about to burst inside."
"If you're looking for a way to reach me, you
can start by being yourself."
"Okay."
"When did you make Jesus your savior?"
"When I was 14," he said. I read a book, Peace With God , by Billy Graham. That's when Jesus became my
best friend."
"Tell me more."
He nodded. "I was something of a loner when I
was a kid. When Jesus came into my life, I was no longer alone. I
had my first true friend. Someone to pour out my heart to. Now, you
tell me. When did you accept Jesus?"
"When I was seven."
"Seven?"
She nodded. "I was lying on the couch reading
a children's bible. I think it must have been around Easter. I
remember my mother was sewing. That's when we were still in
Tennessee, when my Dad worked for Union Carbide in Oak Ridge. There
was snow on the ground outside, but the living room was warm and
toasty. I was reading about the crucifixion, and I started crying.
That's when Jesus entered my heart. There was no falling down, or
shouting hallelujah or anything like that. Just the simple
acceptance of a child."
"And a little child shall lead them," Stretch
said. "Nothing wrong with that. But you're not a real Tennessee
farm girl, then."
"My mother was. She grew up on 90 acres of
cows, corn and cotton near Memphis. She used to ride a horse to
school. I spent every summer on that farm with my grandmother. She
boiled her clothes in a big iron pot and lived in a house with no
electricity. They were people of the earth. With unwavering
faith."
"That's as real as it gets."
Shannon looked around. She wondered what her
grandmother would think about her present situation. There were a
great many people about, rushing along Toluca Avenue in their
upscale vehicles. The heavy square buildings across the street,
festooned with humongous billboards announcing this TV show or that
was being produced somewhere inside, lent to the scene a touch of
unreality, of which their own little tableaux, that of two
unmarried persons scarfing down chicken tacos while sitting in a
convertible Mercedes roadster, seemed equally unreal.
"It's not easy being real in a town which
openly considers itself a dream factory. Which means it specializes
in lying," she said. "But you impressed me already."
"When?"
"Earlier. When you went upstairs and came
back clutching the remains of my mother in her cardboard box. The
moment will stand out in my mind forever. And also the way you
dance when you think nobody's watching. The way you bob your head.
It was the first time I ever saw you. I'll never forget it."
"I care about you, Shannon," he said. "I'm
sorry. It's totally the wrong time and place. In fact, we're
totally the wrong two people. You're heading up the corporate
ladder and I'm stuck in the Valley with my pool cleaning business,
trying to decide if I'm called to serve God. But I have to tell
you, even though this seems wrong and impossible, I feel very
attracted to you. I guess the arranged marriage thing has fallen by
the wayside, though. It was a great idea while it lasted. Maybe I
shouldn't have gotten my hopes up."
"Stretch. When you talk like this, I have the
craziest feelings. I feel like I'm falling. Yes, like I'm falling,
and I want to reach out to you, to hold onto you."
"Shannon. You said I avoid talking about
myself. That I haven't been real. You're right. So I'll tell you
something. Even though I know the Lord, I am very lonely. I have
been all alone for the past year. Not that I haven't been around
people. But I've been very alone inside myself. I act like the big
Christian, but lately it's all an act. The truth is, I have been
praying every day like there's no tomorrow. I haven't been
connecting. I haven't been able to feel anything. It's like inside
myself, everything has gone dry. Even though I am able to help
others, I can't seem to help myself."
"Dear Lord," Shannon said. "Stretch, I ...
you shouldn't have told me. It's not fair. We only just met. And
now you've told me this terrible secret about yourself.
"If you're looking for a way to reach me, you
can start by being yourself."
"Okay."
"When did you make Jesus your savior?"
"When I was 14," he said. I read a book, Peace With God , by Billy Graham. That's when Jesus became my
best friend."
"Tell me more."
He nodded. "I was something of a loner when I
was a kid. When Jesus came into my life, I was no longer alone. I
had my first true friend. Someone to pour out my heart to. Now, you
tell me. When did you accept Jesus?"
"When I was seven."
"Seven?"
She nodded. "I was lying on the couch reading
a children's bible. I think it must have been around Easter. I
remember my mother was sewing. That's when we were still in
Tennessee, when my Dad worked for Union Carbide in Oak Ridge. There
was snow on the ground outside, but the living room was warm and
toasty. I was reading about the crucifixion, and I started crying.
That's when Jesus entered my heart. There was no falling down, or
shouting hallelujah or anything like that. Just the simple
acceptance of a child."
"And a little child shall lead them," Stretch
said. "Nothing wrong with that. But you're not a real Tennessee
farm girl, then."
"My mother was. She grew up on 90 acres of
cows, corn and cotton near Memphis. She used to ride a horse to
school. I spent every summer on that farm with my grandmother. She
boiled her clothes in a big iron pot and lived in a house with no
electricity. They were people of the earth. With unwavering
faith."
"That's as real as it gets."
Shannon looked around. She wondered what her
grandmother would think about her present situation. There were a
great many people about, rushing along Toluca Avenue in their
upscale vehicles. The heavy square buildings across the street,
festooned with humongous billboards announcing this TV show or that
was being produced somewhere inside, lent to the scene a touch of
unreality, of which their own little tableaux, that of two
unmarried persons scarfing down chicken tacos while sitting in a
convertible Mercedes roadster, seemed equally unreal.
"It's not easy being real in a town which
openly considers itself a dream factory. Which means it specializes
in lying," she said. "But you impressed me already."
"When?"
"Earlier. When you went upstairs and came
back clutching the remains of my mother in her cardboard box. The
moment will stand out in my mind forever. And also the way you
dance when you think nobody's watching. The way you bob your head.
It was the first time I ever saw you. I'll never forget it."
"I care about you, Shannon," he said. "I'm
sorry. It's totally the wrong time and place. In fact, we're
totally the wrong two people. You're heading up the corporate
ladder and I'm stuck in the Valley with my pool cleaning business,
trying to decide if I'm called to serve God. But I have to tell
you, even though this seems wrong and impossible, I feel very
attracted to you. I guess the arranged marriage thing has fallen by
the wayside, though. It was a great idea while it lasted. Maybe I
shouldn't have gotten my hopes up."
"Stretch. When you talk like this, I have the
craziest feelings. I feel like I'm falling. Yes, like I'm falling,
and I want to reach out to you, to hold onto you."
"Shannon. You said I avoid talking about
myself. That I haven't been real. You're right. So I'll tell you
something. Even though I know the Lord, I am very lonely. I have
been all alone for the past year. Not that I haven't been around
people. But I've been very alone inside myself. I act like the big
Christian, but lately it's all an act. The truth is, I have been
praying every day like there's no tomorrow. I haven't been
connecting. I haven't been able to feel anything. It's like inside
myself, everything has gone dry. Even though I am able to help
others, I can't seem to help myself."
"Dear Lord," Shannon said. "Stretch, I ...
you shouldn't have told me. It's not fair. We only just met. And
now you've told me this terrible secret about yourself.
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