Nathan’s eyes the color of a sailor’s sunset, searched the verity for a better answer but there was none. He felt that Nuncio’s answer was a prerecorded response for those times that a direct answer wasn’t available. And his weary and bloodshot eyes showed it.
“You have doubt in the father?” Nuncio asked.
“I don’t know what to think anymore. I guess I want to believe but…” his voice faded.
“But?”
“I just seems too much, to put my trust in something I can’t see or touch or feel. Why not just show us something more obvious, something tangible?”
“He did, and had it documented but people still didn’t believe or trust. He tore down walls with the sound of trumpets; he split an entire sea to allow his people escape certain death. There are many times that he has shown his will to save not only the faithful but the undeserving also. These are a small list of examples. And yet people still didn’t believe.
Then he sent the Christ to perform miracles in the presence of the population and they still wouldn’t follow. Living a pure life of honesty, love and compassion the Christ was still tortured and put to death. His body buried and the tomb sealed. Then he rose from the dead and made his presence know. And do you think that all humanity finally had the proof they wanted?” Nuncio threw his hands up in a dramatic disbelief. “Of course not!” He pulled he robe straight and cleared his throat. “What makes you think that you’re any different?”
Nuncio gathered his composure and softly asked, “Do you want to know why you haven’t seen the Father?” He crossed his slender arms in front of his chest and waited for a response.
Nathan stood there dumbfounded. He didn’t expect such a performance by his new companion. He felt like he had been scolded like a child and it stung. Nathan watched Nuncio, the evidence clearly marked on his face. “Yes.”
“You are as blind Elisha’s servant. But you are unable to see because of pride and fear that there is one who is greater than you. That is not to be feared, it is to be cherished. To know that you are not alone is a blessing. To know that there is a Father guarding and protecting you should be a reason for peace, but you have no peace because you don’t believe.”
Nuncio opened his arms holding them out from his sides, “Father, I pray that you let him see.” He called to the skies. Then a blast of warm air blew down on them and over the verity to the forest behind them and beside them. But no wind, not the slightest wisp, went in front of them. Nathan turned and saw the field had been laid flat reveling ten or twelve of the hideous beasts that had been in the forest lying dead in the verity.
The beasts had laid tree bark in the field making conduits that lead to the center path which Nathan and Nuncio had been walking. There was no blood or signs of struggle, they were just dead lumps of fur and claws and teeth. As he surveyed the astonishing sight he wondered how this could have happened.
Then without warning the tree bark conduits began to burn at the end coming out of the forest blazing white like fuses leading to sticks of dynamite. As the burned, throwing sparks all around, they left no residue, no burned verity and no ash. When the fire reached the beast in front of Nathan, the beast exploded in a gigantic ball of fire then vanished as it flew up into the sky. One by one they all were vanished into the sky leaving the verity as it was just moments earlier.
Nathan looked up at Nuncio then back to the field and then back to Nuncio again. “How did you do that?”
Nuncio glared down at him. “I didn’t do it. The father did it; he allowed you to see that his safety is real. I simply asked him to show you.”
“Then why couldn’t he stop the cancer from eating up my wife.” He questioned rather harshly, glaring from the side.
“You are a foolish man Nathan, do you really think that the father couldn’t, or didn’t.”
“I would feel a whole lot better if I knew he couldn’t rather than think that he let her suffer by choice.”
“This wasn’t about you or how you would feel. There is a much larger picture that you can’t see. Your wife believed that she was part of a bigger plan and she was correct. Her faith has brought her to a place now that allows her to see the value of her suffering. Although it was only the blink of an eye that she was on the earth, her life and death will leave an impression for many years.”
“I don’t get it.”
“That’s the point. You don’t have to know everything. The father knows and when you get to heaven, if that is where you go, then you will see it also.”
“What do you mean ‘if’?” Nathan replied insulted at the accusation that he may not make it to heaven.
“You think you’re going to make it into heaven because you want to.” Nuncio laughed a loud thundering laugh. “You're a good father and husband but that isn’t enough and you know it. Kathleen tried to explain it many times and you couldn’t see past your own pride to listen with your whole heart, but you heard enough to know and yet you act ignorant. You have all the answers you need and yet you are here asking me. You knew that there are only two options and you had chosen the one that requires nothing of you.”
“I have done good for those around me and I have been to church. I give and ask for nothing in return. What more do you want from me?” Nathan questioned in frustration.
“What I want does not matter, it is what the father demands that is of importance to you. His requirement is so simple that it baffles event the highest intellect. And that is the beauty of his way.”
“He wants me to give up everything and be what, a monk?”
“Was Kathleen a monk?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes, I do, but you don’t. You're so full of resentment that you don’t know what you're saying.”
They had covered quite a distance on the path but Nathan had not noticed until his mind wandered slightly. He realized that there had been no new obstacles to slow them down and the forest that had been separated by at least an acre of verity on either side was now only a few feet from the path.
“What happened?”
“What do you mean?”
Nathan looked around and said, “Where did all the obstructions meant to slow us down go?”
“Foolish man, slow us down? That’s what you think?”
“Of course. What else could they be?
“These challenges are for you to see that the father will always make a way if you are willing to look.” Nuncio shook his head sadly. “I believe that I have failed you Nathan. I was sent to help you understand but I don’t think I did a very good job. So this is where I must leave you.”
Nathan’s eyes widened and his jaw slacked. “Wait! What do I do now?”
Nuncio’s brightness faded and his face became saddened. Like smoke from a campfire he dissolved into the air.
Nathan stood on the path and felt his heart sink into his gut. Uncertainty wrapped around him like a cloak and he knew that once again he was utterly alone. He looked ahead and saw nothing other than the path trimmed in verity and the forest looming overhead.
He saw no sign of the castle he spotted earlier; he saw no end to his journey. Without any other options, he continued on the path. His well-worn shoes padded gently on the dusty surface of the path that was laid out before him.
A gentle breeze accompanied Nathan whispering through the trees tormenting his every thought. It sounded as if the trees might, at any moment, come alive and snatch him up. He peered into the dense forest but saw nothing to prove his fear was justified.
The verity being manipulated into waves beside him seemed to motion him forward. He knew he had seen the castle once and if he could just make it a bit further, he was sure that he would see it again. So onward he dredged slowly gaining the determination to push on no matter what he encountered.
Nuncio had said that the father would always leave a way through any situation and although that seemed to be true so far
he believed that it was his keen senses that allowed him to have survived this far and they would carry him the rest of the way.
He walked for what seemed an hour or so when he came upon a deep gorge that blocked his progress. It didn’t seem to be crossable by jumping since it was more twenty feet across but as he approached the edge and looked down, he saw that there was no bottom. It wasn’t hidden by darkness or fog but instead it was clear to see that the void went deeper than his vision could see.
He stepped back from the edge kicking a few small pebbles into the void. Their clinking and bouncing echoed up confirming just how deep this chasm was. He searched the path and verity and even the edge of the forest but there wasn’t anything to assist in him in crossing the void. His thoughts lead him to a felled tree that lay half in the forest and half in the verity.
He debated trying to use the tree since it was from the forest but he figured it was dead and as such could not bring harm to him. He looked it over and after finding nothing that caused him alarm, began to pull on it with every ounce of strength he could muster up. He pulled and groaned as the giant logs advancement to the chasm began. Every so often he scanned the forest for any sign of beast or being that might be waiting for just the right time to pounce of him in this exhausted state. When he saw nothing, he began to pull again.
In an effort to be more vigilant and aware, he paused for a moment when there came a great whooshing sound form over his head. When he looked up he couldn’t see what it was since the sun’s glare was so bright. Only a shadowy silhouette flickered in and out of view. In an effort to hide he dove behind the log and watched as the creature circled overhead. After two or three more times around the area it descended onto the path and looked into the void.
It was the warrior. Nathan jumped to his feet in a fury and approached the winged horse and his rider. “What was that?”
The warrior looked down from his position and removed his helmet. “Young warrior.” He said in a jovial tone, as an old friend would after some time apart.
“Don’t give me that, you scared me half to death.”
The warrior climbed down, “Only half?” He questioned. “I must be losing my touch.”
“Ya, very funny. What are you doing here?”
“I thought I might check in on you.”
“Well here I am.” Nathan spread his arms and spun around. “Facing another hurdle.”
“How can I help?” The warrior asked.
“I’ve got it.” Nathan snapped back, not amused at the light-hearted manner the warrior addressed him.
“Let me help you,” he responded walking towards the log, “what’s the log for?”
“I’m going to use it as a bridge to cross the gorge.”
The warrior looked at the gorge and then the tree. “How do you plan on getting it to the other side?”
“I’ll figure it out when we get it there.”
“I can take you across on my horse if you like.”
“No thanks, I need to do this on my own.”
“Suit yourself. Good luck young warrior.” The warrior said walking back to his winged horse already kneeling down.
Nathan wasted no time in getting back to work. He pulled and groaned and pulled some more. The work was tiring and soon his hands ached from gripping the limbs of the tree. He had drug the tree nearly all the way to the chasm when he took a rest and sat on the log admiring his tenacity and cunning. For a moment he was rather proud of what he had done.
Then he felt a burning sensation on his left leg. He rolled up his pant leg and saw a tiny red bug that resembled a tick or spider of some kind. Yellow spots covered its torso and it had long feelers like antennae. He slapped it away but it had left a black spot on his shin. The spot began to burn more and then he felt tiny stings on his back and chest and arms. He tore off his jacket and shirt only to find that he had multiple black, burning spots all over him.
“Jump in the water.” A voice called from just beyond the tree row.
In his panic to disrobe all the way down to just his pants, he didn’t think about the forest, and what it held, only the pain. He ran towards the forest in a sprint, brushing off the tiny creatures. He could see it, a cool beautiful stream just inside the forest. But as he reached the edge of the forest his foot caught on something and he went sprawling through the verity.
“Don’t go in there,” another voice called to him but he got to his feet and ran into the forest and dove into the stream. The cool water felt amazing and it washed the tiny creatures away. He splashed the clear refreshing water on his face and through his hair. He washed his legs and arms and chest. The burning subsided and the pain was relieved.
All at once he remembered where he was and stood up looking around for the inevitable doom that was to befall him in this place. Some type of hideous creature from the depths of his worst nightmare perhaps but nothing came, no beast or witch or villain of any kind. Perhaps he had traveled far enough that this was a new forest.
Out beyond the edge of the forest where the sunlight is not hindered he saw a shimmer in the verity. He squinted his eyes trying to make out what it was but it was so small and moved so quickly, that it was hard to make out against the tree limbs and bushes that made up the edge of the forest. The thing darted back and forth as does a humming bird but only quicker and it didn’t seem to be flying, but rather running.
Chapter 7
A Glimpse Of Tomorrow Page 7