The Wisdom of Solomon

Tony sat with his head down thinking before he smiled and looked the doctor in the eye. "I want what everybody wants Doc, I want everything."

"What do you mean by everything?" The therapist asked.

"I guess I mean I want to be happy, I want to be loved, I want a family and a good job and good friends. I guess I want everything."

"And you don't have that now?"

"I've got a screwed up marriage, I love a woman that did something so horrible I have trouble even thinking about it, I have a son whose diaper I changed for the first time last week, and a, I don't know what to call her, a step-daughter that I have trouble even looking at. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Bria, it's just that she makes me feel things for Shari that I don't want to feel, mostly anger. No, I don't hate Bria, she didn't do anything wrong."

"So to summarize what you said you want a loving wife, children, and friends. And you don't feel you have that now."

'Yeah, I guess that about sums it up."

"Okay my second question. What would you settle for if you couldn't have everything you just described?"

"Wow, that's a tough one. I guess I'd settle for peaceful, loving family, Shari and Brian. If I have them then I have everything."

The therapist just sat looking a Tony wondering how he was going to proceed.

"My third question to you is, what do you think is going to happen? Look two years in the future and tell me what you see."

Tony sat back and thought. He thought about it for a long time. Finally Dr. Simón had to interrupt him.

"Tony, can you answer the question?"

Tony looked up at him with tears in his eyes and said, "I don't see a future. I only see heartache and pain. I don't see Shari and I together. I don't see Brian. Hell, I don't even see Bria anymore. I don't see anything good, I only see despair."

For the rest of the hour they talked about Tony's vision of the future. His prophesies were dark and bleak and it took a lot of convincing for Tony to begin to think that his was one of many possible futures: Some were happy and some not. Dr. Simón asked him to think of another path that would be end in happiness for everybody and to tell him about it the next time they got together.

Before Tony left his office Dr. Simón asked one final question, one that wasn't on his original list. "Tony, do you believe in miracles?"

Tony gave the therapist a funny look before answering. "Doc, there are a lot of things in this world that I can't explain. I call those miracles. There are things that happen for reasons I can't understand. I call those miracles too. There are miracles everywhere, happening all the time. Some divine hand guides us every day to places we would have never imagined going. So to answer your question, yes I do believe in miracles. Why? Are you saying we're going to need a miracle to get past our problems?"

The doctor held up one hand and said, "No, that's not what I'm saying at all. Some problems are easy to solve and some are not. Some really big ones require a miracle or two. I'm not saying you need a miracle, I'm saying that if a miracle happened to appear before you I wouldn't turn and look the other way if I were you."

Tony left wondering about the last bit of their conversation. "Miracles?"

Day 40

A couple weeks later Tony was working in the front yard when he saw a taxi pull up and Violet Solomon get out. She walked her slow pace and Tony walked over to greet her.

"Hello again Mr. Mason," the little woman said with her slow, sweet drawl. "I wonder if I can have some of your time. I talked to Shari the other day and she told me what you two are going through and I'm here to ask you something. Can we go up on the porch and sit down and talk for a bit?"

"Certainly. Do you want to talk to Shari too?"

"That would be good since what I have to say concerns both of you."

Violet sat down at the picnic table and Tony stuck his head in the front door and yelled, "Shari, we've got company. Come out here please."

Shari appeared and with wide eyes said, "Violet, what are you doing here?"

"Shari dear, please sit down. Sit next to your husband. I have a lot to say to the both of you."

"Wait just a minute." Shari disappeared back in the house and in a minute came out with a tray of iced tea.

Violet took a sip and started. "Shari, Tony, first of all I want to apologize to you for the way I barged into your home and told you things that you maybe didn't want to hear. Now, put your hands down, I don't want you interrupting me until I've said what I came here to say. Sit still and listen. Okay, now where was I? Oh yes. I'm also sorry for what my grandson did. Denzel was a good man. That war did things to him and he came back to me a broken man. I prayed every day for his salvation but he didn't get it on earth. I hope he finds forgiveness in heaven. I won't know for sure until I join him but until then I'll continue to pray for his soul."

Violet took a sip of her tea and continued. "Ah, that's good tea. Tony, son, listen to me. I called Shari the other day to find out how you two were doing and she told me. She told me about the therapy, and that's a good thing, keep it up, and she told me how you feel about little Bria. Bria is Denzel's daughter and I know it hurts you to even look at her. I can understand how you feel but from what Shari told me it's going to be very difficult for you to stay in the same house with her. I don't want to see my grandbaby cause two fine young people such as yourselves to hate each other and possibly cause a divorce. I've prayed and prayed that you two find a solution to your problems. Last night I dreamed about my boy and he told me what we can do.

"Tony, Shari, what I'm about to say may be the answer to my prayers and a solution to your problems. If you are willing to listen to me for a minute more and keep an open mind I will tell you what might be the best thing for everybody."

Shari and Tony just looked at each other with puzzled looks. They turn and almost in unison said, "We're listening."

Day 365

It's been exactly one year since the twins were born. A lot has happened in that year, an awful lot. Shari and Tony are still together and continue to talk about their feelings and their future. They firmly believe there is a future for them now. They meet with Dr. Simón every week and he's helped them more than they care to admit. For a while there things looked dark with only a faint glimmer of hope. Now they see a strong flickering flame. It's funny how things turn out.

Today the whole family was over to celebrate Brian and Bria's first birthday. The cake and ice cream are gone and all the presents opened. Tony's mother and father worked in the dining room cleaning up the mess on the table while Shari's parents worked in the kitchen putting the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Tony's sister and her husband flitted back and forth making sure everything was put away where it should be. Tony leaned against the side of the dining room door watching the activity around him. There was a smile on his face. He felt something that he hasn't felt much over the past year. He's happy. Before him in the living room is a scene that in his wildest dreams he couldn't have imagined. Violet Solomon sat on the couch watching her grandson Clarence (the cop) and his wife Sue Ann on the floor playing with the toddlers and all their new toys. Shari sat next to Violet with her head on Violet's shoulder, holding her hand. They both had ear to ear smiles as they watched the melee at their feet. It's been said that a child's first birthday is a monumental occasion for any parent and certainly today was no different, judging by the smiles on everyone's face.

"Shari honey, we've got to be going," Shari's mother announced as she pushed past Tony into the living room. "Yeah, we've got to go too." This time it's Tony's dad speaking as he walked from the kitchen wiping his hands on a dishtowel. Everyone else started to stir, looking around for their belongings, getting ready to leave. Tony never moved from the doorway.

Tony said goodbye to Shari's parents, his sister and her husband, and his mom and dad. The last ones to the door were Miss Violet, Clarence, who is carrying Brian, and his wife, who has Bria in her arms.

Clarence passed Brian over to Shari and Sue Ann gave Bria to Tony.

A beaming smile of joy broke out on Sue Ann's face as she wrapped her arms around Shari and gave her a giant hug. Clarence reached out his giant maw of a hand and gently placed it on Tony's shoulder, he too smiled. Sue Ann looked at Tony and finally back at Shari. Tears filled the bottom of her eyes as she said, "Shari, Tony, Clarence and I can't thank you enough for everything you've given us. The Lord has truly blessed us. He has blessed us by leading you to us with your kind hearts and gentle souls. I wasn't on speaking terms with Him ever since we found out we couldn't have children, I was angry for a long time. And then He sent you to our door. Of course Miss Violet led the way but it was your love that gave us a family. We love Bria and always will. Thank you so much for asking us to be a part of your family. Thank you again for letting us adopt Bria. She has made us truly happy. Now your family and our family are forever joined, joined by love and little children. I will thank God above every day for allowing us to be a part of your family. Thank you again, and may God bless."

Sue Ann reached out to take Bria from Tony. Before he handed her off Tony kissed Bria on the forehead. Clarence, Sue Ann, and Bria started down the sidewalk where the other family members had gathered in the driveway.

Miss Violet stood on the porch watching her grandson and his wife walk out to their car with their baby daughter. "Tony, Shari, if I might have a word with you please," she said turning back to the door. Her eyes sparked as she took their hands in hers and smiled up at them. "Dear ones, you've done more of God's work than you can ever know. You've made an old woman very happy first of all, but the biggest thing you did was to join two families together with love. Clarence and Sue Ann are good people, just like the two of you, and when you opened up your hearts and let them in you created something that goes way beyond race, way beyond just about everything of earthly value. You created a family, a single extended family, the Mason's and the Solomon's, a family joined by love and filled with the sounds of children. God has blessed us with your gift and you have blessed Brian and Bria with two fathers and two mothers who will love them forever. God has truly blessed us with your love. Thank you Tony. Thank you Shari."

The old woman turned and slowly inched her way out to the waiting car.

"And thank you for your wisdom," Shari whispered in Tony's ear. Shari smiled and kissed her husband's cheek and then the top of Brian's head.

Miss Violet stopped half way down the sidewalk and turned. "And thank God for people like you," she said with her sweet slow southern drawl. "We'll see you Sunday after church for dinner." Then she slowly turned and hobbled out to where the rest of her extended family waited.