The Message

Handsome and well dressed, his smile goes beyond ear to ear and approaches infinity. We met when I was 14 and he was 22. I received an early morning call from my mother informing me that he requested my presence at his 40th birthday celebration. Of course I would go.

I haven't seen him in years which is purely my fault. While inviting a friend to the party, I gave her a short, obligatory bio. I never remember the details of his condition. It make me uncomfortable to mention that my friend is wheel chair bound, and a paraplegic. It paints a unfairly grim picture and makes me feel as though I'm compartmentalizing him. He's not my handicapped friend. He's simply my friend. But since his condition makes it difficult for him to communicate, I do the obligatory bio.

Much grander than I expected, the party was a sit down dinner affair. Ignoring my apology for my jeans and sweater, Grace, the mother of the birthday boy, hugs and thanks me for coming. Seated at a table with familiar faces, I am embarrassed at how little time I have taken to keep in touch with certain people. True, I seldom do things I don't wanna do, but that is the mantra of the obstinate child I used to be and not of the woman I am becoming.

Grace sings a gospel song at the request of Tyrone (the birthday boy)- And no, I don't know it. My irreverence has loomed out of control. I keenly felt the spectre of my faith scrutinizing me as I listened.

"Don't pay me any mind little miss. I'm not here for the likes of you." It remarks primly.

But still, I am touched. I'm tortured, not heartless. *clears throat* Anyway. Her love for her son is evident. The entire room is full of love for Tyrone, the positive energy is dense and palpable. It seems to fill him up, leaving no empty spaces for irreverence.

The singing continues and at some point my father (stepfather) vanishes. His early departure surprises no one. After another song Grace comes over to our table and passes a cellphone around, displaying a text message for us to read.

"If you sing one more damn song, I'm gonna drive into a goddamn wall."

This message is from my father, the jerk and the cynic. We all laughed hysterically, Grace laughing the loudest. If anything his audacity heightened the spell that we were all under. That's the thing about faith.