A new story again by request, hope you enjoy. The night was dark with no moon nor star in sight, for the winter clouds covered the Ohio night. It felt as if God had forsaken the place, and who could blame him. Winters snow was falling in big heavy flakes, and if that was not bad enough the wind was blowing it as if it were some great ocean wave. Hurry Mag, oh God please hurry, the pain, I cant bare it. Mag looked at her husband of the last twenty years, seeing the sweat on his brow even in this cold worse than a man having just made love to you and slipping out leaving a five dollar bill and a note saying, not worth more, that cold heart maybe equaled this cold night. Mags old eyes blinked, tears were blurring her eyes, and between tears and snow she could barely see in front of her. She started the engine on the old rusting dark blue ford pick up, it cranked over sounding as strained as she felt, the engine sounded as labored as she was old. As she pulled the button to turn on lights, a fleeting thought, this old truck was as old as she, kids to day wouldnt understand it a bit more than they understood her. Throwing the truck in gear and wishing it was a nice automatic and not a three speed on the column. She could not help but think how often she had argued with Bill to trade this old relic in for a new model, with a few luxuries like automatic and four wheel drive. He always argued that to do that would be like letting go of a long loved lover, such as she. As the truck rolled out of the car port, she flipped the wipers on, the defroster was working full blast, and she could barely see the driveway. Oh God Mag, your not going to get me there, I am going to die in this old truck, a loud groan as a a death rattle. Tears now like rivers on her face, she wanted to push the gas pedal to the floor, but knew that would only kill them both as they would be wrapped a round a tree and not hugging it in love or admiration. She knew she must clear her mind, not listen to the pleading of her beloved but concentrate on the snow covered road for the next five miles. If ever she must make it to Oak Grove General Hospital it must be tonight. She wished they had a phone, if just a cheap modern cell phone, but on their small social Security it was a dream that could never happen. Time they paid for meds, a long list for each of them, rent on the run down shack they called home, and a bit of food, there was nothing left for what Bill called rich people luxury. No matter how broke they were Bill always made sure each Sunday he put a little in the offering plate at Old Wismer Baptist Church. Twenty years ago at the age of forty she married Bill, who was already fifty with the ghost of gray around his ears and a shinny cap starting to be his crown. She had been married before to a man she not only wished she could forget his name but wished the nightmares of his abuse would be gone. When she met Bill he replaced the pain with nothing but smiles, so only on cold dark nights did the pain of the past dare visit her. In day light it was to scared of Bills love to show its evil head. The names she had been called, words foul and mean, his beating her, accusing her of vile acts with men. Then when drunk he would try to get her to be his whore and put out for a twenty, when she refused he beat her for not being a whore. More than a few times he had tied her to their old bed, cut her clothes off and had strange men take her body as if she were nothing but the out house to except the putrid seed of the devil. Maybe she was, till the day came in drunken stupor he met God face to face on the back roads of a distant Ohio town, no doubt he keeps the devil company and haunts her in her nightmares. Then she put her life together got a job at the seven eleven and met this older guy who would stop by for his daily bottle of coke. Oh he was not the most handsome man until he smiled, those blue eyes sparkled like bits of fire in the sky, and when he looked at her, short, what some would call fat, a glow would burn his cheeks and a flame of fire leap from his heart to hers. Their wedding at old Wismer was not fancy, but perhaps Bill never quit giving to it because it is where he said his life became complete. Now this man of her dreams was in pain, and she was in far more pain of her emotions than any time in her life. Had the devil from her past came to rob her of her joy, had God silently looked the other way? She could hear in her inner ear Bill scolding her in his loving way for such a foolish thought. When she had tried to tell him of her past hell and why she was not worthy of his love. He had smiled and said, and I Mag was not worthy of the love Jesus gave to me, he asked me no questions, so did not need to tell any lies, he took me as I was and made me a new. I take you as you are and no questions need asked thus no lies told and my love, if you love me will make us both new. Tonight she knew as the back of the truck slipped to the right and she fought the wheel, just how much he meant that and how true it had been. On that Sunday she walked to the alter and accepted that love from Jesus she knew a joy beyond the heavens, she had God and Bill and nothing else mattered, now she felt such despair as far worse than she ever had known. By the hand of God it seemed the truck straightened up, she thought of that song, Jesus take the wheel by that pretty little country singer, and whispered thank you Lord. Oh Mag if I dont make it, grasp, thank you for loving a poor and needy man such as I. She wanted to say something moving and important, but all she could whisper is I love you. How much further, she could see no landmarks as the snow was blinding. No town lights twinkled in the distance. She was feeling more at peace maybe even confident they were going to make it. No snow plow on the old road, not another vehicle had they seen, but it couldnt be much further. Old Satan himself must of felt her calm for just than the truck begin to slide, then spin, off the road, down into a ditch. She heard the engine die, and the lights pointing upward into the sky, saying ok God we are here. Bill was making no sound and she crawled over the seat, she felt for breath, it was there, as the cab got colder and colder, she had only one opinion. Pray She cuddled to her man, she held his cold hands, and called upon God. I guess Lord our work is over and your going to bless us by taking us home together, thats ok with me Lord, for to be left here without Bill is to be like being in my grave alive. With that she held him close and closed her eyes. Now perhaps it was a old ladies dream, or perhaps a unbelievable miracle, but Mag felt warm as she rested, Bill was not groaning but seemed to be at peace. She heard singing, a song she did not know or remember, softness as wings of down feathers cloaked her and Bill. She thought this is what it is like to cross Jordan. A voice called out anyone in there? Her eyes opened and she saw two faces peering in. She looked to Bill, his eyes opened and that smile more brilliant than ever. He muttered I think I went to heaven. Soon they were resting in a ER drinking coffee for her and Bill his coke. Seems they were just outside the city limits when the snow plow drivers found them. No one could understand how they were both as healthy as a sixteen year old or as happy as that sixteen year old on their first date. Questions were being shot at them in rapid fire fashion, pure amazement by the doctor and nurse. Finally a sweet nurse said tell us Reverent Seller, how this could be? He smile that warm smile, with God all things are possible.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 02:34:19 +0000
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