A two dollar suit part V - David Rose

"I cleaned you up as best I could. Don't have a shower here so I just did as much as I could. You gave me quite a scare passin out like you did"

Wallace was still groggy but he sat up on the edge of the cot. "Where's muh clothes?"

"Don't worry. we had to burn your old clothes. They was a lost cause.But...I sent Jon over to the Goodwill and we got you some new clothes. I hope they fit..but if they don't, here's the receipt..you can take it back and get what you need."

Wallace couldn't believe his eyes. There stood Tom holding up a suit. It was a gold and turquoise plaid and the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He jumped off the cot and fell on Tom, thanking him, hugging him.

"Hey now, lets not get carried away. You put these on and get going. I can't let you stay here cause the owner wouldn't like that one bit."

Wallace understood. He watched Tom as he stepped out of the room to give him a chance to get dressed. Wallace stroked the lapel of the suit. He looked around for a stool and swa the shoes and socks and shirt that Tom had given him the day before. They were laid out all neat and clean for him. Just like in a hotel. He slipped on the socks and the shirt. He looked at the ceiling..."I don't know you very well sir...but I know you is up there and I thank you for this..."
It was awkward, but it was a prayer, pure and simple.

Wallace stepped out of the back room and headed for the front door of the recycling cneter.

"Well look at you! You look Great! Wallace if I didn't know you...I'd think you were a millionare..a successful business tycoon. It looks good on you son! Have a look see for yourself!" Tom pointed to the bathroom. Wallace went in and turned on the light. There was a man staring back at him from the mirror. A man that Wallace barely recognized. He was dressed in a loose fitting old suit, his face was clean, but there was an unhealthy yellowed pallor to his skin.

"Now Wallace, me and the boys took up a little collection. It ain't much, but it should be enough to get you a decent meal and a room for the night. Please take it. Its all we can do...but we want to do it for you."

Wallace looked at the money in Toms hand.

"Why?" he asked."Why you doin this for ol Wallace? You don't owe me a thing..."

"We're doin it because we want to and its the right thing to do. Now take it and git goin before the guys change their mind and want their money back." Tom said with a laugh.

Wallace took the money. He didn't count it..he just shoved it in his pocket. It was a good feeling. Clean clothes, money in the pocket, he had forgotten what that felt like. Tom handed him the receipt for the suit. Wallace looked at it.

1 mans suit $2.00

He put that in his pocket. Tom patted him on the back.

"We got your cart out front. Everything's still there. You can check it."

Wallace looked deep into the eyes of his friend. Such kindness, such caring. He had never experienced anything like this before. He tried to speak his heart, but it bypassed his mouth and went straight to his eyes. Tom could see it shining there. A sparkle that had been gone a long time from those old eyes. He nodded again to Wallace and watched him as he pushed his cart down the road.

Wallace heard the town clock chime 6:oo pm. He wondered what day it was. He wanted to go to the Miracle Healing Service. He pushed his cart as quicklye as he could towards the church. If he could get there on time...he knew that he would get his miracle healing. He would be free of the cough, free of the fever...free of the pain...

The sound of Angels filled his ears as he neared the church. About a block away, he stashed his cart and belongings behind an old shed. He didn't want to risk being recognized by the sweaty man and his friends. They would just throw him out and then he wouldn't get his miracle healing. He felt the dizzziness come on him again. His head spun, the sidewalk spun, everything was spinning. He stumbled down the sidewalk, pushing on towards that sweet angelic sound. There was a flash of light. He looked up and saw the man in the white suit holding the sign.

'Miracle Healing Service Tonight'

Wallace smiled at the man in the white suit. He seemed to beam a soft bright warm friendly light that shone right through Wallace. He felt a sudden surge of strength and made his way up the steps of the church.

The service was in full swing by the time Wallace found his way into the building and to the seat in the very back corner of the sanctuary. The spinning was getting better. He fought the urge to cough, pulling out his ragged dirty handkerchief and covering his mouth. Up on the platform, Wallace recognized the sweaty man. He was wearing a dark suit and tie and was standing a some kind of pedestal or sesk. Wallace didn't know what it was, he had never been in a church before. Up on the front row were the two young men that had thrown him into the street. Wallace sunk down into the pew so they wouldn't see him. As he watched, he began to realize that they wouldn't recognize anyone. They were jumpin up and down, shouting gibberish that he couldn't understand. The sweaty man was shouting gibberish too. Spit came flying out the corners of his mouth like a rabid dog.

As he looked around, Wallace noticed all the different people that were in the church. They were familiar to him. At one time or another, their paths had crossed Wallaces. Each time they either ignored, chastised, or looked down on him with disdain and contempt. Now here they were all jumpin and gibberish talkin and sayin stuff like...


"We love you Lord!" or "Praise Jesus!"

It was all a mystery to Wallace how they could be one way with him and be another with some guy they never met, never saw, or were even sure if he was real.

Wallace felt warm inside. Like he was where he was supposed to be. He looked around some more and saw the man in the white suit sitting two people down from him, smiling at Wallace. The man leaned over as if to say something. Just as he opened his mouth, the sweaty man opened his and the man in white vanished.

"Brothers and sisters, we come here tonight to recieve our miracle...our healing. But in order to receive, you have to give. Gods work costs money. Your sacrifice can help someone in need. When you sacrifice your needs for someone elses needs, God will meet yours!"

The choir and the band started in on another jumpy little song as people came up and put money in the buckets that were on the stage. Wallace saw what was happening. He felt the money burning in his pocket. He looked up at the buckets, and there was the man in the white suit, smiling, motioning for Wallace to come up. Wallace grabbed the back of the bench in front of him,pulled himself up, and headed down the aisle. The music was loud, like a party. People were jumping and dancing and patting Wallace on the back as he dropped all the money Tom had given him into the bucket.

Halfway back to his seat, the dizziness came on him again. It was all he could do to keep his balance until he made it back to his seat. He dropped heavily onto the bench and leaned over coughing. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see the man in the white suit. He was saying something, but Wallace couldn't make it out. He leaned forward again and held his head.

"Lord," he said quietly, "I came here for a miracle and a healing. I am so tired. I know I have brought this on myself, but if you could just see it within yourself to forgive me and take this pain and cough away, well I know you will do it...thats why I'm here askin..."

" Come with me brother, the Lord has heard your prayer and has seen your sacrifice."

Wallace turned to see the man in the white suit. For the first time , Wallace could hear him.

The man in the white suit held out his hand and Wallace took it. They headed out the back of the church and out into the street. Wallace looked around, but no one noticed they were leaving. They were all too busy jumping and gibberishing to notice anything or anyone.

"Where we goin Mr.?" Wallace asked.

"Its time for you to meet your miracle." came the reply.

Wallace took a deep breath and paused. He took another deep breath, and then another.
No pain, no wheeze, no cough! He looked at the man in the white suit who was just smiling at Wallace.

"What do you think?" he asked Wallace.

Wallace stared at him in disbelief. He could breath. No cough, no fatigue. He jumped and shouted Hallelujah. He had received his miracle healing.

The man in the white suit put his hand on Wallaces shoulder. A warm happy sensation flowed through Wallace.

"Wallace, I want you to meet someone. Someone who has been waiting to meet you for a long time."

Wallace couldn't speak. He nodded approval and they walked arm and arm down the street. A bright white light, like he had seen shining from the man surrounded them. Wallace stopped and turned and looked at the small church. He could see that everyone had stopped their jumpin and gibberish. They were all standing around someone sitting in the back corner...right where he had been sitting. It was him. He had recieved his miracle healing all right. The Lord had sent a messenger to bring him home. He came into this world with nothing, and he had left this world with nothing...nothing but his salvation. Wallace smiled and turned back to face the man in the White suit. It was then that he realized that it wasn't the fact that he had cleaned up and was wearing that $2.00 suit that had gotten Gods attention. It was the fact that he let God clean up what was on the inside. That is what got him his salvation and his miracle.

"Is everything all right Wallace?" the man in the white suit asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"All right? I'd say that everything was pert near perfect!"

They kept walking into the light....vanishing....


The End