The Runaway Pastor's Wife

by Diane Moody

  “No, I was born and raised in Tennessee. I’ve only lived here a couple of months. Graduated from OSU last spring. Got a teaching job, found an apartment, and here I am.”

  “So, that explains it.”

  “Explains what?”

  “Why you sound so normal. I’d expect a girl born and raised in Tennessee to have quite a drawl, but you sound normal to me. Guess all those years at OSU will straighten out just about anybody with a hillbilly accent.”

  She didn’t laugh, but felt a smile slowly spread across her face. She leaned her head to one side.

  He grinned. “What? Did I say something wrong?”

  She studied him a moment longer. “No, not at all. I was just thinking you don’t exactly fit the mold when it comes to being a chaplain.”

  “I don’t?” He laughed, as if shocked. “What—should I act real somber? Maybe I need to practice looking more . . . reverent or something. Or maybe I should use ‘thee’ and ‘thou’ when I speak? Would that help?”

  Now it was her turn to laugh. “No, I mean, aren’t chaplains supposed to pray with their patients?”

  He smiled. “You want me to pray?”

  Annie hesitated. “Maybe another time.”

  “I’ll take that as an invitation to stop by again sometime.” He stood to leave, making his way to the door. Just before he slipped out, he stopped and winked over his shoulder, “See you tomorrow, Annie Franklin.”

  In the following weeks, David McGregor stopped by every day. Sometimes twice a day. Without pressure or any form of intimidation, he slowly broke through the barriers of her sadness. Eventually she opened up and shared her disappointments and frustrations of this untimely accident. She talked about her students, her dreams, her goals.

  Yet, there were definite limits to the subjects she was willing to discuss with this “preacher boy.” And David McGregor would later tell her he was eminently aware of her carefully constructed wall of mistrust.

  Whenever she turned the conversation to him, David talked openly about his background, his calling into the ministry, and his plans to one day pastor a church. The chaplaincy was part of his training for ministry. She evaded the subject of faith whenever possible, but he always seemed to sneak in a reference or two to God. Nothing heavy.

  Gradually, she realized it was not so much the “religion” she observed in him. It was the apparent and obviously intimate relationship he had with the Lord. It was simply a natural part of who he was. He seemed so real.

  Growing up, Annie’s mother had always taken her to church, but she was not impressed by the people she met there. They weren’t at all real. They played church. But the church and God had no impact whatsoever on their everyday lives. And Annie recognized that inconsistency in her own mother as much as anyone. She hated the hypocrisy.

  Ironically, Annie believed in God with all her heart. She had learned enough in Sunday school to know the difference between right and wrong. And she believed that God gave his son Jesus to save the world. She just never quite knew what to do about it.

  Yet, here was a guy who really lived what he believed in a way that was appealing, spiritually speaking. It baffled her.

  On the day of her release from the hospital, David stopped by early. “So you’re finally going to blow this joint and get on with your life!” he announced as he waltzed in her door.

  She was dressed, packed, seated in the chair beside her bed and waiting for an orderly to bring a wheelchair. “Yes, I am. And I’m not going to miss this place at all. But I have to admit, I’ll miss our visits. You’ve been wonderful, David. I can’t thank you enough for all your help. I think you’ll make a great pastor one of these days.”

  He hopped up to sit on her empty bed. There was a different expression on his face. He looked at her briefly then concentrated on his legs which were swinging nervously off the edge of the bed.

  Annie cocked her head and laughed. “What’s up with you?”

  “I need to ask you something,” he said, still not looking up.

  “So—ask.”

  He tucked his hands under his legs. “Well, the thing is . . . what I wanted to say was . . . ”

  “Y’know, you’re acting very peculiar, David,” she teased.

  Just then, a young orderly wheeled a chair into the room. “Limo at your service, ma’am. Is this all you’ve got?” He pointed to the small tapestry bag sitting by her feet.

  “I had a friend take all my flowers home for me yesterday. So this is it.”

  “You sure know how to travel light! Oughta’ make you show some of these other birds how to pack. You should see ’em. They come rollin’ in here—got a whole fleet of moving vans lined up outside!”

  David and Annie looked at each other and laughed. David stood and offered to escort Annie downstairs for the orderly. The young man checked out the photo ID clipped to David’s shirt. “Well, sure enough, Reverend. I’m sure that would be just fine. You can leave the chair down there by the entrance for me.”

  “No problem,” David answered. He turned to Annie. “Now, let’s see if I can get you into this wheelchair without putting you back in traction.” He carefully assisted her into the chair and hung her bag on the handle. “Okay, let’s get you out of here.”

  Annie reached her good hand up to stop him. “David, wait. Sit down. You had a question for me.”

  “Oh . . . that! Well, see, I just thought . . . I was wondering—”

  “Will you just spit it out?”

  “Okay. The problem here . . . well, see—officially I’m not allowed to ask for your phone number.”

  Annie felt the heat rising up her neck. “Uh, well, I don’t—”

  “Wait. Here—” he said, snapping off his ID badge. “I’m not even supposed to be on the clock yet, so you can consider this on my personal time. So it’s not ‘Chaplain McGregor’ or anything. It’s just me. David.” He flashed a nervous smile and rubbed his hands together.

  “No, it isn’t that,” she said. “I’m just not sure you really want to do that. To call me. There’s a lot you don’t know about me, David. And I wouldn’t want to hurt you.”

  He blew out a gust of air. “Oh, that’s all! I thought you were going to tell me you were married or something.” And with an air of relief, he jumped up, twirled her chair around and headed out the door. “See, the way I figure it, you’re going to be a gimp for quite a while—”

  “A gimp?” She laughed as he rolled her down the hall.

  “Oh yeah. Big time gimp. And you’re going to need somebody to take you to the store, carry your groceries in for you, take you to your doctor’s appointments. That kind of thing.”

  He paused. She missed his next comment as he mumbled behind her. “What was that?” she asked.

  “I said someone needs to get you out of the house occasionally. Like to a movie or something.” He wheeled her onto an elevator full of passengers. He left her facing all of them with her back to the doors as he joined the rest of them staring at her or the lighted numbers above her. Awkward.

  “They’ll all tell you it would be a big, big mistake to turn down such an incredible offer,” he continued casually, nodding his head at the fellow passengers, his eyes still focused above her. All ten strangers simultaneously turned their confused attention toward her.

  Annie couldn’t help but laugh. He lowered his gaze to look into her face, his deep blue eyes alive with mischief, that irresistible smile melting her heart.

  In that moment, she knew her resistance was history. That carefully constructed, protective wall came crumbling down.

  In the days that followed, she received lots of flowers and a strange variety of thoughtful gifts. A bakery delivered a huge chocolate chip cookie the size of an extra large pizza. The message written in squiggly lines of vanilla frosting read, “How I Spent My Fall Vacation.” A brown icing UPS truck with a frowning face zoomed below the words.

  One afternoon he showed up with a small fishbowl, complete with blue gravel, g
reen plastic seaweed, and a plastic scuba diver. In the sloshing water, a bright orange goldfish with wide, frightened eyes swam frantically in circles. When Annie’s questioning eyes searched his, David responded. “Company to keep an eye on you when I can’t be around. His name is Spike. Think of him like a dangerous watchdog if any of your other boyfriends show up. He’s been trained to attack.”

  They were inseparable. Little by little, day by day, Annie Franklin fell in love with David McGregor.

  Then one evening a couple months later, much to her disappointment, he called to cancel the quiet evening they had planned together. An hour later, as she sat reading in her living room, she began to hear music outside. She peeked out the window of her second floor apartment. Still unable to see anything, she stepped out onto her balcony. There on the courtyard below her, dressed in a black tuxedo and holding a huge bouquet of red roses, stood David McGregor. With the assistance of a professional stringed quartet, he sang of his love to her in the clear night air, completely at ease in front of the growing crowd of curious neighbors.

  Since the beginning of time

  Since words first rhymed

  No one ever loved you more.

  Since birds took flight,

  Since day shared with night,

  Your heart I have longed for.

  I’m here before you now,

  Down upon my knees,

  I’m making you a vow

  Asking will you please?

  Be mine

  Be mine

  Forever will you be my mine?

  My wife

  My life,

  Forever will you be mine?

  Together for the rest of time,

  Be mine.

  When the realization finally registered that this was a concert for her alone, Annie covered her face with her hands. For a brief moment, she began to laugh at the spectacle below. Then as she looked up once again, the tenderness of it swept over her and the tears of joy began to fall. David’s smooth voice continued the sweet serenade. And even as her neighbors began to gather in the moonlight surrounding his entourage, his eyes remained on her alone.

  Forever will you be mine?

  Together for the rest of time,

  Be mine.

  As the stringed instruments continued softly in the background, David cleared his throat and knelt down on one knee. “Annie Franklin, with these fine musicians and kind, albeit nosy neighbors as my witnesses, and more important, before Almighty God, I, David Jeremy McGregor, do humbly ask for your hand in marriage.” His face beamed as he cleared his throat once again. “Annie, will you marry me?”

  Cheers erupted as she mouthed her reply through her happy tears, unable to speak. Once convinced that such pure a love could never exist, Annie knew she had found her knight in shining armor.

  They were married a few weeks later on New Year’s Eve.

  But in Annie’s case, she got two for the price of one. For David gave her not only his love, he gave her a Savior as well. What started as a mere curiosity of the unique, personal relationship he shared with Christ, quickly grew to an eager yearning for a personal relationship all her own. She surrendered her life to the Lord, astonished at the difference he made in her life.

  All because a UPS truck ran a red light.

  Blinking as her mind returned to the present, Annie realized the storm clouds had rolled in. She shivered and knew it was time to head back to the cabin. Still fresh from the long, personal glimpse into her most precious memories, Annie could not even imagine her life without David. All he had meant to her, from that first moment they met at the hospital.

  Oh God, please help us. There has to be a way for us to take our lives back again. Someway to restore the love we once shared. Forgive me for ignoring the blessings You’ve given me, for an ungrateful heart when we travel through the tough times. I cannot imagine my life without David. Oh, God please show us what to do! Tug at his heart as You’ve tugged at mine. Help him see what we’ve lost, and oh God, please help him want to find it again. Save the relationship You designed for us, Lord. Oh, Father, please hear my—

  Suddenly, Annie’s foot skidded off a steep embankment, dragging her helplessly downward. Her hands, buried deep in the warm pockets of her coat, were of little help as she struggled to pull them free. She screamed, her voice echoing across the snow-covered landscape. Woolen mittens grasped uselessly at the fleeting drifts of snow until her foot caught on something below the surface of the snow. Her ankle snapped as she came to a stop.

  She fell back onto the covered ground behind her, grimacing in pain. I don’t believe this! She tried to lift her leg with both hands to free it. With a heavy sigh, she fought the urge to cry out again. She knew she had to get back up to the road and back to the cabin. She felt along the ground, pushing away the snow in search of a branch to grab on to. She found a large pile of boulders completely hidden in the huge snowdrift. Clearing off the snow, she grabbed the biggest stone and pulled herself up, balancing on her good foot. She found herself right beside an aspen tree, its branches in reach. She hobbled over to the trunk for safety, then reached for the lowest branch.

  Climbing back up the embankment proved to be a daunting challenge. With a throbbing, useless ankle, it might as well have been Mt. Everest. Annie paced herself, making progress in unbearably slow intervals. The snow fell harder. It took almost fifteen minutes to ascend the distance up to the road. Once she reached the summit, she paused to catch her breath. This wasn’t going to be easy. It was still a long way home.

  A full hour passed before she reached the base of the steps of the cabin leading up to the wrap-around porch. Annie was exhausted, but she resisted the urge to sit down and rest on the bottom step. She had to get inside before she froze to death. Dark gray clouds now covered the sky behind the thick swirls of snowflakes falling around her.

  Using the rustic banister, she pulled herself up the steps one at a time then crept inside. She hobbled into the great room before shedding her garments and lowering herself onto the soft, inviting sofa. The exhaustion overwhelmed her immediately.

  Fearing she would give in to her fatigue, Annie picked up the phone and dialed the number for information. After a moment, she hung up and dialed the number for Doc Wilkins.

  “Dr. Wilkins? This is Annie McGregor up at Christine’s cabin. Do you remember me?”

  “Why, of course I remember you. What can I do for you?”

  “I think I may have broken my ankle.”

  “What happened?”

  She started to cry. “It was such a silly accident. I decided to go out for a walk and somehow I must have lost my footing and slid down an embankment off the side of the road and—I feel so stupid but it hurts so much!”

  “Well, you just try to make yourself comfortable and I’ll be right up. Elevate your foot and stay off it, okay?”

  She whimpered, trying to get the words out but realized he had already hung up.

  Annie gingerly lifted her foot and propped it on the coffee table. She grabbed a throw pillow and stuffed it beneath the throbbing foot, then rested her head on the back of the sofa and shut her eyes. She didn’t even have the strength to pull off her boots before drifting off into a fitful sleep.

  A gentle knock preceded the sound of an opening door as Annie’s mind struggled to break through the seal of her restless slumber. “Dr. Wilkins, is that you?”

  “Yes, Annie. You stay put. Let me get out of my overcoat and I’ll be right there.” He stomped the snow off his boots on the welcome mat. Discarding his muffler, coat, and gloves, he reached for his worn leather medical bag and made his way over to Annie. “Well, well, well, what have we here? Took a little spill, did you?”

  Annie looked up into his kind eyes and relaxed in the surprising comfort of his mere presence. “I’m so glad you’re here. I can’t believe I did this! I’ve hardly been here twenty-four hours and already I’ve injured myself. What a klutz.” She laughed then moaned as she tried to lift her foot from the
coffee table.

  “Now hold on, you let me do the doctoring, young lady. Let’s pile a couple of these pillows behind you then I’ll take a look at that ankle.”

  As he made a thorough examination of her foot, she found the country doctor to be a welcomed guest as well as a gifted physician. His amiable bedside manner was exceeded only by his wise comprehension of physical matters. Relieved to have such kind-hearted attention, she remained irritated with her clumsiness.

  “For heaven’s sake, we all take a tumble now and then. Why should you be any different?” He continued his work.

  His question found a vulnerable mark and struck hard. She stared at the wrinkled countenance of this man she barely knew. It was an innocent question offered in compassion. Still, his question echoed through her soul.

  Why should you be any different?

  That’s just it. She was no different from any other person on this planet. So why couldn’t she handle her life? Why couldn’t she just suck up her aggravations like everybody else and get on with her life? And why on earth did she leave behind her home and all the people she loved to come up on this stupid mountain?

  “Annie?”

  The doctor’s voice broke her train of thought and she blinked, causing a single tear to escape from her eye.

  “Are you all right? Aside from your ankle, I mean.” Doc Wilkins paused in his work to search her face. Embarrassed by her emotional display, Annie wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. She sniffled before attempting to answer.

  “Yes, I’m fine. Well, except . . .” She paused, uncertain what to say. “No, really—I’ll be fine. I suppose the long walk back up here must have knocked the wind out of me.” She faked a smile, knowing her words didn’t fool either of them.