A Place Called Destiny

by Emma Easter

  She did not answer.

  “I have to go, Rachel. I will talk to you later.”

  She folded her arms as Taylor walked out of the hall, and then she began to walk out with unsteady legs. Outside, she got into the Jeep that had brought her here. She stared out of the window in sorrow as the driver drove her back to the Restoration House.

  As soon as they reached the house, she entered and started to climb the stairs, hoping she could go straight to her room without attending any more classes today. She had to pray and ask for wisdom.

  Margaret was at the top of the stairs with her hands propped on her waist. When Rachel tried to head toward her room, Margaret said, “You are going straight to your class now.”

  “I have to go to my room and pray,” she said to Margaret.

  Margaret scowled at her and opened her mouth to speak again, but Rachel cut her off. “The elders told me to take twenty-four hours to pray and make a decision,” she said. She stared at Margaret, daring her to oppose the elders’ order.

  Margaret’s face was red and she seemed to tremble with anger, but she did not stop Rachel as she walked past and headed in the direction of her room.

  Once in her room, Rachel fell on her knees beside her bed. Thankfully, her roommate was still in class. She began to pray, asking the Lord for wisdom, but she knew deep down in her heart what her decision had to be. She had no choice in the matter. She had to go back to Mike or she would never see Emily again; at least, not in the near future.

  The reality of her situation crashed in on her and she could not pray any longer. She sat on the floor and stared at the wall in front of her. Why, Lord? Why? She wiped away the tears slipping down her cheeks with her sleeve and then picked up her Bible from the table beside her bed. She casually opened it and her eyes fell on the words of Jesus in red letters. She began to read the words in the Book of Luke out loud, and fear and panic gripped her. Still, she went on reading.

  “If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother, and wife, and children…” she stopped and swallowed a sob, and then continued, “…and brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

  When she finished reading, she bowed her head in sorrow and then looked up at the ceiling. “Lord, you cannot ask me to. I cannot leave Emily.” But she already knew from the scripture what the Lord was asking her to do.

  “I can’t!” She stood up and paced the room. This was not right, and yet to go back to Mike and continue to live as his wife would be a sin against God. But how could the Lord ask her to leave her baby?

  She looked at her Bible again and then stood up and stepped away from it. She shook her head as she wrestled with God’s word in her heart. How could she leave Emily with Mike? And yet she would be willfully disobeying the Lord if she went back. She would be violating her conscience every day. If she knew Mike would leave her alone, it would be no problem. But she knew him. She didn’t even want to think about what she would have to bear living with him. Still, she would bear it all for her daughter.

  She went and picked up her Bible from the floor again. She opened it, hoping to find something different than what she had just read. Instead, she opened up a scripture that haunted her while slightly comforting her at the same time. She read the scripture again and again and then finally read it out loud. “For them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.”

  She closed her Bible and sat on her bed, thinking. She could ignore everything she had just read, but then she had promised the Lord she would obey Him in all things. What would her relationship with the Lord be like if she went back to Mike? What kind of life would she have after that?

  “Emily,” she cried. But the Lord had said He would honor those who honored Him. She meditated on the words once again, drawing comfort from them. She would obey the Lord, as difficult as it was, and believe He would honor her and ultimately bring her daughter back to her.

  She sighed wearily, finally fully understanding what the scripture meant that said Christians were to take up their cross and follow the Lord. Her heart was heavy and yet she had great hope. A supernatural peace had also settled in her heart in spite of the difficult decision she had finally come to.

  She whispered, “Lord, I will honor you and leave everything to follow you. But I believe that you will bring Emily back to me one day.” She hoped that day would be sooner rather than later.

  She sighed again and once more felt like breaking down as she remembered all she had lost — Keith, and now Emily. She gathered herself together, however, as there was no point breaking down now.

  The only consolation she had, if it even was consolation, was that she could leave Fallow Creek and go back to Destiny, the town she had come to love, especially because of Keith. As painful as thinking about him was, she smiled. He would be happy about her decision to live in Destiny if he was here.

  She stood up and went to get the notebook and a pen from her purse. She knew exactly what to do to honor him and help the people of Destiny, the people he had loved when he was alive.

  She began to write a long letter to Taylor. She would see him again tomorrow when she appeared before the elders to tell them her decision, but she was sure she would not be able to spend enough time with him to tell him everything she wanted before they sent her out of the town. The letter would have to do.

  After she finished, she waited for the mind renewal classes to be over and then left her room. She found Lily heading to her own room and told her everything that had happened, and then she asked her friend to deliver the letter to the guard for her, as she wasn’t in the mood for his leery attentions today. “Tell the oaf it’s from me. Hopefully, he doesn’t have designs on you as well,” Rachel said as Lily willingly took the letter.

  “I know how to handle him if he tries anything.”

  Rachel smiled. She was sure Lily did. After they talked briefly and hugged, Rachel went back to her room and sat on the bed again. She prayed about the letter she had written to Taylor, asking the Lord once more for favor with her brother. She ended the prayer and then stretched out on her bed and closed her eyes to go to sleep. It was all in Taylor’s hands now… and the Lord’s.

  Chapter 23

  The sun was high in the sky when Rachel arrived in Destiny. Since she had been allowed to take nothing of hers from Mike’s house, she had no luggage. That did not bother her. What bothered her was that she had not even been allowed to say goodbye to Emily.

  Taylor had thankfully bought her an air ticket or she would not have had any money to make the journey to Destiny. He had also transferred some money into a bank account for her and given her a debit card. She had been overwhelmed with gratitude and had thanked him profusely, but he’d ignored her words, his eyes ablaze with anger.

  “Do you realize what you are doing, Rachel?” he had asked her. “When will I get to see you again?”

  She smiled sadly at him. They had grown apart in the last ten or so years, but her present trials had drawn them close again. She said to him, “You can come and visit me in Destiny anytime, Taylor. They respect you here, so I am pretty sure they will let you out to play once in a while.” She smiled to let him know she was joking, but he did not smile back. Instead, he stared at her for what seemed like an eternity and then the anger melted off his face. He reached out and gathered her in a tight hug.

  She sighed as she remembered the final hearing and how the elders had reacted when she’d told them what her decision was. When they gave her a little time to speak with Taylor before bundling her away, she had been surprised. She asked him if he’d received her letter and he nodded. When he reached into his pocket and handed her a check, relief had flooded her. He had also made her some promises that she was tremendously grateful for.

  Mike had been sullen throughout the hearing, but she’d ignored him. She had focused on her brother. Apart from Taylor and Emily, and perhaps Olivia’s kids, she would miss nothing in Fallow Creek. She
had many bad memories of this place.

  She walked through the streets of Destiny, taking in the familiar sights and sounds. Wiping her brow with a small handkerchief, she slowly began to make her way to the town hall. Her heart ached. Everything and everyone reminded her of Keith. Unsurprisingly, the town had changed very little. A large part of the town was still in ruins.

  Keith had begun to put plans in place to rebuild Destiny, and despite the fact that she’d only been away for a short time, she was sure there would have been some changes to the look of the town if Keith were still alive.

  Tears blinded her as she walked, but she refused to let them spill down her cheeks. As painful as remembering Keith was, she was not here to mourn him, at least not yet. She was first of all here to do what she knew he would have wanted.

  She got to the town hall, a little smaller than the one in Fallow Creek, but somewhat similar. Walking up the stairs, she smiled in greeting at a few people who turned to look at her. Inside, she walked up to the mayor’s secretary and was pointed in the direction of his office. Even though Destiny was slightly bigger than Fallow Creek, the red tape there was absent here. She was grateful for that, as she had no appointment with the mayor.

  She climbed up a flight of stairs and walked down the hallway. She stopped in front of the last office. The door was open and she could see Mayor Winston behind his desk, his eyes on his computer. He looked up when she knocked and then beamed. “Come in,” he said.

  Rachel walked in and sat across from the mayor. After she introduced herself, Mayor Winston nodded. “Yes, I remember someone telling me about a family that moved into that old abandoned house. Everyone was surprised when you all moved out within a few weeks of coming here.”

  “It’s a long story,” she said.

  He leaned forward, threading his fingers together on his desk. “So what can I do for you?”

  A sob rose within her as she once again remembered Keith. She took a deep breath and got a hold of her emotions. She smiled at the mayor and handed him the check Taylor had written for the town on her request. It was what the content of the letter she had sent to him a few days ago was about. She’d told him about the devastation in Destiny and asked if he would help. He’d graciously done so, giving her a check for much more than she could ever have hoped for.

  Mayor Winston looked at the check and then blinked rapidly. His mouth fell open and he looked up at her. “This is for two hundred thousand dollars.”

  She gave him a sad smile. “It’s from a generous donor to help rebuild the town.”

  He nodded and smiled from ear to ear. “Thank you so much,” he said as he looked at her. “This will definitely go a long way toward rebuilding our precious Destiny.”

  She told him about Taylor’s generous offer to also send some of his builders and equipment to help rebuild Destiny, as he had a construction company.

  The mayor looked overcome with emotions. “How can I possibly thank you and your brother?”

  Rachel smiled and then stood up. The mayor held out his hand and she shook it.

  She left the mayor’s office with a mixture of emotions. She was happy to give something that would help the town greatly, but sad because Keith would have been so happy if he were alive. “For you, Keith,” she said as she stood on the steps of the town hall.

  She began to make her way to Eric and Paula’s. Hopefully, they’d not been too worried about her sudden disappearance and would let her stay in their house until she could decide where exactly to go. She still had to leave Destiny in order to find a job and be financially independent, even if she did not know when she would see Emily again. Being in Destiny again had given her a renewed determination. She would fight for Emily, no matter how hard or long the process might be.

  She began to walk by Keith’s store, and at first she wanted to cross to the other side because of how much it reminded her of him and the sorrow that brought her. But instead of avoiding the store, she stopped in front of it and tried to look inside. The blinds were drawn and she could hardly see anything.

  She walked on, but rather than take the straight road to Eric and Paula’s, she turned left and walked to Keith’s house. She stood in front of his door and let the sorrow that came over her swallow her up. She would have sat on the ground sobbing if not for the fact that she was outside. She tried to open the door, but it was locked, just as she’d guessed it would be.

  She cried out, “Oh, Keith. Why did I ever come into your life?” He would still be alive if not for her.

  And then a new determination entered her heart and she knew she would fight to see Mike punished for what he had done.

  She stayed in front of Keith’s house for a little longer and then she moved on. A short while later, she got to Paula and Eric’s and knocked on the door. She waited, but no one came to the door. She knocked again and again, and then sat on the front steps and closed her eyes. Tears fell down her cheeks, but she immediately wiped them away.

  She felt bone tired and then drowsy. She hadn’t slept well last night. She sighed and rested her forehead on her knees, her eyes closed. She felt herself drifting away and then jerked awake when someone yelled her name.

  “Rachel!” Paula hurried over to her and they fell into each other’s arms. When they separated, Paula looked her over and said, “Where have you been, Rachel?”

  “I was kidnapped.”

  Paula’s jaw dropped. “Kidnapped? By whom?”

  “It’s a long story, Paula. I really don’t feel like talking about it right now.”

  Paula nodded and wrapped her hands around Rachel’s waist. She opened the front door and they walked in together. “Eric and I were so worried,” she said. “You disappeared and we kept looking everywhere for you. We became even more worried when Pastor Keith told us...”

  “Wait!” Rachel stared at Paula in confusion. “Keith? When did you speak with Keith?”

  Paula frowned. “What is wrong, Rachel? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

  “Paula! Tell me. When did you speak with Keith?”

  “Just this morning. You didn’t know? Keith had an accident, but he is recovering. He wanted…”

  Rachel screamed and grabbed Paula’s hand. “What are you saying, Paula? I thought Keith was dead!”

  Paula shook her head. “No, he is not! I saw him this morning in the hospital. He hasn’t been able to leave his bed for some time because he has a fractured leg and arm and was very weak. However, his bones are healing and he is getting stronger.”

  Rachel listened with her heart racing. She slowly sat down on the couch, her feet unable to carry her anymore. Paula sat beside her. “Who told you Keith was dead?”

  Rachel stared into Paula’s eyes disbelievingly. “You’re telling me that Keith is alive?”

  “Yes. He is.”

  Joy, relief, and a feeling she had no words for except that it was the best feeling she had ever had flooded her soul. She sprang up from the couch and raced out of the door.

  “Where are you going, Rachel?”

  She said over her shoulder, “To see Keith! To see the man I love!”

  “Do you even know the way to the hospital?” Paula called out.

  “Let’s go, then,” Rachel yelled joyfully.

  Paula ran up to her, and Rachel grabbed her hand. She ran as fast as she could, holding on to Paula, laughing with joy, not caring about the people who turned around to stare at her. All she cared about was seeing Keith and holding him. She’d dreamt of being in his arms and kissing him so many times in the last few days. Always, she woke up in tears, because she’d thought she would never see him again. Now she couldn’t wait to see him, to actually hold him, and kiss him. Nothing else mattered more at this moment.

  Chapter 24

  Keith held onto the bedpost of his hospital bed as once again he tried to stand up straight. He finally pulled himself up from the bed and slowly let go of the bedpost, praying he would be able to stand on his own. He did and rejoiced. N
ow, he had to try to walk out of the room. But first, he needed to put his clothes on. Jenny had helped him find his clothes. They had been in a hidden corner of the small wardrobe in the room.

  He imagined himself walking out of the room, down the long hallway, and out of the hospital, and then going on his quest to find Rachel. He would not let the doctor stop him this time.

  After he had put on his clothes, he rested for a minute. He put one foot in front of the other and then groaned in pain. He moaned, “Rachel, where are you?” He knew without a doubt that something was wrong. If she was safe, she would have come to see him in the hospital. When Paula came this morning to visit him, he had asked her over and over again if she had seen Rachel, but Paula had ignored his questions. Even Jenny, who was usually eager to please, had looked away without answering when he’d asked about Rachel.

  He got to the door of his room, groaning in pain. His legs could not carry him any farther. He leaned against the door and exhaled, trying to catch his breath. Shutting his eyes, he moaned in distress when Rachel’s face clearly appeared in his mind.

  “Keith, oh Keith!”

  He sucked in his breath sharply. He was now imagining her voice calling his name. He felt like weeping. What had happened to her?

  Someone touched his cheeks and he felt soft lips on his. His eyes flew open, and he stared into Rachel’s eyes. She stepped back slightly and he blinked, wondering if he was imagining her. “Rachel?” He took hold of her hands and said slowly, “You’re really here?”

  She nodded, tears streaming down her face.

  He looked her over. “You’re safe, Rachel. I’ve missed you so much.”

  She pressed her lips together and fell into his arms.

  He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her fiercely, and kissed her.

  They kissed fiercely and passionately, their tears mingling together, his heart beating wildly with joy and love for her. When Rachel drew back slightly, he touched her cheeks at the same time as she touched his.