15. Dinner and a Guest

Saturday at last! Alex and Rachel were cooking—their third Saturday feast together. This time it was to be Italian like Mom used to make. In their warm, country-style kitchen, the two wore matching red-and-white checked aprons. The ingredients were laid out on the center island in an orderly fashion—at least on Alex’s side. On Rachel’s side, the ingredients were laid out more “creatively.” Rachel read from the recipe. She added her own impromptu suggestions as they went along. Grandma stayed in the background, only coaching when she thought there was a threat of serious injury.

Beside the stove, Rachel had propped up pictures of her mother. “I want Mom to be part of this,” she said. In forty-five minutes the kitchen resembled a sort of expressionist painting. Colorful ingredients were splashed about on the counters and on the cooks. A daughter’s “improv” was meeting with a father’s “deliberate approach.” Somewhere in the middle, something marvelous was happening.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Alex wandered through the foyer to the front door. He opened it, and there he was—John J. Williams, the man they’d encountered when leaving the co-op!

John’s hair was neatly combed, and he had on a nice suit. Alex recognized the cut and quality of Armani. What is he doing wearing that? he wondered. And then, What is he doing here?

Alex was standing with his mouth open when his daughter came to see who had arrived. For the second time, Rachel took charge. “Mr. Williams! I’m so glad you came! You can help.”

Sidestepping Alex, John followed Rachel into the kitchen. “Please call me John,” he said as he was introduced to Annie, who warmly shook his hand.

“Welcome to our home, John,” she said.

Then John went to work like he knew his way around a kitchen. He also set the table perfectly. Alex thought with certainty. He’s done this before somewhere.

With multiple trips from the kitchen to the dining room, the meal was placed on the long, antique table. John looked up at the European ceiling that Alex’s father had imported. John remarked, “That reminds me of a ceiling I saw once in Heidelberg.”

“Germany?” asked Alex.

“Yes. Heidelberg, Germany. I studied there.”

“Can we say grace?” Rachel asked, immediately taking John’s hand in her own and her father’s on the other side. “Dad, you pray.”

John joined the family, reverently bowing his head, repeating the family’s familiar prayer word for word. Then they dug in.

The meal was marvelous. Every dish worked. The spices that Rachel had insisted upon were evident and amazing. Over the meal, they heard John’s story. John had lost his job in the “Great Recession.” He looked down at his plate—or rather through it, it seemed.

“I started drinking,” he admitted, “and eventually wound up on the streets.” He looked up. “I’m in a twelve-step program. It’s working. I’m ashamed of myself for asking you for change.”

“Nothing to be ashamed of,” Alex said, now engaging. “Where are you living?”

“I’m at a shelter downtown, part of Living Ministries. I get meals, donated clothing, and a whole lot of love.”

“Tell me more about the people who come to the shelter and how the program works,” Alex encouraged.

So John did. He went on to describe a greater love that got through to him. “It’s an amazing community to be a part of,” he said. “And not just for people in my situation but for the staff and volunteers too. It’s changing all of our lives.”

Rachel looked thoughtful. “You know that Greater Goal stuff we’ve been talking about, Dad?” Alex knew something good was coming. “Well, maybe cooking this meal and meeting John is part of a bigger plan. Maybe we could, you know, go down to the shelter that John’s talking about and do some cooking.”

“We don’t see many young girls at the shelter—the program is for homeless men,” John said, sounding doubtful.

“No, that’s exactly the kind of place for a girl like me,” Rachel disagreed. “Don’t you think, Dad?” She looked over at Alex for support.

“You bet, Rachel. John, you don’t know who you’re dealing with here,” Alex said, and everyone laughed. “Let’s go down to Living Ministries together, Rachel,” Alex offered. “We can find out if they can use some volunteer cooks or whatever … they may not like my cooking.”

John shrugged and laughed at the way father and daughter were obviously testing the water with each other. More and more, John felt comfortable and curious with these newfound friends. “So … who can tell me more about this ‘Greater Goal’ stuff?”