A Searching Heart (3 page)

Virginia saw her mother reach out a hand to brush a stray curl back from Francine's face. “You're right,” she said, laughter still in her voice. “We'll do it your way and get a good sleep. And in the morning we'll see Rodney. He is to be here at the hotel for a nine o'clock breakfast.” The lilt in Belinda's voice indicated she could hardly wait.

“I wonder what he's like now,” mused Francine as she removed her small hat and traveling coat.

“What do you mean?” Virginia responded.

“I wonder what he's like now? How much he's changed?”

“He's only been gone a little over two months.”

“I know. But he'll be different. I just know it. University does that to people.”

“Don't be silly,” Virginia chided, but a strange little fear twisted somewhere inside. Was it true? Did one really change that quickly when off to university? Had Rodney changed? And if Rodney had changed—might Jamison change, as well? A little shiver passed through her. She didn't want Rodney to change. She liked him just the way he was. And she certainly didn't want Jamison to change. He was almost perfect, so any change would not be for the better, she was sure.

CHAPTER 2

A
ctually, I like the chemistry classes best. I mean, just to study how things are constructed, what holds them together— it's amazing. I think it has strengthened my faith in God, though our professor certainly doesn't put God in the picture. But there has to be a God. Such . . . such spectacular things couldn't just happen.”

They were in the hotel dining room having their breakfast together. Virginia had witnessed her mother's relief that Rodney had not lost weight since leaving her table, and her father's consolation that his firstborn still stood without a slouch and had a decent haircut. Danny, totally unaware of his parents' unspoken observations, openly admired his older brother and groused over the delay in being shown around the campus. He was convinced Rodney had the whole place under his full control. Francine, in between bites of French toast with peach syrup, was still studying him carefully. Virginia was sure she was looking for those subtle but inevitable changes that happened to university students.

Virginia found herself watching for changes, as well. Little things now caught her attention, and she found herself puzzling over whether they had been there before or had developed since his university admittance.
Did he always part his hair on that side—or was it the other? Is he wearing his tie looser? That brushing of his hand over his cheek—did he do that before?

The truth was, she wasn't sure. She had never paid that much attention to Rodney before.

But Danny had quickly wolfed down his plate of hot cakes and sausage and was fidgeting in impatience to be off for their tour.

“More coffee, ma'am? Sir?” the waiter was asking. Virginia saw Danny grimace when Drew nodded and moved both cups forward.

“Tell me more about this church you're attending,” Belinda encouraged.

“It's great. It really is. They have a nice bunch of kids my age. They really want to make an impact on other university students. I'm the only one from the U at this point. But I'm working on my roommate and the fellow just down the hall. They come from Christian homes, and I know they feel they should be going to church somewhere. They just haven't settled on one yet. Then there is this fellow from my physics class. He tries to act like a tough guy, but he's not been feeling well, and the doctors can't find out why. I think his bravado is just a bluff. That under it all he's scared. I've been trying to befriend him, but I'm not getting much encouragement yet. I'd appreciate your prayers. His name is Austin.”

Virginia watched her father push back his coffee cup. “Let's take a moment to pray for Austin,” he suggested.

Right here? Right now?
Virginia wished to question her father, but she knew exactly what he intended. Right there, in the middle of the busy hotel dining room, they would all bow their heads as their father led them in a sincere prayer for Rodney's needy new friend. Virginia wanted to hide under the table.

The prayer was made quietly in a few short, earnest words. Virginia did not know whether to open her eyes when it ended or to just stay as she was so she couldn't see the astonishment— or amused smirks—of other diners. When she did manage to find the courage to peek around the room, she was surprised to discover that the other diners seemingly had paid no attention to them at all.

“I say it's time to be getting out there,” Danny blurted. “We are going to be missing half a day if we don't get started.”

Rodney smiled and reached over to give his younger brother a playful punch on the arm. “Let's go. I'm looking forward to showing you around. Things are always a bit quiet on Saturday, but you can still get a good feel for the place. Who knows?” he added with a grin. “We might even catch one or two in the library studying.”

As they left the hotel, Rodney fell into step beside Virginia. “So are you still hearing from Jamison?”

Virginia was surprised. “Of course,” she answered.

Rodney nodded.

But Virginia could not dismiss his question so lightly. “Why do you ask? Like that?”

Rodney half turned to her, his shoulders giving a careless shrug. “Like what?”

“Like . . . I don't know. Like you thought that just because Jamison is away that we'd . . . well . . . stop caring or something.”

“I didn't say that.”

“No . . . but you sort of hinted at it or something.”

“No. No, I didn't mean it that way.”

“Then what way did you mean it?”

Rodney placed a lanky arm over her shoulders. “Look, I didn't mean anything. I was just making conversation, that's all. So how's the guy doing?”

Virginia's eyes lit up. She loved to talk about Jamison, and here was a fresh, uninformed listener to whom she could boast freely. “You know he's the quarterback,” she enthused. “And they've been doing very well in their games. Think they might even be able to win the championship this year. They have never won it before. So far, their record is seven and one. And Jamison says—”

“And his studies,” Rodney interrupted. “How're they going?”

“Oh, Rodney,” said Virginia, shrugging off his arm with a mock frown. “You're always thinking of studies. Jamison thinks he might even be able to make a professional team if things continue to go well. They do make good money. More than he would ever make as a lab technician—or whatever—like you plan to be.”

Rodney nodded. “True” was all he said. Then he added with a bit more enthusiasm, “He always did like sports and was especially good at football.”

Virginia nodded, appreciating Rodney's acknowledgment of the things Jamison was good at.

“He had a hard time deciding between football and baseball,” she continued. “But he picked football. Next year he hopes to receive a scholarship.”

“That's great. Has he found a good church group?”

“He meets with a small interdenominational group just off campus. He likes the young minister, and he says they've a good group of young people. They have some real fiery discussions. Coming from many church backgrounds, they find they have different opinions—on many things. Jamison says it's good for him. Makes him think through issues that he has just blindly accepted as truth in the past.”

“Such as?” Rodney wondered.

“Not . . . not basic things like who God is or if Jesus is really divine or anything like that. Just . . . small things. Baptism or communion.”

“They're not small things.”

“I didn't mean like that. But different churches do treat them in . . . in various ways.”

Rodney nodded.

“Jamison says that it is good to understand why other churches take different views. It opens one up to thinking through things and making Bible-based decisions.”

“Bible-based decisions are good,” agreed Rodney.

Rodney sounded sincere, and Virginia was about to continue on concerning Jamison's church and spiritual journey, but Danny dropped back beside them and broke into the conversation. “You know that fox kit that I had last summer?”

Rodney nodded.

“I was out in Grandpa's field a couple weeks back and I saw him. I'm sure it was him. He stopped and looked right at me like he couldn't decide whether to come to me or run off. Then he trotted away and looked back twice before he disappeared. I'm sure it was him.”

“Really?”

“He had that funny little crimp in his left ear. Remember? Well, this one had it. Right up top.” Danny indicated where the crimp had been located.

“And he didn't bolt?”

“No. Just stood there and studied me. I . . .”

Virginia hastened her step. She knew she had lost her audience. She might as well walk up beside Francine.

———

The university campus was interesting, and Virginia thought about her own college experience less than a year away. But in spite of being used to walking, she found that she was tiring as the day wore on. There were just too many walkways. Too many buildings. Too much to see and too great a distance separating them all.

Francine complained first. “My feet are whining. Besides, all these buildings look the same. Can't I just sit down somewhere and wait for you?”

“Not alone . . .” began their mother.

Virginia saw her opportunity. “I'll stay with her,” she was quick to offer.

“There's a little shop with a soda fountain just up ahead,” Rodney informed them. “You can get yourselves a cool pop and wait for us there.”

Rodney ushered them in and indicated an empty seat. He even ordered frosty Cokes and saw them settled before moving off with Danny and their parents. Virginia stretched out her legs under the table and even slipped off her shoes. Like Francine, her feet were aching.

It was fun to just sit and sip, watching the young and chattery university students. Virginia envisioned herself as one of them and could hardly wait for her upcoming graduation so she might join the friendly, laughing crowd. But she would not be attending this university. No, her plans were already made to be with Jamison. What fun it would be to be in college together. How wonderful it would be to watch him play football. Already she saw him as the star of the game. People would be cheering, “Yeah, Jamison,” and she would be cheering more loudly than all the rest. She could hardly wait.

And she would go with him to his little church and share in the discussions on faith and how to live it in a world that showed indifference. She would listen to the various ideas presented and be free to express her own thoughts on subjects. Jamison said that anyone was welcome into the discussions.

Another little cluster of students entered the shop and took seats not too distant from Virginia and Francine. Virginia tried not to stare, but it was hard not to watch them. They were rowdier than other groups had been. Loud laughter punctuated most of their remarks, and Virginia heard speech peppered with words that her friend Jenny Woods might use. Words that Virginia often had not understood but knew were not appropriate for a Christian to use. Inwardly she cringed and diverted her attention back to her Coke. She would focus her thoughts back on her future days at college with Jamison. Jamison would . . .

“I think that fellow is trying to catch your eye,” whispered Francine, nodding toward a seat somewhere behind and to the side of Virginia. “He's been staring at you ever since he sat down.”

“Don't be silly,” responded Virginia, jerked back to the present. In spite of her words, she felt her face flushing.

“He is,” insisted Francine. “He keeps waiting for you to look his way.”

“I have no intention of looking his way,” muttered Virginia with determination and a lift of her chin.

“He's rather handsome.”

Virginia's chin lifted higher.

“He has dark wavy hair, deep brown eyes, a little cleft in his chin .. .”

It sounded as though Francine was describing Jamison. It was all Virginia could do to keep from spinning around to look.

“And a scar—just above his eyebrow.”

Jamison had no scar above his eyebrow. Unless . . . Surely Jamison had not been hurt playing football. In spite of herself Virginia turned around and met the brown eyes that Francine had described. They were not Jamison's. The young man nodded, gave a triumphant smile and a slight wave of his hand.

Virginia's cheeks flamed as she whipped back to face her sister.

“Francine,” she whispered harshly, “stop looking at him. You are just encouraging him. . . .”

“He's coming over.”

“Don't joke.”

“I'm not joking. He's coming over. Coke and all.”

Virginia did not even have time to respond.

“Excuse me,” a smooth voice said. He was right beside her. “Can you tell me where the Chem Lab is?”

Virginia was forced to look up into the brown eyes again. She felt her face flush and reached self-consciously to slip her feet back into the shoes she had discarded. One toe found its desired destination, but stretch as she could and reach as far as she might, Virginia's other searching foot came up empty.

“I . . . I don't know,” she fumbled and wasn't sure if she was describing her predicament in locating her shoe or her ignorance regarding the Chem Lab.

“You don't take Chem?”

He was sliding into the booth beside her. Virginia had never experienced such forwardness.

“No,” she managed.

“So what do you take? I thought you might be in the nursing faculty.”

“No.”

“Education?”

Virginia shook her head.

“We are just visiting,” put in Francine, seeming to have more sense and better use of her tongue than her older sister.

“Visiting?” The young stranger's eyes had not left Virginia's face.