The Truth Is the Light

by Vanessa Davie Griggs

  “That’s the plan,” Melissa said. “I’ll reserve the banquet room. I’ll let you know how much everything will be so you can write them a check. I’ll get them to fax me menu options so we can get that ordered.”

  “I hope you know you’re getting a huge bonus after this is over.”

  Melissa laughed. “Well, I just appreciate your choosing my company to handle this big day for you. I’m not happy unless you’re happy. But I do have a thought. Tell me what you think about it, and if you don’t like it, we’ll nix it.”

  “Okay.”

  “What would you think about maybe getting your son, Clarence, to sing with the Worship Ensemble, that’s our smaller group of singers, doing background singing?”

  “I love that idea. More importantly, my father would love it!” Zenobia said. “Can you arrange it? I know Clarence will be glad to do it.”

  “Sure. I’ll talk with our Minister of Music about the ensemble. And if they can’t do it on short notice, maybe we can use a track for Clarence to sing to.”

  “I think that will be so special. My father loves to hear Clarence sing. Now, how awesome will it be for Clarence to sing at his birthday party.”

  “All right. Then I suppose I have everything I need from you at this time. I’ll check back with you later so we can choose the meal you want served. It looks like we’re back on track.”

  “Thank the Lord! Clarence, believe it or not, prayed that God would work things out. Well, God has exceeded anything I was ever expecting.”

  “That’s how God does it. I know. You should see the wonderful man God brought into my life. Please, don’t get me started. It would be impolite for me to have to ask you to hold my mule,” Melissa said, referencing a popular song back in the day where the person who was telling of the goodness of God told someone to hold his mule so he could shout then and there.

  “I know that’s right,” Zenobia said. “I would be too busy shouting myself to be able to hold your mule.”

  Chapter 41

  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

  —2 Corinthians 4:7

  Clarence called Gabrielle as soon as he hung up with his mother. Gabrielle had returned from her visit with Zachary’s family. He hadn’t spoken with her in a while, not since he was baptized in September.

  “Hey, lady. What’s going on?” Clarence said.

  “Nothing but the rent,” Gabrielle said, then she laughed when she thought about the double meaning of those words. “Okay, thanks to you, I’m not renting. I’m still paying for my house just like I was before the economy tanked, again thanks to you. So, what’s going on with you? You sound mighty chipper.”

  “Chipper? Men aren’t chipper. At least, not this man. Listen, I’m going to tell you why I called, and then I want you to tell me what all has been going on with you. But before either of these things, I want to congratulate you on being named director of the Dance Ministry. You go, girl!”

  “Thank you. I’m still trying to work my job at that house I was assigned to. You know, when I needed a job, they were there for me. I’m able to do what I need with the Dance Ministry and still do that as well. It’s a lot of work, a lot more than I thought. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to do both, but for now, the money is definitely coming in handy. As the director, I’m required and credited for attending Bible study and church services. Missing these services was why I never wanted a part-time job in the past. So this is working out perfectly, not that I work at the church to get paid for attending.”

  “You don’t have to explain this to me. This your boy you talking to. I’m the one who watched your life change as you lived for the Lord, and it got my attention. Now I’m right there at Bible study, and I see why you never wanted to miss it. Pastor Landris is off the chain.”

  “You certainly can tell old people who still think they’re hip,” Gabrielle said.

  “What are you talking about?” Clarence said.

  “Who says ‘off the chain’ anymore?”

  “Well, apparently I do, because I just did. Okay, okay. I know I’m crunk.”

  Gabrielle started laughing. “Yeah, you’re crunk, all right. You’re off the heezy.”

  “Okay, now, I might be older than you, but I recognize when someone is making fun of me at my own expense.”

  “Moi? I would never make fun of you, Clarence.” She laughed. “Okay, so what did you call to tell me?”

  “My mother wants me to sing at my grandfather’s birthday dinner slash party. He’ll be one hundred on November fourth, but his celebration is that Saturday, November seventh.”

  “One hundred years old? Wow, that’s great.”

  “Yes. And he still gets around on his own. He’s still in his right mind. We have a lot to be thankful for. So I was touched that my mother asked me to sing at this event. An event, by the way, that is going to be held at our church’s banquet hall.”

  “Our church.” She laughed. “That sounds so funny when you say it. It’s a good funny, though. So they’re having it at our church?”

  “In the banquet hall.”

  “That’s where they had the Inaugural Ball back in January. It’s really nice,” Gabrielle said.

  “Well, I had this idea and I wanted to see if you’ll help me pull it off.”

  “If I can.”

  “Dance while I sing at the celebration.”

  “Dance? You want me to dance?”

  “Yeah. I’ve picked out this song I want to do. Don’t worry, it’s gospel.”

  “Oh, I wasn’t doubting that,” Gabrielle said.

  “Let’s both use the gifts God has given us together—not of us, but showing the excellent power of God. We don’t have a lot of time, but I know how good you are. My mother said they were thinking about asking the Worship Ensemble to sing background for me, but I think I’d prefer getting a track and doing it with that. That way neither the church band nor the Ensemble will have to be worried about practicing on such short notice. You and I can pull this off, I know we can. Besides, I haven’t seen you dance since you became saved. I’d love for you to bless us on that day with a praise dance to the Lord in conjunction with my grandfather’s birthday celebration.”

  “Clarence, I know what a perfectionist you are. Everything that you do, you like it to be done with excellence. This is kind of short notice for us to make it perfect.”

  “Please. We don’t have to be perfect to do it with excellency. If you won’t do it for me, will you at least do it for my poor, old, aging grandfather?”

  Gabrielle laughed. “Okay, Clarence. I’ll do it because you asked me . . . and for Grandpa.”

  “Actually, it’s Gramps, not Grandpa. He likes being called Gramps.”

  “Okay, I’ll do it for Gramps.”

  “Great!” Clarence said. “Now, tell me. How is Z. or Z. W. or whatever you call him? How are things going with you and the good doctor?”

  Gabrielle put her hand up to her lips and pressed, then took it down. “I think I’m going to break up with him,” she said after a few moments of silence.

  “What? I thought things were going well for the two of you. So what happened? He wasn’t all he was cracked up to be? You figured out he wasn’t your type? He was selfish, inconsiderate, stuck on himself . . . he thought he was too good for you? You realized you didn’t love him and you probably never will? What?” He paused, and his voice became more concerned. “Wait a minute, he didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  “No, Clarence. None of those things. I’m thinking about breaking up with him because I love him.”

  “So, I guess what you’re saying is that you love him, but he doesn’t love you.”

  “No, I’m fairly certain that he loves me, too.”

  “Okay,” Clarence said with a touch of sarcasm. “I’m sure in some parallel universe all of this makes perfect sense. But here on earth . . . I’m sorry. I don’t get it.”

  “I’m
thinking maybe I’m really not good for him. And even if I am, would my past come back and hurt him at some point? I don’t want to hurt him. Because Clarence, I really do love him. More than anyone I’ve ever been with before, I really love this man.”

  “Wow, that’s jacked up,” was all Clarence could say.

  Chapter 42

  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.

  —Revelation 3:15–16

  Zachary had been really busy at work since he’d come back from Chicago. Queen was talking to her husband, who had finally decided he needed to get his act together. He was coming to visit Queen at Zachary’s house to see if they could get their marriage back on track. Queen agreed to see him, but she wanted them to go talk to someone outside of their marriage. She called the church and made an appointment with one of the counselors on staff.

  Zachary didn’t make it to Bible study on Wednesday night. There was an accident at a plant and several people were severely injured and burned. He and Gabrielle had tickets to see the Broadway show The Color Purple on Friday. He knew how much she was looking forward to seeing it.

  He called and talked with her Thursday. She’d been different since they’d returned from Chicago. He couldn’t figure out what happened between their wonderful time at his parents’ and them arriving back in Birmingham. He’d asked her last week when she hardly talked to him if he’d done anything he wasn’t aware of. She’d said no. When he asked her what was wrong, she’d said nothing. He didn’t want to bug her about it, but it did bother him. He was planning on going over to her house Thursday night, but something came up at the hospital that delayed him.

  “I said seven, but is it all right if I come at nine tonight?” he asked Gabrielle when he called. “I have two patients that I need to check on, and I’ll be through for the night.”

  “Sure. That will be fine.” Gabrielle hung up. She did need to do something one way or the other. Right now she was more in a limbo state. She wasn’t cold or hot; she was being lukewarm. And Jesus said He would spew people like that out of His mouth because they weren’t one or the other. She now better understood that scripture. Either be hot or cold. Who likes lukewarm? Her phone rang again.

  It was not a familiar number. She answered it, fully expecting to tell someone they’d dialed the wrong number or that she wasn’t interested in what they were trying to push, sell, or support through donations.

  “Hello,” Gabrielle said.

  “Gabrielle?” A voice timidly spoke her name, almost as though she knew her.

  “Yes.”

  “Listen, I know I’m not supposed to contact you. But I feel I have no choice. It’s a matter of life and death now. With each passing day, we’re running out of time. There’s no place for rules and regulations.”

  “Excuse me, but it sounds like you have dialed the wrong number.”

  “You’re Gabrielle Booker, aren’t you?”

  “Actually, no. And if you’re calling for Gabrielle Booker, then you can’t possibly know me.” Gabrielle said it so nasty that it left a bad taste in her own mouth. She realized just how much more work in her walk with the Lord she truly had to do.

  “You’re right. It was my error. You’re Gabrielle Mercedes now. Please forgive me.” The woman’s voice sounded so weak. “But Gabrielle, we don’t have a lot of time.”

  “Why do you continue to act like I know you? I’m sorry, but your voice is not familiar to me.”

  “My name is Jessica Noble.”

  “Okay. Well, your name is not familiar to me, either. Ms. Noble, I don’t mean to be rude. But you’ve said twice now that we don’t have a lot of time. If you don’t mind me saying this, that sounds a bit nuts. And honestly, I don’t know if you’re for real or just playing around on the phone. Regardless, this isn’t a good day or a good time.”

  “Gabrielle, I apologize. I’m tired from not having gotten much sleep. You’re right. I haven’t made much sense during this call. I suppose I would be a bit angry if I were in your shoes, as well. Let me begin again. We have indeed met. Once before.”

  “We have? Well, your name doesn’t ring a bell to me at all. Where exactly did we meet?”

  “In a hospital room. A little more than eight years ago.”

  “Were you a nurse?” Gabrielle asked as she noticed that her breathing was now suddenly becoming somewhat shallow. “You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t recall you.”

  “You wouldn’t have known my name. You see, I was the one who took the baby out of your arms the last time you held her.”

  Gabrielle held her breath, then slowly released it.

  “I’m the woman who adopted your baby girl. And she desperately needs you right now. We need you right now. Gabrielle, that little girl is my heart. I promise you, she is. And she’s all I have left now. Please, you have to help us. You have to.”

  Chapter 43

  It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

  —Proverbs 3:8

  “Gabrielle?” Jessica said. “Are you still there?” “Yes. I’m sorry, but you’re not supposed to contact me. That was the agreement. I wasn’t supposed to know who you are so I couldn’t come back later and try to see or take back my baby if I changed my mind. And you weren’t supposed to contact me.”

  “But you signed for your daughter to be able to find out about you,” Jessica said.

  “After she turned, eighteen, yes. But she’s not eighteen yet,” Gabrielle said.

  “No, she’s eight. And she’s a beautiful, fun-loving little girl who is in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant so that she’ll have a chance to even see eighteen.”

  Gabrielle sat down before her wobbly legs abandoned her completely. “Are you sure?”

  “Gabrielle, the only thing that could have made me call you is if there was no other hope, no other way, if all was lost. I’m sure.”

  “About a month ago, a woman from the Red Cross called me about donating . . .”

  “That was at my request. I was hoping you would consent without having to know who it was for. But you wouldn’t talk to her about it or agree to it—”

  “Why didn’t you tell her to let me know what was going on?”

  “Because legally, she couldn’t do that. She could call and ask you about possibly being a donor, but she couldn’t go any further than that. Now things are declining drastically. My daughter is going to die if she doesn’t get a match. My husband and I had all the money anyone could ever want or need. And we have loved that little girl since you released her to our hearts. She has been the love and joy of our lives. My husband died in a car accident five months ago. Now I’m facing the possibility of losing her if we don’t find a bone marrow match. You’re her mother. It’s a great possibility your marrow will be a match for her. If she has any siblings, her sibling could also be a match.”

  “I don’t have any children,” Gabrielle whispered.

  “Maybe her father does if neither of you are a match for her. The doctors say siblings are likely to match even better most times than a parent. My baby has a rare disorder that generally strikes children. I realize this is a lot to ask of you and definitely not what you signed up for when you gave her up for adoption. Ms. Mercedes, you gave her life once. Please help to give her life again if you possibly can. Please.”

  Gabrielle started to cry. “Yes. Yes. Tell me what to do. Tell me what I need to do.”

  Jessica started to cry also. “Thank you. Thank you so very much. I have prayed about what to do. I know this is not the norm. But when it’s your child, you’ll do whatever you have to do to keep her healthy, happy, and safe.”

  “I don’t know whether I’ll be a match, but I will certainly do all that I can to help save . . . your daughter’s life. Whatever I can.”

  Jessica told Gabrielle she would call back with the instructions of where she would go to be t
ested to see whether she was a match. Gabrielle prayed that she would be. And if she wasn’t? Well, the alternatives, either of the alternatives left—the child’s father, who would be a titanic problem because of who he was now, or one of his children—would not be a good scenario to deal with. Not good at all.

  “Lord, please, please, Lord. Let me be a match. Help me to be able to help this child one more time. Please. Please.”

  No sooner had she hung up than her doorbell rang. She wiped her tears away, put on a happy face, and went to answer it. Zachary must have finished up earlier than he expected, she thought. Thank You, Lord. Because I really need him right now. I really do.

  Chapter 44

  The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

  —Proverbs 13:4

  Gabrielle opened the door. “Hello,” Aunt Cee-Cee said. “Hey girl,” Gabrielle’s oldest cousin, Laura, said as she stepped inside. “You’ve gained weight.” Forty pounds overweight, Laura struggled past a size 8 Gabrielle.

  “Get in the house and quit dillydallying around,” Gabrielle’s third oldest cousin, Angie, said to her two children. Angie looked around once she stepped inside the foyer. “Girl, this house is the bomb. How come you haven’t invited us here before?” She handed her ten-month-old baby daughter to her mother. “Mama, here. Take Jenice while I check this place out,” Angie said. “Y’all know I need my own room because I have these three children, so don’t nobody start tripping.”

  “Hold up,” Gabrielle said to no one in particular. “Excuse me, but am I missing something here?”

  “Our luggage and things,” Angie said. “I need my stuff. Luke and Jesse are getting them. They are slow as Christmas. But Daddy said we not gonna kill him trying to haul all our junk by himself.”