I thought to myself as I approached the gaurds window? "Could this classy lady be here to visit me?" When I turned around we both looked directly into each others eyes. We both smiled and gave each other a big hug as if we had been good friends forever ! After my embrace she grabbed my hand as if she were holding one of her grandchildren and rushed me over to the vending machines to get in line to purchase some of that nice chicken I had talked about in my letters to her. I wanted the chicken but settle for a sandwich, soda and fries seeing that there was no chicken in the machines.
As we began talking and getting to know each other she stopped and paused for a moment. She looked me in my brown eyes and asked in a stern voice, "would you like to hear my story about how my daughter was kidnapped and murdered?" I was very interested
alright because I was in prison convicted of almost the identical crime. As I listened to her relive this tragic story I couldn't help but think what a courageaous woman to come and visit a man on death row convicted of the same thing that happened to her lovely daughter? After learning that she had visited the man who killed her daughter and forgave him for his crime and gave me a good bye hug.
I reluctantly walked back to my 4 by 10 cell with chains strapped to
my body but the crust I had carried around over my heart washed away and a new outlook on what true forgiveness and love meant.
The night went by slowly as I contemplated what I could do to help those out there who had lost loved ones to violent crimes? I couldn't help but think what a beautiful rainbow this lady was and that she had walked into my life when loneliness was beginning to crush me from lack of human contact from the outside. As I glanced at the cold steel bars of my cell I couldn't help thinking about how nice of her to take the time out of her life and share it with me through her letters and visits. What a wonderful feeling to know that someone cared about me! Yes she was a rainbow that had come into my life!
I thought back to a few days prior to her visit, an early evening thunderstorm provided the setting for the most beautiful rainbow I had ever seen. But when I tried to describe it on paper, I was thoroughly frustrated, for its beauty defied words. In an attempt to understand what I had observed. I read an article in the encyclopedia. The article increased my understanding, but it offered only cold facts. It didn't capture the rainbow's glory. Abstract knowledge about a rainbow is one thing; experiencing its beauty is another. I am sure many people have heard of Aba Gayle, but until you have experienced her love and kindness toward her fellow man one will never know the true beauty of a rainbow.
Billy Ray Riggs with Gayle
