It had become a habit to slip into one of the back pews just as the opening hymn was being played. He tried not to look to the right or the left, didn’t want to acknowledge a neighbour or become friends with his fellow worshipers. Well, they worshipped – he – he was simply curious. It was all Thomas’ fault. That bright smile, those eyes that read more than what a man’s lips were merely saying. No, they pierced right into his soul and they read what was hidden in his heart.

She made him uncomfortable – even after three years. She probably knew him better than any of the rest of the team. Those damn eyes of hers had penetrated through the chinks in his armor, little rays of light that illuminated the darkest most secret places of a nearly blackened heart. He shifted uncomfortably on the hard wooden bench and self-consciously accepted with a nod of thanks a hymnal from a solemn eyed child of about six. Her unblinking perusal of him shattered his already threadbare nerves.

What’s the matter kid, you never seen a tall man try to fold his legs into one of these straightjacket torture chambers? The church was over a hundred years old and had been recently renovated. In order to accommodate its growing congregation the designers had wedged the pews more tightly together, leaving an inadequate amount of legroom for the likes of his 6’ frame.

He could feel the little girl’s eyes boring a hole right through his head. He willed her to look away, but of course she didn’t. He felt a soft tug on his suit jacket. He ignored it until the tugging persisted relentlessly. Irritably he raised his head and looked into the biggest pair of blue eyes he had ever seen. They seemed to devour her small, pale face until she flashed her wide semi-toothless smile. The eyes filled the upper half of her face, the gaping mouth the lower portion. A little button nose dotted with freckles peeked out somewhere in between and he detected one single dimple on her left cheek. She waved her hand, fluttering her fingers and lisped through the holes where her front teeth should have been. “I’m Cathandra, you wanna be friendth?”

He was saved from formulating a response when the child’s mother ended her conversation with the lady in front of them and turned to see what her daughter was up to. She smiled apologetically as she scooted the little girl closer to her side. She mouthed an apology and quietly scolded the child who bore the reprimand stoically after which, Cassandra turned to catch his eye, nearly startling him into inappropriate laughter as one of the large baby blues closed in a wink.

The congregation joined the choir in singing an Easter hymn. He sat stiffly, staring straight ahead while those around him lifted their voices in praise, his hymnal unopened on his knee. It wasn’t long before a small hand reached out and snatched the closed missive from his lap, tiny fingers swiftly skimming through the pages to the appropriate spot. ‘I Know That My Redeemer Lives’. The hymnal was pushed into his hands accompanied by an emphatic whisper “Thing!”

He could see a few backs in the pew ahead rock with laughter and heard at least one soft chuckle from behind. Glancing beseechingly at the young mother, he was dismayed to observe her rapturously engrossed in the song, her eyes closed, her face alight as she sang the words by heart. He knew a momentary pang of envy and something he couldn’t quite identify – a yawning emptiness that he felt an urgent need to fill, but didn’t know how.

“Thing, now!” No longer a whisper, her voice carried a little farther and not wanting to draw more undue attention, Myles found himself compiling.

His voice was rusty. He couldn’t remember the last time he had sung in earnest other than some bawdy drinking song on St. Patrick’s Day or the perpetually off-key Happy Birthday at an associate’s party. His voice wavered and cracked as he fought to control the tone and timber. He sang softly:

He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death;

His young pew mate gave him an encouraging nod. “Louder.” He pretended not to notice until that toothless wonder of a mouth opened wider and he was sure she was going to shout her instructions to the rooftops. He opened his mouth just as wide and his surprisingly dulcet tenor tones drowned out any further admonishments.

He lives, all glory to his name!
He lives, my savior, still the same;

She clapped her hands with glee. Her mother, finally becoming aware of her errant daughter’s shenanigans took her in hand and firmly lifted her over her lap so that the child was blocked from disturbing him further. The woman’s cheeks flushed dully in embarrassment, and she kept her eyes fastened straight ahead. But young Cassandra would not be deterred. She knelt on the pew, and leaning across her mother’s lap she held up her hand to cup her ear in a clear, unspoken command.

He lives, my savior, still the same;
What joy this blest assurance gives:
I know that my Redeemer lives!

Myles’ voice soared with the rest of the congregation as the hymn concluded. He only wished his heart could do the same. Closing the hymnal, he placed it on the vacated pew at his side and waited for the pastor to begin to address the congregation.

“Welcome. God bless you all for taking time out of your busy lives to come and worship with us on this blessed day. And we bestow an especially heartfelt welcome to a very special choir who are honoring us with their talent this pre-Easter Sabbath morn. The Deaf Redeemer Choir, a non-denominational group of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Christians sing their praises to the Lord in a very unique way. We’ll begin by inviting them to perform their rendition of ‘Christ the Lord is Risen Today’.

He watched in alarm as the group arranged themselves at the front of the church. Sue belonged to such a choir. Surely she wouldn’t wind up here, at the same church he was skulking in today? He spotted the blonde head immediately and his heart lurched when she turned to face the congregation. He slouched down low in his pew at the same time the woman in front of him stood up and carried her crying baby out of the chapel and subsequently left him with no one to hide behind. He suddenly felt exposed, stripped naked and vulnerable and he held his breath in fear of discovery.

Her gaze passed over him once, twice and recognition dawned on the third glance. Her mouth formed a surprised O as she acknowledged his presence with a hesitant smile. After an imperceptible nod in return, Myles studiously looked away, his stomach churning. Damn. His secret was out.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Wonderful start, here, Kav! I can't tell you how my heart is rejoicing at the way this story has started! Bless you!!!!! I'm singing with Cassandra, loud and clear!!!

See?


Jill

You've created a character that's already enthralled us with only one post!!!

Myles, don't be ashamed...


Great start, Kav! Can't wait for more!!!

That little girl is so funny! You had me laughing out loud here!!! I think Myles' secret is safe with Sue. She knows him, he doesn't have to tell her that he's feeling a little awkward....

I'm happy that he got up the courage to go, sometimes walking through those doors when you don't know anyone is the hardest part.

wonderful start. looking forward to more, any chance you could post the whole hymn it's not one i'm familiar with

cath

It had been an uplifting service, Sue thought as she carefully folded the piece of paper Reverend Brambles had distributed at the end of her sermon and tucked it safely into her purse. Journey to Easter Through Prayer was the challenge and she was eager to share the short missive with Lucy. They could work on it together this coming Easter week. She was even more eager though to find out what Myles Leland III was doing in a church on one of his sacred days off.

Scanning the milling throng that was heading out of the chapel and down to the basement for coffee hour, she easily spotted the blonde head towering over a diminutive woman and a small child. Sue grinned. She recognized the little girl as the one who had enthusiastically stood in the centre of the aisle at the back mimicking each movement the choir made. She was an apt pupil. Sue made her way towards them, unable to keep herself from shamelessly eavesdropping.

“I’m sorry again about Cassie. She thinks the world revolves around her and everybody wants to drop everything and be her friend.”

“Nonsense, she didn’t bother me.” It was a lie and they both knew it.

“Well, that’s nice of you to say,” the woman said hesitantly. “I’m Carolyn by the way. I’ve seen you attending for a couple of months now but I’ve never introduced myself.”

Myles could tell she was uncomfortable, but felt it her Christian duty to welcome him to the fold. Well, he had no intention of being shepherded in. He was here strictly as an observer. A surveillance gig as it were. A tactical mission to discover…well, to discover the mystery that was Sue. You could just ask her what makes her so different, he told himself sardonically as he noted her approach with grim resignation.

“Myles,” Sue acknowledged him with a warm smile that lit up her face and it struck him anew how much of a fool Hudson was to let her get away. He couldn’t help smiling back, though he was dreading this confrontation and the ensuing teasing that would make his life a living hell when he got to the bullpen in the morning.

“Are you hith friend too?” the little girl hovering around his legs asked with interest.

Sue squatted down to her level. “That’s right.” Sue interlocked her right and left index fingers and then reversed the motion. Friends. She smiled as the child eagerly mimicked her hand movements, tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration. Standing back up to address Myles she asked, “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend here?”

“She’s not my…” he broke off, the pained expression in those blue eyes arresting his errant words. “We just met today. Sue, meet the toothless wonder, Cathandra.” He sighed when Sue looked at him in confusion.

“Cathy?” she asked.

“Ca-th-andra,” the girl corrected.

“Sssss,” Myles hissed and fingerspelled at the same time. “Cassandra seems to be missing the necessary equipment to form her ssss.”

Cassandra’s mouth opened wide in a beaming smile to emphasize his statement and Sue obligingly exclaimed over the missing teeth.

“Did the tooth fairy visit you for those?” she asked.

Cassandra wrinkled her nose and shook her head forlornly. “The doesn’t know where I live,” she explained with a shrug of her shoulders.

For the first time Myles became aware of the ill-fitting dress the child wore. It seemed to have been cut up and made over from a larger size. The hem drooped to mid-calf and the puffed sleeves were nearly the size of her head. It was a pretty blue flowered print, faded in places and a worn velvet ribbon trailed to the floor. Before he could stop himself he was hunkering down behind her. “You’re coming undone,” he muttered and tied a passable bow on her very thin waist. He frowned and looked over at her mother. Carolyn was wearing a simple jean skirt and rumpled blouse that had seen better days, not the church finery of many of the other women in attendance.

“Well now, you must be the little girl I was looking for,” Myles said with exaggerated excitement. “I happen to be a friend of the Tooth Fairy and she was very upset because she missed paying a visit to a little girl.”

“Really?” Her rapt face told him she was buying the story and he found it easy to embellish.

“Cross my heart,” he nodded making the appropriate gesture. “You see the Tooth Fairy doesn’t have a good sense of direction. She’s always getting her addresses mixed up.” Cassandra was beginning to look at him doubtfully. “That’s how we met. I came to her assistance. I’m an FBI agent.”

“Whatth that?” Her thumb popped into her mouth as she eyed him curiously.

“It’s a special kind of policeman,” Sue supplied helpfully and grinned at Myles when the child looked suitably impressed.

“Much more important though. Why we’re so good at our job that the President of the United States is always asking for our help,” Myles embellished, “so you can see why the Tooth Fairy would come to me for assistance. Well, she told me that she lost a little girl and she owed her some tooth money. Since I’m trained to find missing persons she thought I’d be her best bet. So here I am and…” Myles fished into his pants pocket and triumphantly pulled out a $5.00 bill. “Here it is.”

The blue eyes grew even rounder as she stared at the folded bill in his hand. “For me?”

Myles nodded and held it out to her.

She accepting the offering solemnly, poking her tongue in and out of the gap where her front teeth should have been. “If you’re tho good at finding people how come it took you tho long? I lotht my teeth latht week.”

I can see that little girl so clearly ...

And Myles ... Sue brought the best out of you ... don't hide it



Kav ... glad you couldn't resist !!!

Here's all the verses, Cath. It's an old hymn -- from the late 1700's I think. Lutheran. It's one of my favourites.

I Know That Redeemer Lives
Samuel Medley

1. I know that my Redeemer lives;
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever-living Head.

2. He lives triumphant from the grave,
He lives eternally to save,
He lives all-glorious in the sky,
He lives exalted there on high.

3. He lives to bless me with His love,
He lives to plead for me above.
He lives my hungry soul to feed,
He lives to help in time of need.

4. He lives to grant me rich supply,
He lives to guide me with His eye,
He lives to comfort me when faint,
He lives to hear my soul's complaint.

5. He lives to silence all my fears,
He lives to wipe away my tears
He lives to calm my troubled heart,
He lives all blessings to impart.

6. He lives, my kind, wise, heavenly Friend,
He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives, and while He lives, I'll sing;
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.

7. He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death:
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He Iives to bring me safely there.

8. He lives, all glory to His name!
He lives, my Jesus, still the same.
Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives,
I know that my Redeemer lives!

Kav,

Thanks for starting what has the markings of being an outstanding story. Sue seemed to put Myles at ease. I don't think he really has to worry about being teased. Sue won't put him in that position.

I noticed the line that told us that Hudson let her get away. What happened? I am looking forward to what you have next.

I didn't even have to nag or bribe you. What a treat after a busy day of laundry, ironing, the zoo and of course church this morning.

I love the whole missing tooth thing. Last year the majority of my son's first grade class spelled "with" as "wif" because they had no front teeth to pronounce it correctly!

I so exthited! You've tharted a new thory!

Wahoooooooo!

Carolyn clutched her daughter tightly to her side as she navigated their way along the street. Dark was closing in and she had stayed away as long as she could. She worried now that she might have left it too late, dark storm clouds lay heavy in the sky bringing the inky black night closer much sooner then she had anticipated. It had been careless to stay away so long but she dreaded bringing Cassie back here to a derelict part of town.

The nights were the longest and the hardest to bear. It was after sleep had claimed her daughter that she would begin her nightly vigil, dozing only occasionally, unable to sleep deeply for fear – an all encompassing fear that kept her constantly on the look out for anything. It was her penance in a way, though Reverend Brambles wouldn’t approve of that line of thinking. But then Reverend Brambles wasn’t the one living on the street with a six-year-old child. Carolyn would inevitably start in berating herself, going over in her mind all the things that she would do differently if she had the chance.

Like paying a cash deposit for the little apartment on Poplar Street only to show up on moving day to find another family living there and the landlord blatantly ignorant of her $600. He didn’t care that she had no place to go or was forced to pawn her furniture for the little amount it was worth. Or taking Cassie to the homeless shelter where some deep-seated mother’s instinct had woken her in the night just as the shadowy figure stood looming over her daughter’s bed. Or leaving her job instead of putting up with the sexual harassment of her highly favoured and very popular boss. She supposed she could second-guess herself all the way back to marrying Cassie’s father. But without that mistake she wouldn’t have her precious daughter and she couldn’t imagine a life void of Cassandra.

“Look, Mummy, it’th Harold,” her daughter’s voice piped up as she eagerly strained against Carolyn’s restricting arm.

“Don’t bother him, darling,” Carolyn murmured nervously.

Oblivious to the undercurrent of tension in her mother, Cassie waved cheerfully and Harold loped over. Carolyn’s nose twitched and she recoiled slightly at the stench that enveloped the homeless man. “He can’t help thtinking," Cassie had told her one day, “‘cauthe he doethn’t have a mommy to make him wash all the time.” She marvelled at her daughter’s ability to accept without hesitation everyone who crossed her path and while she knew Harold was harmless, he still made her nervous. It was obvious that he had mental health issues, so many homeless people did, and Carolyn never knew what to say to him. Cassie, on the other hand, never had any trouble.

“I brought you a prethent, Harold,” the child now said, eagerly offering him a brown paper bag.

“Cassie, where’d you get that?” Carolyn asked in alarm.

“I bought it in the thtore when you had your nap in the park,” she exclaimed proudly.

“With what?” Carolyn asked in disbelief. “Cassie, you didn’t take something without paying, did you?”

Cassie looked shocked. “That would be thtealing,” she exclaimed.

Carolyn had to smile at the indignant look her daughter gave her. She was a good girl with an innate sense of right and wrong and a generous heart much too big for her small body.

“I uthed my tooth fairy money,” Cassie explained watching Harold holding the bag carefully as if it was the most precious thing in the world. “Go on, open it!” Cassie urged impatiently. “Know what’th in it? Gum!” she chortled gleefully at the look of amazement on Harold’s face as he reverently pulled out package after package of gum.

“Cassie you never had any tooth fairy money,” Carolyn objected. “Remember, I told you the tooth fairy couldn’t come to little girls who didn’t sleep in real beds.”

“I know, that’th why she had it couriered to me,” Cassie announced importantly. “Now you have lotth more gum wrapperth for your chain, Harold and you can share thome of the gum with me.”

Carolyn found herself sitting on the trunk of her car, helping Harold shed the sticks of gum of their colourful paper sleeves while he counted each one as he placed them in neat stacks according to colour. Cassie looked on contentedly chewing a tuity-fruity flavoured wad. Harold was weaving the biggest gum chain in the world. He spent his days scouring the littered streets and garbage pails for gum wrappers. He sorted them all carefully by colour and spent his nights folding and weaving. Cassie was fascinated by how pretty the coloured pieces of paper looked woven together. She always kept her eye out for wrappers – especially at school where there was likely to be an abundance at lunch hour. Now she beamed with pride as Harold loving gathered everything together and stored it carefully back in the paper bag.

“Thank you Cassie,” he said simply before sliding off the hood of the car and disappearing down an alleyway.

It had taken an hour of listening to a round about tale as Carolyn readied her daughter for bed, but the source of money had finally become clear. The man who sat beside them at church! Carolyn groaned inwardly, wondering just what personal bits of gossip her young daughter had imparted. And he was some sort of policeman? What was he thinking? She had been so nervous talking to him after church. She’d blurted out her name but he had never volunteered his. She’d lost so much of herself in these streets. It was like she’d forgotten how to socialize, and she was scared about saying the wrong thing, revealing too much or getting too close to someone who would then find out this deep, shameful secret of hers. Carolyn's eyes were wet when she bent to kiss her daughter good night. Bunnied up in sleeping bags, Cassie stretched out in the backseat already in the deep, blissful sleep only a child could achieve while Carolyn shifted in the uncomfortable bucket seat, preparing to settle in for her long night’s vigil.

Kav, you're tearing at my heartstrings here....my mother's heartstrings .....now I'm blubbering like an idiot - but still bouncing because you are writing a story - so I'm slinging water all over the place. I'm probably gonna short out my computer in a minute - then where will I be?

I love where I think this is going.

me too!

Kav ... that's so sad

Myles ... I hope you are following them

I don't know what to say. So I'll just blow my nose again and wait for what comes next.

Jill

Oh my goodness, Kav, I am SOOOO excited to see a story by you. And Cassandra has already warmed her way into my heart quite quickly. I love the angle of Myles being a lead character. I think he's going to learn a lot from little Cassie. At least that's the hunch I have right now. My heart breaks for the little girl but isn't it amazing how resilient little kids can be?! Poor Carolyn doing so much for her daughter.

I see you down there Kav...

This a wonderful so far! I know Myles will end up helping them, but i can't wait to see how it unfolds. As always, you make the story come alive!

Just discovered this, and I'm totally enthralled....my heart goes out to Carolyn and Cassie, and I only hope that their meeting with Myles is the start of some wonderful changes in their lives...amazing, amazing start, Kav!

like ivory i'm intrigued to know how jack lost sue feel so bad for Carolyn,

as a mum i can't imagine how she must be feeling

looking forward to more

cath

I like this story ... of course, I don't like the fact Carolyn and Cassie are on streets but I am sure Myles will find the way to their hearts and they will find the way to his...

btw... Did I read well Myles' thoughts when he was thinking about Sue and Jack... Jack let slipped Sue through his fingers?!?!? NO!!!!


Restie

Kav, I just love this wonderful start of your story, I think it's different from your usual style and that makes it even better, I just love Myles' stories, they always make for an excellent ride! I'll look forward for more!

Kav this is amazing, truly breathtaking....

Myles sank up to his chin in the deep roman tub adjacent to the master bedroom. He’d dimmed the lights and closed his eyes and tried to block the annoying buzz of his over active mind with the strains of a violin concerto coming from his $2000 stereo system. He sipped a burgundy wine from a bevelled crystal goblet that he had acquired at an antique fair two years earlier. It was Sunday night, his favourite night of the week. The night to ruminate over the past week’s events, savour the enjoyable pleasures of the weekend and plan afresh for the coming week ahead. His thoughts turned sour at that point. There was a conspiracy against him and this was the week it was going to play out.

Today had gone – better – than he’d expected. He still couldn’t understand this clandestine desire of his to lurk around churches of a Sunday morning. At least he had chosen one well out of his neighbourhood explicitly for the purpose of avoiding anyone he knew.

Of course, Murphy’s law dictated that of all the churches in the DC area, Sue had chosen his church…he sat bolt upright, sluicing water over the edge of the tub as his precious crystal glass dropped from his nerveless fingers, thankfully landing softly on the plush carpet. When had he begun to think about Church of the Redemption as his church? Get a grip, Leland, get a grip, he muttered to himself as he sloshed out of the tub and grabbed a towelling robe. He eyed the mess he’d made of the bathroom and shrugged carelessly. The agency was sending a new maid in the morning, might as well make her work for her wages.

Wandering into the bedroom he notched up the volume on his stereo as if trying to drown out the thoughts and feelings that were pounding inside his brain; a cacophony of noise that he found unsettling. Words cropped up from the morning’s sermon; strange words that he had never considered before. Redemption. Deliverance. Salvation. Restoration. He didn’t want to think about them too deeply, instinctively knowing that embracing them would illicit such a dramatic change in his life – one that he was sure he wasn’t ready to make.

So he thought about the child instead -- her winsome face and gamine ways. But thoughts of the child led to thoughts of the mother. She was pretty enough, he supposed, in the fresh-scrubbed girl-next-door kind of way. He couldn’t say what colour her eyes were, but she had the same smattering of freckles her daughter had and her hair was the same tawny brown, laced with flecks of red and gold. She wore it in a sensible chin-length bob. It wasn’t a high-end cut either. It looked, in fact, like she’d taken the kitchen scissors and performed the job herself. And Carolyn (a pretty name, he thought inconsequentially) was bordering on the too thin side. Her clothes (the Wal-Mart special kind) had hung loosely on her slight frame. He frowned, he’d met those model-wannabe types before, the young women who artfully toyed with their food in order to avoid eating it, but he had a feeling that Carolyn’s thinness had nothing to do with her sense of fashion. That thought made him uncomfortable, almost melancholy. It wasn’t like him to concern himself with the plight of another so personally. And plight seemed to be the right word.

He considered himself a charitable man, giving regularly and somewhat extravagantly at times, to a variety of noble causes. He certainly wasn’t stingy that way at all, no matter what his colleagues might think. But what of your time? It was like a voice spoke inside his head and that disconcerted him. He shunned the question that now seemed to blaze before his eyes.


He frowned as he slipped into his most comfortable, well-worn track pants from his Quantico days and busied himself with his nighttime ritual. He’d almost buried his thoughts successfully until he saw the crumpled piece of paper lying haphazardly on the dresser. It brought back a flood of memories he had been studiously trying to avoid all night.

He deliberately left it lying there as he rifled through the bottom drawer of the bureau eventually pulling out a cotton t-shirt that had definitely seen better days. Shrugging it on, he turned his back on the pale, yellow paper and resolutely made his way over to his bed.

It was a bit early by his standards to retire, but he was beginning to realize that the only way he’d be able to shut down his mind would be to lose consciousness completely. With a flick of a remote the soothing strains of the violin concerto softened to background lullaby. Another flick blanketed his room in darkness. He wrestled with the bedcovers – punched his 100% Egyptian cotton encased pillows with more vigour then strictly necessary and finally lay back, closing his eyes and emptying his mind completely. It was how he drifted off every evening…except this one.

Take a spiritual journey to Easter with prayer as your guide. He could read the words as clearly as if the paper was in front of him. He groaned irritably and turned over onto his side as if lying in a different position would suddenly vanquish the words. It actually had the opposite effect and his mind was filled with a play by play of the morning, after church.

He’d taken Sue to a breakfast buffet. It was the least he could to thank her for her understanding. He’d felt awkward even bringing it up – asking her to keep his clandestine church habit a secret between the two of them. Once the words were out, he’d known with complete surety that he hadn’t had to ask in the first place. If ever there was anyone more accepting or non-judgemental and able to keep a confidence, it was Sue. God. The word was whispered in the far recesses of his brain and his heart started pounding. “I’m going mad.” He uttered the words out loud and for a second he really believed them. But then the warmth and laughter of the late morning and early afternoon flooded through him and he relaxed. They’d shared a camaraderie that he had never quite experienced with anyone else before. As he looked across the table at her animated face explaining the details of some funny story he realized that she was his friend. The notion astounded him and he fumbled around the conversation for a minute or two while he adjusted to the idea. Sue Thomas, the woman he had berated, and scourged and practically spit upon (all right that was getting a bit too dramatic) was quite simply, his friend. He felt a warmth flooding through him and he suddenly had this rash desire to offer her something by way of thanks. “Is there anything I can do to help things along between you and Jack?” he’d blurted it out before his mind could even process the words he was going to speak.

He still cringed at the awkward silence that settled over them. He had been so sure that he had ruined their perfect beginning. But she rallied, managed a sorrowful smile and reached into her purse. Sue had spread her copy of the minister’s challenge on the table and pointed at Wednesday’s task. “I’d appreciate your help right about here.” It was a direct challenge and while he wanted to protest his own inadequacy he had found himself nodding his head in agreement. She seemed pleasantly surprised and he liked the fact that the genuinely warm smile that brightened her face was a direct result of something he’d done – or promised to do. By the end of the meal she had coerced him into committing to the whole deal. Devoting himself to the exploration of the power of prayer in his life. “It won’t be hard,” she had told him encouragingly. “Look, it’s all mapped out for you. Just follow along with the guidelines for each day. You can’t go wrong.”

Myles groaned, dragging a pillow over his head trying to block everything out. Easy for her to say. He’d never prayed for anything in his life unless it was to curse God. And now she wanted him to make it a daily occurrence? For an entire week? Technically, he didn’t have to start until tomorrow, but maybe he should try a dry run through tonight?

His overactive mind of just a minute ago suddenly went completely blank and he found that quite simply, he didn’t know how.

Such a stark contrast between the world Myles lives in on a daily basis and the situation that Carolyn and Cassie have found themselves in at the moment...the potential for character growth here is enormous and I'm so glad you're taking us on this journey with Myles!

so true, the way you described it was perfect, it made me cringe and I felt blinded by the wealth Myles has against everything Carolyn and Cassie don't have!
wonderful writing, Kav!

caught up with the first posts this morning and now caught up with the last post!!


wow myles sue did sure change you alot !! but please remember sue is with jack !!!!


"I’m going mad" don't think your going mad myles!!!


can't wait for more!!!

So very true and you descrided it so well.

once again i utter the word breathtaking to describe your work Kav, it is showing strength and power of a new type, a type that comes from openess and allowing your weaknesses to become your strengths...brillant

I am really curious on Myles' daily prayers Great idea, Kav!!!

I don't like these hints about Jack and Sue... what was happened to them????


:hide: Restie

The versatility of your writing always amazes me. I am so enjoying this story.

You write such detailed, emotional, personal stuff so well Kav. I'm truly enjoying this story. I too have enjoyed seeing Myles and Sue's relationship progress into a friendship. I think this prayer thing will help Myles. And I'm interested to see if/when he crosses paths with Carolyn and Cassandra again.

Kav,

What an amazing start to this story. I like that Myles is the lead character and the relationship he has with Sue, it is something I always felt was there but not developed in the show.

The contrast in situations and surroundings between Myles and Carolyn and Cassandra is so apparent and sadly so reflective of today.

Great writing

Soph

This is beautiful and heartbraking at the same time!

This really brought tears to my eyes. In a way, Myles is as poor as Caroline and Cassie... And I like the potential this has of mutual growth!!!

There is nothing better than a sermon that hits you across the head like a 2x4 to get your attention. I like this Kav, it is very appropriate. I have many more thoughts but I won't bore you with them (plus I should make dinner).

Looking forward to more!

I don't know that there is anything left to say that hasn't been said already - but this journey into Myles's psyche is amazing...being privy to his thoughts and developing awareness of all things good is a journey I look forward to following.

Kav, thank you for taking us on this amazing journey into Myles' possibly budding faith. I loved hearing his thoughts and especially his interaction with Sue. Her light has changed him, and he's only beginning to see it. I cried when he realized she was his friend. I doubt he's had that feeling often in his life - true friends - who loved him unconditionally and wanted nothing in return.

I just found this wnd wow it struck me pretty hard.

The sun's rays beckoned Sue even before Levi's cold nose buried itself into her neck. She opened her eyes and stretched contentedly. She was refreshed from her weekend and yesterday had been...a revelation. She smiled just thinking about the juxtaposition of Myles Leland III attending a church. Levi pawed at her impatiently so she swung her legs off the bed and took a look outside her window.

"Sunny and warm -- the perfect beginning for a spring day," she told the golden retriever. "And not a bad morning for a run." She winked at the dog. "Don't get all excited, I wasn't thinking about you. I was thinking about Jack."

She sighed, her joy in the moment momentarily lost as she thought about her relationship with Jack. Or to be more precise her non-relationship. Myles had hit a tender nerve yesterday and the wound was still a little raw. But she had turned it into something good and she was proud of that. "He's going to have to pray every day. Bet he's never done that before," she told Levi as the pair padded down the hall and into the kitchen. She filled Levi's bowl with kibble and opened the fridge door to pour herself a glass of orange juice, spying the sheet from Rev. Brambles that she'd stuck on the fridge door last night. "This is the hardest one, buddy," she told the munching dog who wagged his tale sympathetically but didn't look up from inhaling his food. She watched him with a smile, wishing her life could be so easy.

Monday, April 10
Start off your spiritual journey with yourself. Look inward as you pray today, appreciating the workmanship of God in you. Acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses and as you pray, remember to take the time to contemplate quietly so that you can feel God's direction in your life.

"Why is it always easier to pray for someone else than for yourself?" Sue mused as she threw on a fuzzy pink tracksuit and laced up her runners. She didn't have to call Levi to come with her, he was already at the door, leash in his mouth, tail wagging furiously. This was his favourite time of day.

Sue spent an hour walking along the river, deep in communion with her Father. She had often felt God's hand guiding the direction of her life, but she couldn't always see where He was headed. Like staying here in DC. She had thought – had hoped that God was nudging her in Jack's direction, but since nothing had happened between them yet her faith in that outcome was waning.

"A sign would be nice," she grumbled good-naturedly to the cloud speckled sky above. "Just a little something to let me know you haven't forgotten and are working on it..."

"Sue!"

Levi jumped up on Sue, practically knocking her down in his enthusiasm.
"What is it, boy?" She turned in the direction Levi was facing, stunned to see Jack waving from his car parked across the street. A feeling of warmth enveloped her heart and she raised her eyes heavenward. Thank you she signed and with a giddy side step she hurried across the street.

* * *

Carolyn took a change of clothes for Cassie out of the plastic garbage bag she stored under the front seat of the car. She handed her daughter a clean pair of underwear, which disappeared inside the sleeping bag.

"I wanted to wear the thtrawberry shortcake oneth," Cassie pouted sleepily. She was barely awake at this ungodly hour, but Carolyn didn't dare stay in the car once traffic picked up and businesses started to open. She couldn't afford to have someone notice them, notice Cassie sleeping on the side of the road like some child in a third world country.

"I'm sorry, honey, they're not washed yet. I'll try to get some laundry done today," she soothed as she passed back a pair of jeans that had been worn almost threadbare. Carolyn had patched the holes with embroidered flowers and silly animals, sewing painstakingly at night by the light of the street lamp, consequently the embroidery was a little lopsided in places. A vest and gingham blouse disappeared into the sleeping bag next and then Cassie tousled head poked out as she squirmed free of the constraining cocoon. She folded her pajamas neatly and stowed them in the bottom of the bag. It took her a little longer to roll the sleeping bag into a small enough bundle to fit inconspicuously on the floor between the seats. Once her ‘chores’ were completed, she clamored over the back of the passenger seat and nestled onto her mother's lap, her thumb finding its way into her mouth. Carolyn wrestled the hand away from her daughter's face, tickling her ribs to distract her.

"We start the count down today," she said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster given the fact that it was barely dawn and she was greeting yet another day from the front seat of a stripped down Honda. The car hadn't been much to begin with, but it got them around -- until she ran out of gas and some street youths had helped her push it to the side of the road -- the same youths who later came back and stripped it clean of everything valuable and then slashed the threadbare tires out of sheer spite.

"Count down to Eathter?"

Cassie's enthusiasm tore at her heart, for truly there was nothing to be enthusiastic about. There would be no Easter Bunny or chocolate eggs, no pretty church dress or plush stuffed animal. In fact, Carolyn was dreading the holiday. Four long days of Cassie out of school and nowhere to take her but the park and the shopping mall and maybe the library on Saturday. It would be closed the other days.

"What are we gonna pray for today?" Cassandra demanded, tugging at her mother's arm to get her attention.

"We're going to pray for ourselves. That we can do what Jesus wants us to do," Carolyn answered softly, though a shadow of doubt was beginning to stretch across her mind. Jesus seemed very far away this morning.

"That'th eathy."

"Well, the hard part is the listening part," Carolyn explained. "We have to be really, really still and listen so we can feel Jesus in our hearts and know that we are doing the right things."

"'kay," Cassie said doubtfully, unsure of whether the listening part was technically all that necessary. "After all that can we go and thee Mr. Mallard?"

Carolyn ruffled her daughter's head and smiled. "Close your eyes and say your prayers," she admonished even as she did the same.

Lord, you feel so far away -- or am I the one slipping away from you? Please help me to have faith and to trust that you have a plan even if I don't. And help me forgive myself the way you have forgiven me because I can't get through any of this dragging around all this guilt...

"Mummy are you done lithening now?"

"Shhhh,"

And please, please, please protect my baby and help me provide for her the way a mother should. I want to promise that I'll go in the direction you want me to go but I want to qualify that statement by saying only if it's in Cassie's best interest. Does that make me a bad Christian?

"Mummy, I'm done lithening and I have my anthwer." Cassie's hand patted her mother's cheek, her fingers plying her eyelids open. Carolyn was confronted by her daughter's jovial face. "He sayth that all good girlth get gum for breakfatht."
Cassie said this with conviction and produced the wad of gum that she had carefully wrapped up the night before to back up her statement. She popped it into her mouth, grimacing at the stale taste, but gamely chewing it back to softness and then puffing out her cheeks, her eyes nearly popping out of her head as she blew a filmy pink bubble of gigantic proportions. Their faces were too close together and the bubble attacked Carolyn's nose, and then burst, covering both mother and daughter in sticky pink goo. Cassie shrieked with laughter and Carolyn felt her somber mood dissipate as she joined in her daughter's infectious laughter.

* * *

He decided to write out what he would say, approaching this prayer exercise, as he would write a speech. He sat at his desk, tapping his gold fountain pen impatiently against his face as he groped for a suitable salutation. Dear Lord was out as was Hey God, or Good morning. He needed something with more class -- denoting a mood of reverence.

Most venerable and mighty Father of All Mankind,

That had a distinguished ring to it. Now for the next step. Look inward -- he shifted nervously on his stool at the kitchen counter as he hopped the pen along his jaw. He made a point of planning his days so that he could be distracted from his inner self. The idea of examining and reflecting upon it was…frightening. Perhaps the salutation wasn’t quite right after all. It might need a bit more work.

Most venerable and mighty Father of All Mankind Whom in His Infinite Wisdom and Mercy Deigns to Honour Us With His Presence….

He was missing something here, but he wasn’t sure quite what it was. Deciding that he could think more clearly on a full stomach, he whipped up an omelet with rye toast and imported English marmalade. He sat back down and began to fine-tune the salutation again. After all, first impressions were important. Two pages later he still hadn’t started on the body of the prayer and rose restlessly from his chair to whip up a batch of applesauce muffins. Fresh out of the oven he carefully dusted them with fine sugar and cinnamon and popped two in his mouth, dripping with melted butter before settling down once more to the task at hand. It was then that he noticed the time, or lack there of and threw his pen down in disgust. Gathering up the papers on his desk, he shoved them into his briefcase and hastily scribbled a note for the maid and left it on the counter. Grabbing his coat and checking for his gun, he dashed out the door, relief coursing through him at his reprieve. Perhaps he would have to enlist Sue’s aid today somehow. There must be some sort of short cut to this praying business, otherwise how did anyone get anything else accomplished?

Nothing like a story on the Board to hit you across the head and make you remember what is important...

But then Myles had to start with his salutation, only Myles could make that so hard and only you could write it so well!

Myles...........try "Our Father..."

Kav..........this story is so touching and so very real. Thank you so much for writing it.

Jill

I can't seem to find the right words to express how this story is making me feel. I'm in awe at the depth with which you are writing these characters and am looking forward to more---it's inspiring!

Kav, you are simply amazing. What a gift you are sharing with us. We are so blessed. To be honest, with my down time so limited, I usually don't even start a story unless the letters J/S appear in the heading. Since I am a HUGE fan of you, I decided to give this one a try...Thank you for putting Redemption in perspective. You are a gifted writer, and I love all parts of this story and cannot wait to see it through to the end.

Nestled in and ready to and and

this is a beautiful story, loved the line about it being easier to pray for others than yourself - so, so true

hope jack and sue are redeemed as well

thanks for the hymn words we sing something similar so it may be the same one

cath

I am so glad, God gave Sue the sign but why Jack waited for her in car... any case?

And I would be really glad if Myles' new maid would be Carolyn... I really hope!!!


I can't wait for more!!!


Restie

Wow Kav!!!! You have proven that you can very capably write yet another genre of romance!!

Kav,

Thank you so much for this outstanding story. I am touched that Sue is not concerned with simply focusing on the desires of her own heart, but her focus goes much deeper than that as she gently, and with great care and respect, shares her faith with Myles.