Blessed?Perhaps back then.Sitting up, she attempted to run fingers through her tangled hair.“I suppose in a way, yes.I had loving parents, a safe home, and all my needs met.”She cast Omphile a look of contrition.“I know I must sound ungrateful to someone who grew up with so little.”
“You do.”Omphile chuckled.“But I’s learned not to compare myself wit’ others.God places each of us in different places for different purposes.”
“Then my purpose must have been to follow in my parents’ footsteps, preach the Gospel, help the poor.Which is what I wanted to do!I wanted to get married, you see, raise Godly children, and take in orphans.That was the desire God put on my heart.”
“A worthwhile one, Miss.”
“I thought so.”Memories paraded through her thoughts, stopping on a particular one.Jonas.“I was engaged once.To a wonderful man, or so I thought.A physician aboard my brother’s ship.I was so in love.”
Sails thundered above, then caught the wind in a jaunty snap.The ship veered to larboard and Gabrielle clung to the bed for support.
Omphile said naught, merely took Gabrielle’s hand in hers.
“He left me at the altar.Ran off with another woman.”Pain sliced through her heart, opening wounds that had never healed.“I was unwanted, unloved, discarded like so much bilge water.”Tears poured down her cheeks, dripping onto her gown as the horrors of that day returned.
Omphile squeezed Gabrielle’s hand.“I’m so sorry, Miss.”
“Everyone looked at me with pity, even my family.”Anger burned.She welcomed it, for it burned away the pain.“Tell me now about this God of yours!The one I served for years.All I ever asked of Him, all I ever wanted was to get married, have children, and continue His work.Instead, He tore everything away and left me naked and ashamed, not even worthy to be any man’s wife.”
“Oh, Child.I knows dat’s not true.”
Tearing from her grip, Gabrielle stood and took up a pace—a short pace for the cabin was no bigger than three steps.“Since then, I’ve been captured—twice—ravished, and my son stolen.Hence, you tell me how God loves me and answers my prayers!”
Omphile frowned but made no reply.
“Just as I thought.”Gabrielle shot back.
“I’s don’t have answers for you, Miss, but you knows my story.Life isn’t always fair.”
“I do remember your story.What I don’t understand is why you still bother to pray?Why you trust a God who would allow you to suffer so much?”
“Ah, Miss.Dis life is not all there be.Ders so much more beyond what we see.We may not understand why things happen, but if we truly follow the Laud, He turns all out for our good.”
Gabrielle huffed.“I would settle foranythingturning out good.”
“Den be thankful you are alive and well an’ Matthew is too.”
“Perhaps that is more curse than blessing, for what is my life worth now…”—a sob caught in her throat—“without my son?”
“Do you really know de Laud?”
Gabrielle halted and stared at Omphile.“What do you mean?”
“It’s jist, Miss, that de way you talk, seems to me you don’t know Jesus at all.Did you ever know Him or did you jist follow what your parents believed?”
???
Gabrielle couldn’t stop thinking about Omphile’s question.It plagued her the rest of the day, taunted her, defied her every attempt to shove it aside.It didn’t help that they were confined to the tiny cabin with nothing but their own thoughts and fears.
Fears mainly on Gabrielle’s part, for Omphile spent the day either praying or humming as if she hadn’t a care in the world.
When a pirate brought them a tray of food—if one could call it that—the mulatto thanked him, eliciting a strange look from the man, followed by a curse.Regardless, she thanked God for the food before they both gobbled it up.
Though Omphile attempted further conversation about God, Gabrielle insisted they change the subject.She was too hurt, too afraid, her emotions too raw to discuss a God who appeared to be more enemy than friend.
Yet one thought kept nagging her.Either Omphile was mad or the God she prayed to was as real to her as Gabrielle was.Which reminded her of her parents, of course, for they had showed the same zeal, same devotion to God as this woman did.
No matter.Gabrielle waved her hand over her neck, attempting to cool herself.’Twas far too hot to even think.In truth, it took all her strength to keep from continually sobbing for Matthew.
