Xavier nodded his head.
Phillip could tell that Xavier was in deep thought. He took in every word, as if in a desert thirsting for water. In some ways Xavier reminded him of himself when he first started learning about Christ.
“So you got everything back, huh? Your wife and kids?” Travis asked.
“Yeah,” Phillip said.
“So God really did bless you,” Travis said.
“God had been blessing me all the while. Shelby and I were already back together before we even came to this retreat, so my family had been physically restored well before we ever came.” Phillip opened the bottle of water and took a couple of sips.
“But I still felt like something was missing in my life, and it was here that I found what it was. I got saved and haven’t looked back since.” Phillip laughed. “Now I am not saying there haven’t been ups and downs since I got saved. But I know I’ve got the Lord on my side, so that lets me know I don’t have to do it all by myself.”
Xavier hung his head and took in deep breaths. He clasped his hands together and started nodding his head. “That’s it. That’s what I want ... what I need. Will you lead me to Christ? I want to say the sinner’s prayer.”
Placing the bottle of water in the cup holder on the chair, Phillip said, “Yes, my brother. I’d be honored to lead you in the sinner’s prayer.”
All four men stood and held hands. As Phillip led the prayer, Xavier repeated. In the end, Xavier accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Afterward, Phillip prayed for Xavier as a new brother in Christ and also prayed for the prosperity of each of the couples attending the retreat.
Once Phillip was done, he hugged Xavier, congratulating him. George did the same, and then began clapping his hands, shouting, “Hallelujah.”
Travis also gave Xavier a hug. The men were so enthralled in celebration, they hadn’t noticed the women return from their boat ride.
“What is going on here?” Shelby asked.
“Xavier just got saved,” Travis said.
“What?” Charlotte asked.
“I just got saved, baby.” Xavier made his way toward Charlotte. Once they reached each other, he repeated his words. “I just got saved.”
“Are you serious?” Charlotte said, looking around at the other men.
Phillip nodded his head.
Charlotte gave Xavier a warm embrace. Overjoyed, Xavier held on to her as if for dear life.
“I’d say this calls for a celebration,” Shelby said. “I have just the thing.”
Shelby excused herself and entered the cabin. Xavier recapped his conversation with the men earlier and told Charlotte that he’d felt like something wasn’t right in his life. He also said he realized he would need not just professional help for his problem, but God’s help also.
He reassured her that he was going to be a changed man and he’d never hurt her again the way he had in the past.
Returning from the cabin, Shelby held plastic cups and a bottle of sparkling white grape juice. She handed everyone a cup as Phillip twisted the cap off of the bottle.
After being handed the bottle, Shelby poured juice into each person’s cup. “Let’s toast,” Shelby said.
“To Xavier, may you continue to learn more about the love of Christ,” Phillip said.
Everyone toasted the plastic cups.
“Xavier, may you grow and prosper with God’s guidance,” George said.
Again, they toasted the plastic cups and took sips of the juice.
“Xavier, congratulations on the first day of eternal life with Christ,” Phillip said.
With each toast, Xavier’s eyes welled with tears. Phillip could tell the man was trying his best to keep the tears in; trying to be a man, he guessed. Phillip remembered the morning he’d gotten saved. He’d cried and hadn’t cared who saw it. The other couples congratulated him although there hadn’t been any sparkling grape juice to commemorate the event, but he hadn’t needed any. He had been fine knowing he was a true child of God.
“Hey, guys, what’s up with the meat?” Shelby asked. “I thought we were trying to have a cookout sometime this evening.”
Phillip turned and walked to the grill. “Oh, we are. I was just waiting for the coals to get hot enough. Then we got a little sidetracked,” Phillip said.
“Okay, you’re forgiven, but let’s go ahead and get this show rolling. We need to continue this celebration,” Shelby said.
“I’ve got the meats, young lady. Will you just make sure the salads and baked beans are ready?” Phillip asked her.
Shelby saluted Phillip as if she were in the military. “Yes, sir.” Then she ascended the steps of the porch.
“Man, this is going to be our last dinner together,” Travis said. “It will be the last supper.”
“Yeah, like the last supper. Cleaver, Travis,” Phillip said.
Travis nudged Beryl. “Did you hear that joke I just made? It will be the last supper.” He laughed at his own joke.
“Yeah, I heard you, Travis,” Beryl said. “The last supper, real funny.”
Phillip hadn’t seen any semblance of a laugh on Beryl’s face. What he saw was despondence.
And Travis hadn’t seemed to notice or care as he continued to repeat his joke, making sure everyone heard it.
As Phillip placed the ribs and chicken on the grill, he thought about all three couples. Two of the couples seemed to be getting back on track. But Beryl and Travis still seemed to be at a standstill. It was as if they hadn’t benefited from any of the sessions the entire week.
This bothered him. He wondered if Shelby had gotten a chance to talk with Beryl yet. He’d have to ask her later. But he’d make sure at some point before the couples left the retreat to pull Travis aside and have a talk.
Chapter 35
Phillip Tomlinson
Sunday: 6:00 A.M.
Phillip took his time rising from bed, trying his best not to wake Shelby. At the end of the bed he kneeled to say a silent morning prayer. Dear Lord in heaven. Thank you for this another day you’ve blessed me to see; thank you again for eternal life. And thank you, Lord, for my new brother in Christ. Lord, I pray that you put Godly teachers and people in his path, especially during this, the infancy of his salvation.
Dear Lord, I pray that you watch over each of these couples as they make their way back home. Please bring back to their remembrance most, if not all, of what I’ve tried to impart to them this past week. Lord, you are all knowing, and only you know the beginning as well as the end.
Lord, I have a heaviness in my heart where the Highgates are concerned. I pray that you will guide them in the direction they should go—and that your will shall be done. My hope is that they’ll be able to work through any problems they are having. And that if there are any other words of impartation you have for me to tell them, you will let me know so that I can do so.
I also pray that you will continue the work that has been started here at this retreat in regard to the Joneses and the Knights. Thank you so very much for using me as your vessel in these two couples’ lives.
And last, but most certainly not least, Lord please continue to bless Shelby and me as we do our part in assisting with the growth and development of your Kingdom.
I praise you, Lord, and I thank you, Lord, in your Son Jesus’ name. In a whisper, Phillip then said, “Amen.”
Upon standing, he heard movement coming from the kitchen area. It sounded like the refrigerator closing. He slipped on his robe to see who was there. He hoped it was Travis, though he doubted it because he was always known to be late for breakfast each morning. Phillip guessed he was sleeping until the last possible minute, pushing to get as much sleep as possible.
Stepping into the kitchen, Phillip saw Travis standing in front of the sink, drinking the last of the sparkling white grape juice.
Phillip said a silent thanks to God and greeted the man. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” Travis mumbled.
“You’re up a litt
le early,” Phillip said.
“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep last night, and I was thirsty.” Travis downed the remaining juice in the glass, rinsed it and placed it in the sink. “I’m going to try and get a few more Z’s. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
“Hey, Travis, hold up,” Phillip said. “Can I have a word with you for a moment? I wanted to talk without anyone else around.”
Phillip saw a dread-like dismay cover Travis’s face.
“Right now? Can it wait until after breakfast? I’m still a little tired,” Travis complained.
Phillip wondered what reason Travis had to be tired. He hadn’t lifted a hand to help with the cookout the day before. As he thought about it even more, the man hadn’t offered a helping hand with anything that didn’t benefit him.
“Yes, right now.” Phillip wasn’t going to be able to act like this was just a casual conversation. He felt like he was talking to his teenage son—like someone who needed to be guided and told what to do. “Why don’t we have a seat in the living room?” Phillip said.
Travis looked toward his bedroom with longing in his eyes, but Phillip wasn’t budging. This man needed straight talk. He didn’t need innuendos or someone being passive aggressive in order to try to get him to do the right thing.
Once they were seated, Phillip said, “Look, I’m not going to beat around the bush and waste my time or yours.”
Travis yawned, slumping back in his seat. “Okay, so what did you want to talk about?”
“Travis, you have got to wake up to what your wife is trying to tell you. I don’t know what you are hearing when you talk with her. But I hear her silent cry loud and clear. She’s screaming that if you don’t get it together, or at least even act like you’ve got it together before you leave this retreat, she’s probably going to leave you,” Phillip said. He hoped he wasn’t reading Beryl wrong, and he also hoped he hadn’t stepped completely out of line, but deep down his gut told him he was right about what he was saying and doing.
“Aw man. Is that all you wanted to talk about?” Travis said. He waved his hand as if swatting a fly.
“Is that all?”
“Yeah, you don’t know Beryl like I know her. She complains about stuff I do and don’t do sometimes, but she is all bark and no bite. She ain’t going to leave me. She loves me. And she ain’t the type of woman who wants to be without a man. Besides, she wouldn’t be able to take care of those kids by herself. So don’t you even worry about my wife leaving me, because she ain’t. She’s said it before, and we are still together. She keeps nagging me about getting a job, and I’ll get something when I get home to make her happy.”
“Do you hear yourself? You’ll get a job if it will make her happy? How do you feel having your wife take care of you?” Phillip asked.
“She ain’t taking care of me. I work sometimes, but things happen, you know. And I know how the system works, so I normally collect unemployment, so she ain’t footing the whole bill. I do contribute.”
“Oh, really? Do you even know how much it cost to attend this retreat?”
“Nah, she said she wanted me to come so I told her I would, but I wasn’t going to pay for it. She paid for it, just like she pays for other things when she’s claiming she doesn’t have any money. I know she’s got a secret bank account somewhere. I just haven’t figured out where it is yet.
“But it’s all good. Don’t sweat it, man. I got this,” Travis said.
Phillip shook his head. He couldn’t believe this man’s audacity. And if he weren’t sitting there live and in person, hearing the nonsense that was falling out of his mouth like the water at Niagara Falls, he wouldn’t have believed it.
“Are you done?” Travis asked.
“Yeah, go ahead and get some rest.” Phillip wasn’t going to waste anymore time or words with him.
Travis stood. “Thanks for all your concern, and this vacation was pretty nice. I’ve always wanted to visit the mountains.”
Phillip wanted to literally take the man and shake some sense into him. He’d heard of people getting book sense and other people getting common sense, but he hadn’t been aware of the group of people that got neither. Phillip figured he’d met the first person in that other line.
Chapter 36
Phillip Tomlinson
Sunday: 10:20 A.M.
“Thanks again for everything. Are you sure I can’t help you pack up some of this stuff in the kitchen?” Charlotte asked.
“No, but thanks for offering. We aren’t leaving until tomorrow, so Phillip and I will take care of it.
“Thanks, man, for your help. And thank you for helping me start my walk with Christ,” Xavier said.
Phillip gave Xavier a firm handshake and hug. “It was a pleasure, my brother. Make sure you seek Godly advice when you get back home. My e-mail address is in the back of your packet. Feel free to e-mail me. I’m no expert, but I’d be glad to offer any advice I can.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that,” Xavier said.
Phillip helped the couple take their bags to their SUV. Upon ascending the front porch steps, George and Nina walked out of the front door.
“Hey, you need some help with your bags?” Phillip asked.
“You know we do,” Nina said. “You know I’m traveling like Eddie Murphy in Coming to America .”
Phillip laughed. “You said it, I didn’t.”
“Shoot, I said it too,” George said. “Thanks, I could use the help.”
Phillip stepped onto the front door and picked up two of the suitcases. Once George and Nina’s SUV was packed, Phillip and Shelby said their goodbyes to them also.
“Nina, you let me know how everything goes with your doctor, and if you need to talk, I’m a phone call away,” Shelby said.
Nina patted her purse. “I’ve got your number, and thank you. I don’t know what I would have done the last couple of days without your help.”
Shelby gave Nina a firm hug. “Don’t worry about that. Everything will be fine, and you are both going to get through this.” Shelby gave George a hug also.
“Phillip, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me. God does have great things in store for you, my brother; just get ready,” George said.
“Thanks, man.” Phillip gave George a brawny hug.
With that, George and Nina, left to head back to Greenville.
Almost ten minutes passed before Beryl and Travis emerged from their room.
“Hey, where is everybody?” Travis asked.
“The other two couples left about ten minutes ago,” Phillip said.
“Ah, I wanted to say goodbye to them. And I wanted to get both George and Xavier’s autograph. Oh well.” Travis hunched his shoulders.
“Thank you, Phillip and Shelby, for all your work this week. I really appreciate all you did,” Beryl said. She gave Phillip and Shelby hugs as if not wanting to let go. “Well, I guess we’d better get on the road.”
“Hey, Beryl,” Shelby said. She looked around for a pen and piece of paper. “Here is my cell phone number and my e-mail address. Call me sometime and let me know how you all are doing. We can swap tips on raising kids.”
Beryl smiled for what seemed like the first time in days. “Sure, Shelby, I’ll do that. Thank you.” With downcast eyes, she picked up her suitcase and purse and headed for the front door.
“Beryl, let me get that for you,” Phillip offered, taking the suitcase into his hand.
Suddenly Travis spoke up. “Ah, no; I got it, man.” He took the case from Phillip. “Thanks anyway.”
Phillip took a deep breath.
“Have a safe trip,” Shelby said.
“Thanks, we will,” Travis said.
Phillip and Shelby stood on the front porch as they watched Travis and Beryl’s car pull off. With no surprise to Phillip, Beryl was in the driver’s seat.
“Is the door locked?” Shelby asked.
“Yep.”
“And are you sure Reverend and Mrs. Nelson are not due to come
back until tomorrow?” Shelby asked.
“Yes, honey. It’s just me and you here, and God willing, we won’t be interrupted.”
“Okay then.” Shelby pulled out an armful of blankets and comforters and placed them on the floor in front of the fireplace. Then she pulled out a tray she’d made with cheese, crackers, cantaloupe, honeydew, and pineapple chunks.
After setting the tray on the floor next to the blankets, Shelby pulled two glasses out of the cabinet and poured a bottle of chilled sparkling grape juice. “Now where were we seven days ago?” she asked.
Understanding exactly what Shelby meant, Phillip said, “I believe we were ...” He placed his hands on Shelby’s cheeks and began to kiss her. “Right here,” he whispered.
Shelby smiled. “So that’s where we’ll take it from.”
Epilogue
Phillip Tomlinson
8 months later
“Just a minute,” Phillip called out toward his front door. Upon opening it, he saw his best friend. “Will, what’s up, man?” Phillip greeted the man with a firm handshake and hug. Will stepped into their foyer.
Seeing the mailman pull up, Phillip asked Will to hold on for a second and left to retrieve the mail. Upon returning, Phillip again asked his friend what was up.
“Nothing much. I just had a question for you.” Will paused. “I tried to call but your cell phone keeps going straight to voice mail and so does your home phone.”
“Kids, man,” Phillip said. “Phillip Jr. has put my cell phone in a secret hiding place and we’ve been looking for it a couple of days. If I can’t find it soon, I’ll have to just get another one.”
Phillip noticed his friend was acting a little strange. “Come on in and have a seat.” He turned to lead his friend toward the family room.
“No, I can’t stay long. I just wanted to ask you something real quick. I’ve got to get back home. Morgan needs me to do some things for her.”
“Oh, okay. What did you need?”
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