And what she meant was rebuilding her personal house, not her marital house. First she’d need to start over—without Travis. She would also need to forgive him. In a lot of ways, she didn’t think Travis was intentionally trying to hurt her. In a sense, she really felt sorry for him. His mother had babied him, and when she passed away, his sisters did the same thing. Beryl’s mistake in the beginning was treating him just like his sisters had, waiting on him hand and foot. Not that she believed her actions were a completely bad thing, because she was taking care of her man. But after a while, she realized she was treating Travis like her king, but instead of a queen, he was treating her more like a maidservant.
She would justify things, and she had already been counting the cost before they stepped foot into the cabin. From her calculations, their whole situation was costing her big time. Her health had deteriorated due to her stress about their bills and Travis’s lack of lifting a hand to help her around the house. When she did ask him to do something, nine times out of ten she had to stay on him to finish the task.
Phillip had also said to use knowledge to her benefit, and even though he was talking about it in the sense to help rebuild a marriage, Beryl would tweak this point and find self-help books to assist her in becoming the Beryl she used to know and love. She would also use the Internet to find information about improving the mind, body, and spirit.
She’d come to the retreat hoping her husband would see the error of his ways and do right. But she realized Travis probably thought he was doing right. He didn’t think there needed to be any changes. And it was all relative when she thought about it; a person’s perception was truly their reality.
“Those are some valuable steps,” Nina said. “George and I had already gone through most of those steps before we came here.” Nina placed her hand on George’s arm while looking at Beryl.
George, who was taking a sip of tea, nodded his head in agreement. He looked directly at Nina. “Now we’re just in the belief stage. Believing God will give us further spiritual guidance on how we can strengthen our marriage and stand together so no weapons formed against us will prosper.”
Even though Beryl knew George was agreeing with Nina, it looked as if he were also trying to convince her too. After he finished, he kept his eyes on Nina, but for some reason Nina wasn’t making eye contact with him.
“Good morning, everyone,” Phillip said, entering the kitchen.
Beryl’s bagel popped up in the toaster.
“Good morning,” George replied, finally taking his gaze off Nina.
Beryl thought she heard a sigh of relief escape from Nina’s lips.
“Morning,” Xavier mumbled under his breath.
Beryl had almost forgotten he was sitting at the table. From what she could see, he hadn’t touched any of the bagel or fruit on his plate.
“Good morning,” Charlotte said with only a slight bit more of enthusiasm than her husband.
Travis stepped into the room. “Hey, everybody. Hope I’m not too late for breakfast. Did I miss anything?”
Everything, Beryl thought. Travis wasn’t the only one. They were all a haphazard bunch. One couple wasn’t speaking to each other, another couple was speaking in private codes, and then there was she and Travis. He was oblivious to the fact that in a few short days, he would find himself out of a place to stay.
The couples all gathered back at The Round Table. Beryl was surprised at how filling the bagels and fruit had been. Whenever she’d eaten a continental breakfast before, she’d had an array of foods, but never felt quite satisfied.
“Again, good morning to you all,” Phillip said, “I hope everyone slept well. We’ve gone over a great deal already, and I pray you’ve been using your time wisely to review ways to apply some of these teachings in your personal lives.”
Beryl nodded, more so to herself than to anyone else in the room. She had slept very well. Much of what Phillip had been saying so far that week was making things crystal clear for her. She felt more and more sure about the path she needed to take once they arrived back home.
Phillip continued to speak. “We talked about loving yourself and the Lord. We also talked about the many love misunderstandings people have and the various love language skills people use to communicate. Hopefully you’ve been able to talk with your spouses and determine which love language skill you are each more apt to respond to.”
At this statement, Travis sat up straight as if in the military and coming to attention.
Phillip smirked, nodding his head up and down in a slow rhythmic motion as he looked at each person around the table. Taking his lead, Shelby did the same. Beryl, Charlotte, Xavier, and George smirked also, nodding their heads in understanding. Nina nodded her head, but it didn’t look like a nod of understanding. She was nodding to sleep.
Travis was totally clueless—as usual, but didn’t say a word. Beryl was glad he hadn’t shown his ignorance and kept his mouth shut.
“Sex, Money, Intangibles, Religion, and Kids,” Phillip said, “Need I say more?”
Beryl answered, “No,” while others shook their heads.
Travis finally got it and nodded his head. “Ah. No.”
Phillip said, “We also talked about steps to help rebuild your marital home. I hope you have been able to come to some sort of agreement in looking at each step carefully.”
At this, Beryl couldn’t agree. She saw no reason to waste her time talking with a husband who would later forget most of what was said. Hope was out of the window, and Travis had run out of second chances.
“I’ve given you a great deal to absorb in a short time-frame, but I pray much of it will stick.” Phillip tapped the notes in front of him. “Taking notes and talking to your spouses will help bring back to your remembrance what we’ve said here.
“With that being said, I do have another acronym I’d like for you to commit to memory.” Phillip stood, picking up the dry erase pen. He drew what looked like a sailboat on water, then wrote the acronym S.A.I.L. in capital letters above the boat.
“It won’t be smooth sailing when you get home. But here are four more things that will at least help keep you in the boat and hopefully make the trip to strengthening your marriages a little easier,” Phillip said. “‘S’ is for being saved. Being saved can make this trip much easier for you. I am a witness to this fact. When Shelby and I were having marital problems, she was saved and I wasn’t. I had to learn the hard way about the love of Christ. One of my very dear friends tried to tell me about Christ’s love, but I often changed the subject or avoided talking to him.
“But let me tell you, when I started going through trials and tribulations in my marriage, I turned to that same friend who I had often shunned, seeking guidance. That guidance and various other events in my life steered me in the right direction toward Christ. Ever since I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior, I’ve had an unbelievable peace on the inside.
“Now, I’m not saying things were smooth sailing after I got saved, but I can say that putting my trust in God, instead of my own abilities, was the best move I’ve ever made in my life.”
George said, “Amen to that, my brother.”
“That move was better than any move I performed on the football field during all of my years in high school and college,” Phillip said.
The other men chuckled.
“But on a serious note,” Phillip said, “If you aren’t saved, then I encourage you to get to know Christ.”
Beryl could always tell when Phillip was trying to get a point across. He would quietly look around the table, making eye contact with each person while tapping the eraser of a pencil on his notepad.
The eye contact with Nina hadn’t been possible because her head was down, her arms folded and she had fallen asleep. Noticing, George nudged her slightly. She woke up, but her eyes remained droopy.
Beryl wondered how Phillip could have so much patience and keep his composure. He acted as if he hadn’t noticed Nina’s actions.
The juice Beryl drank at breakfast had hit her bladder. She needed to go to the bathroom, but didn’t want to miss anything.
“So, do whatever you think you need to do to keep those dates in mind. Keep a calendar you’ll look at regularly. On New Year’s Day, before the big game, program your phone with reminders for special dates and times for the upcoming year. Or write a list and make yourself memorize it or at least look at it frequently enough that you’ll be ahead of the game.”
Beryl nodded. There were countless times when Travis had forgotten about their anniversary and there were a few times she had to remind him of their children’s birthdays.
“‘I’ stands for intimacy. We talked about sex during S.M.I.R.K., but I just thought I’d say it again. Make sure you perpetuate intimacy in your marriage. Intimacy is more than just sex. Intimacy will give you a closeness and a bond that only you and your spouse can share and appreciate. This type of intimacy is reserved for your spouse only.
“Make quality time for each other. Set aside time for yourselves, without children and other distractions. Use this time to connect emotionally with your spouse, talking more than touching. And set aside some time to go out on a date with your spouse,” Phillip said.
At this, Xavier’s eyebrows raised in question.
Phillip nodded his head in response. “Yes, you and your wife can date. Who says you can’t? What is dating anyway? Dating, very simply, is going out with someone. All you are doing is setting up an appointment for a rendezvous. Why is it when people get married, they forget about what they used to do before the marriage?
“Take your spouse out on a date once a week, if you can. And if once a week doesn’t work, then twice a month. But talk about it, set the dates, and date. You need one-on-one time together to have some fun,” Phillip said. “And I do mean one-on-one time. I don’t mean going out to a class reunion, a function at church, or with a civic group you might be a part of. It’s all great to mingle and mix with your peers, but you and your spouse need some time to make sure you’re able to establish and maintain the emotional intimacy your marriages will thrive on.”
At this, George nodded his head. It seemed George was actually learning something from Phillip.
“Last, but certainly not least, ‘L’ stands for lying. Thou shalt not lie. Leviticus 18:22 states, Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. And likewise, lying can be an abomination in your marriage.
“What I’m talking about is something that’s simple to do—don’t lie, as in not tell the truth. Believe me when I say that even the littlest of lies can grow and fester into an unrecognizable and uncontrollable monster. Don’t lie, be open and honest. It can save you a great deal of heartache in the end.”
Phillip smiled. “Thou shat not lie. That sounds like it should be listed along with The Ten Commandments, doesn’t it?”
Travis shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Beryl hoped Travis would take Phillip’s advice to start telling the truth and to stop embellishing on the smallest of things. It wouldn’t necessarily make life easy, but it would make it more bearable.
Phillip stopped looking at his watch. “Any questions?” he asked.
No one said anything.
“Okay then. Why don’t we take a short break?”
Beryl was glad he called for a break, she didn’t think her bladder could take much more. She stood, taking steps to head toward the bathroom, but had only gone a couple of steps when she heard a crash behind her. It sounded like something or someone hitting the table and floor.
She spun around to see Nina sprawled on the floor.
Chapter 26
Beryl Highgate
Thursday: 10:52 A.M.
“Oh my God, is she okay?” Beryl asked.
“Nina, baby, are you okay?” George was frantic. He knelt next to her, shaking her shoulders. “Nina, baby, wake up. Talk to me. Are you okay?”
Shelby knelt down on the other side of Nina. “Phillip, honey, move this table out of the way.”
Phillip and Xavier pushed the table and chairs to the side. “Nina?” Shelby said, “Nina can you hear me?”
Everyone else crowded around, trying to see what was going on.
“Stand back please, so she can get some air,” Shelby said. “Nina, can you hear me?” Shelby felt Nina’s neck for a pulse, and then checked to see if she were breathing. “She is breathing,” Shelby announced. She felt Nina’s forehead. “She’s burning up.”
George grabbed his notepad and began fanning Nina’s face.
Beryl’s bladder got the best of her. She turned and did a limping skip toward the bathroom to prevent another accident. She relieved her full bladder and washed her hands as quickly as possible, all the while wondering what she could do to help.
Upon returning to the room, she saw that Nina still remained unconscious. George held what looked like a cold cloth on Nina’s forehead.
“Let’s get her off this floor,” Shelby said.
Phillip assisted George in moving Nina out to the couch in the living room.
Shelby tried waking her by squeezing her shoulders and talking to her. “Phillip, grab the first aid kit for me,” Shelby said.
Phillip did as he was asked, leaving the room in search of the first aid kit.
Beryl stood motionless, watching at the edge of the living room. Except for Shelby, no one else was saying a word. Beryl felt like she was holding her breath as they waited for signs of life from Nina.
Charlotte, Xavier, and Travis stood stark still. George kneeled again on the floor next to Nina, his face stricken with worry. Kneeling there, Beryl saw a regular guy—not the well known television icon. He was a regular man lovingly trying to see what was wrong with his wife.
“Nina, wake up,” George pleaded.
“Nina, Nina, can you hear me?” Shelby continued to ask.
“Dear Lord ... Jesus, please let my wife be okay,” George pleaded looking up toward heaven.
“George, has Nina ever done this before?” Shelby asked.
George shook his head.
“What about medical conditions? Does she have any medical conditions? Is she diabetic? Does she take medications for anything?” Shelby asked question after question, trying to figure out what might be going on.
“No, she’s healthy,” George said. His face contorted with perplexity.
“I don’t know.” Shelby shook her head. “She doesn’t have diabetes so it doesn’t sound like it’s low blood sugar. And she isn’t on any medication, so it isn’t like she’s either taken too much or hasn’t taken enough. Something’s got to be wrong.”
“Is she allergic to any foods? Maybe something she ate this morning?” Shelby asked, still trying to figure out what might be going on.
“No, she isn’t allergic to anything that I know of,” George said.
Phillip returned to the room with the first aid kit and joined the exchange, trying to offer his help. “How was she this morning?”
“She seemed fine enough at breakfast. But she did seem a little tired during the session,” George said.
Beryl couldn’t keep quiet any longer. She wanted to offer anything she could if it would help Nina. “I noticed how sleepy she looked. She nodded off a couple of times.”
“Have you noticed anything different about her other than that?” Shelby asked.
“No. This morning was like most mornings. We got up, and she talked about getting some tea to drink. She was upset about some vitamins she lost yesterday. Then we came into the kitchen—”
“Vitamins, what kind of vitamins?” Shelby cut in.
“Just some ki
nd of vitamins that are supposed to give her energy. Nina has been taking them for a few months now,” George said.
“So she didn’t take them this morning?” Shelby asked.
“No, she couldn’t find them,” George said, his face downcast with the kind of guilt Beryl occasionally saw in her children’s eyes when they were up to no good.
“What did the vitamins look like?” Shelby asked.
“I don’t know. She never showed them to me. I noticed how much energy they gave her. I joked with her the other day, telling her I should take them for all the energy they gave her. She almost had a fit saying I needed to get my own vitamins. And I ...” George stopped.
“You what?” Shelby asked.
Beryl was in pure suspense. She had stopped breathing again, waiting for the response. She wasn’t the only one in pure suspense. Whether she realized it or not, Charlotte was standing at the end of the couch, practically leaning on Xavier for support.
Travis sat on the edge of the loveseat, on the other side of the room, as if watching a made for television movie. All that seemed to be missing from his hands was the bag of popcorn and a jumbo soda.
George buried his head in his hand. “I took the bottle of vitamins from her.”
“You did? Where is it?” Shelby asked.
From the pocket of his jeans, George pulled out a small bottle. It didn’t look like any kind of vitamin bottle Beryl had ever seen before, but she figured it was some kind of high class vitamin that wasn’t sold at the stores she shopped in.
Shelby took the bottle from George and examined it. “Vitality vitamins? I’ve never heard of these.” Then she opened the bottle and looked inside.
From where Beryl was standing, she could see flat little round pills with a hollow shaped heart cut through the middle. But as she tried to look a little closer, she saw that the heart wasn’t a heart shape at all, it was really in the shape of a V. It made sense. The V was for vitality.
Shelby’s eyes widened, then her eyebrows furrowed. “Where did she get these from?”
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