Beware of the Caution Light
                                                                             By Karah Raphaelita Newton
                                                                                                    May 15, 2020
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Just beyond an intersection where Interstate 285 exits into Metropolitan Atlanta, a young black woman was pulled over by officers in, not one, but three police cars. You won't believe what happened next.  
   
Jordan Butler felt that she was driving at a steady pace as she merged off the highway into the city of Atlanta. The long drive on a sunny afternoon with just a hint of early November cool had pulled her deep into her thoughts.  
   
She had moved to Georgia just four months ago. Coming from Eufaula, Alabama, where she was born and raised, Atlanta seemed huge. She had recently graduated from Tuskegee University, back in her home state.  Today was one of those days Jordan felt emotionally drained. She had only worked half day. It was her first time using some of her vacation time since she started working at the IT company in July. Her parents had urged her to take a half-day off from work. They could tell that she needed some extra downtime to relax.   
   
Right after graduation, Jordan had landed an IT job in Atlanta. She decided to move to Fairburn, a city 20 minutes south of Atlanta that reminded her of some parts of Alabama. Plus, her mother had a cousin who lived in Fairburn. Even though Jordan thoroughly enjoyed her new job, a cloud of uncertainty hovered over her, slowly sucking the zest from her joyful nature. After work, Jordan had driven to the parking lot of a nearby Walmart, where she sat in her car meditating on two scriptures, Jeremiah 29:11, and Psalm 1. In the background, the sound track of Cece Winan’s Everlasting Love played softly on her car cassette player. She had so many questions about the future. Where was her relationship with her boyfriend Troy headed?    
 
Jordan met Troy Ferguson in her freshman year. He was a junior from Deerfield Beach, Florida. They developed an easy friendship, which grew throughout the semesters. To Jordan, Troy was an older brother she could talk to about any subject. Jordan was an only child, but back home in Eufaula, she had a tight knit circle of four older cousins who were just like siblings to her. Beverly and Joy were her two awesome big sisters and Eric and Charles were her two amazing big brothers. To her cousins, she was Jordan — the baby of the family. With Troy, it was different. He viewed Jordan as an equal and as an adult.  In the last semester of her sophomore year and Troy’s senior year, their platonic relationship blossomed into romantic attraction. Jordan didn’t see that coming. To be completely honest, she was quite pleased with the amorous turn their relationship had taken. When Troy graduated, he was pleasantly surprised that Jordan’s parents traveled from Eufaula to Tuskegee to be a part of his big day, which turned out great. Troy’s parents and family got to meet Jordan and her parents.  
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After Troy graduated he returned home to Florida to live with his parents. He had majored in criminal justice and minored in accounting. His immediate goal was to work for two years and save enough money to start law school without having to take out an enormous student loan to continue his education.  He was determined to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a lawyer.  Troy spent most of his free time after work studying for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Jordan prayed with him on the phone and reassured him time and time again that he would ace the LSAT.  Exactly one year after Troy graduated with his bachelor’s degree, he passed the LSAT, on the first try. Troy rejoiced. Jordan was ecstatic!    
   
Troy lowered his voice on the phone and whispered to Jordan, “Jay, you know what? You’re my best friend. I love you, sweetheart. For so many reasons. Where do I begin? I like the way you laugh at my corny jokes. I like the way your eyes light up when I’m speaking. You look at me as if I’m the only person in the room. I like the way you’ve stuck with me through the rough and the hard times. I like the way that you don't hide or mask your imperfections or mistakes, but trust God and His Word to help you to continue to grow and learn in His grace and love. Jay, I could go on and on. It’s becoming clearer and clearer to me each day that you’re the woman I have been praying to God to be my wife, since I was in seventh grade. Oh yes, and I absolutely love the way you kiss. Your kisses are like sunshine after a rainy day.”  Jordan could barely contain her joy.  
 
Jordan and Troy maintained a committed long-distance relationship during the two years after Troy graduated from Tuskegee. Jordan had lost count of the number of times Troy had visited her and her family in Alabama during those two years. Jordan and her parents drove to Florida to visit Troy and his family twice. Both families had gotten to know each other.   
   
Of recent, Troy seemed distracted and distant.  In the past, they would spend long hours on the phone sharing about their goals and dreams, praying, studying the Bible, and chatting about everything and nothing. After Jordan moved to Georgia in July, during the month of September Troy advised her that she could only contact him on his cellular phone, that she’d no longer be able to reach him on his office phone. When Jordan questioned him, he didn’t offer any valid explanation for the changes.  These days, their phone conversations petered out in less than an hour. Troy was always pressed for time or tired from working so many hours to save up for law school. It was during this time that Jordan detected a shift in their relationship.    
   
Feeling increasingly closed off from Troy, Jordan focused on her relationship with God and worked hard to learn everything she could about her new job. She graduated with a major in IT and a minor in education. Her entire family and some of her extended family showed up in full force at her ceremony graduation. Jordan was the first one in her family to graduate from college. Troy had duly informed her that he would not be able to attend her graduation. She was extremely disappointed with this news.   
   
Much to her surprise, on graduation day, not only did Troy show up, but his entire family came —  his mom, dad, brother, and sister. Jordan thrilled with excitement and delight. All the people who were important to both of them were present. Jordan could feel it in her heart: Troy was going to propose to her.  He had brought graduation gifts for Jordan:  an exquisite card with five crisp one hundred dollar bills enclosed, along with a gorgeous bouquet of long-stemmed yellow and red roses. Jordan flashed Troy her brightest smile and thanked him profusely for her graduation gifts. On the inside, she wilted from disappointment.  
   
Yet, now that she had graduated from college, there was no marriage proposal from Troy. When Jordan steered the conversation toward what lay ahead for them as a couple, Troy’s response was that he wasn’t sure which law school he should attend; he was still researching, praying, and waiting for God’s leading. And that was the end of the discussion.   
“Oh no!” Jordan slapped the palm of her hand against her forehead as she realized she had run straight through a caution light at the intersection. In less than five minutes, she saw in her rearview mirror flashing blue lights two cars behind her. Could the cops be tailing me that fast?  Just then, a police car drove up abreast of her and signaled her to pull over in the parking lot of the Q-T station ahead.   A sudden hollowness filled the pit of her stomach.   
   
Jordan's parents had rehearsed with her and her cousins time and time again the proper behavior to demonstrate if they were ever stopped by a police officer.  Just two nights ago, her father had taken her through the drill of how to act in such eventuality.  She was so nervous, but nevertheless, she recalled with precision every detail of the drill.  
   
As Jordan pulled into the Q-T gas station, she was startled to see two other police cars trailing the officer in the car that pulled her over.  “My God,” she thought, “What is going on here?” She tried to calm herself down. She was calm and level headed by nature, but found it difficult to keep her composure under such unexpected circumstance. Jordan said a silent prayer. She felt a stillness come over her and an odd certainty that all would be well. Admittedly, she had been distracted by her thoughts and had run through a caution light, but did such a minor infraction warrant this show of force - three police cars? Jordan took a deep breath to steady her nerves.  She then placed her hands on the steering wheel, so that the officers could clearly see that her hands were free. Everyone in the Q-T parking lot was looking at the unfolding scene. It took every ounce strength for Jordan to command herself to stay calm.  
   
The police officer in the first car slowly got out of his vehicle. He took up a position at the side of his car, standing erect, with a big yellow bull horn in his right hand. “What in the world is he doing?” Jordan wondered. Instead of walking toward her car to demand an explanation for why she had run  the caution light, the officer remained beside his car, raised the bull horn to his lips and proceeded to address her.  
   
“Wow! It’s just 3:30 p.m.; we’re in big, broad daylight. This is totally uncalled for,” thought Jordan. The other two police cars behind the officer with the bull horn continued flashing their blue lights. Jordan could feel her indignation rising, “What the hell is going on here? Ok! I ran a caution light but I’m not a public threat. Why is this clown using a bull horn?”    
   
Standing erect at the side of his car, the officer blared over the bull horn,  
“Jordan Laurel Butler, would you give me the honor of being my wife. Jordan, would you please marry me?”  
   
Now, Jordan was totally confused. Was this officer on some kind of drugs?   
   
By now, everyone in the parking lot of Q-T was staring directly at her. Jordan’s middle name was not on her license. She only used her middle initial when she registered at the Motor Vehicle Department. How did this nut case know her middle name, and why was he asking her to marry him instead of quizzing her about running the caution light.  Jordan concluded that she must be dreaming. There was no other explanation for this scene.  For a fleeting second, Jordan heard the tenor of Troy’s voice when the officer spoke.  
”But, Troy is in Florida,” Jordan reasoned, completely perplexed.  
 Then the smooth deep voice posed the question again:  
 “Jordan Laurel Butler, would you marry me?”  
   
 There was now no doubt in her mind. That was indeed Troy's voice. She took her hands off the steering wheel and grasped both sides of her face, her mouth dropped open in awe. Her eyes welled up in tears. The officer opened the door of his car, placed the bull horn on the seat, and pulled out a bouquet of three dozen beautiful long-stemmed yellow and red roses. Jordan could not comprehend how Troy was able to set up this whole theatrical production, but it was indeed him.  
   
The officer proceeded to walk to her car. Yes, there was no mistake about it. That was Troy’s signature walk. Troy walked like he was gliding on clouds. Jordan jumped out of her car, with tears streaming down her face. “Yes! Yes! Yes! I’ll be honored to marry you, Troy.”  
   
Troy ran toward Jordan, lifted her in the air, drawing her close to his chest, and planted on her lips the most sumptuous kiss he had ever given her. Jordan responded to Troy’s kiss with equal passion. The entire parking lot at Q-T started cheering, applauding, and whistling.  
   
Normally, Jordan viewed kissing as a private affair, but right now she did not care whether the entire world was watching. She was kissing and embracing the man she loved and was looking forward to them spending the rest of their life together as husband and wife.  
   
Troy kneeled down and slid a Princess Cut-Triple Diamond Halo Engagement ring on Jordan's ring finger. He got up and embraced her in a big hug. With supreme confidence in his voice, he declared to everyone within earshot, “Jordan Laurel Butler, you are my best friend, the love of my life. You are the girl of my dreams. You are a precious gift to me from our Heavenly Father. Thank you, Father.”  The other two police officers got out of their cars and shouted “Way to go, Troy!” “Congratulations to Troy and Jordan!” Then they pulled off, siren blaring and lights flashing until they were out of the Q-T parking lot. Everyone in the Q-T parking lot cheered and applauded.  Cars driving by honked their horns.  
   
Jordan looked into Troy’s eyes with tender love and eager passion.  
   
“Troy, tell me, how did you do this?”  
   
“Jordan, first of all, I must admit. I’ve been keeping secrets from you.   
   
“Yes, I agree with you on that point, Mr. Troy,” Jordan purred, with a sexy wink.   
   
“Well, honey, for starters, I’ve been accepted into Emory University School of Law.”  
   
“Yay!” Jordan jumped up and down, clapping with joy. Troy reached out and gently held both of Jordan's hands to calm her down.  
   
“In addition,” Troy continued, “I transferred from the Coral Springs, Florida Police Department to the Metropolitan Atlanta Police Station in September.”  
   
“Wow! That’s great news,” Jordan enthused.  
“Jordan, I assure you, it took prayer, and everything within me to keep that secret from you. There were times when I had to cut our conversation short just not to spill the beans.”  
   
Jordan nodded, eyeing Troy with a warm smile.  
   
“Troy, you did a fantastic job of keeping me in the dark on all your plans.  
   
”The only people who knew were my parents and yours. I’ve been living in Atlanta unbeknown to you, since September. That’s why I could only speak to you on my cellular phone.”  
   
Troy pulled Jordan closer to him.  “And, oh yeah, there’s one more surprise.”  
   
 “More surprises, Mr. Ferguson?” Jordan whispered.  
   
“Look who’s coming out of the Q-T door.”   
   
Just then, Jordan’s parents walked out of the Q-T store.  
   
“Mom, Dad?” Jordan gasped. “Aww! You knew!  
   
Overcome with joy for the newly engaged couple, the parents tenderly encircled Jordan and Troy in a tight embrace.  
   
As Jordan's parents got into her car, Troy held her hands tightly.  “Jay, let’s get you back into your car. We’ll talk about the rest later tonight.” With a kiss on her forehead, Troy closed Jordan’s car door, glided back to his police car, and threw one last kiss to his bride-to-be, Jordan Laurel Butler.