The Other Side of Goodness

by Vanessa Davis Griggs

  Gabrielle began to cry. She was crying because she hadn’t said anything to anyone about this, other than to Zachary. And here was God Almighty, her Heavenly Father, in His supernatural and loving way, relaying to her spiritual father here on earth that she was having problems. What a mighty and loving God!

  Pastor Landris yanked tissues from the box on his desk and, leaning forward, handed them to her. She took them and dabbed her eyes as she tried to pull herself together. What she loved about Pastor Landris was how, at this moment, he wasn’t pressing her while she cried. He allowed her to pull herself together at her own pace.

  “I’m sorry, Pastor Landris,” Gabrielle said, dabbing her eyes with a now soggy ball of tissue.

  Pastor Landris pulled out more tissues and handed them to her. “It’s quite all right. When you’re ready, if you want, you can tell me what’s going on with you.”

  “I know I’ve missed some of the time I had scheduled to be here working in the office.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t know anything about that. However you set your office hours and schedule is on you, just as long as you’re not cheating the church out of the time you agreed to. So that’s not why I asked you here at all. I just felt there was something going on, and whatever it is, I want you to know that I’m here to listen and to help, if possible.”

  Gabrielle groaned slightly. “I’m not sure how much you’d be able to help with this. But there is definitely something going on. I don’t know if what I’m doing is the right thing to be doing or not.” Gabrielle reached over and pulled several tissues from the box he’d pushed toward her, and wiped her tears before patting her face dry.

  Pastor Landris smiled. “Do you need any water or something to drink?”

  “Water would be good.”

  Pastor Landris got up and went to a small refrigerator in his office. Returning with a bottle of water, he handed it to her and sat back down.

  Gabrielle twisted the cap off the bottle of water and took a few sips before replacing the cap. “I know whatever I say to you will remain between us.” Gabrielle said it as a statement. But the way it came out, it could very well have been a question.

  “Whatever you say here won’t go any further than us,” Pastor Landris said. “I won’t share or divulge anything you don’t give me permission to share. You have my word.”

  Gabrielle nodded. “There’s a little girl. She’s eight years old, nine on March thirtieth, in need of a bone marrow transplant. And if she doesn’t get a match soon, and I’m talking about possibly weeks now, she’ll likely die.” Gabrielle began to cry again.

  “It’s all right. Take your time; I’m in no huge hurry,” Pastor Landris said.

  “I was tested to see if I was a possible match, but I’m not. She can’t die, Pastor Landris. She just can’t.”

  “I’m sure they’re going to find a match for her. But this sounds rather personal. So what are you not telling me?”

  “It is personal.” Gabrielle swallowed hard. If she was going to do this, she needed to go on and tell him everything. There was no reason to have God care enough to lay on Pastor Landris’s heart to talk to her, and she hold back. “Pastor Landris, the reason this is so personal for me . . . the reason I’m so emotional right now, is that eight-year-old little girl . . . the little girl in need of a bone marrow transplant . . . she’s my biological daughter.”

  Pastor Landris didn’t act like hearing that was a shock to him, although Gabrielle was sure it had to have taken him by surprise. Had to. Unless, of course, God had already revealed everything to him. “She’s your biological daughter?”

  Gabrielle nodded. “Yes. I know you must be trying to figure this out since you didn’t know I had a daughter. Daughter may not be the best way to describe this. But you see: I gave up a child for adoption over eight years ago. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to even be having this conversation with anyone at this point in my life. I figured she may come looking for me after she turned eighteen, but not now . . . and especially not like this.”

  Pastor Landris stood up and walked around to where Gabrielle sat and sat in the chair next to her.

  Gabrielle looked over at Pastor Landris. “She’s sick, Pastor Landris. Really sick. Her adoptive mother sought me out, hoping I’d be a match. But I wasn’t.” Gabrielle wiped her eyes with her hands. “For the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to get in touch with the man who fathered her.” She looked up and smiled. “Her name is Jasmine . . . the little girl’s name . . . it’s Jasmine.” Gabrielle was calming down now.

  Pastor Landris reached over and pulled out more tissues and handed them to her. “So have you met the child . . . have you gotten to meet Jasmine?”

  Gabrielle shook her head, not actually saying no, but conveying her disbelief of everything that had taken place in the past few weeks. “In the beginning, I didn’t. But we met her last week.”

  “We?”

  “Yeah. Zachary and I. Zachary went with me to the hospital.”

  “So does Jasmine know everything? Does she know you’re her birth mother?”

  Gabrielle shook her head again. “No. She thinks I’m a friend of her mother’s.”

  “So, have you been able to locate the birth father yet?”

  Gabrielle nodded. “I did. And he denied the child could even possibly be his.” She made a side to side motion with her head. “He thinks I’m trying to run a scam on him or something. At first he didn’t even believe there really was a child.”

  “After close to nine years?” Pastor Landris shook his head in disbelief.

  “I admit that some of his doubts are my fault, and founded,” Gabrielle said. “He never knew I gave birth to her. He thought I aborted her. Unlike me, he had no reason to ever expect a child to possibly someday come in search of him. He didn’t know I’d had the baby and given her up for adoption.”

  “Well, if you ask me, I’d say he needs real prayer. He got you pregnant and, in all those months of you being pregnant, he never checked on you? If he had, he would have known you didn’t have the abortion.”

  “That part is a long story, but suffice it to say that after he learned I was pregnant and gave me money to get rid of the baby, as far as he was concerned, that’s what had taken place. Also, he was married with a family of three children.”

  Pastor Landris nodded. “I see.”

  “But things are different now. Now, it’s a matter of life and death. Jasmine is barely holding on. She doesn’t have time for us to waste or to play games. And I’m not sure, in spite of all I’ve said to him, if he really will go see whether he’s a possible match or not.”

  “Well, I’ll tell you what we can do here at the church. We can let the congregation know a child is in need of a . . . bone marrow donor, is it?”

  Gabrielle nodded as tears flowed. She picked up a used tissue from her lap and dabbed her eyes again.

  “We can let the people here know that a little girl is in need of a bone marrow donor and encourage folks to see if someone might be a match.” He tilted his head.

  Gabrielle wasn’t expecting this. “You would really do that?”

  “Of course. No one needs to be privy to the particulars behind why we’re doing it. It can just be something our church takes on to do what we can to help.”

  Gabrielle began to really cry. Pastor Landris allowed her to put her head on his shoulder. When she’d gotten her tears under control, she looked at him. “Thank you so much for this. I don’t know what to say.”

  “You just get me the information needed to put this into play, and we’ll get right on it. You said there’s not much time, so the sooner—”

  “Absolutely!” Gabrielle nodded excitedly. “I have all the info needed in my purse here.” She gathered the used tissues from her lap, stuck them in her purse, retrieved the information, and handed it to him. “Folks can even do this anonymously, if they want. There’s a special code assigned exclusively for Jasmine, so people don’t even need her name.” Gabrielle covered he
r mouth with her hand, then took it down. “God is so awesome! Oh, my goodness! I’m just in awe of His goodness and mercy!”

  Pastor Landris stood up and walked back to his side of his desk, laying down the information she’d just given him. “We haven’t found a match just yet, but we’ll definitely be praying that God moves mightily in this situation. I’ll be praying, as well, that the birth father will step up and do the right thing. Is he still married?”

  “Yes . . . to the same woman. They have three children, and the doctors say that a sibling has a higher chance of being a match than even the parents,” Gabrielle said. “So while we’re praying, can we also pray that if he ends up having to, that he figures out how to bring his children in to be tested. Pastor Landris, I’m not trying to hurt Jasmine’s birth father or his family, nor am I trying to take him down in any way. I’m not. I’m not trying to mess up his career or his standing in the community. That’s not my intentions at all.”

  Pastor Landris smiled. “He sounds to be a powerful figure . . . someone of prominence and importance.”

  “He is.”

  “Well, let the Holy Spirit lead you on how to handle him. Men of power and influence can be ruthless if they feel threatened in the least. Trust me on this from personal experience. And according to how powerful and influential this man is—”

  “He is quite both.” Gabrielle was debating whether she should tell Pastor Landris everything, including Lawrence’s name. “Pastor Landris?”

  “Yes?”

  “What should I do if this man refuses to do whatever he can to help?”

  “Is the man that cold and evil?”

  “Evil is a pretty strong word. But I believe he can be ruthless if he has to be. And I don’t think he would hesitate for a minute to destroy anyone who might get in the way of his ambitions, including me and a little girl who desperately needs him right now.” Gabrielle dabbed her eyes. “So as not to speak totally ill of him, let’s just say that he’s on the other side of goodness, and we’ll leave it at that.”

  “Would you care to tell me who this man is?” Pastor Landris scrunched his face into a frown. “You don’t have to now, but if you want to or even need to . . .”

  “I want to tell you. But for now, I think it best that I keep his name to myself.”

  Pastor Landris nodded. “Okay. But if you should change your mind, know that I’m here for you. Let me ask you this though: Does anyone else besides you know who he is?”

  Gabrielle twisted her face. “Are you concerned that he might actually do something to physically harm me?”

  Pastor Landris shrugged. “Who can ever say what another will do to protect what one thinks is important to him or her. I’m not saying that he will or won’t. But you never know for sure about folks these days. And a man with power and influence is one I wouldn’t turn my back on when I walk away from him. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that God won’t protect us no matter who might try to harm us. But God also gives us common sense He expects us to use.” Pastor Landris sat down.

  Gabrielle considered his words. “To answer your question about anyone else knowing his name besides me, Zachary does. He knows pretty much everything.”

  Pastor Landris smiled. “Brother Zachary. I see you and he are yet going strong.”

  Gabrielle blushed. “He is so wonderful.”

  “Do you love him?”

  “Pastor!”

  Pastor Landris laughed a deep, jolly, baritone laugh that made one think of Santa Claus. “Now you know I don’t play around here. So, are you two in love?”

  “Yes. I’d say we are.”

  “And you’re both keeping yourselves holy?”

  Gabrielle became totally serious. “Oh, yes, sir. Absolutely!”

  “All right, then.” Pastor Landris grinned. “You two can let me know when we need to start premarital counseling. You know Johnnie Mae will insist that she and I handle the two of you ourselves. My wife is crazy about you.”

  Gabrielle couldn’t help but to smile. Johnnie Mae had been like a mother to her since she’d become a member of the church and started dancing there. “I love her as well. You both have been there for me in ways I only wish other folks could know. Not many have a pastor and wife in their lives like the both of you. You’re not on some power trip. It’s not about money and prestige. You really care about God, and you really care about us—Jesus’s lambs and sheep.”

  “That’s because I know who all of you ultimately belong to, and that is Jesus—the Good Shepherd. I’m merely an under-shepherd. Jesus told Peter if he loved Him to feed His lamb . . . feed His sheep. I love God, and I’m going to be sure I take care of, as well as feed, His sheep.” Pastor Landris glanced down at his watch. “I suppose my next appointment has been waiting long enough.”

  Gabrielle stood up. “I’m so thankful God laid my name on your heart. I have wanted to talk to you so badly, but I just know how busy you are.” She threw the balled-up, spent tissues left into the trash can on the side of his desk.

  “Well, no matter what the secretaries around here do to keep me on a tightly held schedule, God will definitely rearrange things to fit in what He desires. That’s exactly what God did today. If you need to talk some more, you just let me know.”

  “Thank you. And I promise I’ll try not to bother you if I can at all help it.”

  “Gabrielle, you’re a daughter here. And children always have privileges that others don’t. You’re not a bother; you’re part of this family . . . a part of the body of Christ . . . a supplying joint. And believe me: You’re nothing like some folks who try to take up all my time, for taking-up sake.”

  “I assure you: If I need to talk with you about anything more dealing with this, I’ll be judicious with your time. Pastor Landris, I appreciate you so much.” Gabrielle headed for the door. “Now back to work. I have a lot of catching up to do.”

  Gabrielle closed the door behind her and breathed a sigh of relief. God, You are so awesome! Thank You. She did a skip and a hop, smiling as she went along.

  On that night, Gabrielle finished up the conversation with Zachary concerning Andrew.

  No, there was no chance that Andrew Holyfield was Jasmine’s father. No way at all.

  Chapter 26

  But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.

  —Matthew 15:26

  Lawrence met with Andrew. He confronted him with the information he’d learned about him indeed having known Gabrielle Booker, now Gabrielle Mercedes, prior to his daughter introducing them, just as Paris had accused. Lawrence asked him point-blank whether or not he and Gabrielle had ever slept together. Andrew told him that whatever he and Gabrielle may or may not have done, and when they may or may not have done it, was neither his business nor his concern. Lawrence made it clear that whatever affected his daughter, indeed, was both his business and his concern.

  Lawrence’s battle plan was to get tested, and when he learned he was not even remotely a possible candidate for the next step, he’d confront Andrew for him to be tested. That would most likely cause Andrew to tell the truth about his relationship with Gabrielle. Lawrence was tested and told he was indeed a “remarkably great candidate” to be a possible match as a bone marrow donor for the coded number he was applying to be tested for. Whether he would be a good match with his bone marrow matching the recipient was another matter completely. The woman he spoke with had used those words. But he’d heard the real meaning between what she may or may not have realized she was confirming: that he was the father of this child.

  His emotions were all over the place now. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the revelation. He had another child out there. A child he’d never seen before. A little girl. A little girl that would die if she didn’t get the donor she needed. He hadn’t realized just how much this meant to him until he found himself silently praying that he would be a donor match.

  Of course, William would say he was only pra
ying for this outcome because he was aware of the potential fallout and damage control that would need to be mounted on his behalf if his other children became involved. But for reasons he couldn’t quite grasp with total clarity, there was more to this than self-preservation. There was a little girl out there, carrying parts of his DNA, and he didn’t know her at all. And if they were unable to find a match for her, she very well might die.

  But surely they’d find a match. If not now, then definitely soon . . . before she died. Wasn’t that how it always worked?

  Lawrence felt there had to be a way for him to be able to help this child and still keep everything else he cherished dearly and had worked hard to obtain in life. He and William had concocted a good backup plan in case he turned out to be a donor match. They would just have to implement that plan. He would reportedly “be out of town” for a few days, give the necessary bone marrow, recuperate, and get back to his normal life soon after. But if it turned out that he wasn’t a donor match, they would then need to implement the other plan. He would have to. He couldn’t take a chance that Gabrielle might go public. And he truly had no reason to believe she wouldn’t.

  William didn’t believe she’d actually do it. He felt they could intimidate her with the fear of her possibly being charged with extortion of a government official. William believed he could convince her just how brutal messing with them might be for her. William’s team was known for digging up embarrassing photos (framing whoever their target was at the time in a horrible light). Whether the photos were real or staged, only William and the people he hired to produce them knew the truth.

  But Lawrence didn’t want to take a chance with this one. Gabrielle had more going for her than the others they had threatened in the past to decimate. Gabrielle had shared an apartment with his daughter Paris. Sure, he could use as a defense that he’d been set up. But it definitely didn’t bode well that Gabrielle was eighteen at the time this alleged setup would have occurred. In fact, he could end up looking like a child molester to some, and at best, a dirty older man who’d taken advantage of a teenage girl, to others.