From Water to Wine

By Timothy Paul Neller

Fifteen years have passed since Terry and Nick have graduated from high school, and during that time, a lot has happened. Terry has gone to Vietnam as a medic, and Nick has been to Costa Rica as a Peace Corps Volunteer. When Terry returns to St. Louis to join his wife, Jenny, and his one-year old son, he pursues his commitment to God by becoming a minister in a local Lutheran church and dedicates his life to serving Christ. Nick too returns to St. Louis where he marries his high school sweetheart, Lolly, and graduates from college with a PhD in Geophysics. Although totally dedicated to their husbands, Lolly and Jenny have their own interests as well. Lolly has become a pediatrician and balances her time as a doctor with the scheduled piano tours she makes worldwide to raise money for a medical clinic and shelter she has founded for the homeless in North St. Louis. Jenny, on the other hand, is busy running a dance studio and directing the St. Louis Ballet Company. Their hectic schedules soon lead to rising tension in their relationships, and they soon find themselves drifting apart and questioning their purposes in life. However, their lives are forever changed when they all decide to travel to Europe together to provide support and encouragement to Terry's brother, David, who is competing in the Olympics. It is only then that David realizes he has been given a special gift from God and that it is to be used to pursue and vanquish the evil that has emerged when a familiar face from the past suddenly appears.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: May 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098026431

Book preview

1

Hungry Spirits

Steven, where are you, son? Come on, let’s go. You’ll be late for school.

Jenny was exasperated. She always woke Steven and his brother, Ricky, at six o’clock in order for them to have plenty of time to get ready for school, but invariably, Steven would disappear after breakfast, and she would have to hunt him down. He was not in his room, and she trounced to the hallway and shouted up the stairs, Steven, are you up there? Come on. We have to go!

There was no response, and she looked down at Ricky who followed behind her like a shadow. Ricky looked up at his mother and said, I think he’s playing with the hamster, Mommy. He always likes to do that before we leave. He’s afraid that Gabby will be lonely, so he talks to him before we leave to make sure he’ll be okay.

Jenny looked down at the little face that beamed up at her. Ricky had huge brown eyes and a cherublike face that always had a smile on it. His voice was light and floating, like a mystical fog waving in the wind, and he tugged on her jacket as he said, Don’t be mad at him, Mommy. He’s just giving the hamster some love to last him for the day.

Jennifer smiled and gave him a hug as she replied, I know. I know. You’re right. But we don’t have much time, honey. I have to get to the studio after I walk with you to school, and I don’t have any time to waste. So we need to move, understand?

Ricky nodded his head, then looked straight into her eyes as he said, You always have to make time for love, Mommy. Remember? That’s what Daddy said just last night when he was putting us to bed. That’s what he said. You always have to make time for love in the morning so it will last you the rest of the day.

Jennifer tousled his hair and bolted up the steps as Ricky scampered up behind her. She shouted in a firm, loud voice, Steven, are you in the library? Can you hear me? Steven?

A faint voice could be heard behind the oak door of the library, which was located at the end of the hallway, Yeah, Mom, I hear you. I’m just making sure that Gabby has enough food and water to last him for the day. I’m coming.

Swinging the door wide open, Jennifer looked upon Steven who was kneeling down on the floor. He was holding Gabby in his cupped hands as he held him close to his cheek and whispered into his ears. His head swiveled upward at his mother as the door flew open, he pressed the hamster one more time against his cheek, then placed Gabby into his cage. Steven had made the cage himself out of wooden crates he had hauled home form the A&P grocery and half-inch hardware cloth he had bought from Central Hardware.

The hamster had gnawed away at much of the wooden frame that was exposed, and the wooden chips from his gnawing blended in with the cedar shavings that Steven had placed into the cage for the hamster’s bedding. Hanging from the corner of the cage was a glass water bottle, and a small red ceramic dish filled with sunflower seeds, corn kernels, and millet rested close by it. After being placed back into the cage, Gabby rested back on his haunches for a minute, twitched his nose and sniffed several times, then scurried quickly into the far corner of the cage and buried himself in a huge pile of shavings.

Satisfied that the hamster was content, Steven said, Okay, Mom, I’m ready. Seeing the stern expression on her face, he added, Sorry to make you wait, Mom. I just wanted to make sure that Gabby was okay before we left. I’m ready to go now.

Unhappy with his behavior and feeling pressed for time, Jennifer patted him forward to head him toward the stairs as she replied, I know. I know. But Steven, you have to remember, we have to be at school on time and we can’t waste time playing with our hamster or doing anything else for that matter. And this isn’t the first time. You make us wait almost every morning.

Steven held his head down as he trounced down the steps and mumbled, I know. I know. But there is always so much to do before we leave. And I can’t go away in the morning without saying goodbye to Gabby. That wouldn’t be right.

Unmoved by his explanation, Jennifer responded, That hamster will be just fine if you don’t talk to him in the morning, Steven. He’s just a hamster and he’s nocturnal, anyway, so you are actually disturbing his sleep habits when you wake him up in the morning. The morning is bedtime for him.

Steven shook his head and didn’t say anything as they headed out the front door with Ricky trailing close behind them.

It was a brisk day in early November, and the wind nipped at Jenny’s ears as she wrapped her scarf more securely around her neck, then reached down to check the buttons on both of her boys’ pea jackets. Their heads were covered with navy knit caps and their hands were encased in black leather gloves lined with rabbit fur. Satisfied with her inspection, she patted then both on the head, and the boys laughed and shouted as they skipped gaily in front of her, their warm moist breath leaving puffs of white breath floating in front of them. Puddles of water had frozen solid on the sidewalk, and the boys whacked them hard with the heels of their shoes, popping the air bubbles trapped under the slick surface. Jennifer shouted at them not to get too far ahead, and they rallied back to her side as she grabbed their hands and looked across the street.

It was normally about a fifteen-minute walk to school, and Jennifer treasured the time she had with her boys on their early morning trek. The rest of the day, she was busy at the dance studio teaching classes, arranging future dance schedules, and choreographing dance numbers for upcoming productions. She had taken over her father’s position after he had suffered a heart attack and stroke shortly after Ricky was born, and between running a dance studio, directing a dance company, and being a wife, mother, and daughter, she sometimes felt as if she were a machine running on autopilot. Life seemed to have become no more than a series of obligations and commitments that had to be done, and her joy in life seemed to have vanished.

In addition to the frustration of her hectic schedule, Terry worked overtime in his new pastoral position at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, and she rarely saw him. Although they had both grown up in Catholic homes, their desire to be married and raise a family precluded the possibility of Terry becoming a priest, so he looked for other avenues to become a minister when he returned from Vietnam. After talking to Lolly’s father, Terry decided to go to Concordia, a Lutheran seminary located in the suburbs of St. Louis.

Terry began working as a full-time youth minister while he was attending Washington University, but after Ricky was born, they decided that it would be better for Terry to stay at home with the children. They both knew that the dance studio brought in more than enough money to support their family, and her position as director of the St. Louis Ballet provided even further economic compensation.

At first, Terry was adamantly opposed to the idea of Jennifer supporting the family while he stayed at home watching the kids and continuing his studies. But with pressure from all sides, including Jennifer and Lolly’s father and his best friend, Nick, he saw the sense in the idea and conceded that his ego was interfering with what was best for his children.

By the time both of their children started school, Terry had become a full-time minister. His job made it necessary for him to be away from home most of the time, so Jennifer’s mother volunteered to babysit for them once the kids arrived home. The arrangement worked out well for Ricky and Steven, and Terry and Jenny both conceded that grandmother Kathy was spoiling Ricky and Steven rotten.

At times, Jenny begrudged the business of her daily routine and wondered what her life would have been like if she had decided to go to New York and danced in their company as the principal female dancer. She would have become the star of the company and would have spent most of her time practicing with their male principal, Edward Villella. She had been captivated by him from the very beginning and she could tell from the audition in which he was her partner that he was attracted to her as well. How different her life would have been if she had made that choice. How different and how terribly romantic.

Jenny’s thoughts were broken by the sound of screeching tires and a voice screaming out of a car window, Hey, lady, what’s wrong with you? You trying to get you and your kids killed? Watch where you’re going! Lost in her thoughts, Jenny had stepped off the curb and entered the intersection without looking up, and a large black Oldsmobile had almost run over her and her sons.

Startled by the sudden commotion, she looked sheepishly up at the motorist as she uttered a soft, I’m sorry. I wasn’t… I didn’t… She couldn’t find the right words to say, and Steven and Ricky were already on the other side of the street. She looked at the motorist again, uttering another I’m sorry as the motorist shook his fist at her, rolled up his window, and peeled off past the school.

Ricky stood on the corner with his brother, Steven, and shouted, Mommy, Mommy, come on. You can cross the street now. The crazy man is gone.

Jenny smiled wanly as she looked both ways, then briskly shuffled across the street to meet her boys.

Steven looked at her and asked, Why was that man angry at you, Mom? Why did he shake his fist at you and shout?

Jenny patted both boys on their shoulders to move then into the direction of the school as she answered, Oh, he was angry because we walked in front of him and ran across the street without looking. He was right to be angry. We could have been hurt or killed by his car, and that would have been just awful. I’m so sorry, boys. I wasn’t paying attention. She bent over and reached for them, pulling them close to her bosom and hugging them with all her might. Oh, that would have been awful. Just awful. I’m going to have to be a better mommy than that. No more daydreaming on the way to school, that’s for sure.

Ricky looked at her quizzically. Daydreaming? What do you mean, daydreaming? Are you asleep?

Jenny grabbed each boys hand as they approached the gate that entered the school playground and laughed as she replied, No, I’m not asleep. Just not thinking about what I’m doing, that’s all. It’s nothing, my little cherub. Your mommy just wasn’t paying attention, and that was not a good thing. So learn a lesson from your Mommy and always pay attention. That way, accidents won’t happen as often. She bent over to kiss each one goodbye when she noticed that there was a homeless man sifting through the trash can in the back of the school. He was muttering to himself as he picked out a torn bag of potato chips and hungrily devoured the few stale remnants that remained in the battered bag.

Ignoring the commotion of the children playing around him, he delved further into the metal container and fished out a half-empty bottle of Coca-Cola, which he poured down his throat in a single gulp. Furtively glancing about him, he looked once more into the recesses of his canteen. Finding nothing, he expelled a flurry of unintelligible words as he craned his head toward the sky and then fell to his knees as if in supplication. Resting on his knees, he then moaned miserably and strained his arms above his head and proceeded to wail an incantation in a low, haunting chant.

Jenny scooted the boys into the front door, telling them it was time for them to go into their classroom, and gave them one more parting kiss on their cheeks. After closing the door, she slowly edged her way toward the prostrate figure, speculating that he was in need of help and desperately hungry. As she drew nearer to the moaning figure, the school bell rang, and a throng of clamoring little bodies dashed by her and disappeared into the old brick building.

The commotion startled the praying man, and he looked up about him, seeming to be afraid that he might be run over by the unruly flight of the children. As his eyes scanned the playground, his eyes stopped when they fell upon Jennifer, and a sudden wail erupted from his throat. Seeming to be frightened by her appearance, the man scurried to his feet and hurled his body over the chain-link fence and dashed down the alley and disappeared behind the houses.

Jennifer gasped in the brief moment when she saw his face. Though he was covered in dirt and grime and his hair was shoulder length, something in his voice and the way in which he moved sparked a sign of recognition in Jenny. She hesitated to believe it, and yet deep down, she knew it to be true. That man was Tanvir Khan. She was sure of that. She had seen and heard him do the same thing the first day she had met him when they were walking through Tower Grove Park. Yes, it was him. There was no doubt about it.

But she was puzzled. As far as she knew, he had moved to New York City more than ten years ago, right after she and Terry graduated from high school. And the last she heard from Lolly, he had become very successful as a businessman, taking over his uncle’s company as the CEO. It didn’t seem possible that he was now back in St. Louis, tattered and unshaven, rummaging through trash cans and scrounging in the alleys. What could have happened? And if indeed it was him, why would he now be back in St. Louis? His mother and siblings had all returned to Pakistan where they lived in great luxury as a prominent family in Karachi. Why would he not return home to them if he had met misfortune?

Jenny shook her head in disbelief and reconsidered what she had just seen. She had to have been mistaken. The man she had just seen must have been someone who just looked like him. It could not have been him. It just wasn’t possible.

A car’s horn blared at her as she stepped off the curb and started across the street. She jumped back as a shiny white Ford zipped by her and took her breath away as she felt the cold gust of air brush across her face as it passed. The close encounter with the car shook her awake as she watched the car quickly wind its way down the street. What was wrong with her? This was the second time today she had been lost in thought and almost hit by a car.

Lately, her days had been getting more and more like that. Her thoughts seemed to be overflowing in her head, and she never seemed to have enough time to get everything done. From the time she woke up in the morning until the time she collapsed into bed, she never stopped, and it always seemed as if there were a dozen things going on all at one time. Although she considered herself to be a very organized person, for the past several months, her home and office at the studio were becoming increasingly cluttered, and on more than one occasion, she had missed important appointments because she had become confused about what day it was. And now today, she had seen a homeless man and thought it was Tanvir Khan.

Tears rolled down Jenny’s cheeks as she began to fear that she was losing her mind, and she quickened her pace as she took several deep breaths and tried to relax. She didn’t have time for a nervous breakdown like her mother had had years ago. There were too many things to do and too many people depending on her. Ricky and Steven needed a good mother, Terry needed a good wife, and her father needed a good daughter. She had to take care of them as well as all of her students and dancers in the ballet company. They depended on her and needed her, and without her, they would be lost. So she had to be strong, to refocus, and not to feel sorry for herself. There was no time for that.

Jenny looked both ways, making sure no more cars were coming by, then quickly hustled across the street, thinking of a tune that had been sung by the choir in church on Sunday. It was not a song she was familiar with, but she liked the melody, and as she remembered the notes, they began to dance in her mind, and she let them come out in a soft, faint whisper as she hurried back to the house. For thou, O Lord, makest me dwell in safety. As she remembered those words, they gave her a sense of peace, and a calmness settled down over her as she drew closer to the house. That’s right, Jenny. Just remember, God is always with you. So everything is going to be all right. Just take it easy.

The words in the song echoed in her head, and she continued to mouth them as she made her way up the steps of the front door. Before she made it to the porch, the door opened, and Terry stood there with a newspaper in one hand and a cup of a steaming beverage in the other.

With a wide grin, Terry opened his arms wide and hemmed them around Jenny as he whispered in her ear, Hi, sugarplum. How’s it going? I see you made it back and forth to school in one piece. He stepped back as he ushered her into the house and continued, What was that pretty tune you were humming as you were floating up the steps, hmm?

Jennifer blushed as he asked, not aware that she was being heard as she lofted out the words, Oh, you know, it was that song the choir sang on Sunday. You know, one of the Psalms. It was bouncing around in my mind, and I couldn’t help but hum it out loud.

Terry looked at her and grinned. Hey, no complaints. No complaints. I really liked it. Very pretty. You sounded like an angel coming up those stairs. Maybe you should sing in the choir too. You would be a good addition.

At those words, Jenny’s mood suddenly dropped as she replied, Sing in the choir. You’ve got to be kidding. First of all, I can’t sing. And second of all, I don’t have time to put another activity on my list of things to do. My gosh, I’ve got too much to do already.

Surprised at her droll reaction, Terry’s voice grew quieter as he said, Hey, hey, take it easy. I was only letting you know how much I love what I heard. I didn’t mean that you should really join the choir. I just wanted you to know how good you sounded and how happy I was to see you. That’s all. He bent over her, grabbing her by both arms, and stopping her as he looked into her face. Is everything okay?

Standing still in front of him, she looked into his eyes and faintly smiled. She loved looking into his face. It was so strong, so masculine, and yet there was a gentleness and kindness in it that had been there ever since he came back from Vietnam. But there was a sadness in his eyes too that never seemed to go away, even when he laughed. The war had changed him in a way that was hard to explain. He had gone away a naive and stalwart child and came back two years later as a wise and wary man.

She remembered the first day that they had met at Laureate. She was there the see her mother who was being treated for alcoholism, and Terry was there to be with his sister who was suffering from anorexia and was dangerously thin. They were attracted to each other from the very first; there was a mystical spark between them that seemed to grow with each day they spent together, and that spark had grown into a warm, friendly flame that seemed to bind them even closer as the years went by. She had missed him terribly when he was gone for those two years in Vietnam, and she wrote to him every day.

His replies to her were sporadic, and whenever a letter from him arrived, she eagerly opened it and read it over and over again, thankful that he was all right, praying that he would come home safely. She read his letters so often that she had them memorized word for word, and the things that he said in his letters drifted in her mind throughout the day like water lilies floating on a summer pond.

How much she loved him and how glad she was on the day he came home. Innocently believing that his role as a medic had placed him out of harm’s way, she was startled when he first stepped off the plane, hobbling down the ramp and favoring his right leg as he gamely rushed toward her. He made light of his limping, telling her that it was nothing, just a little souvenir that the Vietcong had sent him just a couple of months before he was ready to be discharged.

On further prompting, Terry told her his story. He had been carrying a wounded man on his shoulders to a safe haven to treat him when a bullet slammed into his right calf and knocked him to the ground. The man Terry was carrying fell flat on top of him, and then a barrage of gunfire erupted with bullets whizzing over their heads. Terry pulled the injured man beside him and encouraged him to stay calm and not to worry. Friendly fire from Terry’s unit answered the onslaught of shell fire, and for almost an hour, the air was filled with an explosion of violence.

Terry remained calm and held the man close to him, praying for both of them and continuing to assure the man that he would be all right. During the flurried exchange of gunfire, Terry inched his way toward his troop, dragging the man beside him as they drew ever closer to safety. Once they made it, Terry once again stood up and hoisted the man back onto his shoulders. Ignoring the pain of his own injury, Terry immediately rushed to the medical battalion where they relieved Terry of his burden, and his fellow medics treated both Terry and his wounded comrade.

All these thoughts flashed through Jenny’s head as she looked into Terry’s eyes, and with a sudden flood of emotion, she burst into tears and clutched onto Terry as she sighed repeatedly, Oh, Terry, I love you so much. So very much.

Terry deftly placed his cup and newspaper onto the divan sitting in the foyer and pulled her close to him and kissed her softly on the forehead as he asked, Jenny, Jenny, my sweet and lovely Jenny. What in the world is wrong? What happened? Why are you crying?

Jenny took a deep breath as she tried to end her sobbing, then looked up at Terry. The sight of his kind, gentle face and sad eyes brought her to tears once again, and she buried her head on his shoulder, holding him tightly as she continued to say, I love you.

Terry suspected that it would be useless to try to pursue any type of conversation, so he held Jenny warmly as she snuggled in his arms. He gently smoothed her hair and kissed her head. After a few moments, Jenny quieted down, and she led Terry by the hand as she made her way into the living room. Sitting down on the large antique sofa that faced the front window, she sank into the cushioned seat and breathed out a heavy sigh of relief. Terry sat down beside her and continued to hold her hand, waiting for her to speak.

Finally, Jenny cleared her throat and said in a clear, quiet voice, Oh, Terry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m afraid I’m going crazy. Lately, my mind seems like it’s overflowing with everything that is going on around me, and I can’t get a hold of it. It’s like I can’t even think anymore, and I’m not paying attention to what’s going on around me. She shook her head as she continued, Everything seems to be a blur, and I’m thinking things I shouldn’t be thinking. I feel distracted and confused and hopeless. Why, just this morning, I was so distracted I stepped out onto the street without looking and almost got hit by a car. Twice! She again shook her head and then stared straight into Terry’s eyes as she exclaimed, And what’s worse, I’m having delusions. I’m just imagining things. When I dropped the boys off to school, I saw a homeless man going through the trash can, and I thought it was Tanvir Khan. She grabbed Terry’s arm as she pleaded furtively, Terry, I think I’m losing my mind.

Hold on now, kitten. Just hold on. Everything is going to be all right. Terry continued to stroke her hair as he thought about everything she had just said. He was shocked. She sounded so much like so many of the women who had talked to him in his new position at the parish. They all told him the same story: that they were beside themselves because they felt they were not being a good mother, daughter, and wife; that everything they were doing was not good enough, and that they were all alone. Terry always advised them that they were trying to do too much and to stop trying to be perfect. He also told them that he wanted to speak to their husbands and parents, believing that they needed to become more involved in the women’s lives and to help relieve them of their burdens.

And now here was Jenny telling him the same thing. He wondered why he had not seen it before. He had been so busy with his job as the new minister and so engrossed in his activities with the church that he had forgotten about his own family and left the responsibility of raising the kids to his wife. Like Jenny, his schedule had been so hectic that they spent little time together. It had become so routine that he had ignored the effect it was having on Jenny and their relationship.

Although they were both living under the same roof, it was almost as if they were living two separate lives. He was embarrassed to admit it, but he had fallen into the same trap so many of the couples he counseled had succumbed to. Over the years, those couples had become strangers, and ultimately, their marriages fell apart as they grew more distant from each other every day.

He closed his eyes and pressed Jenny’s head close to his chest as he prayed silently and kissed her on the cheek. He then opened his eyes and leaned back as he brushed the hair from her forehead and said, Jenny, look at me.

Jenny wiped the tears from her eyes and looked into Terry’s eyes. They were sadder than ever, but a gentle smile was on his face, and he looked down at her as he said, There’s nothing wrong with you. Anybody who would try to do all the things you do every day would feel like they were going crazy too. It’s too much, Jenny. You are trying to do too much, and it’s my fault. I’ve been expecting you to be Superwoman. I’ve ignored you while I’m at church, telling myself that what I’m doing is more important, and I’ve left you all alone, expecting you to do everything. It’s not right, Jenny, and we’ve got to change things. You need to have a life. He grabbed her arms and squeezed them as he said, We’ve got to have a life. For the past ten years, we’ve both been so busy doing what we thought was important that we’ve forgotten what’s most important of all: To spend time with each other every day and to share our lives. Not to live our lives as two separate people, but as a man and wife, looking at life together with the same hopes and dreams that brought us together in the first place. Have we lost that, Jenny? My dear God, I hope not. If we have, we might as well call this marriage goodbye, because I’m not sure that there is anything left for us to hold on to.

Terry released his hold on her and walked to the window, looking out at the front yard. How could this have happened to them? Here he was, a man of God who was trained and guided to help others find purpose in life, and he himself had lost his way. There was a deep ache in his heart as he thought of all of the times he had neglected to spend time with Jenny or to tell her that he loved her. He had taken their marriage for granted, something he always warned newlyweds to avoid.

He turned around and looked at her. She was standing there, shivering, as if standing in a cold dark cave, and her eyes were filled with the same pain and misery that he had seen in the faces of wounded men he had carried off the field. He walked slowly over to her and clasped her hands as he said quietly, Jenny, I’ve hurt you deeply. I have.

Jenny shook her head and lowered her eyes, not wanting to talk but wanting Terry to know that what he said was not true.

No, Jenny. It’s true. I have hurt you. More than I could ever have thought possible. And not by anything I’ve done, but by the things I haven’t done. By making all my work at church more important than you and the kids and not putting you all first. I’m sorry, Jenny. I’m so very, very sorry. Terry’s voice suddenly grew much more intense, and he weighed his words heavily and carefully as he continued to speak. But Jenny, I want you to listen to me now and to know that everything I’m telling you now is true and something you can count on for the rest of your life. I want you to know that from this moment on, I will do everything I can to let you know how much I love you. That my life will not revolve around the church, but around you and the kids. I think that’s the way God would want it. When I’m loving you, I’m loving God. It’s that simple.

Jenny reached for Terry and hugged him with all of her might as she said, Oh, Terry, you are such a good man. And you’re wrong, you’ve been a wonderful husband. And I’ve never felt neglected or unloved. You’re just busy with your work, that’s all. Just like most husbands. I’m not any different. I know you have your work.

Terry wiped the tears from Jenny’s eyes and smiled. I knew you would say something like that. You are so wonderful. What a woman. More beautiful than the first day I met you. And after two kids even. Terry took her by the hand and led her into the kitchen as he said, But you know that what I’ve said is true, even if you don’t want to admit it, and we have to sit down and determine how we can rearrange your schedule so that you have more time for yourself while I get busy reprioritizing my agenda so that we can have more time together on a daily basis. That’s what we need to do.

He sat her down at the kitchen table and poured her a cup of hot tea. I made some chamomile tea for you this morning and some good eats too that will give you some extra energy at the dance studio. Terry shifted over to the stove and shuffled two buckwheat pancakes onto a white porcelain plate along with a piece of bacon and some scrambled eggs. He then placed the plate in front of Jenny and then proceeded to make a plate for himself. Sitting down next to Jenny, they both bowed their heads as Terry said, Thank you God for this day and for this food. We pray that this food will give us extra vim, vigor, and vitality as well as strength, perseverance, resilience, immunity, recuperation, and longevity. Thank you, God, and please help us today grow closer to each other and closer to you. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

Jenny poured some maple syrup on the buckwheat pancakes, took a quick careful sip of steaming tea, then bit into the pancakes as she looked at Terry. You know, Terry, you’re right. I don’t think we have never really given ourselves a chance to enjoy our lives together. It is so easy to fall into the trap that so many couples do, getting too busy and forgetting about each other and what made them love each other in the first place. She munched on the bacon as she said, You’re right. It can be a real trap.

In customary fashion, Terry wolfed down his food as he gulped down the steaming hot tea along with a half dozen strips of bacon and a huge pile of scrambled eggs. They spent the next half hour discussing ways in which they could make more time for each other, and Jennifer’s responsibilities could be handled by other women who worked in her two offices.

Their conversation led to reminiscing about how they had first met and all that had happened since that first day. They began laughing as they relived the adventure they had in Cliff’s Cave where they had all been trapped by floodwaters, and Terry saved all of their lives by finding another exit. Jenny wrapped her arms around Terry’s neck as she looked at him and said, You were my knight in shining armor that day, sweetie. I never will forget how you saved all of our lives that day. You were like Superman swimming through that cold water in a completely black tunnel and climbing the cave walls like a spider. You were absolutely amazing. She kissed him warmly on the lips and whispered, You still are.

Terry smiled and returned her kiss, wrapping his arm around her waist and bringing her closer to him. And you are my princess. I would have done anything to get you out of that dungeon. Anything. He kissed her warmly again, then added, Besides, you give me too much credit. You’re forgetting about Tanvir Khan and how he got all of the police to come to our rescue. What about him?

They both laughed as they remembered how Tanvir shook and whined all of the time he was in the cave, and then, as their laughter subsided, Terry looked at Jennifer and asked, Hey, yeah, while we are on the subject, whatever did happen to Tanvir Khan? A little while ago, you said that you saw him picking food out of a dumpster. What were you talking about?

Embarrassed, Jenny turned her head from Terry and said in a low, halting voice, I don’t know. I… I… She hesitated as she looked down at the floor. I… It’s so silly, Terry. I’m sure it wasn’t him. I think I must have imagined it.

Terry grasped her arm and peered into her eyes. No, Jenny, you don’t have to feel embarrassed with me. You know that. Tell me what happened. He then took her hand and continued to look at her intently as she fumbled for the right words to speak.

Well, like I was telling you, after I dropped the boys off at school, I noticed a homeless man who was rummaging through a trash can at the back of the school. He was mumbling to himself, and I walked closer to him, thinking maybe there was something I could do to help him. Just as I got close to him, the school bell rang, and all of the kids ran into the building. All of the commotion of their running seemed to startle him, and he looked around as if he were frightened, and he dropped down to the ground as if he were praying. But the words he was saying weren’t English. They sounded just like the words Tanvir used when he would get upset, remember?

Terry nodded in affirmation as she continued. And then he looked up at me as I took a few steps closer, and when I saw his face, I was shocked. Terry, he looked exactly like Tanvir. He did. When he saw me and looked at my face, his face grew terrified, and he wailed out some more words and then ran away as fast as he could. Jenny stood up and walked over to the window, staring out at the front lawn and seeming to relive the moment as she spoke to Terry. That’s all, Terry. Like I said, I think it just must have been someone that looked like Tanvir. But then again, the more I think about it, the more I am sure it was him. He moved, acted, talked, and spoke just like Tanvir did. She turned around and looked at Terry who was absorbing everything that Jenny said to him. You see why I feel like I’m going crazy? How could it possibly be Tanvir? Tanvir is in New York City, and is very rich. He couldn’t be some poor vagrant that’s starving and running around in the alleys of St. Louis. It’s just not possible!

Terry walked over to her, then stood beside her as he pondered everything he had just heard. He was not used to seeing Jenny befuddled or upset. And she was far too intelligent to have created Tanvir in her imagination. He was sure of that. He looked out the window as she had, searching for the right words, then began to speak. "Jenny, you’re not going crazy and you’re not imagining things. If you thought it was Tanvir, then I’m sure that it was. I don’t know how or why he has ended up in St. Louis or what has happened to him. But of one thing I am certain—you saw Tanvir Khan today, and he needs our help.

Listen. Here’s what I think we need to do. First of all, just relax and try to take it easy. We still have about a half hour before you have to go off to the studio and I head out to St. Luke’s. So let’s kneel and say a prayer to God to help us find Tanvir and to help us get our own lives back in an order too. I think that’s the best think we can do right now.

Jenny smiled as Terry grabbed her hand, and he led her to the living room where they knelt down on the couch together, bowed their heads, and began to pray silently. After about ten minutes, Terry squeezed Jenny’s hand, and the two of them looked at each other and quietly smiled. A peace had settled over both of them, and they slowly arose from their knees, knowing in their hearts that all would be well.

Jenny was the first to speak. Terry, I told you that you were my knight who always saves me. You are. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him as tight as she could, sighing. I thank God every day for giving me a man like you. You are so wonderful. And I love you so much.

She squeezed him tightly again, and he kissed her on the forehead as he said, I love you too, Jenny. And you are my princess too, remember? Always have been and always will be.

He kissed her hand tenderly, then Jenny slowly moved away from him as she said, Darn, I wish we didn’t have to go to work. I can think of a lot better way to spend the day. She grinned broadly as she walked away from him, and he returned her grin with a wink and a smile.

Yeah, you’re right. I agree with you. Maybe we should work it out today where we get home early before the kids are off from school. Know what I mean?

Jenny laughed and replied, I know exactly what you mean. She ran over to him and kissed him passionately, and the two embraced warmly as Terry held her in his arms and lifted her off the floor.

Yes, you are my princess, and I will always love you.

They continued to kiss and hold each other as if time had stopped and nothing else mattered. Then Terry held his left hand out as he curled his arm around Jenny’s waist and whirled her slowly across the floor, pacing himself as Jenny had taught him years ago. He knew in his head that he was no dancer, yet in her arms, he seemed to be a different person, and the two waltzed silently and slowly across the hardwood floor. Jenny rested her head on Terry’s shoulder, and the two danced to the rhythm of their hearts as Jenny hummed a peaceful melody.

They swayed to her humming for what they wanted to be an endless moment, then Terry whispered into Jenny’s ear, I love you, Jenny, I do. I love that song you’re humming. What is it?

Jenny lifted her head. Brahms. It’s Brahms. She then snuggled her head back against his chest and continued to hum as the two glided across the room and into the hallway. I wish we could dance like this forever.

Terry answered, We can, my love. We can. We’re in this dance together, remember? It’s something you taught me the first day we met. And I’ve never forgotten it.

Jenny thought of what he said and how she had told him that first day that she began to love dancing again when she realized that she was dancing with God and for no other reason. It had given her a new peace, and she realized now the truth of what Terry was saying. Now they were both dancing together with God as if they were one person, and she knew it would always be that way.

She hugged him tightly, and they continued to dance until Terry backed into the maple console in the hallway and knocked over the Tiffany lamp. It shattered as it smashed onto the oak floor, and Terry jerked upward as he attempted to maintain his balance. He awkwardly shoved Jennifer away as he regained his footing, then looked sheepishly at his feet and muttered, I guess I have to take a few more dance lessons from you, Jenny. Sorry about the mess.

Jenny laughed and answered, No apology necessary, my prince. You were just caught up in the moment, and a hallway doesn’t give you a lot of room for error. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. Thanks for the wonderful dance. You are the best dance partner any ballerina could ever want. You are my hero.

Terry’s face grew sullen as he looked down at the colored fragments on the floor, and he quickly turned his back on Jenny so that she could not see the sadness on his face. He backed up and moved away from her as he headed toward the kitchen. He bit on his lower lip as he said, Thanks, Jenny. You are an angel for saying that. I’m going to go to the kitchen to get a broom and sweep up the mess I made. Why don’t you head out to the studio, and I’ll meet you back here in the house at two o’clock? What do you say?

Jenny smiled as she went to the hall closet and put on a long black woolen overcoat. She then skipped over to Terry, grabbed his arm, and gave him a light kiss as she said, Sounds like a good plan. I’ll see you then, my darling. With another quick kiss, she squeezed his hand, then scurried out the door as Terry watched her leave.

After finding the broom and dustpan in the kitchen, Terry returned to the hallway and squatted down as he carefully swept up the glass fragments from the broken lamp. Sadness crept over him as he looked at the glittering pieces of colored glass he piled into the dustpan. The lamp had originally been bought by his mother, and its presence in their home had always brought back many precious memories to him. Now it was gone.

He was glad now that he had never shared with Jenny the history of the lamp. She would have been even more devastated than he was and would not have left so abruptly or taken the accident so lightly. He was glad that she didn’t know. She already had enough problems to deal with and she didn’t need one more. His shoulders and chest suddenly felt very heavy, and he plodded back to the kitchen and dumped the precious pieces of glass into the waste basket. Ah, well, he thought, Mom would have been glad to know that I broke the lamp while I was dancing with the love of my life. Yes, she would have liked that and she would have smiled.

With a long sigh, Terry picked up his gait and hustled to the hall closet and grabbed his winter coat. He couldn’t afford to let his sadness linger with him any longer. He had to get to St. Luke’s and take care of business. It was almost eight o’clock, and there was probably a queue of people wanting to see him. Putting on his coat, he opened the door quickly, then slammed the door shut as he jostled down the steps and thought about all that had happened already that morning.

He felt good about what they had decided to do and was hoping that he could figure out everything possible to remove some of the pressure off Jenny and to make more time for the two of them. They had two kids and full schedules, so he knew it would not be easy. But it had to be done, and he set his jaw as he thought of all the years that he had neglected Jenny and not been sensitive to her needs and desires. He grinned slightly as he thought of the irony of the entire situation. Here he was, a minister who had devoted himself to God and dedicated himself to the community but, in the process, had neglected the most important family of all: his own. He shook his head and began talking to himself, giving himself a lecture on ways to be a better husband and father.

While he walked, he looked ahead and saw a homeless man pushing an old grocery cart filled with a potpourri of artifacts that had been scrimmaged