by C. S. Lakin
Levi knew he would have to serve jail time. Maybe a long time, although Jake hoped the court would be lenient, determining it not premeditated murder but accidental manslaughter, neither Levi nor Simon intending to kill the boy, only to teach him a lesson—a lesson that got out of hand. Jake could only pray God would allow Levi to get off without too much time, although Levi seemed resolved and at peace with whatever was to come, the decision itself giving him a freedom that Jake knew incarceration would not take away. For the first time in countless years Levi looked happy—maybe a strange way to feel about facing criminal charges, but Levi had been serving hard time already all these years in his heart, and Jake had to agree there was a season of refreshing that came from repenting and confessing.
Jake had told Levi he was sorry he’d had to bear such anguish and guilt for so long, but was glad Levi finally felt at peace. Levi planned to wait until everything was settled at home and Joseph had returned to St. Louis before turning himself in. He hoped he would be able to spend Thanksgiving with them all, but if not, he would be with them in spirit, and they could all visit him in jail. Levi had even laughed when he said that, much to Jake’s amazement.
Simon knew Levi’s confession would drag him in as well, an accessory to the crime, as Simon refused to let Levi claim he’d been there alone and carried Shane to the car by himself—something no jury would believe. As distressing as this news was, Jake was proud of those two boys and planned to stand by and support them through this whole ordeal. Then maybe the gloom that had lain across his family would dissipate and blow away, the way the fog often did on the beach those mornings he and Leah used to take long walks, giving the brilliant sunlight leave to take the chill out of their bones.
Leah. Jake smiled at the memory.
Leah had referred to life as a dance on the edge of a precipice. A precarious balancing act, so easy to fall. Not so easy to brush yourself off and get up, keep going. Especially when you have no idea where you are going, just wandering through life, unaware that God is leading you to your destination, to the place he planned for you to journey to since the dawn of time.
Which was right into his arms.
He hears the sound of car doors slamming, voices overlapping. The air is charged as if an electrical summer storm has just blown in. The hairs on his neck stand alert.
His sons.
He sets down the tool he is gripping; he forgot he still had it in hand. He lays it tenderly alongside his finished sculpture. The eagle’s eyes are now void of judgment; they stare out vacantly, almost as if listening too.
Finished—after all this time. He cannot fathom the import of his accomplishment. Not yet.
Exuberant voices—like a choir of angels singing—rises in volume. His sons are coming around the house toward the garage. His knees buckle as he tries to stand. He collapses back onto his stool. He listens intently, sifting through the sounds, his attention riveted in anticipation of the one voice that will both break and mend his heart.
It is time.
His sojourn through the wilderness is over. He turns his head toward the door. Tears fill the pools of his eyes, but through the distortion of his watery lenses he can make out the distinctive shape approaching him, carried on a bier of jubilant voices. A mirage materializing in the heat waves of time.
Joseph, my Joseph . . .
~The End~
About the Author
C. S. Lakin writes novels in numerous genres, focusing mostly on contemporary psychological mysteries and allegorical fantasy. Her novel Someone to Blame (contemporary fiction) won the 2009 Zondervan First Novel competition 2009 (published October 2010). Lakin’s Gates of Heaven fantasy series for adults (AMG-Living Ink Publishers) features original full-length fairy tales in traditional style. Already in print are the first books in the series, The Wolf of Tebron, The Map across Time, and The Land of Darkness, with four more to follow. Her contemporary mystery Innocent Little Crimes made the top one hundred finalists in the 2009 Amazon Breakout Novel Award contest, earning her a Publisher’s Weekly review stated her book was “a page-turning thrill-ride that will have readers holding their breaths the whole way through.”
Lakin grew up collating television scripts for her screenwriter mother. As an adult, Susanne assisted in developing series for television, and while raising two daughters and running a bed and breakfast inn in northern California wrote her first three novels and a cookbook. She currently works as a freelance copyeditor and writing mentor, specializing in helping authors prepare their books for publication. She is a member of The Christian PEN (Proofreaders and Editors Network), CEN (Christian Editor Network), CAN (Christian Authors Network—regular blogger), ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), and two regional writers’ groups. She edits for individuals, small publishing companies, and literary agents. She has two writing sites for writers: www.livewritethrive.com with weekly posts on writing craft and industry trends and www.CritiqueMyManuscript.com, a gateway to her professional critique services. She also teaches workshops and guest blogs on top writing blog sites.
In addition to her mysteries and fantasy series, she has also written the first book in a Young Adult sci-fi adventure series: Time Sniffers. She lives in Santa Cruz, CA, with her husband Lee, a gigantic lab named Coaltrane, and three persnickety cats.
Connect with C. S. Lakin
Twitter: @cslakin
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Smashwords Author Page: C. S. Lakin at Smashwords