Arthur stared at Marci’s e-mail for a while. It was mostly about Brian, who he was and what they were doing. Of course, his mother’s e-mail arrived two days ago. It shouldn’t have bothered him because Marci’s usual every other day e-mail had quickly turned into once a week three-liners. Both ladies described the expedition to Elmhurst. Marci was fact, fact, fact while his mother spoke of the long glances and the “when you marry” faux paux by Roberta. Marci was distant and his mother was distraught.
That made two of them. Arthur couldn’t help but remember the times that he thought she was sending him ‘love’ signals. She would squeeze his hand and then smile at him when he looked at her. When they talked in private her voice became softer and her words seemed sweeter. The two years she had been away at college hadn’t changed her. When she came back for the summer, she took up right where she left off. Arthur wondered about her change.
Grandpa had always said that when your life is given over to Jesus, strange things could happen. A sincere Christian had to be pliable to God’s will. After all, God was looking down the road a lot farther than we were. He said to always be aware that God could bring people into our lives and out of our lives for His reasons. And, when he takes good friends out, He does it for His purpose in both lives. A Christian has to learn to accept it and go on. Instead of moaning over the loss, rejoice with the ones that remain. He would always end that teaching with the admonition—it is easier said than done.
A whiff of perfume slipped through the sides of his closed door. Mayumi was there. Before she knocked, Arthur said with a smile, “Come in, my lovely.”
She turned the door knob and entered with a not so puzzled look on her face. She smiled as she conceded, “I swear I’m not using as much as I used to.”
Arthur teased, “My heart demands my nose to be super-sensitive at your approach.”
“It does not, you silly goose,” she said as she playfully took a swat at his shoulder. She glanced at Marci’s e-mail on the monitor. “Oh,” she tried to be coy, “am I interrupting something? I guess I should be going. Don’t want to horn in, you know.”
As she acted like she was about to get up, her impish grin gave her away. “Stop it, stop it, stop it,” Arthur chided. “You know I have no secrets with you. Besides, you can read it. It’s all about Brian.”
She looked at his eyes still gazing at the e-mail and apologized, “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Arthur was quiet for a moment and then he looked at her very seriously and said, “Who God puts with who is His business. I want Marci to be happy for the rest of her life. Goodness knows she’s had enough unhappiness, not having a father around and all. If God says that Brian is the one, then I bid them God-speed. Do you remember what Grandpa said about times like these?”
Mayumi offered, “Don’t pout over the ones that leave, rejoice over the ones that stay, or something like that?”
He looked into her eyes and said with a smile, “That’s close enough to whatever it was. The meaning is the same.” He turned to the computer and shut down Windows. He opened up the control panel and changed the desktop from a picture of Marci to a picture of the Pacific Ocean they had taken a couple of years ago.
She cleared her throat and hinted so gracefully, “You know…you could put MY picture on there if you weren’t ashamed if me.”
Arthur smiled as he teased, “Well, I’m not.”
She knew him too well and crossed her arms and asked, “And, why not?”
“Because my, dear Muyami, I don’t have a very good picture of you.”
“Turo,” she corrected, “I’ve sent you hundreds of pictures through the years.”
He picked up her left hand with his right hand and held it a few brief seconds. As he looked into those dark eyes of hers he said, “Those are pictures of an adolescent. I want a picture of this lovely young lady I have the privilege of escorting around town this morning.”
Her dark Filipino skin reddened as she dropped her eyes to ask the obvious question, “But Arthur, are you sure you’re not….”
“On the rebound?” he finished for her.
As she squeezed his hand in hope she continued, “Well, it seems that you and Marci just broke up. And now it seems like…”
“There might have never been anything between us at all,” Arthur answered. “It all might have just been my imagination. She never said she loved me. I never asked her. I’ve been her best friend and comforter since her granny died. Now it looks like she has possibly walked into the next chapter of her life. And, besides, I have always told you that you were beautiful, that you were sweet, that you were special. Tell me what I just said or did that has been different from the past. YOU are the one that’s different. You are sensing things from the young lady point of view and not the little girl point of view.”
Arthur’s eyes got wide as he mouthed to her, “Your brother is at the door.” He got up and quietly walked around to be behind the door when it opened. He motioned for her to get to the other side of the room and act like they were smooching. She stepped over to where she would be the first thing her brother saw when he came through the door. “Oh, Turo, please, please, I need you more than ever…..”
Riz burst through the door and yelled, “Aha!”
Arthur stepped from behind the door and yelled, “Good morning!”
It scared Riz so bad that he stepped backwards and almost fell back down the stairs. As he grabbed his chest and laughed he complained, “Darn it. I can never sneak up on you.”
Arthur escorted Mayumi outside and admitted, “There’s nothing you have come up with so far that neither me nor my great-grandfather hasn’t done. When you think of something new, you’ll probably get me.”
“Why don’t I just give up and save myself years of trouble, then.”
“It’s up to you, little brother.” As they walked into the kitchen, Arthur wondered just how far on the rebound he was. How right was Mayumi to be skeptical of his comments? It was hard for him to sort it out himself. He had grown up with both girls, uh….young ladies and was pretty well attached to both. Yes, Marci seemed like she was launching out in a direction of her own that very well could be God’s plan for her.
He had to settle that question in his heart once and for all. He resolved not to pout over the past. From now on, he was going to enjoy being with the friends that God had placed him with and seek Him for guidance into his unknown future.