A Ride Home



 Seldom is it a bad idea to do anything early so the decision to get to the
 office an hour before opening was not at all suspect.  Besides for the
 most part Tammy was an excellent driver she was careful and conscientious.
 Her only flaw was not watching out for the other fools on the road.
 Tuesday morning after a much needed two week stress relieving vacation she
 was coming through her last light on the way to work and (low and behold(
 some dummy in a Mack dump truck ran a red light never even slowing down.
 Further evidenced by her not hearing his wheels screech he missed her by
 inches, it was so close, she thought she was gone. Her heart was pounding
 like a jackhammer and she could only utter a breathy, (thank you Jesus,
 thank you Jesus, thanks you Jesus!( As she cautiously cruised the rest of
 the way into work she thought about the goodness of God and how he
 protected His children from dangers seen and unseen.

 Pulling into her designated parking space she noticed she was the first of
 her co-workers to arrive, seeing no vehicles to the right or left of her.
 After putting the Expedition in drive and turning off the ignition Tammy
 grabbed her large bag/briefcase and stepped out of the vehicle. Though she
 just had a traumatizing experience she felt an unusual calm both physical
 and mental an overwhelming sense of well being as if she did not have a
 care in the world. In fact her arthritic knee which had been bothering her
 every morning for a month did not hurt at all. Tammy being a big beautiful
 girl was always winded when walking up the stairs to her building but not
 today.

 (Yes bless God! It(s going to be a great day!( Tammy thought to herself.
 Entering the building she noticed that the security guard was not at his
 post; (must be in the rest room,( she thought.

 Tammy headed for the elevators to the left of the guard(s station. Today
 this elevator was unusually quick it opened right up for her and quickly
 delivered her to the 3rd floor. Tammy stepped out and started riffling
 through her large leather bag for her keys when she noticed the lights
 were on. Who could be here before her? She saw no one's car; maybe someone
 had car trouble and took a cab she thought? Tammy tried the glass door and
 it was unlocked so she stepped in calling to whoever preceded her, (Hello,
 who(s here?(
 (I(m here(, replied an unfamiliar voice. Unfamiliar and unexpected it was
 the voice of a child, a little girl who appeared from around the corner of
 a dark walkway. She was about six years of age normal height and weight,
 long thick shoulder length hair, arrayed in the most beautiful frock
 almost florescent white, the child(s skin was flawless and it too seemed
 to be glowing.  Tammy was sure she had never laid eyes on this little girl
 before but she could not shake the feeling that she knew her, intimately.
 Smiling, the child moved to the waiting room table and sat down with a
 coloring book in hand and a box of crayons that Tammy would have sworn
 came from no where.
 (Who is here with you Baby?( Tammy required. The child kept coloring but
 answered promptly and politely, ( No one ma(am, I(m waiting for my mother(
 (who let you in here Baby and who is your mom?( Tammy asked concerned.
 The little girl was tickled by Tammy(s question for some strange reason
 and started to giggle her answer, ( Brother Lamb, he has the keys to every
 room( Tammy thought this (Brother Lamb( must be a new janitorial
 supervisor with a master key. (But why leave a child into an empty office
 by herself it just did not make since( Tammy thought.

 Tammy, a bit flustered dropped her head and closed her eyes momentarily,
 she lifted her eyes and another child was at the table with a writing pad
 dressed in the same outfit. But this girl was a bit older about 12 years
 of age; (who are you? (Ma(am? She answered then she turned to face Tammy.
 (My Lord( Tammy exclaimed. It was the same child but it could not be;
 (where is your little sister?( She inquired.
  (I don(t have any sisters ma(am,( she said smiling(. (
 Then who was the little girl who was sitting here before? Tammy asked.
 (It was me,( she said in a matter of fact kind of way as she continued
 with her drawing.
 (How could that be?!(
 ( Well it(s kinda complicated, Brother Lamb can explain it when he comes(
 (Who is this Brother Lamb?! She demanded.
 (He is the one who is bringing my mother(
 (And who is your mother(
 (Never met her(
 (Oh Father( Tammy walked away bewildered then turned back to try again for
 a rational explanation as to who this child was and who was her mama.
 Still another child appeared at the table but she was about 16. She was
 tall with thick shoulder length hair same milk chocolate complexion and
 the same strange fluorescence about her.
 Tammy approached her placing her hand on the young lady(s shoulder;
 (OK, I know it(s you, I don(t know how you got to be a teenager in the
 past few seconds. I don(t know who your mom is or who this Brother Lamb is
 and I still don(t know your name but I know it(s you, right?(
 (Yes ma(am it(s me; she answered without looking up from her sketching.
 (So what are you working on?( Tammy asked trying to change the most
 bewildering and perplexing subject.
 (A picture of me and my mom( At this point Tammy knew what Pachino(s
 character in (Godfather III( meant by (every time I try to get out they
 keep pulling me back in!(
 (OK I(ll bite(, Tammy said raising her hands in surrender and resigning
 her self to what was obviously some weird (Alice in Wonderland( dream. (If
 you never met your mother and you don(t know what she looks like how in
 (Jesus name( are you drawing a picture of her?(
 (Ma(am all do respect, please don(t do that( she pleaded communicating
 something deep into Tammy(s eyes. Tammy would have asked what she was
 talking about but somehow she knew that the girl was asking her to refrain
 from calling the Lord(s name in vain.
 (I(m sorry Baby please forgive me, I(m just a little frustrated that(s
 all(
 (Yes ma(am I know but I will be finished with my drawing soon then you
 will see everything clearly(.
 Tammy turned away inhaled then turned back to the girl to ask another
 question. Just that fast the girl had become a young woman, about 25 years
 of age. Tammy was taken aback not at the rapid aging, she had actually had
 gotten used to that but what shocked Tammy was that she recognized her.
 Not by name but by her look, the young lady was the perfect blend of Tammy
 and her Husband Paul. A peace came over Tammy it was all beginning to make
 sense because she was sure now that she was having a dream. A dream about
 a daughter that she never had. Tammy and Paul(s desire was to have a third
 child before they got too old, a girl and this was obviously some
 psychological man. They even had a name all picked out in case the Lord
 would be so kind to them. Tammy sat down next to the young lady stroked
 her hair and cheek gently and asked; (May I see the painting now?(

 At a glance she could see the young lady was just completing the faces,
 the young lady then covered her mouth with her left hand convulsed
 slightly and burst into to tears. She turned to Tammy with a curious look
 of teary eyed discovery clasped Tammy(s hand with her right hand affixing
 it to her cheek smiled and said,( Yes ma(am(

 Tammy looked the completed drawing, it was a picture of the two of them
 walking hand in hand engulfed by a light so brilliant that it somehow left
 the page.
 (Is your name Lydia Baby?( Lydia was the name she and Paul had picked out
 in case they ever had a girl.
 (Yes Mama( When she said Mama something unspeakable coursed through
 Tammy(s whole body. Though she expected the answer the joy of meeting the
 daughter she never had overwhelmed her. They embraced and began to weep
 tears of joy mingled with chuckles of happiness. Tammy(s feelings could
 only be described by a scene in Roots II when after listening to the Griot
 tell the story of Kunta Kente and how he disappeared one day after going
 into the bush to search for material to make a drum to present to his
 mother for his little brother. A story Alex Haley had heard from childhood
 a story that some even in his own family dismissed as folklore yet a story
 that he could not shake. After hearing it as he sat among the Kente clan
 in Gambia he asked that it be repeated over several times, not because he
 did not know the first time it(s just that he was overwhelmed a the notion
 that through him the lost young man Kunta had finally found his way home.
 With outstretched arms he received welcome from his family that he was
 separated from by thousands of miles and four generations of struggle.
 This was akin to Tammy(s feeling as she embraced Lydia.

 (Oh I wish Paul and the boys could be here( thought Tammy to herself
 wishing she could share this most blessed dream with the ones she loved
 the most on earth.
 (They will be soon Mama( Lydia said somehow supernaturally reading her
 thoughts. Tammy pulled away slightly so as to create enough space between
 them for conversation.
 (What do you mean Baby?(
 (That truck this morning, didn’t(t miss you and the last two cycles you
 missed were not due to stress, this is not a dream Mama(.
 (You mean I(m?(
 (Yes Mama alive ever more( she answered smiling.
 (But Paul and the boys they..(
 (They will be taken care of by Brother Lamb,( she said in a reassuring
 manor.
 (Brother Lamb?(
 (Yes ma(am, Our Lord( Lydia then turned to a blank page on her drawing
 pad. (Mama while we wait for them please draw me a picture of them( Lydia
 sliding the pad and pencil toward Tammy.
 (How long will it take?( Tammy asked with pencil in hand looking intently
 at the page.
 (Only a life time Mama, only a lifetime then we can all ride home
 together(

 By Louis E. Gray
 Property of GRAYMATTER ENTERTAINMENT
 Completed July 3, 2002
 All Rights Reserved