by L. N. Cronk
“David?”
“I just saw Kyle again.”
“Are you alright?”
“Do you have any classes today?” I was sure that she did.
“I can meet you at Cross Lake in an hour,” she offered.
“Drive careful.”
~ ~ ~
I DIDN’T DRIVE as fast as I had a week earlier and she was waiting for me when I got there . . . standing next to me by the time I got out of my car.
I opened my arms and she stepped into them, laying her head against my jacket and wrapping her arms around me. I rested my cheek on the top of her head and held her tight.
We didn’t say anything for a long, long time, but I knew.
I began stroking her long hair, twisting locks of it around my fingers and gathering it into my hand. Finally I buried my face into her hair, my mouth near her ear.
“Why?” I whispered. “Why do you love me?”
“God told me to,” she said softly. “He told me that you were the one.”
“When?”
“In preschool – when you freaked out just because I got my hair cut.”
I pulled back from her and looked to see if she was serious.
She was.
“I don’t think I freaked out . . .”
“Yes, you did,” she argued.
“Ever since preschool?” I asked.
“Well, that was the first time. He had to keep reminding me over the years because you were so uncooperative.”
“Are you seeing anyone?” I knew the answer, but thought I should ask anyway. She shook her head.
“What’s the matter? Can’t you get any guys to follow you down to Mexico City?”
Her mouth fell open. “How’d you know I was going to Mexico City?”
“Laci,” I said, “I’ve known you were going to Mexico City since the day Mercedes gave you that necklace.”
I kept stroking her hair and she smiled at me.
“What if there was some guy who wanted to follow you down to Mexico?” I asked. “How would you feel about that?”
“I’m not sure,” she said. “I guess it would depend on who the guy was . . .”
“Well, what if he was an engineer? What if an engineer wanted to follow you down there?”
“I don’t know . . .” she said. “Is he a grumpy engineer?”
“Sometimes.”
“Only sometimes?”
“Well . . . most of the time.”
“I think I’d like that,” she nodded and I smiled before I answered her back.
“Me too.”
~ ~ ~
KYLE IS ALLOWED to address the two witness parties. He talks to his mother and sister first. He tells them that he loves them.
He looks to me and Laci and Mrs. White next.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. Thank you for helping me to find peace. I pray that you’ll have peace, too.”
He looks at Mrs. White and then Laci and they both nod at him; then he looks to me.
I think about twisting my index finger into my palm, but I don’t – his wrists are strapped down and I know he won’t be able to do it back. Instead I hold up two fingers to him in a “V”, the universal sign for peace. He looks at them and a small smile crosses his face. He extends two fingers and does it back. The guard pulls a hood over Kyle’s head and he can’t see me anymore, so I turn away and look toward Laci.
She is hugging Mrs. White and they are both crying. I can only see the back of her head. Her hair is short . . . stage one.
I look down at my fingers . . . still in the peace sign. I slowly bring them together, opening and closing them like scissors.
Chop, chop.
Peace.
###
If you enjoyed Chop, Chop and would like to follow David and Laci as they move to Mexico and begin building their new lives together, be sure to download Book 2 – Day-Day by L.N. Cronk.
Can just one family make a difference? Can just one person change lives for all eternity? Be sure to read all of the books in the Chop, Chop series to discover the full impact of Greg and his family in the years that follow.
Book One: Chop, Chop
Book Two: Day-Day
Book Three: Pon-Pon
Book Four: The Other Brother
Book Five: The Other Mothers
Book Six: Gone
Book Seven: Not Quickly Broken
Book Eight: Alone
While the concept of forgiveness is appreciated by people from religions and nations throughout the world, the reality that Jesus Christ loved us enough to die for the forgiveness of our sins is not. If you enjoyed Chop, Chop and feel others would benefit from its important message, please remember that word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools you have available . . . tell others about it!
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