The Giver: Episode One

When different people, each with their own issues impacting their lives, have brief encounters with a mysterious elderly gentleman, their lives will be changed forever.

The Giver: Episode One

 

            The waiting room was hot, way too hot, too many bodies in one small room. Plastic chairs with very little padding, sat up with their backs against white walls, at least they used to be white. The years had not been kind to this building. It could be seen in the cracks of the vinyl flooring, the floral wallpaper trim that no doubt was from the 1970’s, and even then it was probably in the marked down section, and by the single pane frosted glass windows that were strategically placed on either side of the doorway. The tension was thick as babies screamed, mothers scolded their misbehaving children, and nurses called out names of patients. They should be next in line, but with the full house the free clinic was experiencing today it could be a very, very long wait.

Jacob pushed his hair back on his head and tried to shield his anxiety. Sarah reached toward him and clasped his hand, giving it a brief squeeze to try and ease his nerves. He managed to force out a halfhearted smile and placed his hand on her rounded abdomen. She looked back down toward the catalog in her lap filled with brightly colored pages full of cribs, blankets, special bottles, and odds and ends, none of which he could ever afford. Seven months down, less than two to go. The time was flying by much too fast for his comfort. Soon a new life would be brought into the world, a life he had created. The odds of him failing were much too high.

He never planned it this way, he was going to marry her, and he really was. She was still living at home with her folks, and though nineteen years old, they still treated her like an ignorant child. He was going to take her away from all of that. Work for a while at his job, get the big promotion, build her their dream home, get married, walk her over the threshold, all that stuff you see in the classic romance movies. What they were going through now, this was not what he had planned for.

Instead of the promotion, he had been laid off; his boss just used the words “budget cuts” as to answer the resounding “why?”

That same day, before given the chance to inform Sarah of the bad news she had blurted her news with excitement. The words she spoke with such exuberance had been the most thrilling and most terrifying words of his life.

She was pregnant.

            He thought back to her news and remembered looking around his crumby flat wondering how they were ever going to make it. Briefly he had hoped that maybe her parents would be charitable enough to help them out, just for a short time, just until he was back in another job.

            He was wrong.

            She was given ten minutes to pack all of her belongings, and was sent on her way. Sarah still hadn’t spoken to her parents since. Though he never really got along with them, he still felt guilt for being the cause of their broken bond. Their child would never know his grandparents, on his mother or father’s side.

            Jacob was snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of a nurse.

            “Sarah Johnson?” a plump nurse, dressed in almost blinding, brightly colored scrubs, called out.

            “Oh it’s ‘Sarah Mackley’ now,” she said, turning her head to give Jacob a bright smile, “Guess we still need to get that in the paperwork.”

            He at least had done one thing right, he thought to himself. Last week they had gone down to the county courthouse and said their vows. At least their son would be born with married parents. Jacob managed to smile back at her, just seeing how happy the union had made her. Through all they had been through lately she had never failed to smile, or even lose an ounce of her faith.

            If only he had her strength.

            “You ready?” she said to him.

            “You know, I think I’ll wait out here for just a bit, or maybe go outside and get some fresh air or something. Is that ok with you?” he responded

            She leaned down and kissed him, “I understand. This all can be a bit overwhelming.” She began to walk towards the nurse, then turned around to face him, “If you get to feeling a bit better, or start to catch your breath, you know where I’ll be.”

            He nodded.

            After the door swung closed behind her he picked up the catalog that she had left in her seat and headed outside. An autumn breeze was coming in, and he pulled up the hood of his jacket to fight some of the chill. Sitting down at bench he let the catalog fall open to a set of pages, all with coordinating baby items and accessories. The pages had been dog-eared and a few things had been circled with a blue ink pen. This is what Sarah wanted for the baby. These items were what she would love to have for their child. But she knew she would never get them. Looking at the prices he realized she simply selected them just for fun, just for a bit of hope.

            The realization nearly choked him, and his eyes began to well slightly with tears. He could never give their family anything like this, but still she acted as though she married prince charming.

            A tear almost began to roll down his cheek, when a voice startled him and he quickly sucked in any sign of emotion.

            “Excuse me young man,” an elderly gentleman spoke, “do you mind if I sit here and rest my bones a bit?”

            Jacob quickly scooted to the other end of the bench, avoiding eye contact.

            “Uh yeah, sure. Have a seat. It’s public property.” Jacob said.

            The man was obviously old, the age showing with the wrinkles on his face and the gray hair peeking out from under his tan fedora. He was dressed in a tan wool suit, with a plaid shirt and a tie that Jacob could not seem to guess the color. Brown? Burgundy? He still didn’t know.

            “Well that’s a beautiful set there, now isn’t it.” The gentleman commented and pointed down toward the catalog.

            Jacob thought for a moment then realized what he was commenting on.

            “Oh yeah. My wife…she uh…loves this set.” He stumbled a bit on his words. “Too bad we could never afford it. Our savings are almost gone as it is.”

            He was briefly stunned that he had even said that out loud to this man. He clearly was just a stranger.

            “Ah. I understand. Children are very expensive.” The Old man spoke, “I never had any of my own. Never got married you see.” He tightened his hold on his wooden cane, “But I wish I had.” He turned to Jacob and smiled with brightness in his eyes that Jacob had never seen before on anyone.

            “So what do you do for work young man?” He said, appearing to try and make conversation.

            “Uh at this point,” Jacob paused, “Nothing. I had a job at the mill, and I was hoping to be promoted up to a design position, but with the economy the way it is…”

            “You got the boot.” The man finished.

            “Basically.”

            “Well, what do you do?” the man questioned.

            Jacob paused for moment, wondering if the man was being nosey, but something in his eyes told him otherwise, and before he could think further on the concept he continued the conversation.

            “What do you mean?” he spoke.

            “Well what are you good at? What do you love?” the man asked.

            Jacob thought for a second and then without hesitation began to speak. “Well sir, I really like building things, and fixing things. I started to go to school for carpentry, but it just got too expensive.”

            “Ah. Yes things are very costly these days.” The man nodded and turned to Jacob with a smile, “Did you learn anything while you were there?”

            Jacob smiled thinking back to his experience, “Yeah actually I did. I was starting a class on drafting that I really enjoyed.” He paused, “but I just couldn’t pay the tuition anymore.”

            The man nodded. “I understand.”

            “Right now I’m just hoping I can get my wife and I a new place, somewhere nice you know? Safe, clean, with working plumbing, all those good things.” Jacob spoke without hesitation.

            “Working plumbing,” the man chuckled, “that sounds like it would be very nice.”

            Jacob smiled. “Yeah I just don’t see that happening right now.”

            The man looked at Jacob with sympathetic eyes, and leaned towards him.

            “So when is your son due?”

            Jacob paused and looked at the man with suspicion, how would he know…and as though he was able to read his mind, the old man responded, “The catalog. I noticed everything on the marked pages was blue, so I simply assumed.”

            “Oh. Ok.” Jacob let out a breath of relief, “Sometime in December. We’re told it might even be a Christmas baby.”

            “Well wouldn’t that be something.” The man spoke with a joyful smile. “Sounds like a pretty fine gift to me.”

            “Yeah, he will be.” Jacob’s smile faded, and his brow tightened again, “If only I could give him and Sarah something back…”

            “Well maybe you will.” The old man smiled with a face what seemed like pure assurance.

            “At this point, I’ll need a miracle.” Jacob sighed, “I’m struggling just to keep my pregnant wife with food on the table…”

            “That bad, huh?” the man spoke softly.

            “Yes, not what I had planned at all…”

            There was a moment of silence between the two men as they sat there, both letting the autumn breeze fill their lungs. Then Jacob spoke,

            “I should really be getting back in there,” he said motioning to the clinic behind them, “Sarah’s appointment is probably almost over with by now.”

            The man stood as Jacob got up from the bench and reached out an inviting hand, “It was very nice talking to you Jacob.” His eyes were so warm, Jacob smiled back and grasped the man’s hand tightly, “And just remember, it may take a miracle…” he leaned towards Jacob, “but miracles happen every day.”

            Jacob smiled at the man’s faith, “But how can you be so sure?”

            The man smiled, his eyes brightening, “Well let’s just say I’ve made enough mistakes in my life to know.” He squeezed Jacob’s hand tightly and then released it with a wink, “And with the good lord, there are always times for second chances, Jacob. With faith…” he paused, “anything is possible.”

            Jacob’s heart became warm at the man’s words, and for the first time, in a very long time, Jacob felt a bit of hope.

            He started walking towards the clinic, when a strange thought struck him. ‘I never once said my name’ he thought.

            Quickly he turned around, hoping to catch the man,

            “Hey! How did you…” he yelled.

            But there was nothing there, nothing but an autumn breeze and some orange and yellow leaves floating in the wind. The man was gone.

            Shaking off the feeling in his stomach he swiftly walked through the doors of the clinic and a nurse escorted him back to a small room where Sarah and the Doctor were just finishing up.

            “Everything looks great, Sarah.” He said and then turned and smiled at Jacob. “Just try to stay off your feet a bit more, and take some warm baths to help with the swelling.”

            “So everything is good?” Jacob asked the doctor.

            “Yep. Everything is just fine and the ultra sound showed that you are still on track for a Christmas baby.” He said with a wink.

            “What a gift!” Sarah said with the excitement of a small child, “right Jacob?”

            Jacob couldn’t help but smile at her warmth, nothing seemed to ever effect No matter how dark things got, she still managed to see the light at the end of the tunnel. He loved that about her.

            “Right, babe,” he walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek, “a very, very, great gift.”

 

*   *   *   *   *

 

            They finished up and were walking through the waiting room doors when a receptionist came running up behind them.

            “Wait!” she yelled, “Are you two Jacob and Sarah?”

            They stopped walking and gave her time to catch her breath.

            “Yes, that’s us,” Sarah said and nudged Jacob in the ribs gently with her elbow, “Jacob and Sarah Mackley.”

            “Oh great, I’m so glad I caught you.” She began to reach in her pocket and pulled out a small envelope. “A very nice man said told me to give this to you, and only you.” She took a deep breath, “He said it was incredibly important.”

            She handed the small envelope to Sarah, and Sarah began to open the package up.

            “It’s a key?” Sarah said with a strong tone of question.

            “A key?” said Jacob.

            “Yeah a key and note.” She began to read the note out loud. “Please take this key to 4170 SE 8^th street. Ask for a man named David.” She looked towards Jacob, holding the key up for him to see. “Well isn’t this strange.”

            Jacob turned to the receptionist, “this man…”

            “Yes?” the nurse continued.

            “Was he an elderly gentleman? About this tall,” he held up his hand to demonstrate an example of the height, “with gray hair, a tan suit and really bright…”

            “Really bright eyes?” the receptionist finished. “Yep that sounds just like him, must be a friend of yours?”

            “Uh…something like that.” Jacob responded and turned to Sarah, “I think we should do what the note says.”

            “Really?” Sarah asked, “But doesn’t this sound a bit odd?”

            Jacob couldn’t help but smile, “Well, sometimes you just have to have faith.”

            A smile spread across Sarah’s face and she nearly jumped with giddiness.

            “Well,” she said, grabbing a hold of his arm and tugging him in the direction of their car, “we better get started on our adventure!”

 

*   *   *   *   *

 

            They arrived at the address on the note and were shocked to find a large building with red brick walls and beautiful giant glass doors. Outside was a doorman in a navy blue suit with golden colored buttons and a hat with red trim.

            He greeted them kindly, “Hello and welcome to the Marriton Condominiums, how may I be of your assistance?”

            Jacob stood, looking up at the tall building before him, “umm we are looking for a man named David?”

            “Ah yes, David is the building manager. You will find him at the front desk, right through these doors.” He motioned to the glass doors.

            Sarah grabbed Jacob’s arm and tugged him through the doorway into a well-designed lobby room with hard wood flooring and rich red walls. At the front desk was a balding man, tall and thin, with small glasses resting on his noise. He looked at them with a strange look on his face.

            “Can I help you?” he said, looking them up and down.

            “Umm yeah,” Jacob spoke, “I have this key and I was told to speak with a ‘David.’” He handed the key over to the man and watched as a smile lit up across his face.

            “Ah! Yes!” he exclaimed, “You must be Jacob and Sarah Mackley! Come right this way! The movers are just now finishing up their moving on your things.”

            “Moving our things?” Sarah questioned, “What things?”

            “The nursery furniture of course!” The man smiled and began motioning them towards an elevator.

            He pressed a number four button, and then closed the doors of the elevator.

            “Now, you are on the fourth floor, just down at the end of the hall.” The doors opened to reveal a long hallway with cream-colored walls. “Right down here.” He led them down the hallway and stopped at a large cherry wood door. As it opened he spoke to them “And here it is! Your new home!”

            The door opened wide to a brightly lit suite with leather furniture, a large television set, and amenities beyond their wildest dreams.

            David walked through the doorway, “Come! Come!” he motioned with his arms as he spoke, “this is all yours, come see your home.” He moved throughout the place with excitement, it reminded Jacob of a giddy elf or gnome from cartoons he had watched as a kid.

            “Over here is the kitchen, and here the dining room,” he pointed out each room as they walked through, “Through those doors are the master bedroom, and here,” he paused out front of a smaller door in the center of the hallway, “this is what everyone has been so excited for,” they looked at him with questioning faces, “Now please, humor me, and close your eyes.”

            Jacob kept his eyes wide open, but Sarah filled with the faith and hope of a child closed her eyes tightly. David looked back at Jacob, “Please. Humor me, we all wanted this to be a surprise.”

            Jacob reluctantly closed his eyes, and listened as the door opened and felt as David was pushing them in to what he hoped was a room.

            “Ok…” David said, “Now…open them!”

            What they witnessed before them was nothing short of spectacular. Surrounding them was a perfectly designed and laid out nursery, exactly like the one in the catalog that Sarah had so longingly circled with blue pen, and dog eared each page of. It was nothing short of perfect, nothing short of miraculous.

            Jacob was so stunned by what he was seeing that for a moment he almost had forgotten reality. He looked down to see Sarah, her eyes welling with tears, completely speechless. Jacob couldn’t bear to see all this ripped away from her.

            He grabbed Jacob by the arm and pulled him out to the hallway.

            “There is no way in hell that we could ever afford this.” He looked in to the room towards Sarah, “I don’t want to have to tell her this is just some sick prank.”

            David looked stunned, “No, Sir! This is nothing of the sort! I swear on my mothers grave!”

            “Then what is it?” Jacob exclaimed.

            “The only word I can use to describe it is a gift.”

            “A gift?”

            “Yes, sir. A gift.”

            Jacob stared at the shiny-headed man in front of him and couldn’t make out what type of situation this was. Who on earth would gift something like this to them? They didn’t know anyone, and even if they did, they highly doubted they would know someone with this type of cash.

            “What…” he said under his breath.

            “Well, Sir. About an hour or less before you arrived I received a call from the business owner, saying we were to be expecting your arrival. He said a load of moving trucks were already set to be arriving and to wait for a ‘Jacob and Sarah’. He said the first nine months had already been paid in full, and after that you would be paying a discounted rent.”

            “But I don’t have a job, even at discounted I don’t know if I can afford this place.” Jacob said with exasperation.

            “But sir, you do have a job. The building owner, Mr. Hawthorne, said that he had spoken with a man from an work agency today, he said the man was very reassuring that you knew what you were doing and that you would be a great addition to our team.”

            “To your team?” said Jacob.

            “Yes sir, you are to be our lead maintenance supervisor. You do have carpentry skills, correct?”

            “Well yes, but…”

            “But nothing, you’ll be great, and besides, if I was to turn you away…Mr. Hawthorne would have my head for this.” He chuckled a bizarre but serious laugh, “Mr. Hawthorne was incredibly sincere about this. He said that the man from the agency had absolutely convinced him.” David placed a reassuring hand on Jacob’s shoulder, “He was in a similar situation, you know, as a young man, and all it took was for one person to believe in him, and now he has buildings all over the U.S.”

            Before Jacob could question anymore, Sarah began yelling for him.

            “Jacob! Jacob! Look at this!” She quickly handed him over a small card. He then read the inscription out loud.

            “Dear Jacob,” the note read, “It was incredibly wonderful getting to speak with you today. You are truly a great young man that has just had some tough breaks. Your tenacity and ability to provide for your wife and family are something I wish many of us had. It takes courage and faith. In this card you will find a reloadable gift card, which has been filled with $1,000.00 to get anything else you may need for your new addition. I think I have provided the majority of things, but having never had a child of my own, I was simply forced to order everything that was circled in the catalog you left on the bench. I hope I took care of most of your needs. I have also taken care of your rent for the next nine months, paid in full. Your job with the building should provide a great deal of income for you and your family and will no doubt cover your discounted rent and living expenses after that. I have also taken the time to submit a letter of recommendation to a local trade school so that you can pursue either a drafting or carpentry degree program. After speaking with the dean of admissions, he has authorized a scholarship for you that will pay for most of your education expenses. You start on January 7^th, for winter term.

 

Please except these gifts as my sincerest thanks to you for taking the time to talk to an old man.

 

Sincerely,

 

The Giver.

 

P.S. Always have faith, and remember…miracles do happen.

 

            Jacob’s heart stopped and his mind swirled. He was completely and utterly speechless. Who was this old man? Why would he do something like this?

“Jacob? Who is this man?” Sarah asked, “We need to thank him, we need to…we need to…” She couldn’t finish her sentence, she was too overwhelmed with emotion as she embraced Jacob tightly and sobbed tears of joy onto his shirt.

            Jacob couldn’t say anything; he simply clutched the card, and stood there. He turned to see David, wiping tears from his eyes with an embroidered handkerchief.

            “I’ll give you two some time.” He wiped another tear, “if you have any questions, please feel free to buzz me at the front desk.”

            Jacob nodded and held Sarah, as David walked out and he heard the door close behind him.

            Sarah composed herself momentarily and looked up at Jacob with tear filled eyes. “Who was he Jacob? What was his name?”

            “I don’t know babe,” he looked down at the card, “He never mentioned it while we talked, and the card just says ‘The Giver.’” He looked back at her, “But something tells me that we aren’t the first, and certainly not the last to be receiving his gifts.”

            “Either way,” she spoke, wiping a tear from her eye, “until we find out his name we will just call him ‘Our Angel’,” she grabbed Jacobs hand and placed it on her belly. He could feel the thumping of the new life kicking inside of her. “I simply can’t think of a better bedtime story than that.”

            “I can’t either.” He finished.

 

End of Episode One…