by Alena Pitts
“I don’t know, Lena. Just do what Germ-o-my says. Trust God.” With those final words she bounced out of bed and went straight to her closet as if this conversation had fixed everything.
Maybe it had. I could feel my sadness starting to disappear and Ansley obviously had other things to worry about.
“Now, what am I going to wear today? It’s Friday, we don’t have school, and it’s my birthday! Let’s celebrate, Lena!” She swung open the two white closet doors and waited for me to join her.
Ansley was super excited to finally turn nine. She had been counting down since last year. Her eighth birthday announcement was, “I’m almost ten!” Even though she still had a year to go, I knew how excited she was to be one year closer.
I picked out her turquoise Converse because they are my favorite, a pair of long white socks, a pink tutu, and a gray sweatshirt with a big yellow smiley face on it.
I also put two little flowers in her hair with a side ponytail. She was definitely the cutest almost ten-year-old I’d ever seen.
Not long after I finished dressing Ansley, Ashton and Amber were awake and wanted in on my personal styling skills too.
Our morning quickly turned into a full-fledged family fashion show! When Mom heard the commotion she even invited us into her closet. Ashton found Mom’s huge straw beach hat, her yellow spring scarf, and an old jean jacket. Amber and I wrapped Mom’s skirts around us as dresses and picked out our favorite pairs of Mom’s high heels. Ansley on the other hand loved her birthday outfit and decided to only play around with the pearl necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Austin waddled between us until we finally found a little blue scarf for him too.
We click-clanked and paraded down the hall, through the living room, and in and out of the kitchen while Dad pretended to be our announcer, photographer, and audience.
The day was off to a better start than I’d imagined it would.
Eventually everyone was dressed in their final outfits and ready for Ansley’s big adventurous day, which included a movie, ice cream, and friends!
The day was so fun and exciting that it wasn’t until Mallory’s voice came on the radio that I even remembered how badly I wanted her to call. I immediately wanted to turn the radio off but I couldn’t because Ansley and her friends were bellowing. Every. Single. Word. I slouched down in my seat and prayed that no one saw how sad the entire scene was making me feel.
I didn’t want to feel this way. It was silly and I felt so guilty about it. I knew I was being selfish and I wanted to hold back the tears but I just could not. I needed to get out of the car quickly.
When we pulled into the parking lot of the ice cream parlor I was the first one out.
“Be right back.” I smiled in the direction of my mom and dad and escaped to the restroom as quickly as I could.
I stayed in the bathroom until my eyes were dry. I splashed them with water, squished them together tightly, and shook my head from side to side.
“God, I trust you,” I whispered to myself and dashed through the large glass doors toward my family.
Ansley and one of her friends were spinning in circles, while Amber and the other ones were chasing each other around the table. Dad was just standing back and watching it all happen. They looked like a big herd of really cute chaos and seeing them forced a smile on my face.
I spotted Mom standing outside the ice cream shop. She was waving her phone in the air and motioning for Dad and me to join her.
“Hello . . .” She answered just as we reached her.
“Yes, this is she . . .” She glanced over at me and said, “Ok, hold on. I’ll put it on speaker.”
“Lena, this is for you,” Mom said as she held the phone out.
I was so confused.
“It’s on speaker,” she added.
As I was grabbing it from her, I heard a very familiar voice. “Lena Daniels?” the voice said.
I hesitated.
“This is Mallory.”
My words moved in slow motion from the back of my brain to my mouth and they froze at my lips. My hands went numb while Mallory spoke.
“I just wanted to call all the girls that auditioned for the movie and thank them. I know it took a lot of courage to do that and I appreciate it so much! You are such a brave girl.”
Still no words would come out of my mouth.
“As you can imagine,” Mallory continued, “our team saw a lot of really great videos. It was almost impossible to choose just one girl but we had to. We prayed that God would show us which girl He wanted to have the part. So we want you to know that we take this very seriously. . . Lena? Are you there?”
I tried to force the word “yes” out of my mouth but I could not. Mom chimed in quickly, “Yes, she is.” And now my sisters had come out to see what was going on.
I stood frozen. I had waited so long for this very phone call. My heart was beating super fast and I was concerned that my limbs would stop working at any moment.
Mallory continued, “I hope you aren’t busy this summer because I want to know if you would consider joining us in Los Angeles, California to film the movie Above the Waters with me?”
I dropped to my knees in disbelief while my entire family let out a loud cheer! I covered my face with my hands and I could not tell if my voice was one of the ones screaming or sobbing.
“Lena? . . . Hello? . . . Is that a yes?”
Mallory was laughing and talking at the same time. “Are you guys ok?” she asked jokingly.
My dad’s voice was the next one I heard clearly, “YES!” he shouted at the phone.
“Great! We are so excited to have Lena join us for this project! We truly believe she is amazing and just the girl God wants for the job. So, here’s what will happen . . .
“The Fenways are the directors and producers of the movie. Either they or someone from their office will call you later on today to work out all the details. Everything will need to happen pretty quickly and they’ll have all the information you need.”
I started pulling myself off the ground as Mallory continued to talk. “In the meantime, do you have any questions for me?”
Mom and Dad were still grinning and Amber, Ashton, and Ansley wrapped themselves around my waist.
“No,” I giggled. “Oh, wait! Yes! Will you be there the first day?”
“Absolutely! Looking forward to meeting you,” Mallory responded.
Mom chimed in, “Well, Lena is super excited. We all are. She’s sitting here speechless because she’s laughing and crying so hard.”
“Aw, I can’t wait to meet you all!”
Mom continued, “I have another question. I know the movie is about a family learning to trust God. Right?”
“Yes, ma’am. It’s about a family—a mom, dad, daughter, and grandmother. They are really close but the grandmother suddenly gets very ill. A number of significant and life-changing events happen, but in the end the family learns to trust God no matter the circumstance,” Mallory answered.
“Oh, wow, that sounds like a fantastic story and message. Will Lena’s role be considered a major part and how long will she need to be there to film?”
“Lena, you do have a major part! You will be one of the stars . . . exciting right?”
“YES!!” I was finally starting to calm down enough to form words.
“Now as far as how long, that’s a Mr. Fenway question. This is my first movie so I don’t understand it all yet either. But the movie is going to be filmed in Los Angeles and I think they film over an eight-week period. Now I know that they will not film in the actual order of the movie. So depending on when and how they schedule the scenes that Lena is in will determine how long she needs to be on set. They are finalizing those details today. Does that make any sense?” Mallory sounded like she was trying to convince herself too.
“Mmmm, yes, a little.” Mom and Dad laughed and Mallory joined them.
I didn’t understand most of what Mallory had said either. I was just trying to wrap my head around th
e fact that Mallory Winston was on the phone with my family like I’d pictured and hoped for so long. It was all actually happening.
Mallory reassured us that Mr. Fenway would be calling us very soon and he would have a lot more to tell us about the entire process. She ended the conversation by asking my dad to pray.
Dad prayed,
“Dear God, thank you so much for Mallory, the Fenway family, Lena, and all the other people that will work together on this project. I pray that as everyone starts to pull the pieces together, you would provide every detail from the right locations to the right cameras. We trust that you are orchestrating the details and we are grateful for the lives that will be impacted by this work. Bless this movie. Amen.”
“Amen.”
When we hung up, Mom led us all in one big shouting and screaming party. And Ansley’s friends didn’t hesitate to join in on the fun with us.
“So, Lena,” Mom turned to look at me. “Are you ready to do this? Sounds like it could be a long summer in California. Are you ok with that?”
“Yes!” Ansley answered for me.
“Yes, ma’am!” I closed my eyes and thought, thank you, God.
We spent the rest of the day celebrating even more than we already had. I wanted to call Emma and Savannah but Mom asked me to wait until all the details were worked out.
That night, I lay in bed replaying the phone call over and over in my mind.
I sat up and scooted to the corner of my bed, right under my window.
I quietly slid my little black book from under my pillow.
I’d figured out just where to crawl in order to let the night’s natural light from the window hit the pages on my journal.
Dear God,
I feel like I am starting all over! I wasn’t sure if you heard my prayers when I asked that you let me get the call and the part! But now it really feels like you do hear me. Mom always says you work in silence and I wasn’t sure what that meant. Now I guess I do, or at least I am trying to figure it out. You were so quiet and now look! You weren’t saying anything but you were here. Thank you for answering my prayers and showing me that I really can trust you!! Wow!! Now God, I would have done things a little differently and a lot faster! But, oh well, I guess that’s why I am NOT you! ’Cause you know the plans you have for me!
Yay! I am going to meet Mallory Winston!
Thank you, God!!!!
“Ouch,” I moaned as I raised my head just enough to slide Ansley’s yellow sandal from under my cheek. The room was dark and the only thing I could see was the reflection of sparkles.
Ansley had just gotten the sparkly sandals for her birthday and did not want to take them off. They were covered in rhinestones and green flowers. They looked like a baby tree decided to play dress up in a princess’s closet! There was only one word that came to mind when I saw them—“Yuck!” But of course they were her favorite gift from her very special day.
I was actually surprised she didn’t wear them to bed. But maybe she had. She probably wore them to bed and while she was sleeping her feet suddenly got a sense of style and kicked them off and across the room. Yes, that explained it.
But it didn’t explain how I ended up on the floor with the sandals. Obviously there was much more going on here. Ansley and her rhinestones were not the only problem.
How exactly did I get down here? I wondered from my spot on the floor. I closed my eyes and tried to remember what happened.
I vaguely remembered a midnight bathroom break. But somehow I never managed to make it all the way back to my bed.
I pulled myself up off the floor, climbed back into bed, and squeezed my eyes shut. I could not see the clock, but I knew that it wasn’t time to get up.
I rolled a little to left, then back to the right just a tiny bit, and tried to stop my mind from wandering.
I started chanting, “Sleep, sleep, sleep” in my head until I finally drifted off once again.
I woke up five hours later with Austin’s little body sprawled across my bed. His wet tongue dangled from the corner of his mouth like that really big slip-and-slide Mom rented for Amber and Ashton’s sixth birthday. Massive, wet, gross, and perfect.
He looked unconscious, so just to be sure he was fine I placed my index finger under his nose. First I felt heat escaping his nostrils and then in the next moment I started to hear a deep grumble coming from the bottom of his belly—I knew he was ok.
I stared at him for about four more seconds before gently shoving him off my bed and onto the pallet I’d made for him on the floor.
Seeing him lying there so comfortably made me chuckle. He didn’t have a care in the world. “Oh, Austin, why were you in my bed? Are you nervous about meeting Mallory Winston too?” I laughed to myself. He just shifted his tongue to the other side and continued to snore.
I wasn’t sure what time it was and if anyone else was awake so I slipped out of bed and tiptoed down the hall. The sound of my bedroom door creaking woke Austin and he followed behind me.
“Good morning, Sunshine!” Dad’s words startled me.
I was still trying to adjust my eyes but suddenly I could hear a table full of chuckles and giggles.
Dad’s smile was the first thing I saw at our kitchen table. That’s because it was so big it covered the rest of his face.
Amber was using her pointer finger to clean the crumbs off her plate, Ashton was gnawing on a piece of bacon, while Mom was standing in front of the sink with bubbles up to her elbows.
I glanced around the kitchen and realized a lot had already happened this morning.
“Morning, guys.” I plopped in the open seat next to Amber.
“Dad, have they called you yet?” I asked as Mom set a plate of eggs, two pancakes, and three slices of bacon in front of me. One whiff of bacon and I knew today was going to be good day.
“Yes, they did . . .” Dad paused, turned toward me, and continued. “So I spoke with the Fenways this morning, Gina and David.”
“Yay!” I gasped. “What did they say?”
Dad stared at me intently. “They seem really nice. Mom and I talked to them for a while. They love God very much and this movie is an amazing opportunity for everyone involved. Unfortunately, they need you in California by Monday. Which means you need to leave tomorrow. And you’ll need to be there until August ninth.”
“Huh?” I almost laughed. “You’re joking, right?”
Dad wasn’t smiling. “No, Lena, I’m not. Mom and I have prayed and spoken about it and we think we have a plan to make it all work.”
My mouth dropped open and suddenly my brain was full of so many thoughts! Monday was just a few days away. Two, to be exact. It was the end of the school year but I did still have a few days left and a few things I needed to do. I didn’t want to interrupt my dad so I waited to tell him that that schedule would not work.
“You know it’s in Los Angeles, right?” Dad was still talking to me.
“Yes.” I kept my answer short because I wanted to hear everything else that Dad had to say.
“So your character’s name is Jennifer and she’s ten years old. Like Mallory told us, it’s a pretty big part. Jennifer’s family is struggling to believe that God is real until Jennifer becomes great friends with a woman named Nicole—that’s Mallory.”
My head was spinning. “Daddy, I can’t be in California by Monday!” I blurted out.
“Yes, you can,” Dad responded. “We asked if you could come just a few days later to give us some time, but unfortunately it’s not possible. They need you there to start. That’s why they are so excited they found you when they did. Without you, they wouldn’t have been able to stay on schedule. So you and Mom will leave tomorrow. Your sisters and I will come by the end of the week, once school is finished. You know I can work from anywhere so that will not be a big deal.”
He continued, “The Fenways are working on a house for us to stay in. They should have all the details by this evening, And we are going to book our flights in j
ust a bit. We were just waiting for you to wake up!” Dad finished talking.
“See? God’s working it all out!” Mom chimed in.
Every time I opened my mouth to speak, the words would just plop into the back of my throat and stay there. I kept my eyes glued on my dad. I could not believe the words that were coming out of his mouth.
Mom used my silence as an opportunity to continue with more of the details. “They sent the script over, so after breakfast you can take a look at it. I printed it already and Lena, you have lots of lines! It looks like you are in almost every scene!”
I sat staring at them. I was in shock and did not how to respond.
The people talking looked like my mom and dad but my parents would never be this calm about moving our entire family to California in a week. They were talking as if this was all very normal. But none of it was normal.
This was the complete opposite of normal. It felt strange and I wanted to let them know what I thought.
“This is . . . mmmm . . . well, a little crazy, right?” The words flew out of my mouth as if I had no control over them. As soon as I said them, I knew I shouldn’t have.
I could tell from Dad’s face that he was not happy with what I had said.
“Hold on now, Lena.” Dad’s voice was louder than normal.
“Sorry Daddy. But I can’t leave tomorrow. It’s not possible. I still have school and my friends. And what about my plans for the summer? Emma just invited Savannah and me to go to Mexico with her!”
Dad stopped me from speaking any further. “Lena, I’m sorry about that. But remember you asked for this. You said yes to this opportunity yesterday and now your mother and I are trying to figure out how to make it all work with the family. And there are lots of people counting on you and your commitment to the movie. So if you seriously don’t think you want to do it, let us know right now.”
I interrupted my dad. “Daddy, that’s not what I mean. I just don’t see how I can pack today, board an airplane tomorrow with a movie script in one hand and my entire life in the other, and head off to an unknown place with unknown . . .”
