Chasing Christmas

by Steven Hunt

  “You’ll know when the time is right.”

  “I still have Ezi’s coin and the locket from Yebo. What about them?”

  “You’ll know,” he repeated. “Now it’s time for you to go.”

  Teddy stood. “I assume Christy’s waiting for me?”

  Love shrugged as he turned to the door.

  Clutching the box in both hands, Teddy walked to the door, opening it. Ten yards away stood the small angel wearing her familiar pink and white dress. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with energy. He didn’t think of Christy as a burden anymore. She was…well, an angel of mercy.

  Teddy turned to Love, opening his mouth to say farewell, but the sergeant had disappeared. Teddy glanced around the hut, but there wasn’t any sign of the tough sergeant. Facing the vacant hut, Teddy snapped to attention. With the swift motion of his right arm, he saluted Love.

  Turning toward the door, he squared his shoulders and marched toward his new life.

  ****

  “Are you ready?” she asked as he approached.

  Teddy stopped. “What? No congratulations?”

  “For what?”

  “For what? Are you serious? For completing the lessons with one day left.” He smiled.

  “I knew you could do it. Your reward is returning to your family with new tools to live more abundantly. Your life will be so much more complete and full now. How much more do I need to do to show you what Father has already done? I am as proud of you as I am of all my students. Would I be standing here, pushing you to learn, arranging for your teachers, leading you along the narrow path of Truth if I had not the faith that you would overcome?”

  He shook his head.

  Nodding, she turned toward the open pasture that would lead them to the forest. “Come.” she said.

  “Why didn’t tell me you’re an angel?”

  Christy turned around. “Would it have mattered?”

  “I think so.”

  “Why?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t have had all these questions about you for one thing.”

  “Would you have still placed every effort into the lessons?”

  “Sure.”

  Christy shook her head as she raised an eyebrow. “I do not think so. When I met you, you had just jumped on a train looking for an escape after trying to kill yourself. You didn’t have any pride. No sureness. Defeat was written on your face. If I had told you then who I was, what makes you think that you would have thrown yourself into the lessons with the gusto that you have?”

  “You don’t think much of me, do you?”

  “Teddy, I think highly of the man you have become. You have changed from the broken man on the train to the confident man standing before me. You have transformed from the shy to the bold. You have great potential and a bright future. Before, your life did not mean much to you.”

  “All right. I get it,” he said, waving her off with his hand.

  “There will be more time later to talk. Now we must walk if you intend to be home before the deadline.” She turned, marching away from him.

  As he had many times during the past week, he fell in behind her. But this time his steps were lighter and the cloak and fog no longer hindered him. He could see the world with a brighter vision.

  And he was going home.

  32

  They tromped through the dense forest without speaking. While Teddy should have been elated about going home, he chose to use the quiet time to evaluate each of his teachers’ lessons, planting them deep in his heart where they’d be safe. But as the hours flew by, he became distressed that he’d forgotten the finer points of his education. As they crossed another small clearing among the thousands of trees, he couldn’t bear the growing anxiety any longer. He longed to rejoin his family and he yearned to be the best husband and father he could be, but he didn’t want to be an embarrassment to either Jane or Mandy by forgetting what he’d learned. He ran his fingers through his hair as his apprehension peaked. “Christy, what will I do if I forget everything? How can I be certain I’ll retain all the information I’ve been taught? Will that present Flagg with another opportunity to try to conquer me?”

  “No, Teddy. You belong to the Truth now. Flagg has not a claim on you anymore. This lapse of confidence you are experiencing is expected. You are not presumed to be an expert so soon after the classes. It is a process, one that will take time to become fully efficient. A newborn baby does not run on her first day. Continue to look toward the Truth and be steadfast in your studies to increase your knowledge. Everything will be fine. But if you are worried about losing the meaning of the lessons, think only of your instructors.”

  “How will that help?”

  She stopped, motioning for him to sit on a fallen tree trunk.

  “Do not agonize if you cannot recall the specifics of your lessons. You are not the first to fear. Nor will you be the last. Everything has been taken care of to ensure you receive the full benefit of your instruction.” Christy positioned herself in front of him as a professor would in front of a class of students. The only items missing were a chalkboard and a podium.

  “The lesson of faith was taught by Ezekiel Laer. Ezi has a saint’s heart. To remember what Ezi taught all you have to do is reverse his name. E-Z-I-L-A-E-R is realize when spelled backwards. To realize your full potential in the Truth, you have to live by faith that the Truth will provide your every need.” Christy’s eyes sparkled more now than when he met her a week ago.

  “Hope was taught by Yebo. She has the heart of a servant. She could have chosen to return to a life of houses, cars, and wealth, but she remains in a world where hope reigns supreme. Yebo spelled backward is obey. You need to listen and obey the Truth—like Jason did. Obeying the Truth will keep your feet planted on solid ground and your steps on the path of righteousness.” She clasped her tiny hands in front of her.

  “And we cannot forget Love.” Her smile broadened. “A man of wisdom with a warrior’s heart. He taught of unconditional love and that the Truth is love. While all these lessons are important, his topic is my favorite. E.V. Love spelled backwards is evolve. Through the Truth’s unconditional love your old debts are forgiven, allowing you to evolve—or become—a new man with a clean start. Having believed these lessons and by asking the Truth into your heart, you have become a new creature, trusting and leaning solely on Him.”

  Christy placed her hand on his shoulder. “To recall the details of your lessons of faith, hope, and love simply remember the words realize, obey, and evolve as you think of your teachers. Your memory will serve you.”

  “Why me?” asked Teddy.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Why did you save me from killing myself? Love said you pulled me out of my car.”

  “Because you needed saving.”

  “Then why was I selected for this second-chance blessing and not some other poor slob? I asked Love, but he gave me one of those standard ‘you’re special’ answers. So, I’m asking you. Why me?”

  Christy nodded. “I do not know specifics. I do not know what lies in your future. I do know that to the Truth you are like an unseen color.”

  “An unseen color? How is that possible?”

  “Nothing is impossible for the Truth, including unseen colors. In fact, they are the Truth’s favorites.” She beamed.

  “But what are they?”

  “Have you ever thought of paradise or heaven?”

  “Of course.”

  She sat on the log next to him. “Paradise is so magnificent the human mind cannot comprehend the absolute brilliance and wonder. The Truth planned for this to be a very special place. And it is. Like none other. In paradise there are many bright colors. They are fresh and unmolested. There is no word that properly describes their magnificence. There are the reds, the blues, and the yellows of this world. But in paradise there are colors man has yet to see—colors more glorious than the ones of this earth. These are the Truth’s favorites.” Her face glowed.<
br />
  “You are like an unseen color, Teddy. You have changed into something your family has yet to see. You are brighter and more wonderful than when you left.” She rested a hand on his.

  After a moment, she stood. “Now, we must go.”

  He thought he saw the glimmer of a tear in her eye.

  ****

  The hike turned out to be the longest hike he and Christy had taken so far. It may have been his anticipation of going home and his eagerness to get there that made the distance seem longer and time pass with snail speed. Like an eager child traveling to his favorite fun place for vacation, he hungered to ask Christy if they were there yet—multiple times. After marching for four hours, Christy made him rest on a stump while she scampered alone into the woods. After her command presence in front of Flagg and with his newly acquired knowledge of her spiritual calling, concern for her safety never entered Teddy’s mind. If an angel couldn’t promote peace at the sign of trouble—whatever her method—any hope for the future of man would be lost. He imagined tens of thousands of warrior angels perched at the edge of heaven, waiting with bated breath to assist.

  Thirty minutes later she returned without any dirt smudges on her dress, carrying a bag filled with chicken sandwiches, oranges, and bottles of water. Its sight and smells stirred the significant pangs of hunger. He didn’t care where she had gotten the food. After devouring two sandwiches and an orange, he guzzled four bottles of water.

  Christy stood by him. Once he’d drained the last bottle, she coaxed him to continue their journey.

  Several hours after the sun had disappeared behind the horizon, Christy stopped. Too exhausted to care, Teddy fell onto the pine-needle-covered forest floor as she stood over him. “Are you not curious to see our destination?”

  “What’s the point? Christmas Day will be here in less than two hours, and we haven’t even reached the train yet.”

  “You are mistaken. We are here.”

  “Here where? The train yard?” He raised his head to peer through the thick trees at their location. Not spotting any trains, tracks, or anything associated with a train yard, he dropped his head. “Even if we caught the next train going to Jubilee, I still wouldn’t be home in time.”

  “No. We are at your home.”

  Teddy jumped to his feet—his taxed muscles and fatigue forgotten—and ran to the edge of the tree line.

  Home? I’m home? Elation flooded him. Feeling lighter and more carefree than he had since he was a child in Bud’s church, he burst through the thick foliage to stare at the house fifty yards away.

  His shoulders dropped. This was his home—the one the bank seized a week ago. Yet, he could not take his eyes off the ranch-style house with the large front porch. So many fond memories had been born there. Christmas lights along the porch danced in tune with a song Teddy had loved since childhood. “Jingle Bells.”

  A beautiful sight. Bittersweet that no new memories would be created there.

  “What is wrong?” Christy asked from behind him.

  “That is not my house anymore. Remember I told you that the bank foreclosed on it? I’ve just realized that I don’t know where Jane and Mandy are. If they’re not with Frank, I haven’t a clue where they’d be.” He turned to face her. “Any ideas?”

  Christy looked at him. He’s grown used to those eyes that hinted she knew more than she divulged. “Why do you not go and knock on the door? Maybe someone in the house will be able to answer your questions.”

  He glanced at the house. “I guess it won’t hurt to ask, huh?” A part of him wanted to run to the house—to his family—while another part urged him to wait. The pain of being rejected if his family had moved kept his feet planted. He shrugged, trying to convince himself to take the first step.

  Christy smiled. “Before you go, I need to tell you something.”

  His eyebrow lifted.

  “You were wrong about your wife.”

  Teddy waited for more, but when he realized she wasn’t continuing, he prompted her by asking, “Wrong about what?”

  “You were wrong about Jane having an affair with Frank. Your wife had her reasons for acting like she did, but adultery was not among them.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?” He dropped to his knees, cradling his head in his hands. He inhaled a deep, calming breath—allowing minutes to tick by—before looking at her and saying, “You know, Christy, you could have saved me a lot of grief if you’d only told me days ago. The thoughts I’ve had…”

  “I am telling you now.”

  “Yes. Yes, you are.” Her common sense wasn’t logical to him. To her, everything was black and white, good and evil. He tried to look at her bombshell statement as she would; she saved him from a terrible mistake by accusing Jane of infidelity. That was good.

  What he couldn’t apprehend was the amount of time that had passed and the emotional trauma he’d suffered. He could have felt relief days ago if he’d only known.

  He stood. No point getting mad at her. She had her reasons. And his anger wouldn’t solve anything or turn the clock back. It was done. He had to trust Christy’s reasons were for his benefit. Her face glowed as she smiled, melting the remaining fury from him. He shook his head as he grinned.

  “When will I see you again?” he asked.

  “I will be close.”

  “But how do I get in touch?”

  Christy winked. “All you have to do is ask.”

  Teddy stepped to her, embracing her. With a knot forming in his throat, he broke from her, sprinting toward the house.

  ****

  “Mom, someone’s outside.” As she had done for every night of the week, Mandy sat on the ledge of the living room’s picture window staring at the front lawn and the distant woods. On those days that Jane and she didn’t drive around in search of her father, she sat in the window all day, refusing to budge until late. Jane couldn’t even get her to do the things she used to love like watching TV or chatting with her friends on the telephone about which boy likes which girl.

  “Is it the deputy?” Jane asked, hurrying from the kitchen. “Please, don’t be Ryker. I don’t feel like dealing with him now,” she muttered. She wiped her flour-covered hands on her apron as she half-ran, half-walked to the front door. After her last conversation with Pastor Joseph, she had taken up baking to keep her mind occupied. The days spent worrying were making her sick. She’d lost ten pounds since Teddy had disappeared, so she needed an avenue to take her mind off his being gone. She discovered she enjoyed cooking because it afforded her a quiet time to pray.

  “No. I don’t think so. But it’s too dark to tell,” Mandy called from the window. “He didn’t drive up. He walked out of the woods.”

  “Huh.” Jane rested her hand on the door knob, but hesitated opening it. “Mandy, get the phone and keep it in your hand. In case this person isn’t friendly.”

  When Mandy returned with the cordless phone, Jane opened the door.

  ****

  The lawn from the edge of the forest to the house seemed to have lengthened in the last week, increasing by at least tenfold. What used to take him less than three minutes to jog now seemed to take hours. With his eyes fixed on the front door as he ran, his heart leaped with anticipation that someone in the house knew where his family had relocated so they could soon be reunited.

  Thirty yards from the house, the front door opened. A woman backlit by the bright lights from inside the house peered out. When the porch lights snapped on, he saw the woman had a slender figure and her hairstyle looked similar to Jane’s. His heart skipped a beat. Could it be?

  His joy crashed when he noticed the woman wore an apron. He slowed to a walk and allowed his head to drop. “That’s not Jane,” he mumbled. “She doesn’t cook.”

  ****

  After turning on the porch light, Jane inched out the door. Still reluctant to step onto the porch, she strained her eyes for any signs of recognition.

  The man looked thinner than Teddy, and hi
s clothes were more ragged than something her husband would be caught wearing. Dirt and grime clotted his hair, making it appear in the light from the porch a darker shade than Teddy’s. After he dropped his head it became impossible to see his face.

  Still he looked familiar…

  She felt Mandy step from behind her, the telephone clutched to her chest.

  “Daddy?” Mandy called. “Daddy!” Mandy leaped off the porch, in a dead run for the man.

  Jane reached for her but Mandy was too quick. “Wait, Mandy. We don’t kno—”

  ****

  “Daddy? Daddy!” Sweet music to his ears.

  Teddy’s head snapped up, seeing his daughter sprinting toward him. “Mandy?” Her words embedded in his heart, causing it to swell. Tears welled in his eyes, blurring his vision. The knot in his throat rebounded with ferocity. He locked his eyes on the young woman running to him, with her arms outstretched like she had done so many times as a toddler. Determined to hold her in his arms as soon possible, he ran to her.

  They embraced just yards from the edge of the porch. Teddy wrapped his arms around his daughter’s waist as she clung to his neck. It felt good to hold her again. He swung her around, lifting her feet off the ground. He machine-gun kissed her cheeks, her nose, and her forehead. Their laughter broke the still of the night.

  Teddy stopped spinning Mandy as the woman on the porch moved to the top step. Tears cascaded down her face, leaving glistening trails of Christmas light-reflected tears on her cheeks.

  “Jane,” he whispered.

  As Jane bounded down the steps, Teddy released Mandy. He stepped to meet his wife, folding her into him, their bodies melting together. He kissed her passionately on her soft, ruby-colored lips. Her fingers ran through his hair as their lips joined. His heart soared. When their lips finally parted, he continued to hold her in a tight embrace, refusing to let go.

  “I love you,” he said into her neck.

  He glanced at a teary-eyed Mandy who stood where he’d left her. Teddy held out his arm for her to join in their hug. His arms surrounded the two most important women in his life. “I love you both more than you can possibly know.” They quaked in his arms, weeping. He wished they could stay like this forever.