Wacky Washington #5

“You’re going to what?”

She bit her lip as Nadia spoke, her voice full of incredulity.

“I’m going to ask him to pray for me and the baby.”

“Why? That doesn’t make any sense. He’s just a kid.”

“He’s only four years younger. And besides, he knows things. He always has.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“I knew I shouldn’t have told you. You’re not going to believe me anyway…”

“Tamara, I’m sorry. I’ll listen.”

She shrugged, biting her lip again. “Okay. This is what I know.”

****

He’d almost never been to church before. A wedding once, and a baptism, but otherwise he was totally ignorant of what it was like. Evening services were probably the best environment for him, with their laidback approach. But he only came because we asked him to.

The youth group was meeting for the last time before summer vacation, we were watching the NBA finals on the big screen in the sanctuary after the service was over and everyone else had gone home. Some of us were playing capture the flag in the rest of the church. We had popcorn and chips and soda for the sleepover.

I had finished my last year of high school. He was in my youngest brother’s class. The weird thing was, he was my friend first, because of school plays and student government events. Maybe that’s why he came and sat beside me in the sanctuary after the game was over, instead of playing capture the flag with the others.

“So, how did you like your first church service?” I asked.

He smiled softly. “I liked it. The air is funny here.”

I looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

“The air?”

“It hums.” He shrugged, wrapping his arms around his knees and resting his chin on them. “I can’t say that I’m surprised that it feels so right to be here.”

“Why’s that?”

“Ever since last year, I knew something was happening.”

“What happened last year?”

“Do you remember the election assembly? It was before I got involved in school, I was just a grade nine who didn’t care. But then something happened at the assembly. Everyone walked across the stage to give their speeches.”

“Right, I remember that. It was nerve-wracking.”

“Some of the people on stage looked different.”

“Different?”


“Yeah. This might sound silly, but have you ever seen a movie with actors you don’t know?” I nodded, wondering where he was going. “Well, you still can figure out in a few minutes who the movie is about, right? Who’s a star and who’s an extra, even if you’ve never seen them?”


“I guess so. Maybe it’s a trick of the lighting and make-up and camera angles.”

“Well, probably, but that’s not what I mean. I just mean, you know who’s important for the movie, right? And who’s just extra. Well, something about the people on the stage said they were important. Not extras. So I voted for them.”

“And?”

“And you won. All of the ones I voted for won. And this year you all dragged me into your fun little world. Funny, huh?”

I didn’t think about it for a really long time. I went off to university and only saw him when I came back to visit at church, or once in awhile if he was over hanging out with my brothers. We were friends, but we drifted a bit because I was away, that’s life.

One time when I came back, one of the ladies from choir was pregnant, and was sharing the big news with friends after church. I was standing with him and my brother while she went around with this big smile.

“She’s having a boy,” he whispered to me.

“How do you know? This is the first she’s told anyone about being pregnant.”

“She just is.”

And she did.

****

“Wait, so what?” Nadia said. “He had a lucky guess.”

She bit her lip again and sighed. “Sure, and it’s a fifty-fifty shot. But I’ve heard him do that on five other occasions. He’s always right.”

“So based on that, you’re going to go ask him to pray for you? Like he can work miracles or something?”

“Don’t look at me like I’m crazy. You don’t hang out with him. You haven’t seen his face in church, or watched how he helps kids at school when they have problems. He makes people feel good about themselves, and keeps them from being sad. There’s something about him.”

“I still think you’re crazy.”

“Look, you’re the only person I’ve told that I’m pregnant. My husband Chris doesn’t even know yet. I’m not telling anyone but him for the first three months, just in case something goes wrong. I don’t want to jinx it. I’m only telling you as a control.”

“What do you mean?”

“I believe in him. You don’t. If you’re the only person who knows that I’m pregnant, it will be like a test, to see if he can really do the things I think he can do.”

“Whatever. I still…”

“Think it’s crazy. I know.”

****

Tamara found him after church, standing under the trees out front.

“Hi!” He smiled.

She gave him a big hug.

“Listen, can I ask you a favour?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Don’t ask me why, okay? But could you pray for me? I’ll tell you why later. I just want you to pray for me, okay?”

“Of course.” He nodded. She hugged him again, and started to walk away.

She only got a few steps.

“It’s a girl, in case you’re wondering.”

She smiled to herself and went home.

Nine months later Victoria was born.