Z
ack was smiling at the sound of the music coming from his parents’ home in Grove Park, Lewisham. It was a place where he could find some peace and quiet after the hustle and bustle of city life and church politics. It was an old four-bedroom house that he would visit on a regular basis. The family had lived there since he was a child. They knew most of the other families in the cul-de-sac. He liked to visit his parents as they were always playing gospel music. His was a family of music lovers. As far back as he could remember, music was a part of them. He also liked to visit them for some sound advice when he wasn’t quite sure what to do. His new role at Abundant Life Ministries had come with its challenges. He knew that they could give him some good tips about how to handle some of the issues, since his father had been a choir director in their church denomination for decades.
His twin brother, Jack, who had a family of his own and a cleaning business, visited from time to time. Jack could sing, but he was more of a football aficionado and an Arsenal supporter. He would argue passionately about football with Zack, who preferred Bukayo Saka.
“Mark my words… Watch Bukayo Saka, he is a promising player, full of talents.”
“He doesn’t come near Aubameyang… He is the top scorer, man. Anyway, what do you know? You’ve not really been following the premiership since you went to the United States.”
“I’ve been following it a lot more since I got back. Saka is a rising star, I tell you! Anybody can see that. And the boy is only eighteen; he has the best years still ahead of him. And don’t forget that Aubameyang is thirty-one.”
“Well, how old are Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?”
“Exactly my point, he is not so far behind them in age, you know.”
“You’re being hard! What do you know anyway? I don’t know why I’m wasting my time arguing with you.”
“Time will tell bro.”
Zack would laugh, he did not take this too seriously, but his twin brother would make a big deal out of it.
After entering the house, he went towards the study room that they called ‘the library’, where the family would sing or listen to old-time greats. Zack grew up on this music. It always inspired him when he was going through a tough time. But he knew that as much as he loved it, times had moved on. The church needed a fresh and contemporary sound. He walked into the library and found his parents singing O Peter Don’t Be Afraid. He joined them and immediately felt in his element.
His mother, Cynthia, was from Bamenda in Cameroon. She was a retired nurse. Clive, his father, was from Kingston, Jamaica, and was a doctor by profession. They had met at Lewisham Hospital, where they fell in love and then got married. They had a rocky start because Cynthia didn’t come from a Christian background. She was very rough around the edges. “God had to work hard to chisel me out and make me the diamond I am today,” she often said with a mischievous smile. They went through a stormy time, but they eventually worked out their differences. She grew used to some things, like not drinking or praying more than just in church on Sundays. One time, her husband caught her eating in the toilet when she was supposed to be fasting. They often laughed when they remembered those times; his patience eventually paid off.
“What’s troubling you, Son?” Clive asked.
“What do you mean?”
“I know that look. What’s the matter? Is it to do with work?”
Zack was silent for a moment.
“Well, work is not as exciting as it used to be, but it’s not giving me sleepless nights. So much is going on. The other day a child almost drowned at a church picnic. But thankfully, he didn’t. I managed to rescue him. We thank God for that.”
“Thank God, I can’t imagine what the parents would have felt. That was very brave of you. I’m so proud of you, Son.”
“I had to do what I had to do. I was glad I was there to help. Otherwise, it would have been a real tragedy.”
He was trying to downplay his role. These days, everyone was branded a hero at the slightest act of bravery. To him, it was simply natural to help someone in difficulty.
“I can very well imagine. You might even have had to cancel your participation at the gospel competition, who knows. So, it’s a good thing it ended up the way it did,” Cynthia, always practical, commented.
“What’s really on my mind is that as the choir leader, I have to make some difficult decisions.”
“Like what?”
“I have to pick the lead singer for the competition. It’s a tough one because there are about two or three that could fit the bill.”
“What’s the problem? Just make up your mind and pick the best.”
“It’s not that simple. Two choir members have already come to me basically stating that they want to fill in the position.”
“Who?”
“Julie and Mike. They both gave a good audition, but nothing to write home about. We need someone with a unique voice if we have any hope of making it to the end of the gospel competition. The church Board of Trustees is really counting on me. That’s why they hired me in the first place.”
“Are the auditions closed?” his father asked.
“Yes, a couple of weeks ago.”
“Let me think… I might know someone who could be of help. His name is Jay, and he has a very special voice,” said Clive. “He used to come to our church, but I haven’t seen him in a while.”
“Alright, I can give him an audition; we have nothing to lose. Give him my mobile number and tell him to call me if he is interested.”
“See, to every problem there’s a solution.”
“Yes, but that’s not all.”
“What else?”
“I also have to choose the genres of the gospel. You know how it is; old folks want the traditional stuff, while younger generations want a more contemporary sound. The usual in-fighting.”
“Well, what does the Pastor prefer?”
“I’m not sure. I haven’t really been able to discuss it with him. He is going through a difficult time.”
“What’s the matter?”
“He announced last Sunday that his wife was diagnosed with cancer.”
“My, my, my, that’s a tough one.”
“I want us to sing contemporary songs from around the world.”
“Jay might just be the right guy then. He is quite eclectic with his music and can sing different genres of gospel. He is an interesting guy and he writes his own songs too.”
“Wow, that’s awesome!”
“You sound so American when you say that,” said his father, laughing.
Many of his friends had also said that to him since he arrived back from Atlanta.
“Yeah, but it’s true, though. Not every lead singer can write their own songs; that’s pretty special.” He felt so much better and relieved after talking to his parents. That’s why he missed Grove Park and that’s what made him come back again and again. There was indeed no place like home.
He went into the kitchen to have a little chat with his mum and eat some tasty Jamaican food: goat curry with rice and peas. He knew immediately what his mum was going to talk about.
“What about… what’s her name again? I spoke to her one time on WhatsApp…”
“Joyce, you mean? I told you it was over between us a long time ago, Mum.”
“She sounded nice though. I thought you would have settled down with her by now.”
“Well, it didn’t work out between us. We just drifted apart, that’s all.”
“That’s a shame. And in your new church, is there anyone who has caught your eye?” Cynthia asked.
“Mum!”
He thought about the choir and the church in general. It was always the same story: single ladies looking for someone to marry, predators looking for someone to go out with and abuse, married men having affairs, and business people trying to sell something and make money.
In the choir, he was the centre of attention for several ladies. Julie was the most aggressive, which really put him off. She would constantly come and ask him if he needed help with something. She acted as if they were together already. It got on his nerves because it gave out the wrong impression. He had no interest in or attraction towards her. Also, she had tried using her charms to get the lead singer role, and that was so unethical to him. In fact, he was totally disgusted by her behaviour.
“What?!? I’m just asking… You might meet a good woman.”
“I’m too busy for that.”
“Really? Are you sure?”
As Zack watched the emotions flick across her face, he realised she knew something more was going on. Being very intuitive, she probably understood that he was not just worried about things at church. Zack couldn’t hide his feelings from his mum. He decided to seek her opinion. Maybe, being a woman, she could help.
“There’s a lady in the choir,” he admitted. “She’s a strong Christian and attractive as well. But she’s so reserved and introverted.”
“What’s her name?”
“Keisha Campbell and her daughter’s name is Tanya.”
“Oh, she has a daughter? How old is she?”
“She is fourteen.”
“Interesting…”
“Yeah… I try to get closer to her, but each time she shuts me down.”
“Why don’t you invite her out somewhere?”
“We’re really limited with the lockdown at the moment, you know.”
“You’re going to have to come up with a brilliant idea, Son. Better still, ask God,” she said with a wink.
“I do need God’s intervention,” he replied, smiling.
***
The next morning, Zack went to work. He was having a hard time. Not because he did not like his job, but because he felt torn between his job and his choir activities. He needed time to prepare the songs, the music, and to harmonise the vocals. That morning he had a one-to-one meeting with his manager James (Jim) Latimer.
“What do you think of the new project coming up?”
“It’s good for the firm.”
“You don’t sound too thrilled. Is anything the matter?”
“No, not really.”
“I was going to put your name forward to manage the project.”
“Oh, really?”
“Well, I think you have the two things we’re looking for: the expertise and the experience. I think you did something similar when you were in the United States, didn’t you?”
“Correct.”
“So, this should be no problem for you.”
Zack felt conflicted. On the one hand, he didn’t want to disappoint his boss. On the other hand, he had his choir leader commitments outside of work, which was (for him) top priority. He did not know what to say to Jim. He had worked with him since he had come back from the States and they had come to respect each other. Jim came from a working-class background and worked hard to rise through the ranks, which was a testament to his determination and perseverance. Behind his simple demeanour and his Cockney accent, he was smart; make no mistake. He worked well with Zack. He very quickly spotted his talents and identified his strengths. This is the reason why Zack felt so bad. He did not want to let down the man who had banked on him.
“You don’t seem too excited by all this. This could be the break that you’ve been waiting for.”
“I’m just trying to achieve a work-life balance. I have some commitments outside of work that are keeping me very busy.”
“You also need to make time for work if you have any hope of getting your bonus and a promotion at the end of the year. Anyway, I want you to go and think about all this. I need to know by next week.”
“Okay, I’ll think about it.”
“I do hope that you make the right choice, Zack. Opportunities like these don’t come knocking very often. So, tread carefully.”
“I’ll have a think and I’ll let you know.”
Zack needed time to process things. The prospect of a promotion and a very alluring £10,000 bonus at the end of the year was extremely tempting. As a young man, he was very ambitious and he would have jumped at the offer. But he was not feeling the same about the job anymore. Now he was more mature, and less ambitious or ‘hungry’ as Jim would put it. He wanted something more in life. He needed to get his priorities right. It was about time for him to settle down. He wanted a family of his own.
Keisha came to mind. He had not been able to get her out of his mind. He thought she could be the one. He had had some relationships in the past, but she had left him with strong feelings and he thought about her often. She was very attractive, with an average height and build; not too big, but not too skinny. She had the right curves in the right places, just the way he liked it. He knew that she was a clever and wise woman. He liked to talk to her. But he particularly liked the fact that she had faith in God; something that had been missing in most of the women in his life. She was different. However, he wondered what happened to her for her to be so stand-offish. He suspected that she might have gone through some kind of painful experience in the past that had caused her to be so wary of men. He was going to do everything in his power to turn her attitude around. There had to be a way to win her over.
He was also thinking about ministry. He wanted to channel his energy towards the work of God. He knew in his heart that a new IT project was not part of his plans. It was not something he was looking forward to. He had to find a way to get through to his boss. But that would be for another day.
***
At the choir rehearsal, Zack was to announce who was going to sing the main parts.
“Guys, you know that we were on the lookout for a lead singer for the competition and have some very talented singers in our midst. We are truly blessed to have you all in this church. And every Sunday you do your best to minister in song to the congregation. We really appreciate this.”
Everyone was waiting in anticipation to know who would be selected.
“However, I think it’s important to go with the very best and strive for excellence as we are going to compete with some of the best choirs in the country. So, that’s why I have chosen someone whom I think will fill this role perfectly, and I think that you will agree with me. Let me introduce you to Jay. He will sing a couple of songs for us. He has a strong and unique voice. Let’s hear him.”
Jay gave an amazing performance and had a special voice that stood out. Almost everyone was happy about the selection, except Julie.
***
At home, Keisha and her daughter held Bible study before going to bed. Tanya was very focused during Bible study time, paying attention to every detail and asking many questions. They read the story of the five loaves of bread and the two fish in the book of Matthew, chapter 14.
“The disciples came to Jesus asking him to send the crowd away so that they could go to the village and buy themselves some food.”
“Oh, oh, they were thinking about themselves.”
“Let’s not judge so quickly. The Bible says that there were five thousand men, besides women and children. Imagine having to feed all of them.”
“Oops, I hadn’t thought of that, actually.”
“Imagine all those kids witnessing the miracle of multiplying the bread and the fish for all to eat. Always remember that God is the God of miracles. Nothing is impossible for Him. He can provide all your needs, as was the case in this story. The disciples and the crowd were hungry. Jesus fed them with the little there was and multiplied it. He is the God of multiplication. Because the crowd followed Jesus, they did not lack food and did not go hungry. That’s the kind of God we serve.”
“That’s amazing, Mum!”
“We serve an amazing God. Just like those kids, you can also experience the miracle of God.”
They then took time to pray, especially for the homeless kids who did not have a place to call home, or food to eat, so that the Lord would provide for them.
“Right, let’s go to bed. Sweet dreams, Tanya.”
“Good night, Mum,” she responded and gave her mum kisses and a hug.