A Wife for Stephen (6 page)

which accented the burgundy flecks in the tan carpeting.
The church sanctuary was
large enough to hold three
hundred people and as Celeste looked around her, she
noticed that there must be at least two hundred people
present that morning.
The service had begun with the pastor standing behind
the
pulpit
and greeting the
congregation.
He
thanked
everyone for coming out that morning and made a few
announcements from the bulletin that he was holding which
was the same that had been handed to her upon her arrival.
Celeste followed the minister along in her own bulletin and
noticed a few activities that she thought might be fun to
participate in.
A few members of the congregation went upon the
platform and began picking up instruments as the Pastor
finished
the
announcements.
The
Pastor
encouraged
everyone to join in that morning’s worship to “Lift the
Name of Jesus.”
The music began at a medium tempo as a projector was
turned on,
illuminating lyrics
upon
a
wall
behind the
platform. Celeste found herself clapping her hands and
rocking along to the beat of the music. She even tried her
voice out on the song that was being sung.
With each song, the tempo grew slower until the final
song was sung. It was a song that sung of Christ’s
Crucifixion and how it demonstrated how much Christ
loved us. It proclaimed that forever, we would give our
lives to Him. Celeste began to cry as the realization hit
home what a great sacrifice Jesus, The Christ, had made for
His people.
Weeping, Celeste bowed her head. She had asked Christ
to
save her, but it wasn’t until that moment that she
understood what her salvation had cost Christ. She was just
coming to understand the enormous penalty that had been
paid on her behalf, and on behalf of all those who chose to
accept His free gift.
As the pastor delivered the morning message, Celeste
listened intently to what was being said. After the close of
service and the congregation was dismissed, Celeste began
to collect her belongings. Making her way towards the exit
she was stopped by several members of the congregation
who shook her hand, hugged her in warm embraces, and
thanked her for coming.
The elderly lady who greeted her upon her arrival asked
Celeste for her name.
“I’m Celeste Brooks.”
“Nice to meet you, Celeste. My name is Elizabeth
Peters, but everyone just calls me Beth. Did you enjoy the
service today?”
“I sure did. I’m looking forward to coming back next
Sunday.”
“Well, if you’re interested,” Beth began, “We’re having
a family film tonight and a pot luck. I’d love to see you
here later if you don’t have any other plans.”
“That’s tonight? I thought I read that it was another
night. Yeah, I’d love to come.”
“That’s great. See you then,” Beth said with a smile.
Before walking away, Celeste asked, “What should I
bring?”
“Nothing, Dear, just yourself.” That was the first of
many church events that Celeste attended on a regular
base.
Everyone
at
New Life
Pentecostal
Church
had
welcomed her with warmth and open arms; Celeste felt as
though she was among family.

Before climbing into bed, Celeste knelt by its side in
thought. Thomas who has seen her do this every night since
becoming saved lies on the floor next to her feet. Thinking
of this evening’s event, Celeste began to pray:

Dear Lord, Thank You for the blessing of this
day. I pray that as I walked through the day that I
was a light for You. That I did nothing to make
myself shamed. If I committed any sins against
You, I pray that You will forgive me of them.
Father, I thank You for the grace and mercy that
You shower so freely on me each day. I thank You
for
blessing me
abundantly
with health and
strength. I ask, dear Lord, that You grant me to see
the events of this evening clearly. That You bring
everything into focus for me so that I will take the
path that You desire me to travel. I know that You
are not the author of confusion, so I must confess
right now that I am very confused. I also seem to
have a real problem with being cynical. Lord, I
don’t want my past to stand in the way of Your
path for me.

Pulling back the cover, Celeste feels at peace enough to
sleep well. As she climbs in bed, Thomas jumps onto the
bed to claim his sleeping spot opposite her. Celeste tucks
herself under the duvet. Turning on her side, her favorite
sleeping position, she falls quickly to sleep.

During the night, Celeste dreams of a wedding. In the
dream she sits on the side of the groom toward the front of
an elaborately decorated wedding chapel. The bridesmaids
wear satin gowns in Indigo. The square neckline gowns are
adorned with jeweled sequence. The graceful A line skirt
flows to the floor and hangs low enough that one could
only see the front of the strappy black leather sandals. The
matron of honor’s dress is remarkably similar, save the
chiffon
drape
that
crosses
the
bodice
just
below the
neckline and ties at the back in a wistful bow.

Matching f
rom earrings to sandals, the bride’s wedding
party is the epitome of elegance. The gentlemen adorn
black tuxes with cumber buns matching the bride’s maid
gowns. Theirs shoes are polished to a mirrored shine. Each
looked suave and debonair as they escort the ladies in one
by one.

When the wedding march begins to play on the organ,
everyone rises to his or her feet for the entrance of the
bride.
The
crowd faces
the
rear
of
the
church
in
anticipation;
Celeste is unable to
turn.
Despite all her
efforts, she is frozen looking toward the Pastor as he stands
with an open bible in hand, ready to lead the couple in
reciting their wedding vows.

As bride approaches the threshold of the altar wearing a
beautiful ivory gown of satin, with princess seams that
create the perfect form-fitting bodice above a full flowering
skirt that sways as she walks, the air is filled with promise.
The full veil, which covers the bride’s face and flows to
below the neckline in front of the bodice, is decorated with
pearls.

Passing Celeste
’s row, Celeste is afforded a look at the
rear of the bride’s dress. Anchored just below the scoop at
the back, are four rosettes, adding the perfect touch of
elegance and charm.

Before
proceeded to
take
the
couple
through
the
recitation of their wedding vows, the minister begins by
thanking the
witnesses
for
coming out
this
afternoon.
Continuing on to what everyone has come out to witness,
the bride and groom each promise to love honor and
cherish
until
death
does
them
part.
In
addition
to
exchanging traditional vows, the couple recites the vows
that they have written from the heart.

The congregation is moved to tears as the minister
proclaims, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You
may kiss the bride.”

The
newly
pronounce
wife
turns
to
face
her
new
husband. As the veil is lifted ever so slowly from the
newlywed woman’s face, the crowd stops mopping at their
flow of joyous tears long enough to watch. When the
man’s arm is no longer blocking the woman’s face, Celeste
is afforded her first look at the woman.

Celeste’s breath catches in her throat. It is as if she is
looking in a mirror. Celeste is looking at herself wearing a
wedding gown. The man? After giving his wife a long
intimate kiss, he lifts his head and stares down into his
wife’s eyes.

“
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my great honor to present
to you,” turning simultaneously with the proclamation of
the minister Celeste gets her first look at the grooms face.
“Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Haule,” the minister finishes. It
indeed is Stephen.

The sound of an alarm clock buzzing awakens Celeste.
Setting upright in her bed she hits the alarm clock rather
harshly to silence it. Had she actually just dreamed that she
married Stephen? Was this a result of yesterday’s talk, or
was God trying to tell her something?

“
No, Celeste,” she says to herself, “You are reading
entirely too much into one stupid little dream.”
Climbing from her bed, she stretches her muscles and
proceeds to make her bed. Seeing that Thomas has already
vacated his spot on the bed, she knows that he must be in
the back yard taking care of his business. She dresses for
her morning walk with Thomas
Looking at herself in the mirror, Celeste gives herself a
muchneeded pep talk. “If you want to accomplish your
goals, you better stay focused. There would be nothing
worse than to lose everything you’ve accomplished up to
this point over some man. Get a grip,” she chides herself
sternly.
Breakfast for Celeste consists of a bowl of cold, multigrained cereal that is low in sugar, and a glass of orange
juice. Setting her dishes in the sink, she calls for Thomas.
“Come in boy; it’s time to eat.”
Hearing his master call, he quickly runs into the kitchen
through a doggy door that has been placed in lieu of the
traditional sliding glass doors. Coming to sit at Celeste’s
feet, he looks up at her with big brown eyes.
Celeste knows that Thomas is awaiting the inevitable
response of getting his head scratched, so she obliges him.
“How are you doing this morning? Are you ready to eat?”
Celeste asks. In response to the same question she asks
before every meal, Thomas barks a doggy “Yes.”
Celeste mixes Thomas’ dry food with his can food.
After she sets it on the floor, Thomas goes over to the
bowl
and begins
to
eat
from
it
hungrily.
Picking up
Thomas’ water dish, Celeste takes it over to the sink to
wash it and refill it with fresh water.
While waiting for Thomas to finish his meal, she goes
over to her answering machine sitting on the desk to see if
there were any messages left while she was at the concert
last night. There are four messages. Celeste reaches into
the desk drawer to retrieve her notepad and a pencil while
pressing play on the digital answering machine.
The first message is from her secretary, Joanna, who is
calling to inform Celeste that her 9:30 am appointment has
been canceled and rescheduled for Thursday of next week.
Nothing noteworthy there, thinks Celeste as she presses the
erase message button.
The second message is in Spanish with someone asking
Emily to pick up if she’s home. “Now do I sound like
Emily?” says Celeste to the answering machine as she again
presses the erase message button.
The third message is most surprising. It is from Stephen.
“I just wanted to tell you that I enjoyed meeting you this
evening. I hope you made it home safely. I’m looking
forward to seeing you again.”
“What in the world?” Celeste asks looking up at the
ceiling. “How did he get my phone number?” Before the
question is entirely off her tongue, Celeste already knows
the answer, “Jenny.”
“Me and that girl are going to have a serious talk,” says
Celeste while pressing the erase message button.
The fourth message is also from Stephen, “I just wanted
to leave you my phone number in case you want to get in
touch with me.” Listening to him recite the phone number,
Celeste doesn’t write it down. An overwhelming feeling
that Celeste can’t quite describe, but strangely feels like
fear, engulfs Celeste. She reaches out to press the erase
message button but pauses with index finger poised just
millimeters from its smooth surface.
Feeling her pulse begin to quicken, Celeste’s mind goes
round in circles,
press the button, no, save as
a new
message. Being the analytical type that Celeste is, she
begins to reason in her own mind. If I erase the number, I
definitely won’t be able to call him back, should I decide I
want to. But why would I want to call him back, he might
be psycho or something. Yeah, but you never know.
Yeah,
that’s right
, you never know! But I could always write
down the number and decide later if I ever want to use it.
That’s what I’ll do
.
Replaying the message, Celeste jots down the number
and then erases the message. As she slips the notepad back
into the desk drawer, she sees Thomas entering the room
carrying his leash in his mouth. This is Thomas’ subtle way
of saying that he has finished eating and is ready for his
morning walk.
“You are such a good boy, Thomas,” Celeste says as
she crouches down and takes the strap from him with her
left hand and begins to rub and pat his head with her right
hand. From the day she brought Thomas home when he
was only five months old, he has amazed Celeste with his
ability
to
comprehend
and
even
carry
out
specific
commands.
Over the past four years, the two of them have come to
be true companions. There are very few places that Celeste
doesn’t take Thomas. He is such a well-behaved dog that
Celeste even takes him to the beauty shop where she goes.
To Celeste, Thomas is her baby.
Celeste had always wanted a dog when growing up, but
her mother always said no, emphatically. Celeste never did
come to understand why her mother was so against letting
Celeste have a pet of any kind.
When Celeste was fresh out
of university, Master’s
Degree in hand, with a major in Advertisement and a minor
in Drafting and Computer Imagery, she had adopted herself
a pet.
Being as picky as Celeste is, it had taken Celeste a
whole week with a visit to fifteen animal shelters before she
found Thomas. Sitting in his kennel as she walked down
the aisles surveying all the puppies that were awaiting
adoption,
he
immediately caught
her
attention.
He sat
patiently inside the crate about a foot from the opening,
eagerly wagging his tail. It wasn’t until Celeste knelt down
in front of the kennel and held out her hand and said,
“Come here, Boy,” that Thomas rushed up to her.
He gently licked at her hand and held his chin up for her
to
scratch
the
underside
of
his
jaw.
He
soon
felt
comfortable enough to lie down on his back and offer his
belly to be petted. Celeste had read that this was a good
sign of submissiveness. Having previously purchased and
read many books and magazines on the subject of pet
ownership and how to
select
your
pet,
Celeste
felt
confident that this was who she wanted to take home.
As she rose, Thomas again got into a sitting position.
He looked up at her with sad eyes as if to say, ‘Don’t you
want me?’
“Yes, I do.” Celeste had said to Thomas. Looking at
John, the gentlemen who worked the shelter, she said
confidently, “I want this one.”
“Excellent choice. I’ll go get the paperwork started. If
you’ll just follow me?”
“Well what about Thomas?”
Looking at Celeste with eyebrows raised in confusion,
“Thomas?” John asked.
“My puppy,” remarked Celeste while pointing at the
puppy she had just picked out.
“Oh,” said John. “We’ll come back when we’re done
with the paper work and you’re ready to take him home.”
“I don’t understand why we can’t take him out of there
now. He’ll be sad if I leave after just telling him that I
wanted him”
“Oh he’ll be fine. Besides, he’s a dog. It’s not like he
understands what we’re saying. Do you boy?” John asked
looking at Thomas.
As if in response, Thomas barked a gentle little puppy
bark which surprised John.
“Well, even if I wanted to let him out, we have a rule
about not letting animals out of the cage without being
confined to a leash. And I’d have to go all the way into the
office just to get the key to where the leashes are kept...”
Reaching into her leather bag Celeste pulled out a new
leash and dog collar. Smiling a smug challenging smile she
had and asked, “Can you take him out now?”
John blinked as if taken aback and stuttered, “Well, um,
uh, I guess so.” Taking the collar from Celeste’s hand he
unlatched the kennel door and stepped in to place the collar
on Thomas’ neck. After he had done so, Celeste gave him
the leash and watched as the leash was latched on to
Thomas’ collar.
The walk from the kennel to the office was the first of
many walks the two of them have been on together. Taking
Thomas out for his walks has not been just a source of
exercise; it also serves as a time for Celeste to clear her
mind of the many tasks and accounts that she handles at
work. It is a time for her to sit back mentally and look at
things from different angles.
Many times on these walks, she has found a solution to
a problem only to discover that the answer had lain right
under her nose all along. Once she was trying to come up
with
a
new jingle
and ad campaign
for
a
soft
drink
company. The owner of the company was a family man,
completely devoted to his family, and wanting to portray
that side of himself to his customers while launching his
soda company onto the pathway of becoming a nationally
known company.
Celeste was adamant about pursuing the account when
it was first put before the panel of upcoming advertisers.
The panel was given the opportunity to come up with a
jingle and a slogan overnight before it would be presented
to the big wigs for their shot. Vines and Robert’s had
always prided themselves on giving every employee the
opportunity to prove their ability.
And Celeste
knew this
was
her
opportunity.
She
believed that it could be accomplished without making the
familial image seem corny. While on an evening summer
walk two years prior, Celeste walked with Thomas to the
park. Upon entering, she observed a family packing up the
remains of a picnic.
The mother and her child, about four years of age, were
putting soda cans in a plastic bag marked for recycling. The
cans were that of the company she wanted to represent.
Quickly, Celeste came up with a jingle and a slogan.
Turning fast on her heals, she and Thomas ran for home.
As
soon as
she
bolted through the
door,
she headed
straight to her desk where she jotted down the slogan.
Taking her
hand held micro-recorder
from
the
deep
mahogany
desk drawer,
she
sang the
jingle
into
the
microphone.
Feeling a deep sense of satisfaction, she had sat on the
corner of her desk, arms folded across her chest with a
smile
on
her
face.
With
the
success
of
that
one
ad
campaign, having accomplished the difficult task and met
the
spectacular
expectations
of
the
owner,
she
had
launched her own career onto the fast lane. Propelling her
to the incredible heights she has reached thus far.
From that moment on, Celeste had established herself as
the woman to solve difficult spin ads. Celeste couldn’t
complain. Making six figures at the age of twenty-eight
was nothing to sneeze at.
Every time she went on a walk with Thomas, Celeste
was reminded of all the many reasons she was glad that she
decided to move into this neighborhood. Purchasing the
house being fresh out of college and new on the job had
been
an
enormous
leap for
Celeste.
Not
to
mention
financially taxing.
Celeste had to skimp on many extras just to afford the
house payment, utilities, and food. But the house was in
foreclosure, and she could get it for a steal. She knew that
if she didn’t jump on the opportunity, she would regret it.
And everything had worked out just brilliantly. With her
first
promotion,
came a substantial raise. And out
the
window had gone the financial tightness that Celeste had
been in.
Celeste truly loves the upper middle class suburban
neighborhood in which she lives. All her neighbors are
adorable quiet families with beautiful children. The Smith’s,
who live just to her right, are expecting their second child.
Their first being a girl, they are hoping for a boy this time.
Their morning walk is just as refreshing as always. The
smell of the
air
scented with the
fragrance
of freshly
mowed lawns and opening flowers is delightful. A perfect
way to start the day.
Arriving back home, Celeste rinses Thomas’ food dish
before placing it in the dishwasher. Hanging the leash on its
hook, she gives Thomas a rub on the head. “Well, it’s time
for me to get ready for work.
From the closet she gets a pair of charcoal gray slack,
matching jacket,
and a
white
blouse.
Getting under
garments from her clothes drawer, she takes them to her in
suite bathroom and proceeds to go about her daily washing
rituals.
It doesn’t
take
Celeste
long to
emerge
from
her
bedroom fully dressed and ready to face the day since she
doesn’t wear much make up, only lipstick in a neutral color
and a little eye make up to accent her eyes. Having adorned
black low-heeled pumps,
she spends a little time with
Thomas before heading to work.
Picking up her briefcase and purse, she starts for the
door. Retrieving her keys from its nesting place she bids
Thomas one final, “Good bye” before making her exit. “I
should be home early today,” she offers over her shoulder
as she heads to
her
car, “I don’t think I have
many
meetings scheduled.”