It Had To Be You (17 page)

Yes, the Lord had performed mighty miracles in the days of old. Surely he could do it again. He could—and would— bring two stubborn senior citizens together … hopefully before they killed each other!

World War III was well under way when Gordy and the band showed up. I met them at the wedding facility and tried my best to explain what was happening next door. Gordy’s eyes widened as he heard the particulars.

“Tell you what, Bella. Let’s do this. I’ll get the band together, and we’ll start to play.”

“Even if the rehearsal’s off?” Didn’t make much sense to me, but I was willing to listen to his idea regardless.

“Yes. There’s nothing like a little music to bring people together.
Nella vita, chi non risica, non rosica
, Bella, my dear.”

“Beg your pardon?”

“‘In life, he who risks nothing, gains nothing.’ Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as it were.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Yes, you
will
see.” Gordy winked. “Just do me a favor and open the windows so that everyone can hear us playing from next door. Agreed?”

“It’s worth a try.” At this point, I would’ve attempted just about anything.

“Don’t worry, honey,” Lilly said as some of the other band members warmed up to the tune of “In the Mood.” “I’ve seen this with my own eyes. God can work through music just as easily as he can through preaching.”

“Swing music?” I tried to picture such a thing. I mean, c’mon … worship music, maybe. Hymns, sure. But, “In the Mood”? How could the Lord possibly use that to bring healing and hope?

“Get ready,” Gordy said with a smile. “You’re about to witness a miracle of biblical proportions.”

“Um, okay.”

“And just so you know,” Gordy called out above the clamor of the band, “the Lord has often used swing music to perform miracles.”

“He has?” I must’ve missed the memo.

“Sure.” Gordy reached for his trumpet, then turned back to me. “Think back to the 1940s, Bella.”

“That’s going to be a little difficult.” I hid the smile that threatened to creep up. “Long before my time, you see.”

“Oh yeah.” He grinned. “Well, anyway, in the forties, our country was facing an unbelievable season of war, both in Europe and in Japan. People were spent, emotionally and physically. The war was really taking its toll. Musicians knew it, and they responded with some of the most amazing, upbeat music you ever heard.”

“Wow, I never thought about that. I guess it makes sense, though.”

“Of course it does.” Gordy nodded. “In a way, they were ministering to the people to keep their spirits up. To keep people’s minds off what was happening in Europe and Japan. It was a holy diversion, if you will.”

“That’s what we need today.”

“Mm-hmm. Sounds like it. And hopefully it will be just as effective.” He gave me a pensive look. “You know, this reminds me of a story in the Old Testament.”

“O-oh?”

“Yes, from the book of 2 Chronicles, chapter twenty. Jehoshaphat was facing several enemies, and the Lord told him to send the Levites—the musicians—to the front lines. I’m sure those fellas were scared spitless, but they went, and you know what happened?”

“They won the battle?”

“Yep. Those musicians were real heroes that day.” He laughed. “Worshiped their way through, and the enemy was confused. In the end, God’s people went on to win the war. Great message for today, eh?”

“No kidding.” Suddenly it made perfect sense. Maybe it wouldn’t matter what songs were playing, as long as the hearts of the warriors were in the right place. Any song could be an offering of praise, right? And praise was powerful, no doubt about that!

The groove between Gordy’s eyebrows deepened as he continued. “I’m of the opinion we should hand out warnings when we place an instrument in a believer’s hand. Let them know that they’ll eventually end up on the battlefield.” He lifted his horn triumphantly and grinned.

“Yeah, I guess so.” I sighed. “I’m glad you’re willing to go to battle for my family, Gordy. You hardly know us.”

“I’m getting to know you better every day, and I’ve fallen in love with your family, Bella.” He grinned. “I’m ready to lift the morale of the fighting men.”

“That’s what we need—a morale lift. For the fighting men. And women.” Another sigh escaped. Boy, were they ever fighting.

Gordy turned back to the band with a nod and gestured for them to stop playing. “Fellas—and Lilly—we’ve got a situation on our hands. Folks next door are in dire need of a morale boost. We’re talking a case of life or death here.”

Several of the older guys nodded, gripping their horns. Lilly lifted her clarinet heavenward and hollered out a prayer for the Lord to lead the way, and a rousing “Amen!” went up from the rest. Apparently, they were accustomed to saving lives through music, though this was all new to me.

“I love it when the Lord calls us to action,” Lilly said with a giggle as the prayer ended. “Heavenly swing!” A couple of seconds later, Gordy tapped his director’s stick against the music stand and said, “Let’s take that song from the beginning, folks. This time play it like you mean it! People are counting on you!”

Seconds later, the Glenn Miller tune filled the room once again, this time more powerful than before. All of the instruments rang out in perfect harmony. I could almost see the warriors marching off to battle.

“Louder!” Gordy called out. “Play louder, men! The troops can’t hear us from here!”

I opened every window and waited. The band grew louder, then louder still. I wondered how long it would take for my relatives to respond. Or the police, asking us to turn the volume down.

Ironically, the first people to enter the room were Twila, Bonnie Sue, and Jolene, who stared at me, dumbfounded.

“Someone lose their hearing aid?” Twila shouted above the beat of the band.

“No,” I hollered back. Pulling them into the next room, I did my best to explain, telling them not only what had happened between Rosa and Laz but also about Gordy’s impassioned response.

Bonnie Sue’s eyes grew wide. “Is my Sal involved in this?”

My Sal?
“Well, he’s involved, yes.”

“Hmm.”

Jolene elbowed her. “That’s what you get for hanging your heart on a man who hasn’t come to know the Lord yet, Bonnie Sue. We tried to warn you. Look at the trouble he’s caused. And you were willing to walk along the garden path with him, simply because he showed you a little interest.”

Bonnie Sue groaned. “I know you’re right. Should’ve listened to you. But I was just so swept away by his dancing skills. Besides, he paid me more than a little interest.” Her cheeks turned pink, and she stifled a grin.

“Back to the matter at hand.” Jolene looked me squarely in the eye, shouting to be heard above the band as they played merrily in the other room. “That Jehoshaphat story Gordy told you was right on, Bella. But there’s more to it than just worshiping your way through a battle. You’ve got to have prayer warriors in place. Guess that’s why we’re here.” She linked arms with the other two. “We’ll hit our knees. Won’t stop till the Spirit moves.”

I nodded and led the trio of praying women back into the reception hall, where Gordy and the band ended “In the Mood.” The music began again, this song a slightly different tempo from the one before.

“Perfect!” Bonnie Sue said with a wink. “‘Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive’!”

“Beg your pardon?” I said.

“It’s the name of the song,” Twila explained. “Perfect backdrop, trust me.”

“Keep praying, sisters!” Jolene called out. She and the other women knelt at the edge of the stage, making it an altar. Well, all but Bonnie Sue, who apparently prayed best while dancing.

When these women prayed … they prayed. I could hear their spiritual warfare above the sound of the band. Twila called out for the devil to flee in Jesus’s name, and Jolene hollered out something about bringing down the walls of Jericho. We didn’t see a lot of prayer meetings like this in our local Methodist church, but I didn’t argue with the fact that these ladies were storming the gates of hell on my family’s behalf. And Gordy seemed to be taking his cues from their words, the crescendos of the band matching the intensity of the prayers. Up and down the music moved, in steady rhythm with the women’s cries on my family’s behalf.

I watched all of this, mesmerized, wondering if anyone next door had a clue.

Mama showed up with her fingers in her ears. “Bella?” she hollered. “What in the world is going on? Why are they playing so loud?”

“It’s a case of life or death, Mama,” I explained. “They’re here to do battle, just like the Levites in the Old Testament.” “Beg your pardon?” Her gaze shifted to the women gathered at the edge of the stage on their knees. “What in the world?”

At this point, Phoebe Burton showed up. “I can hear the music all the way across the street at our place, Bella,” she shouted. “What in the world is going on here?”

I did my best to explain, and her eyes widened. Mama signaled for Phoebe to join her, and I turned my attention to the door once again.

Rosa came next, her eyes growing wide as she took in the music and the prayer warriors. She glanced my way with a thousand questions in her eyes, but I shifted my gaze, not wanting to interfere with whatever the Lord might do next.

Joy flooded over me when I saw the door to the reception hall open and Laz step inside. He took in the ladies at the edge of the stage, watching them in shocked silence. Then he turned to look at Rosa, who had taken to tapping her foot in sync with the music. Who could blame her, really? This stuff was contagious. Gordy turned to face Laz with tears in his eyes, which caused my uncle to do the strangest thing. He began to weep. I had to admit, I didn’t see that one coming. Still, I couldn’t be sure what he would do next.

Before long, the room was filled with people. The women— all but Francesca—stood on one side of the reception hall, and the men stood on the other. In between them all, the trio of Splendora sisters continued to pray.

Against that backdrop, the craziest thing happened. The door opened one final time, and Sal eased his way inside, shoulders slumped forward in defeat—or was that humility?— and a look of genuine pain on his face. I could see the tightness in Laz’s expression, but to his credit, he did not reach for his bat. Even Rosa was strangely still. No pots and pans swinging now. Instead, she looked over at Sal with a hint of compassion in her eyes.

Gordy—probably realizing the gang was all here—lowered the volume to a reasonable level. I shivered against the cold pouring in from outside and decided to close the windows. The trio of sisters seemed to take this as their cue to rise and address the crowd. I wasn’t sure who was going to speak first or what she would say, but I looked forward to someone breaking the ice.

Ironically, no one said a word. Instead, I watched in awe as the strangest thing happened. Twila and Jolene did a couple of funny dance moves in the middle of the floor. Bonnie Sue headed over to take Laz by the hand. Though he resisted at first, he finally cratered and joined her on the floor.

Jolene took Rosa’s hand, guiding her out onto the floor. Before long, Bianca and Bertina were all smiles as they joined in. Even Rocco and Deanna decided to play along, trying their hand at some of the moves.

“What do you think?” my pop asked, approaching with a grin on his face. “Want to dance, Bella Bambina?”

“Don’t think I know how to swing dance,” I admitted, “but it’s worth a shot, especially if it has this kind of power.” As my father swept me into his loving arms, I thought back to what Gordy had said about music lifting the morale of the troops. Oh, if only Laz would look Rosa’s way!

I found myself so caught up in dancing with my father that I almost missed the magical moment when it finally happened. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the Splendora sisters ease Laz and Rosa together. As the music reached a crescendo, Laz extended his hand in my aunt’s direction, and that was all she wrote. Rosa melted into Laz’s arms, tears streaming down her face. She didn’t say a word. She didn’t have to. He pulled her close and planted a hundred kisses on her flushed, tear-stained cheeks.

At this point, I thought the band was going to have to stop playing. Everyone in the room reacted with either tears or shouts of joy. Thankfully, Gordy kept the musicians on track. I grinned as I watched Uncle Laz, who, with the skill of a pro, took to swing dancing. The others gathered around in a circle, clapping their hands to the beat.

Well, all but Sal. For a minute, he stood shell-shocked. Then the fellow’s hands began to tremble, and before long, his eyes were filled with tears. I would never have believed it if I hadn’t witnessed it firsthand. The former mob boss was … crying. No, not just crying. Weeping.

Laz boogie-woogied in Sal’s direction and swept him in his arms, then led a broken Sal to the center of the floor to join him and Rosa in their dance of celebration. To my aunt’s credit, she graciously extended her arms, welcoming Sal to the circle. Gordy took this as his cue to change songs. He led the band in a swingin’ version of “Amazing Grace.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, and I couldn’t help but think that Guido—had he been here—would’ve burst into song.

As I watched my aunt and uncle mend fences with swing music blazing in the background, my thoughts shifted back to Jehoshaphat and those Levites. Looked like Gordy had been right all along. No doubt about it—the musicians had led the way once again … and the battle had been won!

That same day, after the Lord tore down the walls of Jericho, I finally came face-to-face with my missing best friend. It happened at Parma John’s of all places. Jenna breezed through the door with Bubba on her heels as if nothing had ever happened, greeting us all with a carefree “Hello, everyone.” She rushed behind the counter and put her purse away, then smiled at anyone who happened to glance her way.