I wanted to scream as I looked in my bathroom mirror. I had another pimple. Right there! Right on my jawline. It was big and painful, and I wanted to scream. Ugh! Did I mention that I wanted to scream? I rolled my eyes as I washed my face before I took a shower.
Once I was bedtime ready, I went to the kitchen for a nighttime snack. I debated between a bowl of cereal and a blueberry muffin. I seriously need to go grocery shopping. As my mind went on autopilot, I began to make a bowl of cereal. Before I knew it, I was eating a bowl of cereal.
After getting semi-full, I went to my bedroom and picked up my phone off the dresser. I laughed when I saw I had eight missed calls from my cousin. I called her as I got in bed.
She answered on the first incomplete ring. "You either at his house or trying to hide something from me. It's been 24 hours, and I need to know what happened on your date with Zeke."
I lightly laughed, "Hey, Monica! How are you, cousin? Oh, me? I'm fine."
"Ain't nothing funny over here, over there, or anywhere," she fussed.
"Okay... I'll stop laughing," I exhaled my last chuckle. "The date with Zeke was cool. I'll never forget it." I went into detail about the gondola date. Monica had me near tears with her oohs and aahs. Then, I hit her with the "until he started talking about going to Los Angeles, California with him."
"WHAT?!" Monica exclaimed. "Zeke bought you a plane ticket to live with him in California?"
"Monica, I didn't say all that. He asked me to go to California."
"To live with him, right? Get married and have twins?" Monica teased me.
I rolled my eyes. "No."
Monica chuckled, "I'm just playing, girl. So, what did you tell him?"
I blew air from my mouth as I peeled the remaining polish off my finger nails. "I told him that I would think about it."
"Jamie, what's wrong with you? Zeke is a celebrity! He's rich and giving you an opportunity."
I knew she would say that. "Monica, I don't know him well enough. He could be lying about trying to help me and just want to sleep with me."
"Did he say you had to pay him? Do you have to come out of pocket for anything?"
"No. He said he'd cover all my expenses and pay my rent until my lease is up."
"Cousin, I love you, but you actin' stupid."
"I am not stupid!" I told her.
Monica said, "You say you want to be a singer and a songwriter. You go to a talent show that's going to air on national TV, and instead of getting picked for the show, you get a phone number from the creator of the show who just-so-happens to be Zeke Rivers. That's like going to a Michael Jackson concert, and M.J. dedicates the moonwalk to you. That's like watching Michael Jordan play in-person, and M.J. throws the ball to you. That's like when you dropped out of college and didn't tell yo parents, and M.J. let you move back home - no rent for you."
I rolled my eyes, yet again. "I see what you're doing, but my mom's initials are not M.J."
"The M stands for mama, and the J stands for her name - Jackie. Back to my point. You faced your fears even though that could've been your last day here on earth. All I'm saying is that you only get one life. You can either take risks or be like Adam Sandler in the movie Click. Girl, that's my movie! I think I'm gonna watch that when I get off the phone with you."
"Are you done, Monica?"
"Girl, yeah."
I cleared my throat. I opened my mouth to speak, but my thoughts were still running a marathon.
"Friday." We spoke in unison.
"I knew we should've been sisters. Yo mama just had to be my daddy's sister," Monica chuckled.
"No ma'am." I slowly shook my head.
Figurately, we put it in stone. After I get off work on Friday, I will call Zeke and give him my answer. An hour later, we got off the phone and I went to bed.
When I woke up, I was glad it was Tuesday morning. Thankfully, Friday was three long days away. When I got to work, I was surprised to see Dave's car in the parking lot. His routine is he either comes in on Mondays and not Tuesdays or the other way around. With all that's been happening these past few days, I hope no one else decided to quit.
I went inside the building and all the lights were on, even the break room lights, which is where I went. After putting my things away, I walked to Dave's office. "Good morning, Mr. Dave. Oh!"
A.B. sat behind Dave's desk. He smiled at me. "Good morning, Jamie."
"Sorry. I saw Mr. Dave's car outside, and I thought he was here."
"He won't be in today."
I asked, "Is he okay? Did something happen?"
"He's okay. Actually, he let me borrow his car after mine wouldn't start yesterday. He helped me take it to the mechanic shop. Then, he asked if I would be interested in working here until Friday. I couldn't refuse."
"Oh... I'm glad everything worked out, and I hope your car gets fixed soon."
"Thank you."
I could've made an exit, but I didn't want to be awkward. I asked him, "So are you ready to work here for the next three days?"
"I'm ready. Got the keys to open and close the store, too."
I arched my brow. "Open and close? That's a 12 hour shift."
"I'll be taking long breaks," A.B. grinned. "Plus, I've worked 12 hour shifts before... in a warehouse." He picked up his phone. "It's 7:20 a.m. right now. I already opened the registrar, turned on the lights, and unlocked the break room. You can sit here until eight if you want." He pointed at the chair in the corner.
I took a seat. "Will you still need training?"
"Yes," A.B. nodded his head. "This is only my second day."
True. I asked, "But why are you in Mr. Dave's office?"
"I'm taking his job for the week."
Must be nice to have family that have their own business. No interview. Just a fast track to manager position. At the same time, A.B. seems like an intelligent person. Unlike myself, he graduated from college, even if it was from community college.
I spoke up, "Can I ask you something?"
A.B. smiled, "Go ahead."
I clasped my hands together. "If you had one week to make the biggest decision of your life, how would you decide on what to do without stressing or overthinking it?"
A.B. picked up the book that was open in front of him. He slightly closed it to show me the cover.
"The Bible?" I questioned.
"Yes. God's Word has gotten me through many situations. That's why I try to read it every day."
"Every-single-day? Are you religious?" I asked him.
"Yes, I try to read it daily - at least a chapter a day or a few verses. No, I'm not religious. I used to be, because I thought that's what being a believer in God was all about. Thankfully, He revealed to me the error in my ways. He showed me that I was living lukewarm, which is not how a follower of Jesus should live. Now that I have a relationship with God, I know better. All because I picked up this Bible and continuously read it, study it, and live by it."
My brows merged. "Do you go to church every Sunday, too?"
"No. It's not about church attendance. No one can work their way into Heaven. I believe that seeking Him daily with all my heart and living as He's called me to live is what's important. Reading the Bible and studying it revealed that to me. It reveals the truth."
I asked, "What the truth?"
A.B. patiently answered, "The Good News, the Gospel. You may've heard that Jesus suffered and died on the cross for our sins. You also may've heard that he rose from the dead and continues to live. I think people hear this and think they can pick and choose to live however they want, just be a good person, because Jesus' death wiped away our sins. Right?"
A.B. shook his head, "That never made much sense to me until I got a better understanding. Why would I be okay with accepting a gift worth more than my life from someone who suffered so much to give it to me? So, I just take it without acknowledging Him, telling Him thank you or even trying to learn more about Him? Like, He saved my life. Shouldn't I know more than His name? When I read the Bible, that's when I learned the truth. If I'm going to accept this free gift, I have a choice to make. I'm either going to accept this gift and follow the one who gave it to me or I'm going to tell them no thanks, I have my own plans and things that I want for my life."
My eyes grew wide when I heard that. "I thought Jesus died for everyone, even those that don't believe in him."
"He did, at the same time, God is not going to force any of us to accept Jesus just because. God gave us Jesus so that we can now go to Him without anything else in the way. All we need is Jesus to get to know God. In return, you get the gift that no one can afford. On the other hand, if you choose to not follow God just know that is your choice, but you can't think that you can misuse that gift. We can't think that we can choose both God and another god. That's telling God that His love, His Word, His power is not so big and great. That's saying all that He is and has is limited and we have to add to it to make it better. As His creation, we can never add to the Creator, but He can and will always add to us. I hope that isn't confusing. I can sometimes get long winded when I talk about God."
I spoke, "Actually, what you said makes sense. It's interesting. Like, when you say you live it, like you're living as God called you to live... what does that look like? Because you don't go to church every Sunday. Are you a Christian or do you have another belief system?"
With ease, A.B stated, "I follow the Christian faith. I read the Holy Bible that is God's Word. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God's Hebrew name is Yahuah. He gives us morals, standards to follow. If we say we love God, we should want to treat others and ourselves with love, too. It's not easy, sometimes, it's harder than doing what you want, because this world is full of temptation and misguidance. We naturally want to please ourselves. When you have plans to be someone important in the world, who then is God? But if you choose His will by living for Christ, God will make you special in His plans. That's how much He loves His people. Nothing in this world can give you what He can. People can award you, praise you, and feed you vanity, but He can fulfill you, love you, and save you. His gift lasts longer than gifts made in the world. Those gifts will perish, but His gift lasts forever. That's the difference."
A.B. continued, "I don't want to offend you or anyone you know, but there's a lot of people that go to church every week, sometimes more, and they still don't know who God is. Religion is their god - following rules enforced by people who have to show how saved they are on the outside. They can quote the Bible. They know all the gospel songs. They definitely look the part, yet their heart is far from Him. When you live to please God and not people, you'll know how to live. The only way to God is through Yahusha HaMashiah - Jesus Christ. That's in the Bible - John 14:6."
I've never heard this kind of talk before. "I'm sorry I have all these questions. Are you a preacher's kid or something?"
He smiled, "No, and you can ask me as many questions as you like."
"So, do I need to read the Bible to make a big decision without stressing about it?"
A.B. replied, "It sounds too simple, but it really is that simple. Jamie, don't stress about your decision. Years ago, before I was saved, I used to get upset, overwhelmed, and sometimes depressed. I used to be afraid of making decisions, because I was always anxious about the outcome, but God gave me peace. He's helped me with my temper, He gave me patience, and He took my burdens. Now, I just pray and give it to God. If I make the wrong decision, I know that I should confess it to God and pray that He gives me strength to overcome. Matthew 6:31-34 says to seek God first, and He'll take care of all your needs. Don't worry about what you will eat, drink, or wear. Tomorrow has it's own things going on. Focus on today. You know? More importantly pray before making a decision. God will hear you and direct your path. Don't try to get ahead of Him or say God told you to make that decision when you know He didn't. Do what's right and honorable to Him if you're going to choose Him."
I should've left it at that, but my ears were intrigued. "Then, how will I know if I've made the right decision? Will God forgive me if it's a mistake? Like, will He give me a sign?"
"God doesn't overlook the things we do wrong, but He does forgive us. It's very important that if you choose to live for God that you repent. You do that by leaving your old habits, the things you learned from the world. And instead, you take on the new and good things that God has for you. Those things can be found in the Bible. You are saved when you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that on the third day he rose from the dead. Jesus defeated death, and He still lives. That's in Romans 10. Believers don't always get it right, but that's why God gave us His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit or some say the Holy Ghost is from God, and it teaches us what's good and pleasing to Him. That's why you feel bad when you sin or feel good when you do good things that please God. It takes time to learn all of this, even trying to make sense of it. However, when you really want God in your life, you'll make time for Him. Trust me. He'll show you who He is, too."
It sounded easy and hard at the same time. It would definitely take time away from my constant thoughts about going to California with Zeke. "Maybe I could understand the Bible like how you'll do Mr. Dave's job."
A.B. chuckled, "No one is a complete expert when it comes to reading and studying the Word. That's why we need to read and study it as much as possible, ask questions, and allow God to reveal to us certain things when we need it most. If the Bible was like any other book, there would be no need for it. And it wasn't always a book, but it gives you life and guides us through trials and tribulations. It's God's Word." A.B.'s phone vibrated. He picked it up and closed his Bible.
I stood up. "I didn't mean to talk up all your time. Thanks for answering my questions."
"You didn't take up all my time. Thanks for being open-minded to what I had to say. Most people would've ran out of here as soon as I picked up the Bible, but you stayed and were engaged."
I nodded my head, "I probably would have if it was anyone else. You sounded sincere. I'm gonna get to work now."
"Go ahead. I'll be here if you need anything," A.B. smiled at me.
I walked out the office and headed to the entrance to turn on the Open sign. That's when my eyes caught the morning sky. It was dark and gray all over. I didn't know it was going to rain. I wonder what the forecast was for the week. My thoughts about the weather were immediately removed when a small bird landed on the door's handle. It was all shades of brown with hints of black. It chirped a beautiful song of a few seconds before it flew onto a nearby tree. I bet the sparrow had nothing to worry about.