My Father's Gift (17 page)

“There are a lot of things that I don’t understand, but I don’t think that you can explain them all.”

“Would you allow me a few minutes of your time so we can try to straighten out this mess?”

“Okay.”  D’Cerner reluctantly agreed. “But let’s go somewhere we won’t be spotted too quickly just in case someone comes looking for you,” she finished cynically.

“Can we go back to your stateroom?”

“No, I’m sharing the stateroom with Angela and she might decide to come back for something.”

“Well, how about my stateroom?”

“I don’t think that would be appropriate under the circumstances.”

“I understand what you mean, but we won’t be there long, only a few minutes and at least I’m not sharing it with anyone.”

D’Cerner stared at him for a moment before answering.  He looked sincere enough and surely he could tell his tale in a few minutes.  After all, she knew most of the problems stemmed from his pastor, but she didn’t know what else he had to say.

“All right,” she said finally, “but I’m only giving you ten minutes.”

“Thank you,” Cal said, relieved.  “May I?” He asked, holding out his arm to her.  Reluctantly, she took it and they walked to his stateroom.

When he took out his stateroom card key to open the door, he thought about the lock and hoped that the cabin steward had taken care of it.  However, as a precaution, he stepped over the threshold in an attempt to reach the juice can to wedge inside the door.  Before he could grab the can, he realized that D’Cerner had let the door close. 

He immediately tried to open it and found it jammed.  D’Cerner looked at him quizzically, waiting for an explanation.  After a deep groaning sigh, he attempted to explain to her about the lock and the fact they would have to wait for someone to let them out.  D’Cerner immediately got the wrong impression and accused him of letting the door close deliberately to make her listen to him.  He promised her that her accusation was not true and tried to convince her, but she refused to listen.  He called the cabin steward and then sat down on the bed to wait.  D’Cerner had started pacing the floor and even though he tried to talk to her, she turned a deaf ear to him.  Exasperated, he finally gave up and they both sat on the beds across from each other and sulked.  When they heard someone knocking on the door, they were both relieved until they found out it wasn’t the cabin steward, but Cal’s pastor.   She knocked insistently and told Cal she had become concerned about him and wanted to know if he was all right.  Cal informed her that the lock was jammed and they were waiting for someone to let them out of the room.  Pastor Thomas immediately got suspicious upon hearing “they” and “them.”  Before she could ask who was locked in with him, the cabin steward appeared with a card key to open the door. 

As soon as the door opened, D’Cerner stormed out, annoyed beyond measure, brushing past his pastor without saying a word.  Cal stood there looking as though his world had collapsed.  The only thing that Pastor Thomas could think about was she had caught them in a compromising act.  She shook at her head at Cal knowingly and told him she would see him in the morning.  Cal slammed the door shut, tore off his tuxedo and climbed into the bed, not caring if he could get out or not.

When Pastor Thomas found her way back to the lounge where several people were chatting, she couldn’t help but remark upon the situation she just happened to stumble across a few moments ago. 

“Who would have thought that such a well-known Evangelist would be capable of such impropriety?” she asked, shaking her head sadly, deeply moved by the situation. 

Inwardly, she was laughing with the devil.  No one else would know what had happened; especially not if she were telling the story her way. “This couldn’t have worked out any better if I had planned it,” she laughed to herself.  “Problem solved.”

*****

D’Cerner’s frenzied run through the corridors caused raised eyebrows and great speculation from many who passed her.  She fumbled in her purse for her card key and almost broke it trying to get into the room.  She snatched off her clothes, pulled the pearl-trimmed hairpins out of her hair so hard and fast she pulled out some of hair with them.  She grabbed her nightgown and flung herself into bed, and lay there crying silently.  Later, when she heard Angela come in, she turned her head to the wall, so she wouldn’t try to talk to her.

Angela stood there watching D’Cerner pretending to be asleep.  She had heard about what happened.  At least Pastor Thomas’s version of what had happened and so had any number of people listening.  Angela knew D’Cerner well enough to know that she would not intentionally put herself in a compromising position.  She was a woman of integrity and her integrity meant more to her than anything else.  As Angela tried to quietly undress and get ready for bed, she wondered how she would handle breaking the news to D’Cerner in the morning.  She knew she had to talk to D’Cerner before she faced anyone else, so she would she be better prepared to deal with the rumors.

*****

Pastor Thomas had not wasted any time after leaving Cal’s stateroom in spreading the news about what she happened to witness.  At first she thought she would let it go and then, since she knew that the Ecumenical Council of Pastors was considering both Cal and D’Cerner for a pastoral position in another state, she decided she’d kill two birds with one stone.  She was no longer concerned about Cal leaving her church.  She just wanted to make sure that neither of them would be successful anywhere else. 

The Council had extremely high moral standards and having been found in a compromising situation would be more than enough for them to be disqualified for a pastoral position for at least another five years.  If that happened and he left her church, at least he would not be pastoring elsewhere.  She thought it was sufficient punishment for what she believed to be his betrayal and she could have cared less about D’Cerner.  So, spreading ugly gossip suited her just fine.  Of course, she appeared to be mortified at the discovery, but she was actually delighted at the response she was getting.  Having accomplished her mission, she went to her stateroom satisfied she would get a good night’s sleep and she was more than justified in doing what she did.

  Chapter Twenty-two

When D’Cerner woke up, if she had had any thought whatsoever of avoiding Angela, she was sadly mistaken.  Angela had awakened early, put on a jogging suit, went to the breakfast buffet, and was sitting on the edge of her bed with a cup of coffee in her hand for D’Cerner when she woke.

“You’re going to need this,” she told D’Cerner handing her the cup.

“What are you doing up so early? You hate getting up early.”

“Normally I would, but we need to talk.”

“Angie, I really don’t want to talk about anything.”

“Neither do I, but this is important.  I heard about what happened with you and Cal last night.”

“Who did you hear that from and what did you hear?” D’Cerner responded, dejectedly.

“What I heard is not important since I know you, but Cal’s pastor is spreading the word she caught you two in the very act.”

“What!”  D’Cerner exclaimed, alarmed.

“Now do you see why we need to talk?”

“That lying viper!” D’Cerner hotly, seething with anger.  “She did not catch us in the very act.  Cal’s stateroom door lock was jammed and we couldn’t get out until the cabin steward came to open the door.  She just happened to knock on Cal’s door about a minute before the cabin steward arrived.  We had only been in there for about ten minutes.  Cal had convinced me to listen to him and I had agreed, until we got to his stateroom and the door closed.  He claimed he was trying to reach a doorstop to wedge in between the door, but the door closed too quickly.  Last night, I didn’t believe him, but this morning, for some reason, I do.”

“I’m sure you’re right, but you still have to deal with this rumor.” 

“What on earth does this woman plan to gain by spreading this ugly rumor?” D’Cerner yelled.

“Calm down,” Angela said sternly, “yelling is not going to solve anything.  I just wanted you to know.  You are going to be facing a very curious group this morning.”

“Fine.  Let them be curious,” she said, still seething, as she got up to go into the bathroom.

D’Cerner was so angry that she felt she could actually see smoke swirling from her nostrils as she dressed.  If anyone thought she was going to become a wallflower or invisible, they were sadly mistaken.  There was no way she was going to appear with her head hanging down as if she had done anything remotely inappropriate. She donned a red pin-striped pantsuit with a white jacket and red sandals and prepared to set the record straight for any who dared to ask.

Angela watched her toss things in her carryon.  She had never seen D’Cerner so angry.  She finally got up to finish packing her shoulder bag and the two of them went to breakfast and the last praise and worship session.

After praise and worship this session was primarily intended to be an opportunity to exchange addresses and phone numbers.  Although D’Cerner acted as if she knew absolutely nothing about the nasty rumors, many avoided looking at her and only a handful sought her out to exchange phone numbers.  No one mentioned anything about the night before. As the moderator approached D’Cerner with an envelope in hand, she refused to look at her directly.

Cal had not appeared at all and Pastor Thomas looked a little too smug for words. 

D’Cerner smiled brightly at her, wishing she could knock that smug look off her face. On impulse D’Cerner started walking towards her.  Sensing the animosity emanating from her as she approached her target, Pastor Thomas retreated into the midst of the group she was currently captivating with her tales.  Some, appearing to welcome the confrontation, moved away from Pastor Thomas creating a pathway for D’Cerner. 

“Did you have a pleasant evening?” D’ Cerner asked Pastor Thomas.

“Yes, I did, but I’m sure it was not nearly as exciting as your evening,” she hinted broadly of the impropriety.

Not willing to give into the desires of resurrecting her old woman, D’Cerner turned to walk away, but not before she levied a warning.

“Be very careful of digging a ditch you could fall into.  You know how God feels about liars.” 

“Don’t stoop to her level, “Angela warned.  She was standing right behind D’Cerner and sensing that her friend could easily strike, grabbed her hand.  “She’s not worth risking what’s left of your reputation.”

D’Cerner turned away from Pastor Thomas, holding herself nobly erect as she left the gaping-mouth crowd.

After the session, Angela and D’Cerner went back to their stateroom to make sure that nothing was left unpacked.  Having made sure that the bulk of their luggage was picked up last night, they were satisfied they were not leaving anything.  While they waited for the ship to dock, Angela tried unsuccessfully to console D’Cerner, but nothing worked.  They barely spoke going through customs, on the bus to the airport, or on the return flight to Michigan.  D’Cerner was too angry and hurt; Angela was too thoughtful to intrude.  When they arrived at the airport, Angela went to the baggage claim area to retrieve their luggage while D’Cerner took the shuttle to pick up the car.  The only thing she said from the time they left the airport until they arrived at Angela’s house, was “thank you for being with me on this trip and good night.”

Chapter Twenty-three

The phone was ringing the next morning and it was only seven o’clock.  D’Cerner was tired because she had gotten in late because of a delay at the airport and had gone to bed later than she had planned.  She stared at the phone for a minute and started to just let it ring, but decided against it.

“Hello,” she said, wearily.

“Well, good morning to you, too,” said Pastor Gibson, gently teasing her.

“Pastor Gibson.  I was going to call you later this morning.  I haven’t quite gotten up yet.”

“I thought I’d get my call in first because your phone is probably going to be ringing off the hook all day.”

“You heard, huh.” She groaned and pulled the covers over her head, as though that gesture would cause all the problems to disappear.

“Yes, I did.  I don’t believe it, but the word has gotten around.”

“I knew you wouldn’t believe it, but I need to tell you what happened.” D’Cerner retold what had happened and how Pastor Thomas had started the rumor.

“His pastor started the rumor?  How did she know about it?” Pastor Gibson asked, surprised.

“When we heard someone knock at the door, we assumed that it was the cabin steward announcing his entrance.  Unfortunately, it was Pastor Thomas who supposedly had come to check on him since he had left the Ball early.  The cabin steward arrived about a minute later.  When I left out the room, she was standing there in the corridor with her mouth hanging open.  I don’t know what she said to him, I didn’t stay around to hear it.  I was so angry, that I just wanted to get to my room.”

“Here’s what I suggest you do,” Pastor Gibson said gently.  “Let the phone ring today.  If it’s important, they’ll leave a message.  Get some rest and call me later.  I’ll be in and out, so if you want, you can call me on my cell.”

“Thanks, Pastor Gibson.  I do plan to sleep a little while longer, but once I get up, I’ll be ready to face the lions.”

“You don’t have to do this, but if that’s how you feel, I’m behind you one hundred percent.  I’ll call you later.”

“Okay, good-bye.”  When she hung up the phone, she looked around her room which now felt like a veritable safe haven.  She was kidding herself.  She didn’t want to face the lions, but she knew she would have to sooner or later.  She sighed and turned over, intending to go back to sleep. 

The phone rang.

 This time it was Sarah, who, like her pastor had already heard the worse and was calling to pray with her.  Sarah didn’t believe the rumors either.  She knew D’Cerner well enough to know that there was more to the story than was being told, but she wasn’t about to ask.  Sarah told her she just wanted her to know that there were people praying with and for her and she could count on her support.  After praying, they hung up and D’Cerner decided to get up.  She didn’t think she was going to get much sleep anyway.