Who was the happiest girl in Browning Hall? For sure, it was Shelly Ruskin. Everything was going her way. She was getting ready to marry her dream. She was busy. She reduced her roster of classes for the summer term, so she could spend more time getting ready for her first baby. She perused the internet for marriage and lodging deals in Las Vegas. She went shopping for some snappy clothes for her honeymoon. She visited a tanning parlor, twice, to make sure every inch of her body was as beautiful as it could be for Vic.
Shelly believed the tanning had gone better than ever before, not knowing that the real reason her skin was adopting a healthy glow was that she had downed the wine laced with Flare at Vic’s behest.
She kept her promise. She told no one what she and Vic were about to do. “My family ... the folks back home ... will be shocked, but when they meet Vic, they’ll be pleased,” she reasoned. “And, only a few old biddies will calculate the days between the marriage ceremony and delivery day. It’ll just give them something to talk about. Who cares? Not me!”
Every night, at 9 o’clock, Shelly called Vic in Aspen and discussed her preparations with him. He had made it clear that he would not answer the phone until then, since he was busy making friends with neutrino researchers and attending technical presentations. He seemed very interested in every word she uttered. But, he was playing a wicked role. In his pretense, he was affable and caring. But, in fact, he was striving to keep her happy until she dropped dead. Every time they talked, he reiterated, “We must keep our plans secret. We don’t want to mess up my career. That is so important to you and me and our kids as we face the future.”
With Vic gone, the atmosphere in the research office relaxed. Dan felt he could speak with Miriam more freely, especially since he now knew that Vic had a serious girlfriend. He and Miriam shared clever sayings and facts they spotted on the internet as they searched for Project information. Dan loved to hear her signature giggle and her melodious voice. Miriam liked Dan’s Missouri drawl.
Dr. Angelo was a few minutes late for the Thursday Morning Meeting. As Dan and Miriam chatted, he hustled through the door. He hoisted his heavy briefcase onto his desk, snapped it open, and pulled forth an object wrapped in brown paper. He ripped the wrappings off and held up a beautifully framed photograph of an attractive young lady.
“Oh, Doc!” Miriam squealed as she raced to the Doctor’s side, “That’s such a nice picture of your wife, Amy. Was that taken when you were in college?”
“Yes,” Dr. Angelo said, “I finally found the photo I’ve been looking for, and I had it framed, so it could sit right here beneath my beloved mural.” He placed Amy’s image directly below the mural’s depiction of a young lady on the narrow road to Heaven.
“The resemblance is striking,” Miriam asserted.
“No wonder you were stirred when you saw her appear in Bo’s drawing,” Dan added.
As Dan spoke, a threesome strolled through the door. It was Dr. Grigsby, his wife, Ginger, and none other than the street artist himself, Beauregarde Rouseau.
Ever the Master of Ceremonies, the Chancellor said, “Miriam, you’ve met my wife, Ginger.”
As Miriam delivered a smiling, “Yes”, Ginger rushed over and gave her a friendly hug, saying, “It’s wonderful to see you again, darling.”
“But,” Grigsby continued, “I don’t believe you have met the man responsible for this lovely artwork, Beauregarde Rouseau.”
“No,” Miriam responded.
Bo stepped forward, with his warm grin beneath his great shock of black hair, and shook Miriam’s hand. “Pleased to meet you,” he said.
“My pleasure,” Miriam responded. “I love your painting.”
Dan piped up, “Bo, I was in the audience when you drew this scene. I loved your sermon that day, and I love this drawing. I’m Dan Diederman.”
“And,” Grigsby offered, “He’s the fellow that told me how to contact you.”
“Thanks,” Bo said, shaking Dan’s hand, “You’ve been a real blessing. Dr. Grigsby has hired me for an extensive project.”
“Yes,” the Chancellor announced, “Bo has consented to do the wall murals for the University’s new Community Center. I’m so pleased.”
Dr. Angelo moved briskly, wrapped his arm around Bo, and escorted him to the spot where he had placed his picture of Amy. “Come here,” he said, “You’ve got to see this. Here is a photo of my deceased wife. It was taken about the time we started dating. She’s the one who led me to Jesus. Now, compare her to this lady in your drawing.”
“Wow,” Bo said, “what a resemblance! No wonder you came forward and gave your beautiful testimony. ‘God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform.’ Only God could have made this happen.”
“What testimony?” Ginger asked, “Don’t leave me in the dark.”
“Well,” Dr. Angelo explained, “when I was a feckless undergraduate, I met this beautiful girl named Amy. I followed her around like a love-sick puppy. But, she would not take me seriously until I made a decision to follow Jesus Christ. She kept urging me to trust in Him. When I got my life straightened out, she fell in love with me. Now, here’s the thing, when Bo drew this lady on the narrow road to Heaven, he said, ‘She’s calling out, “Come, follow Jesus and you will have a wonderful life. You’ll get to enter Heaven, too.”’ I was floored. How could a man I’d never met, draw Amy and quote the words she spoke to me? I had to go to the platform and tell the crowd what had happened.”
“And, that testimony caused several souls to come forward and give themselves to Christ,” Bo added. “It was a miracle.”
“Splendid!” Ginger exclaimed. “No wonder George is so thrilled by this painting. And, even if it had no emotional meaning attached to it, this mural is exceptional art.” Ginger gushed, “What a miraculous thing!”
“Uh, Oh,” the Chancellor groaned, eying his watch. “We’ve got to tramp over to the administration building for our planning meeting. The committee is going to come up with ideas for the wall murals Bo will be painting.” Pausing to switch thoughts, he added, “Let’s see, Vic is in Aspen and the rest of you are here. Work hard. I’m expecting great things from you.”
Dan tapped Bo’s shoulder and asked, “Do you have a current schedule of your upcoming chalk-talks with you?”
“Yep,” said Bo, as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a few schedules, neatly folded together. He handed one to Dan. “Here. I hope to see you soon, and bring some friends with you when you come ... lots of friends.”
Amid a chorus of goodbyes, the threesome sped away.
After a brief technical session, Dan and Miriam returned to their desks. As he was reading a complex paper about photons, Den came to a set of equations that contained mathematical symbols he had never seen before. “Here’s a legitimate reason to interrupt Miriam,” he told himself. “Maybe she can decipher this passage.” Then, looking at her, he asked, “Miriam, do you have time to explain some equations to me?”
Miriam was delighted with the opportunity to work with Dan. “Of course,” she said. “Let’s look at them on the whiteboard. I hope I can help.”
The board was mounted on the wall behind Dan’s desk. Holding the technical paper in his left hand, Dan transcribed the equations using a black marker. Miriam was amazed as she watched. Here was a six foot plus, sturdy man, with a ruggedly handsome face ... a man that reminded her of the Wild-West sheriffs she had seen in movies ... placing intricate equations on the board with extreme precision. The result was artistic. He turned to her and asked, “Does that make sense to you?”
Before she looked at the equations, she quickly scanned his face. His eyes were clear and intense, his hair slightly tousled, and his lips full. “Very handsome,” she thought as she turned to the board saying, “Yes, its just a shorthand way of saying this.” She, then, re-stated the equations using different symbols. Dan could not take his eyes off of her as she reformatted the equations. “She’s Venus de Milo in the flesh,” he thought. “But, she’s even prettier, and so graceful.” When she finished, Dan grasped the meaning of the passage. “Thank you,” he said. “Now, it makes sense. You really are a ‘Math Wiz’”, he added with a twinkle in his eyes. She giggled as she glided to her desk. “And, a good fiddler!” he added.
“Speaking of that,” Miriam rejoined. “Our string quartet is playing tomorrow night at the historic Evangel Cathedral. They’re celebrating their 100th anniversary.” She returned to Dan’s side with a slip of paper on which the Church’s address was written. “Do you know the best way to get there?”
Dan expressed the anxiety spreading through him, “Miriam, you should not drive down there alone, especially at night. You’ll be in your fancy concert dress, carrying a valuable violin. You’re young and beautiful. You’ll be a tempting target for any riffraff roaming the streets in that area. It’s just too dangerous.”
Miriam considered Dan’s dire warning. She could tell by his tone, he meant every word he had uttered. “That’s a problem,” she said. “I promised I would be there. Maybe I can get one of the fellows in the group to drive me to and from the Church.”
Dan was uncomfortable with that idea. He wanted Miriam to be perfectly protected. “Please,” he implored. “Let me take you there.”
“Oh, that would be such an imposition on you. I have no right to expect you to haul me around,” she protested.
“It would not be an imposition. I would consider it a privilege to escort you there and back. Anyway, I’d like to hear the concert.”
”Really?” she asked with her eyebrows raised.
“Really,” he said. “What time do you need to be there?
“6:30,” she answered.
“Then, I’ll pick you up at the dorm at 6:00 tomorrow evening. OK?”
“OK,” she said, studying his face. It relaxed into his normal, happy visage. Dan felt he had kept Miriam from a precarious adventure. Miriam warmed as she considered the sudden shift in her plans. “It will be wonderful to be escorted to the concert by Dan,” she thought. Then, gazing into his eyes, she said, “Thank you, ever so much,” and, smiling, she patted his arm. He placed his hand on hers and held it there for a few seconds. Then, slowly, she moved to her desk.
Dan’s Mother was thrilled to hear the news. “How sweet!” she exclaimed. “Your first date with Miriam.”
“It’s not a date, Mom ... not really,” Dan declared. “But, I will need to borrow your sedan. It wouldn’t look right for Miriam to be riding in my pickup truck, dressed in her concert gown.”
...
Dan left the research office early Friday afternoon. He hurried home to get ready for the concert. He selected his attire carefully. “She’ll be wearing her black gown, so I’ll wear these navy-blue slacks and a white dress shirt and that tie with a subtle, silver and light-blue pattern,” he thought. But, before he slipped into his Summer sport coat made of powder-blue sail-cloth, he strapped his concealed-carry pistol and holster around his left shoulder. He tied on his shiny, black, leather wing-tips and presented himself to his Mom.
“Do I look all right?” he asked.
Jan laughed, “What’s the difference? You’re just the chauffeur tonight.”
“Yeah, but I want to be much more than that,” Dan asserted.
Jan circled, eyeing him from every direction and responded, “Well, if you’ll comb your wayward hair, I think you’ll be voted the best-looking man at the show.” He complied, gave his Mom a hug and a peck on the cheek, and hurried to Browning Hall.
Dan was early, so he had to wait for Miriam in the lobby of the dormitory. When she stepped from the elevator and floated into the waiting area, Dan was, once again, overwhelmed by her striking beauty and grace. He rose immediately and said, “Here, let me carry your violin.” When they reached Mom’s sedan, Dan politely opened the passenger door for her, and after she was in, he placed her instrument on the floor in back.
En route, Dan, motivated by an overpowering urge, asked, “What was your life like back in Boston? Are you going to surprise me, as Vic did, by telling me you have a serious romantic interest back there?” Dan forced an awkward laugh as he spoke. He wanted to sound like he was teasing her, but he desperately needed to hear her answers.
Miriam surprised herself. She had never disclosed her life and feelings to any guy, but she found herself speaking freely to Dan. A torrent of words gushed forth. “Well,” she began, “I have been very blessed. My Mom and Dad are Bible-believing Christians, so they taught me their values. You’ll really like them, Dan. I want you to meet them when they come here to visit me later this Summer. Dad is a History professor at Harvard, so Mom did not have to hold a job. Instead, she home-schooled me through the first six grades. And, since she loved to play her violin, she got me into music as well. After I turned ten, my parents sent me to a series of private schools to further my interests in music and mathematics.
“Since I didn’t attend public schools, my social life was centered at our Church. That’s where we met the Angelos. Their daughter, Polly, is my closest friend. Often, we were at each other’s house. And, Amy Angelo was like a second Mother to me. My Mom and her were persistent preachers of female purity. They convinced us. ‘It’s fine to have friends who are boys, but save your passions and intimacies for the man you marry,’ they often repeated. And, so far, the Lord hasn’t led me to commit myself to anyone.
“Of course, I developed many friendships with guys in our Church youth groups, at Christian camps, and youth rallies. But, so far, I’m as single as one can be. Because my education was somewhat accelerated, I’m only twenty-one, so I guess I’m not an ‘old maid’ yet. You could say, I’m a prude. I have avoided being alone with guys. That’s why I was reluctant to have you drive me to this concert, Dan. But, for some reason, I can’t explain, I trust you, even though our friendship is quite new.”
“Wow,” said Dan, as a wave of warmth washed through him, “that’s awesome! You’re so beautiful, so bright, so talented, so pure ... “
“Stop, Dan, don’t praise me!” Miriam insisted. “I’ve said too much ... I’m not as pure as you think. Sometimes, I want to ‘go wild’. The world makes it seem so inviting. But, my heart says, ‘No!’ The Holy Spirit in me says, ‘No!’”
“Awesome,” Dan repeated, “awesome ... Jesus is at work in you.”
Miriam was embarrassed. “I’ve said too much about me,” she re-asserted. “You asked a simple question, and I gave a long-winded answer.” She paused for a few seconds, and then, asked, “What about you? Tell me about you!”
“Well,” he said, “I live with my Mom on a beautiful tract of land in Southwest County. Dad died when I was an undergrad, so I’ve stayed on with Mom to maintain the premises and keep her company. You’d like her. She’s upbeat. And, she would fit right in with your Mom. I often heard her lecture my sister, Deborah, about staying pure. Of course, she and Dad said similar things to me. I went to public schools, but Dad taught me more than school did. He was a top-tier, mechanical engineer, and he set up an elaborate machine shop next to our home. He and I spent countless hours there, working on firearms of every sort; Revolutionary War muskets, diverse cannons, all manner of rifles and handguns. We used our saws and lathes and milling machines and grinders to make any missing parts. Out back, we built a firing range where we test-fired our projects.
“So, when I got to college, I was able to get a job in the Physics Department, helping set up experiments. If the researchers needed a custom part, I was able to make it in our shop.
“Like you, my social life was centered at our Church. I have many friends of the female persuasion, but I have never been in an intimate relationship. Like you, I’ve been tempted to ‘go wild’, but my faith has kept me in check, so far.”
When Dan paused, Miriam said, “Thanks for sharing your story with me. Now, I know I can trust you.”
The concert was uplifting. The interior of the old Church was inviting, with its three vaulted arches towering over the dais up front and its stained-glass windows lining the sides. The arches were concave, with their peaks reaching out over the pews, as if the Triune God was overshadowing the congregation. As the evening sky, outside, faded into night, cleverly placed lights continued to illuminate the historic events and Christian heroes depicted in the window panes. The acoustics of the chamber were delightful. The program was a pleasant mixture of melodies. Compositions performed by the string quartet were interlaced with choral numbers from a children’s chorus, an adult choir, quartets, and soloists. The evanescent echoes that followed each articulated note added warmth to the presentations.
Miriam was a hit. When the quartet played, she morphed into her fervent mode. Her eyes sparkled, her face brightened, and she poured enormous energy into her selections. Each number drew strong applause from the audience. The quartet’s final piece, played in military fashion, was the old favorite, “[1]
Just before the emcee brought the program to a close with a prayer, he urged everyone to stick around for a “cookie potluck” in the adjacent fellowship hall. Dan joined Miriam and carried her violin as they moved along a row of tables filled with an amazing variety of tempting treats. Many were works of art. The ladies of the Church had put extreme effort into these refreshments. As Dan and Miriam enjoyed their selections, folks dropped by to congratulate Miriam on her performance. Warmth and friendliness abounded, but shortly, Dan whispered, “We better leave. Right now, lots of people are outside on the parking lot. It’s safe. The later we stay, the dicier it will get.” Miriam understood, so the pair headed back to the dorm.
Dan walked into the lobby with Miriam. As they were about to part, she said, “Thank you very much. It was so nice to spend the evening with you, even if I sort of forced myself on you.”
“Not at all,” said Dan. “I had a great time. I hope it happens often.”
With a warm smile, Miriam wrapped her right arm around Dan and gave him a firm hug. As he began to place his left arm around her, she stepped back, abruptly, and remarked, “Wow, that wallet in your pocket feels like its made of iron!”
“It’s not a wallet,” Dan responded, smiling.
“What is it?” she asked.
Dan bent down and whispered in her ear, “A pistol.”
Miriam looked astonished. “That’s scary!” she exclaimed.
With a broad grin, Dan drawled, “Only if its pointed at you.” Dan chuckled and continued, “I was determined to keep you safe. Fortunately, nothing ugly happened.”
As she picked up her violin and started for the elevator, she giggled and said, “You’re a modern remake of a Wild-West sheriff. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ll see you Sunday ... I hope.”
“You will,” Dan confirmed.
...
Saturday morning, about 10 o’clock, Miriam lugged a load of wash to the laundry room of Browning Hall. Shelly was there. As the washers and dryers droned, the girls sat down to visit. “How did you get that beautiful tan?” Miriam asked.
“At ‘Ellie’s Tanning Salon’,” Shelly replied. “I’m so excited about next weekend, I’m spending all my time getting ready for it. I’m having my hair re-styled this afternoon.”
“You look great,” Miriam said. “What’s up?”
“Well, Vic’s coming back from Aspen sometime next week, and we have a huge weekend planned.”
“Do you know when he’ll be back?” Miriam asked.
“Not really,” Shelly revealed. “The conference is over Wednesday, but he may stay a day or two longer to have further talks with neutrino experts. I can hardly wait to see him.” She laughed ... a husky, lusty laugh ... as she groaned, “I miss his caresses and kisses so much, I’m liable to tear his clothes off of him when I see him.”
Somehow, Miriam restrained her feelings of shock. After a brief recovery, she said, “Sounds like you two ought to get married.”
“Someday,” Shelly said. “Someday soon.”
...
Sunday morning events, at Transcendental Community Church, followed the new pattern. Dan sat with Miriam in Sunday School. Miriam played in the Church orchestra, while Dan admired her from the pews. But then, Pastor Bob Bandy surprised Dan, Miriam and the whole congregation with an exciting announcement. He said, “I suppose most of you have met Dr. Angelo by now. And, most of you know he won a Nobel Prize for his work in Cosmology. Well, he has agreed to teach a special Sunday School class for the next twelve weeks. The subject will be ‘God Made It All’. I hope many of you will attend. My wife and I will. We expect a crowd, so we’re going to hold these sessions right here in the Sanctuary. It’s probably the only room big enough to seat all those who will come to hear our famous Doctor. So, stir up your friends and family, and fill this auditorium next Sunday at 9:30.”
Dan was elated. After the worship service, he and Miriam discussed the announcement with eager anticipation. But, their conversation was interrupted when Miriam had to leave for lunch. Since Miriam and Dr. Angelo had arrived in St. Louis, each Sunday they had joined several families from the Church for lunch at a nearby restaurant. Dr. Angelo, with a wave of his hand, let Miriam know it was time to go. As Miriam walked off to be with her lunch crowd, Dan felt a sense of loss. He wanted to spend the day with her.
Instead, he hurried home to eat with his Mom. When he told her about the new class, she exclaimed, “I want to sit in on that. Would you be embarrassed if I went with you?”
“Of course not,” Dan retorted. “I’d love for you to meet Miriam and Dr. Angelo. I’m proud of you, and they’ll love you. Let’s do it!”
[1] “Lead On, O King Eternal” my be heard at http://listeninglab.stantons.com/title/lead-on-o-king-eternal/193661/
