Commencement
Page 61
“Heavenly Father, I know you want me to help Davis. Please show me what I need to do to help him and his mother with their financial situation. As you already know, he doesn’t want me to help him. How will I get the information I need to do the work that you want me to do? Please let me know what I need to do. In your Son Jesus’ name. Amen.”
It had been a couple of days since that Sunday Dinner when Allen had spoken to Davis. He had spent a lot of time since then praying, as he had just done, that God would enlighten him about what to do to convince Davis to work with him on the re-finance restructuring. Allen had tried broaching the subject with him several times, but Davis often bristled at his suggestions. Allen just couldn’t understand why Davis was rejecting his help. What was the stumbling block that was hindering Allen’s work and Davis’ blessing? Once again Allen waited for a moment before he got up off his knees, hoping that God would speak into the void. Once again, he heard nothing. Allen was becoming very discouraged.
Everywhere he turned everyone was telling him he had to wait. Be patient and God will answer. Even during the Brotherhood Bible Study when Daniel was instructing them on the virtues of a godly leader, he talked about patience. He spoke of how Abraham had to wait 20 years before God fulfilled the promise that he made to him about Isaac. Joseph spent a good number of years in jail before he came into the promise he saw in his vision as child, and how Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness of Midian before he delivered the people of Israel. Allen couldn’t fathom waiting even a year without God speaking to him. And Davis’ situation couldn’t wait 10 or 20 years if he was going to help him with it. Something had to be done. Now.
Allen got up off his knees and got his things together to finish his remaining rounds. That was his last 10-minute break before the next hour and a half stretch until quitting time. Today he had started on the 9th floor and made his way down to the 5th floor cleaning the hallways and polishing fixtures, removing trash and whatever else needed to be done. Now he was just going through the 5th floor to finish up. Today was a quiet day at the hotel, despite the fact that it was getting ever nearer to Christmas. As much as Allen liked doing repair work, he was glad that he didn’t hear the beep of his radio today. Many times the constant interruptions kept Allen from his regular duties, and there had been days when he had to work overtime to finish. Maybe the guest were out doing their last minute Christmas shopping or taking time out to see the Broadway shows. Whatever they were doing, Allen was just glad they weren’t in the building ruining all the hard work he was putting in right now.
The slow pace of the day also gave Allen more time to think. If he was going to help Davis, he would have to think about it. Maybe that’s what God wanted him to do anyway. Maybe as he was thinking about it, God would let a really good idea pop up into his head. So Allen thought.
If Davis wouldn’t provide the information, there would be no way to help him broker a deal with the lender. The only other thing Allen could possibly do in this case would be to speak to his mom herself or find some way to get Davis enough money that would help him with his situation. The first idea was out of the question since Davis’ mom didn’t speak English very well. The second seemed not only much more feasible, but may even be more palatable to his friend. Maybe he could raise some money amongst his friends and invest it to get a return that would enable Davis to pay off the mortgage. Sure the market was in the midst of crisis, but even now there were stocks that were surging. Besides, with the installation of the new presidential administration, the Dow index began to rise, slowly, but rise nevertheless. The stock market would rebound back and with it, the chance for the Martinez’s to keep their family home.
This was it! Allen would have to act quickly. He knew he would need the resources of all his friends. Wait a minute. His friends would not be willing to contribute enough money necessary unless they knew about Davis’ situation. That meant putting Davis’s business “out in the street”. But then again, it’s not like Davis’ told him to keep everything on the down low. Allen would only tell his immediate friends and family. When everything was said and done, who wouldn’t be grateful to a friend that looked out for them in this way. Allen would have to convene a meeting and soon. It would have to be this Saturday. He knew Tim started his vacation this Friday, and he heard from Tamiko they would be going to the doctor on Friday afternoon. This meant that he’d had to have everybody on deck including Callie, Richard, and Jim. He knew he could get Callie and Richard, but Jim was another story.
Jim tended to spend most of his time drunk, and even when he wasn’t drunk he was bellicose and hard to deal with. Jim seemed to be going on a downward decline into a dark place. If there were any of Allen’s friends who needed help the most it was Jim. But Jim had choices to make; choices that Allen couldn’t make for him no matter how much he wanted to. But still, Jim was more than a friend. He was family. Maybe this would provide the opportunity for them to reconnect. Maybe Jim would open up to him about what was bothering him and Allen could help him along toward the path of sobriety.
Allen decided to stop by Callie’s after work to mend fences with her as well. He had no idea why she had been ignoring him for nearly two months, and he was afraid to find out. He was hoping it didn’t have anything to do with the way Jim and Tim behaved at the Election Night party. Tim ended up throwing up all over her new dress. Or maybe she didn’t like his date, Holly. Either way both issues were resolved. Tim had told Allen he sent her a check for the dress, and Allen wasn’t seeing Holly anymore so she’d had no reason to sulk. But Callie always could hold a grudge. He knew that when he knocked on her door, he wouldn’t be greeted with hugs and kisses.
Time passed quickly as Allen finished his work. The next thing he knew it was quitting time. Allen began to put all of his cleaning tools back in the water closet. Then he went downstairs to punch out before heading to the locker room to change his clothes. Upon entering the locker room he saw Davis, who was collating and signing work orders to be filed away.
“Slow day today”, remarked Allen.
“Yeah, it kinda dragged by. I like it when there’s more to do. It makes the day go faster. Feel?” responded Davis still rummaging through the orders.
“Yeah, but sometimes you need some time to catch your breath, too.”
“I betta hurry up if I’ma make class on time”, Davis looked up and noticed that Allen was in a rush. “You seem to be in a hurry today. Where you off to?”
“To see my friend Callie. She’s the only one you haven’t met yet.”
“She real busy?”
“No, I just think she’s mad at me, maybe all of us, about something.”
“Like what?”
“I have no idea. You know how women are.”
“Say no more, man, say no more.”
“If we mend fences tonight maybe you’ll get the chance to meet her at the Tamiko’s Christmas Celebration.”
“This must be some party. Tamiko’s invited me like a hundred times already. I even hear Daniel’s sweatin’ it.”
“First of all, don’t let Tamiko or her mother hear you call it a “party”. According to them “parties” are the work of satan for the people of the world. They have “Celebrations”. Tamiko throws two big celebrations each year. She has a Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve and then she has a big Praise and Worship Celebration in April right around Easter. She puts a lot of work into both. She says she’s just trying to make a way for Christian people to have some fun without getting worldly.”
“So what kind of par-, I mean celebration is it?”
“I don’t want to spoil it for you. You’re going to have to find out when you come. But I’ll tell you this. You’ll be glad you came.”
“Good to know. Oh, Snap! It’s getting late. I have to jet.”
“Okay, man I’ll see you.”
“See ya.”