When I was fourteen I took confirmation classes at church. I had been going to church since I was eight, and I had finally reached the age when I could choose to officially join the congregation. At the end of the four weeks of classes, each student would have to write a short essay explaining his or her decision to either become a fully-fledged church member or denounce his or her faith.
I chose not to join. My essay reflected my complete lack of belief in God and my faith in my own ability to be a good and moral person for reasons other than fear and reward. My mom cried. My dad said nothing. The reverend tried to convince me to change my mind, said that I was just going through a phase where I felt a need to question everything. All teenagers go through this phase, he said. I told him I had never believed in God. I always spent my time in church daydreaming. I had only gone in the first place to make my mom happy. It was time to give up the charade. He smiled half-heartedly and left the room.
“So you’re an atheist now?”
I had just told my friend Ben about not joining the church.
“I mean, it’s not like I’ve ever been any different. But… I don’t know, man. Maybe someday, I’ll wake up and decide I need God. I’m not talking about absolutes. I just don’t see that happening anytime soon.”
We were spending a week on the Jersey shore together. At the moment, we sat sprawled on the couch, making conversation as we absentmindedly watched a four-hour special of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. America’s idols. The issue they faced in this episode seemed to be that Kourtney’s boyfriend couldn’t figure out how drunk he was.
At around nine, Ben flicked off the TV and then tossed the remote behind him onto the couch as he stood up.
“I can’t stand another second of this, dude. Come on, let’s head down to the boardwalk.”
Each night we would go out on the boardwalk and take in the energy of raw entertainment. The flashing lights, the whistles and buzzers of arcades, the smell of corn dogs and popcorn and trash everywhere. Consumption flooded the boardwalk like an angry tide. It was fun to dive into for a little while, but pretty soon we would feel it start to suffocate us, feel ourselves being pulled further and further below the surface. We usually left within an hour of arriving.
That night, as we got far enough away from the epicenter of activity to think clearly, we stopped to look out at the ocean. I happened to glance down and notice a cell phone lying on the bench in front of me. I looked around and, seeing nobody, tentatively reached down to pick it up.
“Be a Good Samaritan,” Ben said, noticing the phone in my hand.
“I’m not going to be a Good Samaritan. I am a good person.”
I opened up the contact window to find someone I could call who might know whose phone it was. The two most recent calls were to Rev. Judy and Rev. John. I hesitated, then skipped over the two reverends. They probably wouldn’t know where the owner of the phone lived. I found an unassuming contact named “Nicole” and pushed “Call.” After a few rings, I was surprised to hear a deep southern drawl.
“Hello?”
“Hi, uh… I found uh, this phone… do you know whose it is?”
“Oh, my god! Wow, sure, yeah, I’m his assistant. I’ll give you his email, that’s his only phone.”
She gave me his email address and told me he’d probably be home the next day. I thanked her and said goodbye. Right before she hung up, she asked God to bless me.
The next morning, my computer beeped to notify me that I had a new email. After I got home the night before I had sent the owner of the phone, named Anthony DeGano, a message saying that I had his phone and that I could meet him somewhere on the boardwalk to give it back. His response was as follows:
THANK GOD THANK GOD !!!!! LUKE call me 732-914-xxxx
Your a life saver Anthony
I called the number and he picked up right away. He told me he knew God would send someone to bring him his phone back, and thanked God profusely for sending me. I wasn’t sure whether or not I should say “You’re welcome,” so I paused for a moment and then asked if he could meet me on the boardwalk at noon. He said he could, asked God to bless me, and hung up. I said goodbye, but he was already gone.
At noon, I was standing on the corner of Ocean Street and Main Avenue, about to cross onto the boardwalk, when I heard a car horn. A small red sedan was stopped at the traffic light next to me, and an old man was waving furiously in the front seat. I walked over and introduced myself.
“Hi, I’m Luke. I guess you’re Anthony?”
“Oh yes, well hello Luke. I knew. I knew God would send a servant to bring my phone to me. I had faith, and God delivered my phone. Thank God.”
“No problem…” I said, and handed him his phone. He took it, put it on the seat next to him, and grabbed my hand.
“You are a servant of God,” he told me. “He sent you just like I knew he would.”
The traffic light had been green for almost a minute now, and cars were revving their engines behind him.
“You are a saviour. You are blessed.”
Someone honked their horn.
“Oops, better go,” he said. I smiled and waved as he drove off.
“Have a nice day,” I shouted after him.
I walked back to my house and sat down on the couch. Ben came back from the beach a couple minutes later and found me sitting there.
“Did you get a reward? Did he pay you?”
“Nope. But he seemed pretty happy.”
“Huh. He should have given you a reward.”
I got an email from Anthony’s niece (or maybe granddaughter, it was a bit ambiguous) that night.
Hi Luke,
My name is Gabriella Young. I am 10 years old a granddaughter of Anthony Degano through Christ.I am from Jamaica,aqainted with Uncle Anthony(grandpa Degano)through Aunty Lynne,who is also my aunty,mother,friend,teacher in Christ, by God's design:so I can safely say you,Luke did not pounce upon the phone by chance.The Lord God is in all of this.Aunty Lyn taught me,the Lord says nothing happens by chance.I am glad that the Lord choose you Luke.Thank God for you carrying it back intact and safe.I know that Anthony is thankful too.You have a Bible name!You should feel good about that.May god bless and keep you for your generousity.This is the beginning of our friendship (family in Christ).Let us keep praying one for the other,the family that prays together,stays together.
Gabby.
For some reason, I felt the foreboding, prickly feeling that sets in when a string section starts up in a horror movie. I was reminded of a documentary I had seen about camps where children were brainwashed to follow Christ. Was this normal? Were most ten year olds this definitive in their beliefs? Were they even really her beliefs?
I contemplated telling her that I did not believe in God and would wish her luck but would not pray for her, but decided not to engage. I responded,
Thanks! It's nice to meet you. I just did the right thing as I'd like to think anyone else would do in my place.
I never heard from Anthony or Gabby again.