Nearby, a fountain sprouted water. Ebony went over and looked at her reflection. In the water, a black and a white rose floated on the surface. She picked up the flowers and she found a shell at the bottom of the fountain. She also picked up the shell and opened it. Inside, a pearl lay in a tiny mound of sand. Immediately, she thought of her sister Pearl.
‘Lord’, she thought, ‘lead me.’
Right away, she sped home home and packed up her belongings, not burning what she had left behind, and made haste to get home.
The next morning, she found her house, hoping to find Pearl inside and to give her the pearl in the shell she found. She ran to the house, finding an officer inside inspecting the home.
“Excuse me, what are you doing here?” she asked him. He turned around and replied, “Oh, hello there. I am inspecting this house before putting it in the market. The woman who owned it previously passed away yesterday, and she had given word that she had a sister who could live here if she ever came back, wherever she is.”
“Was that woman’s name Pearl, by any chance,” Ebony asked. Her heart stang with sadness and anger. Sweat ran down the bridge of her nose.
The officer nodded and said, “Why yes, and she said her sister’s name was Ebony, if my memory is correct. Why do you ask?”
Ebony began to feel tears build up and she thought that she would faint right on the spot.
“I am the sister. My name is Ebony. I’m the one who left.” Ebony gasped and sighed in unbelief.
The officer nodded and said, “Oh, well. I guess my job is done here,” and he walked out of the doorway and left Ebony alone in the house.
Ebony ran upstairs to Pearl’s room. Her heart seemed to evaporate from inside of her as she stared at the empty space. On the northern wall, there were two set of hand prints, one in black paint and one in white. She ran her hands over the hand prints and leaned her head against the wall and cried her heart out.
“Oh LORD God”, she said,” forgive me.” She went to her sister’s grave and set the pearl in the dirt. While she prayed, her tears watered the pearl and it set root in the ground.
Ebony went back home and set out her sleeping roll in Pearl’s room. She quickly fell asleep. Overnight, the pearl grew taller and taller until it was finally a full grown white pearlescent tree. Carved into the trunk was the verse that the pastor had given Ebony to think about. On the wall next to Ebony, two sets of hand prints appeared on the wall, one black and one white, and at the base of the wall, the black and white roses lay there.
YOU ARE READING
Forgive
SpiritualA story of two people who despised each other, and they said hurtful words like something you wouldn't be used to, but in time, love came and healed their harsh wounds, and when they thought it was too late, all became well.
