The Seventh Messenger

by Carol Costa

  “Did you also share his bed and bear his children?” Mary asked icily.

  Silas" face turned red. He turned to Dewhirst for help.

  “Obviously,” Dewhirst told them. “This meeting is not getting us anywhere. You are both too emotional to reason with so we will meet again at a later date.”

  “You are both forbidden to enter this house again,” Mary said. “If necessary, I will post guards at the entrances to keep you out. Mr. Dewhirst, my lawyers will be contacting you. Mr. Mooney, you and your wife, should pack your bags and leave this colony at once.”

  Silas was so angry he started to sputter, but Dewhirst grabbed him by the arm and led him to the front door. As soon as they were gone, Mary collapsed into the nearest chair.

  After getting her emotions under control, Mary went off to find Jacob. Like Silas, he had been with Benjamin from the beginning and she wanted to know if he were going to side with Silas or perhaps make his own bid for power.

  Mary found Jacob in the offices downstairs. Even with the park closed for the winter, there was work to be done to keep the colony running smoothly.

  “Mary, you look upset,” Jacob said as soon as she entered his office. “Has something happened?”

  “I just had a most unpleasant meeting with Andrew Dewhirst and Silas Mooney. Are you aware of what is going on?”

  “No. I have not spoken to either of them in several days,” Jacob said. Knowing that Jacob was incapable of lying, Mary sat down and told him what happened upstairs with Dewhirst and Silas.

  “But Mr. Dewhirst is not even a member of this colony,” Jacob said shaking his head.

  “No, but he is the one Benjamin trusted to hire a team of attorneys to protect our assets before the trial began.”

  “Mr. Dewhirst is a difficult man to like,” Jacob said. “And I am shocked that Silas Mooney would join forces with him.”

  “Silas wants to control the colony.”

  “Why? Benjamin will return to us soon. He is the Seventh Messenger and the leader of our people.”

  “Apparently, Silas does not share your belief,” Mary told him.

  Jacob sat back in his chair. “Our people have suffered enough with the trial and the loss of Benjamin"s physical presence. They should not have to suffer through another tribulation.”

  “I agree, Jacob,” Mary said. “But I must protect myself and that means our colony may be divided. I need to know now if you stand with me or with Silas.”

  Tears sprang to Jacob"s eyes. “I pray that God will not allow it to come to that.”

  “So do I, but I need your answer.”

  “I pledged myself to Benjamin and to you long ago. You have been my leaders and my dearest friends. I will not abandon you, Mary. Benjamin would expect me to stand at your side until he returns.”

  “You know, Jacob,” she said. “All the years I worried that Benjamin"s indiscretions would someday divide the colony may finally come to pass. Only it is not the indiscretions of his final years that have caused the problem but something that he failed to do before I even knew him.”

  “Benjamin answered only to God. Common legalities were not important to him. He will return and make things right again. Until he returns, you may count on me.”

  Mary nodded her appreciation. She did not tell Jacob that Benjamin was dead and would not be returning to them. Once again, Jacob had professed his belief that Benjamin was an angel and no matter what happened Jacob would carry that belief to his own grave.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  As Mary had feared the legal battle continued throughout the winter months, into the spring. There were no court appearances, but there were constant meetings between the lawyers and clients on both sides.

  Despite the fact that the colony was being divided by the

  legal dispute, the House of David members continued to work and live together. The park was being prepared for opening day and the baseball team had been practicing for several weeks. The first games that season were at the House of David Park. In addition to the regulation game of baseball, the team had developed a special treat for the fans. It was called the Pepper Game.

  The Pepper Game usually took place in the middle of the fifth inning. Three players would go onto the field and stand a few feet apart. A fourth player would assume the role of the batter and hit the ball to the three fielders. Each of three had their own array of fancy tricks. There were behind the back catches and throws, fake throws, catches that required the men to jump high in the air. Some balls rolled across the shoulders and down the arm of an infielder. It was pure theatrics and great fun to watch. It became another reason why the House of David team was so popular at home and on the road.

  Francis Thorpe was still the manager of the House of David team, but he told anyone who asked that his loyalties lay with Mary Purnell.

  “I stand behind Mary. It takes more than a piece of paper to make a wife and she was Benjamin"s partner in every sense of the word.” Thorpe declared. “Silas is a fool to try and replace her.”

  Mary was grateful for the people, like Thorpe, who openly supported her. However, the uncertainty of her future with the colony was wearing her down.

  Finally, the attorneys reached an agreement and brought a proposal to Mary. The offer gave Mary a large parcel of property a half mile from the amusement park. The property included a hotel that had been constructed for tourists just a few years earlier. There were also a number of nice tourist cabins located on the property that were rented out during the summer months. Under the settlement agreement, Mary would receive enough cash, property and other valuables to keep her comfortable for the rest of her days.

  Weary of all the time and energy she had to expend on the legal battle, Mary decided to accept the offer and leave the House of David.

  Mary signed the agreement and moved out of the Diamond House and took up residence down the road, in a hotel. Jacob moved with her and so did several key people from the business office, leaving Silas scrambling to find people to handle all the work the departing colonists had done.

  Approximately fifty people left the House of David to follow Mary Purnell. As he promised, Francis Thorpe left the House of David and brought enough baseball players with him that Mary"s colony had its own team.

  Mary"s colony was officially called The City of David, but it was also known as the House of Mary or the House of David as reorganized by Mary Purnell.

  Of course the division of the House of David was reported in the newspapers and tourists who came to visit the House of David Park began going down the road to the City of David.

  Louella, who was a magician with food, was one of the people who had come to the City of David with Mary. So, one of the first enterprises the new colony added to the hotel was a vegetarian restaurant. It was an instant success. Soon, people from Benton Harbor and St. Joseph were bypassing the House of David Park without stopping to dine at the hotel restaurant.

  A short time later, a small bakery was opened on the City of David grounds. In the summer months when the cabins were full of tourists, the bakery staff had to work around the clock to keep up the demand for pastries and breads.

  Mary, Jacob, Louella and a few others who were needed to run the hotel were given rooms in the hotel. The others shared some of the cabins on the property.

  The City of David was a profitable organization from the beginning. While their baseball team didn"t have a home field to play on, Thorpe quickly filled up the season with games scheduled all over the United States and Canada.

  Mary settled into the nicest hotel suite and was quite comfortable there. Where the Diamond House was often dark and gloomy, the hotel was bright and colorful.

  An assembly hall was constructed within walking distance of the hotel. It was there that Mary communicated with the angels.

  Her sessions with these spiritual beings started as a way to attract tourists to the City of David. Soon, it evolved into something much more important for Mary. During her meditation
s, she began to feel an inner peace that gradually washed away the pain and bitterness of the past. And even more amazing was the fact that during her meditations, she was able to answer questions for people who needed help and guidance from the angels.

  Mary Purnell"s faith and goodness was once again evident to all who had contact with her. With her own colony of supporters, Mary found the peace and prosperity that Benjamin had always promised his followers.

  In the fall of that year, Mary traveled to Ann Arbor to visit John Assanti. He had written to her several times during Benjamin"s trial, when Benjamin died, and later during her legal battle with Dewhirst and Mooney. He always offered his support and asked if he could help her in any way. Mary had never done more than send him short notes thanking him for his concern and assuring him that she was all right.

  It had been several years since Mary had seen the Etherton Gallery, but when she walked through the door and looked around it seemed exactly the same as she remembered it. John had not changed a thing.

  A young woman came out to greet her and Mary asked to see John.

  “Who may I say is calling?” the girl asked.

  “Mary Purnell, a very old friend.”

  “Mary Purnell? From the House of David?”

  “Yes.”

  “Please follow me. I"ll take you directly to John.”

  Mary followed the girl down a short hallway. She remembered that Etherton"s office had been off this corridor, but the girl walked right past the open door to the office and turned down another hallway. This one ended in a large bright room where John Assanti sat on a high stool looking down at a block of stone on his workbench.

  Mary"s breath caught in her throat when she saw him. His beard was gone and his dark hair was now completely gray, just as her own was.

  John looked up as the young woman"s heels clicked across the wooden floor.

  “Mary Purnell is here,” the girl said as if Mary was expected.

  John slid off the stool and hurried across the room to embrace Mary. The young woman slipped quietly out the door and closed it softly behind her.

  “Mary, my darling. I can"t believe you"re finally here."

  “It"s very good to see you, John. I hope I"m not disturbing your work.”

  He laughed and embraced her again. “Of course you"re not.

  Come sit down and tell me how you are.” John led her over to a small table with two chairs that was set up in a corner. “Can I get you something?”

  “No, thank you,” Mary said. He held a chair out for her and she sat down. “I can hardly believe I"m here. It"s been such a long time.”

  John sat down across from her and took her hand in his. “I read about the colony splitting up. It must have been terrible for you.”

  “Not as bad as I thought it would be,” she told him. “And the colony didn"t actually split in two. A number of the members chose to come with me, but the majority has stayed with the House of David. Of course, there"s much more work for them there with the farms and amusement park and all.”

  “So you"re okay with it?” he asked with concern in his voice.

  “Yes. I didn"t think I would be, but it has all worked out as it should. I have found peace and comfort and that is why I am here.”

  “I don"t understand.”

  “No, of course you don"t and now that I"m here sitting across this table from you, I"m not sure if I can explain it.” “Mary, I owe you so much. You don"t have to explain anything to me.”

  “Oh, but I do, John. You see, when you asked me to leave the colony with you, I refused. Do you remember what I told you?”

  “Of course, I do. You said you had grown used to the comforts you had there and didn"t want to leave them because you deserved them.”

  “Yes, something like that. Then, within a few days, my world fell apart. My son left and never returned. The comforts I had clung to, quickly lost their value.”

  John nodded. “Unfortunately, your problems have been well covered in the newspapers here. I have read all the accounts of the trial and the testimony given there.”

  “For many years, I blamed Evelyn Warren and her child for all the bad things that happened in my life, the loss of my son, the trial, Benjamin"s death, and my own legal troubles as a result of the trial.”

  “I can understand that. You knew from the beginning that girl was trouble.”

  “Yes, but I realize now that Evelyn was a victim. And more importantly, I understand that everything that happened was part of God"s plan for me. It brought me to the place I am now, a good place, a peaceful place.”

  “I"m happy for you.”

  “I am happy for you and your success and I came here to thank you for all you did for me.”

  “I don"t deserve any thanks, Mary. I did nothing for you. I begged you to take me into your colony and give me a place to do my artwork. Without your help I would have starved. Without your help I would not own this beautiful gallery.”

  “You loved me and supported me. And even though I let you walk out of my life, I never forgot what we shared. Although I chose to stay with Benjamin, I knew that he did not love me. It was your love that sustained me in my darkest hours and I felt I had to come here and tell you that.”

  “I still love you, Mary,” John told her softly.

  John and Mary spent a pleasant afternoon together and then she returned to the City of David. A week later, word came from Ann Arbor that John Assanti had a heart attack and died. ***

  “Why did you tell me about your last encounter with John Assanti?” Naomi asked. “Although it is a sweet story, your relationship with John has nothing to do with me.”

  “I told you because I sensed that you needed to hear it.” Mary said. “I told you because when John died, I did not suffer because of the words I had left unsaid. He knew that I cared about him and the things we shared were important to me. I believe you are here today because you are searching for a way to make your peace with your mother.”

  “I told you earlier that my mother is in a nursing home. What I didn"t tell you is that she is near death. Did someone else tell you that?” Naomi asked in a suspicious tone.

  Mary shook her head. “No, my dear. You see, my angel routine as you called it, is not just one of Benjamin"s old tricks. Although I admit, it may have started that way. It quickly became a true source of spiritual guidance for me and others who come to me for help as you did today.”

  “You have been very kind to share your memories with me. It has explained why my mother did the things she did.” “Telling it again after all these years was not as painful as I

  thought it would be. I hope it has truly helped you, Naomi.” “It has made me realize that my mother was a young girl

  suddenly trapped in what must have seemed like a lion"s den to

  her. She had to fight her way out and got both of us emotionally

  scarred in the process.”

  “Anyone who opposed Benjamin got battle scars,” Mary

  told her.

  “What about Celia?” Naomi asked suddenly. “You said you

  knew what happened to her.”

  Mary smiled. “Indeed I do.” Mary walked to the phone and

  dialed a number. “Celia? Would come to my suite, please?

  There"s someone here who would very much like to see you.” Naomi was so surprised; she couldn"t speak. A few minutes

  later the door opened and a lovely lady with silver hair entered

  the room.

  Naomi stood up. Celia looked at her and broke into a smile. “My sunshine child,” Celia cried as she rushed forward and

  embraced her.

  “I"m so happy to see you again,” Naomi said through her

  tears.

  “And I you,” Celia replied.

  “Celia manages this hotel for us,” Mary told Naomi. The three women sat down and Celia explained what had

  happened to her after marrying Frank Melicher and leaving the

  House of Dav
id.

  “Frank took the children and I to live in New York State.

  Even though our marriage was one of convenience, we grew

  very fond of each other and had many happy years together.

  Frank passed away suddenly ten years ago. By that time, Jonah

  and Anna were grown and out on their own. Both are married

  now with children and still live in New York.”

  “But you came back here? Why?”

  “Even after all the years I lived in the outside world, I never

  forgot the faith and goodness I knew at the House of David. I

  knew the colony had been divided, but I decided to come back

  and try to recapture all the peace and love I had left behind.

  When I returned there didn"t seem to be a place for me at the

  House of David, so I simply walked down the road and became

  a part of Mary"s life again.”

  “The road between the colonies is short and connected,”

  Mary said.

  “So, Naomi, how is Evelyn?” Celia asked.

  “My mother is very ill, near death I"m afraid. That"s one of

  the reasons I came back here today. I needed to understand the

  past in order to deal with the present,” Naomi paused and

  looked over at Mary. “I need to make my peace with my mother. Our relationship has never been a close one, but I know now

  why she resented me. Even though she was able to strike back

  at Benjamin, and to leave the colony, I was a constant reminder

  of him and all that happened to her here.”

  “I always felt that Evelyn had built a shell around herself to

  keep from being hurt again,” Celia remarked as she stood up

  and hugged Naomi again. “I must get back to the front desk.

  We"re short-handed today. Please, Naomi, stop and see me

  again before you leave.”

  “I will, Celia. And I promise we"ll keep in touch now.” “I"d like that,” Celia said as slipped back through

  the door.

  Mary had gotten slowly to her feet and walked over to the