by T. K. Chapin
Micah began cleaning the grates on the grill as he shook his head. “There’s nothing but pain in there… You don’t want to read that part.”
“That part?”
He nodded as he hung the scraper back on the barbeque and shut the lid to let it warm up. Turning around, he motioned with a nod towards the picnic table as he walked towards it.
As I joined him at the table, he said, “You should talk to her about it and ask to read the parts of where everything started falling apart for her. You’re lucky to have something as intimate as a journal.” Micah glanced back at the house for a moment as his lip tightened. “I’d kill to be able to have had something like that back when Denise and I were struggling.”
“What do you mean?”
Micah adjusted in his seat and leaned in. “Your wife didn’t just step out on you one day, these things don’t just happen. It’s a process, and while you might be interested in knowing what happened in Seattle, you should concern yourself more with what happened in her heart over the course of time to lead her to that point.”
“What if she’s lying about Seattle? What if there’s more to the story I’m not getting?”
He shrugged. “Is that going to change anything?”
I pondered for a moment. There wasn’t anything really in that journal that would change my decision to stay with her. I wasn’t staying with her because of the story I heard from Seattle. I was staying for our marriage and family. “Well, no… I guess not.”
“Exactly. If you are going to make this marriage work, you gotta forgive and let go of the Seattle trip… You gotta set your sights on God and love her like Christ loved the church.”
I nodded. “Is reading the entries about where the breakdown began really going to help?”
“It could… It’ll give you some insight into Megan and the way she works.”
The sliding glass door opened and Denise and Megan came out with a plate of burgers and a couple bags of chips. Micah leaned back to a relaxed position and smiled as the gals made their way to the picnic table.
“I got the recipe out of the rookie for the Widow Makers, so we made them,” Micah said.
“They’re good,” Denise said as she set the plate of burgers down next to the barbeque.
Micah stood up and joined his wife over at the barbeque. He planted a kiss on her cheek as he opened up the lid. Megan bent down and kissed me on the cheek as she put her hand on my shoulder. Megan asked, “Did you want something to drink? They have soda inside.”
“What kind?”
“Cola, lemon-lime…”
“I’ll have a cola,” I said to her with a smile.
She went back inside and Denise came over to the picnic table as Megan disappeared inside. “I’m so happy she’s back in town.”
“Where’s Bradley?” I asked, trying to divert the conversation elsewhere.
“He’s inside with Jasmine,” Denise replied. “She pulled out some toys of hers that were in the basement so the boys had something to do.”
I nodded. “That’s kind of her.”
“She loves kids,” Micah said. “She wants to be a teacher when she grows up.”
“That’s great she’s thinking about the future like that.”
“Yeah, it’s weird to hear about what she wants to be doing when she’s an adult… she’s getting old so fast,” Micah said.
Megan came back out and called out to Justin in the yard. “Stay out of the rocks. They don’t want them in their yard, honey!” Glancing over at Justin near the shed, I saw him stop dead in his tracks as he dropped the rocks in hand and went running over to Megan at the sliding door.
Picking him up in her arms, she came over to the picnic table and set the cola down in front of me. “I’m going to take Justin inside to play with the toys Jasmine pulled out for them,” she said, leaning down and kissing me on the cheek.
“Okay,” I replied. Denise followed behind Megan on the way back inside and shut the door behind them.
“How’s all this going to work?” I asked.
“What do you mean?” Micah asked.
“I’m still struggling to trust her… I just get this feeling something is not right still.”
Micah brought his hands together and said, “Time has an amazing ability to heal past hurts. God might forgive and forget our sins, but we, as humans, on the other hand can never fully forget. Have you been sticking with your Bible reading and drawing closer to God?”
“It’s hard to stick with… I mean it’s spotty, you know… here and there. We’re not really fighting and it feels like we’re doing okay most of the time.”
He nodded. “You have to make God a priority in your life. Do you forget to eat? Drink? Go to the bathroom?”
“C’mon… reading your Bible and eating is not the same thing,” I said.
“No, they aren’t. But God needs to be as important to you as eating. Praying and Bible reading should not only be something we just do when we feel moved or remember. It’s our connection with our Creator. You start losing sight of God and falling away from Him, and it’s not guaranteed you’ll fall back into the same issues with your wife, but it is guaranteed you’ll fall off track from his design for marriage. It’s a three part relationship in marriage. You, God and your spouse.”
Nodding, I sighed.
“Don’t get discouraged, Cole. The Christian walk is a lifelong journey and every day is new. That ‘off’ feeling will fade away with time the more you draw closer to the Lord.”
After getting the boys into bed that night at home, I requested Megan to come out back with me. I built a fire for us in the fire pit and the clear night was full of brightly shining stars. It was perfect. We took a seat in a couple of lawn chairs near the fire.
As I gazed at my wife, she looked breathtaking in her little jean shorts and her white tank top. Her hair was pinned up, revealing that neckline I loved so much.
“What do you want to talk about, Cole?” she asked looking over at me. The fire’s reflection was playing across her face. She looked so beautiful in the lighting.
“Us… How are you doing with things?” I asked, placing my hand upon hers.
She smiled and looked into my eyes as she spoke. “I think everything is good. We’re heading in the right direction. I know I haven’t been in my Bible as much, but I want to change that. I saw Denise catching little moments inside during the barbeque to get a few verses of reading in here and there… It really inspired me.”
I smiled warmly at the thought and took comfort in my wife’s desire to seek out the Lord. “I’ve been feeling like I need to get into the Word more, too. I like Micah and Denise; they’re inspirational.”
She nodded in agreement. “We need more good friends like that in our lives.”
“I agree,” I replied.
“I found your journal earlier today,” I said.
Her eyes widened as her face flushed. “You did?”
I nodded. “Don’t worry though, I didn’t read it all. Just our first encounter at the fire station.” A big smile crept onto my face.
She sighed with a relief. “You didn’t read the Seattle entries?” she asked with raised eyebrows.
Shaking my head, I said, “No… I wanted to read them, but I didn’t.”
“Why don’t you? I have nothing to hide from you.”
“No… I don’t care what happened in Seattle.”
Megan got up and went inside for a moment. Turning I looked back to the patio door and watched her walk back out to me with the notebook in hand. “Here,” she said, handing it to me.
I grabbed the notebook and ripped out the pages from Seattle. Tossing it into the fire, I said, “I don’t care about what happened anymore, love. I care about the future and our family. Your story that you told me that night you came back home while we lay in bed during the thunderstorm is all the story I need.”
She watched as the pages burnt up in the flames. “You’re not curious if I was telling the truth?” she asked,
looking over at me.
“I don’t care about it. It wouldn’t change anything.” I stood up and came closer to her. Dropping to one knee, I dropped the notebook and took her hands in mine. Looking into her eyes, I said, “I love you Megan, and I always will.”
Love. Four letters, two vowels and one action. For me, that action was purpose-driven movements to love my wife with all my heart. Loving a flawed person is never easy, but if we marry someone, we are called to love them like Christ loved the church. I never truly did understand how powerful God’s love and peace was until I had to rely on it in my own life.
I fought a lot of fires in my days at Fire Station 9, but I was never ready for the one that took Megan’s dad or the fire that almost destroyed my marriage and life. But God was with me, and helped me when I was amongst the flames. He gave me the strength that I needed in my time of weakness. He gave me peace when I was distraught. He gave me hope when everything appeared hopeless. Being a follower of Christ is not something I do for recognition, or because it’s required of me to get into Heaven. I do it because this is what I was born to do.
The End.
Out of the Ashes
By:
T.K. Chapin
www.tkchapin.com
Copyright © 2015 T.K. Chapin All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with.
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Version: 10.28.2015
ISBN: 1517622441
ISBN-13: 978-1517622442
Dedicated to my mother,
the woman who taught me
that all things are possible with God.
CHAPTER 1
Tapping on the bar top down at The Spark, I made eye contact with Lonzo and he knew exactly what I needed. Another Rum and Coke. I was bumping my head to the rhythm of the music as I waited for him to bring me my drink, when a woman approached me.
“My girlfriend told me that you’re a firefighter… is that true?” she asked as her lip curled up on one side. She had that look in her eye, that same look I had seen a hundred times before. It’s a mixture of drinking a little too much and infatuation.
“Your girlfriend is telling you the truth,” I replied, grinning, as I turned around on the bar stool to face her. Suddenly Lonzo’s hand came over my shoulder with a Rum and Coke.
“There you go, Kane,” he said.
I grabbed the glass and took a sip. “Mmmm… perfect.” Looking back at Lonzo, I nodded and said, “Thanks, Bro.”
He nodded and continued down the bar to help other patrons of The Spark. Looking back at the woman, she suddenly didn’t look so hot as she cupped her mouth and bent over.
“Bathrooms are that way,” I said, pointing over to the corner.
She hurried her steps quickly away to the bathrooms, and I shook my head as I stood up and returned over to the pool table with Brian and the two girls we just had met earlier. The brunette who had been flirting with me all night, moseyed up to my side and grabbed onto my arm. Leaning into my ear, with a seductive voice, she said, “I hope that girl wasn’t trying to steal my man away.”
I laughed. “Sugar, I’m not your man.” I glanced towards the bathrooms as I continued, “But I wouldn’t worry about her. I think the only date she’ll have tonight is with a porcelain bowl.”
Brian laughed as he came over and handed me a pool stick. “It’s your shot, McCormick.” I took a swig of my rum and coke and set it on the table next to me as I flashed a smile his way.
As I walked past Brian, I leaned into his ear and said, “Boys versus girls isn’t very fair for them now, is it?”
“True, but we are all trashed and nobody really cares,” Brian replied, laughing as he lost his footing for a second.
I nodded in agreement as I strolled around the pool table. I decided to go for the six ball and got into position. I leaned across the worn green felt-top pool table and looked at the corner pocket. Glancing down at the cue ball, I lined up my shot and let it rip. As I stood upright, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Pulling it out slightly, I saw it was my sister Emily. She rarely called, and never at this time of night. Handing Brian my pool stick with a lowered brow, I said, “I’m going to step out for a moment. I’ll be back.”
“Alright, man. Everything cool?” Brian asked.
“Hope so,” I replied. Turning, I headed out of the bar and out to the sidewalk as I answered my sister’s call. “Ems?”
A sniffle came across the line, setting my worry soaring and my pulse racing.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” I asked.
“It’s… Mom.”
I shook my head as I touched my forehead and looked down at the cracking pavement below my feet. “What do you mean, Emily? What’s wrong with Mom?”
She began crying for a moment before being able to squeeze out the words, “It’s back.”
The bar music and noises that were coming from a few feet away quieted as my world began to crumble at the words my sister spoke. My mother’s cancer was back. “How bad?” I asked.
“Bad…” she replied, her words trailing off in her hopeless tone.
I sighed heavily as I looked up the sidewalk that was illuminated by the street lights. I wanted to start running right then and not stop until I reached my mother. “So, she’ll need lots of chemo and more rounds of-”
“No!” Emily snapped, interrupting me.
“What?”
“It’s not like that this time… It’s bad, Kane… really bad. They aren’t going to be treating the cancer.”
I dipped my head and let my back fall against the brick wall that was behind me. “Really? They can’t do anything? Surgery?”
“No… they already tried all they could. It came back a few months ago, and she kept it from us because she didn’t want us to worry. She has months to live… if she’s lucky.”
“I’m going to come over,” I said firmly, wiping the falling tears from my eyes.
“No, don’t do that… I’m okay, Kane.”
“Well, I’m not. And judging by the phone call in the middle of the night and the crying, you aren’t okay either. I want to be there for you, sis.”
She sniffled. “Thank you, but I’m okay. I know I made you feel bad for not being there for me after we found out about Kyle. But I’m older now and I understand. Plus, I’m at work right now.”
“Kane!” Lonzo hollered from the doorway of the bar just a few paces from where I was standing.
Startled, I wiped my eyes quickly and stood up straight. “What?”
“Your friend looks like he’s in trouble,” Lonzo replied.
Turning back to my conversation with Emily, I said, “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Take care of yourself, Kane,” she replied.
I hung up with Emily and slipped the phone back into my pocket. As I approached the door, I looked at Lonzo. He looked worried. “What’s going on?” I asked.
“I don’t know. But the guy doesn’t look too happy…”
“Where are they?” I asked, glancing in through the bar.
Lonzo pointed over to the pool tables as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Over there… I think it’s one of those chicks’ boyfriends.”
I took a deep breath and gave him a nod. “I’ll handle this.” Walking past Lonzo, I made a beeline for the pool tables. I saw a big beefy bald guy cornering Brian. Pushing through the crowd of people, I grabbed onto his shoulder, yanked him around towards me, and said, “Hey! Back off!”
He turned around with a pool stick in his meaty hand and lau
ghed. Smacking the stick against the pool table, he broke it in half. As the broken pieces of the pool stick hit the floor, my heart began to race as adrenaline coursed through me. Holding the busted end of the stick up to my throat, he asked, “What are you going do about it?”
I shook my head and took a step back. “You don’t want to mess with me right now,” I warned.
He laughed again. “Oh yeah? You think you’re a tough guy?”
I reached out and quickly grabbed the stick from his hands and flipped it around smacking him upside the head. He dropped to the ground with a loud thump. “Get out of here, Brian!” I shouted, pointing to the side door.
Brian grabbed his phone off the edge of the pool table and darted for the exit. As the door swung shut, the man I had smacked rose back to his feet. He paused to wipe a bit of the blood from his wound. Rubbing the blood between his thumb and index finger, the man looked up at me. His eyes were bloodshot red and eyebrows were furrowed. “Only one other man has ever made me bleed. He’s dead now, and you’ll soon join him!”
I was overcome with worry as I thought about how ugly this could get. I didn’t want anything to happen with my job. I decided to run. As I wove between the crowd of people, I kept looking over my shoulder as the man pursued me. “Lonzo! Help!” I shouted as I looked over at the bar where I spotted him. I made it to the door, but fell out onto the sidewalk.
The man came outside and laughed as I squirmed to regain my footing. There was something wrong with my ankle, and it wasn’t allowing me to put any pressure on it to stand.
“Look, dude, I was just trying to help my friend. You were cornering him!” I tried to plead with him.
“You don’t put your lips on another man’s girlfriend. He broke the rule,” the man said as he came closer to me. He towered over me like a shadow of death.
Suddenly sirens came whipping around the corner and caused the guy to run. One of the three cop cars chased the man down the alley while the other two came up to the curb and parked.