“You know D-Dog has made an effort to change. You can, too,” Jaidon said. D-Dog had started coming to the youth center a little over a month ago. Tanesha came a couple times, but couldn’t resist the pull of the gang. She broke up with D-Dog. Shortly afterward Bruno chose her to be his girl. It rivaled the equivalent of being chosen as Prom Queen—for the girls who actually stayed in school. The only reason some of the kids in gangs went to high school was to access their market— other youth to sell drugs to.
“I want to, but Bruno won’t let me.” Fresh tears rolled down Tanesha’s cheeks.
“If you want to get away from Bruno, we’ll help you,” Jaidon said. How, he didn’t know.
“You can’t help me. No one can.” Tanesha shook her head violently. “You see what Bruno did to D-Dog when he tried to get out of the gang. I’m Bruno’s girl whether or not I want to be.” Tanesha pushed away from Jaidon. Fresh tears streamed down her face. She ran toward the doors and out of the hospital.
Catherine Wall helped Daryl Jones get situated in his hospital bed after they brought him up from the operating room. She placed a pillow behind his head and another one behind his injured shoulder to make him more comfortable. “If you need pain medication you can push this button.” She showed him the button in question and clipped it close enough for him to reach.
A pleasantly plump, dark-skinned woman with tear-stained cheeks bustled into the room, three small children in tow.
“Daryl, you know I told you to avoid that gang.”
“I know, but—”
“But nothin’.” The woman’s hands went to her hips, and her head bobbed from side to side as she spoke. “You had me worried. Here I thought my baby was lying dead in the streets. You wanna worry your momma like that?” She didn’t give him time to respond. “You stay away from Bruno and that Jezebel, Tanesha. She ain’t gonna do nothin’ but get you in trouble, boy.” Catherine hooked up Daryl’s new IV and checked his pulse. The muscles in his forearm were tense. “Ma’am, we need to keep the patient calm. He’s still recovering from surgery.” His mother nodded and drew the smallest of the three children with her closer to her side.
Catherine offered a faint, reassuring smile as she laid Daryl’s arm back down on the bed. “If you need anything, just press the call button on the remote.”
Daryl nodded briefly.
She hated violence. It went against everything her Quaker heritage taught her. Catherine wished she could share more of her faith with her patients. Didn’t they see how they were harming others and themselves? She glanced at Daryl as she left his hospital room—and collided with something solid—another visitor. His arms steadied her.
“I’m sorry.” Catherine inhaled a woodsy, exotic scent. Her arms pressed against his medium-blue dress shirt. Her eyes focused on his striped, color-coordinated tie. He was clean shaven, obviously a professional. What kind, she couldn’t surmise. Not the type of person she would have expected to be coming to see a gang member. She looked up and peered into the depths of the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. “I’m…sorry.” She gently pushed away from him.
He continued to hold on to her right arm. “Excuse me, Miss—” He glanced at her name tag. “Catherine. A friend of ours just came from surgery. I think this may be his room.”
“What is your friend’s name?”
“D-Dog,” the man holding her arm said.
“Daryl Jones,” someone else replied.
Catherine looked over at the other two men standing nearby. She’d been so distracted by the man next to her that she hadn’t noticed them. She glanced back at the man holding her arm. He released his grip. The other two wore workout clothing. All three of them appeared to be harmless. Given that the patient they were inquiring about had just been shot, the hospital stayed on high alert in case someone wanted to come and finish the job.
“This is his room. His family is in with him right now.” She moved aside.
“Thank you.” He continued to stare at her; neither of them had moved more than a foot apart. “My name is Jaidon Taylor.”
Catherine shook his extended hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“We work at the youth center. That’s where we met Daryl,” Jaidon said.
Catherine nodded. “Doesn’t seem he’s made some very good friends.”
Jaidon laughed and ran a hand through his nicely trimmed brown hair. “No it doesn’t.”
Her cheeks warmed. “I’m sorry. That didn’t sound right. What I meant was, it would be good if the youth center could help.”
Jaidon smiled. “That’s why we’ve been trying to get him and other youth involved in the center. We want to give them positive role models and help keep them off the street and out of gangs.”
Two days later Jaidon stood in front of a group of around two dozen youth at the old, dilapidated center. “Violence has never solved anything. In Psalms it says, ‘His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.’ And in Romans 12:19, it says, ‘Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.’ “
“You trying to tell us we ain’t got any right to settle the score?” Romeo, D-Dog ‘s friend, asked.
Light blue hospital attire moving toward the group caught Jaidon’s attention. Wavy brunette hair and a gentle smile. Catherine. The nurse from the hospital. His heart raced. What was she doing here? Jaidon couldn’t stop and ask her. He needed to finish speaking to the youth. The center’s staff needed to squelch any acts of retaliation before they happened. “No, trying to settle the score will only escalate matters, and next time instead of someone ending up in the hospital, we’ll be attending a funeral.”
“Yeah, Bruno’s,” a youth said.
“So you shoot Bruno, and then members of his gang come after you, but instead of getting you, they shoot up your home, and your mother or your little sister gets killed.” Jaidon clenched his fist. “Do you really think it’s going to just end there?”
They were silent. He could see the frustration in their eyes, the pursed lips and agitation in each kid’s stance.
“Trust God to take care of things. He can handle this situation better than any of us can. He can calm the anxiousness you feel.” Jaidon ushered up a silent prayer to calm his own anxiety. “Why don’t we take a few moments and pray?”
The volunteers helped to split up the teens into small groups and prayed with them. For the next half hour, as he talked and prayed with his group, he forgot about Catherine until he looked around to see how the other groups were doing. He spotted Catherine with a group of girls and the youth pastor’s wife, Josephina. Their group was still chatting. Should he join them? Or would he be a distraction?
Catherine smiled, her hazel eyes glistening, when she talked with the girls. She listened and interacted intently, readily engaging in conversation with the group. Josephina and the girls included her in their conversation. Who would have guessed this was the first time Catherine had ever been to the center? Was it possible she was an answer to his prayer?
Chapter 2
After the prayer groups broke up, the youth joined in their regular activities—playing basketball, socializing, or taking advantage of the tutoring assistance available to them at the center. While the youth gravitated toward their own cliques or activities, Jaidon took the opportunity to introduce Catherine to the staff. “This is Josephina’s husband, Roberto.”
Roberto shook hands with Catherine. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” Catherine’s genuine smile captivated Jaidon.
“He’s also the youth pastor at the church several of us attend.” Jaidon directed his attention to the other three people standing around in the circle with them. “This is Nathan and Ariannah. They are both youth sponsors at our church. You may remember seeing Kacey at the hospital. He is the director of the youth center.”
Ariannah tilted her head and studied Cathe
rine. “So what brings you to the center?” Jaidon thought her tone of voice and pursed lips belied a teenaged attitude. But why? Maybe Ariannah was tired or had a paper due the next day. He knew college demanded a lot of effort, especially if students like Ariannah wanted to keep up their grades and maintain their honors scholarships.
Catherine’s eyes glimmered when she smiled wider. She didn’t seem the least bit taken aback by Ariannah’s straightforwardness. “Daryl told me great things about the program and all the people that have been helped through peer mentoring. It sounds like an organization that I want to be part of.”
Roberto and Kacey’s eyes lit up as smiles creased their faces. Jaidon couldn’t deny part of him was equally happy, if not happier, as the others were to have another woman come to help at the center. Ariannah had recently turned twenty, and while she was a sponsor, she served as a peer mentor since she wasn’t much older than the girls or youth at the center. She wasn’t someone who’d yet garnished enough life lessons to counsel teens on a deeper level. This left Josephina as the only experienced woman who could offer sound advice. As much as he wanted Catherine there, one thought plagued him. “You do realize this is…um, not as safe an area as it should be? Perhaps on days you are available, you could ride with me—or our church group?”
Way to go, Taylor, he mentally chastised himself. Now scuff your sneaker tip across the floor while you talk, and you could be back in high school again asking Suzie out on a date. Jaidon had dated several women since then, but none, other than Catherine, made him feel like an awkward teenager with a crush. Although his stomach skittered with excitement, he liked feeling the heady emotions.
“Jaidon?” Roberto backslapped his arm playfully. “You listening?”
“Huh?” Jaidon looked at Roberto and then the others. He hadn’t realized he’d been staring at Catherine, lost in his thoughts. His cheeks warmed. “I’m sorry.”
Roberto chuckled. “I said at first I thought you were trying to discourage Catherine from coming to help. We didn’t want you to run her off.”
Catherine laughed. “I don’t scare that easily. And yes, I would like to ride with your group if it isn’t an inconvenience.”
“No inconvenience at all.” Jaidon would gladly bring her himself if they didn’t have room in the car. That way they’d have time alone together and could get to know each other.
“What church do you go to?” Ariannah asked.
Catherine’s eyes narrowed momentarily. Was she hesitant to answer? Maybe she didn’t go to church. His heart sank.
“I go to…New Garden Fellowship.” Catherine’s chin jutted up a fraction.
“So you’re a Christian?” Relief flooded Jaidon.
“A Quaker,” Catherine said. “As was my father, and his father before him, and so forth. Dating back a couple hundred years.”
Jaidon perused her attire. She didn’t dress weird. Although the only clothes he’d seen her in were hospital or medical- office-type attire. Maybe she dressed differently in her free time. Her wavy brunette hair flowed just beneath her shoulders. She didn’t wear it in a bun. “Aren’t Quakers Christians?”
Catherine shrugged. “That depends on who you ask. Not all Quakers consider themselves Christians.”
Weren’t Quakers up there with the Amish? More devout, didn’t have TVs and such, focused more on spirituality and less on worldly things? Jaidon could deal with that. Catherine would be less likely to want to rush home to watch her favorite sitcoms— or expect him to watch them with her—like Kaeli. Chick flicks and reality shows hadn’t ruined their relationship. Kaeli didn’t share in his desire to help others. Her outlook on doing things for the needy or reaching out to underprivileged children could be summed up: God helps those who help themselves.
Catherine possessed a giving and caring heart, which was evident by the profession she’d chosen and by the fact that she showed up at the youth center to volunteer all because a patient had told her about their work.
“We’re very fortunate to have you,” Jaidon said.
While the other volunteers mingled with the youth, Josephina talked with Catherine longer and explained more about the center and when their church group came together to the center to volunteer. She liked the thought of riding with them, if for nothing else, for the companionship.
Catherine wanted to get to know some of the youth at the center. After all, she was there to help. So far she’d interacted most with the sponsors, though she’d had some insight into a few of the teens during prayer-group time. She’d felt their angst, fear, and frustration at having a friend shot. She wanted to help them find peace and an alternative to a violent lifestyle.
Catherine drew closer to a group gathered on the bleachers next to the basketball court and overheard Rosie say, “I had Quaker cereal for breakfast this morning.”
She hadn’t told Rosie she was a Quaker. Why would a teen be discussing their breakfast when it was way past dinnertime? Ariannah had obviously said something. What was it with youth and drama? Was Ariannah trying to get under Catherine’s skin on purpose? She learned a long time ago that getting upset or offended at the jokes people made didn’t help. Catherine took offhanded comments in stride and tried to use the opportunity to her advantage. “That’s funny. I’m a Quaker and ate cereal this morning, too.”
All except Ariannah laughed; her cheeks flushed. Catherine sighed. Ariannah was a Christian. Why would she talk about her, and obviously in an unflattering way? Didn’t Christians profess to show the love of God?
“Exactly what is a Quaker?” Rosie asked. “The only thing I’ve ever seen was the guy in the funny hat on the box.” Rosie gave her a quick once-over glance. “You don’t dress like him, do you?”
Catherine couldn’t help but smile. “No, but his clothing was fashioned after early Quaker attire. Some Quakers still dress that way. But the reason the company decided to use the Quaker garb and name was because it symbolized good quality and honest value.”
More youth began to gather around them. One of the guys said, “I still don’t understand what a Quaker is.”
“Do you ride in a horse and buggy?” another guy asked.
A girl standing next to him jabbed him in the side with her elbow and rolled her eyes at him. “You got here after she did? Did you see a horse and buggy outside when you came in?”
He rubbed his side and shook his head.
“You’re thinking of the Amish,” she said.
“Oh,” he replied.
Their inquisitiveness was refreshing. It was definitely a better alternative to the raised eyebrows and standoffish behavior she normally encountered when she shared her beliefs with others. “Maybe this will help you. Think of different denominations of religions. For example, you have Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, or even other faiths.” Catherine could tell they were following along by the nods of heads. It was hard for her to explain how different their beliefs were. It was part of her heritage. Not something she could ever deny. Thus far she’d only found one way to explain it to non-Quakers to help them to somewhat understand. “A Quaker is more like a different denomination or belief. Ours is more of a spiritual search in order to connect with God and follow His leading.”
“So you felt led to come here?” Ariannah frowned.
“Yes.” Catherine didn’t know why, but she sensed the young woman didn’t like her by her tone and the way she’d looked at her all evening. “We believe all humans are inherently good.” Catherine reminded herself that included Ariannah, no matter what ill feelings Ariannah harbored toward her.
Ariannah glanced over at Rosie, rolled her eyes, and flipped a couple strands of long blond hair over her shoulder.
“Therefore everyone should be given a chance.” If lucky, Ariannah would give her a chance as well. Catherine took a deep breath to relax. She would never reach the youth if she let frustration get the best of her. She continued, “William Penn wrote, ‘True godliness does not turn men out of the world, but enables them to l
ive better in it and excites their endeavors to mend it.’ We can do that by reaching out and helping others.”
Somehow she would find a way to help Ariannah as well. Whatever the reason the younger youth sponsor didn’t like her, she’d try and make a friend of her.
“You don’t have to be a Quaker to help others,” Ariannah said. “This center is here because of Christians reaching out to help youth find alternatives to gang violence.”
“Yeah, thanks for giving your time,” one of the guys said to Ariannah. “If you really want to help, you could go out with me Friday night.”
“I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.” Ariannah crossed her arms in front of her. The movement effectively blocked the text on her black T-shirt that reflected, REACHING THE LOST.
Catherine debated telling Ariannah that Christianity wasn’t the only religion to want to bring about peace. Quakers had won the Nobel Peace Prize, but chances were that telling her would only lead to more confrontation.
“We’re very thankful to have all the volunteers we can get,” Kacey said.
Catherine almost jumped. She hadn’t realized Kacey and Jaidon had joined their group, or that they were standing so close behind her. How much of the conversation had they heard? If the scrunched eyebrows and frown on Jaidon’s face were any indication, he’d heard enough. Hopefully he hadn’t misinterpreted her comments. She in no way meant to sound like Quakers were better. The youth were inquisitive, and her only desire was to enlighten them.
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