What an evening!
Megan is amazing. She says that she hopes that we can keep in touch – and she’s the kind of person you just believe when she says that. We just sort of clicked. It was nice. I hope we can be friends. I haven’t had a good Christian friend my own age in so long. I mean, I’m not setting her up to be my best friend and all that – but I think I could feel connected to her. The closest I’ve come to that with anyone but Bennie since Kylie went to Scotland and Lisa died is Gina. I want to be her friend. And for some reason I think she wants to be mine.
The kids had a great time I think for the afternoon, although they were pretty serious after tea and Emily looked pretty rattled by something for a moment. Not that it was there for all to see for longer than that … but she is so like Lisa it’s hard not to read her sometimes. I was going to ask her if she wanted to talk on the way home, but – well we were all a little distracted by then …
Carlos is studying full-time this year thanks to some supporters who had put aside his tuition fees. He’s been working towards developing some further training programmes that can be run for local believers where they are serving. He also wants to start work on some ongoing work that will help the small team that they work with to remain heartened as the work is often hard and slow to bear fruit despite the fact that the people are kind to them. It doesn’t help that the government is closed to the gospel. They tell of tremendous lessons in the value of a prayerful heart and the lessons that they have learned about praying. I am no longer surprised that the first thing that the first thing that Hamish learned about from Jonah was prayer, nor that this seems to be one of the things that seems most natural for him to do.
I think that Jazzy enjoyed the company of the big kids. They were pretty good about including her. There was a little while while they were talking by themselves, but she was quite happily sitting with Paul by then. I think that he liked them too. This is good. It means he can be comfortable talking with Carlos.
Overall the night went well until Joel came to get Hamish.
I hadn’t thought anything of it, but of course – to Joel it was strange that Paul and I were here also. He threw up his guard immediately.
“What are you doing here?”
“Oh,” says Megan, looking around and picking up on the tension, but not aware of the larger picture. “You must be Joel. Karen said that you’d be picking Hamish up. It didn’t click then that you’re all family. We met Alciana and Paul and the girls on Sunday at church and invited them around to get to know them better. It’s nice to get to meet you too.”
I grimaced. I did. Joel didn’t see it. Paul did. I don’t know about the girls – but I saw the equally horrified look on Hamish’s face and knew the truth. Hamish was scared. Not just worried. Scared. Thankfully, Megan, puzzled by my grimace, had not seen it. Emily grasped his hand. She had. Hamish shuffled his feet and shoulders and everything in between but accepted the support. And the clock only ticked once.
“You people are all the same. You take an intelligent person and try to brainwash them into the fold. I’ve seen it before. Well no more. No thank you. You will not do that to my son.”
Megan and Carlos stood aghast at Joel’s accusations. Carlos went to take a step forward. I shook my head and said quietly,
“Not today.” and nodded at Hamish.
Hamish stood ashen face, but with a kind of defiance in every muscle of his body.
Emily’s knuckles were white, but she didn’t seem to notice. She had tears in her eyes, looking at her Uncle Joel with a resigned disbelief.
And Jonah looked sad. Like he’d seen it all before. Felt it all before. Praying the prayers he’d prayed before. And I realised, given his parents’ account of their ministry that he probably had.
“Hamish.” Joel summoned his son.
Hamish started walking only to be held back by his cousin’s grasp. Realising that she was still holding his hand, Emily let go and Hamish walked obediently out of the house, thanking his friend’s parents for their hospitality.
When Hamish had gone, Joel turned briskly and left the house, wiping his feet on the doormat as he left.
Trust Joel for that little bit of drama.
Megan had tears in her eyes – for Hamish, I think – and perhaps Joel. Carl’s voice was raspy. Paul and I were embarrassed and both started to apologise for the scene at once.
Carlos interrupted and reassured us.
“We all know that the word of God is not welcome among unbelievers. It should be no surprise to us that Joel was hostile to Megan or myself that he didn’t like his son being with believers. We’re just not used to such strong reactions at home. This is a part of everyday where we are normally.”
Which is all very well but Joel was still horribly rude. And his son, despite his lack of fear for his faith was terrified of his father.
Suddenly then Megan got up and hurried from the room with Carlos behind her.
There must have been some kind of routine to this because Jonah frowned, stood and with Emily by his side went purposely from the room in a different direction. Jazzy – somehow after Joel’s soap opera scene had fallen asleep in a bean bag.
Paul and I just looked at each other.
“She’s out like a light. We should go soon.”
“Yeah. Wait ’til Megan comes back and we can find Emily then.”
“Nice people.”
“Yeah. I hope I get to see more of Megan. She says she doesn’t really know a lot of people around here. She could make a good friend.”
“You haven’t really had that for a while – what with Kylie overseas and Lisa gone … ”
“No. What did you think of Carlos?”
“Seems like a good bloke. He said he’d come and help Andy and I sort out a couple of the questions I’m having that he can’t answer.”
“That’s great.”
“Yeah. I’m beginning to think so.”
Megan and Carlos come back in.
“Where are the kids.”
“Went walkabout.”
“Ah. Sorry. People tell you about morning sickness – mine comes at night. Half Irish, you see.”
“Oh. Congratulations. Does Jonah know?”
“No. We won’t tell him ’til we’re reasonably sure this one’s going to make it. The last couple haven’t and before that I carried one to term and she died a day after she was born. That nearly broke his heart.”
“Oh Megan.”
“Megan gets pretty sick when she’s pregnant too. We nearly lost her with the last miscarriage. That’s another reason why we came home when we found out she was pregnant again.”
“We haven’t told many people. But – I wanted to tell you. I want us to be friends, and you seem to too. But please don’t tell anyone else about the baby.”
“Of course I won’t tell anybody and if Paul does, I’ll box his ears – but you can trust him with a secret forever. Lisa used to say the only thing you had to worry about is if he’d remember it… ” I grinned at him. He grinned back at the memory.
“If you’re not careful I’ll start …”
“Then we’d better say our thank yous and goodbyes and go”
Lord, please soften Joel’s heart. Strengthen Hamish for whatever is in the days ahead. I have a feeling that they’re not going to be easy. Help Jonah to be a support for his friend no matter how creative he has to be. And Lord please help him with whatever that worried look was for. Help me to find a moment to talk to Emily also. Thanks for the work you’re doing in Paul. May he continue to ask questions about you and come to trust you.
And Father, thank you for a friend. Please keep her safe.
Amen.
thejournalofalcianajohns 