Destination Eden

by Jim Payton

  Chapter 5

  Life carried on the way it does. Seconds grew into minutes, which grew into hours, which grew into days. Jesse became a memory that faded from most peoples minds. The school routine soon drew Janet back into its grip. From time to time, she visited the Solomani family. They seemed to have recovered. Whenever Jesse was mentioned, they were adamant that he was in heaven. In due course, Mrs. Solomani became pregnant again and although the baby was a girl, the Solomani family accepted her as God's replacement for Jesse. Jesse's photograph still stayed at the centre of the mantle piece.

  Occasionally Janet would visit Jesse's grave. There were always fresh flowers on it.

  At school, Palmer had become a sad figure. He refused to acknowledge any part in what people referred to as 'the Solomani affair'. He continued to sit alone at morning and afternoon tea breaks and during lunch. Various staff members, including Janet, had tried to draw him back into the fold, but those efforts were rejected. His teaching carried on, and was effective, but pupils did not look forward to his classes.

  A year after Jesse's death, his unveiling was announced in the local free Community newspaper. Janet was only vaguely aware of what an unveiling consisted of. She knew it was a custom followed by Maori, and increasingly being followed by others. As she understood it, a year after the burial a ceremony was held to reveal, or unveil, the deceased's headstone. She did wonder if in some way it actually harked back to the days of Jesus and the Jew's burial practices. In those days, a year after burial the flesh would have parted from the bones. The bones were then cleaned and placed in an ossuary, which was sealed and named.

  In Jesse's case, there was a brief ceremony of remembrance at the gravesite on a Saturday morning, and then every one returned to the Church for a meal in the Church hall. Janet found the whole thing quite moving. It was interesting to see how every one had 'moved on' from the death.

  On her way home from the meal, Janet did a bit of grocery shopping and then went into the café associated with the supermarket. She prepared to do battle with a Chelsea bun and a large mug of hot chocolate. Although she had eaten at the unveiling, she felt the need for a little extra comfort. Her mind drifted. She was jerked back into the present by a voice.

  "I beg your pardon," she said. "I'm afraid I was miles away."

  "I'm sorry to intrude," said the voice. "I saw you at Jesse's unveiling and I wondered if you would like some company."

  Janet saw the voice came from a ruggedly handsome older man. She could vaguely recall seeing him at the Church. She smiled at him.

  "That would be nice," she agreed. He sat himself down opposite her.

  "Ah," he said. "Comfort food." Janet looked at him quizzically. "Hot chocolate and buns." Janet gave a laugh.

  "Good for the soul," she said.

  "Ah, yes, the soul," he said. "However Miss Winter, I am forgetting my manners. My name is Prentice, Jude Prentice."

  Janet reached across and shook his hand. "How do you know my name?" she asked.

  "Oh, one of the family pointed you out to me as having been Jesse's teacher."

  "And you are a friend of the family?"

  "Yes indeed," agreed Prentice. "Forever actually."

  "Jude is a bit of an old fashioned name for a male," pointed out Janet.

  "Yes," said Prentice. "Biblical actually."

  Janet nodded. "I haven't seen you around before. Are you a local?"

  Prentice gave a smile.

  "No," he said. "I travel a lot and really only return home to pick my next assignment. I am a messenger really."

  "I see," commented Janet.

  "He was a nice boy from a great family," said Prentice. "He had a great future in front of him. Great things were expected of him."

  "Yes," agreed Janet. "From what I have heard, and seen, Jesse would have been an inspirational leader for his people. Certainly, I find suicide to be such a strange way of escaping. I have often thought of it as selfish and cowardly. The hurt and harm it does to those left behind is always so tragic. At least this time there was a reason.

  "Are you a religious man Mr. Prentice?"

  "Please call me Jude. I believe I am."

  "So do you believe suicide is a sin?"

  "No I don't. Do you?"

  "I have always thought so. I thought that in the past, if you committed suicide, you were not allowed to be buried in a Church cemetery so it must have been wrong, or a sin."

  "I think you will find that suicide is not condemned in the bible. The sixth commandment states 'Thou shalt not kill' and it was from that the anti-suicide bit came to be. There are references to the sacredness of our bodies also. What we need to understand today is the gift of grace and God's plan for each of us. There is great mystery there."

  "Are you saying God approved of Jesse's death?"

  "What I am saying is that God has a plan."

  "A plan that includes such pain and suffering?"

  "God did not introduce sin into the world Janet. That is another matter however. What I am saying is that God's ways are not our ways; his thoughts are not our thoughts. You remember that from the bible?"

  "But . . ."

  "No buts. That is the way it is. God has a plan."

  "You sound like Colonel whatever-his-name-is from the A-Team television show."

  "That was, 'I love it when a plan comes together.'"

  "Whatever."

  "Ah, Janet, I may call you Janet?" asked Prentice, raising an eyebrow and receiving a nodded response. "You use the current generation's idioms so well."

  This time it was Janet's turn to raise her eyebrows.

  "The 'whatever'", replied Prentice. They both smiled.

  "You say you have known Jesse's family for sometime," said Janet.

  "As I said, forever," nodded Prentice.

  "Then how do you think they are handling this disaster?"

  "Better than most," replied Prentice. "They have a faith and belief that will hold them in great stead. They will survive and it is possible their faith will become stronger."

  "I hope so," said Janet.

  "And what about you Janet?" asked Prentice.

  "What about me?"

  "Will you cope? Where do you see yourself headed?"

  "I'll cope because as they say, 'time is the great healer'. While Jesse's name comes up occasionally at school, it's like he has already been forgotten. Even I find myself not recalling him as often as I once did."

  "And do you see yourself continuing to teach?"

  "It is what I do best."

  "Yes, so I hear. Actually I hear great things about you."

  Janet blushed.

  "That is enough of me Mr. Prentice. What about you? You said you known Jesse and his family. How and where?"

  "It is a little hard to explain actually," said Prentice. "I suppose the best I could do by way of explanation would be to say that I care deeply for them. I have known them all since their births and keep a benevolent eye upon them."

  "I see," said Janet, not seeing at all.

  "I understand you are a Christian Janet," said Prentice changing the subject back to her.

  "Where did you get that understanding?" asked Janet. "That's a bit personal isn't it?"

  "The Solomanis said you were."

  "I don't know how they would know."

  "Probably by the way you act, live and talk," replied Prentice. "However, if discussion of your faith upsets you then we'll forget it. I had no intention of upsetting you in any way."

  "I am sorry also," responded Janet. "I know that when something like this comes up it is an opportunity for me to spread the good news, but I seem to lack the courage to do it. My religion is private to me although I do try to show it through the way I live and what I do.'

  "Again," said Prentice. "I do not wish to offend you in any way. I also often have difficulty explaining myself. I am also a believer. Without wishing to alarm you, I have to say that I have been following your progress for some time. Now, don't be afraid.
You could probably best understand by considering me as your guardian angel. As I said earlier, I am a messenger and I have been asked to give you a message."

  Janet interrupted. "I am sorry Mr. Prentice," she said gathering up her handbag and grocery parcels. "There seems to have been some type of misunderstanding here. I have to go."

  "Please Janet," soothed Prentice. "Just listen for a second please. You do not have to say anything. Just listen and I will be on my way."

  "You have a minute," said Janet getting to her feet.

  "Thank you," acknowledged Prentice. "As I said, I have a message. That message is in the form of a request. It is that you give the good news to Joseph Palmer. As you well know, he is a difficult man. An arrogant man! We have considered Mr. Palmer for some time and have decided that the best way to approach him is by challenging him. Your task is to challenge his scientific belief that evolution is correct.

  "We are telling you that evolution is not correct. Once confronted with proof that he is wrong, we have great confidence that he will see the error of his ways and become a great asset to the cause.

  "That, Janet, is your task. We will help all we can. Just ask."

  With that, Jude Prentice left the table and walked out of the café leaving Janet standing at the table clutching her handbag and grocery shopping.