by Pamela Wells
Psalm 91:4 “He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of the night.”
Chapter 1
Jim Reid woke up slowly on that Sunday morning. He reached for his wife, for their usual morning snuggle, but she wasn’t there. I must have been dreaming about her again. He lay there reflecting on the past year of his life. A time that could only be called, “a nightmare year”. He felt like he had aged 15 years in that short time. He knew his hair was grayer and there were definitely additional worry lines on his face. Jim looked at the clock and saw he still had lots of time to get ready for church. I think it must be close to one year from the date of the beginning of this torturous year. Will it ever end? Will we ever know for sure?
Jim had never given up hope that Laura was still alive somewhere but he had to admit as the months wore on with no news of her, his hope and faith seemed to diminish.
He had resisted the advice of some of his working buddies, refused to file for divorce, presume Laura was dead, have a memorial service, and ‘move on with his life’. He still waited for her to return. He pushed aside those thoughts as he reflected on how he first met Laura and how wonderful their lives took off together.
Jim Reid met Laura right after high school graduation. She was at a party with mutual friends and seemed to barely notice the tall, thin dark haired young man standing by the window, but he observed her. Laura’s shoulder length, medium brown hair was pulled back in a simple pony tail. She was wearing a plain blue t-shirt and jeans. Some might say she was plain, most guys would glance at her and then look past her at the prettier girls but she had a kind of simple beauty that Jim felt drawn to. If she was wearing any make-up, Jim couldn’t tell. He liked that. He couldn’t stand it when girls caked on the make-up in so many layers you couldn’t tell if they were wearing a mask or not. For Jim it was love at first sight.
For Laura, it took a little more convincing. Jim must have asked her out at least twenty times before she said yes! Jim seemed like a nice guy; he was polite and had a great sense of humor. Laura considered both traits very important in a man. Jim’s was handsome by most girls’ standards but Laura never cared much about what a man looked like. Too often she had felt rejected by what society considered the ‘really cute guy’
type. She found when she just sat back and paid attention to their hearts instead of their looks their real character shone through. Her father once told her to watch a man’s behavior in a restaurant. “If he treats his date like a queen, but is rude to the waitress, then he’s not a nice guy.” Those were wise words. After numerous dates with Jim (he was, by the way, very kind to the waiters and waitresses and a good tipper) she agreed that they were perfect for each other and within a year they were married.
When they were first married Jim had his own roofing business. It was just getting started and still struggling, so Laura helped out by working as a secretary at a local doctor’s office. Two years later Josh was born and three years after that Lacey came along. By this time, Jim’s business was doing well, Laura was able to quit working altogether and stay home and raise the children. To the casual observer it would seem they had the perfect family. Jim’s business was successful, they had a home in the suburbs, two teenagers, two cars, a good marriage; life was perfect! Of course, things rarely are what they seem on the surface, there were many times when their marriage was tested. Family life was a little tense when Josh moved out. At 20 years of age by that time, he settled into his own apartment, proved he could hold down a job and pay his bills. Laura and Jim began to accept it. With the kids growing up Laura found she had too much time on her hands so decided to go back to work. When she heard that the church needed a secretary she quickly applied for the job. It suited her perfectly. It was only part time which gave her plenty of time to do other things. Life was coasting along pretty good, until something happened to change everything.
The day started off like every other Sunday morning in the Reid household.
Laura yelled down the basement stairs to tell Lacey get in the shower. Lacey had moved her bedroom to the basement the year before. It was a move of independence for the then 17 year old. Too young to move out, the move downstairs was as far away from mom and dad’s room as she could get. She had her own bathroom, her own TV and door to the outside. It was almost like having her own apartment, without losing the security that mom and dad still offered as well as the safety net of the wake up call.
Lacey grumbled at her mother’s voice and stumbled out of bed and headed for the shower. “I’m too tired to go to church….I just want to sleep.” She knew better than to ask her mom if she could stay home. Even though she was 18, it was a house rule. She had often heard her mom say to her brother, Josh, “As long as you live in this house you will be in church on Sunday morning.” Josh obeyed that rule until the day he moved out.
He hadn’t been in church a single Sunday since he left last fall, about a year ago.
Sometimes Lacey envied him. He was 21, out of school, and had his own apartment.
Such freedom! However, Lacey actually did enjoy going to church. If she were truly honest with herself she would admit that if she had her own apartment she would still go.
It’s just that she would like the freedom to make that choice herself as well as the ability to choose to sleep in if she wanted to! However, for today she would just have to get into the shower, get ready, and stop grumbling, “It’s not like anyone is listening to me anyway.”
Upstairs, Laura rushed about getting dressed while Jim checked the weather report on his computer. It looked like it was going to be another beautiful day for Niagara Falls. Jim was eager to get out on the golf course after church. It was the middle of October and he knew that the number of golfing days were quickly coming to an end.
He reminded Laura that they should drive in separate vehicles so he could depart for the golf course as soon as the service was over. Laura smiled as she checked her purse, and got ready to head out the door. She was used to this routine. Jim loved to play golf and was good at it. She didn’t mind being left alone for the afternoon. Lacey often hung out with her friends from church after the service. Sunday afternoons were relaxing and peaceful. It was a good time to catch a nap, read a book, or watch an old movie on TV.
Laura left for church a few minutes early, giving Lacey extra time to get ready and come to church with her dad.
During the ten minute drive to church, Laura mentally reviewed the service order, trying to remember if every thing was in place. Being the church secretary was a job she enjoyed, she felt it was her responsibility to make sure everything was in order so that the pastor had as many of the ‘little details’ out of the way as possible. She barely noticed the sunny day or the way the leaves were changing to beautiful shades of yellow and red.
Laura drove down the long driveway and onto the church parking lot stirring up dust and gravel. The church board had wanted to get the parking lot paved for years but there had never been the funds for it. The building itself was fairly modern looking with a golden brick exterior. Thanks to a wonderful couple with a knack for gardening, the grounds of the church were skillfully kept with trees, bushes and flowers that surrounded the entire building. Laura wasn’t much of a gardener but she admired the fall flowers as she walked by. The trees growing along the driveway gave the church a private and secluded atmosphere. This made it convenient for church picnics; they had the perfect set up for it.
A large, brightly painted sign at the road let people know that the church was there. She parked her dark green Sonata at the side of the church and hurried inside to check on all the last minute d
etails.
“Oh my!” exclaimed Laura as flash of blue raced across the floor and small arms wrapped around her legs. She greeted Marla, the adorable four year old daughter of Doug, who looked after the technical aspect of the church. Doug always came early to run the sound equipment for the worship team and Marla usually arrived with him. Marla with her head full of blonde curls bounced around Laura eagerly asking if she needed help.
“Here honey, can you place these bulletins neatly on the table for me?” asked Laura, knowing the task would keep Marla busy all of five seconds. Laura ducked into her office to collect her clipboard for taking the morning attendance. She checked the answering machine, no blinking light, so no messages to write down.
“What else can I do?” asked Marla jumping up and down in the doorway of Laura’s office.
“Well let’s see” said Laura as she looked around, praying quickly for inspiration.
“Oh my, look at all these messy papers!” Laura pulled a loose stack of papers out of the recycle bin. “Could you straighten them up for me?”
“Sure and can I have a candy from your candy jar too?” asked Marla.
“Of course you can,” replied Laura as she reached for the jar that always sat on her desk, but rarely remained full for long. Laura passed Marla a candy and gave her a quick hug. She really enjoyed the sweet little girl who greeted her faithfully every Sunday morning. Like everyone else in the church, Laura thought about how nice it would be to have as much energy as Marla!
Laura left Marla to her task and proceeded to the sanctuary where the worship team was practicing and warming up for the morning service. Some of the regular congregation members were beginning to arrive. Ushers were gathering up the bulletins and the greeters were at the door. Everything appeared to be in order. Laura checked on Marla and told her what a great job she had done straightening the papers. She led her into the sanctuary where her mother was sitting. Soon Jim arrived with Lacey and the family took their usual seats as the service began.
Everyone stood for a lively praise song that had almost every hand clapping and most singing joyfully. It was a beautiful morning and the service was off to a wonderful start. After the song Pastor Brooks welcomed everyone and then encouraged the congregation to turn, walk around and greet each other. This was a favorite time for the small Niagara Falls church. It was a time to hug friends and greet strangers. Visitors felt welcomed and no one was ignored. For Laura it was the perfect time to take the attendance. She reached for her clipboard, started checking off the names of all those who were present. Niagara Falls was a popular tourist town so visitors were common most Sundays. She noticed one unique stranger that morning. There were often new comers in attendance. The outsider was dressed in khaki pants and a casual dress shirt.
He was tall, clean shaven, reddish brown hair and a neat appearance. However, this man stood out from other visitors for Laura because he seemed to be staring directly at her.
Even when she looked at him and smiled a greeting, he just kept staring back at her.
Laura decided she should go over to him and say hello. Pulling Jim along with her they went and introduced themselves.
“Hello”, Laura smiled, “My name is Laura Reid, I’m the church secretary, and this is my husband Jim. Welcome here!” Laura reached out to shake the man’s hand and he slowly shook her hand and then Jim’s. He barely looked at Jim staring back at Laura.
“My name is William” he said quietly, continuing to stare.
“Do you live near by, or are you visiting?” asked Jim.
The stranger didn’t even seem to hear Jim; he just kept staring at Laura. It was then that Pastor Brooks called everyone back to their seats so Laura and Jim went and sat down.
Jim whispered to Laura, “He gives me the creeps the way he keeps staring at you. Be careful.” Laura nodded in agreement.
The rest of the service proceeded as usual but every time Laura or Jim glanced back, the stranger was still staring at Laura. Jim decided when the service was over he was going to go have a word with William. It made him very uneasy the way he was staring at his wife. He already decided he wasn’t going golfing this afternoon. He didn’t want his wife to be alone. Pastor Brooks had everyone stand for the closing prayer before dismissing the congregation. Everyone turned around to leave; Jim immediately began to head for the stranger when he realized the man was gone. He must have left just before, or during, the closing prayer. Jim hurried through the crowd, checked the parking lot to see if William was lurking around, but he didn’t see him anywhere. He still felt uneasy about leaving his wife alone so he made plans with friends, Lee and Janice Barnhart.
They headed for a nearby restaurant for lunch.
The stranger was the topic of the lunch time conversation for a few minutes but the matter was soon dropped and forgotten. Neither Lee nor Janice had really even noticed the man. There had been a few other visitors in church that day and the couple had been with them.
Lee and Janice had been good friends with Jim and Laura for years. They had first met when the Reid’s decided to send Josh and Lacey to a kids club at the Niagara Christian Center that Lee and Janice were heading up about fifteen years ago. The children loved the club and Jim and Laura were so impressed with the church they decided to check it out. Lee once had a head full of light brown hair but at this point in his life it was somewhat thinner and had mostly turned to gray. Janice was a petite woman and about half of Lee’s size. She was pleasant and soft spoken. Laura loved her like a sister and since neither woman had an actual sister, they soon felt like that’s what they were to each other. Josh and Lacey also grew attached to Lee and Janice and the couple were quickly given the honorary title of ‘Aunt and Uncle’.
Laura and Jim had a pleasant afternoon with their friends before returning home to relax for the evening. Laura sighed as she thought of some of the stressful times they had gone through in the past and quietly thanked God for her family and home.
Tomorrow was Monday and the start of another work week for Jim and Laura and another week of High School for Lacey. There were many events being planned at church for the upcoming Christmas season, Laura knew the next few weeks in the church office would be full of activity. Both Laura and Jim were so busy that they completely forgot about the strange man who called himself William at church that had made them feel uncomfortable. They hadn’t seen or thought of him since.
Chapter 2
Gerhard excitedly paced back and forth in his office. He had found her! She looked just like Christine. She was perfect! For years he had listened to his mother’s nagging and complaining. For years she had blamed him for causing Christine to run away. Thirty years ago Christine couldn’t take her mother’s possessiveness any longer.
She had had enough of her mother’s controlling nature. She was only fifteen years of age when she ran away. Gerhard was five years older than his sister and had been the man of the house since his father had died three years earlier. At the age of twenty Gerhard found he was alone with his mother, listening to her rage about how it must be his fault that Christine had run away. Gerhard didn’t see how this could be but he felt sorry for his mother and tried everything he could to make it up to her.
Life hadn’t been easy for Hilda Bloone. She had been raised by overly strict and often abusive parents in Germany. They came to Canada when she was a young girl in hopes of finding an easier life. However life in Canada proved to be far from effortless for Hilda’s family. They had settled in Manitoba and the weather there was harsh for the farming life they had chosen. Each year was a constant struggle. Hilda wanted desperately to escape the life style her parents had chosen. She had no desire to spend the rest of her days milking cows!
Hilda often rode with her father when he delivered milk or cheese to some of the local businesses. One of her favorite stops was a fancy hotel in the city of Winnipeg.
She would often slip away from her father while he was conducting business, and explore the grand lobby with
its beautiful shops. She imagined what it would be like to afford such luxuries. To stay in a place like this, would surely be grand!
One day Hilda was gazing up at the fancy light fixtures, dreaming of a day when she might travel and stay in a hotel like this one. Harold, the son of the owner, noticed her from where he was working behind the lobby desk. He asked her to join him in the dining room for a coffee and a quick friendship grew.
When Hilda learned that Harold and his family were soon moving east she convinced young Harold Bloone that she would be a good wife for him and packed up moving with them. Hilda had married into a very ambitious family. The Bloone’s Winnipeg motel was doing so well they decided to branch out and open another hotel in different area. Their next acquisition was in Niagara Falls, a popular tourist spot. They were certain another one of their hotels could thrive there. Hilda and Harold settled in the Falls, with a lovely home and started a family.
Their first two pregnancies resulted in miscarriages and then Gerhard was born.
Five years later Christine came along. Two years after that Hilda was pregnant again.
Another little girl was born, her name was Elizabeth. She was beautiful with red hair and freckles. Sadly she died of crib death when she was just seven months old.
Hilda’s heart broke with each miscarriage. The birth of Gerhard and Christine brought her back to life but after Elizabeth’s death, a part of her died that seemed gone forever. She had lost her joy of life. Sadness and tears became her constant companions.
Gerhard was a precocious child who constantly tried to think of ways to make his mother laugh. He would make up plays, often playing several characters at once, running back and forth changing into different costumes. Usually making up the lines as he went along, sometimes borrowing books on skits from the public library. He would perform puppet shows, trying to get his younger sister Christine to help. The two children would practice for hours in their rooms before bringing their ‘performance’ to their mother. Gerhard would tell jokes and riddles, some borrowed from books, some he would make up himself. His mother sat and watched her children perform and occasionally she would force out a smile but most of the time she would send them outside to play so she could watch ‘her shows’ on TV. All Hilda could really feel was the deep hurt and bitterness that caused her heart to harden. Sadly she was blind to the two beautiful children who loved her and tried so hard to make her laugh. Hilda tried to soothe the ache in her heart with sweet treats. Over the years while watching TV she grew to be a heavy obese woman.