BOOK 1: SERENDIPITY / CH. 7:EQUALITY

SUNDAY 18TH JUNE

Sarah didn't live exactly on John's normal route home from church, but it was only a short detour. A short detour which he was glad to make, very glad to make. It was rather silly, he thought, that he wanted to see her so soon after spending almost the whole day together. Maybe the healing they'd prayed for was happening. There it was. Sarah's house.

He'd heard of times when people hardly walked anywhere, even in cities. Funny place, the past. he mused. It seemed Sarah's home dated from that time — he could see the tell-tale patch of different coloured brickwork where there'd once been entrance to the extra room some houses back then had specially for their vehicle. Another strange idea for a city. Wo needed their own car? Why not call for one from the pool if you needed one? They came fast enough. The house was suitable for a family, but needed some attention. He guessed it was her family home. Too full of memories to sell, just like his. John rang the doorbell. She answered in the dress from yesterday, her hair arranged elegantly in a style that worked very well with the dress.

“You look beautiful! Thanks for letting me get it for you.”

“You shouldn't have, you know. If I’d have known how much it would cost I'd have never gone into that shop.”

“I can afford it, and it looked right on you, and it was just what we were after. Not at all unsuitable for church or a date.”

“I just hope you've got dress buying out of your system for a while. I'm wearing more than I spent on books last year.”

“Ah, the joys of student finances. Save on food to buy that extra course book. I remember those days. Upkeep on this house can't have been easy either. I assume this is your family home?”

“Yes. They tried to get me to sell it, but you know... I just couldn't.”

“Too many memories. I know. So what happened? I mean they couldn't let you stay here alone at age ten, surely? And who looked after you anyway? A relatative?”

“Yes, an aunt — Daddy's sister. I kicked up such a fuss at the thought of selling that she rented out her flat and moved in here.”

“Are you going to introduce us one day?”

“Sorry, I can't. She passed away a few years ago. I was just old enough that they didn't put me in state care.”

“I'm sorry.”

“She was a great lady.”

“So, did you have lodgers as a student?”

“Yes, and they understood the house rules about parties, especially after the first time...”

“You had a bad reaction?”

“Your landlady screaming ‘get these people out of here’ while crying in pain does tend to dampen the party spirit.”

“Wow. You're brave, I think I would have gone for a long walk and let them have their party.”

“Well, I considered it, but it was mid-winter.”

“Which reminds me. You're really sure you want to come this afternoon? You're going to be pushing yourself, aren't you?”

“I'll try. If it's too bad then you can make my apologies afterwards. That's one reason that I think lunch is better — I'm not very good company if my head's aching.”

“And the other reason?”

“I guess it's silly of me, but I miss you when we're apart.”

“Interesting phenomenon that... I've been missing you too.”

“Shall we call it love, this strange thing that's happening to us?”

“I think other people probably would, but we could try and hide behind another word.”

“Oh, I don't know if we need to do that. They'll probably see the silly grins on our faces and guess anyway.”

“Yes, you're probably right. A few people said I was looking happy this morning.”

“What did you say?”

“Different people got different answers. Pastor's wife, I guess pastor too by now, knows that I might be in love, and that you don't do crowded places.”

“So, we're officially going out now?”

“It's very hard to argue with God, Sarah, and no matter what we say about anything else, my time for mourning is over. And no matter what yesterday started like, it ended like a date, didn't it?”

“You mean the way you fed me chocolate cake, showered me with expensive gifts, walked me here arm in arm and gave me a kiss as we parted? Yes, that sounds rather like a date.”

“So, I didn't think you'd mind too much. You don't, do you?”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“Of course not, John, I'm very happy that you've decided to admit that you love me.”

“Why do I feel like I've just been called a silly boy?”

“Well, it was only twenty-four hours ago you were proclaiming your confusion, trying to convince me we couldn't be in love, or couldn't know for sure, and then by the evening you were treating me like I'm your fiancée. What changed?”

“The red box.”

“But you thought that and we now know I can hear your unspoken thoughts.”

“When we're touching, when you're listening hard. But we weren't touching. We were walking along the corridor, and I don't think I thought them, it felt much more like prophesy. I mean, why the red box? If it were me, I'd have thought of the engagement ring, surely.”

She laughed. “That, John, is probably the weakest argument you've given me yet. What about the crowds thing? I'm not touching them.” She frowned as another thought came “John, I, I'm rejoicing in your love, not rejecting it, but I'm scared if it's built on such a weak foundation. If it turns out I can sometimes read your mind at a distance, will confusion return? Isn't it safer not to take that red box as prophesy?”

“OK, I'll try not to convince myself it was. But I don't think you'll convince me that your rebuke in the park for refusing to obey God wasn't.”

“Why not, John? We know I'm doing uninhibited things, why couldn't it have been a gut instinct thought that bubbled up to my lips? John, I don't think I really want to be a prophetess, or a mind-reader. I just want to have a mind that can cope with crowds and to have you beside me. All I can foresee from mind reading is that I become hurt from thoughts I hear before you suppress them, that unequal mind reading would end up driving us apart. If we could share each others' thoughts like in some novels I read once, that'd be very romantic and everything, but what about the stray thoughts that would hurt? We don't speak our every thought for good reasons, John. They need censoring.”

John could see she was almost in tears, and could see the truth in her words too. So he held her, and he didn't know if she was listening and if she heard what he thought, but he tried. [I don't want you hurt, I too want you healed. We'll go slowly, and court as long as we both think wise. We'll build love on normal foundations, as normally as we can.] “Are you getting this?”

“Mostly love and patience and reassurance that we'll go slowly. Thank you, John.” And she thought, or prayed silently, [John seems such a special man, oh God. Is this mind reading a blessing or a curse? Should I reject it or accept it, Lord? Will it destroy this love between us or nurture it? Oh, if only we had equality, Lord! If I am to hear John's thoughts, let him hear mine too. Don't let this strange thing tear us apart, please, God!]

“Amen,” John said.

“Pardon?” she answered, shocked.

“You were whispering a prayer, I said amen.”

“What did you hear?”

“What you said of course, well, not all of it, but you said, ‘don't let this strange thing tear us apart, please, God’, and I really wanted to say amen to that.”

“'Do not be unequally yoked’, isn't that what scripture says somewhere, John?”

“Yes. I can't remember where exactly. Paul, I think. Why do I see a smile in your eyes, my love?”

“Because I don't think we're going to be that unequal, my love. Our God is an awesome God. I don't think I was whispering.”

[Can you hear me, John?]

“Your lips stopped moving, but I hear you. How?”

“Let's give the credit to God, can we, John? I was praying that I didn't want to hear your thoughts if you couldn't hear mine.”

John looked at her in amazement. [{Amazement} and God answered.]

[{Awe} yes.]

[And rather than take your gift away...]

[He seems to have given it to both of us.]

[And differently, have you noticed? Not just intentions any more.]

[No. {Fear} What does He want from us, John, that He gifts us so?]

[{Reassurance} Trust, I'm sure, love. Our trust and love and putting Him first whatever happens. Our amazing God is good, we can trust Him.]

[Whatever we face?]

[Yes, whatever we face.]

[{Love}]

[{Love,reassurance,joy}]

[{Hunger}]

“You're hungry.”

“Oh, you heard that too?”

“Yes. My love, I think perhaps we shouldn't hug so closely.” [{Love, excitement, resolve} Too tempting.] “It's nice sharing thoughts, but maybe we should wait to share our every emotion. Can we see what happens if we just hold hands?”

“Yes, let's. That was pretty intense. There seems to be some kind of feedback, too.”

“And since you're hungry, how about we start walking, rather than standing in your hallway?”

“Ooh, what a good idea. I'll just put my shoes on, if you let me have my hand back.”

----------------------------------------

“In the interests of scientific discovery...” [I think I like thinking to you] “should we do some kind of range check?”

[Why not? You can still hear me?]

[Yes.]

[And just linking fingers?]

[Yes.]

[And separated by a bit?]

“Nothing.”

“You try something.” Sarah said.

[One two, buckle my shoe, you've pretty toes and I'm going to kiss you.]

“In public?”

“How much did you get?”

“You're going to kiss me.”

“So intentions work better.”

“Seems like it. Let me try something else...” [I want that kiss!]

“Your wish is my command, my love.”

[{Pleasure} Love you, John.]

[{Nice} Love you too, Sarah.]

[Love you lots. {Pleasure, desire}]

[{Pleasure, concern}]

“John, I think that perhaps long kisses...”

“Are also on the not yet list? I agree.” He laughed. “Let's make sure we get married before we add breathing to that list.”

“John, was that a proposal?”

“I love you, Sarah, more and more each minute it seems, but no, it wasn't meant as one. It's too soon yet.”

“But you're expecting to propose one day?”

“Yes, Sarah, right now I'm expecting that I'll propose to you one day, but...”

“No decisions this soon. I know. John, how long was your engagement to Sally?”

“Well, we'd known each other for a long time, remember.”

“So, what, 3 months?”

“Weeks, actually.”

“And how long had you been going out when you asked her?”

[{Embarrassed }]

“Hey, I got that and we're only holding hands. It was your first date, wasn't it?”

“She didn't answer right away though. Said she wanted a month to think about it.” [And then said yes the next day.]

[I heard that.]

[Love you.] “We'd been in and out of each others' homes for years, Sarah. We knew each other really well, it's almost like we'd been going out for a decade.”

“Whereas we've known each other for under a week, so no matter how we feel...”

“We need to have time, yes, love. Maybe even some time when we don't see each other every day.”

[Out of sight and out of each others minds?]

[Absence makes the heart grow fonder...]

[Familiarity breeds contempt...]

[Not so far, my love.]

“You know, I don't even know where you live. Is it far?”

“No, just round the corner there.”

“Nice area. You could buy that house when you first married? Impressive.”

“Well, our parents helped a lot, then after the attack, well, Sally was an only child, and the courts decided that her parents had died before her, so she inherited their house from them for a second or so and thus I ended up inheriting both parental homes. I'm not sure what would have happened otherwise, but they seemed to think it was important. I sold her parents' house to finish paying for this, and I’m renting out my parents' home. Anyway, welcome to my home, my love.”

“Very nice.”

“I'll just go and finish lunch. It's mostly prepared, so it shouldn't take long.”