got her attention and they were almost hypnotic in their drawing power.  She was so transfixed with his looks she almost didn’t notice how close he was as he approached her.

“Sister Everett,” he said, extending his hand, “Calord Recinoire.”

“So it was you!  I thought I had a chance to get in first to spy on you” She offered her hand.

“I usually arrive at destinations early.  I don’t like surprises.”

“So you’ve said.  Do you have a table for us, too?”

“Not yet.” He smiled.  “I was waiting for you to come inside the restaurant.”

Cal signalled a hostess, indicating they were ready to be seated and took his time, quenching his thirst in her elegant beauty.  No makeup, simple gold earrings—she looked like a perfectly wrapped gift.  When Brandon had said she was attractive, it was an understatement.  Long thick lashes fringed her wide-set brown eyes and her full, dark eyebrows were arched into perfect semi-half moons, complementing the shape of her face.  She had a cute little button nose and a very inviting mouth, with full lips and small white teeth.  If he had not already known D’Cerner was forty-four, he never would have guessed it.  She could pass for twenty-something any day of the week.  She was so petite a strong wind could have carried her to faraway places.  It was no wonder she’d had so many marriage proposals.  Who wouldn’t want her for a wife?  He smiled at the ponytail and wondered if that’s what did it.  Or was it her attempt to appear relaxed?  Whatever it was, from her creamy complexion right down to her cute little feet, seeing her made it all worthwhile.  When they got to their table, the waiter stood behind a chair, waiting to assist her, but Cal dismissed him and pulled out the chair himself.

“A gentleman, too.”  D’Cerner thought.  “Wow!  All this and a man of God.”  Thanks Daddy.  Aloud, she said, “Thank you” to Cal.

“What would you like?”

“A salad would be fine.” But what she really wanted to say, was “you.”

“Good choice, what kind?  They make a terrific antipasto.”

“I think I’ll have the grilled chicken salad,” D’Cerner said looking at the menu.  “I really need to watch foods high in cholesterol.”