Chapter Five
Theodore
Caleb took one last glance around the house. He picked up the picture frame of him, Mom and Dad. He took out the picture and put it in his pocket.
Mom was coming out to the livingroom when she saw him and hugged him.
Caleb noticed how frail she was. He didn’t want to leave her. He couldn’t.
“I’ll be fine,” Mom seemed to always read Caleb’s thoughts.
“You sure? Because I can always put off the whole thing. Mr. Riley would understand."
Mom laughed. “Very sure. Look at you, always looking out for the ones you love. Make sure, in this journey...you look out for yourself too.” She smiled and kissed him on his forehead. “I give you my blessing.”
Caleb eye’s watered up. “Bye, Mom.” He walked to the door but hesitated to leave.
“Go, Caleb. Theodore needs you.”
“No, it’s not just that.” Caleb met her gaze. “I’m worried about Uncle Lawrence. That day in the basement…what could he have been doing there? I’ve tried to think of so many reasons—”
“Don’t,” Mom interrupted. “Just be safe. And don’t come back ‘till you’ve turned enough hearts.” Her eyes swelled up with tears and she stood there seeing him out, just like she would when he would go to school. But now, he wasn't going to school. He was going far, far away, to a place where he may never return from.
“Jim would have been so proud.”
Caleb smiled. Dad would be proud.
The door opened.
And then shut.
And Caleb was off.
“Are you excited?” Caleb asked Theodore. “We’re almost at the airport.”
Theodore shrugged. “Not really. I’ve been better.”
Caleb looked at Theodore’s solemn face. “Hey…don’t think about what happened last night. Uncle Lawrence was angry. He didn’t mean it.”
Theodore turned his head to the window. “You know…” He slowly began. “My father wasn’t always like this. Before...it happened…things were different. A lot different. He was…well, he was just nicer. He really, truly loved me.”
“He still does.”
“No. You’re just saying that.”
“Theodore…” Caleb began. “How did it happen?” The car was silent for a moment. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to tell me.”
“No, it’s okay.”
Theodore leaned his head back on the seat and sighed.
“It was a perfectly sunny day…
“Theodore?”
“Yes Father?”
“Come with me. I have a surprise.”
Theodore jumped up with excitement and followed his father out the door.
They went out to the lawn.
Uncle Lawrence took the small boy’s hand and led him out to the stable.
“Close your eyes.” Uncle Lawrence brought out a large, chocolate— brown mare.
“Open them.”
Theodore was speechless. “It—it’s beautiful.”
“Her name is Coco. Do you want to ride?”
Theodore sighed, and continued the story.
The two rode for hours and galloped across fields and acres and acres of farmland.
“Go! Hiya!” Uncle Lawrence urged the horse to go faster and faster.
“Hold on tight, little one. One day you’ll be a rider like me. And together, we’ll roam the countryside chasing wild horses. That is what you want...is it?"
Theodore looked up at his father. "Yes. I promise, I'll do it. I'll maybe even start up my own ranch one day."
Uncle Lawrence smiled with pleasure. He saw a stream up ahead.
“What will we do?” Little Theodore asked, frightened.
“We’ll jump.”
“We’re going to jump?”
But as the horse kept into the air, she lost footing and she stood up on two feet and neighed ferociously.
Little Theodore fell from his father’s grasp and crash landed into the stream, hitting his head on a rock.
“Theodore! Theodore!"
And the world suddenly grew dark.
“All I heard and saw were strange sounds and blurred vision. Before I even got to the hospital, I was already totally blind. There was nothing they could do. Father stayed alone in his room for weeks and weeks. He blamed it completely on himself. But then, after he accepted the fact that I wouldn’t be able to roam the countryside with him…chasing wild horses and running a ranch...he just shut me out. He acted as if nothing ever happened. Until now, at least.”
It was quiet.
“I’m, I’m really sorry Theo. But this—the whole thing—it happened for a reason.”
“I know. The horse wasn’t trained, it wasn’t ready to make the jump.”“No, that’s not what I mean. I mean God has a reason for things like this. If you would just trust Him—”
“I want to.”
Theodore’s words surprised Caleb.
“You do?”
Theodore fidgeted and he strained his eyes to keep back the tears. “Yes.” He blurted out. “I do, I’ve always wanted to. But I can’t. It’s different where you grew up, and how you grew up. I was raised completely the opposite.”
“But you can still do everything I do. You can pray, you can listen,
you—”
“That’s not true. You can see, I can’t. That makes a difference.”
“What difference? You said you wanted to trust Him.”
“I know. But I can’t. Father would hate me. He already does. That’s why he’d probably adopt you if he could.”
Caleb sighed frustrated. “Your father may decide where you live, what you wear, maybe even your career. But he can’t stop you from trusting God.”
Theodore turned to him. “You really think so?”
Caleb smiled. “When we get to the plane, I want to read to you.”
“What do you want to read?”
“You’ll see.”
“Caleb, over here!”
Caleb recognized that enthusiastic voice.
Marion was across the airport parking lot waving her hand high in the air to get Caleb’s attention.
Caleb shivered. The black night sky seemed to droop right over their heads and grey fog hid the stars. It had to be at least eight o’clock at night.
Caleb grasped Theodore’s hand tighter as he pushed through the clouds and at last reached where Marion and Andrew were standing.
Their gazes fell on Theodore.
“This is my cousin, Theodore.” Caleb said to break the silence.
Marion stretched out her hand for Theodore to shake it, but when she saw that he didn’t respond, she took it back.
“It’s so nice to meet you, finally. I’m Marion Carmichael, and this is Andrew Kaminski.”
Theodore smiled at them and nodded. “It’s a pleasure.” He shyly said.
Suddenly an arm swung around Caleb’s shoulder, and a hearty laugh was heard.
“Good to see you, Caleb!” Mr. Riley surprised him.
"As to you, sir. I’m very nervous, but also excited.”
Mr. Riley wore an understanding face. “Yes, I know. I was too, on my first trip.” He turned to the rest of the crowd. “I am very happy you chose to do this. I hope you will turn many hearts within theses monthes of being in a foreign country. At the next airport in Peru, my friend Mr. Avery Ford will meet you.” Mr. Riley made them each hold hands and he prayed over them. “This is the night. The night you have all been waiting for.” This brought tears to his wrinkled eyes.
“Go in peace.” He told them.
After about two minutes of farewells and hugging, a man who looked to be the pilot, shouted out, “All passengers boarding this plane, please find your seat now!”
“That’s us,” Caleb took one last look at Mr. Riley. “Thank you for everything.” He whispered in his ear.
The elderly man smiled warmly.
“Go with God.”
“Sure is stuffy in here.” Andrew complained. He looked at his watch. “Seems like we’ve been here for hours.” He laid his head back in his seat and sighed dramatically.
“We have been here for hours.” Marion said tiredly in her seat next to him.
Caleb and Theodore sat across from the two. The plane was full of sleepy and bored people.
It suddenly became very quiet.
Andrew took the honor of breaking the brief silence. “I’m hungry.”
Marion sighed annoyed. “You’re always hungry.”
“Am not.”
“Are too.”
“Am not!”
“Shh!” An older man’s voice from across the plane hushed them. “Can’t you see I’m tryin’ to get some sleep?”
Caleb couldn’t help but chuckle. Marion and Andrew had always been like that. And they probably always would.
The sun peeked up over the horizon. It was only six in the morning. Everyone seemed to be fast asleep besides Caleb and Theodore.
Theodore rubbed his eyes. “What does it look like out the window?”
Caleb glanced out. “It looks—it looks amazing. We’re so high up. I see mountains and clouds. I feel like I could reach out and grab a wisp of them.”
That made Theodore smile.
“There’s that smile. Haven’t see that in awhile.” Caleb teased.
Theodore’s face turned red. “I guess I haven’t been in the highest of sprits lately. But it’ll pass. All this fuss with Father and all. It’ll pass.”
“I know it will. But in the meantime, why don’t you get some rest?”
Theodore nodded and yawned. “I think I will do that.”
No comments:
Post a Comment