Saydah had made herself a cup of tea, settled into her favorite chair, and was halfway through reading an article about drought-resistant landscaping when her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen.
Unknown Number.
Normally, she ignored unknown numbers the way sensible people ignored expired coupons and suspicious text messages promising free cruises.
But that afternoon, curiosity won.
“Hello?”
The caller greeted her warmly and, after a few minutes of polite conversation, began asking about people Saydah had not thought about in years.
“Do you still talk to so-and-so?”
“No.”
“What about the old group?”
“No.”
“Have you heard from—”
“No.”
The caller laughed.
“Wow. You really disconnected from everybody.”
Saydah sipped her tea.
“I suppose I did.”
The caller seemed puzzled.
“Don’t you ever wonder what happened to everyone?”
Saydah looked out her window toward the quiet Sasspoint Village street.
A woman walked a dog.
A delivery truck rolled past.
A neighbor watered flowers.
Peace.
Glorious peace.
Then she answered.
“Not really.”
The caller laughed again.
“You sound serious.”
“I am serious.”
“How can you not be curious?”
Saydah set down her mug.
“Because I left Egypt.”
The line went silent.
“Excuse me?”
“I left Egypt.”
The caller chuckled.
“What does that mean?”
“It means that when God parted my Red Sea, I crossed over and kept walking.”
The silence grew longer.
Saydah continued.
“I didn’t save the addresses. I didn’t keep the phone numbers. I didn’t create a reunion committee. I didn’t build a vacation home back there.”
Now the caller was laughing.
“You’re terrible.”
“No. I’m free.”
The caller nearly choked.
Saydah kept going.
“The desert was hot, but I survived it. Then God showed me mercy and brought me into a place of peace. Why would I spend my afternoons trying to relocate people who specialized in confusion?”
“Confusion?”
“Confusion. Chaos. Drama. Emotional drive-bys. Unsolicited stress packages. The usual.”
The caller burst out laughing.
“Emotional drive-bys?”
“Yes.”
“What is an emotional drive-by?”
Saydah leaned back.
“Someone who speeds into your day, unloads their anxiety, confusion, complaints, emergencies, frustrations, and bad decisions onto your front lawn, then drives away feeling refreshed while you spend the next three hours recovering.”
The caller laughed so hard that Saydah had to hold the phone away from her ear.
“That’s terrible.”
“It’s accurate.”
“So you don’t miss any of those people?”
Saydah thought for a moment.
“No.”
“None of them?”
“No.”
“Not even a little?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because freedom has a funny way of improving your memory.”
The caller became quiet.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that when enough time passes, people start remembering the garlic and onions of Egypt and forget the chains.”
The caller paused.
“That’s actually good.”
“It’s true.”
Saydah smiled.
“Sometimes people call you, hoping you’ll help them reopen doors God closed years ago. They want old connections. Old drama. Old alliances. Old patterns.”
She took another sip of tea.
“But some doors aren’t locked.”
“They’re buried.”
The caller laughed again.
“So what would happen if one of those old relationships tried to reconnect?”
Saydah grinned.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“I threw the address book into the Red Sea.”
The caller nearly fell apart laughing.
“The whole thing?”
“The whole thing.”
“You didn’t keep a backup copy?”
“Nope.”
“A spreadsheet?”
“Nope.”
“A contact list?”
“Nope.”
“What if you need them someday?”
Saydah looked around her peaceful living room.
The sunlight spilled across the floor.
Her tea was still warm.
Her blood pressure was behaving itself.
Her afternoon was quiet.
“I think I’ll take my chances.”
The caller laughed one last time.
“You’ve changed.”
Saydah smiled.
“No.”
She looked out the window again.
“I’ve crossed over.”
Scripture
“…Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD… for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever.” — Exodus 14:13 (KJV)
Condensed Truth™
Not every relationship belongs in your future. Some people are chapters. Some are lessons. And some are Egypt. When God opens a path through the sea, keep walking. Don’t stop to collect souvenirs. ✌🏽
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