Chapter Four
The Heart of a Missionary
The two reached the church. Mr. Riley greeted them.
“Nice to meet you, Theodore. I’m honored you came along. Follow me.” The man led them to a small room with sitting chairs and tables. Only a minute passed, when Mr. Riley pulled Caleb aside to a room privately.
“I’ll be back in a second. Ok?”
Theodore nodded.
Mr. Riley motioned his hand for Caleb to take a seat. Mr. Riley sat at a desk opposite of Caleb.
“Is there something wrong?” Caleb asked, and then remembered that was his exact words he used the first time he was called to Mr. Riley’s office.
“No. But there is a question I need to ask you. It’s rather important and you don’t need to answer it right away.”
Caleb felt nervous.
“How would you like to go on a real mission trip?”
Caleb was stunned. “What?”
“Didn’t you hear me?”
“Oh, yes. Of course, sorry. But uh…a real mission trip? I thought I was going on a real mission trip. I’m going to Carolina…”
“You were.”
Caleb nodded, waiting for more.
“But now you’re not.”
Caleb was confused.
Mr. Riley surely was an interesting man.
He chuckled at Caleb’s dumbfounded expression. “I have put together teams. And it looks South and North Carolina are packed with young missionaries there. I’ve even heard of revivals in small towns.”
“It could always use more. More people, I mean.”
“Yes it could. But there’s someplace else…” His voice trailed off.
Caleb stared at him, hoping and praying it wasn’t someplace too far.
“Peru.”
Caleb was speechless for a moment. “P—Peru?”
“Yes.”
“I—I can’t go to Peru. It’s—why it’s across the world!”
“So?” Mr. Riley grinned.
Caleb felt his forehead. His brains were fried.
After an awkward silence of staring, the elderly man spoke. “Caleb. I can sense it. There’s something about you. Something in you. I know a man by the name of Avery Ford. He’s a missionary in Peru. He’s lived there for twenty-three years. He knows of a small village—a tribe. He thinks he can bring revival with the help of some special people with the passion for spreading the Word. People like you, Caleb. Someone with the heart of a missionary. A heart who has hurt. A heart who has felt deeply and strongly.”
Caleb thought he must have heard the man wrong. “Me?”
Mr. Riley gave him a serious stare. “Yes.”
“I—I don’t have a gift. I barely talk to anyone, I can’t even get through to my cousin, my uncle, Matthew—how can I get through enough to bring a revival?”
“There may be someone else then. Someone you know."
"Like who?"
"I don't know. But sometimes the least expected person brings the biggest change. A revival, perhaps. I think you have the heart for it. You may not see it at first. But I think you will discover it along the way.”
Caleb’s mind exploded of a million thoughts. “Where’s Marion and Andrew going?” He foolishly blurted out. He shouldn’t have asked.
“Ah, your friends. You must miss them. Marion says you’ve hardly left the house since your uncle’s arrived.”
“Yes sir.”
Mr. Riley smiled. “Don’t worry. They’re coming along. Andrew wasn’t very convinced. But I got through to him. He seems upset these days, wouldn’t you agree?”
Caleb nodded, and then stood up and grabbed his coat. “I’ll think about it. But I best be going.”
Caleb went down the hall to Theodore who still sat patiently. “Let’s go, Theodore.”
“What took you so long?”
“I’ll tell you in the car.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“You’re really going to Peru?”
“I didn’t say that. I said I’m considering it.”
Theodore looked out the window. He sighed. “I’m going to miss you.”
Caleb sighed as well. “Me too. But Theodore…just remember…don’t be afraid of life. It may hand you problems, but you’ll sort it out.”
“It’s easy for you to say.”
“What?”
“What do you mean ‘what’? I told you. Father’s going to ask you to come to Florida, maybe tomorrow maybe today. But he’s going to do it soon. Then I’ll have no one.”
Caleb pulled in the driveway. Mom was still at work. But it looked like Uncle Lawrence was here. And that was rare.
“We’re home!” Caleb hollered when he stepped in.
Uncle Lawrence was nowhere to be seen.
“Uncle?” Caleb looked around.
Theodore took a few steps and felt the empty seats around him. “Where’s Father?” He asked.
“I…I don’t know.” Caleb checked every room. He then creaked open the basement door leading to the rickety basement steps.
“Uncle?” Caleb spoke nearly in whisper. He tried to be quiet but the steps creaked and made awful sounds.
“Uncle?” Caleb repeated, this time a little louder. He peeked around the corner. No one was there. He looked right. Then left. Then right again. Not a soul was there to be seen. But as Caleb peered into the darkness he could make out a figure. He stepped closer.
He reached out his hand.
He gasped and took a step back.
A strong rough hand pushed him to the floor and slapped him across his face. The figure stepped into the ray of sunshine that spilled through the one window.
“How dare you, you fool-headed boy. You spy on me! You eavesdrop! You deserve to be horsewhipped!!” He screamed curses and nearly scared the living daylights out of Caleb.
“I—I’m s—sorry, I—I didn’t know you were there! Honest!”
Then suddenly the voice began to quiver and shake. The man fell to his knees and cried. It was Uncle Lawrence.
“Uncle?” Caleb knelt beside him.
The crying stopped. He held tight on Caleb’s shirt. “Oh, Caleb, I didn’t mean it, you know I didn’t mean it!” He wailed in a pleading voice. “Come with me! Come to Florida with me. Please, I need you. I need a man like you to help me. It’s important, please!”
Was he out of his mind? He had just pushed Caleb onto cold concrete floor and then had stricken him across the face. Why would he go to Florida?
“What about Theodore? What will you do to him?” Caleb knew the answer. Theodore had spoke the truth.
Uncle Lawrence laughed cruelly. “You don’t really expect me to take him back, do you? Why, he’s an embarrassment. I don’t need a skinny, helpless blind child, I need you.”
Caleb was shocked. “No. I’m not going. But I need a request of you. Come with me to Peru.” His own words shocked Caleb himself.
“What did you say?”
“Come with me. Maybe traveling will do you good. It’ll get your mind off things.”
He smirked. “Why would I go to Peru? That’s a heathenous land, I tell you. Full of, full of—full of missionaries, of course.” He scoffed. “So that’s what it is. You’re trying to get me to where the Christians are.”
Caleb stayed silent.
Uncle Lawrence’s face suddenly turned dreadfully cold. “You idiot. I never liked you from the start. You will do to my advantage. I won’t let an opportunity like this fade.”
“Father?” A quiet voice was heard on the steps. Theodore tried to find his father from the sound of his voice.
“Theodore?” Uncle Lawrence nearly wept. “Oh Theodore!” He embraced him in his arms and then after taking a good look at him, pushed him away. “Leave.”
“What?” Theodore looked horrified.
“Go to that godforsaken place if you must! And leave me. Leave me to die. Leave me to dig my own grave.”
Caleb didn’t know what to do. His uncle was clearly losing his mind. He went to touch his uncle’s shoulder, but once again his uncle flipped out.
“Get away from me!!”
Theodore stared heartbrokenly. He couldn’t see the expression on either of their faces, but he felt the tension in his father’s eyes.
Caleb made another attempt to set things right. “If you won’t go with me…then let me take Theodore.”
Theodore’s eyes widened. “No.” He mouthed.
Uncle Lawrence seemed lifeless and hopeless. He was quiet for a spell but then turned his back to them. “Go.” He mumbled quietly. “Take the useless animal he is. But don’t expect the impossible. Don’t make the same mistake I did, praying and hoping.”
Theodore’s eyes filled with tears.
Caleb grasped his hand and took him outside.
“Theodore—”
“Leave me alone!” Theodore cried. “Useless animal? That’s what he thinks of me?” He said through his tears. “And now I’m going across the world, knowing my father wants to be rid of me. It—it’s not fair! It wasn’t his fault!”
Caleb embraced his cousin in warm hug while the young boy cried.
“He tried to fix me. He tried everything, but there was nothing he could do.”
Caleb tried to calm him. “It’s okay, you’ll be with me, everything will just blow over.”
“No, it won’t. It won’t ever change, he’ll never change.”
“You’ll be far from useless in Peru.”
Theodore scoffed. “What could I do in Peru?”
Caleb laughed. “Lots of things! Theodore, this trip may change your life.”
Theodore shrugged faintly. “I just want to be alone.”
Caleb let go of him. “Okay. I’ll be inside if you need me.”
Caleb never forgot the dreadful night. Tomorrow they would be leaving. Uncle Lawrence would be too.
Caleb had told is mother and her reply was very supportive.
“I’ll miss you.” She said. “But I know you’ll be in God’s hands.”
Caleb tried to reassure Theodore everything would be fine...but would it? What would happen to Uncle Lawrence?
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