Healer of Pain Chp. 17

 Chapter 17

Goodbyes 

ER I N watched out the plane window. She saw the explosion. She dropped her head in her hands and cried. “I should’ve stayed with him.” 

Marion leaned on her shoulder and wrapped a blanket around her. 

Theodore sat with his hands folded. “I didn’t think it would come to this.”

Avery steered the jet farther from the explosion.

Andrew straightened. He tried to sound hopeful. “He might’ve survived.”

Erin looked up. “You think so?”

They heard another BOOM and a sigh went around the plane.

“Caleb was a good friend.” Avery declared. “And he was chosen for a very special purpose.” 

Avery gently parked the jet in an airport. Marion grabbed ahold of Theodore’s hand. 

After the group was off the plane and in the parking lot, Avery looked around the circle. “I have been blessed with the honor of getting to know you all. And even though we part, we still will keep this love for each other in our hearts. Do we all know where our locations will be?”

Andrew and the girls answered. Theodore fidgeted.

Avery took notice of that. “Theodore…I have rooms in my home.” He hadn’t sold his home before going to Peru. A whole part of Theodore ached to say yes, but he felt Avery was feeling bad for him.

“I’ll manage.”

Avery looked through Theodore’s nervous eyes. He was only seventeen. How could he run a home by himself?

“Theodore. Since my son is gone, I will be very lonely. I plead with you to stay. I will be very grateful. You will be like a son to me.”

Theodore smiled and blinked back tears. He thought about Caleb. If Caleb were here, they’d go back home together.

“I’ll stay.”

“Good!” Avery hugged him.

Andrew and Avery walked a short distance away, getting into a conversation. Erin had left, and now there was only Marion and Theodore standing across from each other.

They both hesitated. But Marion broke the dreadful silence. “I guess this is goodbye.” She said soberly.

Theodore nodded. “I guess it is.”

Marion gave him a hug. “I’ll only be a few states away. You can always call me.”

“I’m not much of a caller.” Theodore chuckled. “But I’d call you anytime.”

Marion once again teared up. “Remember when we climbed that waterfall?”

The memory made him grin. “I remember.”

Marion sniffled and looked down. “It was amazing.”

“Yeah, it was.” Theodore felt his necklass. “As long as I have this necklass, I will always think of you everyday.”

“And I you.” She hugged him tight and once she let go, Theodore felt suddenly alone. Marion held his hand and whispered, “Maybe one day…when all these troubles are over…”

“You’d want me, over someone else? Someone strong and good-looking, maybe charming and humorous?”

Marion laughed. “I don’t want any of those things. I just want you.”

“I’d just be a burden. I mean, how could we—how could I raise children?”

Marion’s eyes shimmered. But you wouldn’t be raising the children. We would. You’d just be my burden to bear.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“I don’t know, is it?”

Theodore laughed and tightened his grasp on her hand. “I won’t forget you.”

“Nor I you. But don’t talk about that, we’ll see each other again. I’ll come back. I promise.” Marion wiped away her tears. 

Theodore pulled out a handkerchief. “Marion, don’t cry. Please. And listen to me. You can have anyone. Anyone in the world. But don’t make a decision you’ll regret. Some guys could offer you so much. A beautiful home, a fancy car, a husband who can--" He sighed. "Don’t rush into things that…that you’ll just regret.”

Marion stopped crying. “Maybe so. Maybe they can offer so much. But you—you offer more than just worldly things. You offer love. A humble spirit. A gentle personality.”

Theodore faced the ground. “You know…you’ve been holding my hand since we’ve met, it seems. But it never felt real until now.”

Marion chuckled lightly. "Yeah, I know.” She released her hand from his. “I love you Theodore. And I’ll be back.”

Theodore smiled and listened to her footsteps fade away.

Andrew said his goodbyes, and soon it was just Avery and Theodore.

“I guess it’s our time to go too.” Avery clasped his hand in Theodore’s and went to find a car that would drive them to his home. His home was a few hours away, while the others would have to travel by planes to get back to America.  

Caleb woke up. He was in a tent. He looked around. His vision was blurred and his legs unsteady. He saw through the sheet door, that a jeep was waiting. 

“What…” He stood up and stretched. He went outside and felt the jeep and ran his fingers down the wheel. He could tell it suffered a fire.

The fire! 

Caleb sighed. But then looked at his hands and gasped. “I’m alive. I’m actually alive. Wait a minute…” He looked around himself. “I was supposed to die. How am I alive?”

“I saved you, you idiot.” 

Caleb wirled around. He sighed a breath of relief. It was just Matthew.

“What are you doing? I thought you wanted to get out of here.”

“I did. But since Akin betrayed me, the fire nearly burnt down the Amazon. The men wouldn’t pay me.”

“How did you stop the fire?”

“I grabbed buckets of water and tried my best. I haven’t had any sleep for days.”

“Are you going to do it?”

Matthew stepped back. “Do what?”

“Are you going to kill me?” His own words surprised Caleb himself.

“I just saved you. Why would I kill you?” Matthew sighed. “I’m going to the Brazilian City. There’s water in the well over there. Good luck.” Matthew jumped in the jeep.

“Wait, wait, wait, you’re just going to leave me here?”

“Since when are you my problem? I wished you good luck.”

“Why did you save me, just to leave me alone in the jungle?”

“You’ll survive. I’m sure you’ll find food eventually.”

Caleb squeezed his fists. “Eventually? Matthew. I am alive for a reason. And I ask of you kindly, please. Take me with you.”

There was a pause.

Matthew rolled his eyes. “Get in. But say a word, and I’ll shove you off and punch you to next Friday.”

Caleb jumped in the car and before he could discover the seat belt was broken, Matthew had already zoomed down the road. 

Caleb wondered what would happen next… 

They seemed to drive for miles. 

“Are we almost to Brazil?”

“Aye.”

“How far?”

Matthew shrugged. 

“Will it be close to the airport?”

Matthew stopped the car and stared at Caleb irritatedly.

Caleb stayed quiet.

Matthew started the car back up again. 

After a long while of silence, Caleb dared to ask, “Are we f-friends now?”

Matthew said nothing.

“A-are we?”

“N-no!” He mocked him. He came closer to the distant city and a sign read, “Welcome to Brazil”. 

The faraway city grew closer and closer. The lights grew brighter and the little houses grew bigger.

Matthew stopped the car and got out.

“Where are you going?” Caleb hollered from the jeep.

“Getting food.”

“Where?”

“Does it look like I know?”

Caleb sighed. 

Matthew stopped himself and wirled around. “Since you’re so eager to make friends, why don’t you go down the road to the chickens? I’m sure you’ll fit in there. Now leave me alone.”

“You rescued me for a reason. Why?”

“I was—” Matthew glared at him. “I don’t owe you anything. I didn’t want to take you anywhere, and I don’t want to have you accompany me. All I ask is that you leave me alone and let me live my own life.” Matthew walked away into the crowds.

Caleb felt his chin and thought. Where should he go?

“Excuse me,” he called to a man there. “Where’s the nearest eating place?”

The man turned around. It was a face Caleb never wanted to see.

“Akin!”

The man fled.

Caleb watched where he went. He was heading the direction Matthew had gone.

I need to warn him! 

Across the Sea Chp. 8

8

W E’ V E   G O T   H O P E

Colin looked out over the ship. He thought about Mama. He thought about Papa. How could he have really gotten captured. He thought of himself as always the smart one. But now—it seemed him and Fiona were completely opposite. She was getting treated better since she obeyed and was nice to everyone. But Colin—he felt like a disease right about now.

“Colin…” Ronan stood beside him. “You don’t have to hate me. I’ll protect you if you will just listen.

“Listen? You want me to listen—to you?”

“I could’ve kept you helpless and lame. But I chose not to.”

“Colin, listen! Just listen and respect me.”

“Respect you?” Colin paused in the middle of the deck.

“Oh, no.” Fiona worried.

“Yes.” Ronan tried to remain calm.

Colin went up to Ronan and tears burned his red, tired eyes. “Show me something to respect!” He yelled.

Fiona went after him. “Colin, time is running out, you have hatred in your heart.”

“Why do you care?” Colin stood there.

Fiona smiled. “Why wouldn’t I? Colin—” She looked at the ocean. “We’ve got an ocean of faith. We’ve got hope. Because God gave it to us. Faith can move mountains. So I know it can move you.” She to went to hug him, but Colin walked away. “Fiona.” He paused. “I just can’t.” 

“Colin. You don’t always have to depend on yourself. God can help you.”

Colin looked away. “I’m the only one I can trust.”

Ronan met Fiona’s gaze. “Why do you tell of such false things?”

“I—I don’t.”

“Fiona. Your god isn’t real.”

“Ronan. You know He is. you can feel it in your heart. And I promise, before I die one of you is going to change. It may be you, Ronan.” She left and went to a different part on the ship. 

That day rolled by and the night stars filled the sky.

“God…please. Let me change Ronan. Or Colin, or even both. But please…let me change them.”

Colin sat alone in the crow’s nest. He remembered one day, two months ago, when he had stood on the mountains and admired the goldfinches and water and the trees—Colin hated thinking about home. 

“If I had just run faster, we could be home now.” He sniffled. He thought about what Fiona said about God. “If there is really a God…why doesn’t He let us home?” Colin looked up at the moon. “Please…take us home.”

The moon hid behind the sun and the warm air gave everyone a happier spirit. That is, almost everyone.

Colin noticed something out of the corner of his eye. “Wait a minute…” He looked closer at the sea.

“That’s sharks!” He turned around. “There’s sharks!”

The slaves started panicking. 

“What will we do, Captain?” Asked Archer, the strongest man on the ship. 

Ronan’s face was worried. “We’ll just have to go around them.”

“Pray to Allah this will work.” He said.

Ronan looked at Fiona. “Allah doesn’t hear our prayers because of her.” He tipped his head in the direction where Fiona was.

“What should we do?”

“Nothing. Just try to convince her she is wrong.”

“Shouldn’t we throw her overboard?”

“No. She may be in use for me.”

Across the Sea Chp. 7

7

S P A I N

Fiona saw men pointing towards the small dot of land.

“Spain’s getting closer. What’s the plan for when we arrive, Captain?” Asked a rather stout man.

“Head for starboard! And do us a favor and not crash into the other boats!” Ronan laughed.

He went to Fiona. “When we go to starboard, the slaves will stay here with some of the men. But I want you to come along. It will be good for you to walk upon land and breathe in fresh air, rather than salt.”

Fiona thanked him. “But what about Colin?”

Ronan looked at him from a short distance. He was crossing his arms in a small corner.

“He deserves to stay. He’s angry.”

“Any boy would be. Just let him come.” Fiona pleaded.

Ronan sighed. “I will. But if he gets any idea of running—” He took out his knife. “You know what will happen.” 

Fiona looked down and Ronan gently tilted her chin up with his finger. “Don’t be upset.”

With that, he walked off.

Colin noticed how kind Ronan was to Fiona. He hated it. It made him sick.

The ship was anchored down far from the little village on the island attached to Spain. If people saw the ship—they’d know it was The Barbary Pirates.

Ronan let down two little rowboats down into the water. He shared one with Fiona and Colin shared one with Bartley. He was angry about that. He was angry about how Ronan treated his sister. He didn’t want him to go anywhere near her, let alone ride in a boat with her. 

They reached the dock. Ronan ordered Bartley to tie Colin’s hands. Colin was so angry, he was silent.

Music played and villagers danced and sang for coins. They sold bread and different food and played musical instruments. Their little village was colorful and filled with noise. But happy noise. They were home.

Some looked at Ronan suspiciously, and feared he might be a pirate, but they dared not to make a noise but slowly slip away. Who knows? What if he has a thousand men about to start attacking? It was better to silently, unnoticeably, disappear.

Ronan noticed, though. When he got to a little shop to trade, he said in a joking way, “Don’t worry, I’m not here to take anyone today.”

The trader smiled nervously. He made a very bad deal and Ronan got way more money than he should have.

“You should march right back in there and tell him to give you a proper deal!” Fiona said.

“Since when is it my responsibility to make sure everyone gets a fair price? He’s a very independent man, he can take care of himself.”

“He was frightened. Frightened you were going to take his children, just like you took me and Colin!”

“Hush, hush. Let’s not make a scene.” Ronan did his business in the village and by the time he was ready to go, the town was completely empty and all the boats, big and small, were gone.

Ronan laughed. “They fled the town, that’s how cowardly they are!”

Fiona couldn’t help but remember the fear in the people’s eyes when the pirates attacked Ireland. How scared she and Colin were at that moment.

“All hand hoy!” Bartley yelled. “Time’s a runnin’ out before the folks come back with their swords!”

“We’re better with swords than some Spanish town!” Argued a random man on the ship. “I’d slash them and that’d be the end of it!”
They went back and forth arguing while Irish slaves tried to yell, “Don’t kill each other! Accept Jesus Christ into you hearts!”

“Oh, quiet!” Bartley croaked.

“Anyone who doesn’t be quiet, will be left behind!” Ronan yelled.

Soon, the ship was once again full and off on the great blue waves.

“Set the course for Saudi Arabia!” Came Ronan’s excited voice.

Healer of Pain Chp. 16

Chapter Sixteen

Heart of Forgiveness 

 The clock struck twelve. People were scattering, leaving, getting far away. 

Theodore and Andrew waited by the jeep.

“Where do you think you’ll go?” Andrew asked him.

Theodore shrugged. “Who knows. What about you?”

“I’ll probably go back. Maybe save up, get to attend that fancy collage. I want to be a doctor, you know.”

“A doctor? That sounds interesting. I…” Theodore chuckled. “You’d laugh.”

“What? Tell me.”

“I want to be an artist. And maybe an author too.”

Andrew grinned and patted him on the back. “That sounds fine. Don’t be embarrassed. Oh look, here comes Marion.”

Theodore fidgeted. “So?”

“So, maybe you should talk to her. She’ll be going to her grandparents in California.”

“That far?”

“Yup.” Andrew went to get up. “I think I’ll leave you two alone.”

“Andrew wait—”

Marion sat down.

It was quiet. 

“Are you feeling okay?”

Theodore looked down and shrugged. “I’m fine.”

“Where are you off to?” Her sweet tone made Theodore nervous. 

“I honestly have no idea. I guess I’ll go back to Florida.”

Marion looked serious. “You sure you’ll be okay?”

Theodore sighed. He tried not to cry. “I keep telling myself Caleb is going to be fine. And that we’ll all just go back to our homes and be happy. But—the more I think about it, the more it hurts. Caleb might really go. I need him. He’s like my brother. He…” Theodore wiped away his tears. “He once said…that he will always love me and...” Theodore held onto his necklass. “I just can’t believe it’s real. It’s really real.” 

Marion wrapped her arms around him and comforted him. 

Erin talked to Caleb awhile. She cried while she talked. “I won’t be far. Only some of us are leaving Peru.”

Caleb smiled and tried to comfort her. But the truth couldn’t be hid forever. “I won’t be here when you come back.”

“You don’t know that. You’ve done so much good in your life, God wouldn’t just punish you.”

“Oh, Erin.” Caleb spoke softly. “It’s not a punishment. Doing what God tells me is something I want to do for the rest of my life.”

“Erin!” Avery called.

The two faced each other once more.

“Goodbye, Caleb.”

“Goodbye Erin.”

When she walked off, it got quiet. Caleb watched her until she disappeared into the shadow. Caleb was left. He was all alone. Then a voice appeared behind him.

“What are you doing? You’re going to get yourself killed.”

Caleb turned around. “Then I’ll die trying to save you.”

Matthew scoffed. “This is what you’re ending your life for? Give up. Bother someone else.”

“I’m not leaving. You’ll have to kill me first.”

Matthew walked towards him, hatred in his eyes. “I am not a murderer. But I will be if you make me.”

“Then I guess the case is closed.”

Matthew glared. He went to his truck and pulled out dynamite. “I guess you will take part in a great event. Explosives are cool, you know. This here is gonna earn me a lot of money. Once the human scent is erased, it’ll be much easier to catch the animals.”

“Oh sure, and you definitely want to catch the wild animals.” Caleb said sarcastically. He sighed with discouragement. “Why are you doing this? This is wrong, this—”

“So?” Matthew turned to face him. “What are you gonna do, preacher?”

Caleb shrugged. “Preach.”

“Oh, please.” Matthew rolled his eyes and continued wrapping the strings of dynamite around the poles and trees, soon covering every inch of the village. “Who’s gonna save you when I light it up?”

Caleb stood firm for whatever questions he would be asked. “Who will save you?”

“I have a truck, remember? Then I’ll give the call, people will come over, and I’ll get out of here.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Matthew dropped his things angrily. “What are you trying to do?”

Caleb looked him in the eye. “You heard me. I’m staying here.”

“Are you insane? You’ll die.”

“Do you care?”

“Of course not.” Matthew wrapped it around the last pole. He grinned. “I can’t wait.”

Caleb’s heart beat faster. He couldn’t let Matthew do this. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure. A man. Akin. Caleb tried to hide his fear. He watched him. What is here doing? He’s lighting the…no. He’s betraying him.

Three…two…one…

“NO!” Caleb ran as fast as he could, and just when the explosives went off, Caleb pushed Matthew out of the way and they landed abruptly on the dirt. 

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

They kept going.

“Matthew run!”

“Get off me!!”

Caleb grabbed his arm and ran as fast as he possibly could through the jungle away from the bombing. Akin was down the road with Matthew’s truck, never to be seen again.

Caleb looked behind him. “No.” He saw the fire. It was spreading. Akin did this on purpose. He always hated the people. He must have done it wrong.

Matthew scrambled to his feet. “You wretch. You set the fire! Why do you find joy in torturing me? Ruing all of my plans?”

“I didn’t do anything! I just saved your skin, you idiot! Go! The fire is spreading!”

Matthew ran towards it.
“What are you doing? You’ll die! STOP!” Caleb couldn’t believe the scene.

“NO!” Matthew searched for the truck. “My supplies! Akin! Come back! You traitor!”

Caleb caught up to him.

CRASH!

A tree fell, merely missing Matthew by an inch. 

“Matthew, we have to go! Now!”

Matthew turned around and faced him. “You did this. You told him to betray me!!”

“You know in your heart that it’s not true. I will save you, I will! Even if you attempt to kill me, I will never give up on you! NEVER!”

CRASH!

Matthew stared him in the eye. “I hate you. Do you hear me? I hate you. More than I’ve ever hated anyone in all my life! You’ve ruined everything from the start. EVERYTHING!” Matthew screamed.

Creak…a tree was going to fall.

“Matthew, watch out!”

It was coming down as fast as lighting. Caleb pushed him from the way. 

“What are you doing?!” Matthew roared.

“I just saved your life! Again!” Caleb grabbed his arm and tried to leave but Matthew refused. 

“Just leave me alone! I’ve done nothing to you to make you mess up my life this much!” Matthew yelled. His eyes flashed by the fire and Caleb could see the hatred in his eyes. “You deserve to die.” He breathed heavily.

Caleb gasped for air. The smoke was rising in his lungs. “We all do. But that’s why Jesus came. He saved me, He saved Theodore, and now He’ll save you!”

“I will kill you if you don’t stop.”

“Then kill me! But I will never stop! I will never stop loving you, praying for you, looking out for you! I will never stop!” Caleb gasped for air. “Because Jesus never stopped.” He cried and he saw tears in Matthew’s eyes as well.

Crash! Went another tree.

Matthew stared into his eyes and whispered the words, “I hate you.”

Caleb looked around himself. He couldn’t bear the smoke much longer.
“I forgive you.” Was his last pained breath before Matthew disappeared into the jungle.

Smoke rose up in Caleb's lungs and felt suffocating. His eyes were so watery they burned. But he was so tired, his vision became blurred and he collapsed on the ground, the fire around him.