Chapter Twelve
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Marion and Theodore
returned to the camp.
“Where were you?” Caleb rushed over to Theodore, hugging him.
Theodore grinned and shrugged. “Around.”
Caleb sighed with relief. “You’re soaked. What did you do, climb a waterfall?” Caleb laughed and brought him over to the fire.
Avery smiled when he saw them. “Theodore. I have decided to send you and Andrew on a search mission.” Once again, everything grew quiet.
Theodore inhaled a deep breath calmly. “Did I hear you wrong? Please tell me I heard you wrong.” He tried to remain calm. He didn’t want to be embarrassed again. Especially if Matthew were to come back.
Andrew crossed his arms. “Matthew doesn’t deserve our help.”
Caleb elbowed him. “The boys would be happy to help.”
Andrew sighed with frustration. “I—I don’t understand. Why send us, the two who are absolutely hated by Matthew?”
Theodore stood by Andrew. “Maybe we should wait for the morning. Perhaps he’ll come back.”
Andrew objected. “And if he doesn’t?” He turned to Avery. “Why send us two out of everything here?”
Avery sighed. “Listen. You two are men of God. You have traveled across the world to a strange, dangerous, foreign land. You are not here for me, for yourselves, or even for the people. You are here for God. If my son may be in some dangerous plot, than we must push our hatred and anger beside us. Forgive him, as God forgives you.”
Theodore shrugged. He turned to Andrew. “We don’t have much of a choice, Andrew.”
“Not much at all, Theo. Let’s go.”
The boys were readying the jeep and Caleb came to Avery.
“Sir?”
“Yes Caleb?”
“Why did you do what you did? ”
“And what would that be?”
Caleb came closer. “Theodore—how could he help? He gets pushed around by Matthew all the time. And Andrew! Andrew has had problems with Matthew since the day they met.”
Avery looked with understanding eyes. “Listen to me. Doing this may improve you friend’s bond with Matthias. I am trying to get him to let go of his anger.”
“What about Theodore? What if he just gets hurt?”
“Caleb. Theodore is not a skinny, little boy anymore. He is strong, healthy, and capable of many things. He may not have his sense of vision, but that does not stop him. I think this is going to get him out of his comfort zone. This is good.” Avery stared out into the great distance. “You know…sometimes, the smallest person brings the biggest change. Remember that.”
“But he’s blind!”
“So what? He is still a person, with thoughts, feelings, emotions!”
Caleb stopped still. Avery sounded like himself only a short while ago. Why am I putting him down so? He’s my cousin.
Caleb looked down shamefully. “I didn’t mean that. I’m just—I’m just worried. I mean…he’s the only family I have.”
“I understand.” Avery looked off into the distance. “But Matthias is the only family I have. And if something were to happen to him—I could not forgive myself. He is not ready for what lies beyond death, Caleb. He must come to truth before it is too late. And I think you, Andrew, and Theodore could do that.” Avery patted Caleb’s shoulder and left.
Caleb walked to the boys over by the jeep. “Be safe, ok?” He told them.
Andrew sighed. “I can’t believe this. I really, just cannot believe this! Out of everyone here, let’s send these ones!”
Theodore climbed into the jeep. “I’m sorry Andrew. I don’t know why they picked me.”
“Now I’ll have to look out for you the whole time!”
“I said I was sorry!” Theodore looked away.
Caleb glanced at Andrew.
Andrew hopped in next to Theodore. “I’m sorry, Theodore. You know I didn’t mean that. It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault for anything.”
Caleb leaned on the frame of the car. “Bye Andrew. Bye Theodore. When should I expect you two?”
Andrew shrugged. “A year.” And with a wave, Andrew pulled out of the little space designated for the jeeps and was soon far down the road.
Caleb prayed for them silently. “Keep them safe. Please.”
“You see anything?” Theodore asked.
Andrew squinted. “Nah. You?”
“Stop,” Theodore rolled his eyes playfully.
The sun began to set. They drove until the road faded.
Andrew stopped the car.
“What is it?” Theodore wondered.
Andrew got out of the car. “The road has stopped.”
“What will we do?”
“The only thing we can do. Walk.”
“What?” Theodore suddenly became worried. “What if we lose our way? What if I lose my way?”
Andrew looked through his binoculars. “You’ll just have to stay close to me.”
“Andrew.” Theodore glared.
Andrew grabbed his arm. “Just hold my hand. We’ll be alright.”
Theodore nodded.
And into the jungle they went.
“Andrew, if I remember correctly, when we left it was 5:30. It has to be around seven something now.”
“We can’t give up.”
“Is it dark?”
“Well, yes. But that’s not an excuse. You could manage in the dark, so I can as well.”
Theodore sighed. He felt useless right about now. “Andrew, can we just—”
“Turn back? No way. I am not a quitter.”
“I know, but—”
“Shh!
“I was talking!”
“Shh…” Andrew ducked.
“What is it? What do you see?” Theodore whispered.
“I don’t see anything. I hear something.”
“What is it?”
“Be quiet and I’ll tell you.” Andrew cocked his head in the direction of the sound. “I hear distant voices.”
“Me too.”
Andrew peeked his head over the bush. He saw three figures. He squinted to see who they were. “I can’t see a thing.” He said quietly. Andrew crawled forward.
Theodore grabbed his shirt. “Andrew, stop it! There’s people over there. Stay.”
“I have to see who it is,” Andrew tried to break free of his friend’s grasp.
“You’re gonna get yourself killed.”
“I have to try to get closer.”
“By yourself?”
Andrew sighed. “Look, Theodore. I don’t know why Avery chose you to come along. If I bring you, you will endanger us both. It’s best I go alone.”
“What if they capture you?” Theodore said worriedly. “How will I find you?”
Andrew shrugged. “I’ll find you. Just stay.” He got on all fours and snuck forward out of sight. He hid behind a tree. There he saw two men plus someone he thought was familiar.
“Akin.” He gasped. He boldly went farther. He snapped a twig with his foot. “Oh no.”
Boom!
Andrew ducked.
“Andrew!” Theodore called his name.
Andrew stood still as a stone. Whoever those men were, they had seen him and definitely heard Theodore.
“Are you spying on me?” Came a voice suddenly behind him.
Andrew sighed.
Matthew grabbed Andrew’s shirt collar and Theodore’s and led them to a small building. He shoved them into a cage made from metal.
“Let me out, Matthew.” Andrew pushed against the bars. “You have no right to do this.”
“Really?” Matthew chewed on a piece of a leaf. “You invaded my land, therefore I can detain you for doing so.”
“Your land?” Andrew scoffed. “What land? You’re in the middle of the Amazon!”
“Maybe so. But right now this part is mine. I have an extraordinary plan that will not only get me rich, but also a ticket out of here.”
“What?” Andrew glared. “What plan?”
Matthew grinned. “What makes you think I’d tell you? And just in case your friends get any idea of following you, I had my men drive your jeep into a ditch far from where you parked it.”
“So then what? You keep us trapped here forever?”
Matthew shrugged. “Don’t know, don’t care. I’ll figure out a way. I always do, don’t I?”
Theodore sat quiet.
Matthew took advantage of his silentness. “You must feel pretty bad for ruining this whole mission, don’t you? You know, maybe if you hadn’t screamed like a baby, I wouldn’t have found you. But that’s just a maybe. My men saw you anyway.”
“Your men? What is that supposed to mean? They bow down and serve you like a king?” Andrew questioned.
“I don’t mean that. And I’m not the one who lives under a king, remember? You once said you had a King. Didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did. And I still do now.”
Matthew laughed. “You sound so ridiculous like that! I mean, come on. What king? You really believe there’s just some king sitting up in heaven who actually cares for you? Look at you! You’re nothing! You’re both nothing. What could you possibly have, that would please a king? You’re nothing but a poor orphan who pretends he has a father.”
Andrew became silent. “Who told you that?”
“Who wouldn’t? Caleb, of course.”
“I don’t believe you. Caleb promised to never tell. He’s a true and faithful friend.”
Matthew grinned. “We’ll see about that. And look at you, Theodore. Your own father didn’t want you. Why would a king want you?”
“You lie. My father said he loved me. Those were his last words!”
“You really think he said that? You don’t suppose maybe Caleb completely made that up to comfort you? Think about it, it doesn’t make any sense. He says you’re useless, then he up and dies, and then you’re told his last words were ‘I love you’? Seriously? Who wants a child who can’t even see his own hand in front of his face?”
Theodore’s eyes watered. “It was an accident. It wasn’t my fault.”
“They all say that. But in the end, the truth always runs clear. I’ll be sure of that.”
“How could it have been my fault?”Theodore cried. “I was just a child! The horse tripped!”
“Why would he even buy you a horse in the first place?”
Theodore didn’t understand how Matthew could possibly know all this.
“Didn’t you tell your father you loved horses more than anything? Didn’t you say, if you had your own horse you promised that you would someday own a ranch of your own? But did that ever happen? No. Here you are, almost twenty and you still haven’t even got a job. Some promise.”
Matthew stalked away into the darkness.
Andrew and Theodore were trapped in the middle of the jungle with their jeep crashed far away and no way to call for help. What would Matthew do? He wouldn’t kill them…or would he?
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