“Hi, I’m Maggie. Maggie Colton. And you must be Esther White. Jesse wrote down a description of you that Jane sent him. Here it is. It says, A very attractive girl with long auburn hair and a slim build. So that must be you.”
Esther smiled. “I don’t know about the very attractive bit. I’ll have to tell Jane to stop exaggerating about my looks. After spending ten years in prison I feel anything but attractive. They don’t exactly do weekly facials and spa baths in there. So that’s one of the first things I am longing to do.”
“I know exactly what you’re talking about. I missed all that stuff in there too. I did three years for drug possession and addiction, but meeting God in prison changed my life. And now I am clean, and I refuse to be defined by my past. That is not who I am anymore. And by the way, I am a former beautician so I can certainly help out with a facial. Oh, and Jesse has three spa baths in his mansion, so the first thing we’ll do when we arrive is to let you soak in a pampering herbal spa bath. There’s nothing better than relaxing in a tub of hot perfumed bubbles where you can melt all your worries away. Jesse has lots of nice herbal lotions and moisturizers for us ladies. He is a very caring and extremely kind and empathetic man. In fact, when I leave there in a few months, he is setting me up in my own hairdressing and beauty salon. I am going to spread the gospel to all my clients. That is my future ministry.”
“Wow, that sounds amazing. I thought we all got a Winnebago when we left and traveled around teaching the scriptures.”
“Well, a lot of people choose to do that, but if we have any special skills then we can use those for our ministry. I am a qualified hairdresser and beautician so it makes sense that I work in my own field of expertise as well as use it to run my ministry.”
“Yes, well you are so lucky. The only skills I have are in finance. And I don’t want to work in that field ever again. Money is a Godless business. I think that having a Winnebago and traveling around like a pilgrim will be everything I want in life after I do my year’s work at Jesse’s place.”
“Place! Wait till you see this place, Esther! It is more like a mansion! It’s an absolute palace. Yet, Jesse uses it to serve God and give us a home. A home for women like us who have been in prison. And despite all of his wealth he is the humblest person you will ever meet. He gives a heck of a lot of his money away to the needy and the homeless.”
“Well, let’s get out of this airport then. I can hardly wait to meet him!”
*****
Freedom had never felt so good as on that first day driving along the ocean road to her new home. Esther embraced the sensation of the fresh sea breeze which swept through her hair as they drove towards Daytona Beach in one of Jesse’s sleek sports cars with the sun roof open and gospel music blaring.
“Should be there in another five minutes,” Maggie said as they began to drive past a row of million dollar mansions.
“This looks like a very affluent area.” Esther was mesmerized by the beautiful classical and elegant homes in the area. “I can’t believe that some people have so much money.”
“Yes, there are a lot of rich people in the area. A lot of them come down from New York to retire here.”
“Hmm. I don’t blame them. The beaches here look amazing.”
“Yes they are. I’m afraid that I am a bit of a beach lover. Jesse’s house is right on the ocean. You can practically walk out the door and put your feet in the sand. I go swimming every morning before breakfast and every afternoon after work.”
“So, what sort of work are you doing at Jesse’s place?”
“Well mainly I do the grocery shopping and some cooking, but all the girls like to help out with cooking. Then there’s the general house cleaning, and a little gardening. At night we have a prayer group followed by Bible Study which Jesse runs. But he makes everything seem so joyful and a lot of fun, so we all look forward to that, especially since he is preparing us for our own ministry when we leave.”
“It sounds too good to be true.”
“Well, I know I’ll miss it when I leave. But everyone who leaves always stays in touch with Jesse, especially to share their news about what they’re doing and their ministry.”
“So, is Jesse single or married?”
“Apparently, his wife died about six years ago, so he is a widower. They never had any children because she had some problems and couldn’t conceive. I think she had ovarian cancer or something like that.”
“Oh, that’s so sad. Has Jesse gotten over it?”
“He seems to be dealing with it okay. I mean he’s in his forties now so he may even be in the market for love and romance again. He seems pretty happy with his life but then you know that men are good at hiding their true feelings. And it is a private matter anyway. All I really know is that he is totally committed to helping others and he keeps himself busy all the time.”
Suddenly a cream colored mansion loomed before them as Maggie pulled into a circular stone driveway. Small balconies decked with Mediterranean style flower pots filled with hanging flowers adorned the outer walls giving the appearance of a large Spanish villa. The sound of crashing waves along the shoreline and the smell of salt greeted them as Maggie said, “Well, we’re here.”
*****
Jesse Johnson was nothing like Esther had imagined he would be. For some reason she had painted a picture in her mind of an aging forty-year-old man with greyish hair and a pot belly like some of the monks she had seen in black and white pictures in history class. Instead, here was a man with a muscular physique, longish fair hair, a summer tan and a face that made her heart melt. He was one of the most attractive men she had ever met. His eyes, which were enhanced by his high cheek bones, were the color of the ocean. And his lips were full and very kissable. For a minute she almost lost herself in a feeling that she couldn’t control. Attraction. Extreme attraction.
When he smiled at her, her heart melted. “Here, let me show you to your room, Esther,” he said, in a deep and confident voice. “We have five bedrooms here, three guest suites and a mother-in-law suite as well which is available. Currently there are eight ladies here, so all the rooms are taken except the last one. However, you are lucky because that is the largest suite complete with a kitchenette, spa bath, lounge area with a home theater system, and your own access to the beach. I hope you’ll be comfortable here.”
Esther was speechless as she entered her new living quarters. It was complete class and luxury from the Egyptian cotton bed coverings to the oil paintings on the wall and the ornate coffee table and flower filled vases.
“I’m sure I’ll be more than comfortable. Th-th-thanks Jesse,” she stuttered, hardly able to believe that this would be her new home after the tiny cage of a prison cell she had spent the past ten years in.
“Well, I’ll leave you to settle in then. Maggie mentioned you were longing for a spa bath. Well you have your own spa in this suite and there are some bubble baths and lotions in the bathroom. Since it’s only early afternoon though you might want to look around and explore a bit. There’s a great beach out there if you want to have a swim or a long walk in the fresh air.”
“A long walk in the fresh air! Oh, Jesse, do you know how long I have waited for that? Forget the spa bath for now. I can do that tonight. I don’t want to waste a minute of daylight when I can be enjoying the surf and sunshine. Only problem is I don’t have a swimsuit.”
“That’s okay. Maggie is about your size and I know she has several different swimsuits and bikinis. She and I often have an early morning swim together with some of the other girls. I know she won’t mind giving you something to wear for swimming or to wear on the beach. I’m aware that you don’t have a sufficient wardrobe with you. All the women arrive here with the bare essentials, so I’d be happy to drive you out to the shops sometime to stock up on some clothes. Now, Maggie is just getting lunch ready for everyone. So follow me, I’ll show you where the kitchen is.”
The kitchen was almost the size of a small restaurant and
it was stocked with every kind of cooking utensil one could imagine. Standing over a large solid timber kitchen island, Maggie was busy preparing salads and sandwiches for the midday meal. “Hi you guys,” she said with a warm smile as soon as she saw Jesse and Esther arrive. “Ready for lunch?”
“Oh, not for me, Maggie. I just can’t wait to get into that surf out there. Jesse said you might have a swimsuit I can borrow. As you know, there are no swimming pools in prison so I have absolutely nothing to swim in.”
Maggie laughed. “Of course I do. Why don’t you pack up some of these sandwiches so at least you can have lunch on the beach? I’ve got the perfect swimsuit for you. It’s a bright orange color with a pink floral print so it will look great with your fair skin and auburn hair. Oh, and I’ll get you some sun block lotion. You don’t want to get sunburnt on your first day here.”
“Thank you Maggie. I will grab some of these. They look delicious!” Maggie said eyeing the ham and salad rolls and curried egg sandwiches.
“Pack some for me too,” said Jesse. “And there are some cold bottles of Cola in the fridge. We’ll need a cool drink down there. I’ve just decided that I could do with a swim as well. After all, I haven’t had a minute off work in over three weeks. Hope you don’t mind some company?”
He met her eyes with an arresting gaze.
“Of course not, Jesse. I would love that,” Esther said responding to his look with a smile. I could look into your eyes forever!
“Good, that will give us a chance to get to know one another!”
*****
Jesse escorted Esther out to the back of the house which was paved with silver grey slate tiles from which three huge Corinthian style columns rose up supporting the overhanging roof over the pool area. Large reclining lounge chairs and small tables decked the outdoor area which was in full view of the pounding surf.
“Oh, this is magic!” said Esther, feeling the gentle sea breeze flow around her. “Is there somewhere I can change?”
“Yes, there is a cabana over by the side of the pool with outdoor showers and a toilet. I’ll grab some beach towels while you change.”
It was a glaring hot sun that greeted Esther as she emerged from the cabana ready to hit the surf.
“I’ve brought our lunch and beach towels, and a beach umbrella,” said Jesse, hardly able to keep up with her as she made a mad dash for the sea.
“Catch me if you can!” teased Esther watching as Jesse dropped everything on the foreshore and followed her into the frothy surf.
The water was invigorating and salty, and as blue as Jesse’s eyes. Small white wisps of cloud hung low over the horizon and occasionally a small boat passed by in the distance.
“I feel like I’m in heaven right now,” Esther said as they finally retreated from the rolling waves and sat down to eat under the umbrella.
“That’s good to hear,” Jesse said with a smile that lit up his whole face. “I think you deserve some happiness after your ordeal. Jane and Ellen have convinced me that you were innocent all along. Wasn’t there some guy called Tom around at that time who just disappeared?”
“Oh, Jesse, it was such a long time ago, but yes, that’s true. Ellen has always been convinced that it was Tom who set me up. She thought it was suspicious that he disappeared just before I was sentenced.”
“Hmm. I think it does sound a little weird. Has anyone heard of his whereabouts since then?”
“No. Ellen tried to find him but he left absolutely no trail or any clues as to where he might have gone.”
“Well, all we can do is pray about it Esther. We are having a prayer group at eight tonight after dinner followed by our Bible Study. Why don’t we leave it to the Lord?
“Oh Ellen, how nice to see you!” exclaimed Esther as she saw a taxi pulling into the driveway. It had been two weeks since she’d last seen her, and life had changed dramatically since then. Esther was now running a women’s ministry in the local church as well as helping Jesse with the Bible study group at home. “Why didn’t you call? Jesse would have leant me his car to pick you up!”
“No, I wanted to surprise you. So here I am! Oh, I’ve bought a few suitcases because Jesse said I was always welcome to stay a few days. And I have something very important to tell you.”
“Oh, what is it?” Esther was curious. It wasn’t characteristic of Ellen to hold things back or keep secrets.
“Let’s wait till we get these bags inside, shall we? Actually, I could do with a really cold drink. Maybe we could sit out by the beach with a jug of iced tea and I’ll tell you what I know.”
It was quiet out the back by the pool since Maggie and the other girls had gone grocery shopping. Jesse had locked himself in his office to catch up on some paperwork, and Esther had been enjoying two much needed days off.
“So, tell me what have you found out?” Esther said, dying to know.
“Well, Esther, do you remember Nita, the secretary that worked for Jensen and Dwyer when you did?”
“Of course I do. She had been there for almost six months before I was arrested. I think she used to live in New York or something before that.”
“Yes well, a married couple I know from Portland said they knew her from school days when they all lived in New York. Recently, they went back home to visit their folks, and they say they bumped into her in a shopping mall somewhere around Manhattan, I think. Apparently, she looked really startled to see them. They said she looked really different because she was decked out in a lot of jewelry and fancy clothes, and she’d lost a lot of weight. She was with a smart looking guy wearing expensive clothes and a Rolex watch…and that guy looked just like Tom. In fact, they were sure it was him. Then when they came back home they thought they would drop in to see her at work and say hello. They thought she was still working for the firm in Portland. And you know they were really curious, maybe even a little suspicious, about her obvious fortune. Oh, I nearly forgot…she also had a new hairstyle as well. She’d even changed her hair color from brunette to blonde. Well, this is interesting. When they arrived to see her the firm said she had left work a long time ago, maybe nine years ago. And nobody knew where she went.”
Esther went quiet. “Nita and Tom? Are you sure?”
“No, I’m not a hundred percent sure it was Tom, but it was definitely Nita with someone that looked like Tom.”
“So, what does this mean? Maybe they became friends and got together after I went to jail. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Maybe not. But my friends are really suspicious because when Nita went to school in New York she used to have a job in a coffee shop in the afternoon. One day, a lot of money went missing from the till and Nita was working that day. The boss fired her because he believed that she stole the money. But he could never prove it.”
“When did you find this out?”
“Just last night Esther. That’s why I came to see you. I didn’t want to call you because I thought I might blab it out all over the phone. I thought it would be better if I told you face to face.”
“So do you think that Nita stole the money?”
“Look Esther I think she could have because of what happened with that coffee shop. And my friends said she has always loved money and nice clothes, but her family were dirt poor and she always had to struggle. That is enough motive in my book.”
Just then Jesse came out happy to see Esther having refreshments with her best friend. “Am I interrupting anything, ladies?”
“Oh, Jesse, Ellen thinks she may have found out who stole that money, and why!”
“Really?” asked Jesse, as Ellen retold the story pointing out that Nita was with a man that looked like Tom.
“Well, I think I need to talk to your friends and find out exactly where they saw them. And then, Esther, you and I are taking a little trip up to New York.”
“But what about your work here, Jesse? And the other girls?”
“Maggie is quite capable of running things here without us for a few weeks.
And besides, it will be good practice for her ministry to do it without us. So let’s pack a bag because as soon as I talk to Ellen’s friends we’re leaving!”
*****
It was a two-and-a-half-hour flight from Daytona to John F. Kennedy Airport. Jesse had called Ellen’s friends and found out that it had been the Manhattan Mall where Nita had last been spotted with a man resembling Tom.
“Look, if she’s left Portland, and her folks live in New York, then there’s every chance that she is living back here in her old stomping grounds. Besides that, I found a list of phone numbers for people with the surname of Harris who are living in New York. I think you said that her last name was Harris so there’s every chance that one of these is a relative or her parents! You did say her name was Nita Harris didn’t you?” Jesse asked, trying to make sure he’d got the surname right.
“Yes, Nita Harris,” Esther answered, as the plane touched down at the airport. “So what’s the first step?”
“The first step is we get a taxi to our hotel. I have booked separate rooms at the Crowne Plaza so we’ll get rid of our luggage, have a cool drink in the foyer bar, and start making calls to the people on my list. Surely one of these Harris people will know her or be her parents.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” Esther said, grateful to have Jesse by her side. “Hopefully, we’ll out something about her or her whereabouts.”
The taxi took a little over an hour to reach the hotel by which time Esther was ready for a cold drink in the bar as well as something to eat. After delivering their luggage to a very obliging porter they sat down for a late lunch after which Jesse began to dial his list of people with the surname of Harris.
After the first failed ten calls, Esther became despondent and was ready to give up. Then, suddenly she heard Jesse saying, “Oh so you do know Nita Harris? Oh, I see. You’re her brother? Oh, great, look you don’t know me, but I’m sort of an acquaintance of Nita’s, and I was hoping to catch up with her while I was in town. I’m just visiting here for a few weeks.”
Sunlight and Shadows Page 39