me.”
Jock swore and urged the horses to go faster. We were almost
beyond the scene now.
Every part of my being, though, was captivated by that giant
of a man preaching to the crush of eager people. As our wagon passed him by, my
head and hips swiveled to keep him in view. I twisted as far as the chain
around my ankle would allow me to. I could not take my eyes off him as his
voice boomed over the heads of the throng facing him.
And then the preacher slowly turned. That black man in the
black suit rotated away from the crowd and toward us. And as he was still
turning he pointed. He kept turning until he was facing away from the crowd and
his finger was pointing at me . And that man shouted,
“God give his Son fo’ the prostitute, God give his Son fo’
the whore!
“God give his Son fo’ the vilest of women—don’ you run from
God no more!” And he pointed at me. At me .
The sudden change and intensity in Tabitha’s tale stunned Rose.
Her mouth hung agape, her pen stilled.
“Miss Rose, his finger did not merely wag in my direction.
No, he lifted his finger toward heaven and when he brought it down, it was
extended directly at me.”
Tabitha pointed at Rose and repeated, “God give his Son fo’
the vilest of women—don’ you run from God no more!
“I did not know what he meant, Miss Rose. I heard the words
and they resounded within me. No, resounded is not the right word. When he
pointed his finger straight toward me, his words landed like a thunderclap upon
my soul! I knew what he said was important, that he had spoken something
momentous, but I could make neither head nor tails of his words: God give
his Son fo’ the vilest woman—don’ you run from God no more .”
Tabitha shook herself. “Even after we were out of earshot,
Jock was still turning the air blue with curses. While he railed against the
roadside preacher, I shut him out, closed myself up inside, and repeated the
preacher’s words,
“God gave his Son for the rich, and God gave his Son for the
poor. God gave his Son for the high, and God gave his Son for the low. God gave
his Son for the drunks. God gave his Son for the thieves. God gave his Son for
you. God gave his Son for me.
“I pondered those words within myself until I had them
memorized, but I kept wondering, If what the preacher says is true, if God
gave his Son for me, what does that mean? You see, Miss Rose, I had no
religious training. I had never been to church. I did not know the Bible. I
could not fathom what the preacher man had shouted. I could not understand it.
“But a tiny flicker of, I suppose it was curiosity, ignited
in my heart. And I asked, Who are you, God? Who are you, the God of whom the
preacher spoke? Are you real? Where can you be found?
“I did not expect an answer, really, so it was with some
surprise that I thought I heard—or rather I felt—a single word land in my
belly. It landed in what felt like the deepest part of me.”
Tabitha lapsed into a quiet contemplation and gave no indication
that she intended to finish her narrative.
When Rose could bear the silence no more, she touched
Tabitha’s hand. “Tabitha? Which word?”
Tabitha started and looked slightly confused. “I beg your
pardon, Miss Rose?”
Rose leaned farther across the little table and the
stone-cold tea things. “You said that you felt a single word land in your
belly. Which word, Tabitha?”
“Oh! Yes.” Tabitha swept
a wisp of hair behind her ear and her eyes lit. “The word I heard down
deep inside of me was wait .”
~~**~~
Chapter
6
When Mei-Xing brought Shan-Rose home that evening, the
toddler was whimpering and running a slight fever. Tabitha immediately became
engrossed in helping Mei-Xing care for the little girl.
“Perhaps we should put off our sessions. I would like to give
my time to Shan-Rose while she is ill,” Tabitha suggested. Breona, Mei-Xing’s
closest friend, demanded that she be allowed to help, too.
“Yes, I concur,” Rose
Jock swore and urged the horses to go faster. We were almost
beyond the scene now.
Every part of my being, though, was captivated by that giant
of a man preaching to the crush of eager people. As our wagon passed him by, my
head and hips swiveled to keep him in view. I twisted as far as the chain
around my ankle would allow me to. I could not take my eyes off him as his
voice boomed over the heads of the throng facing him.
And then the preacher slowly turned. That black man in the
black suit rotated away from the crowd and toward us. And as he was still
turning he pointed. He kept turning until he was facing away from the crowd and
his finger was pointing at me . And that man shouted,
“God give his Son fo’ the prostitute, God give his Son fo’
the whore!
“God give his Son fo’ the vilest of women—don’ you run from
God no more!” And he pointed at me. At me .
The sudden change and intensity in Tabitha’s tale stunned Rose.
Her mouth hung agape, her pen stilled.
“Miss Rose, his finger did not merely wag in my direction.
No, he lifted his finger toward heaven and when he brought it down, it was
extended directly at me.”
Tabitha pointed at Rose and repeated, “God give his Son fo’
the vilest of women—don’ you run from God no more!
“I did not know what he meant, Miss Rose. I heard the words
and they resounded within me. No, resounded is not the right word. When he
pointed his finger straight toward me, his words landed like a thunderclap upon
my soul! I knew what he said was important, that he had spoken something
momentous, but I could make neither head nor tails of his words: God give
his Son fo’ the vilest woman—don’ you run from God no more .”
Tabitha shook herself. “Even after we were out of earshot,
Jock was still turning the air blue with curses. While he railed against the
roadside preacher, I shut him out, closed myself up inside, and repeated the
preacher’s words,
“God gave his Son for the rich, and God gave his Son for the
poor. God gave his Son for the high, and God gave his Son for the low. God gave
his Son for the drunks. God gave his Son for the thieves. God gave his Son for
you. God gave his Son for me.
“I pondered those words within myself until I had them
memorized, but I kept wondering, If what the preacher says is true, if God
gave his Son for me, what does that mean? You see, Miss Rose, I had no
religious training. I had never been to church. I did not know the Bible. I
could not fathom what the preacher man had shouted. I could not understand it.
“But a tiny flicker of, I suppose it was curiosity, ignited
in my heart. And I asked, Who are you, God? Who are you, the God of whom the
preacher spoke? Are you real? Where can you be found?
“I did not expect an answer, really, so it was with some
surprise that I thought I heard—or rather I felt—a single word land in my
belly. It landed in what felt like the deepest part of me.”
Tabitha lapsed into a quiet contemplation and gave no indication
that she intended to finish her narrative.
When Rose could bear the silence no more, she touched
Tabitha’s hand. “Tabitha? Which word?”
Tabitha started and looked slightly confused. “I beg your
pardon, Miss Rose?”
Rose leaned farther across the little table and the
stone-cold tea things. “You said that you felt a single word land in your
belly. Which word, Tabitha?”
“Oh! Yes.” Tabitha swept
a wisp of hair behind her ear and her eyes lit. “The word I heard down
deep inside of me was wait .”
~~**~~
Chapter
6
When Mei-Xing brought Shan-Rose home that evening, the
toddler was whimpering and running a slight fever. Tabitha immediately became
engrossed in helping Mei-Xing care for the little girl.
“Perhaps we should put off our sessions. I would like to give
my time to Shan-Rose while she is ill,” Tabitha suggested. Breona, Mei-Xing’s
closest friend, demanded that she be allowed to help, too.
“Yes, I concur,” Rose
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