by Unknown
Chapter 5
Ever since the strange “visions” started for Isaac, the newspaper started getting his undivided attention. Each morning after his father had finished reading the paper, he would get hold of it – the whole thing, not only the sports pages as had been his practice all along – and pour over the paper. Isaac would read page in the hope that there was some kind of an advertisement, or article, or any indication that would help him take his dreams forward.
One morning, his tireless efforts finally came to fruition. Like always, Isaac scanned the morning papers when he came across an advertisement: “NFL Summer Camp in Cleveland! You could be the next NFL Superstar. Sign up for camp today and get a chance to live your dream!” it read.
This was the big break that he had been so desperate for. Finally, a semblance of an opportunity had presented itself, but he knew that there was still a long way to go. As far as he was aware, camps such as these attracted a vast number of applications from all around the United States, and if his understanding was correct, this time it would be no different.
The advertisement clearly stated that interested candidates would have to send in applications, after which the shortlisted people would be called over to Cleveland for further training. Isaac realized that he would have to make his application a standout one in order to get noticed. He found out the prescribed format and then got busy preparing his application. When it was done, he sent the application by post to the mentioned address and then waited patiently for the reply to come through.
It had taken him around a couple of days to get the application finished and during that period, Katie had seen very little of him. Even when she paid him a visit, he refused to meet her, stating that he was very busy. She couldn't figure out the reason for his behavior, since there hadn't been any issues between the two of them in recent memory. The incident back in town on their date night was now a distant memory and it was unlikely that this was a repercussion from of that evening.
So the day Isaac finally appeared at her doorstep, Katie got straight to the point.
“What have you been up to all this while?” she asked.
“Why?” he asked, maintaining his look of surprise. “What do you mean?”
“I have been trying to get through to you for the last couple of days and the only thing I come up against is a blank response. You refused to meet me! What Godly work were you doing that kept you so busy?”
“Are your parents at home?” he asked, totally diverting the topic. She was taken by surprise at his response. “Yes, they are but why do you want to know?”
“If they are at home, this is not the right place for me to discuss this matter. It is something very important and close to my heart so the whole thing needs to be kept a secret.”
“Okay, well then we can go out to the garden behind the house or maybe take a walk.”
He thought for a moment. “Taking a walk would be a better choice,” he said. “Let’s go!”
As the two of them walked around the neighborhood, he said, “I have applied for an NFL sports camp.”
Hearing this, Katie nearly stumbled. “You have done what?” she said, almost screaming.
“I saw this advertisement in the newspaper a few days back. It was about a sports camp organized by the Cleveland Browns to pick some budding young talent for their next NFL draft. No official confirmation has come through but I really want it to happen.”
“But that will mean staying away from this place for a very long time!” She did not sound at all amused.
“Just the thing I have been after for so long!” He sounded proud.
“What about your parents? Have you told them yet?”
Isaac shook his head. “No, not yet but I will tell them when the time comes. For the time being, I ask you to hold on to this news close to your heart. Don’t let anyone know about all this. The world will know when the time is right!”
“I understand,” she said, and nodded her head in agreement. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. And I wish you all the best in your endeavor.”
Isaac didn't say anything but he understood that this remark was coming from a person who was struggling to keep her emotions under control. He sensed the kind of heavy heart that she was holding on to but decided against saying anything out of fear that she would break down into tears. He was able to tolerate everything but if there was one thing that made him upset, it was the sight of his beloved friend with tears welling up in her eyes. He accompanied Katie back to her home and then returned to his own house.
Isaac was a very God-fearing person and this was something ingrained into every single individual who was part of the Amish community. He was more concerned about doing something that would be against His wishes rather than going against the traditions of the community. Ever since the moment when he had penned his application and sent the letter down into the postal box, there had been only one thought in his mind – Isaac needed a sign that his action had found acceptance at the eyes of the Almighty.
Soon, the young man would know his answer.
Chapter 6
Isaac was busy tilling the small plot of land outside in front of his home when a mailman appeared at the door.
“Mail for Isaac Miller,” he cried out in the typical singsong tone of a postal delivery boy.
Isaac heard the call and walked up to him, rubbing his sweating hands on the side of the floppy farming suit that he was wearing. “That’s me!” he triumphantly announced upon arrival.
“There is mail for you mister,” the mailman said as he handed over a sealed envelope to him. “Could you put a signature here please?”
He put his signature on the required spot and dismissed the man who walked out slowly, pushing his motorcycle along the dirt track. Isaac crossed his fingers as he prepared to flip over the envelope. He half-expected to see the Cleveland Browns sigil on the front. The young man could feel his heartbeat increase by a few notches as he flipped over the white envelope. Rightly enough, there was the image of the snarling bulldog staring back at him.
“Who is it for son?” his father called out from inside the house. Isaac waved a hand at him.
“Nothing important dad, there was a letter for me. No worries!” he answered. His father didn't say any more and quietly went back inside the house to make him busy in whatever he had been doing.
Isaac felt that it would not be a safe choice to open the letter in the middle of the farm. He had to find a place that was safe, where he could be alone, before reading the letter. He put the letter deep inside his shirt. Though it made farming somewhat uncomfortable for him, he knew he had to carry on; it was just a matter of a few minutes!
He barely noticed the time fly past. Before long, the first signs of dusk started to appear. The heat dissipated and a cool breeze soon made its presence felt. The shadows grew longer as the sun sank over the horizon, spreading its deep orange hue across the sky. The birds flew home in droves and formed beautiful specks against this magenta backdrop.
Isaac put down his shovel and made preparations to wrap up his work for the day. The feeling of excitement had gnawed at his heart all day long and now that the moment was almost upon him, he could barely control his excitement. He rushed to his room and changed out of his clothes, taking great care to ensure that he did not do any damage to the precious letter. There was no time to freshen up. With trembling hands, he slowly tore open the envelope along one side. A folded piece of paper was sitting inside and he pulled it out. Then he straightened it out to read.
As his eyes traced the lines, the anxious look on his face was slowly replaced by a smile and then tears of joy started to roll down his face as he broke out into a helpless giggle. He threw down the letter and did a silent victory dance in the room, careful to ensure that nobody on the ground floor got any wind of his excitement.
It was indeed the letter he had been waiting for. Isaac Miller had been selected by the Cleveland Browns as part of the NFL Sports Camp and h
e was required to travel down to Cleveland within two weeks’ time for reporting. The letter conveyed this piece of information alongside a congratulatory note from the director of the NFL franchise. It was a dream come true for the young man.
All the hard work that he had put in for so long had finally been repaid. Most importantly – and this was one aspect he had always been very concerned about – it was a sign that God was absolutely fine with the decision that he had taken. This was the kind of sign Isaac had been on the lookout for, and when he realized it, his joy knew no bounds.
When he came down to attend dinner that night, nobody in his family could say that the young man had been afforded an opportunity to go out and represent his favorite team in the biggest sporting arena. He maintained his humble self and kept his excitement under control. When Isaac had finally retired for the day, he couldn't wait for daybreak when he would finally go out and share the glorious news with Katie.
Chapter 7
“Wow! When was the last time you were up this early in the morning?” Katie Fischer asked as Isaac came rushing at her. It was barely eight in the morning and she knew him to be a late riser. It had been a bit of a surprise for her when he had called out her name as she was making her way down to the family farm.
“I need to talk to you,” he answered, a sense of excitement written clearly across his face. “Come with me,” Isaac said and dragged her by the arm as he led her down to a secluded part of the farm.
“Where are you taking me? What is the matter with you?” she cried out, not knowing whether she should protest. There was a strange, feverish, almost hungry look in his eyes that Katie had never seen before and that made her feel insecure around him all of a sudden. He dragged her inside a small rickety shed and closed the door behind him. “What are you planning to do? Are you intending to hurt me or something by any chance?” she asked, with a touch of concern in her voice.
He didn't say anything and stepped close to her. Then he grabbed hold of her and placed a delicate little kiss on her cheeks. A big smile appeared on his face but Katie was still in the dark.
“Isaac, what’s the matter with you? What is all this?”
“It’s here!” he said, the look of excitement not abating a touch from his face. “It’s here!”
“What’s here?” she asked, still feeling like her best friend had suddenly turned into a madman.
“The letter I have been waiting for. From the Cleveland Browns. They have selected me to be a part of the NFL sports camp and I am expected to report to Cleveland in two weeks. The rest of the details will be shared once I reach there. The letter arrived yesterday and I have just been waiting to share the news with you. Katie, you are the only person who knows this information thus far and I have not told anyone else, not even my own family. I don’t know what I am going to do but this is an opportunity I cannot afford to let pass. This is just too big. I am delighted, my prayers have been answered and my hard work has finally paid dividends. I just don’t know what to do!” he finished speaking in almost one breath and stopped, almost gasping at the end of his monologue.
“Slow down!” she protested. “Okay, let’s take this one by one shall we? So you say that you have been selected by the Browns for the NFL Sports camp, is that so?”
“That’s correct!”
“And now you want to move out to Cleveland to live your dream, is that so?”
“You are right!”
Katie turned on her heel and started walking towards the door. “Congratulations! Since your mind is made up I don’t think I have anything more to say right now. Have a great life ahead of you.”
Isaac was totally stumped by her reaction. “What…Katie, stop! What do you mean by all that?” He ran after her. “Why are you running away? What’s wrong?”
“Like I already said, you have made up your mind! So what’s the point now?” she retorted.
“But I have no idea what you are talking about! At least be kind and make yourself clear.”
“You are going to leave without me? You think you will be able to survive in that city without me around? Won’t you feel bad?” she asked, tears starting to form in her eyes.
“Katie, I have already told you before that this was always my dream. And now I have that long-awaited opportunity to fulfill my dream. Don’t you want me to do things that make me happy? Don’t you want your best friend to be happy? If so, then why are you stopping me from chasing my dreams?”
“It’s nothing!” she replied, wiping away the tears from her eyes. “When do you leave?”
“In another two weeks. But I promise I will make the most of the time that we get to spend together.”
“Hmm,” she said as they walked back to the house. Her silence said a lot. Isaac could make out that she was experiencing a tumultuous situation inside her but he didn't know what to do in order to pacify her.
“One more thing,” he said as they were near the home. “Please keep this news to yourself because I don’t want it to be known to anyone else in the family or in the community. This is very important and I hope you understand.”
She didn't say anything and simply nodded her head. Katie didn't wait for any more discussion, and ran back into her home. Isaac thought he saw tears in her eyes. He stared after her as she disappeared inside the building, then turned toward home. There was some planning to be made for the upcoming days.
Chapter 8
The night was dark and the moon hid behind ominous looking rain clouds. Thunder boomed every few minutes and the rumbling noise roared through the sky as if some big, unknown beast was trying to make its presence felt high up in the atmosphere. Occasionally there would be a flash of lightning to momentarily light up everything down below on the earth.
Isaac’s mother was in the kitchen, staring at the calamitous weather outside.
“What a terrible evening!” she remarked, as a streak of lightning flashed through the sky. “I bet it is going to rain tonight!”
“Doesn’t matter really, it won’t affect us in any way,” his father said as a thunder rumbled somewhere close by. “But I do hope the barn does not fall apart in the strong winds. We really must do something about it, that place is in a big mess!”
“We can talk about that in the morning after the storm has passed. Let’s finish our dinner and then be off for bed. There is no point staying up for long tonight.”
“Hmm, you are right! I’ll go and get the boy. I wonder what he is doing up in his room. There has hardly been any noise from him for as long as I can remember.”
Isaac’s father walked out of the kitchen and called out to him from the foot of the stairs. “Isaac, dinner is ready son! Come down, your mother is waiting.”
There was no response. He called again, this time a little more loudly. “Isaac!” Once again his call was met with the sound of the wind howling outside. “Poor fellow must have fallen asleep,” his mother said. “I thought he looked very tired when he came home from the fields.”
“Okay, I’ll go and call him down!” his father said and started to climb the stairs. He reached the room and found the door to be shut. The man knocked a couple of times and upon getting no response he opened the door.
A strong gust of wind hit him with full force as he did so. The window to the room was open and the curtains fluttered about in the strong winds that blew through this open window. But there was no sign of Isaac Miller anywhere in the room.
The tree swayed wildly in the wind and Isaac realized that it would not be a safe choice to take shelter under there. It was in such a bad state that it felt like the tree could collapse on him at any moment. Rain had started to fall as well, and it made his travel all the more difficult.
The storm could not have come at a better moment for the young man. He had been planning a grand escape from home and the terrible weather made the job easy for him. Everyone was forced indoors and the town streets were completely empty.
He had climbed out through the window in his b
edroom and then down the storm gutter to the lawn outside. The soft grass made light crunching noises as he ran across the ground, a heavy bag swinging on his shoulders. He hadn't taken much with him, except for a few clothes and a good amount of money. The camp would make all other arrangements so there was no urgent need for cash.
Isaac climbed through the wooden fencing around the perimeter and stood on the road. He took one last glance at his home, then he started running down the road that led to town. It was late at night so there was not much hope of finding any conveyance that would take him down to Cleveland. He realized that he would have to spend the night out in the open.
It was then that he came across a broken old shed just on the outskirts of town. Rain had started to fall pretty heavily and moving was not so easy any longer. So he decided to make the stop.
He put his heavy bag down in a small dry corner of the rundown shed and sat down on the dirty floor. Soon he started to feel hungry. Isaac realized that he had made a mistake by not bringing some food along with him. A feeling of tiredness was also starting to overcome him. Before he knew what had happened, Isaac had fallen asleep.
The next morning, the bright, hot rays of the sun streaked in through the broken gaps in the shed and fell on his face. He woke up and found himself lying on the dirty floor. It took him some time to recollect where he was and he picked himself up, planning to resume his journey. He headed into town and to the railway station. From there, he caught a train to Cleveland. After reaching the city, he inquired around and made his way down to the Cleveland Browns training academy where the NFL camp was going to be hosted.
The sheer magnitude of the place and the presence of such a huge crowd were all too overwhelming for Isaac. For a moment, he felt as if he had made a big mistake and wondered if he should head home immediately. But then he remembered the excitement he had experienced upon receiving the letter of acceptance from the sports camp and resolved to go ahead with the process.