Would he listen? Would he understand?
She prayed to have the opportunity to tell him the story, to pour out her heart to him and to promise to never make that particular mistake again.
When the phone finally rang she answered it eagerly, knowing it would be him.
“Gabe?” she asked on a quick intake of breath.
“Yes. I said I’d call.” He sounded weary.
“Are you and Drew all right?”
“We’re fine. It was Lawrence and Hakim. They found the box and when we turned the lights on them, Lawrence surrendered at once. Hakim took the box and ran. We expected him to go back the way they came but he ran through the trees with Captain Powers and me chasing him.” He paused.
How drained he must be, she thought.
“Do you mean he ran in the direction of the house?” she asked.
“Yes. Then something really strange happened, Makima. You know where the bench is?”
“Of course.” Her hand tightened on the phone. She could feel the connection between them begin to flow again.
“Hakim came out of the trees there. We thought we’d lost him because we couldn’t see him anyplace. Powers has a very bright light and when he played it on the field we saw Hakim.”
Gabe kept pausing and Makima knew this was not a story he wanted to tell. Maybe she could help.
“You and Powers found him dead, Gabe?” she asked softly.
“Lying on his back in the field. He had opened the box and it was on his chest. He died in great fear. Powers thought it was a heart attack but I know better.”
Makima could see the picture clearly in her mind. How awful it must have been for Gabe.
“Hakim had violated the holy man’s powers and he paid the price,” she said.
“Yes. You do understand,” he sighed.
“I do,” she affirmed. “It wasn’t the ending you anticipated for whoever the thieves were, but it wasn’t your fault, either, Gabe. It was Hakim’s greed for what didn’t belong to him. Don’t blame yourself,” she urged, hoping to help him resolve any guilt he felt for Hakim’s death.
“At least it won’t go so badly for Lawrence and I’m glad for your mother’s sake. He’ll have to spend time in jail and maybe it’ll help him straighten out his life, but the idea was Hakim’s. Lawrence didn’t understand about the amulets.”
“Drew’s all right?” His brother’s safety had been Gabe’s great concern. She wanted Gabe to think of him instead of the lifeless Hakim.
She was rewarded when he gave a little laugh. “Drew thought it was the coolest adventure he’d ever had. Of course, when he saw Hakim that was pretty bad, but we talked about it and I think he’ll be okay.”
“You’re a wonderful big brother, Gabe,” she said quietly.
“I’m glad you think so. Times like this I know he misses our mom.”
“I expect he does and maybe you do also. But you have each other, Gabe, and—” She interrupted herself. This wasn’t the time, yet the urge had been so strong to make the promise, to express at least a portion of the love that filled her heart.
There was a pregnant silence on the line. She was scrambling in her mind to fill it with something appropriate when she heard him take a breath.
“And what, Makima? What else were you going to say?” There was a new note in his voice.
Encouraged by the sense of intimacy that came to her across the wire, she said, “Dearest Gabe, I was going to say that you also have me. That is if you still want me.” She rushed on with the request that was imperative if they were to erase the distance between them. “I haven’t had the chance to tell you about myself and why I acted as I did. I need to do that. Is there a time tomorrow when we can get together? Please.” She closed her eyes and said a little prayer that Gabe would know of her sincerity and would accede to her appeal.
“I want that, too. How about seven at your place?”
“That’s fine. I’ll let you go now. Thanks so much for letting me know what happened.”
“It was good for me, too. See you at work tomorrow.”
Gabe stood at the praise house the next afternoon. In the sunlight there was little evidence on the outside of the violent event that had taken place the night before except for the broken lock.
Inside was a different matter. On the front wall the figure of the holy man had been defaced by Hakim’s ax. Every bench had been broken or chopped at by Hakim in his fury to find the treasure.
Gabe felt sick in his stomach. He sat on the floor and asked forgiveness for the destruction and the godlessness that had invaded the praise house after all the centuries. As a Bell he had failed in his guardianship and he was profoundly sorry.
His bond with the people who’d built this place and worshipped here was strong. It was their suffering and their endurance that had made it possible for the generations that came after them to produce a man like Great-Grandfather who was determined to unearth him and Drew so the family line could continue in full knowledge of their heritage.
He longed for their pure belief and that of his mother.
In the silence he gradually became aware of an inflow of certainty and a profound connection he’d never felt before to the universality of God. It’s all the same. The God of the slaves, of the holy man, of his mother, the one Reverend Givhans preached about and Makima prayed to. It was all the same eternal source of good and faith.
His strong link through Great-Grandfather, and the first African in his line wasn’t just chance, but a pattern, a destiny that could only have come from an omnipotent Being.
Gratitude and a peace he’d never known before surged through him.
He didn’t know how long he sat in meditation before he opened the letter Moultrie had given him this morning when they’d met for breakfast before the attorney drove back to Charlotte.
He’d said, “I’ll be back in a day or two to help wrap things up. Mr. Bell wanted you to have this note from him after the treasure was found.”
Gabe had put it in his pocket, waiting for the place and the frame of mind to read it. He unfolded it now.
My dear great-grandson, Gabriel,
Although you may have found this journey difficult, even annoying at times, I have made it a challenge so that you and Drew would be good stewards of the destiny under the praise house, as well as of the property which I pray you will live on, nourish and enjoy the remainder of your lives and pass on to your heirs. I built the property to last for generations. I was denied the opportunity to do this for my own children, Elizabeth, Robert and Edward. May you pass it on to yours.
Your great-grandfather,
Ezekiel Bell Jr.
All Gabe could think as the poignancy of Great-Grandfather’s plea hit him was how a few days ago he’d decided to sell the property, take Drew and return to New York. He’d thought he’d found someone he could love and trust and a future in Grayson had seemed a possibility. Then in a few blazing minutes, that possibility had been burned to a cinder when Makima had accused him of being the cause of the board losing their deposit for the clinic construction.
The idea that she could think such a thing of him cut him to the quick and demonstrated that the closeness he’d thought they had was a mirage. He’d never suffered such profound heartache before and yet at work he listened for her footsteps in the hall, the sound of her voice saying something to Eugenia next door. But how could she have misjudged him so? That he couldn’t understand.
Then she’d shown up with the second key to the treasure and an apology. The key was genuine. Perhaps the conversation she wanted to have tonight would explain the substance behind the apology.
He wouldn’t let himself hope. Not yet. Too much was at stake.
Makima tried on the fourth outfit in preparing herself for Gabe’s visit. Maybe she should wear the jumpsuit she’d put on for the cooking party at Carolyn’s. The effect it had produced on Gabe was the one she wanted to see tonight, flat-out admiration and an overwhelming desire for e
mbracing. She took it out of the closet and held it up to her body.
No, that would not be fair. Tonight she was not playing games of any sort. She put all the gowns back in the closet and pulled out the skirt and blouse with the turquoise jacket she’d been wearing in the restaurant when they first saw each other.
That was the honest thing to do. If he could accept her full-blown apology when being reminded of how she’d embarrassed him in that restaurant, she would have won. Definitely.
When the bell rang at seven and Makima welcomed Gabe in, seated him opposite her and offered him coffee, she knew she’d made the right decision in what to wear. Gabe had not arrived in the mood she’d remembered from the cooking party.
His eyes were wary. He’d agreed to hear what she had to say but it wasn’t going to be easy to convince him of her change of heart. Her hands were cold and her nerves were jumping as she tried to find the right words.
“Gabe, I might as well tell you I’m jumpy because this is very important to me and I’m not sure how to go about it. I did and said such horrible things to you! I’ve never done such a thing before, not in my whole life and it’s taken me a while to understand how it happened.”
She made herself look at Gabe and then keep the eye contact. It was hard to do at first because she was ashamed. But as she progressed, the need for him to understand how and why she felt as she did took over and she lost her self-consciousness.
“When I got over being sick and feverish, I found I was angry with everyone, even with God although I was afraid to say it that way. I thought, how could He have let poor, ordinary people work hard to give money so that it could end up being stolen by Dakers and Sons? I was angry at the board because we didn’t take the time to make a trip up to Rock Hill to check the company out, and I was angry at you.”
She saw him flinch and she yearned to put her arms around him and kiss the hurt away. It was too soon.
“It was so wrong, Gabe, such distorted thinking. Delusions, you said. You were right. When I got well enough to see more clearly, I saw it was pride that made it hard for me to accept that Makima Gray could have made such an error in judgment. I was the one who recommended Dakers, you see.”
Gabe spoke for the first time. “Everyone makes wrong judgments sometimes, Makima.” His voice had warmth in it and she felt a spurt of encouragement.
“But then you and I argued in my office and I twisted events around so as to make you responsible. I am so ashamed of myself, Gabe. I have to ask now if you can forgive me for that.”
“Are you saying that you knew all along that I couldn’t have done anything to hurt you?” he asked quietly, his eyes holding hers.
“Yes, I knew you weren’t that kind of man. You’re a man of honor and integrity.”
Gabe leaned forward in his chair. Opposite him she followed his action instinctively. “Of course I forgive you, Makima,” he said. “But you need to help me understand why you did it.”
She leaned closer and took his hand. The current between them was flowing in force. “I asked myself the same question. Had it been Calvin who told me about the money, would I have felt that way? The answer was a big no. Calvin doesn’t matter to me except as a friend.”
Her voice softened. She let her feelings come out as she caressed his cheek and gazed at him with open emotion. “You are my beloved, Gabe. For you and in your eyes I wanted to be perfect. I didn’t understand that until later because I’ve never been in love before.”
Gabe’s eyelids closed halfway, he took in a breath and his mouth curved. He gently pulled Makima out of her chair and into his lap. With his arms around her, he gazed into her eyes. “How do you know you’re in love?” He kissed the corner of her mouth.
“Because just thinking of you gives me a joy I’ve never felt before and I long to see you and hear your voice and touch you.” She kissed him on his eyes. She wouldn’t ask him but she yearned to know how he felt.
He tightened his grip on her and began kissing her all over her face and neck.
“How else do you know?” he asked in a hoarse voice, his eyes ablaze with desire.
“I want to be with you all of the time,” she murmured, kissing his neck.
“Anything else?” He kissed her mouth with exceeding tenderness.
“Because even when we were mad at each other, I still thought of you all of the time.” She caressed the nape of his neck and pulled his head down for a gentle kiss.
“My dearest Makima,” he said. “I asked you all those questions because those are the reasons I know I love you.” His voice was serious and firm. “I have one more question for you.”
“What is it?”
“Will you marry me, Makima?”
Makima hadn’t anticipated that particular question, hadn’t dared dream that far.
“What about Drew?” she asked. “Will it be all right with him?”
Gabe grinned suddenly, like a lighthearted boy. “To have a chemistry teacher right in the house for the rest of his school years? Of course it’ll be okay with him, especially since he already likes this chem teacher. Any other questions before you answer me?” He was serious again.
“Are you sure, Gabe?” Her eyes were anxious. “Do you think you can trust me again?”
“We will trust each other and promise to always talk out any problems. Will you marry me, Makima?”
“Yes, I will, Gabe. I love you with all my heart and soul.”
Gabe held her close and laid his cheek on her hair. “Thank you, Great-Grandfather,” he murmured, “for bringing me here where my heart’s love was waiting for me.”
For an instant he felt the presence of his great-grandfather and for the first time saw his face. He was smiling.
Epilogue
Calvin and Drew had been watching a late show on television when Gabe had come in from Makima’s that night. Calvin had given him a searching glance, and come to a conclusion. He shook Gabe’s hand.
“Congratulations, my friend,” he said. “Have you set the date?”
“Date for what?” Drew had asked.
“Makima and I are getting married,” Gabe told him, watching for his reaction.
“Good,” Drew said. “I like her a lot. Can I be your best man at the wedding?” The appeal in his eyes touched Gabe’s heart.
“Who else?” he said. “I’m going to break the rule and have two attendants, my best brother and my best friend.”
Moultrie had been pleased with the news when he’d seen Gabe and Drew the following weekend to hand them a package from the safe-deposit box.
“This couldn’t have come at a more opportune time,” he’d told them. “Gabe, Mr. Bell wanted you to have this diamond wedding set he’d given his wife, and Drew, my young friend, you’ll be especially interested in these.” Inside a chamois bag were eight uncut diamonds. “Mr. Bell bought these over the years from Africa. Now they’re part of your inheritance.”
“I always thought there’d be diamonds,” Drew said with a huge smile.
“These are yours also.” Moultrie gave them a large manila envelope. Gabe pulled out from it the family photographs that had been missing from the house. There was Great-Grandfather just as Sam had described him.
In Great-Grandmother Sarah’s countenance Gabe saw patience, kindness and a definite sense of humor about the eyes and mouth. There was an early portrait of the parents with Elizabeth, Robert and Edward as schoolchildren.
The last photograph was of a small ebony man with deep-set eyes, broad nose, generously molded lips set in a face that had lines running from nose to chin, seeming to end in a white goatee. He wore a knitted cap that had fitted his head closely. He looked out at the world with a serenity born of endurance.
“That has to be Elijah,” Gabe said. He turned it over and there was the name in Great-Grandfather’s writing.
“Mr. Bell said to tell you that images can be powerful and he didn’t want these to distract you from what you had to do,” Moultrie had explained.
The weeks before the wedding had been busy. An archaeologist from the university had begun exploring the slave cemetery, which had engendered a great deal of media attention.
Moultrie had had several more sessions with Gabe to get the legal matters straight in the transfer of property and assets. He’d also been instrumental in helping Makima and the board find Dakers and Sons and retrieving the five thousand dollars.
Calvin had cornered Gabe one day. “Remember when I first arrived and spoke to you about the elements of the hero’s journey as it applied to you and your search for what Mr. Zeke had left you?”
Gabe grinned. “I’ve been meaning to tell you that you might have been right, because in the letter Great-Grandfather left me, he mentioned journey and difficulties.”
“So what do you think? You’ve been through a lot, has it changed you?” Calvin had given Gabe one of his soul-searching looks that made Gabe think seriously about the question.
“I guess it has changed me,” he mused. “It’s changed my idea about faith, forgiveness, the importance of family lineage and love.”
These had been uppermost in Gabe’s mind on the third Sunday in May when he’d stood, with Drew and Calvin, and watched a radiantly beautiful Makima come down the aisle to him.
He’d slipped the Bell wedding ring with its African insignia onto her finger and repeated his vows not only in front of the packed church but also in front of Mom and Pop and Great-Grandfather and Great-Grandmother.
They’d spent one week of their honeymoon exploring the Gambia and had gathered firsthand information for carrying out the destiny of the treasure. The second week had been spent on an island in the Caribbean where they could ignore everyone except each other.
Moultrie had gone with them on the second trip to meet with the cultural affairs department of the government. Matters had been arranged for the Gambian Education Foundation with its administrative site in Grayson, South Carolina.
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