The Dawn of Grace :: A Mystery and Suspense Christian Historical Fiction Comprising of Enduring Love and Glory (Revelation Book 1)

by Christian Hunt

  Together they pushed the log with all their might. The pressure sliced off his chest as the log bobbed to the surface and was swept away. Undercurrents sucked Grandfather down again, deep into the swirling tide. Panic gripped him as the water pulled him deeper and deeper, but just as suddenly he relaxed, remembering what Andel had said. He decided to trust that even he would be saved.

  Grandfather tried to locate his old friend, but the force of the current prevented him. Just as he surrendered to the tide, something yanked his jacket from behind, pulling him through the raging river. He let go. Moments later, he lay on the embankment bordering the river Vltava.

  His chest heaved, and his body convulsed as he gasped for air. Grandfather looked back toward the bridge as half of its massive balustrade, all three hundred meters of it, collapsed before his eyes and thundered into the river. Grandfather screamed. Andel, his closest friend, had died alone. There was nothing more he could do. Grief plunged through his heart, and he lifted his face to the sky and wailed. Sobs wracked his weary spirit until he lost consciousness.

  When Grandfather opened his eyes again, it took him several minutes to realize he was no longer lying in the river's muck. He was in a hospital. A nurse in a white hat and cape bustled about the wide ward checking on numerous patients admitted after the flood. Grandfather held his head in his hands as everything that had happened came rushing back.

  Tears welled in his eyes and cascaded down his cheeks, spilling onto his bedclothes. A lump he could not swallow seared the back of his throat. He wept quietly, unable to contain his grief. No one around him seemed to notice; the entire ward was filled with people mourning the loss of their loved ones. His dear childhood friend had sacrificed his life so that he might live, and this truth took a firm foothold in his conscience. Grandfather rolled to his side and wept loudly. Because of different lives they had led up to that point, Andel could not convince Grandfather to change while he still lived. The death of his friend was somehow necessary to bring him to this point. As he wept, Grandfather felt an odd sensation wash over him. He could feel his heart melting.

  When he stepped back on American soil, Grandfather was a changed man. The flood still haunted him and drove him to seek meaning in places that he had never thought to search before. A few months after he had nearly drowned, Grandfather opened the Wenzel Bible, knowing that the wisdom it contained would teach him how to truly live.

  The quotes by Queen Sophia to her successors also had a significant impact on his life. He made the decision to start a new life of love and sacrifice. Once he had made the choice, he never looked back. He knew that he had to build a real, palpable relationship with God. He would seek the wisdom that God provided. He would cherish God’s kingdom in the world and spread the message wherever he could. He worked on achieving what God’s Spirit had promised him.

  “David, wake up.”

  David shielded his eyes against the sudden brightness that surrounded him—that surrounded John—who was standing before him, a look of deep concern on his face.

  “I-I must have fallen asleep,” David said. “I had the strangest dream.”

  “About Grandfather?” John asked.

  “Yes, how did you know?” David replied.

  John smiled. “I wonder if you might have some questions for me.”

  David decided to ignore the fact that John had sought him out three times and seemed to always carry a measure of omniscience concerning his ancestry as well as his personal life. He was eager for answers. “So, what is God’s Spirit’s promise?”

  Dropping onto the bench beside him, John said, “The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, humility and endurance; the law is not set against these things.” The grandfather in your dream worked on giving as much as he possibly could for the rest of his days, and that goodness revisited his second, even third generations.”

  “Generations?” David asked, with the weight of the Bible and all the responsibility it held heavy in his hand.

  John smiled and patted David’s shoulder. “You, David. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”

  “Wait a minute,” David said, stunned. “You mean—it wasn't just a story? The man in my dream was actually my grandfather? ,"

  “Yes,” John said. “Haven’t you noticed where we are?”

  David looked around, feeling more and more amazed with each passing moment. He thought he'd walked farther back into town after their previous encounter. “We’re still at the bridge where it all happened. Is that the statue of St. Francis Xavier?” David stood, tucking the Bible tightly under his arm as he crossed the road to look up at the statue.

  “Not the original one,” John called from behind. “That one was destroyed in the flood.”

  For an instant, David actually thought he could see Andel—exactly as he had appeared in his dream—standing on the edge of the bridge. A wave of vertigo washed over him, and he took a step back.

  John joined him and said, “This book was in your house all these years waiting for you to discover it, and you had no idea why?”

  David shook his head. As delighted as he had been about the discovery of the book, he had not yet made the connections in his mind or his heart. A biting wind began to blow again, a full moon rising over the square. David crossed his arms over his chest and moved closer to the statue which blocked the wind. John continued, “The book has traveled all the way from Prague to your family. I know that God has a plan for you. It will be revealed if you believe in it. After your grandfather’s transformation, he changed many people’s lives. He became a gentleman devoted to God's ways. I know you will still have many questions. That’s fine, but remember it is said that 'everything is possible for one who believes.'”

  David smiled at John and said, “Thank you. I don’t know how you managed to tell me about my grandfather in a dream, but it was the perfect way to get my attention.”

  John smiled back at David. “Perhaps, though God knows the perfect way to show each of us, and have us listen once our hearts are open. Always remember to trust in the Lord with all your heart.”

  David felt a swell of inspiration in his chest. “I’m not sure if I can be like my grandfather, but I am his grandson. I’ll make every effort to change my life and the lives of the people around me by finding the promise of God’s Spirit and fulfilling it.”

  Silence fell between the two men as David pondered the things that he had seen and heard. He wanted to store them in his heart and permanently seal them in his memory so that he could tell his family all about them later. The only sound at 2:30 a.m. was the river gently lapping against the base of the bridge, and a few quiet conversations between a handful of tourists passing by. The lamps mounted along the balustrades glowed warmly, shrouded by early morning fog. Even the brisk and chilling breeze seemed to wane for a moment while David stored the essence of this breathtaking place in his heart.

  “I know I’ve told you many things, but I have something else to tell you. Something that I think will surprise you,” John said.

  “Oh?” David reluctantly broke his reverie and turned his attention back toward John.

  “Your childhood days at Dlasky are connected to your grandfather.”

  David’s brow furrowed. “How can that be?” he asked.

  John said, “Dlasky was never part of the church. It was founded by a humble man. This man had met a priest at the church and had agreed to help save the building and its people.”

  Leaning against the edge of the bridge, David hugged the Wenzel Bible to his chest. “All right,” he said. “How does that relate to my grandfather?”

  John gestured to the bench. “Perhaps we should sit back down,” he said. Once they were seated again, John continued, “The man had come up with a rather unique concept of a fusion family. He wanted to build families of lost and lonely people who would come together in the spirit of love. Hence, he came up with the idea of domacnost lasky.”

  David nodded. “Th
at sounds familiar. What does it mean?”

  “Household of love in Czech; which became Dlasky for short. Dlasky united older couples or people who were in search of a home, and orphans—all under one roof. They were all brought together like true families. They loved and served each other as family. Do you have any idea who the founder was?”

  David shook his head. “No, not a clue. I don’t recall learning any history of Dlasky while I was there.”

  “It was Andel, your grandfather’s friend. He had the vision of Dlasky, which he had established before he returned to Prague. To make his dream a reality, Andel asked for money from your grandfather. His initiative needed the money he borrowed so that he could purchase the building connected to the church.” John watched David as he began to connect the dots.

  “So that’s the reason he borrowed the money?” David asked.

  John nodded. “Yes, and it benefited you in your lifetime, in ways that your grandfather could never have known.”

  “This is all so much to take in,” David said, shaking his head. “Thank you, my friend. I will never forget you.”

  The two men shook hands, and David could feel John watching him as he headed back toward the hotel to rejoin Amy and the boys. He had so much to tell them. Where would he start?

  One's vanity makes one vain.

  Chapter Eight

  Blind Love

  David got out of bed, stretched, and yawned. It’s great to be back in my own bed, he thought. He walked to the bedroom window and gazed outside, studying their intricately manicured back yard, landscaping they could now afford. The bougainvillea needed pruning though. He'd have to leave a note to the gardener because Amy kept forgetting to tell him.

  As if to seal his point, Amy arrived with two steaming cups of coffee—without the creamer. She set the mugs down on a table beside the window and, realizing her error, scurried back to the kitchen. In a few moments, she returned with a small creamer pitcher of half-and-half and wrapped her arms around David’s waist. He loved the feeling of his wife pulling him close—except for the fact the he knew she was no longer doing calisthenics every morning like she once had. He could feel where she had gained weight, and it honestly disgusted him.

  He turned, though, and pulled her into his arms. Amy rested her head against David’s chest. “Why don’t we go to Sunday service today?” she asked.

  As predictable as the sunrise. David shook his head. “Afraid I can't go out today. You take the kids. I have work.”

  Amy nodded, but David could feel her hesitation. “I know you need some time,” she whispered. “Things like this don’t just happen overnight, and I know your job has always been a top priority.”

  “Thanks,” David said, giving her a kiss on the top of the head. Why does she keep expecting me to change? He thought. I'm going past five figures, and it's not enough? I just discovered the spiritual mysteries of the Wenzel Bible and took the family on the vacation of their lives! He decided at once that he had to be the larger soul in this endeavor. After all, she had a few things that needed tweaking, too.

  Amy gave him a hopeful smile, and for a moment, David almost changed his mind. They’d been away on vacation so long, though, he did have to make up for the lost time. No, it was best he stayed home. He had to present his next book proposal in eight days.

  An hour later, Amy left with Christophe. Lucas hadn’t wanted to go, so he was staying home with David. As he watched the two leave, he felt a wave of disgust. So much for working uninterrupted. But he knew Lucas wouldn't bother him too much if he gave him money to buy more comic books on Monday. That was their unspoken agreement, father, and son.

  With Lucas happily parked in front of the television with his comics, David turned his attention to drafting his next bestseller. Two sentences into his masterpiece he stopped, acknowledging the real problem. Ever since they’d had children, Amy had let herself go. He sometimes wondered if she was still the girl for him. The void that had opened between them kept getting bigger and bigger, and he knew that one day he wouldn’t be able to bridge it.

  Several months went by, following the same pattern. David could tell that Amy was beginning to lose hope in him, but he buried the resentment beneath his constant busyness. His new book, Road to Success, was an award-winning bestseller. With David on the road promoting the book nearly every week, the distance between he and Amy continued to grow.

  One weekend after he had been gone on a two-week touring stint, he walked into the house to find Amy sitting at the kitchen table, still wearing her housedress and eating cherry pie straight from the pan. She had gained even more weight over the past few months, and he'd been too busy to notice—until now.

  “Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” he snapped, snatching the pie pan away from her.

  “I was hungry,” Amy said with a shrug, brushing a strand of lank, dull, lifeless hair away from her cheek. She left a smudge of pie filling on her face, and David could feel a wave of irrational anger welling up inside.

  “You’re always hungry,” he said. “Have you looked in a mirror lately?”

  Amy's eyes reddened with tears, and she looked away from him. “What’s the point?”

  “I’m the point,” David shouted. “You are supposed to want to look good for me. When I come home after a hard day, I don’t want to see you slumped over the table, shoveling food into your face like a derelict cow.”

  The tears streaked Amy’s cheeks as she looked down, obviously ashamed. “I’ll do better,” she said. “You can count on that.”

  The gulf between them continued to grow, and David found that no matter what Amy did, he found her increasingly aggravating. She launched into an arduous weight-loss endeavor and at times grew alarmingly thin. In spite of what was going on with her, David took her along to a civic ceremony three years later where he was invited to be the guest speaker. “Don’t wear that,” he said in the hotel room as they were getting ready to leave.

  Amy looked down at the sleeveless black gown she had selected and asked, “What’s wrong with it?”

  “I can see your ribs, and your arms look like sticks,” he said. “People will think you have cancer. Wear the blue one with sleeves.”

  Tears glimmered in her eyes, but she went to change. David resented having to talk to her that way, but after all—it was for her own protection. On one of those rare occasions where he actually made it to Lucas's Junior League baseball game, he'd overheard some of his son's teammates asking what was wrong with her. Frankly, he was sick of the yo-yo dieting; he never knew what to expect from Amy anymore.

  As they entered the convention center, David felt the thrill of notoriety surge through him as paparazzi greeted them. Now popular with noted people in the industry, he was proud of his accomplishments, and he wanted Amy to share his limelight. Tonight's thrill had a double edge, however, because even the gorgeous blue silk gown did not hide the fact that her weight had plummeted since last month. Anybody with two eyes can see it, he thought. Coupled with her behavior, she wasn't doing him any favors, for every time they attended an event like this, she withdrew into herself. His agent had mentioned once before that her obvious condition—as he put it—could eventually damage David's image. If she couldn't get a handle on it, he knew he'd have to consider leaving her.

  “I’ll just sit in the back,” she murmured.

  “Oh no, you don't.” David tugged her arm forcefully, and Amy stumbled slightly. “You’re going to sit onstage with me.” He gave her a withering glance. “How do you think it looks if my wife slinks off to the back of the room when we are guests of honor?” He smiled at her through clenched teeth. “Don't be rude, Amy.”

  David continued to stride toward the stage. He deserved this honor, and Amy wasn’t going to deter him from enjoying it. She was constantly prattling on about how she didn’t need his money or his fame, that all she wanted was his love. At one time he'd actually related to her, but now, he wondered how on earth he did it.

  �
�I really don't feel that well, David,” Amy muttered.

  “Stop pouting,” he snapped as they took their seats onstage. She could try, but he wasn’t about to let her ruin his moment in the spotlight.

  The next day as they drove home from the convention, he started in on her again. “I can’t believe you were sulking the whole time I was speaking last night,” he said.

  Amy looked down at her hands. “I told you I didn't feel well,” she said. “I was listening, though.”

  “No, you weren’t,” David retorted.

  “I was,” Amy said.

  “I was watching you, and you weren’t.”

  “How could you see me with your back to me?”

  She had a point. But David wasn't going to relent regarding the real issue. “You barely ate three bites.”

  Amy grimaced. “That again.”

  “Yes! That again!” David shouted, white-knuckled the steering wheel. “I saw that again, Amy; and everyone else did, too. You—”

  “Oh, David,” she grumbled.

  “Don't you 'oh David' me! I'm sick of this, you understand? I need a wife who knows how to conduct herself in public! I—”

  “David, watch out!” Amy screamed.

  Glass shards and metal exploded through the driver's window as a one-ton pickup broadsided them. Sounds of shattering glass, Amy's screams, and the odor of gasoline were his last memories before everything went black.