God Speed
Each evening at about the same time, Alan and Kristy
could hear their new next-door neighbor singing along with
the same inspirational R. Kelly song.
"Alan, if I have to hear that socially retarded new neighbor
sing 'I Believe I can Fly' tune one more time, I'm going to
scream!"
Alan put his index finger to his mouth as to non-verbally
ask her to be quiet. As he listened through their open
kitchen window, Alan laughingly stated, "I think our inept
new neighbor sings that tune pretty well Kristy," as he
annoyingly tweaked her cheeks.
"Stop it Alan! I like the song, but I hate that man. I tried
to take him some of that expensive candy your sister sent us
for Christmas, and he might as well as shut his door in my
face."
"Did he thank you for it?" Alan asked curiously.
"No, he didn't even take it. Said it made him sick to even
look at it, and then said he had to go because he had
company to entertain! Poor girl," she sarcastically
finished.
Alan and Kristy moved into their small but cozy living room
and sat down on the couch by their cat they affectionately
named "Lovely." After watching a sitcom, Alan turned the
television set off and asked Kristy if she really hated
their next-door neighbor, Craig.
"Don't know yet", she huffily replied. "I guess I just can't
stand the way he keeps everyone at arm’s length. We've both
tried to be friendly to him, and he just looks down like
some comedian and says he has to amuse his company. More
like a circus probably, and he's the court jester!" she
pretentiously and finally concluded.
"Sounds to me, Kristy, that our Bozo next-door neighbor has
hurt your feelings. Maybe it's a girl he just met for crying
out loud! Are you jealous or something?" Alan curtly
replied.
"Right Alan! And he's singing about how they're going to
soar and fly and all that sappy stuff? Please!"
She laid her head on his shoulder in silence for a bit
before replying, "He's just a social freak of nature who
thinks he's God gift to the poor pitiful soul he probably
forces to hear him sing. She's probably just as much a
freaky social oddity as he is."
"Honey, why are so judgmental when we haven't even known the
guy for a month?" Alan responded with a frown.
"A month is enough, and I wish he'd move. I was hoping we'd
have that nice couple from just outside Tacoma move in.
Instead, we get this geek. We would at least have had
something in common with them!"
"Whatever you say. I'm going to bed," Alan grumbled, "rather
be there than listen to you jab on some guy you don't know,
and have been hospitable to once! Mrs. Welcome Wagon herself
teaching best what she needs to learn!"
"Why are you being so mean to me over this?" Kristy lashed
back.
"Okay, I'll tell you why if you really want to know. Seems
to me you've been sulking around over your little friend
Tara as of late! Think? Plus, the way you're acting, I think
you and Craig do have something in common."
As Alan positioned himself to get up, she grabbed his arm.
"Hold on a second! Are you saying I'm some loser that has no
life?" she angrily questioned.
He moved away from her grasp and replied, "No, I'm saying
you are acting like one right now. Sleep on it, and you can
come to bed with me, or continue to have a pity party over
the not-so-perfect neighbor next door."
She watched as he walked toward the staircase and began to
wonder about why their new neighbor, Craig, was so stand
offish.
Sunday morning rolled around and as Alan was getting dressed
for church, he asked Kristy if she was going to go with him.
"I don't need to go to church to get God," she sharply
answered, "I can read a devotional, say a prayer, and I'll
get about as much out of that as you will going to church."
"Kristy, I love you and you know I do. But if we are to ever
even think about having children, I want you to know that
they will go to church. And just because your feelings got
hurt over one comment by your once best girlfriend in Sunday
school class, isn't a real good reason to think the church
is full of hypocrites! Is Tara a hypocrite because she is
making more money as a nurse than you are as a teacher?"
Kristy hurried over to the kitchen sink to put some dishes
away.
"Yeah, that's it Kristy, walk away from me and ignore
everything I'm saying. But don't you think that the reason
I've been going and probably most people do, is because they
know they act like hypocrites. Is that still your excuse?"
She paused with her hands resting on the sink briefly before
replying, "Okay, let's go to church today and meet some
more…," she halted her speech. "Like I was saying, give me a
few minutes and I'll be down and we'll go to church." she
stated as she sheepishly looked down while briskly walking
past her husband.
As they pulled into one of the last spots in the church
parking lot, Kristy reached over and apologized to Alan for
being so intolerable.
"Alan, I am sorry for being such an idiot over Craig. Maybe
I'll make up with Tara today and who knows who else I may
meet."
Upon opening the church door, they were both startled to see
Craig dressed in a dowdy suit and looking like he had gotten
an hour's sleep at best. They caught eyes and held them too
long not to approach.
"Hi Craig," Alan cheerfully stated. "It's good to see you.
Didn't know you attended church here."
Craig, less stand offish, replied, "Well, you see this is my
first time going to this church. Figured I could meet some
people being new to this side of Tacoma and all."
"Hi Craig," Kristy inserted. "Thought you had plenty of
friends. Seems you have company every time I've stopped
over."
Alan quickly stepped closer to Craig. "Would you like to sit
next to us in church?"
Craig looked pensive for a moment and then answered with a
rather confident "Yes!"
The sermon was on forgiveness and how miracles come true
when you believe in them. After the typical salutations and
greeting the pastor at the church exit, the three stood
awkwardly outside in the warm breeze.
"Nice day out Craig. You want to come over and get in our
pool or just hang out?" Alan asked.
Before he could reply, they heard a faint shout from
Kristy's once best friend, Tara.
"Wonder what she wants?" Kristy glumly asked under her
breath.
Tara began motioning for Kristy to come over.
"Go on Kris," Alan encouraged her.
"Well okay, I'll be back in a few minutes."
Kristy began with a walk that turned into a slight jog.
"I know that girl," Craig said.
Alan was taken back by his sudden ease and casualness, and
as curiously, how he knew Tara.
"Where do you know Tara from?" Alan asked with a furrowed
brow.
"She's the nurse I hired to take care of my foster brother
when I'm at work," Craig responded.
"Really? Tara is, well, hopefully will be Kristy's best
friend when they are done talking. They had a little
argument over money, and if you picked up on her sarcasm, it
really wasn't aimed at you."
Craig nervously shifted his eyes towards the two that they
could both barely hear speaking from across the parking lot.
"Craig, if you don't mind me asking..."
Craig held up his hand so as to stop Alan before he asked.
"No, I don't mind telling you why Tara watches my brother."
"I thought you said he was your foster brother?"
"Same difference. We lived in foster homes together since I
was about five and he was seven years old," Craig answered
as his bottom lip began to shudder with emotion. "Tara comes
over in the afternoons to feed him lunch, and help him
stretch his legs so they don't become stiff."
Alan looked dismally downward as his face became an almost
pinkish color before asking, "Is there anything I can do?
You know, now that I know who is taking care of your
brother."
Craig glanced in the direction of the faint voices of Kristy
and Tara, and remarkably saw them hugging each other.
"Sounds like my wife made up with Tara", Alan nervously
mumbled.
"Like I was saying Craig, is there anything I can do to
help? I work odd hours, so there are days I could go over
and talk with your brother or something."
Craig paused for a moment and watched as the white stream
poured from the end of a jetliner high above. "Yeah Alan,
there is something you can do. My brother, Brent, used to
fly fighters before he became paralyzed from the chest
down."
Alan looked at Kristy and Tara and they were still hugging
as his eyes began to mist.
"He was on his way to McChord this time last year to fly a
night sortie when he was in an almost fatal car accident."
Craig quieted and paused for a reflective few moments before
shouting, "Dear God! And to think my brother was only one
mile from the Air Force Base front gate."
Craig, still emotional, noticed Alan looking down and could
tell he was crying.
"Alan, do you think you could go over to my house a few days
a week and just turn on his CD player? He only has one song
that he pretty much listens to anyway."
Alan grasped Craig's shoulder and wiped the tears onto his
extended arm that remained stilled on Craig for a minute or
so.
"I believe I can handle that Craig," Alan happily answered.
Craig smiled and watched as Alan began to walk towards
Kristy and Tara. As Kristy and Tara pulled away from each
other with tears in their eyes, Kristy saw Alan walking
their way and could tell that he knew what she now knew as
well. Kristy said her goodbye to Tara as she clasped hands
with her husband and walked to their car, got in, and pulled
up next to Craig and Tara who were now talking.
"Craig?"
"Yeah Alan."
"Just wanted to let you know that I believe in what the
sermon was about today, and that I know that your brother
will one day fly again."
Alan pushed in his Yolanda Adam's CD of the same song, gave
Craig a big smile and looked over at Tara who was moved to
tears. As they drove off, both Kristy and Alan could be
heard all the way out of the parking lot singing, "I believe
I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky, I dream about it
every night and day, spread my wings and fly away.. I
believe I can soar, I see me running through that open door,
I believe I can fly, I believe I can fly..."
When the music and car had disappeared, Craig tapped Tara on
her shoulder and pointed up, and they both stared in awe at
an F-16 that seemingly, just for them, dipped its left wing
very quickly before erecting itself in perfect alignment
with the ground.
"Craig, why did the pilot of the jet do that with the
plane's wing?" Tara asked.
"My brother used to fly over the foster home where we lived
for 11 years. He used to dip his left wing like that for the
kids that lived there then. I remember once that he told me
that most pilots did it just to check their wing
responsiveness and some kind of non-instrument, situational
awareness thing. But he intentionally called the maneuver
'God Speed' because he felt that God's timing would be
perfect in getting those kids out of that foster home and
into a permanent home to live."
Tara watched the plane until it could be seen no more and
replied, "That's interesting. I believe Brent was right in
both ways. I'll beat you home Craig!" she giggled as they
both ran to their cars.
Copyright © 2002 Brian G. Jett
brianjett@chrysalishouse.org