Read Online The Ultimate Gift (The Ultimate Series #1) by Jim Stovall - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jim Stovall
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uncomfortable as she watched the blind man walk across the office, and I must admit to feeling a bit of apprehension myself.
“Mr. Hamilton and Miss Hastings,” Jason said, “I’d like you to meet David Reese.”
Mr. Reese held his hand out and said, “Long time, no see.”
It took me a moment to overcome my anxiety and to be able to enjoy his humor. I shook his hand, and we all sat down.
“I met David on a commuter train last week,” Jason explained. “We talked during the train trip and several times since, over the phone. He is simply the best example I can imagine of the gift of laughter.”
David Reese blurted out, “Yeah, David told me that you guys needed a few laughs around here, so he dragged me in.”
David turned his head to the right and said, “Boy, this is really a beautiful office.”
“Thank you,” I said and was about to tell him about my furnishings when I realized he had been pulling my leg. We all laughed.
I asked Jason, “What was it about this young man that made you believe he had the gift of laughter when you first met him on the train?”
David Reese cut in and answered, “It was my magazine trick, sir.”
I smiled and asked, “Okay, what’s the magazine trick?”
David Reese explained. “Some of the commuter trains are not as clean as they should be, so whenever the seats are dusty, people often sit on magazines. Since I can’t tell when they’re clean and when they’re not, I always sit on a magazine. While Jason and I were getting acquainted on the train, a gentleman behind me, as people often do when they’re looking for something to read on the train, asked me if I was reading the magazine.”
At that point, Jason began laughing out loud and interrupted. “Right after the guy asked David, ‘Are you reading that magazine? ’ David stood up, turned the page, sat back down, and said, ‘Yes, sir, but I’ll be done before long.’”
When our laughter died down, I asked David how and when he developed the gift of laughter. He explained that he lost his sight early in life and had dealt with many struggles and challenges, not the least of which being people treating him poorly.
“Mr. Hamilton, sometimes in life, either you laugh or you cry,” he said. “And I prefer to laugh.”
I thought about David Reese and what a wonderful outlook he had on life. His gift of laughter had not only benefited him, but everyone around him, including me. I told Jason that he had certainly fulfilled the assignment for this month.
As Jason walked with David Reese out of the office, David stopped, turned, and said, “Mr. Hamilton, I wanted to tell you before I left—I think that’s a beautiful tie you have on.”
I was halfway through thanking him for the compliment when I realized he had done it to me again. He and Jason could be heard laughing all the way down the hall to the elevator. Miss Hastings was laughing softly as well.
“So, what are you laughing about?” I finally asked her.
“Well, it is a nice tie,” she replied.
TEN
THE GIFT OF DREAMS
Faith is all that dreamers need
to see into the future.
There are days when you can just feel in your bones that something extraordinary is going to happen. There are other days when the extraordinary things in life surprise you.
As I was waiting for Jason Stevens to arrive for his scheduled appointment, which would begin another month of discovery for both of us, I was standing at my window looking over the Boston skyline and thinking about Red Stevens. It is hard to feel the loss of someone you love when so much of that person remains with you all the time. There are people who have such a huge impact in our lives that they become almost a part of us. Red Stevens had that effect on me, and I know he had the same effect on many others.
There were, indeed, many days I wanted to pick up the phone and hear that gravelly voice with the West Texas accent boom back at me. But, somehow, I knew that I would never be
“Mr. Hamilton and Miss Hastings,” Jason said, “I’d like you to meet David Reese.”
Mr. Reese held his hand out and said, “Long time, no see.”
It took me a moment to overcome my anxiety and to be able to enjoy his humor. I shook his hand, and we all sat down.
“I met David on a commuter train last week,” Jason explained. “We talked during the train trip and several times since, over the phone. He is simply the best example I can imagine of the gift of laughter.”
David Reese blurted out, “Yeah, David told me that you guys needed a few laughs around here, so he dragged me in.”
David turned his head to the right and said, “Boy, this is really a beautiful office.”
“Thank you,” I said and was about to tell him about my furnishings when I realized he had been pulling my leg. We all laughed.
I asked Jason, “What was it about this young man that made you believe he had the gift of laughter when you first met him on the train?”
David Reese cut in and answered, “It was my magazine trick, sir.”
I smiled and asked, “Okay, what’s the magazine trick?”
David Reese explained. “Some of the commuter trains are not as clean as they should be, so whenever the seats are dusty, people often sit on magazines. Since I can’t tell when they’re clean and when they’re not, I always sit on a magazine. While Jason and I were getting acquainted on the train, a gentleman behind me, as people often do when they’re looking for something to read on the train, asked me if I was reading the magazine.”
At that point, Jason began laughing out loud and interrupted. “Right after the guy asked David, ‘Are you reading that magazine? ’ David stood up, turned the page, sat back down, and said, ‘Yes, sir, but I’ll be done before long.’”
When our laughter died down, I asked David how and when he developed the gift of laughter. He explained that he lost his sight early in life and had dealt with many struggles and challenges, not the least of which being people treating him poorly.
“Mr. Hamilton, sometimes in life, either you laugh or you cry,” he said. “And I prefer to laugh.”
I thought about David Reese and what a wonderful outlook he had on life. His gift of laughter had not only benefited him, but everyone around him, including me. I told Jason that he had certainly fulfilled the assignment for this month.
As Jason walked with David Reese out of the office, David stopped, turned, and said, “Mr. Hamilton, I wanted to tell you before I left—I think that’s a beautiful tie you have on.”
I was halfway through thanking him for the compliment when I realized he had done it to me again. He and Jason could be heard laughing all the way down the hall to the elevator. Miss Hastings was laughing softly as well.
“So, what are you laughing about?” I finally asked her.
“Well, it is a nice tie,” she replied.
TEN
THE GIFT OF DREAMS
Faith is all that dreamers need
to see into the future.
There are days when you can just feel in your bones that something extraordinary is going to happen. There are other days when the extraordinary things in life surprise you.
As I was waiting for Jason Stevens to arrive for his scheduled appointment, which would begin another month of discovery for both of us, I was standing at my window looking over the Boston skyline and thinking about Red Stevens. It is hard to feel the loss of someone you love when so much of that person remains with you all the time. There are people who have such a huge impact in our lives that they become almost a part of us. Red Stevens had that effect on me, and I know he had the same effect on many others.
There were, indeed, many days I wanted to pick up the phone and hear that gravelly voice with the West Texas accent boom back at me. But, somehow, I knew that I would never be
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