Au Revoir
The day had come for Justin to board the plane from Indira Gandhi International Airport for a flight to America where his sister, who had sponsored him, lived. Many people from the church had come to see him off, for they understood that Justin, their pastor, was just going to visit his sister and was to come back in a few months. This was part of the arrangement made between Justin and the select church leaders. As it would give them sufficient time to gradually take over the responsibilities of the church, and on the other hand, Justin’s departure would not look like as if he was abandoning the church.
Pearl, in her childhood, had always trusted the man who was her father. There was never an occasion in her life when she could not put her trust in him. She always felt carefree while under his roof. After marriage, Pearl had put her entire trust in Justin, her husband. The first twenty years of their married life were blissful. Justin had completely replaced her father in all aspects of trust, confidence, dependability, gentleness and always proved to be a very good husband. She was very happy and content until the time Justin was working for the bank. Soon after Justin had resigned from his bank’s job to take up full-time ministry with the church, their family came in close contact with Sushmita and lo and behold, much time did not pass when Pearl noticed questionable closeness developing between Sushmita and Justin. Right from the beginning, she tried hard to make Justin understand at each step that what he was doing was not right. In fact, she even went to the extent of clearly telling him that his inordinate affection towards Sushmita was sinful. She never blamed Sushmita for anything, for in her eyes, Justin, being a pastor and the more mature person was responsible for everything. She repeatedly told him that he had become covetous about Sushmita, junior to him by many years.
The scripture says,
‘He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house…’. (Proverbs 15: 27)
Apart from Justin, Pearl used to blame Satan in her heart for alluring Justin towards Sushmita so that the Lord’s work may be hampered. She had known Justin for the last twenty years and until then, she always found him to be a faithful and responsible man and a very good father to their two boys.
Pearl had traveled a long way in her life—from being content, to now being disheartened and distraught. From being the wife of a trustworthy man, to now living with the same man who had closed his eyes to all good counsel. She had gone from the phase of a woman who held her head high in the society, to the one who felt pity for herself. From being a very warm and lively person, to the one whose heart always hurt. She underwent all the turmoil, but never complaint to anyone about Justin. This was her family, this was her life, and this was her man, to whom she could complain? These were the times when she missed her father. Oh! How she desired that he be around, she could have confided in him. Even though she knew, he also could not have done much, except pray.
Throughout her twenty years of married life, Justin sheltered her. She had never travelled by herself except to her office. She had practically never gone out of the house without Justin; he was overprotective about her and she adored the feeling. Without him, it seemed she did not know anything about the world. After God, this was the man she trusted the most. As a pastor couple, often, they used to go to counsel and strengthen other people who were going through a difficult patch in their lives, and today she herself felt tortured by those very circumstances out of which she uplifted others. Pearl then started to realise that it was getting all the more difficult for Justin and her to get back into the loving relationship that was once the reason of her joy and happiness.
Justin had even mentioned divorce to which she had replied with disgust, ‘Go ahead and do whatever you like’. Her mind had stopped working. She was on the brink of losing her inner sanctity though, outwardly, she kept her demeanor for the sake of her boys.
That day, standing at the airport, to bid Justin adieu, she was hoping within herself that the distance of continents which would now physically separate Sushmita and Justin might gradually dampen their passion for each other.
At the airport Armaan, the younger son, stuck to Justin’s side continuously, not leaving his father even for a moment. Shades of emotions alternating between excitement and apprehension appeared on his face. At the age of twelve, he was excited to be at the airport but apprehensive at the same time, for his father, whom he loved dearly, would be gone for quite a few months. Armaan has never been without his father, even for a day. Standing next to him, the young boy was shaking with emotions upon which he had no control. Repeatedly, Justin put his arms around him trying to comfort him but in turn he kept asking one question, ‘Papa, when will you come back?’
‘Do not worry, son! I will be back very soon, and when I come back, I will bring for you lots of things that you like’.
Ultimately, the time to board the plane had come and Justin had to part company with Armaan, Rahul, and Pearl. He saw them huddle together; however, in spite of their closeness, he could feel Armaan standing on his own with shadows of deep sadness in his eyes, not even wanting to take the comforting support of his mother or elder brother. A stab of pain rose sharply in Justin’s heart.