The darkened shadows draped Kezia Martin as she walked along the deserted road, with thoughts of the possible scenarios that could follow. Feeling a sudden chill, she pulled her flimsy jacket around her a little tighter in a futile effort of reassurance. If only she had checked the fuel gauge before setting off she wouldn't be in this predicament now, but she had been in such a hurry the thought never crossed her mind. Now she chastised herself for her stupidity.
Good Friday was two days away and she still had 600 miles to cover to reach home. Home, Kezia thought tearfully. How would she ever make it in time? And what if she didn't make it? Kezia was overwhelmed by fears of mass murderers and serial rapists crossing her path preventing her from returning to the place of her childhood for Easter.
"...yea though I walk
through the valley
of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil,
for You are with me..."
Suddenly the comforting words of Psalm 23 flooded her mind and Kezia felt a peace enveloping her, and she smiled. Here she was going home to celebrate Christ's Resurrection with her family and at the first sign of uncertainty she panics. No, Kezia told herself adamantly, she will be fine. With a host of guardian angels watching over her though she cannot see them Kezia knows her safety is guaranteed. And in that blessing she finds her peace.
Then as if in answer to her prayers, Kezia sees the sweeping headlights in her path coming from behind her. She turns to see the vehicle slowing down, and silently utters a prayer of thanks. Help has arrived.
Kezia went back to where the lights were shining on the wet road, hugging her thin jacket closer around her chest. She walked around to the passenger side, remembering warnings about approaching from the driver's side. A window slid open.
"Hello!" said a young man who reminded Kezia of Tom Welling ( Smallville). "What's a young girl like you doing out here in this dark lonely place?"
"Thank you for stopping," replied Kezia. I ran out of gas and was going on foot to find a gas station."
"You're lucky in that there's a gas station right up ahead; you can't see it because of the high hill. Hop in; I'll lend you my jerry can and drive you back to your car."
"That's very kind of you," Kezia answered. She had hardly closed the car door when a flash of lightening lit up the sky and a loud thunder roared in the distance. Suddenly they were caught in a thrashing thunderstorm.
"Wow…that was close!" The young man had a pleasant smile, and black wire-rimmed eye glasses showed intelligent brown eyes. Kezia felt reassured in his presence. "My name is Tom ("His name is Tom, too," Kezia smiled to herself.) Howard. I'm a vet; it's Spring and local farm animals are giving births all hours of the day and night."
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Kezia Martin, and I'm, or I was before my car ran out of gas, on my way to St. Louis to spend the Easter holidays with my family. I'm a special education teacher."
They drove slowly up the hill. Upon reaching the top Kezia noticed that indeed there was a station at the bottom and felt a little more confident. "At least I'll be filled up with gas and on my way," she said to herself, "and won't bother this young vet any longer."
Arriving back at her car, Kezia allowed Tom to fill her car tank and turned to thank him. "Thank you so much; I really appreciate all your help." Tom nodded and they shook hands. Kezia got into her car, waved and drove off in the rain, which had in the meantime turned into a soft misty drizzle.
Little did she know that when she finally arrives at her final destination she will be in for a very big surprise.
As Keiza hangs her coat on the coat rack. She heard "Kezia is that you?"
She turned around and said "Oh my gosh I don't beleive it Aimee I have not seen you in years how have you been?"
"Fine." Aimee replies. "I have something to tell you."
"What is it?" Kezia asked.
Aimee replies, "Kezia I am your sister."
"What? "We have been friends for such a long time of course I am your sister."
"No," Aimee replies. "I am your real sister. You see Kezia when you were born you had a twin and that is me. I know it is Easter and all but it is true, so Happy Easter Kezia."
"Happy Easter to you too, Aimee. We have so much to talk about and to catch up on. I always wondered why we were always so close." Kezia said.
Suddenly Aimee looks up and says. "Oh My Word I don't believe it there is Tom."
Kezia looked around. Tom said, "Hello Kezia."
"Hello," Kezia replied.
Aimee says, "Kezia that is your father."
Kezia says, "But I was adopted. Tom, how could you be my father?"
"It is Easter Kezia, lets just sit down and have dinner. May this be the best Easter that you ever will have." Tom said.
Kezia was not only suprised she had 2 family members that she never knew that she had. Kezia said this sure will be the best Easter. ever.
Kezia approached the dining room and felt a swelling of gratitude for this moment. A gorgeous display of fine foods and twinkling candles overwhelmed her senses. All the troubles she experienced along the way to get here had been worth it.
The others came in to join her when a sudden breeze danced through the room, playing tricks with the flames and kissing their cheeks ever so lightly. Everyone giggled playfully.
”Where on earth did that come from?” Delighted Dana, Kezia’a adopted mother, happy to finally be able to give Kezia the gift of meeting her real father.
“Maybe it wasn’t from ‘on earth!’” added little Tim, whose autism seemed to have left him with a sixth sense.
And with that, everyone was quiet for a moment looking as if they were pondering his suggestion, a bit in fear at first but growing in excitement as they realized the potential of his meaning.
No sooner than they began to settle in to find their place cards at the table, another breeze bubbled through and this time twirled all the cards up in the air where they remained in suspended animation.
Everyone stood in shock as they stared at the cards, mouths agape, no one saying a word. Little Tim was smiling huge with a giddiness that seemed ready burst through him at the seams and then he spoke;
“Can you smell them!? The roses! Can you smell them?”
Everyone slowly moved their heads from the cards to Tim and began sniffing the air, their faces contorting from shock to delight:
“Oh my gosh!”
“I can smell them!”
“It’s like being in a rose garden!”
“What the $%&^?” (That was pop).
And then the cards gently descended, falling back into place on the table as if they’d never been touched by the rose-scented breeze.
Everyone stood in silence for a few moments when finally the only noise came from, Little Tim. “Rosalyn, Rosalyn.” He sniffed at the air, “Smells like roses!” Everyone sniffed again and nodded in agreement. As everyone sat down at the table, Kezia looked at Little Tim and said, “Little Tim, who’s Rosalyn?” Little Tim rocked back and forth in his seat nervously and looked at Dana, Tim and then Aimee. Dana went to Kezia and hugged her shoulders tightly and then said, “Rosalyn was a very close friend of mine and she loved roses. She had such beautiful rose gardens. I always told her that she had that magic touch when it came to them….a real green thumb!”
Everyone enjoyed a beautiful Easter dinner….A gorgeous ham in the middle of the table garnished with spring flowers, bunny bread and dip, rosemary garlic buttered new potatoes, spring salad, southern buttermilk biscuits, minted baby carrots, sweet and nutty holiday peas, simple baby asparagus and to end the meal, strawberry angel cake.
As they gathered in the study for after-dinner tea, Kezia was admiring all of the books placed neatly on the shelves. She ran her fingers ever-so lightly along the bindings, she suddenly stopped at one book titled, A Million Roses and removed it from it’s resting place. She opened the hard cover and read on the inside, “To my dearest friend, Dana, may you always remember the smell of beautiful rose gardens.” love, Rosalyn.
Kezia closed the book and began flipping through the pages when something flew out. She bent down to retrieve the escaping object and realized it was a picture; a picture of a beautiful woman standing in a rose garden. Kezia felt a strong sense of calm wash over her as she looked at the picture and realized Dana was standing at her side.
Kezia turned and said, “She’s a very beautiful woman. I feel like I know her somehow.”
Dana replied, “Yes, she is indeed beautiful. That is my friend, Rosalyn in one of her many rose gardens.”
"I love Rose Gardens" replied Keiza and Dana just smiled back. It had been a long and exciting day for Keiza and as her family sat down around the hearth to enjoy the fine evening and share memories - It dawned on her that the man in front of her - her father - Tom - he was the same man that stopped to help her with her car.
"Tom" said Keiza "Or should I say Dad, Thank you for your help back out on the road. I don't know what I would have done if you wouldn't have come along"
"It's no problem Keiza - little did I know that when I stopped to help you I was helping out my own daughter. I never thought we'd get to meet."
"I know" said Keiza as she turned toward Aimee, "and you Aimee - we've been friends for so long that finding out you were my real sister seems the most normal thing in the world."
As the family sat around the warm living room reliving old memories and sharing stories Keiza thought about that old saying: "Sometimes you just need to stop and smell the roses" - She was done rushing through life now. She found her home, her family.
This Easter definitely taught her that all things come full circle. Wasn't that the story behind Easter anyway? We all find our way home with a little belief , and thoes we think are gone forever - are only a rose garden away.