I’ve learned many things since beginning my work with humans. Most of them are happy things. I have seen more than my share of the compassion and love that humans can show one another, and the strength of spirit that they can have amazes me. But I have seen the other side too, and I regret to say that I saw it tonight.
Since it was Bible study night, Anna invited Jacob to join her. At first, this seemed a wonderful thing—Anna introduced her friends to Jacob, and he got along famously with Scott, who went to the same school as Jacob’s brother. I was pleased to see, too, how well Jacob and Anna seem to be getting along. They are not quite a pair yet, but they have certainly become good friends and are moving in that direction.
At least they were, until Rob walked into the study tonight.
I don’t know why he was there. Maybe it was simply bad luck, or maybe he had heard that Anna had brought someone with her—he still does have friends in the group. I only noticed him after he had arrived, when a spike of hostility called my attention to him. He took a seat in the back of the room and glared at Jacob.
Anna noticed him not long after that. Her heart skipped, and not just with anxiety. Her feelings for him have not faded as much as I had hoped. Still, she turned her back on him and gave Jacob her hand.
Rob noticed this, too, and his aura went black with bitterness.
I was relieved when the study began, believing that Rob had too much respect for Scott to interrupt him. I underestimated his jealousy, however. It was perhaps bad luck that the first person with a question when Scott opened the floor to discussion was Jacob.
“Yeah, sorry, I just didn’t understand what you were saying about the cross and the crown, regarding the section starting with verse sixty? I don’t see the mention of the crown there.”
“You’ve got to read between the lines, don’t you know?” Rob called from the back of the room. “The Bible never gives you anything for free, kiddo.”
Anna closed her eyes in dismay. Jacob looked around, surprised by the hostility in Rob’s tone.
“Rob’s not wrong,” Scott said, giving his friend a stern look, to which Rob only smiled tightly. “It’s all about the offense that the disciples took from Jesus’ teaching, Jacob. These people wanted a crown without a cross, but one cannot come without the other. Jesus’ suffering is the reason that he is our king.”
“Everybody’s gotta suffer,” Rob said, leaning back and resting his feet on the chair in front of him.
“If they want salvation, then yes,” Scott said. Anna had her fingers pressed to her brow.
Jacob was beginning to be aware that something was going on, but he didn’t want to call attention to it. He cleared his throat and looked down at his Bible. “Okay, well—I didn’t quite catch another comment you made, about verse seventy? Something about Jesus’ deliberation.”
“Jesus,” Rob groaned, throwing back his head. “Even I know that one—Jesus chose all the disciples, even the one who would betray him, so that everything would go according to plan. Weren’t you listening?”
This was enough for everyone. Muttering went through the room, and Scott said, “Rob, please.”
“What’s your problem, dude?” Jacob asked, turning in his chair.
And Anna got to her feet, starting for the door. “Can I have a word with you,” she said as she passed Rob. It was not a request.
Rob waggled his eyebrows suggestively at Jacob as he got up to follow her. I trailed after them, worried.
In the hall, Anna whirled on Rob the moment the door closed behind him. “What the hell was that?” she demanded.
“That’s what you’re going with? Really?” Rob countered. “Fat little Christian know-nothing? Come on, Annie. You can do better.”
“Like you, for instance?” Anna snapped. “At least Jacob knows how to behave. That display was utterly childish.”
“So you’re dating him because he’s got some manners?” Rob took a step closer to her, reaching out. “You deserve so much more than manners, baby.”
Before he could get hold of her, I stepped in between them. “You will not touch her,” I said, and his fingers froze in midair.
Anna was already stepping away, her lip curled. “Not that I owe you any explanations,” she said, holding up her hands, “but I’m with Jacob because I can respect him. He’s kind to me, and his faith is strong, and he’s a good man.”
Rob’s eyes narrowed, and he stuck his hands in his pockets. “Oh, yeah, a good man, uh-huh. Sounds thrilling, it really does.”
Anna opened her mouth to snap back, but I put my wing around her to calm her defensive reactions. “You are right,” I reminded her. “You owe him no explanations.”
She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “I’m not saying he’s my soulmate, because there’s no such thing. Love is a choice, and I’m choosing to give Jacob a chance, because yes, he is a good man, and he believes like I do, and most importantly, even if we don’t work out, he would never hurt and humiliate me in this way.” She stepped toward the door. “I’m going back inside now. Don’t follow me.”
I stayed outside the door when she shut it behind her, to make certain that he didn’t. I wasn’t blind to his pain—it was a deep well under his anger and bitterness. That did not make the bitterness any less sour or black. Finally he cursed under his breath and left.
I went back in and stayed throughout the lesson, because Anna did owe Jacob an explanation, and I thought she might need me for that. I shouldn’t have worried, however; as soon as the lesson was done, Scott joined Anna and Jacob, a comforting presence for this conversation which was not easy for her.
Jacob took it well, though. “Don’t worry about it, Anna,” he said, taking her hand. “What he said doesn’t bother me—I just hate that he’s giving you such a hard time.”
“You’re the one he was harassing.”
“Was I?” Jacob asked. “It didn’t matter to him who I was—just that I’m here with you.”
Scott leaned forward. “If you want, Anna, I can have a word with him.”
Anna shook her head, pretending indifference. “Thank you, Scott, but it doesn’t matter. All he’s done is make me feel better about my decision.” She squeezed Jacob’s hand and smiled at him. “If you’re not worried about him, then I won’t think about it anymore.”
But she did think about it, all the rest of that evening after Jacob had dropped her off. The fact is that Rob spoke some truth in his rude challenges. His implication that Anna felt more strongly for him than she does or could for Jacob rang true to her. She felt a connection to Rob in minutes that was stronger than what she feels for Jacob after several weeks. It does not make her anger any less real, but it makes her wonder whether she and Jacob are right for one another after all.
It makes me wonder that, too. Of course I will do nothing for now—it would be a shame for Rob to be the only thing that breaks these two up. But I will be watching closely in the next few weeks.