by Ralph Smith
“I know, Dad, it breaks my heart to leave you too.”
“David, we have a long journey ahead of us. I don’t think one more day would hurt. Maybe we could stay tomorrow, and leave the next day instead.” Aurora said.
David looked at her quietly for a moment then said, “You’re right, and preparing our hearts is just as important as preparing our gear.”
The mood lightened with the prospect of another day together, even as they talked about what Asis had said, and what it might all mean. After lunch, they unloaded the cars then sat together to relax until the rest of the council members arrived. It didn’t take long until Gabe and Tom were entertaining them with stories, each one more fanciful than the other, and they enjoyed every minute of it.
Before they knew it the council members began arriving. The house was overflowing with people, and buzzing with conversation. Once everyone was there, as many as would fit, gathered into the living room with the rest overflowing into the hallways. The mood was solemn as Michael called order to the group. They immediately stopped talking to listen, in hopes of finding out what was going on.
“Thank you everyone for coming on such short notice. We have much to discuss, but first let us pray. Father, we thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed upon us, for bringing us all together here tonight in your name. We ask that you would grant us wisdom, and discernment in these trying times that we would follow your will, and help to further your kingdom. Amen” Michael said.
The group echoed “Amen.”
“David and Aurora have some important news to share with us, so I will ask them to speak to you.” Michael said then nodded at David encouragingly.
David stepped into the center of the Room in front of the fire “I hope you’ll all forgive me I’m not an eloquent speaker, so if I’m blunt I mean no disrespect. While we were on our trip, we went hiking to a special place in the mountains and were visited by an emissary of the Lord.” There were several whispers from the crowd “He explained to us that when we faced the Dark One, and vanquished Him from the other world He was freed from its hold, and has come here to ours.” There were several gasps, and many hushed whispers at this. “He told us that this was a necessary step towards the final battle. As difficult as this is to hear, He walks among us now and will spread His poison like a plague on our world. We know this to be true because He came to us in person.” The crowd erupted in chatter, and David calmly waited for them to settle down.
One of the men asked, “How can you be sure it was Him?”
“We sat down at a table and talked to Him. He asked us to join Him, and of course we refused.” David said, and the crowd became silent. “You should also know He threatened us, saying that if we crossed His path He would come after us, our friends, and our family. So you must all take precautions, stay together, and if possible, avoid any direct confrontations with His followers. Your work should be to protect and strengthen those who are vulnerable so they may not fall to Him. Aurora and I have been tasked with a mission, and I apologize I can’t share with you what it is, but when we return we hope to know what to do next.”
“Are you saying that we’re approaching the end times?” Another man asked.
“No, we don’t know when those days will arrive. His time here must pass before that is to come. That’s all we know.” David said, “But He’ll do His best to gain strength now for His return.”
Everyone stood in silence, looking at him waiting for something more. David didn’t know what to say then he looked at Aurora standing by his side confident and sure, and it came to him.
“After all that we’ve been through the past few weeks, the most valuable lesson we learned was we ventured out with only our faith, we had no idea what to expect, but that was all that we needed. Putting our trust in the Lord even when there seemed to be no hope is what delivered us. Remember that it is the only true protection we have.” David said, and looking across the faces staring at him he saw people beginning to smile. “Remember Gideon. He was asked to stand before overwhelming odds; it was not up to him to defeat the Midionites. No, he had to trust in the Lord, and the Lord destroyed their army before his eyes.” Everyone was nodding in agreement, and their mood lifted. “What we face is a battle of faith, in a battle of force we will lose, but in a battle of faith we can surely be victorious.”
“What should we do in the meantime while we wait for your return?” A man asked.
David reached out, and took Aurora’s hand pulling her close to him “Stand united. You must strengthen your bonds with all those in our family of faith. Those bonds are the best protection against the poison He spreads, His lies. He fosters mistrust, and plays on people’s fears and desires, seeking to draw you to Him of your own will. Alone we are easy targets, but together our combined strength can prevail.” David paused seeing the nods of agreement. “Don’t travel alone, Tom mentioned a sanctuary. That sounds like a good idea, we need places we can meet in safety, but we cannot cut ourselves off from the world. We must continue to do the Lord’s work. We must reach out to all the believers we can. We must make it as difficult for Him to corrupt them as possible. He already has the nonbelievers, so He will not waste His efforts there. I would suggest you avoid direct conflict with His followers, it will only make you a target, and force you to go into hiding.”
“When will you be back?” A woman asked.
David suddenly realized they were looking at him as their leader. “Honestly we don’t know, but you all know Michael and my father, and there are no two men I trust more to speak for me in my absence.”
Many of the people looked at Michael and Gabe nodding their agreement. David looked at them for reassurance, and their expressions told him he hadn’t overstepped his bounds. “I’m sorry I don’t have all the answers, but I realized something significant today. The Lord tells us what we need to know, not necessarily what we want to know. Just as nonbelievers fail to understand, the Bible is not meant to be a how to guide to salvation, it is a story of faith, and what it means to be faithful. We must not fall into the same trap. When Aurora and I set out on our last journey, we knew what we needed to know. We walked into that pit fully expecting to sacrifice everything, and just as when Abraham acted faithfully as he prepared to sacrifice Isaac, the Lord delivered us. In doing so, He showed us that no matter how desperate the situation might be through Him there is always a way. We all need to remember that because what lies before us is far beyond what we can accomplish or understand on our own. We must all remember that the Lord even uses tragedies and pain, for good, and most importantly if we seek His will in all things, He will not take us where his grace cannot sustain us.”
“I would remind you of, Matthew 24:42. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”
“Remember no one knows when the end days will come, only our Father. There will be many false profits, and people who perform miraculous things in order to trick us. Be sure to seek the truth in all things, and look to the fellowship of the faithful to sustain you.”
They all stood in silence considering what he said. “From what I understand there is a plenty of food. Why don’t we all share this meal in fellowship? Remember what Michael said, ‘where two or more gather in my name I am with them.’ Today is the beginning of our journey. The Lord has brought us together, and what the Lord has brought together let no man or beast tear asunder. The Dark One can’t break our bonds, only we can.” Then David said kindly, “I’ll be here all night if any of you should want to ask me any questions.”
He turned, and led Aurora over to his father and Michael “I apologize, Michael. I didn’t mean to take over, it just sort of happened.”
Michael looked at David with admiration, and said, “David you were chosen to lead, and I follow you willingly. There is nothing for you to apologize for.”
“Thank you, Michael. That means a lot to me.”
Ruth put her hand on Gabe’s shoulder, and said, “Our boy has gro
wn into quite a man while we were away.”
“I’m happy to take full credit if you want” Gabe said, and Ruth hit him squarely on the arm “Ouch!”
They all chuckled a little, and David said, “Thanks Mom. I’m only trying to do the best I can.”
“We’d better get something to eat, I have a feeling you’re going to be quite busy” Aunt Molly said eyeing a group of people looking their way.
They started to move towards the kitchen, and David caught Michael “any word on Charles and Rebecca since we’ve been gone?”
Michael chuckled, “Oh yes. They’re like peas in a pod. We aren’t off the hook yet though, so keep praying it all works out. I might rather face the Dark One if it doesn’t.”
“I may be with you on that.”
“What about you and Molly?” Aurora said teasing him “another wedding would be a lovely treat.”
“Well, I…. Uh…. “ Michael sputtered.
"And you gave me a hard time about being a matchmaker," David said to Aurora.
"I guess you are rubbing off on me," She said mischievously.
“All right you two. Don’t spoil the surprise, but I have been walking around with the ring in my pocket for a week now. I just hadn’t found the right moment to ask her.” Michael said blushing, then pausing a moment added “but considering the latest events I’m not going to wait any longer.” Then he pulled his shoulders back, pushed his way forward, and put his hand on Molly’s arm.
David and Aurora looked at each other dumbfounded. Molly turned, and looked at Michael curiously, and when Michael suddenly dropped to one knee pulling out the ring in his pocket, her hands flew up to cover her mouth.
“Molly, I don’t want to wait another minute. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”
For the first time in his life David saw Molly speechless. Her hands dropped from her mouth, her jaw moved, and yet no sound came out. Everyone left in the room stood, and stared in shocked silence. Michael always so calm and even keel, acting so impulsively, was almost as shocking as proposing this way.
"Molly if you're going to turn me down, please do it quickly while I can still get back up without your help," Michael said with a grin.
"You old fool, of course I'll marry you," Molly said as she grabbed his shirt with both hands pulling him in to kiss her as he rose. He wrapped his arms around her as everyone in the room began to applaud.
"Well I'll be," David said, “I didn’t see that coming.”
From behind them Gabe asked, “What did you two do?”
"We just gave him a little nudge," Aurora said gleefully.
“Dad, I just remembered I may need you to take care of some business for the mission while I’m gone. I also need Rebecca to get a message to little Charlie telling him I won’t be there. I’ll leave you all of the instructions.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
They tried to make their way through the crowd, but people kept stopping David to talk to him. He encouraged his parents to go on without him, but Aurora stayed by his side. After a while, she decided he would never get to eat unless she went and got his food and brought it back to him. Between bites, he and Aurora sat for the next several hours meeting individually with each and every one of the guests. It seemed they all needed to make a connection with him. They all needed to share their plans, their hopes and fears, looking to David to assuage their doubts.
David didn’t mind. These were the same people who dropped everything to help with their wedding on a minutes notice, and more importantly look after his father while he was gone. Their desire to talk to him was like giving him their vote of confidence. He was humbled by it all, and at the same time determined not to let them down.
The last of the guests had left, and the eight of them were relaxing in the living room. It had been a long evening. “David I think you broke the record for the longest council meeting yet.” Michael said.
“I’m pretty sure we talked to everyone one on one, and a few people twice.” David said. “If you don’t mind, I think I need a little fresh air before I call it a night if anyone wants to join me.”
"That sounds like a great idea," Tom said.
"I'll go," Gabe said.
"I'm coming," Michael said.
David stood and looked at Aurora “I think I’m going to stay here with the girls” Aurora said.
David leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “Ok, I won’t be too long”, and the four of them walked out onto the front porch. The night was crisp, and the sky was clear. Through the opening in the trees, they could see countless stars. The moon was gone now so the darkness on the ground was like a wall around them. David didn’t sense anything out of place, so he stretched and breathed in the night air.
“The two of you are headed into some cold weather. We’d better make sure you have all the right gear tomorrow.” Gabe said.
“Sure Dad. Maybe we can go to Bob’s together. I need to pick up a couple of things.”
“What’s it like in the other world?” Tom asked.
“It’s like going back in time hundreds of years. The only metalworking I saw was for weapons or cooking.” David said.
“How dangerous do you think this is going to be?” Michael asked.
"Honestly," David said, then paused a moment and looked at his dad “more dangerous than last time. Although we won’t have Him to contend with, which is an enormous plus.” They all stood silently then David added, “This time I’m going to be better prepared. A few attention getters might go a long way in preventing some of the fighting. These people aren’t particularly sophisticated, so loud noises and bright flashes could prove extremely helpful.”
"I like it," Gabe said.
"Almost makes me want to come with you," Tom said.
“Maybe you and my dad can find something to blow up while I’m gone. Someone has to keep him out of trouble.”
“Hey now,” Gabe said, “These days I have to worry more about getting into trouble with your mom than anything else.”
"That's too dangerous for me," Tom said with a laugh.
“I think Michael’s in the most danger of us all” David said, and they all laughed.
When the men walked back inside they found the women huddled together on the couch. They immediately stopped talking as they entered the room, and Addie and Molly were both a little red in the face.
“What are you four up to?” Gabe asked suspiciously.
"Never mind Gabe," Ruth said.
“I think Michael is in more trouble than we thought” Gabe said, and they all laughed as Michael and Molly shone bright red in the face.
"Gabriel, you watch out," Molly said half amused.
Aurora stood up, and walked to David “I told Aunt Molly not to wait for us to get back for the wedding. I hope that’s all right with you.”
“Definitely. Aunt Molly, we have no idea how long we’re going to be, and you two shouldn’t wait to start your lives together.”
Molly looked around at everyone, and seeing no objection finally said, “Ok.”
"Besides," Gabe said mischievously “If you wait too long Michael may change his mind.”
"Gabriel I warned you," Molly said with a little laugh, and stood as if she were going to hit him.
Michael stepped in, and taking Molly in his arms said, “Don’t give it a thought. I’m not changing my mind.”
She smiled at him, and reached around and pinched her brother. “Ouch!” Gabe exclaimed.
Everyone laughed, “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m going to call it a night before I get dragged into this.” David said.
"Smart boy," Tom said.
"Smarter than his father," Ruth said.
"Hey now, brothers and sisters are supposed to give each other a hard time," Gabe said.
"Good night everyone," David said as he and Aurora moved towards the hallway. He bent down and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. Addie was sitting next to her on the cou
ch, and he said, “Be careful Addie, once they get started …”
“I will. They aren’t getting me in the middle” Addie said.
"Goodnight everyone," Aurora said and gave Ruth a hug. Ruth looked up at her, and gently placed a hand on Aurora’s cheek smiling.
Once inside the room they began changing for bed. David said, “My dad and I are going to sort through our gear in the morning, and then go to Bob’s to pick up a few things. Would you like to come with us?”
“If you don’t need me, I might just stay here with your mom.” Aurora said.
“That’s fine. I’m so happy you two get along so well.” David said.
“Yes, I truly like her. I know this isn’t actually our home, but I feel so at home here.” Aurora said.
“Of course it’s our home. This is where our family is.” David said.
They climbed in under the covers, the room was chilly, and the sheets felt icy against their skin. David was lying on his back, and Aurora pressed up close against him her arm and leg draped over him as much for warmth as comfort. She was holding him tightly, and he could sense the slight melancholy in her mood. His arm wrapped around her, he pulled her close to him.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes. As happy as I am, I would love to have had my parents here to meet you.”
“I would’ve liked that.”
“I wish we didn’t have to leave. It would be wonderful to stay here with our family longer, and be normal for a change.”
“It sure would, but I have to tell you, you aren’t normal.”
In an uncertain voice, Aurora asked, “What do you mean?”
“You are exceptional, and if we never get to live ‘normal lives’ it’s a small price to pay to be together.” David said then kissed her on the top of her head.
She squeezed him tightly, and said, “That it is.” He could feel her smiling against his chest.
They sat quietly for a little while then David realized she had drifted off to sleep. He closed his eyes and joined her.