Searchlight

Swiveling day and night the searchlight goes where it pleases as a concentrated beam without spot or blemish. Panning in the required direction will uncover the truth within the piping of the warehouse, crawl space and/or under the belly of clouds. Renaissance will begin as soon as the reconnaissance is finished. Ascertain the cause of the rescue. It’s not up to us. Plumb the inward parts deep in the system. Around the clock, persistent are the blockages in place to stop the flow of growth. Your nails will be filthy by the end of the day even if you didn’t work a dirty job.

In New England, early on in his career as an apprentice plumber, John Gervickas was called out to the residential emergency. His fast response brought his burly stature to the center of the spotlight while fixing the problem on a utility ladder. While fixing the project he experienced the strangest encounter as a young man. At 21 years-old, John held an apprenticeship with his brother Joe who is a licensed plumber. John was left there to do the job himself; an easy half day. He made money to have what he saved. That was that.

The tradesman course was set before John even before completing a plumbing degree from Kaynor Technical School because his Lithuanian father and four brothers were all licensed plumbers. Rock formations sink and rise along the forest ridge. Winter strips trees of their covering. Spring buds mystery. Industrial power poured through brass factories like water pushing down the Naugatuck River. On the South End of Waterbury, Connecticut located inside a multi-family unit home was a kitchen on the first floor. The pantry sat just off the kitchen where he sat his toolbox and saw down. John stepped on the utility ladder to reach the pipe at the ceiling level. He curtly remembered, “the worksite was a small operation. It only required a few hours of work.”

While concentrating on fixing the pipe a 21-year-old Spanish woman of Puerto Rican origins walked up to John. She sincerely said, “John, Jesus loves you.” She smiled directly at him. John immediately thought, “Jesus loves me? Oh, Jesus loves me. Oh alright.” After the brief pause he went back to work.

Ten to fifteen minutes later she came back to the same position. About five feet away while looking up and smiling at John. She honestly told him “John, Jesus loves you.” John was not irritated by her comment, but she got him thinking. “Why is she saying that? Why is she saying that?”

Ten to fifteen minutes later she came back to the same position. She said it again. “John, Jesus loves you.” John noticed how pleasant she was in her demeanor.

Ten to fifteen minutes later she came back to the same position. About five feet away while looking up and smiling at John she honestly told him “John, Jesus loves you.” On the fourth encounter, John thought to himself, “Why does she keep saying that?” It was strange. He never heard this before. That’s all she kept saying.

Fifteen minutes later on the fifth time around she walked up to John and told him, “John, Jesus loves you.” She walked out of sight. John thought to himself as he worked on the water pipe, “Why does she keep saying that?” John wondered, “Maybe she wants a date with me.”

On the sixth time, ten to fifteen minutes later she came back to the same position next to the pantry. About five feet away while looking up and smiling at John. She honestly told him “John, Jesus loves you.” John was clammed up and couldn’t do his work for a moment.

On the final time, ten to fifteen minutes later she came back to where John was standing on the ladder. She smiled at John and sincerely told him, “John, Jesus loves you.” John thought, “Yeah, okay. Okay alright” completely not understanding what she was trying to convey to him. He didn’t know what to say or think of it. Nobody had ever told him this before. She put the message in John’s head: Jesus loves me. John finished up fixing the leaky water pipe above the kitchen pantry. He still didn’t know what she was getting at as he packed up his toolbox and saw. The work was finished. John said goodbye to the young woman who lived on the first floor unit. John said, “It stuck into my life, into me, that event there so…” The spotlight panned toward different direction for another contested election.

John remembers his parents walking arms locked together toward Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church in the Brooklyn section of Waterbury. By the time he was twelve years old he went his own route. Sometimes he’d go. Sometimes he wouldn’t. When John was old enough to drive he’d make it look like he went to church by driving his 1972 Mercury Cougar he bought from Joe’s live-in girlfriend for seven hundred dollars. It was a lot of money back then considering he was making $3.50 an hour. He knew he was doing better than the other plumbers who graduated from Kaynor Technical School. They only made $2.75 an hour. Joe secured higher scales of work for John by custom residential jobs. He was fortunate.

Inside the folds of the Republican-American newspaper John saw a story about how many Catholics were in the USA. He questioned why he was Catholic. What makes it right? John believed the answer was found in the number. All these Catholics must be correct because there was more of them than anyone else. It must be correct. However, growing up John does not recall anyone whether it be a nun, priest, and/or lay teacher telling him “Jesus loves you” like the young Spanish girl. Jesus saves. He is the way, the truth and the life. None of this was instilled in him or even witnessed. He didn’t know he had to give his heart to Jesus. She was the only person who witnessed to John until he was twenty-five years old. At the appointed time her message spout from a deep place. It couldn’t be withheld. The perfect setting for a clam to be unhinged. Jesus took his stand. He cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says.” Submerged in the word.

In retrospect, John can see how she was bearing witness so that he would be saved by Jesus, the savior. The event at the worksite happened for a reason as the searchlight oscillates like a world premiere. Shine right there. John was lost and didn’t know him. Beyond the scope of advertising and agency. What she said had sustaining power. The sustenance in the form of a little hope and a little light was true spiritual food to hold onto. Although it was put in the back of his mind it gave nourishment. At the age legally allowed to drink alcohol he was living without direction. John thought you had to go to work to get money and pay your bills to survive. Work and get money. Work and get money. The money didn’t last long. Even though the money went toward necessities. It’s a fleeting thing.