by Tom Hilpert
After a couple hours I pulled into a quiet street lined with leafless trees, the lawns still shedding the first melting snowfall of the season. I got out of the car and waited for a minute, and walked to the door of a neatly kept ranch house. I knocked.
A voice called, “Just a minute.”
The door opened, and for a moment I was looking into the past, down a long, fondly remembered trail I could never walk again. Then I met her eyes, and I saw the future too.
“Hi Ma,” I said to Robyn’s mother. I shifted to give room to my companion. “This is Leyla.”
THE END
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I want to say, first of all, thank you to the most important person in my life, Jesus Christ. I think you are crazy to let me write this stuff, and I think I’m crazy to let you sucker me into it. Even so, thank you.
Thank you also to my wife Kari. Your unfailing encouragement means more than I can express. I finish this, just days after our twentieth anniversary. I love you, and I trust the next twenty will be even better. For my fans, if you like Jonah’s kind of music, you might want to check out Kari’s. Just Google Kari Hilpert.
Dr. Mark Cheathem took on the gargantuan task of copy-editing, as well as giving me feedback on early chapters. I have come to believe he is the world’s foremost expert on the use of commas in the English language. Any mistakes that remain are mine alone, of course. Dr. Cheathem’s expertise is not limited to commas, however. If you have an interest in nineteenth century American history, you really should Google him, also.
The cover was designed by my extremely talented cousin-in-law, Lisa Anderson. If you need excellent graphic design, you need Lisa. Find her at www.opinedesign.com
Ms. Emma Watt, seasoned sailor, and who knows what else, provided extensive and helpful feedback on the technical parts of the story that involved sailing. I kept Jonah largely ignorant of the mechanics of sailing, so if he referred to a “roller thingy” instead of a “winch,” that is not due to any failing on Ms. Watt’s part. Any genuine mistakes, as always, are mine alone.
Ms. Lyn Rowell gave me a great deal of useful and encouraging feedback. Though I wanted to bring back Alex Chan, it was her who actually convinced me to do it. She also encouraged me to give Jonah a pet, another thing I had been unsure about.
Best-selling author (but more importantly, good friend), Eric Wilson has given me steady and constant encouragement in my writing through several years. Thanks again, Eric! Others in the encouragement arena include: Michael Kosser, Kristin Wolden Nitz and Rob Shearer.
Thank you also to the many fans who cheered me on bugged me to keep writing. You know who you are.
A JONAH BORDEN PLAYLIST
Days in Between – Kari Hilpert
Moth Around the Moon – Charlotte Ryerson
Jungle Love – Steve Miller
Nobody’s Cryin’ – Patty Griffin
The first Cut is the Deepest – Sheryl Crow
I am Ready for the Storm – Rich Mullins
Pacing the Cage – Bruce Cockburn
Toccata and Fugue for organ in D minor – J.S. Bach
Seventeen – Stevie Nix
All Will be Well – The Gabe Dixon Band