met Sarah at the same location and each time their conversation lasted a little longer than it did the day before. Finally, Sarah agreed to meet him for coffee. It was the breakthrough he had been longing for and from that moment on they spent every possible moment together, mostly just talking and laughing. Sometimes simply sitting together in silence, never touching, not even holding hands. Ken would often smile to himself bemused and wonder how he was going to explain this shipboard romance to anyone, for other than his own heart, there simply was no conquest.
His father had sent him out to sow his wild oats, to become a man of the world as he had put it and Ken clearly understood that meant the use of women for his own gratification. Single or married, it didn't matter; there would be no commitment beyond a night or two. He would show them a good time with the finer things in life thrown in, buy a gift or two and have a story to tell and then move on. So far as Ken was concerned everyone benefited. How different and unexpected this situation with Sarah was.
Sarah explained to him that this was her last voyage under her current contract and that she was returning home to her parents and would be taking up a role with the local church, helping the people of her neighborhood. She had spoken little of her home and made no attempt to elaborate on what kind of work she would be involved with. Ken never pressed her, sensing that for some reason she wished to keep it as a private matter.
At the end of the voyage Ken abandoned his entire travel plans and followed Sarah to her home. She had tried to convince him not to follow but Ken insisted and despite her every attempt at dissuading him, he had turned up on her doorstep. He knocked on the door and when Sarah opened it, he stood staring at what lay before him.
“Surprised?” she asked "Now you see me for who and what I am, all of the things unsaid between us. A man of your background and class and me of little or no consequence. Ken you must know it can't work, not for either of us."
Earlier in the day Ken had disembarked the ship and caught a taxi. One of Sarah's fellow workers had given him her address. The driver's response caught him off guard. “You sure that’s where you wanna go mister?” the driver asked. “If you’re looking for a lady I can recommend far better and safer places. Classy ladies who give you a good time and you be safe but you go to that place you ask and you may not come out.”
Ken replied in the affirmative and they set off on a journey that was to take over two hours. They drove through the outer suburbs followed by an area of the most dilapidated buildings amidst sparse vegetation. It was, without doubt some of the bleakest habitation Ken had ever seen. The obvious poverty and despair of the people shocked him. He had never seen anything like it. Somehow, something touched his heart, an unexplainable feeling of pain that went deep into the core of his being and he felt like weeping.
“Surprised, yes, yes I am a little” he replied to Sarah “does it make any difference? No it doesn’t, not in the slightest. I don’t think I will ever meet anyone who could match you in any way. Sarah, you own my heart.”
Sarah and Ken stood staring at each other not knowing what to say, the magical mystery of mutual attraction devoid of words. The silence between them was finally broken when a woman's voice called to her from inside the house. Sarah introduced Ken to her family who would be as strongly opposed to their relationship as his own family would later prove to be. Sarah's father had left the room muttering in words and a language Ken could not understand. Her shocked mother stood and stared showing disbelief, then upon gaining her composure spoke very harshly to Sarah. Ken had not expected such a hostile reception but he didn't flinch, not in the slightest. He immediately determined that he would stay and do whatever it took to win over Sarah's parents. Whatever it took and he didn't care how long it was going to take; he was not leaving without her.
Over the next month Ken spent every possible moment of his time with Sarah. She worked without rest, spending time with disadvantaged children. Teaching them to read and write and take care of themselves. Caring for the old people who had nothing but the clothes they wore and little or no medical treatment to ease their plight. Such pitiable sights to be witness to. Ken lived the life of excess and now he was seeing firsthand the other extremes. Every imaginable type of degradation available to mankind was on display and yet amongst it all, there were people like Sarah who made a difference, just a little at a time. As he stood back and watched, his admiration for her increased. He had never known of such unselfishness in another.
As part of his extensive education Ken had studied and, he believed, understood the world’s social structures. He had seen documentaries on the social economics of third world countries, studied the statistics and demographics, but nothing prepared him for this firsthand experience. The sights, the smells and the violence were overwhelming.
He would return to his hotel room at night filled with a sense of guilt and shame, utter feelings of uselessness consuming him. Emotions that were previously uncharacteristic of him. He didn't know how to make a difference or even relate to the things he now saw and he felt frustrated with himself and his inability to contribute.
Eventually the time came for Ken to leave and so he asked Sarah to marry him and return with him to his home.
Ken approached Sarah’s family and asked their permission for her hand in marriage. They were totally opposed to any union and simply refused to offer their blessing. Sarah was expected to marry into her own culture and kind and her father would not allow a marriage between them to take place. Ken convinced Sarah to return to his home and meet with his parents whom he was sure would greet her with open arms. How wrong he was. Their reaction was even more hostile than those of Sarah’s family.
Ken's father had referred to her as being "that thing," while his mother with a slip of her tongue had only stated "But she's a nig...." The look of admonishment that Ken had given her stopped her short of finishing the sentence.
After weeks of haggling and arguing between Ken and his parents, Sarah announced she was returning home alone and for good pleading with Ken not to follow her. They had both now come to the conclusion that marriage was out of the question and they separated with broken hearts.
Sarah’s calling in life and the expectations of her family would see her either spend her life as a spinster or marry someone from her own background. The person would be chosen by her father. There would be no compromise on that issue. Sarah had protected herself from being hurt by rejecting the approaches of other young men and having let her guard down just this once, was now devastated. She had known in her heart all along that this would be the end outcome. Her relationship with Ken had been doomed from the beginning. She knew the realities of life and where she came from, she was not prepared to marry her own kind and live the life she had seen her mother endure. Equally she knew that she would not be accepted by those above her class and she knew with absolute certainty that her family would reject anyone but the person of her father's choosing. Sarah thus made the decision to remain single and dedicate her life to serving others less fortunate.
Sarah would serve her God for all the days of her life. Consoling herself with the notion that at least she had known true love. She would always treasure the time she spent with Ken. At times she wished she had allowed the relationship between them to become physical but it never had. Ken had always shown and treated her with the utmost respect. She was deeply grateful for having met such a man.
On their last night together they sat talking for many hours. Her last words to Ken were to relate how she had seen a selfish, decadent young man become a mature, caring and loving person who could do a great deal to make a difference to the world in which he lived. “Put your own self to one side and become the man that you are destined to be. Don’t waste the gifts and opportunities God has given you. Make a difference, but please, be aware that you may pay a heavy price to become that person.”
From that time forward Ken deposited funds into an account in Sarah’s name. He made monthly
