Solomon's Porch (19 page)

It took him a second to respond, but of course Peter knew who Alex was. Anyone over thirty who owned a television set had seen Alex Anderson’s face at least a thousand times.

“Yes sir. I know who you are,” Peter replied.

“Do you know why I am here?”

To Peter, this seemed like a lame question, unworthy of someone of Alex Anderson’s stature. He was exhausted and in no mood for foolishness.

“You’re here, I suppose, to cover what happened today. Well, let me save you some effort. I have no comment and neither does my son, Mrs. Morgan, or Miss McCorkle.”

“That’s not why I’m here, Panos Kallistos.”

It was the way Alex pronounced it, slowly and expressively. Panos Kallistos. The name rolled off his tongue as if he’d been saying it everyday for years. Peter’s spirit received the message, he knew what was happening.

“Lord have mercy,” Peter sighed. “It must be time, isn’t it Mr. Anderson?”

“Yes it is, Peter, and please, call me Alex. The Lord says you must now begin speaking to the world.”

Twelve

For Peter Carson, the two weeks following the spectacle of Judge Grove’s flamboyant suicide were busy ones. His life was taking another dramatic turn, and Peter was doing his best to keep up, to walk the path the Lord had set for him.

Through the miracle of paperwork, and by manipulating the Byzantine Bureau of Prisons bureaucracy, Gail McCorkle managed to create the illusion that Federal prisoner number BP-
7617
R
4
, Mr. Peter Carson, had been temporarily reassigned to an Atlanta area facility for “administrative purposes.” This was a deliberate deception, but one made in accordance with His will. Gail knew that the procedural shuffle created by this fictitious relocation would take fourteen to twenty days to unravel. By then, Peter needed to be back at Parkersboro anyway.

Alex Anderson’s estate sits on forty bucolic acres to the west of Atlanta. Nestled in the green rolling hills of Georgia, Alex’s “gentleman’s farm,” as he calls it, was the ideal setting for Alex and Peter to discuss both the future and the past.

Julie and Kevin had driven with Alex, Peter, and Gail straight from the courthouse to the estate. With help from the Spirit, they were able to do so surreptitiously, and once on Alex’s grounds, they were safely tucked away from the world’s prying eyes, at least for awhile.

The lurid story of the double life of Harmon Duke Grove had some staying power, especially since several of the more fantastic aspects of the affair could not be credibly confirmed, nor were they being denied, by any of the witnesses.

Mr.’s Palmer and Kemp, transformed overnight from bush league lawyers to minor media celebrities, swore on national television that they were “paralyzed and muted” by an “invisible force” in Judge Grove’s courtroom. Also, they would not back off their assertion that Peter Carson’s lawyer, a mysterious Mr. A.A. Gabriel, had shown a “tape” of Judge Grove’s indiscretions without the use of a VHS, DVD, or any other electronic playback device.

Adding fuel to the speculative fire was the U.S. Attorney in Atlanta who, despite refusing to publicly say anything about what he personally experienced, off the record confirmed his office had in its possession “prints of images” of Judge Grove engaging in illicit sex. Also, he would not deny Kemp and Palmer’s contention that everyone in the courtroom was somehow mysteriously “frozen.”

Perhaps the biggest mystery was the existence, or rather the lack thereof, of Mr. A.A. Gabriel, Esq. Astoundingly, in the middle of a sealed and guarded crime scene, the man had simply disappeared. No record of an “A.A. Gabriel” could be found with the Georgia Bar, or any other State Bar Association, or the American Bar Association.

The press was in a fever-pitch to interview Peter Carson and Julie Morgan. Warden McCorkle’s paper shuffle, and God’s grace, kept them away from Peter. Julie simply left word with her mother that she and Kevin were alive and well, but did not want to be found. Their unavailability only added to the intrigue.

There was no way Alex Anderson’s presence in the courtroom could be disguised or denied, nor did he want it to be. Alex issued a brief statement to his professional colleagues saying that “after further research and review” he would be “reporting on the tragic events witnessed.”

In the days following their arrival at the estate, Alex helped Julie find a quality family law attorney, who both formally ended her pursuit of the parental rights case against Peter, and filed the necessary paperwork for her to begin the process of divorcing Walter Morgan.

A week after the “Tragedy in Courtroom B,” as the press had now labeled the episode, Walter Morgan received notice through his attorneys that he was facing an indictment on Federal corruption charges. Shortly thereafter, Julie’s plea for divorce was served on him. In response, Walter retreated into alcohol and isolation. He made no attempt to either find or to communicate with his wife and stepson.

No doubt the happiest and most content person on the Anderson compound was Kevin Carson. He refused to let his father out of his sight without protest, fearing that if he did, someone might take him away from him again. Kevin was much more interested in spending time with his dad than he was in explanations of what happened, or what might happen next. Taking his cue from his father, Kevin was making progress in forgiving his mother for lying to him, although that wound would take a very long time to fully heal.

Peter did his best to comfort and encourage his ex-wife, who alternated between states of shame and recalcitrance. One minute the damage she had caused by her selfish pride and greed would weigh on her soul and awakening conscience, the next her “old woman” would try and rationalize what happened, to minimize her sin, or make excuses for it. With a gentle hand, Peter guided her through the process, which to one degree or another is common to all. He taught Julie how to pray, and they petitioned the Lord as one for the well being of their son.

What was no longer a factor for Julie was any doubt that God had a plan for their lives. She was beginning the process of learning how to follow His lead.

Perhaps the most difficult part of her spiritual awakening was for Julie to come to grips with the fact that she and Peter would never be together again as husband and wife. When Gabriel touched Julie in Judge Grove’s courtroom and wiped away her tears, the hard shell that had covered her heart vanished. Her true feelings, the most profound being a deep and everlasting love for Peter, could no longer be masked by evil.

Julie knew now what a selfish fool she had been to abuse Peter, to inflame his weaknesses, and then to abandon him. But what was done was done, and though one can be cleansed, one cannot change the past. Hours of discussion with Peter about how repentance and forgiveness restores the soul helped her to grasp the concepts, but deep wounds do not heal quickly. Nor, as Peter explained, should they.

Alex was anxious to share with Peter what he knew, to compare notes, and to strategize; but he pursued this agenda slowly, understanding that the family he was hosting needed some time to put itself back together before they could move on.

By the morning of their seventh day together, it seemed right to everyone that they should begin to discuss the future. Gail had returned from Parkersboro the night before, bringing with her the prayers and best wishes of Saul, Malik, Kenny, and Larry.

“You guys wouldn’t believe it. I mean really, if you thought Parkersboro was a zoo before, brothers you ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” Gail said, in between delicious bites of eggs benedict and lox and cream cheese prepared by Alex’s full-time gourmet chef.

The press was probing Parkersboro, and while none of the disciples were talking, plenty of the other inmates were. Reports of a paralyzed man walking away from a wheelchair and a dead man rising only served to pique the interest of the media throng. Gail could only do so much to keep them in check. She restricted access to the inmates, but she could not turn off the phones or stop the mail.

“That’s not a problem, Gail,” Alex Anderson explained. “Let the rumor mill generate what it will for now. It will only serve to increase interest in what we have to say when we choose to say it.”

“Alex, we’re all curious,” Peter asked, as he devoured his marvelous breakfast as quickly as good manners would allow. “What exactly is it that you have in mind?”

Alex Anderson had thought of little else other than this subject for the past few weeks. How does one go about announcing a revelation from God? He considered many possible scenarios before arriving at the one plan that sat well with him, and therefore, by extension, with the Lord.

“Panos, for some reason Christ chose me for this job. Why He did I’ll never know, not while I’m still breathing anyway. I was the most committed secular humanist and atheist around. Who was it that repeatedly trashed men of faith? Me, it was me. Christians, Jews, Muslims, it didn’t matter, I went after them all. I would look for flaws and weaknesses in spiritual people and then I’d pounce.

“Did I spend even a minute trying to balance my reporting, like pointing out the millions of young men the Roman Catholic Church has spiritually and physically saved over the centuries for every one that was abused by some demon-possessed, pedophile priest? No, I didn’t, but it would be a lie to say that it never occurred to me to do so. It did.

“As you know better than I, Peter, you can tell the truth and still be a liar. I did my best always not to fabricate or even to stretch the facts in my reporting. I took great pride in that, as if somehow my limited virtue set me apart, made me better than everyone else.”

“The sad reality of it is I wasn’t interested in seeking the real truth, the nature of God. Stories of faith, miraculous healings, lives lived for others, selfless acts of courage attributed to an invisible God’s grace, those were stories I could have cared less about. Not sexy enough. I let someone else cover those, but I sure was willing and able to tell the world all about the pastor who stole from his flock, or the priest who raped the nun, or the imam who fronted for Al-Qaeda.

“Denying the existence of the Living God and His son Jesus Christ is the biggest and worst lie a human being can ever tell. I know that now, I should have known it then. God has chosen you, Peter, to bring this message to the world and the hope that comes with it. I will see that you succeed in this mission, or I will die trying.”

“It’s that ‘die trying’ part that I’m worried about,” Julie said. “My son just got his father back, and I’d like Peter to be around to see Kevin grow up.”

“I agree,” added Gail. “If the sorts that are showing up at Parkersboro are any indication of who we’re going to be dealing with, it’s obvious that most of them would like nothing more than to see Peter discredited, or worse.”

Everyone was looking to Alex for some reassurance, for him to put a positive spin on the dangers of the trials to come.

“What can I tell you that I haven’t already said? If it was the ‘old me’ on this story, I’d be doing my best to expose everyone involved as a fraud or a crook. That’s the tale most of the media wants to tell.”

“They are all frauds and crooks,” Gail said, drawing a smile from Alex. “Or rather, they used to be.”

“My friends,” Peter had remained silent until now, allowing everyone the opportunity to express their thoughts and emotions before he brought them back on course. “Let none of us forget why we are here. We can talk about the dangers and the problems, I think that’s healthy and helpful, but God is with us. Like Paul, we are stewards of the mysteries of God and it is required of stewards to be faithful. We shouldn’t worry about what might happen to us, we should do what must be done and trust God.”

“I know that’s right,” Gail agreed, “but still, my brother, I’m not interested in any one of us, including and especially you, Peter, standing in harm’s way if it can be avoided.”

“Is that what you have in mind, Alex? Having us tease the bull, so to speak?” Peter asked.

“You might think so once we’ve done it,” Alex replied. “There is a very short list of journalists who have the power and the access to secure an hour of prime network television time based solely on their reputation and on the promise of delivering something spectacular. I’m one of them.”

“Go on,” Peter said.

“What I have in mind is a partially taped, partially live event. Peter, you are the Executive Producer. You determine the content; I’ll help to fit your ideas into a broadcast format.”

Everyone’s wheels started turning. They all knew that in order to reach the masses, the media had to be employed, but creating their own television program? Other than Alex, no one had considered that possibility.

After a few minutes of quiet contemplation, ideas were shared. Gail worried about how she was going to get BOP approval for a live broadcast from Parkersboro. Julie argued that coming out so boldly was like “putting a target on Peter’s back.” Alex asked Gail to sketch out a rough diagram of the camp for him, so that he could better visualize the filming location.

With the others busy talking amongst themselves, Peter slipped away and walked outside onto Alex’s spectacular patio. It was overwhelming, befitting the estate. Half of the patio’s two thousand square feet were enclosed, the other open, and all of it looked out upon the verdant Georgia countryside, the stables and the farm.

Peter thought the terrace was more like a dream than a real place, a representation of an artist’s ideal setting, somehow willed into being. He relished the peace he was granted here, the contentment he felt simply by being with Julie and Kevin. As fleeting as it was, or perhaps because it was so impermanent, Peter’s soul was at ease. For the first time in what seemed like forever, he felt normal.