The lights in their room flickered again and then went out. It was early evening, but the storm raging outside made everything turn dark.
“I have a flashlight,” Sierra said, reaching for her day pack on the floor.
“Is this one of your God-things, Christy?” Marti said with a bite to her waning voice. “This sudden darkness makes for an added touch, doesn’t it? Dark—that’s how I felt the day you were born. My sister was God’s favored one, and I, the terrible sinner, was cursed. I moved to California and worked hard to put myself through secretarial school. My first job was for your uncle Bob. He fell in love with me and accepted me as I was. All I wanted was someone to love me and to have a daughter of our own.”
Marti seemed to be running out of energy as she finished her story. “But your God doesn’t forget, does He? I was diagnosed as infertile. The doctor said he could fix me, but he couldn’t. You can’t fight God, can you?”
“Sure you can,” Sierra said. “You can fight Him and blame Him and be mad at Him all you want. He’s still God. He’s still in control of everything that happens. He still loves you.”
Marti made a snorting sound. “Well, He has a very strange way of showing it.”
In the dull lights of their room, Sierra couldn’t quite make out Christy’s expression. The beam from the flashlight was directed toward the bathroom, creating elongated shadows across the wall.
“He does love you,” Christy added to Sierra’s words.
Marti shook her head. “Love,” she said. “You two have no idea what love is. You don’t know what I’m talking about at all. If God is so loving and protective, then He’s going to have to prove it to me.” Marti leaned forward and, with some difficulty, tried to stand. She bent over to pick up her shoes and then stood up, her legs wobbling.
“Now you know, Christina. Your aunt is a horrible person, and God has given up on her. I suppose I should be glad you are such a good girl and He has smiled on you.”
“God never gives up on anyone,” Christy said, rising from the bed and taking quick steps in the darkness to stand beside her aunt. Christy put her arms around Marti and said fervently, “I love you, Aunt Marti. I’m sorry you have gone through such horrible things in your life. My love for you won’t ever change. And I think you know deep down that God hasn’t given up on you. He’s just waiting for you to come to Him.”
Marti received only a bit of the hug. She pulled away, and straightening up, she mumbled, “Well, He’ll just have to keep waiting for me because I have a suitcase to pack and a train to catch in the morning.”
With that, she took unsteady steps into her room and shut her door in exact unison with a vicious clap of thunder.
sixteen
“CHRISTY, ARE YOU AWAKE?” Sierra whispered in the darkness of their hotel room. They had gone to bed hours earlier. After Marti had left, they had ordered room service for dinner and packed their belongings while they discussed the intense conversation with Marti. The storm had continued outside, and now the noise of the pelting rain had awakened Sierra.
Christy didn’t answer.
Rats! She’s asleep. I wish I could fall back to sleep.
Sierra also wished Marti would have been more open to what Christy had said about how Marti needed to come to God. That’s what had happened to Bob after the barbecue accident. For years, he had told Christy he didn’t need God, but after the accident, he had done a complete turnaround. In the hospital, Bob had surrendered his life to Christ. His transformation had been instantaneous and obvious.
Sierra suspected Marti had not only turned a cold shoulder to God, but had also done the same to her husband now that he was a Christian.
Long into the stormy night, Sierra prayed. So much had happened in the past few days, and each of these events had been significant.
The rain pounded against their windows. The wind made a shrill, piercing noise that filled the dark room.
The clamorous storm reminded Sierra of the verse Alex had read in 1 Peter: “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. Above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’ ” Sierra shuddered.
Now that she better understood Marti, Sierra wished she hadn’t prejudged the woman so severely. Christy had done the right thing. She had loved her aunt unconditionally. Sierra closed her eyes and prayed for God to teach her that kind of love.
But by seven o’clock the next morning, her commitment to unconditional love was being tested. Marti was not feeling well. She yelled at Sierra and Christy for taking too long to get down to the lobby. Alex was there waiting for them, but when he greeted them, Marti acted as if she had never agreed to let Alex take them to the train station. She insisted he put down their luggage. They would take a cab. Alex could go home.
Marti’s moodiness was driving Sierra crazy. She tried to face each of Marti’s mood swings calmly, as Christy did. But when Marti started being downright mean to Alex, Sierra had to defend him.
“Yesterday you said you wanted Alex to take us to the train station,” she said, giving Marti a hard look. “He went to all the trouble to come get us—don’t you think we should go with him?”
Marti glared right back at Sierra. “Oh, I don’t care!” she said at last. “Do whatever you want. I see that my opinion is of no value.”
“I’ll help you carry our stuff to the car,” Sierra said to Alex. “Where are you parked?”
Alex led the way while Sierra followed with Christy. Marti trailed behind.
“Please don’t let her get to you,” Sierra said to Alex. “I’m sorry she treated you that way.”
“This is not your responsibility,” Alex said. “There is no need for you to apologize. I think the battle in her heart is very strong.”
Sierra nodded. Alex seemed to understand what was going on perhaps even better than Christy or Sierra did.
They drove through the rain-drenched streets to the Badisher Bahnhof. A steady drizzle was coming from the gray clouds that hung over them, and the drab light muted the bright colors that had sparkled on these streets only the day before. A warm yellow light glowed inside the bakery, but all the other stores appeared dreary, like the day.
“Do you have your tickets already?” Alex asked.
“Of course we do,” Marti snapped. “The minute we get to the station, I want this luggage loaded onto the train, and I want you girls to go immediately to your seats.”
“Okay,” Christy agreed.
Sierra was thinking of how she was going to say good-bye to Alex. He had made such an impact on her in the short time they had been together. She knew she had become a different person, partly because of him. Sierra needed to tell that to Alex. She wanted to say it privately, face-to-face, so that she could look into his dark eyes one more time.
She and Christy had been late arriving in the lobby that morning because Sierra had gone back to the room to write her address on a piece of hotel stationary. She wanted to find the right moment to give Alex that piece of paper. With that in mind, Sierra knew she couldn’t promise Marti she would board the train the instant they got there. So Sierra kept quiet.
They pulled up in front of the station. Sierra was glad to see the two lions were still there, guarding the entrance and reminding her of Narnia and of Christ. She prayed silently, asking God to provide a chance for her to say good-bye to Alex the way she wanted to, the way she felt she must.
Entering the station with them, Alex carted their luggage to track number seven, where their train was beginning to board passengers. Marti rummaged through her purse and checked the papers in her hand. “My ticket!” she squawked in a panic. “I’ve lost my ticket! Here’s Christy’s and Sierra’s, but mine is gone.”
“Have you checked in your bags?” Alex asked.
“It’s not in there!”
“Maybe we should check,” Christy suggested, bending to unzip the top of Marti’s suitcase.
“It’s lo
cked,” Marti snapped. “Here, let me do that.”
“I’ll check in the car,” Alex offered.
“And I’ll go with him,” Sierra blurted out. She was beginning to feel panicked, too. Not about the tickets, but about the possibility of never seeing Alex again. What if she could never tell him the words that were on her heart?
Before Marti could object, Sierra and Alex were dashing through the train station on their way to the car. Alex quickly unlocked it and began to look under the seats, while Sierra went through the backseat and checked the glove compartment.
“I don’t see it,” she said.
“I do not either. Maybe they have found it in the suitcase. We must go back before the train leaves.”
Alex locked the car, and they began to run back to track number seven.
When they arrived at the front of the long train, both of them were breathing hard. They couldn’t find Marti or Christy among the dozens of people standing along the platform. A young couple was saying good-bye, wrapped in each other’s arms. That was how Sierra had wanted to say good-bye to Alex, but now everything was too frenzied.
“Where did they go?” Sierra asked, panting.
“Perhaps they found the ticket and boarded the train,” Alex suggested.
“They wouldn’t go without me!”
“Perhaps they think you will get on when you do not see them.”
Sierra looked right and left. There wasn’t a trace of Marti and Christy anywhere.
“What should I do, Alex?”
“I think perhaps you should get on the train. You will not otherwise make it to the airport to take your flight home.”
Forgetting all her plans to give Alex a tender farewell and to slip her address into his hands, Sierra put her foot on the first step into the train and grabbed the handrail. She paused. Something wasn’t right. Her heart began to race the way it had on the airplane when she had the nightmare about crashing.
Sierra turned for one last look.
“Good-bye, See-hair-a,” Alex called out, lifting his arms to her as if offering a benediction. “May God be with you always.”
A loud bell chimed, and the train lurched forward. Sierra knew she needed to move inside, but she couldn’t force herself to go further onto the train.
From somewhere down the platform, Sierra heard her name being called. The train made a hissing noise and began to pull slowly out of the station.
“Alex,” Sierra cried, “I think I heard Christy. On the platform!”
Alex began to walk fast, keeping pace with Sierra as the train moved forward. He looked down the platform and then back at Sierra. “It is her! Christy comes! Jump, See-hair-a! I will catch you.”
All the feelings of terror that had started in her racing heart now exploded into her stomach and throat, paralyzing her.
“You must jump!” Alex called. “I will catch you! Now!”
Sierra held her breath and jumped into Alex’s waiting arms.
seventeen
SIERRA COLLIDED WITH ALEX’S CHEST. The impact made it impossible for him to stay standing. In one great tumbling motion, he fell to the ground, his arms tightly wrapped around Sierra as she came down with him.
“Ouch!” Sierra yelped.
“Ooof,” was all Alex could manage.
“Are you all right?” Sierra asked, trying to get up off the ground.
Alex’s eyes were wide. His mouth moved, but no sound came out.
“Oh, no!” Sierra said, reaching for his hand. “I hurt you, didn’t I?”
Alex tried to force out a word, but instead he coughed a deep, long cough. Behind them the last few train cars were leaving the station, and the noise went with them.
“Sierra!” Christy cried, arriving beside them and kneeling down next to her friends. “Are you guys okay? I saw you jump. I thought you were going to die!”
“I think Alex almost did die,” Sierra said.
She and Christy both helped him to sit up. His hair was pushed forward in his eyes. He shook his head and drew in a deep breath.
“It’s all right,” he said at last. “The air went from me.”
“Oh, I am so sorry!” Sierra said. “I shouldn’t have jumped so hard. I didn’t mean to knock you over. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s all right,” Alex said shakily and rose to his feet.
“Christy, where were you?” Sierra asked. “We didn’t see you or Marti anywhere. I thought you must have boarded the train.”
“We were down there.” Christy pointed. “Marti’s sitting on a bench and our luggage is on a cart. Maybe it was blocking your view of us. We were right where you left us, but I think you came in a different entrance, at the other end of the train.”
“Did you find the ticket?” Sierra asked as they began to walk toward Marti. “Not that it matters. We just missed the train.”
“No,” Christy said, “we can’t find the ticket anywhere. My aunt is about to blow a mainspring, as my dad always says. That’s why I had her sit on the bench.”
“I’m sorry to do this to you, Christy,” Sierra moaned.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s definitely not your fault. I told Aunt Marti that God was in control, and we shouldn’t worry. You know, it strangles people.” Christy imitated Alex’s strangling demonstration.
“What did Marti say?”
“She just about strangled me, so I didn’t say anything else.”
“Wise choice.”
“Then it was so strange,” Christy said. “I was sitting there on the bench with her, and all of a sudden I looked up, and way down at the end of the track I saw your day pack and all your blond hair, Sierra. I knew it was you.”
“I’m glad you saw me,” Sierra said.
“Me, too.”
They arrived at the bench where Marti was seated with her arms tightly drawn across her middle. The scowl on her face was bitter.
The worst part was, Marti didn’t say a word. Sierra expected to have to defend herself in a long yelling match. Marti, however, did not throw the first punch. She just sat there, staring at them, as if they were responsible for the problems.
“May I make a suggestion?” Alex said calmly, having finally caught his breath. “Perhaps we can check at the ticket desk to see if they have you on their computer. They can issue you a new ticket, and you can board the very next train.”
This suggestion did not appeal to Marti. She wouldn’t move. She wouldn’t speak.
“We have to do something,” Christy said. “Would you like it if I went to check on the tickets, and you could stay here?”
“No!” Marti stated emphatically. “I am not letting either of you out of my sight for another second. We will all go. Alex, get the luggage.”
Of all the things Marti had said, her insulting command to Alex angered Sierra the most. Marti could say whatever she wanted to Sierra and it wouldn’t really matter. Sierra knew none of the mix-up was her fault. After all, they were trying to help Marti find her ticket. Even if Sierra had been there, they couldn’t have gotten on the train without Marti’s ticket. There seemed to be no reason for her to treat Alex so horribly. And because Marti had occasionally been nice to Alex, her rudeness seemed even worse; there was no telling when she would be nasty to him and when she would be sweet.
“I can carry something,” Sierra offered.
“I can, too,” Christy said.
Marti led the procession with stiff angry steps. At the ticket counter, they had to wait in a line with six people ahead of them. Marti began to murmur about the lack of efficiency and the laziness of the workers. It was embarrassing to stand next to her. It took nearly ten minutes for them to reach the clerk.
The whole time Sierra was replaying her risky jump in her mind. She had dreamed of a movie-like romantic adieu with Alex. Instead she had leveled the poor guy and infuriated Marti. This day was not going according to plan.
“May I explain for you?” Alex asked Marti as they stepped up to the window. “If you think
it would be helpful,” he added hastily.
Too ruffled to show any more irritation, Marti clammed up again, so Alex took the opportunity to begin a swift explanation in German. The clerk answered in deep, rough German words. Alex was beginning to negotiate with him when an announcement came over the speaker system in German. This one sounded different from the destination announcements that were called out regularly.
Everyone in the station stopped to listen. Sierra noticed looks of surprise and annoyance appearing on faces.
“What are they saying?” Sierra whispered to Alex.
“All trains north have been canceled.” He held up his finger to indicate he was still listening and she shouldn’t speak.
“But we have to go north,” Marti said. “That’s all there is to it. How can they cancel all the trains north? What kind of country is this?”
Sierra watched Alex’s face. Something stirred inside her. She bit her lower lip and watched Alex’s body language.
His eyebrows rose slightly, then quickly plummeted. His lips formed a tiny “o,” and he let out a slow stream of breath. People around the station began to murmur and then grew silent as they listened to the rest of the announcement. Alex squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head.
“It was your train,” he said quickly. Then looking at Marti, Christy, and Sierra, he touched his fingers to Sierra’s cheek. “The train you almost boarded went off the main track two kilometers from here. The rains weakened the ground. The mud went out under the track. They fear that many are dead.”
“No,” Sierra whispered.
Alex put one arm around her and one arm around Christy, giving them a comforting hug. The he went to Marti and put both arms around her, trying to hug her, but she wouldn’t have it.
Pulling away from all of them, Marti looked wild-eyed at the news. “We could have all died,” she said.
They stood silently, absorbing the thought. The clerk at the ticket counter spoke abruptly to Alex.
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