Letting Misery Go

by Michelle Larks

  “I have found that patients with a good support system have a higher survival rate than those who don’t. She told me that you two are her support system, and from what I can see, she was correct. That’s why I suggested Mrs. Collins ask you to join us during the consultation.”

  Ruth cleared her throat. “Without a doubt. Alice is my sister in every way, except blood. No, I take that back.” She shook her head. “We stuck a pin in our fingers when we were ten years old, and smeared blood with each other. So, whatever you need me to do, and I think I can speak for Fred, we’re here.”

  Fred nodded his head as Alice blew her nose into the tissue.

  Dr. Shapiro took a sheet of paper out of the folder on his desk. He handed it to Alice and said, “This is a list of the oncologists on staff here at Christ. You’re free to seek another doctor if you so choose. I’ve highlighted those that I have referred patients to, and gotten good feedback from. They are all excellent, so feel free to call several before you make a final decision. I would suggest you do so as soon as possible.”

  Alice took the paper, folded it up, and placed it inside her purse. She turned her attention back to Dr. Shapiro.

  “After you select an oncologist, please call my nurse, so she can get him your medical history information. Hopefully, by the end of next week, depending on how quickly your tests can be scheduled, he would have come up with a recommendation for treatment,” Dr. Shapiro said.

  Alice nodded. “Do you think I’ll have to have chemotherapy or radiation treatments?” Her body shivered as she asked the question. She pulled at her purse straps, something to do to steady her body and mind.

  “It’s too soon to say what course of therapy will be effective, until you see the oncologist, Mrs. Collins,” Dr. Shapiro answered kindly. “Do either of you have any questions?” He peered at Ruth and Fred.

  Fred shook his head. Ruth did the same.

  “Alice?” the doctor asked, looking compassionately at his patient.

  “Not at the moment, but I’m sure by the time I return, I’ll have more questions.” Her voice trembled.

  “Okay, then. Alice, please call my nurse as soon as you can. Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox, it was a pleasure meeting you.” Dr. Shapiro extended his hand again.

  He walked toward the door and opened it. Ruth, Alice, and Fred trailed somberly behind him. Dr. Shapiro started to say “have a good day,” but nixed the idea. He nodded at them respectfully. Then he headed to the receptionist desk, to find out which examination room his next appointment was in.

  While Alice and Fred waited at the nurse’s desk to get further information, Ruth asked the nurse where the ladies’ room was located. She pointed down the hall. Ruth told Alice and Fred she would meet them in the waiting room.

  When Ruth locked the door to the restroom, she turned down the seat on the toilet, sat on it, and rocked back and forth, sobbing silently. She felt crushed, but she tried to compose her frazzled nerves.

  She threw her hands in the air and said, “Oh, Lord, God in heaven, please don’t take my friend from me. There are so many things we planned to do. Please let her stay here with me many more years.”

  She sobbed a few minutes more, then stood up and peered at her face in the mirror. She was shaken, but she knew she needed to pull it together to comfort her friend. Ruth turned on the faucet and rubbed cold water on her face. Then she bowed her head.

  “Lord, forgive my selfishness. You are in charge, and I don’t really have to worry, because you will take care of my friend and cure her of this horrible disease. Lord, you brought her here six months after her last mammogram, which is a blessing. You were on the case back then. Give me strength, Lord, to help Alice, as she would help me.”

  Ruth tried to paste a brave expression on her face, but she couldn’t stop her lips from trembling. She twisted the lock on the door and walked to the waiting room.

  Alice was leaning against Fred, who spoke softly to her. Ruth walked over to her friends.

  Alice cast water-filled eyes at Ruth and asked, “Would you mind if Fred drove me home?”

  Ruth’s cell phone vibrated against her hip. Since she was inside the hospital, she let the call go to voice mail. Ruth checked the caller ID and said, “I need to return this call. I’ll be right back.” She walked to the double doors and headed outside the hospital. She fumbled as she dialed June’s cell phone number.

  When her secretary answered the call, Ruth asked, “Hi, June, what’s happening?”

  “Reverend Wilcox, one of the pipes in the church has burst. James can’t come in; he said he has a family emergency. I’ve tried calling some plumbers in the area, but no one can get here for at least a few hours. I don’t know what to do,” June cried helplessly. She watched water accumulate in the children’s church.

  “Okay, let me think about who I can call. Why wasn’t James available?”

  “Faye became ill, and James is on the way to the hospital. We need another janitor pronto,” June answered, moaning.

  “I was just leaving the hospital, so I’ll be there as soon as I can. Keep trying to find a plumber,” Ruth advised her secretary.

  “Okay, Pastor Ruth, I’ll see you shortly,” June replied.

  After Ruth told June farewell, she dialed her home number to retrieve her voice mails. Luckily, she had saved Aron’s telephone number. She wrote it down on a piece of paper and quickly called him.

  She felt relieved after Aron answered the telephone. She explained the situation at the church, and Aron reassured her that he was more than happy to assist in any way he could.

  Ruth sighed gratefully, secure in the knowledge that God provides resources when most needed. She thought how she needed to apply the same principle to Alice’s situation, and not to panic when a curveball came her way. Who better than I, Ruth thought, knows how kind and loving the God I serve is.

  She walked back inside the hospital to explain to Alice and Fred the crisis at the church. She promised to stop by and see Alice later. She realized that Fred being at the hospital that morning was a bonus, and she knew that Alice was in good hands.

  Ruth hurried to her car, ready to tackle the next item on her “to do” list. She made it to The Temple in twenty minutes flat. Luckily, she wasn’t delayed by many stoplights, as if the Lord ensured she would arrive at the church in a timely fashion. She locked her car door with the keyless remote and walked into The Temple.

  When she entered, June was waiting for her at the door. “I saw you drive into the parking lot. Aron Reynolds arrived about twenty minutes ago, he’s downstairs now,” she informed her boss as they walked toward the stairway leading to the basement of the church.

  The heels of Ruth’s boots clattered as she walked down the metal staircase. June walked behind her. The lights were dim in the basement, so Ruth and June squinted as they strolled into the large boiler room.

  “Mr. Reynolds,” Ruth called while she looked at the ceiling at the pipes to see if a leak had sprung from there. From what she could see, everything looked normal.

  Aron emerged from the shadow of an opened door, wiping his hands on a rag. “Hello, Reverend Wilcox,” he greeted Ruth.

  “Please tell me you were able to find the source of the leak?” she asked anxiously as she peered at Aron. Her expression telegraphed, “Please have good news for me.”

  Aron nodded. “Yes, I did. One of the washers had worn out. I turned off, for now, the main water source in the church. After I replace the washer, I’ll turn it back on. I’ll go to a hardware store and pick up the parts. I should be able to replace it easily enough.”

  “Great.” Ruth exhaled and smiled. She opened her purse and took out her leather wallet. “How much will the washer cost?” she asked.

  “No more than ten dollars,” Aron informed her as he set the soiled rag on a table.

  Ruth was struck by how fit he looked, considering his age. He cut a dashing figure, even though he was in his seventies. His full head of gray hair was combed back on his head. Th
e jeans he wore, along with a checkered flannel shirt, clung to his body.

  Ruth handed Aron the money.

  “Luckily, the leak wasn’t bad. It didn’t appear anything was damaged in the children’s church. There is just water that has to be removed. It looks like June caught things in time. Do you have a wet vacuum? If so, I can clean up the water after I fix the leak,” Aron said.

  “There’s an equipment closet outside the room, around the corner. June can give you the key to it. I believe there’s a wet vac in there. Thank you, Aron,” Ruth gushed. “I guess it could have been worse.” They walked back upstairs.

  June told Aron she would have the key available for him when he returned from the hardware store. She then headed back to the office.

  “Thank God you discovered the leak when you did, June,” she told the church secretary. “What made you go downstairs to the children’s church?”

  “I had ordered pamphlets for Sunday School, and they came in the mail today, so I took them downstairs. I was shocked to see the water down there,” June informed Ruth. She laid the key to the closet on top of her desk.

  “Praise God. Once again He was taking care of The Temple.” Ruth nodded, then sighed. “The building is old and definitely in need of repairs. James planned to retire at the end of the month, and I suspect Faye’s illness might push up his date. Sometimes, when it rains, it pours. Thank God Mr. Reynolds was available, or we’d probably have a small lake in the children’s church. The condition of the building is one of the topics I’ll address with the finance committee.” She took a pad of paper from June’s desk and wrote a note to herself to mention the leak at the meeting.

  “Can I get you a cup of coffee, boss? You look like you’ve had a rough morning,” June offered.

  She stood and walked over to the coffee machine on a counter opposite her desk. She poured the brown liquid into a cup, added a dollop of cream, and handed it to Ruth.

  When she returned to her desk, June handed Ruth a batch of pink message slips. “I put them in order by importance, and did what I could to divert some of the calls. The utility bills came in the mail, and you need to look at them ASAP.”

  “Thank you, June. Sometimes I feel you can read my mind, and today has been one of those days.”

  Ruth walked into her office and set the coffee and messages on her desk. She took her purse off her shoulder and put it on her desk. She unlocked her desk and placed her purse in the bottom drawer. Ruth sat back and massaged her temples.

  She still couldn’t get over the fact that Alice and Fred had been seeing each other. Stranger things have happened, she thought. Her thoughts turned to Aron. Then she shook her head and began going through the messages June had given her.

  By the time Ruth had returned several calls, and given June several letters to mail, Aron had returned from the hardware store, had replaced the washer, and had just about completed the cleanup of the children’s church. It was close to five o’clock in the evening.

  June walked into Ruth’s office, wearing a sweater and carrying her purse and tote bag in both hands. “I’m going to leave, unless you need me to hang around for something,” she said.

  Ruth shook her head and laid the paper, which she had been reading, on her desk.

  “How did things go at the hospital with Miss Alice?” June asked.

  When Ruth rescheduled her appointments for the day, she confided in June that she was going to the hospital to support Alice. After working with Ruth for over five years, June knew Ruth, her moods, and her expressions well. She knew the sad versus the concerned looks that Ruth wore on her face at times. June assumed correctly that the sadness she saw on her boss’s face was due to Alice’s hospital appointment.

  “Not too good,” Ruth answered. She swallowed hard. “She has another round of testing to go through.”

  “I’ll keep her in my prayers then. Miss Alice is a wonderful musician. She brings the church much happiness with her musical ministry. Well, I’m out of here, Reverend Wilcox. I will see you in the morning,” June said.

  “Thank you, June, have a good evening,” Ruth told her.

  Ruth glanced at the clock and turned her chair toward the window. She laid her arm on the side of her chair and propped her chin inside her hand. She sighed heavily as she thought of Alice battling cancer, Queen fighting dementia, her son, DJ, adjusting to life without his left foot. Her spirit felt heavily laden.

  “Ruth crooned softy, the words to the song, I’m a soldier in the army of the Lord. She closed her eyes. ”Lord, I feel so overwhelmed sometimes, but I know, like everything else in life, I must turn my burdens over to you. With all I have going on, I have to remember you’re in control. Daddy used to always say, ‘There is no secret what God can do,’ and I know that’s right.”

  She wiped tears from her eyes and turned her chair back to her desk. She looked up to see Aron looking at her with compassion smoldering in his eyes as he stood at the door to her office. Ruth assumed he’d come to discuss the condition of the children’s church. Ruth prayed the news wasn’t too bad.

  Chapter Nine

  “How is the lower level of the church?” Ruth greeted Aron a bit awkwardly. She ran her hand over her head and tried to put a bright smile on her face, which didn’t quite reach her eyes. She felt flustered as she picked up and then set down a piece of paper on her desk.

  “May I come in?” Aron asked, with a compassionate expression on his face.

  “Sure, I’m sorry. I forgot my manners for a minute. Have a seat.” She swept her hand to the chair placed in front of her desk.

  “The children’s church is fine. There wasn’t any serious damage done. I managed to get the water off the floor and replace the washer. The water is back on, so all is well,” Aron answered after he sat across from Ruth.

  “Praise God! That is good news. I’m so glad you were available and able to come here today to help out.” Ruth smiled.

  “It was my pleasure. I’m glad I was able to help. I’m hoping this might score me some brownie points in trying to obtain the job,” Aron admitted candidly. “I feel useless sometimes, and need something to do to pass the time.”

  “Hmm,” Ruth pondered as she dipped her head. “I can understand that. I thought Monet told me that your skill is gardening. Lord knows, we may have to let the crew that tends to the grounds go. If there’s a choice of the upkeep of the inside or the outside, then I’d say the inside is the priority.”

  “I’d say that you’ve found the right man. I can do both, and I’d still like to try on a trial basis, if you’d allow me, until you make the position permanent.”

  Aron’s eyes roamed the room, looking at the heavy wood desk with matching cabinets and burgundy wingback leather chairs. An oil painting of the Clayton family, when Ezra and Ruth were teenagers, was lovingly placed on one of the walls, along with other ministerial relatives and family. Hundreds of leather-bound books, interspersed with paperbacks, filled the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. The walls in the office were painted a soft cream color.

  “This is a homey office. The woodwork is excellent, a work of art. You don’t see work like this anymore. Truthfully, I would have expected an office a bit more feminine for a woman minister,” Aron said.

  Ruth threw back her head and laughed. “This office belonged to my father, Bishop. I inherited it when he passed away. You’re right, it was a bit dark for my taste. My friend Alice and I decided to at least paint the walls brighter, and to change the window treatments.”

  “I’m glad I was able to bring a smile to your face. You looked sad when I came to talk to you,” Aron observed.

  “You’re right. I’ve been indulging in a mini pity party most of the day,” Ruth acknowledged. “My best friend, Alice, was diagnosed with cancer today. She and I have been friends since we were in elementary school. As a minister, I know that God will see us through this dilemma, but sometimes the human side of me comes out. And sometimes, but not often, I tend to worry needlessly about th
ings I have no control over.”

  “I would imagine that’s a trait that makes you effective as a minister, retaining your human side,” Aron complimented Ruth. He cleared his throat. “I’m not an expert on these types of matters. Still, I sense a presence of goodness about you.”

  Ruth smiled, and it was the smile that transformed her face from plain to beautiful.

  “Thank you, Aron. I think I needed to hear that today. I just need to turn my burden over to God, and let Him handle it. Alice is like a sister to me, and my family seems to be shrinking rapidly. My brother and father have passed, my mother has Alzheimer’s disease, and I just don’t think I could bear if something happens to Alice.” Ruth sniffled and covered her eyes. “Please forgive me,” she said.

  “I understand what you mean. I felt the same way when my wife, Gayvelle, passed. I’m ashamed to say that I treated her badly for most of our marriage. Still, she forgave me time and time again. That gave me the motivation, along with meditating on the events in my life, to lead me to seek God. I used to ponder how Gayvelle could forgive me after all the wrong I did to her. When I eventually came to terms with everything I’d done, and sought forgiveness from God, I knew it was time for me to change. I managed to do that while I was in prison. My first order of business was reconnecting with my children, which, in turn, led me to The Temple,” Aron said.

  “Monet has told me your story, and what a blessing from God that you were able to reconcile with your children. God always gives us chances to right wrongs. I could sense how Monet always wanted a father figure in her life, especially after her mother passed. I think you’ve done a wonderful job of establishing a relationship with her and the boys. I know whatever God has in store for Alice, I will be there for her, as she has been for me in the past.”

  “Wiser words were never spoken,” Aron quipped, lightening the moment between the two. “I’m not keeping you from anything, am I?” he inquired, stretching his legs out in front of the desk.

  “No,” Ruth replied with a sigh. “There is always work to be done. You coming here is a welcome reprieve from my gloomy thoughts, and I’m sure you guessed you earned the janitor spot on a trial basis. When can you start?”