FAITH TO BELIEVE - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

         Over the next week, Andi saw Larry in various places, and began to wonder if he was a vengeful person.  He never approached her to talk with her, so she tried to put the matter out of her mind.

         She motioned to Pete when Larry had left the bank one afternoon, as he entered the office Andi looked up at him, “Could you please close the door.”

         “Sure, what’s up?”  Pete closed the door and took a seat.

         She was agitated and it showed in the way she fidgeted with her pen and moved things around on her desk.  “Larry Farin.”

         “What about him?”

         She folded her hands in front of her on the desk, and looked up at him.  “You know that I saw a lot of him before Terry came home.”

         He had a look of concern on his face.  “Yes.”

         “Since he opened his account here, I’ve seen a lot of him wherever I go.”

         “Have you said anything to Terry?”

         “Not yet, but I was hoping you could help me.  I don’t want him to come into my office for any reason.  If he expresses a desire for a home loan, have someone else do it.”

         “Do you think he will?”

         “I don’t know what he will do, but I’ve seen him at the post office, here, the grocery store.  He seems to be everywhere.”

         “Has he approached you?”

         Again, she fidgeted with her pen.  “No.  It may be nothing.  I may just be paranoid, I don’t know.  I just seem to see him everywhere I go.”

         “Don’t you worry about anything, but I do suggest you tell Terry.  He has a right to know.  By the way, how’s Maddie’s Christmas wish coming along?”

         Andi blushed.  Everyone in the bank knew what Madeline’s Christmas wish was.  “Not yet.”

         “I guess you need some more practice.  It’s been four years maybe you forgot how.”

         Andi blushed scarlet at that.  “It was four months before Maddie was conceived.”

         “I heard her say quite clearly that Jesus said you would have a boy by Christmas.”

         “I know.  Sometimes she’s just embarrassing, but I love her, and with Terry home, I couldn’t be happier.”

         “I know.  Don’t worry about Mr. Farin.  I’ll take care of him.”

         She felt relieved.  “Thanks Pete.”

         He stood to his feet and turned to leave.  “How do you like the van?”

         “I love it.  Maddie has good taste.”

         “She told me all about the fact that you let her pick it out.”

         “She gave the salesperson a hard time.  I think he was very happy to see us leave.”

         “She’s a very special little girl.  She’s going to be one tough business woman when she grows up.”

         “I know.  I feel sorry for the business world when she steps into it.  I’ve already started to pray for the man she will marry.  He’s going to have to be someone very special.”

         “You have a very special husband yourself, and if you don’t get finished with your work, you’ll be late getting home, and I know for a fact how jealous he is of his time with you.”

         “I know it too, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

         Pete left the office and she felt better about Larry.  At least he wouldn’t bother her while she worked.

         It was five after five when she closed down her computer, and called it a night.  She knew Terry picked up Madeline from the daycare.  She also knew that he enjoyed it.  He had told her on many occasions that it was the best part of his day.

         Sometimes they had met there, but more often Andi picked her up.  A look at her watch told her that wouldn’t be the case.

         She stopped at the daycare though, just to be certain, and found as she expected, that Madeline had left with Terry.

         Terry and Madeline met her moments later, when she pulled into the garage.

         “Mommy!”  Madeline threw herself into her arms in a big hug.  “We just got here.”

         “Did you?”  She entered the house with Madeline’s arms around her and hung her jacket in the hall closet.

         “A bit late tonight,” Terry said.

         She followed him into the living room.  “I had a talk with Pete today that put me behind just a bit.”

         “What about?”

         “I prefer waiting until Maddie is in bed.”

         “Sounds serious.”

         “Probably just my paranoia, nothing more, so what do you want for supper?”

         “Maddie and I have just decided on fish and chips.”

         “Sounds good, so Munchkin, did you have a good day at the daycare?”

         Maddie danced around, excitement on her face and manner.  “Billy’s mommy had her baby.  She brought him to the daycare today.”

         Andi looked at Terry.  “She really wants a baby brother.”

         “I got that message as well,” Terry said.

         “He didn’t have any hair,” Madeline said.

         “Is that so?  Want to help me make the tartar sauce?”

         Madeline looked at Terry.  “Told you.”

         Andi laughed.  “I take it you had a discussion about the sauce.”

         “I didn’t see any in the fridge,” Terry said.          

         “You should have realized by now that Maddie doesn’t like processed food.”

         “What are you going to do when our other children do like processed food?”

         “No problem.  They won’t have a choice.  I’ll be scratch-cooking until the day I die, at the rate that you’re suggesting I’m going to have children.”

         Madeline brought the mayonnaise and pickles out of the refrigerator and set them on the table, while Andi got out the food processor.

         “Is that what you want to talk about later?”

         “No.  It’s something else entirely.”

         “So you talk to your supervisor before me?”

         “Settle down big boy.  It was work related, but also something we need to talk about.”

         “Sounds serious.”

         “You said that before.  Like I said I’m probably being paranoid.”

          “As long as I’ve known you, you’ve never been paranoid before.”

         “First time for everything.”

         “Mommy?”

         Andi looked at her daughter to see a serious expression on her face.  She could use one of Madeline’s serious problems at that point.  They were a lot easier to take care of than what she faced.  “Yes sweetheart?”

         “I saw Larry today.”

         Andi blanched at that.  It wasn’t going to be as easy as she expected.  “Where did you see Larry, Maddie?”

         “I was outside playing, and he was across the street.”

         “Sweet Jesus.”  Andi sat down.  She felt that her legs wouldn’t hold her anymore.

         Terry was just as concerned.  “I think we should talk now.  I take it you talked to Pete about Larry.”

         She looked up at him, as he sat down beside her at the table.  “Yes.  He opened an account at the bank a couple weeks ago.  Right after you came home.  Since then I’ve seen him everywhere I go.  He was at the post office when I went to get stamps the other day.  He was at the grocery store.  He seems to be everywhere.  I saw him at the bank today as well.  It was after he left that I talked to Pete.”

         Terry looked at Madeline, concern on his face.  “Moppet, when did you see Larry, this morning, or this afternoon?”

         “Morning.”

         “He must have come to the bank right after then,” Andi said.

         “You said he wasn’t vengeful.”

         “I didn’t think he was.  Now I’m not so sure.”

         “I’m going to take you to work tomorrow.  I want to talk to the daycare personnel.”

         “I agree.  Or we could have my parents take care of her.  I’m sure they won’t mind.”

         Terry stood to his feet, and went over to the counter and looked at them.  Both his arms were crossed, and his expression was one that boded ill for Larry.  “Give them a call.  If they can’t watch her we’ll just let the daycare keep her in close sight at all times.”

         “Larry bad man,” Madeline said.

         “It does look that way sweetheart, but everything will be all right.  He won’t hurt us.  So how about putting some pickles in the food processor, and we’ll get the tartar sauce made,” Andi said.

         “I’ll help Maddie.  You call your parents,” Terry said.

         Andi went into the living room, and called her parents.  She could hear Terry and Madeline talk and laugh as they put pickles through the processor to make relish.  “Hello Mom.  How are you?...Good.  Say listen Terry and I were wondering if you could watch Maddie during the day for a while?...No nothing is wrong with the daycare, but Larry was outside there today....Thanks Mom.  It would only be until we are sure he isn’t a problem.  We’ll let the daycare know....Oh I hope not.  I don’t want any problems at the farm....Oh I will.  Count on it.  Thanks Mom.  Bye.”

         Andi hung up the phone and went into the kitchen to see Terry and Madeline flinging pickle juice at each other.  She looked up at Terry.  “How old are you?  I thought you were the man of the house, and here you are encouraging her in such a way.  She’s going to smell like pickles.”  She took a whiff of his shirt.  “For that matter so do you.”

         “We were just waiting for you.  Moppet got bored.”          

         “Yeah, and pigs fly.”

         “They do if they are stuffed and you throw them across a room,” Terry said.

         She let out an exasperated sigh that ended with a smile.  “Is the oil hot?”

         “All ready.  I mixed the pickles with the mayo.  What did your mother say?”

         “She said yes, and hoped that he wouldn’t go out by them and to pray.”

         “Consider everyone covered.  Let’s get the fish made.”  Terry put the breaded fish onto a pan and put it in the oven, then put the wedged potatoes in the oil.

         Madeline pulled a chair close to the pot, and stood on it as she leaned closer to watch it boil.

         Terry blanched to see her so close.  “Careful Moppet, I don’t want you burned by the oil.”

         “I just wanna see.”

         “At a safe distance,” Terry said.

         “How about you help me get the table set, since daddy is making supper,” Andi said.

         “Okay.”  Madeline jumped off the chair, took the plates from Andi, and set them on the table.  With the table set, Terry took the fish from the oven, and the potatoes from the pot.

         Everyone bowed their heads, and Terry began, “Father we thank you for your bounty, and ask that you take care of all of us.  Cover us with your feathers, as you said in Psalms 91, and your precious blood.  Send your warring angels along with our guardian angels to protect Andi and Moppet.  Thank you for your safety.  In Jesus name, I pray, amen.”

         “And Father keep Terry and my parents safe too,” Andi said.

         “Amen,” Terry said.

         “Amen,” Madeline said.

         Later instead of a game, Andi put Madeline in the bathtub along with several of her bathtub toys.  “You let me know when you’re ready to get out.”

         “See Star Duster tomorrow,” Madeline said.          

         “Yes.  You’ll see Star Duster.”

         “Goody!”  Madeline turned in circles and splashed water in the tub and on the floor.

         “Keep the water in the tub, Maddie.”

         “Yes Mommy.”  She started to play with her toys as Andi left the bathroom and went to help with the kitchen cleanup.

         “Well she’s excited that she’s going out to Mom and Dad’s.”

         “I’m sure she is.  She was real excited about the new colt.”

         “Still is.  I’ll bet she’ll be taking all her pony collection with her.”

         “No bet.  We’ll have to leave earlier in order to get to work on time.”

         “I know.”

         Andi had the kitchen cleaned up before she headed back to the bathroom.  “She’s going to be a prune by now.”

         “Andi.”  Terry stopped her and turned her into his embrace.  He looked into her fear laced eyes.  “It’s going to be all right.  Trust God.  He’ll take care of everything.”

         “I know.  I’m just scared, and there may not be a reason for it.”

         “I know, but the fact that he was at the daycare today is plenty of reason to worry.  We just need to remember what our Lord said about worry.  It won’t turn one hair white or black, and won’t add a single day to our lives.  In fact, worry can subtract from it.  So let’s just leave it in His hands.  It’s better there.”

         He gave her a kiss, and she looked up into his eyes.  “It’s a lot easier to say that, than it is to live it.”

         “But we will live it.  Now go get Maddie out of the tub before she’s gone from a prune to a raisin.”  He kissed the tip of her nose and watched her go.

         He sat at the table with his head on his folded hands.  “Oh God.  You didn’t bring me back to Andi and Maddie just to see them hurt.  Take this situation in Your hands and help us to remember that you have everything in your control.  As your children You promise to take care of us.  You showed me that the whole time I was in that prison camp.  I know that You have this situation in hand as well.  If there is nothing to what is happening, show us that too.  I don’t want to lose the family I just found.  You said that  whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.  Well Father I believe that I have what I ask for and that is peace in this family.  Take care of us.  Keep us in the hollow of your hand.  In Jesus name, I pray, amen.”

         Andi entered the kitchen where he still sat.  “She wants you to come and read to her.”

         He stood to his feet.  “I’m on my way.”

         “It really will be all right?”

         “Yes it will.  You just have to have a little faith.  No bigger than a grain of mustard seed, will move the biggest mountain or cast a tree into the ocean.”

         “I have about that much faith right now.  You were always the strong one in the family.”

         “Oh I don’t know.  You’ve got more faith than you think you do.”  He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they went up to Madeline’s room to find that she waited for him in the rocking chair.

         She looked up at him, a sparkle in her eyes.  “You took long enough.”

         “Moppet.”  Terry gave her a firm look and the voice to go with it.

         “I’m sorry.  I have the story ready.”

         “Which one is it tonight?”  He lifted her from the chair onto his lap and took the book from her.

         He looked at the title of the story.  “Only believe.  Jesus was on a hillside and many people were all around Him.  He looked at them with great love.  He wanted them to understand what He told them.  Don’t worry about your life.  Not about what you eat or about what you will drink.  Don’t worry about what you will wear or where you will live.  Look above you.  The birds don’t have any worries.  They know that their heavenly Father is going to take care of them.  They don’t have to build big barns to store up their food, because God feeds them.  Look here around you, at the flowers.  They are all very beautiful, and yet King Solomon in all his wisdom and beauty was not clothed as beautiful as one of these flowers.  So then if God can take care of the birds that fly overhead, and make the beautiful flowers, can’t He also take care of you?  You can’t add an inch to how tall you are, so don’t worry about any of these things.  Your heavenly Father knows what you need and will take care of all your needs.  People who have no faith in God worry about all these things.  They don’t know that they have a heavenly Father who loves them and will take care of them if they just believe in him.  So don’t worry about your life.  God has your thoughts, and cares in His hands.  Just believe and trust Him to take care of you and He will.  This is what you are to do.  Seek His kingdom and His righteousness first, and then He will take care of all your needs and give you more besides.”  Terry closed the book and looked down at Madeline who was quiet as she looked back at them.

         “You don’t need to worry Mommy.  God will take care of you, and my baby brother, and Daddy too.”

         Terry hugged her close.  “Yes He will Moppet.  He will take care of all of us, and Grandma and Grandpa too.  Now into bed with you.”

         “Prayers.”  Madeline slid to the floor and knelt by her bed.  “God, need help.  Take care of us.  Amen.”

         Andi cried at that simple prayer for help.  It all sounded so simple.  She could only hope that they were right as she put everything in God’s hands.

         She stood to her feet and went over to her, tucked her into bed, and gave her a kiss and hug.

         “Don’t cry Mommy.  God make it all right.”

         “I know He will Munchkin.  Sweet dreams.”  She gave her another kiss and stepped back while Terry also gave her a kiss and hug, and then left the room with him.

         In their room, she looked up at him.  “I don’t have that kind of faith.”

         “The faith of a child is a special kind of faith.  She has complete faith and trust that God is going to take care of her, and I know that God listens very carefully to a child’s prayer.  I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”

         “I just hope you’re both right.”

         “Let’s go to bed.  It’s going to be an early day tomorrow.”

         “Love me.”

         “You don’t have to ask, but first I had better get the smell of pickles off me.”

         “Would you like help in that endeavor?”

         He looked at her and saw a twinkle in her eyes where just a moment ago there was doubt, and he brought his lips to hers.  “I would like that very much.”

         A scream startled him and he looked across the yard to see a child dropped into a cauldron of oil.  Madeline.  He rushed across the yard to stop them, but a guard thrust aside.  A close look at the guard showed him to be Larry.

         “Where is your God now?” Larry said.

         His eyes flew open, and he looked around him.  Would he ever be free of the nightmares?  They had invaded his life, his family.  He turned to Andi, brushed the hair from her eyes, kissed her, and brought her close to his side.

         She opened her eyes and looked into his.  “Another nightmare?”

         His lips were on hers.  “God will see us through this.  I promise.”

         “I wish you would talk to me about them.”

         “No.  I want to spare you that.”

         “It was awful wasn’t it?”

         “You can’t imagine how awful.  There are no words that can really describe the atrocities of a prison camp.”

         “And yet you wake up in a cold sweat almost every night.”

         “At least I wake up, and you’re here beside me, and I know it was just that.  A nightmare.  God will heal the memories.”

         “I can help.”

         “You do.  Just being here, letting me love you, and touch you.”

         “I will always be here.”

         His lips were on hers.  “I know.”

         “We’re not going to get much sleep.”

         “I don’t get much sleep as it is.”

         “I know.  It will be daylight soon.”

         “Quiet and let me love you.”

         She was asleep again when he got up and took a shower to get rid of the images of his nightmare.

         With a robe to cover his nakedness, he went down to make the coffee, and wait for the morning paper.  Another privilege he hadn’t had while he had been in prison.  He heard the alarm go off, and went to wake her.

         She opened her eyes and smiled up at him.  “I smell coffee.”

         “Better hurry and get your shower.  We have to leave earlier this morning if we’re going to get out to your mother’s and back here to work.”

         She pushed the covers aside, but not before he gave her another passionate kiss, that left her in no doubt of his thoughts.  Hers either.  “I had better get a shower.  It should probably be a cold one.”

         “I’ll get breakfast while you shower and get Maddie ready.”

         “You do that.”

         She got out of bed and the sight of her made him hungry all over again for something a lot more satisfying than eggs and bacon.  “On second thought.”