by Tony Martin
Joshua leaned over and kissed Bethany’s forehead. “You’re the greatest,” he said.
“Such is the rumor,” Bethany replied. “Oh, yeah – I almost forgot. I’m taking Meredith to the cardiologist tomorrow. And she wants us to come out to the mansion tomorrow night for supper.”
“Bernadine’s cooking,” said Joshua. “Glory be.”
Meredith dangled her legs off the edge of the examination table. Bethany was leafing through a Redbook that was current when Carter was president. The cardiologist had “hmm’d” and “welled” throughout the exam. He was especially interested in Meredith’s EKG.
He returned and pulled a circular stool on casters next to the table. “What’s the verdict?” Meredith asked. Bethany looked up from her magazine.
“Meredith,” said the cardiologist, “I’m ordering a treadmill test for you. I want to get your heart really pumping to check for any anomalies we might have missed. Because --” and he paused, and made a show of taking off his glasses and wiping them on the edge of his lab coat,
“I’ve checked your records twice. And – I don’t know how to say this – but I can find no evidence of your arrhythmia at all. That is inexplicable.”
Meredith, shocked, looked at the doctor, then to Bethany. Bethany smiled beatifically. “What?” Meredith said softly.
“The stress test isn’t foolproof,” said the cardiologist, “but it’s effective in most cases. I want you to stay on your medications until after the test. After that, if everything checks out all right, then – well, I want to check you again in six months. Frankly, I’m amazed. Young lady, are you a person of faith?”
“Yes, I am,” Meredith said, feeling a smile spread across her face.
“Then we may be looking at a miracle.”
Joshua finished off the last bite of his linguini. “Donatello’s marinara sauce is what they’ll serve in heaven,” he told Jimmy.
“It’s darn good,” said Jimmy. He folded his napkin and laid it to one side. “You OK?”
“Great,” said Joshua. “Still overcoming sensory overload, but yeah, I’m doing fine.”
“I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you something,” said Jimmy.
“Well, just say what you think.”
“Joshua, when we called you as pastor a couple of years ago, I was convinced you were God’s man for our church. But I’ve got to tell you that there was a time in the last month when I wondered if we’d backed the wrong horse. When all this started happening with Meredith and Christine, I wondered if you were man enough.”
“I’m not,” said Joshua. “But God’s been all-sufficient.”
“I can’t ever be the same, after all we’ve been through.”
“Don’t get all mushy on me.”
“It won’t happen,” said Jimmy. “But I’ve been challenged in ways I could have never imagined. I’m at a point where I’ve rediscovered the wonder of God – if I ever recognized it to begin with.”
“Going toe to toe with spooks will do it every time.”
“Watch yourself,” Jimmy said. “I’m serious. I guess I can see there’s a lot more to this walk with Christ than I’ve ever chosen to see.”
“And that’s not a bad thing,” said Joshua.
“Having said that,” said Jimmy, “I’m ready to return to my mundane world of balance sheets and reconciled statements.”
“It’s all yours,” said Joshua. “Hey – Bernadine’s cooking for us tonight. Aren’t you jealous?”
“Donatello’s and Bernadine’s in one day,” Jimmy said. “You’re gonna be a blimp.”
“Moderation, pal,” said Joshua.
“I’ve stuck my feet under her table plenty of times, and besides – y’all need to get to know her. Meredith, too. She’s crazy about you and Bethany, y’know.”
“She’s a special one,” said Joshua. Suddenly a wave of emotion swept him. “You know … if we ever get around to having kids, I want to feel about my kids the way I feel about Meredith.”
“There’s one lucky guy waiting out there somewhere,” Jimmy said sagely.
Joshua was still wondering about his attitude toward Meredith. A sister, he thought joyfully. That’s what she is to me. Nothing more. She’s family.
“What are you grinning about?” asked Jimmy.
“Hard to explain,” said Joshua. “But I feel like about a hundred tons have been lifted off my back.”
“Oh, Lord,” said Bethany. “I’m dying. What have y’all let me do to myself?”
“Hey, it’s your own fault,” said Joshua. “Although, I’m not much better off. No more, please,” he said to Bernadine, who was quietly sliding a second piece of pecan pie toward him.
Joshua surveyed the damage. Bernadine had outdone herself – fried chicken and roast pork, fried okra, butter beans, creamed corn, rice and gravy, sweet potato casserole, and homemade biscuits. Topped off with wonderfully too-sweet iced tea and pecan pie – gooey and almost two inches thick – and everyone was about to slip into a stupor.
Bernadine beamed. “I like to see folks eat,” she said.
“Well, you should be happy,” said Bethany. “I’m miserable. And that’s a good kind of miserable.”
“Happens all the time,” said Meredith. “Hey, let’s go out on the back porch for a while, OK? It’s nice and cool out.” She rose. “Bernadine, don’t worry with this stuff. I’ll help you clean up after our company’s gone.”
Joshua rose, wishing for a forklift. He felt bloated but insanely happy. He and Bethany followed Meredith to the back porch. She picked up a rectangular white cardboard box from the counter as they left.
“I’ve had my eye on that swing ever since my first visit,” said Joshua, gesturing to the porch swing suspended on two chains. “But I can’t risk moving around too much.”
“Gross,” said Bethany. “I don’t want to see you recycle your supper.”
Meredith laughed. “Let’s sit in these rockers. Just don’t rock.”
The three settled into the white wicker rocking chairs that faced the rear of the estate. A faint breeze stirred the air.
“Look at that sunset,” Joshua said. Before them, spread out in glory, was a multihued sunset. The highest clouds were glowing a bright yellow; lower, toward the horizon, the color graduated to a warmer orange, and at the edge of the woods the sky darkened to a deep purple, with just a powdering of rose.
Each of them sat silently, enraptured by the spectacle before them. Then Meredith spoke.
“I love you guys,” she said, still looking at the sunset.
“Wow,” said Bethany. “What brought that on?”
“I just thought y’all needed to be reminded,” said Meredith. The wind blew a stray wisp of blonde hair across her face. She brushed it away, and turned to look at them both. “This last year has been pretty hard, since I lost Mamma and Daddy.”
Joshua hoped that Meredith wouldn’t cry. He watched her, but she showed no sign of tearing up.
“Then I thought I was losing my mind … my life,” she said, “but you came along just when I needed someone. Joshua, Bethany – y’all are just a gift.”
“I don’t know what to say,” said Bethany.
“There’s nothing you need to say,” said Meredith, her gaze returning to the sunset. “Joshua, you helped me get my life on the right path, and I can’t tell you what that means to me.”
“Glad I could,” Joshua said lamely.
Meredith smiled. “I guess we won’t ever know what all that happened means. But that’s OK. And now – I’ve met a cousin I never even knew I had.”
“Does that mean that I can get a part of your inheritance?” asked Joshua.
“Joshua Nix!” squealed Bethany.
“It’s a joke,” said Joshua, looking at Meredith and winking.
“Sure, why not?” Meredith said. “Seriously, though, someday I want us to sit down and maybe you can explain to me just how God looks at all we’ve been through.”
“
We may not ever be able to understand,” said Joshua. “His ways are not our ways, y’know.”
Meredith rocked gently and closed her eyes. “I feel like I’ve got a brand new life. Did Bethany tell you what the doctor said?”
“She sure did. Incredible.”
“It is,” Meredith said. She opened her eyes and looked at Joshua, then Bethany. “I guess I’m just a miracle all around.”
The sun was barely peeking over the horizon. The gold had faded to an even deeper purple. Crickets were beginning their nightly serenade. Meredith stood, stretched, and touched her toes. She took the white box and tucked it under her arm.
“Y’all come with me,” she said.
Joshua and Bethany stood and followed Meredith. She walked toward the family cemetery. “What’s this about?” asked Bethany, alarmed. Joshua just shrugged, his brow furrowed.
Meredith opened the gate, which grated on its hinges. She walked to the side of Margaret Duboses’ grave.
“Asleep in Jesus,” Meredith whispered, reading the simple epitaph. She ran her finger along the little lamb on the headstone. “I believe that … that she’s really asleep in Jesus.”
No one else spoke. A gust of wind made Joshua’s eyes sting.
Meredith opened the little white box. Inside were three red roses. She gave one to Joshua and Bethany, and kept one for herself. She laid the box down; wind blew the box top and skittered it along beside the fence.
“Joshua,” Meredith said, “this is your great-great-grandmother. Mine, too.”
Joshua didn’t know what to say. He watched Meredith, who kept her eyes downcast.
“Asleep in Jesus,” Meredith repeated. “It sure does sound peaceful, doesn’t it?”
Joshua and Bethany nodded. Meredith gently ran her finger along the petals of her rose.
“I’m the last of the Duboses,” Meredith said. Her eyes shone in the increasing darkness. “But I have a new life. I’ve come home.” She moved between Joshua and Bethany, and took both of their arms, interlacing her own with theirs.
“One day, I will most likely get married,” she said wistfully. “And when I do, wherever I may go, this will always be my home. My roots are buried here. We may end up living on the other side of the world, but here is where I want to return. I want my home to be like it was years ago, before my family was gripped with wickedness. I want it to be full of light, and laughter. I want kids to have the run of the place, sliding down the banisters, playing hide-and-seek around the stables and the gazebo. I want this place to be filled with love.” She looked at Joshua. “That’s not too much to ask, is it?”
“No, it’s not.”
Meredith took her rose and, kneeling, placed it on the grave. The breeze turned it over a couple of times before it came to rest against the headstone. Wordlessly, Joshua and Bethany placed theirs alongside Meredith’s. Joshua and Bethany stood, but Meredith stayed on her knees.
“Take your rest,” Meredith said quietly, touching Margaret’s name inscribed on the stone. “The wickedness is over. And Margaret … hug Mamma and Daddy for me.”
Meredith stood and brushed the soil from the knees of her jeans. She smiled, looking toward the sunset once again. “Hey, tell ya what let’s do,” she said. “Let’s go sit on the porch until it’s completely dark, and watch the stars come out. We won’t even have to say anything, OK?”
Joshua and Bethany returned her smile, and together the three returned to the porch. Meredith took the rocking chair between the Nixes. By this time, the wind had died down.
Presently the first couple of stars glimmered into fitful life. Meredith looked at her friends, her cousins, and laid her head back against the back of the chair. She closed her eyes again, as the last of the fading light outlined her lovely face.
Bethany looked at Meredith, and then at Joshua, who was lost in thought. He looked at Bethany and tilted his head inquisitively.
“I love you,” Bethany mouthed silently, and smiled even broader, lighting up the night.
“I love you, too,” whispered Joshua.
Meredith opened her eyes. “I heard that!” she said, beaming. The three of them turned their faces heavenward once again.
Bernadine had been watching the three for several minutes, peeking through the blinds at the kitchen window. She saw them as they settled contentedly into the rocking chairs, as comfortable with each other as the family that they were.
“Thank you, God,” Bernadine said, her heart warmed. “Thank You for all You’ve done.” She closed the blinds and returned to the sink. The dishes weren’t going to wash themselves.
