“The families pay what they can,” James continued, “but no child is turned away without a new or adjusted limb, no matter how creative we have to get. You should see how my wife and I rig some of these legs up when supplies start to get low. They’re always safe, but they aren’t always pretty.” James grinned proudly, exposing most of his teeth.
“So, you said funding is your biggest challenge. I assume whatever the families can pay isn’t enough.” Eli stated.
“Not even close!” James said. “Sophia and I pay for a lot of it ourselves. We both work at the hospital, like I mentioned earlier. But we moved out of our apartment, and now we live in my studio. It saves on money and time.”
“Wow, that’s dedication!” Eli said. “It sounds like a great ministry, and you’ve explained it well. I don’t see why you’re worried about talking with these men.”
“Well, it was easy talking to you about it,” James replied. “Thanks for listening.”
At that moment, Dr. Keeler announced it was time to sit down. He wanted to say a few words while the food was being served. James glanced at Eli. “It looks like this event has just started. Maybe I’ll have enough courage to talk to a few gentlemen afterwards. Enjoy the evening, Eli.” He held out a hand to him again.
“Do you have a card?” Eli asked, taking his hand. “I’d like to contact you later.”
James nodded as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a card for this friendly, regular guy.
ELI
Eli found Ada, and they sat at their assigned seats. He felt out of place as he glanced in either direction to spy out the proper etiquette for the evening. From their table, he had a clear view of the stage at the front of the banquet hall. Near the back of the stage sat an odd piece of decoration that he couldn’t help wondering about. It wasn’t very attractive. It was nothing more than a twisted network of metal branches attached to a wooden base. It reminded Eli of a dormant, leafless tree one might find in the winter woods—an odd choice for a decoration, considering the opulence of the banquet hall.
As the guests politely ate the fancy meal placed in front of them, Nathan stood on the stage and spoke of his various donors. He called them up, one by one, to receive a plaque inscribed with a grateful sentiment from the doctor and his wife. Eli was getting nervous. He had hoped Nathan would make a quick and general speech about his appreciation, and then let them all enjoy a nice meal in peace. But now he realized that Nathan would talk specifically about him, and he would eventually have to cross the stage to receive an obligatory plaque. Eli’s food lost its flavor as he simultaneously lost his appetite. Soon, however, Nathan seemed to be concluding his presentation and there were no more plaques on the table next to him. Perhaps he realized an event like this would make Eli uncomfortable and mercifully chose to spare him the distress.
“All of the men presented with plaques this evening have been important to my ministry over the years, and I greatly appreciate the interest they have shown in my work,” Nathan said, gesturing out to the audience. “Gentlemen, again, I thank you.” He gave a respectful bow to them as light applause rose from the tables. The doctor continued. “There is one more gentleman I would like to recognize this evening.” Eli’s heart began to race; this was it. “I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Gardner a year ago this September. It was a meeting in which our paths barely crossed, but I believe it was God ordained. This young man is a humble and private giver. To be honest, I’m worried he won’t be pleased that I’m bringing attention to him tonight.
“However, I choose to recognize him in this way because I truly believe he doesn’t understand how far-reaching his contribution to my ministry actually is. Not only has he made it possible for our facility to purchase all new equipment, but he has also been instrumental in our ability to reach more children this year than ever before. Because of Mr. Gardner’s donation, we have almost doubled our surgeries for the year, which has led to our partnering with Dr. Albert Jackson.” Again, a polite applause moved through the hall.
Eli glanced around the room one last time and took a sip of water to relieve his dry mouth. He leaned over and whispered in Ada’s ear. “I don’t think I can do this…”
She smiled at him and took his hand. “Yes, you can,” she said.
“I would now like to ask Mr. Eli Gardner to join me on stage please.” The applause continued as Eli walked to the stage and stood next to Nathan. He smiled at the crowd and tried to leave quickly, but Nathan held his arm and pulled him back. “I’ve invited several families here tonight whose children have been the recipients of surgeries funded by Mr. Gardner.” He indicated the ugly branch sculpture on the stage. “I have asked them to tie fabric leaves to this tree for every person affected by his donation.”
At this point, Nathan made a beckoning gesture with his hand. Families carrying babies and toddlers with small pink scars on their upper lips began to cross the stage. They stopped at the tree and tied their leaves onto it while others lined up behind them. Eli couldn’t see the end of the line as it continued out the door on the side of the stage. The tree began to fill up with light and dark green leaves while Nathan continued his speech.
“This includes not only the children, but all of the family members as well. The light green leaves represent those who have had the surgery, and the dark green leaves represent their family members. For the families that could not travel to Lambury tonight, I have asked other guests to tie their leaves onto the tree.” People continued to cross the stage as the scene began to blur. Eli rubbed his eyes, trying to clear them. Nathan turned to him, indicating the tree. “This, Eli, is how far-reaching your contribution has been. This is how God has been using you. This, as you said last year, is ‘only one of the branches’ on your vine.”
Even though he had skimmed the letters Nathan sent him, Eli only thought of his gift in terms of helping the doctor, Angel, and a few other children. He never allowed his understanding to extend beyond that. With this visual, he couldn’t help but see God’s impact through his giving. He continued to watch the leaves multiply and finally saw the last family cross the stage. Laura held Angel as Jacob tied their leaves onto a branch. They walked toward Eli, and when they reached him, Jacob grabbed onto his upper arm.
“Why didn’t you tell me it was from you?” he asked quietly.
“It wasn’t,” Eli said. “God gave you that gift.”
Jacob reached up and patted him on the back as they hugged. “Thank you, my friend,” he said.
ADA
Ada climbed into bed and was about to put out the lantern, but Eli stopped her. She turned to give him her full attention. She had noticed earlier in the day how quiet he had been, but he was often quiet when something important was on his mind. She wasn’t surprised that he wanted to talk now.
“Do you remember when I asked if you would be willing to leave with me?” he said.
“Yes,” she replied.
“Would you still go with me? Is your answer still the same?”
“Of course it is. Why do you keep asking that?”
“What if I said it was time to go now? We’re both still grieving. If we leave now, I’ll be taking you away from Jed and Rosa. I’d be asking you to leave your family.”
“Eli, you’re my husband.” She put her hand on his arm. “You are my family. I’ll go with you whenever you tell me it’s time.”
“I think God wants us to go soon. I’m going to talk to Mr. Ross about finding a town to buy a house in. It might take a few months, but I wanted to see how you felt about it.”
“Where do you think we’ll go? What town?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I’ll know it when I see it. I think it will just feel right. Do you trust me, Ada?”
“I do trust you; you know I always have. God gave you to me. When I trust you, I’m also trusting Him.”
Eli sighed as she extinguished the light.
ELI
Eli was relieved when Nathan finally
closed the door and asked the driver to take them back to their hotel. The noise of the carriage was quiet compared to the banquet, but the buzzing clamor of meeting so many people still rang in his ears. While Ada looked out the window at the city, Eli sank into his seat. He leaned his head back and sighed. The other donors had swarmed him after dinner, introducing themselves and asking for business tips. More than one had commented on his self-made success, despite his young age. Eli didn’t think of himself as self-made any more than he thought of himself as young or old. He really didn’t think of his age that often at all. At three months shy of twenty-seven, he understood that he was relatively young, but a number wasn’t important.
The small crowd had been relentless in their pursuit of him, and he was only able to talk to James O’Conner during the brief formal introduction Nathan gave them. James apologized repeatedly, in case he had said anything about rich men that offended him, and Eli assured him that he was still the same regular guy he had talked to earlier. He promised to contact James soon.
There was one moment after the banquet when Eli insisted the donor crowd give him a moment of peace. A little girl holding onto a piece of paper came up to him and tugged on his jacket. She had drawn him a picture and seemed determined to put it into his hands personally. As he thought about that moment, he pulled the picture out of his pocket and looked at it again. A woman dressed in a plain, colorless uniform caught up to her charge just as he glanced down to see who was tugging on him.
“Mr. Gardner, I am so sorry!” the woman said, grabbing on to the girl’s hand and giving it a solid yank.
He shook his head and stopped her. “That’s okay, I’d like to talk to this girl.” Ignoring the crowd, he went down on one knee, bringing himself to her level.
“Mr. Gard-en-er,” she said, mispronouncing his name. “I drew you a picture.” The scar from her recent incision was still dark pink. It would soon fade, but her nose had a slightly crooked imperfection that gave her a uniquely satisfying appearance.
“Thank you,” he said as he took the picture from her. He looked at the pencil lines. Three figures drawn in the center of the paper were surrounded by small, round scribbles neatly lined up in several parallel rows which covered the entire page.
“Mr. Gard-en-er, thank you for paying for my shurjury,” she said with a slight lisp. Little tears glistened in the bottom of her eyes.
He smiled at her. “Are you Sarah?” he asked. She nodded as the tears slipped down her round cheeks. “Well, Sarah, you are very welcome,” he said, blinking against his own tears. He turned her attention to the picture. “Is this you?” he asked, pointing to the shortest figure in the center.
She nodded. “And this is you, and this is Mrs. Gard-en-er,” she said pointing to the other figures as she sniffled.
“And what are all of these?” he asked, indicating the small, round scribbles.
“Those are all your plants. The ones you take care of,” she said.
“My plants?” he asked quietly.
“Because you’re a gardener, right? Don’t you take care of all the plants? See, I’m helping you, because there are so many of them.”
“Sarah,” he said to her in a low whisper. “I haven’t found all my plants, yet.”
“That’s okay, Mr. Gardener. I can help you look for them. God will help us find them.”
At that point, the woman looking after the girl said it was time to go and whisked her away before Eli could stop her. He remained on one knee, frozen in place, and watched her disappear through the door of the banquet hall.
As the carriage swayed down the street, he thought about the girl, and his eyes drifted up from the picture and rested on Ada. Despite being tired, her smile deepened as she peered at the newness of the city lights. Eli smiled at his wife and whispered the little girl’s name in his mind: Sarah. It felt right.
PART 4
Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel of honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
2 Timothy 2:21
DAVID
David’s office provided a warm sanctuary against the cold December air. Eli had arrived for their regular Friday lunch meeting and sat with a preoccupied expression opposite the banker. He and Ada had recently returned from Lambury where they had attended a banquet hosted by Nathan Keeler.
David wondered if the fancy event and modern city would tantalize the Gardners away from the small town of East Haven. But when he asked his friend about his time away, Eli had little to say of the experience: it was interesting, loud, even overwhelming, and he was thankful to be home. David was relieved to have an unaffected lunch partner—unaffected, that is, by the lavish lifestyle of the big city. Something, however, was exciting the young man that afternoon.
“You have a look on your face,” David said as he watched him bounce his knee.
“A look?” Eli asked. “What kind of look?”
“One that tells me I’m going to have extra paperwork soon.” David took another bite of his lunch as he waited for Eli to explain his next philanthropic endeavor.
“You’re not really worried about more work, are you?” Eli asked with a laugh. “I figured now that Jacob is working for you—”
“Shall I put Jacob on your accounts, then?” David said.
Eli shrugged as he drummed his fingers on the desk. “That’s up to you. It doesn’t really matter anymore. I’m pretty sure he knows I have money after last weekend.” He glanced at the door. “And as a bank employee, isn’t he bound by confidentiality anyway?”
David nodded. “Okay. I might put him on some of your projects then—if you’re sure you don’t mind. Now, you need to tell me what you have planned next before you wear a hole in my desk.”
Eli moved his hand off the desktop. “Actually, I have something I think Jacob would be interested in.” He pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to David. “James O’Conner. I met him at Nathan’s banquet. He and his wife provide children with prosthetic legs. I’ve written to him and asked for more information on his funding needs. He pays for most of the ministry himself, which means he can only do it part time. I know he wishes he could do more. I’d like to arrange something that will allow him to put all of his energy into it.”
“All right, we can do that,” David said. “Let me know when you hear from him, and we will get him all set.”
“And I’d like you to give Jacob some time off in April.” Eli added. “James puts on an event every six months. It’s a leg exchange for the children. I’m planning on being there, and I want Jacob to go with me.”
“That’s fine. I can spare him for a few days.” David noticed the young man’s leg still moving under the desk; he wasn’t done. “What else do you have for me, Eli?”
Eli pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. He unfolded it and smoothed it against his chest. As he looked at it, a grin spread over his face. He handed it over, and David studied it before shaking his head and looking up.
Eli’s eyes twinkled as his smile deepened. “This,” he said, tapping the paper in David’s hand. “I want your help with this.”
ELI
Eli sat next to Ada, grasping her hand. He glanced at the plain white walls of the office before returning his gaze to Mr. Ackerman. He had sent this man a letter of inquiry in January. Upon receiving his reply, Eli brought it straight to David, unable to wait until their next lunch meeting. The letter included everything he needed. He could now move forward with the project he asked David to help him with back in December. Mr. Ackerman’s letter detailed all the information the couple would need to bring to him as well as the legal procedures they would need to follow. Travel plans were made immediately.
February proved to be mild, making their excursion to the big city easier. The couple had arrived in Stonewall three days ago. It was a seventeen-hour journey by train from White Falls with a three-hour stop in Lambury. During the trip, both Eli and Ada lay awake in the sleepi
ng car all night. The newness of the experience and the reason for their journey prevented them from being able to sleep. Instead, they tossed and turned, hoping they didn’t dis turb the other passengers when they occasionally whispered about their plans.
Once in town, they found their hotel, checked into their room, and spent the rest of the day exploring the trolley system and getting acquainted with the city. On the second day, they waited at the courthouse—but to no avail. On the third day, they finally stood before a judge. Eli presented him with their marriage certificate, some statements from David, a letter from Marcus, and a partially filled out form that Mr. Ackerman had sent. The judge nodded; everything looked in order and their proceedings went quickly. He signed his consent on the form and sent the couple on their way. Now, they sat in Mr. Ackerman’s office, nervous but eager. After handing him the paperwork, they waited quietly as he sifted through it.
“Well, this is going smoothly, Mr. Gardner,” he said. “I just need to fill out the rest of the paperwork for our records, and we will be done here. Are you planning on leaving town today?”
“We leave tomorrow,” Eli said. “I thought we might go to some of the shops in town. We don’t get to experience a big city very often.” Mr. Ackerman nodded as he filled out the rest of the form.
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