by BWWM Club
“I want to invite us to stand while the choir ministers to us in song,” his deep voice resounded around the massive room and the congregation stood up obediently. The song was: ‘Great is thy Faithfulness’ and Leah found herself listening to the words as well as the magnificent voices that ministered in song.
“Let’s give the choir a round of applause for that wonderful rendition.” He said as soon as the song ended and he stood behind the pulpit and placed his Bible there. “Please be seated.” He instructed. “I want to acknowledge a familiar face in the congregation. It’s her first time in service and we hope it won’t be her last. Ms. Leah Brown, my brothers and sisters.” He indicated for her to stand. She did so with great reluctance and she could feel every eye on her and she hastily sat back down, wishing he had not done that.
“I want to talk to us today about God’s faithfulness and we are going to be looking at the covenant he made with Abraham also called the ‘Abrahamic Covenant’. We are going to discover that God is faithful and true to His words and no matter how long it seems to us for his word to come to pass, it will always come to pass.” He paused and it was as if he was staring straight at her. “Sometimes we have become like Sarah; we laugh at his promises because they seem so impossible and it would appear that the time has passed for such a promise to come true but God is God and there is no impossibility in him. He just needs you to give him a chance and hold on to his words. He will always be true, no matter what.”
Leah found herself absorbed by what he was saying. She had not read the Bible in a long time but she was aware of the story of Abraham and Sarah and how they had been given a son at the ages of one hundred and ninety respectively. She had lost her faith in God for so long that she did not know if she could ever get it back. She listened as he spoke about trust and love and holding on to promises and to her shock she felt the tears at the back of her eyes and she had to blink several times to clear it. She never cried in public and she certainly was not going to let her emotion show for the thousands of people sitting in the sanctuary.
He ended with a haunting rendition of ‘All to Jesus I surrender’, his deep voice melodious and touching with the choir backing him up. She saw a great number of people going up to the altar and although she had been touched by what had transpired she stayed there rooted to the soft velvet seat.
She closed her eyes while he prayed: “Almighty God, the Creator of all living creatures and the giver of life, we want to thank you for your many blessings. We are here this morning not because we are good and without sin but rather because You are good and compassionate and merciful and we want to thank you for sending your son into this sinful world to take away our sins and to give us a shot at Eternal life. We have failed you in so many ways, so many times and we ask for your forgiveness which you so readily give us whenever we ask in sincerity. Thank you that we are told to come freely to the throne of grace so that our sins may be absolved and we thank you for the opportunity and privilege of being called your children. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
She kept her eyes shut even after he had finished praying. She found herself humbled by her surroundings, his words and the prayer he had just uttered and she wanted to go somewhere quiet so she could think but she was not given the chance. They were asked to stand for the closing hymn and the Benediction and to her shock she saw him bounding down the stairs and heading straight towards her. He caught her arm and led her outside, stopping to greet members on his way out, still holding on to her, maybe afraid that she was going to leave.
They finally got outside and away from the crowd and he led her to a low slung BMW parked in a designated spot. Without a word he opened the passenger door for her and she slid in without protesting, still emotionally charged from the service.
He did not speak until he had driven out of the parking lot and was on the road. “Did you enjoy the service?” he asked her softly.
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
“I am sorry. I practically kidnapped you there but I was afraid you were going to leave before I had a chance to speak to you.”
“Where are we going?” she asked him staring at the passing scenery.
“It’s a surprise,” he told her.
“You’re full of those aren’t you?” she finally looked at him.
“I am.” He told her with a smile. “How have you been?”
“Not bad.” She told him with a shrug.
“I missed you,” he told her frankly and Leah looked at him startled.
“Paul-“ she began.
“Ah here we are.” He said before she could finish the sentence.
It was a restaurant that had been featured many times in the papers. As a matter of fact it had been called the eatery of the year and you had to book several months in advance in order to get a table.
“When did you book a table?” she asked as he helped her out. There were no other cars parked there and she wondered if they did not open on Sundays or maybe it was too early in the morning. A quick glance at her watch told her it was almost one o’clock.
“Just yesterday,” he told her as he led her to the entrance.
“I thought you had to book way in advance.” She murmured as they stepped inside.
“I have special privileges.” He confessed sheepishly as what looked like the Maitre D hurried over to take their coats.
“Let me guess, you have shares in it.”
“I own it.” He told her with a little smile. “Thank you Jeremiah. We will find a seat for ourselves.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Leah said shaking her head as he pulled out a chair for her to sit. The place was sumptuous and looked more like a hotel than a restaurant. There was a fountain in one corner and fresh flowers everywhere.
“What do you want to eat?” he asked her as he picked up his menu.
She perused the menu quickly and decided on the lobster quiche. He did the same and beckoned to the Maitre D to tell him their choice. They were served with an appetizer, creamy pumpkin soup and glasses of frosted fruit punch.
“How did you enjoy the service?” he asked her as he sipped the soup.
“It was interesting,” she used her lashes to shield her eyes. “I didn’t know you could sing like that.” She added.
“I am in the choir as well when I am not preaching.” He told her. He waited until she had finished her soup before he said to her: “You ran away from me when I said this to you before.” He said quietly. “It still does not stop the way I feel and I am not good at hiding my feelings especially feelings as powerful as this. I love you Leah, more than I have ever love another person before and I am not going to fight it.”
He reached out for her hands on the table and she did not pull away. “Are you going to say anything?” he asked her achingly.
“I can’t,” she choked. “Not right now.”
They were served their meals just then and as delicious as it was, she found herself picking at the meal in front of her. What was she supposed to say to him? She knew she was feeling something for him but she had yet to explore it and she could not think straight when he was near her.
He spoke to her about some transaction he was doing, trying to put her at her ease and for the time she found herself relaxing but she knew he was going to go back to it eventually. He had cleared out an entire restaurant for her, albeit he owned the darn thing but still. She was choked up about what he had done and how gentle he was with her. How could she not return the feelings?
“Ready to leave?” he asked her gently as they polished off the crème brulee that had been served to them.
“I thought you wanted an answer,” she said hesitantly.
“Are you ready to give me one?” he raised dark brown brows.
“I have never been in love with anyone. I have never been with a man before; I was too busy building a career and the sermon you preached about the promises of God has me thinking. I have been doing a lot of thinking Paul.” She took a deep breath be
fore continuing. “I have never met anyone like you before.” She ended in a whisper.
“Good,” he told her gently. “We can go on from there, as long as you are not telling me to stay away from you.”
“I am not,” she said shaking her head.
“I don’t think I could bear that.” He told her huskily.
*****
He took her out on dates and it was a good thing she had finished the article and gave it to Mary because she would not have been able to write objectively about him anymore.
They had become an item and she started getting involved in the ministry; often going to the soup kitchen to help out and learning more baking methods from Gladys. She had not told him she loved him yet and he was being patient with her even though she knew how much it was killing him.
The twenty-first of June, the beginning of summer was a Saturday and the ministry had decided to put on a huge cookout and invited the entire town. She had been elected to help with the sharing and had agreed. She found herself looking forward to being with the people in the ministry and spending time with him.
It was the Friday before the event that he said he wanted to give her something special. He was in the office at about six o’clock with Mary-Ann having gone for the day.
“What’s the surprise?” she asked him as soon as she sat on the sofa. She had just left the newspaper and had come straight here. He came to sit beside her and took her hands inside his. “I love you,” he began, staring at her, his green eyes hypnotic. “I want you to be my wife and I want to tell the world about us officially at the summer fiesta.” He told her.
Leah knew it was coming and she had prepared for it. Each night when she reached home she found herself aching for him, wanting to be with him in ways that she could not imagine and she knew she wanted to spend her life with him, no matter what. “I would like that too,” she told him softly, holding to his hands tightly. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
He pulled her into his arms and they shared a passionate embrace and a little later he reached inside his pocket and pulled out a small heart shaped velvet box opened to reveal a stunning topaz ring set in a delicate white gold setting. He slid it on to her finger and Leah looked at it in admiration. “It’s incredibly lovely.” She told him softly staring at the ring in fascination. He held her close to him and they stayed that way for a long time.
*****
“I can’t believe you are engaged to Paul Maitland,” Tammy said shaking her red curls. “Who would have thought you would come back to town and snatch away the most eligible bachelor.” She was sitting at the only available chair and watching as Leah tidied up her desk. It had been one week since her engagement and they were going to make an official announcement at the summer fiesta tomorrow. It was also her last day at the newspaper because she had handed in her letter of resignation to Mary who had been expecting it as soon as she had heard the news.
“I can’t believe it myself,” Leah said with a smile as she packed her belongings inside her briefcase. “I will let you know when the wedding is. If it were up to Paul it would be this weekend.” She said with an indulgent smile.
“You are in love,” Tammy said looking at the girl wonderingly.
“Without reservation and unconditionally.” She said dreamily. “I have never been so benevolent and soft and I feel as if I am walking on a cloud.”
“I hope to find something like that one day.” Tammy said with a smile. “We are sure going to miss you around here.”
“I will drop by occasionally.” She gave the girl a surprising hug and returned to her packing.
*****
“What a crowd!” Leah exclaimed as she went outside. She had been in the kitchen almost the entire day helping out. She had not seen Paul since this morning when he had hurried off to a meeting that he said he could not avoid.
“I’ll see you when I get back,” he had told her, kissing her softly on her lips.
“This is the second time we are doing this and it’s even bigger this year.” Mary-Ann said with a pleased smile. She had expressed such joy when she found out that Paul was engaged to her and had said with tears in her eyes that now he would have his own family.
It was a whole day thing and they had served breakfast starting at eight in the morning. It was being done outdoors and there were tents set up to accommodate the sharing and folded chairs and table for people to eat. She had grabbed a croissant that had practically melted inside her mouth but apart from that she had been too busy to eat. It was already a little past one o’clock and Paul had not returned. He had called her and told her that he was running behind but he would be there shortly. She was thinking of taking a shower and changing from the denims and T-shirt she had donned this morning in his private bathroom in the office.
“We need to start sharing lunch,” Mary-Ann said looking at her watch. There were bounce-about, merry-go-rounds, trampolines and even a clown doing funny stuff for the children. Paul and his sponsors had gone all out and everyone was having a wonderful time.
Gladys had cornered her as she brought out a batch of raisin and chocolate chip cookies. “I knew the Lord had a purpose for your life and I knew it was here. Paul has never looked happier and you are smiling all the time, far better than the young woman I met two months ago.”
“Thanks Gladys I am so happy.” She bent to hug the woman and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“The Lord works in mysterious ways my dear,” she said with a pleased smile.
He came back at two when she had showered and changed into a floral dress that swayed gently from the waist down and tied around the neck, leaving her creamy shoulders and back bare. “You look beautiful,” he had greeted her huskily, pulling her in for a hug.
“Have you eaten?” she asked him, leaning back her head to look at him.
“I ate something at the meeting.” He murmured. They were outside and he gazed around him at the crowd having fun. “It has always been my dream to bring joy to people’s lives and I thank God that I can give back what he had blessed me with.”
“That’s what makes you so special Paul Maitland and that’s one of the reasons I love you so much.” She told him softly.
He turned her around swiftly. “You love me?” he asked her hoarsely. “You never said that to me before.”
“Of course I did,” she told him frowningly. “Didn't I?”
“No,” he murmured gently, lifting her chin. “I would like to hear it again.” He told her.
“I love you Paul, very much.” She whispered.
*****
He made the announcement late in the afternoon when they had all sat down for supper. He took the microphone and stood on the raised platform where there were musicians playing softly. “May I have your attention everyone,” he said raising his hand for silence.
“This beautiful lady has agreed to marry me,” he indicated that she join him and she did so. There were cheers and applause as he pulled her close to him. “I have a lot to thank God for and I want to publicly declare that I love her very much and I promise to cherish her for the rest of her life.”
*****
He took her to meet his mother. The home where she was staying was in an upscale neighborhood and surrounded by high metal fences and palm trees. It was Sunday afternoon so most of them were outside enjoying the afternoon sunshine. She had gone to church this morning and he had insisted they sat together at the front of the congregation. She had been welcomed into the family of ‘The Neighborhood Ministry’. He had taken her out to dinner and then they had left to go and visit his mother.
“Our relationship is still a little strained.” He told her as he held her hand while they went inside. “I am still trying to come to the understanding of why she left me on the doorstep of a home.”
“Maybe if she had not you would have been in a very different situation than you are now.” She told him gently.
“You have certainly changed.” He told her with a sm
ile.
“I cannot help it, I am around you and the rest of the people at the ministry,” she told him with a smile of her own.
“Thanks for coming into my life.” He hugged her to him.
“You’re welcome.”
They were taken straight to his mother’s room. He told her on their way there that her name was Janet. The nurse told them that she had not being doing too well this morning. “I guess she has been looking forward to your visit Mr. Maitland.” She beamed as she pushed the door open. “Janet your son is here.”
The woman looked up with her smile and Leah was shocked at how old she looked. Paul looked like her; the same amazing green eyes and her hair was a natural beautiful blonde streaked with gray. Her face was lined although she could not have been more than in her fifties. The room was very pretty and had everything for her comfort including a large fifty inch flat screen television and a lap top.
“You’re here,” she beamed holding out her hands to her son. “And you brought a beautiful girl. How are you my dear?”
“Mother this is Leah, my fiancé,” Paul clasped her hands briefly before letting go.
“Fiancé?” Janet looked at them, a pleased expression on her face. “Thanks be to God!”
Chapter 6
“I have been praying that the Lord would find someone with a good heart for my son to right the wrongs I did to him when I left him on that doorstep all those years ago.” Janet said with tears in her eyes. They had taken seat on the comfortable sofa opposite her bed. “I have done so many bad things and for a long time I thought that I would never be forgiven.” She looked at her son who was holding Leah’s hand in his. “You've done well my son and I am so glad I did not have a part in your life or who knows what you would have turned out to be.”
“Thanks mother,” he said with a smile, giving Leah’s hand a gentle squeeze. “We would like you to be at the wedding. Do you think you will be well enough to attend?”
“I would not miss it for the world!” she told him firmly.
They left the home shortly after; assuring her that they would let her know the arrangements. She hugged Leah tightly to her as they were leaving. “You’re such a beautiful girl, my son has chosen well.”