CHAPTER NINE
The months rolled by. Winter and spring had passed since Donnie had come home to be with his mother. Now another summer was drawing to a close. Donnie had found it impossible to keep on living with his mother because of their many conflicting ideas. Once she was able to be on her own, he had moved into a little three-room apartment. But he often ate over at his mother's, usually several times a week.
His divorce had become final a few weeks ago. He no longer grieved over Sharon. In fact, he gave her very little thought, for he was now very much in love with another, and she with him. Donnie had asked Lisa to marry him, and she had made him very happy by accepting his proposal. They had discussed his marital state, and Lisa agreed with him that God surely didn't intend for him to live alone the rest of his life. After all, he had done what he could to get Sharon back, and she had refused all his overtures. She must have been determined to push him out of her life entirely, or she would not have filed for divorce. So both Lisa and Donnie felt he was justified in marrying again. Of course, her parents and Donnie's mom felt differently and had tried to dissuade them, but they had their minds made up. The wedding was to take place in two weeks at a wedding parlor, and was to be performed by a justice of the peace.
Donnie and Lisa both had vacation time coming and had planned a wonderful honeymoon trip to Florida.
"I can hardly wait, Lisa," Donnie told her as they sat together on the couch in her apartment. "Just think, we can soon stop paying rent on one of our apartments."
"I like mine best, Don. How about you?" Lisa smiled at him, her dark-brown eyes shining.
"It's fine, Lisa. I want anything you want. We're going to be the world's happiest couple. Never an argument or a fuss. Any disagreement we have, we'll work it out together. We're going to stay in love forever."
With a happy smile that revealed deep dimples, Lisa answered, "That won't be hard, Don, to be in love with you forever. You're the greatest guy I've ever known. Sharon was crazy to let you go, but I'm so glad she did. Aren't you?"
Donnie's face clouded. "I never want you to mention her name again. She's just a part of my past and has nothing at all to do with the present. 1 want to forget she ever existed. Do you understand, Lisa?" His voice had taken on a sharp edge.
Lisa looked bewildered. Donnie realized how roughly he had spoken, but he did not apologize. He wanted her to know that he meant business.
She pulled her hand away from his and drew away from him. "You don't have to raise your voice at me," she said. "I certainly won't ever mention her name again, if that's the way you want it. You sure are touchy about her."
"Touchy or not, 1 want her left out of our conversation." His voice left no doubt in her mind about the matter.
They sat there for several minutes, neither of them speaking. Finally, Donnie turned to her, saying, "If we're not going to talk, I'd just as well be going. Mom will talk to me. She gets lonely."
"If that's what you want to do, Donnie, go home to your mom. 1 certainly won't keep you from your mother's apron strings."
Donnie got up, slammed the door as he went out, and drove off, spinning his wheels. He had no desire to go to his mom's, so he drove out to Jake's Tavern and drank a couple of beers. Later he went to his apartment.
His phone was ringing as he walked in the door. He picked up the receiver.
"Hello."
"Hi, Don." It was Lisa.
"Yeah?"
"Are you mad at me?" Honey dripped from her voice.
"Should I be?"
"I don't think so. I'm going to be your wife in two weeks, so you shouldn't be mad at me. You should love me."
Donnie's beers were beginning to make him feel expansive, so, for over an hour, he talked to Lisa on the phone. They were lovers again, their little quarrel forgotten.
The next two weeks passed slowly for Donnie. He felt anxious about getting the wedding ceremony behind him. He had a strange dread, which he could not explain - a fear that something would happen and the wedding would never take place. His mom had let him know that she would pray to the very last minute that God would intervene and get glory to Himself. And he feared his mom's prayers. She had a way of getting what she wanted from God. But as the day drew nearer and nothing dreadful happened, he began to feel easier.
At last, there was only one day left before the wedding, and everything was going fine. Donnie laughed at himself and his fears. God had not answered his mother's prayer about the divorce, and it was becoming quite evident that her prayers could not stop his marriage to Lisa either. Had he known that Lisa's parents, along with the pastor and his wife, were meeting at Mrs. Slocum's that night for an all-night prayer meeting in their behalf, he would not have laughed.
After work, Donnie and Lisa met outside for a few minutes as they were in the habit of doing every day.
"Come over as soon as you can," Lisa invited. "I'll fix you a cheeseburger and some fries."
"Just as soon as I can shower and get dressed, I'll be there," he said. Then smiling at her, he asked, "Are you glad we'll soon be together all the time, Lisa?"
"I can hardly wait, Don. I love you so very much!"
"The feeling is mutual, darling. See you in a little while."
No more work for nine days, happy thought! They were to be married at 3:30 the next afternoon, which was Saturday.
Donnie hummed as he showered. Strangely enough, he was humming a religious song. Soon he broke out into singing one of his mother's favorites, "Have thine own way, Lord, Have thine own way." When he realized what he was singing, he chuckled. I am excited! And why shouldn't I be? I will soon be married to the greatest and most beautiful girl in the whole world. "
That's what you thought when you married Sharon, something reminded him.
"Forget Sharon!" he cried out. "She's dead and buried, as far as I am concerned. I'm in love with Lisa."
He hurriedly got dressed and headed for Lisa's apartment .
After they ate their hamburgers and fries, Donnie helped clean up in the kitchen.
"Is this going to be a regular habit, Don?" Lisa asked playfully.
"Always, my sweet. Anything to lighten the load of the one I love." He reached over and plucked her hand from the sudsy water and pressed it to his lips. "Have I told you lately how much I love you, my darling?"
She rested her head against his shoulder. "I love you too, Don. So very, very much. I'm the happiest girl in all the world tonight."
A few hours later, as they sat watching TV, Lisa turned to Donnie with a peculiar look on her face. "Mind if I turn off the TV?" she asked. '
"You mean now? Before the program ends?"
"I'd like to turn it off right now," she said.
"Then go ahead, baby. Anything to please you. That's what I'll be doing the rest of my life, pleasing you, darling."
She walked across the room and snapped off the TV. Then, instead of sitting back down beside him, she sat on a chair opposite him, that same disturbing expression on her face. Donnie began to wonder what was wrong.
"I want to talk to you, Don. I mean, really talk to you," she said, her voice low and intense.
Donnie tried to sound cheerful as he answered, "Go ahead, sweetheart. Let's hear what my pretty wife-to-be has to say."
"I want to talk to you about religion."
"Religion!" Donnie exploded. "Have you gone nuts?"
"No, Donnie. It's just that we've never discussed religion before, and I think we should before we marry."
"Well, let's start discussing, for at this time tomorrow night we'll be married. Oh, Lisa, darling, doesn't it thrill you? Just think, you'll be Lisa Slocum by this time tomorrow!" He was trying to turn her from her serious frame of mind, but she was not to be detoured.
"Donnie, I've been wondering, just exactly what do you believe?"
"Oh, I believe I'm marrying the world's sweetest girl. I believe I'll love her forever. I believe .... "
"Donnie, be serious
. You know I'm referring to your religious beliefs. What do you believe as far as religion is concerned?"
Donnie wanted to say that religion had caused him more trouble than he could speak of, but he decided against that. "Well, uh–I don't know. Uh--What do you believe, Lisa?"
"I believe there's a heaven and a hell. Do you, Donnie?"
Since when had she started calling him "Donnie"?
Donnie wondered. It irritated him terribly. His voice was stern as he answered her question.
"Why certainly, Lisa. I guess nearly everybody believes in a heaven and a hell."
"What do you think a person has to do to get to heaven, Donnie?"
"Uh--uh--I guess they have to get saved. That's what Mom and Connie say."
"Forget about your mom and your sister. What do you think you would have to do to get to heaven?"
"Why are you firing all these questions at me, Lisa? I'm not the least bit interested in getting to heaven tonight. And tomorrow after 3:30 I'll be in heaven. I'll be married to the greatest and sweetest--"
"Donnie, stop it. I'm being serious. Do you believe in hell?"
"Lisa, I don't want to discuss heaven and hell tonight. I want to hold you in my arms and talk about our wedding tomorrow”.
"But, Donnie, what if we'd die tonight? What if we don't make it to our wedding day? We would go to hell together. We would have to watch each other suffer the agonies of hell throughout eternity. And Brother Morgan says we wouldn't love each other there. He says that nobody will love anybody there--that there's no love at all in hell."
"Nonsense, Lisa. I've heard enough of this. What's wrong with you? You're spoiling our last night together before our wedding. Let's get on another subject, or I'm going home."
"I can't. I can't think of anything but that, Donnie. I feel like I'm going to die tonight and drop off into hell." She looked terrified.
Donnie jumped to his feet and rushed over to her and tried to take her in his arms.
"No, no!" she screamed. "Don't touch me."
"Lisa, Lisa, what's wrong? I've never seen you act like this."
She started sobbing hysterically. "I want to be left alone. I want to pray. I want to call my parents to come pray for me. Will you please leave, Donnie?"
When he made no move to go, she became frantic. "I mean now, Donnie. Please go now! I've got to be alone."
"But I can't leave you like this, Lisa. Try to get ahold of yourself. You're just excited because of the wedding, and you're over-reacting. Let me get you something to calm your nerves."
"Donnie, you're wrong," she said between sobs. "I'm not over-reacting. There'll be no wedding. I can't go through with it."
"You're crazy, Lisa. You've got to be crazy. Your mind has snapped."
He jerked her to her feet and shook her. "You can't call the wedding off now. Our plans are all made. We've already scheduled our vacation together."
But Lisa was impervious to all his reasoning. "Just go, Donnie. Please don't stay another minute."
She went over and opened the door. Donnie walked to the door, his face dismal. He stopped and looked at her for a moment. He knew in his heart that this was final, that his mom's prayers had been answered.
"Good-bye, Lisa. Be seeing you around," he said, and was gone.
Donnie drove around for hours, his mind tortured by life's disappointments and heartaches. Just when he thought he had found happiness at last, it fled from him like a bird on wings. Morbidly, he thought I wish I could die and end it all. But would death end it all? Lisa was so sure, tonight, of an eternity hereafter. Lisa, who had always seemed as hard as nails when it came to religion. What had happened to her? He wondered if she had contacted her parents yet. As for his mom, he did not care if he ever saw her again. Oh how he hated her and her prayers tonight. I'll never be able to find happiness, with her always praying my happiness away. I'd like to tell her what I think of her prayers. I'd like to go wake her up right now and just tell her. The more he thought about it, the more determined he was to really do it. He headed his car in that direction, driving furiously. It was 1:00 a.m., but what difference did that make? The more he could hurt her, the better. Then maybe she would see how she had hurt him.
Fifteen minutes later he pulled up in his mother's driveway. But something was wrong! The lights were on, and there were extra cars sitting in the driveway--Brother Morgan's and Lisa's parents' car. Had something happened to his mom? Or Lisa? Donnie jumped out of the car, flew up the steps, and jerked the front door open. The sight that met his eyes took away his breath. All five people were on their knees pleading with God. They looked up when the door burst open, and their prayers turned to praises.
The warmth of the holy atmosphere suddenly melted Donnie's cold and hard heart. His anger vanished. An agony of remorse settled down upon him. He hardly knew how he got on his knees, but the next thing he realized, he was praying and confessing and begging God for mercy.
"Oh, God, can You have mercy on me as wicked as I am? You know how I've lied and cheated and rebelled against You. Oh, Lord, You know about me robbing that poor old lady. If You'll only forgive me, I'll make it right. I'll go right away, Lord. And I'll pay the rent and utilities I owe Mrs. Durant. Oh, God, please have mercy on me. Don't let me drop off into hell. I'm the worst sinner in the world. I've spurned Your love so long. Can You ... oh, will You forgive me? I'm sorry for all my wickedness. Lord, You know how I cheated on Sharon and lied to her. You know the times I slapped her around, and yet I placed the blame on her for our split. Oh, God, You know I'm the one who's to blame. Have mercy on me, Lord." On and on, Donnie prayed in agony of spirit, and the others kept holding on in prayer for him.
Remembering how he had wronged his mother, Donnie glanced at her. Her lips were moving silently, her hands were lifted to heaven, and her face radiated a light that made her look like an angel. Donnie jumped to his feet and threw his arms around her.
"Forgive me, Mom, for all I've put you through. I hated you tonight for your prayers. I was coming over to tell you off. I'm sorry, Mom. Will you forgive me?"
"Yes, son, a thousand times do I forgive." Her face was radiant, her voice vibrant.
Donnie then turned to the preacher. "Brother Morgan, I've ridiculed you and your church and your people. I've called you a bunch of fanatics and crackpots. Will you forgive me?"
Brother Morgan smiled and hugged Donnie. "Of course I forgive you."
"Mr. and Mrs. Whitfield," Donnie said, turning to them, "I hated you because you didn't want your daughter marrying me. Will you forgive me?"
"Gladly, Don. We hold nothing against you," Mr. Whitfield said.
Again Donnie went to prayer, and in a little while he prayed through, finding forgiveness for his sins. In place of bitterness, he found joy, in place of hatred and anger, he found love and peace. Uncertainty turned to hope. He looked up, with tears streaming down his cheeks, and said, "My sins are forgiven. I'm one of you now."
Oh, what rejoicing took place! Mrs. Slocum was completely overcome. She sat on the floor with hands stretched toward heaven, saying, "Thank You, Lord, thank You, Lord. You plucked him out of the devil's net. Oh, thank You, Lord."
"She hasn't eaten a bite in three days," Brother Morgan told Donnie. "She was determined the devil was not going to get her boy."
Donnie sobbed like a child. "Oh, Mom," he said, taking her in his arms, "if it hadn't been for your prayers I would have been lost forever."
After some of the excitement had died down, Mrs. Whitfield asked Donnie, "Have you seen Lisa?" Her voice was full of concern.
"Yes, I had supper with her, but I left there a long time ago because she was all upset. She acted half crazy." Seeing the frightened look on Mrs. Whitfield's face, he hastened to add, "She said she felt like she was going to die tonight and drop off into hell. She called off the wedding."
"Oh, blessed conviction!" her mother cried. "Oh, the faithfulness of God!" Looking at Mrs. Slocum, she asked,
"May I use your phone?"
"Sure."
With trembling hands, she dialed Lisa's number.
"Hello," she said. "Lisa? Lisa, calm down! We're at Slocum's. What? You got saved? Well, hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Slow down a bit, I can't understand you."
Mrs. Whitfield stood listening for a long time. The tears ran unashamedly down her cheeks, and every once in a while she would say, "Praise the Lord!"
When she hung up, she told the eager listeners, "Lisa tried to call us after Donnie left, and when we didn't answer, she thought the rapture had taken place. She called Brother Morgan and he didn't answer either, so that clinched it for her. She wanted to call Mrs. Slocum but was afraid Donnie had come here and would answer, and she wasn't in a frame of mind to talk to him. So she said she fell on her knees and cried and prayed until she knew her sins were forgiven. Then she said she thought, 'What will happen to me now? Jesus has come and raptured the saints. If I make it to heaven, I'll have to go through the Great Tribulation with the mark of the beast in the world.' She walked the floor until finally she thought of Ralph, so she called him. At first, all she could do was cry when she heard his voice. When she was able to tell him what had happened, Ralph assured her that Jesus had not come, because he knew he was saved and sanctified and ready to go up in the rapture. After that, she rang our phone every five minutes. She was nearly beside herself when I called." Mrs. Whitfield paused, then added, "Well, praise the Lord. This has been a wonderful night." And almost in the same breath she asked her husband, "Are you ready to go, Daddy? I'm tired and sleepy."
Everyone joined in a good hearty laugh. It was time to laugh, for "weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
Plucked Out of the Net Page 9