Jon Keith’s “Everything”. . .my personal favorite off the album And Fly. It talks about faith, personal challenges, depression, and the connectivity with the Lord. The song is amazing, uplifting, and beautiful, and it teaches a great moral. . .
God is everything.
“How was your hunting trip?” Kimora inquired of her husband later that same day at dinner. “Get any good catches?”
“I shot a rabbit and two squirrels,” Victor said proudly. “That should tide us over for a few days. After all, every bit of money used to construct this church is crucial. The less we spend on groceries, the better.”
Carny poked at her green beans with her fork, sighing. She couldn’t forget her conversation with Meta Knight. It bothered her, knowing he didn’t have any peace, knowing he struggled, knowing he pretended to be strong but in reality was broken.
Kimora frowned at Carny. “Are you okay, sweetie? You’ve hardly eaten.”
“I’m fine,” Carny said, guilt shooting through her. Great, she thought with alarm, now even I’m lying!
Victor set down his coffee mug. “What’s the matter?” he asked.
Carny balanced her fork on the edge of her plate, watching it slowly sway rhythmically up and down. “I talked to Meta Knight today,” she said dully, “and it didn’t turn out at all like I thought it would.”
“Explain,” Kimora said, sitting beside her daughter.
Carny stared at the edge of the table for a few seconds, then looked up at her parents. “We went to Cowrie Stream and I used an analogy of a cowrie shell and the water to tell of how a person’s experiences can shape his thoughts and actions. I don’t know how it happened, but he got really uptight and slammed his hand into a tree, denting the bark, and he cried. I didn’t know what to make of it, so I just sat with him.”
Kimora and Victor pondered that for a moment. “Wow,” Kimora said at last. “Whatever was going on with him must have been pretty upsetting to make him behave like that. I’m proud of you for staying with him, Carny. That was a very brave thing to do.”
“I didn’t think it was brave,” Carny responded. “Just the right thing to do.”
“It was,” Kimora agreed. “You did right and you did well.”
Carny heaved an impatient sigh and picked up her fork, twirling it expertly between her fingers. “What are we going to do?” she blurted at last, slamming the fork down on the table, causing both of her parents to jump. “We have to help Meta Knight! He doesn’t have to carry his past alone, but yet he insists on it! Why is he so stubborn? He knows he can’t do this alone, but he continues to act as if he can!”
Victor put his hand on her arm to calm her down. “Whoa,” he said soothingly. “Slow down, Carny. You’re right; no one can hide such burdens for their whole life, much less lug them around. That’s why God gave us friends and family—so we could share the good, the bad, and the ugly with each other.” He lightly patted her hand, a swift, soft motion. “What’s the point of friends if you feel you can never confide in them about anything?”
“I. . .I guess you’re right,” Carny admitted, a catch in her voice. “But. . .I suppose it drives me crazy. I want to help, but I know there’s really nothing I can do, and yet I want to do something, you know? I feel like I can’t just stand around and wait for a breakthrough.”
“We all feel that way from time to time,” Victor said. “But if we try to rush God’s plan and do things in our own way and time, it won’t turn for the better, you know? That’s why it’s vital we lean on the Lord and His wisdom instead of our own finite, limited understanding.” He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Do you understand?”
Carny mulled over her father’s words for a moment, then nodded, a smile creeping across her face. She looked full into Victor’s eyes. “I understand,” she said.
* * * * *
“Hut, hut, hike! Go long, Yodi!” Zach hollered. He held a small red football in his hands, preparing to throw it. Yodi was in the defense, ready to catch the ball.
It was a bright Tuesday afternoon. and Cloudy and her siblings had just gotten home from school and had been playing in the front yard when Zach showed up with his football and asked if anyone wanted to participate in the game. Cloudy’s brothers and Star had jumped to action, ready to earn some goals. Cloudy, who didn’t care much for football, had politely asked to sit by and watch the game. She had more important things on her mind.
Yodi faked left and twisted around Sniper and Star, then leaped up and grabbed the foam ball in his teeth. He ran with it to the imaginary goalpost, drew back his head, and released the ball, throwing it up and over the goalpost. He sprinted over to the ball and caught it midair as it came down. Howling, he declared: “Yodi scores!”
“Nice throw!” Zach said, high-pawing Yodi.
“Thanks, Zach,” Yodi said with a wide grin.
Springtime and Scazzarda stood on the porch, smiling at the children. “Funny little kids,” Scazzarda commented. “Very playful.” She sighed wistfully. “I only wish everyone was like little children―innocent and free instead of acting tough and doing things that enslave them to sin. That kind of behavior just doesn’t help anything.”
“I wholeheartedly agree,” said Springtime, flicking an ear to ward off a horsefly.
Scazzarda smiled and brushed her hand through her silky hair. Then her eyes widened slightly and she quickly looked around, as if missing something or someone. Springtime noticed. “What are you looking for?” she asked.
“Where’s Magnus?” The woman stood up, an agitated expression on her worried face. “He came with on my way over here and now he’s gone.”
Springtime smiled a little at her friend’s look. “Scazzarda, you know Meta Knight vanishes without a word a lot, you know. You’ve never been concerned about it before. Why suddenly now?”
“After yesterday, I’m scared to let him out of my sight,” confessed Scazzarda.
Springtime’s face was a picture of blankness. “Um, what are you talking about?”
Scazzarda let out her breath in a sigh. “You know how I allowed Magnus to stay behind with Carny?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, from what he told me, Carny talked with him, and the conversation didn’t go so smoothly.” Scazzarda smoothed back her hair with the palm of her her hand, then began to relate the events of yesterday about which Meta Knight had told her. Springtime listened, her ears back against her head in disbelief, her face set.
“Now I understand why you’re so reluctant to let him out of your sigh,” she said when Scazzarda had finished, putting a paw on her friend’s arm. “But understand, Scazzarda, Meta Knight has to learn resolve his own problems before anyone else can help him carry the burdens of his past. And no one else truly can help him except God.” She set her bow straight, then continued, “I’m glad Carny stayed with him when he broke because that’s what a true friend should do. She knew he needed comfort, and she gave it to him.” She glanced thoughtfully at Cloudy, who sat near the fence, barking encouragement to Zach as he prepared to throw a spiral. “You know, Carny reminds me of Cloudy in many ways.”
Scazzarda gave a small nod. “I thought the same thing.”
Just then, a familiar car drove up in front of the house and parked at the side of the road. The driver’s side door opened and out climbed Kimora! On the passenger’s side of the car sat Carny.
“Kimora! Hi!” Springtime called warmly, waving to the woman. “Hello to you too, Carny!”
“Hi, Miss Springtime,” said Carny. “Where’s Meta Knight?” she asked Scazzarda.
Scazzarda shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Carny frowned and folded her arms, looking downcast.
Kimora placed an arm around her daughter’s shoulder. “She told us at dinner last night about hat happened yesterday between her and Meta Knight, and she’s concerned for him.”
“As am I,” Scazzarda murmured.
Cloudy’s ears perked up sharply and she swiveled her head in the direction of Whispy Woods. Everyone noticed her abrupt actions and followed her gaze. They waited and watched, tensely, carefully, uncertain as to what would emerge from the shadows of those dark trees.
A moment later, Meta Knight appeared, wrapped in his cape. “Hello to you all,” he said calmly.
Cloudy stared at him as if he were a ghost. “Where did you come from?” she asked in confusion. “How did you wander all the way over to the woods? We would have seen you.”
He didn’t reply for a moment. “I have my ways,” he said finally. Then he turned to Carny. “Greetings, Carny. We meet again.”
“Hi,” Carny said. She scuffed her foot nervously in the dirt. “Um, I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to apologize to you about yesterday. It was foolish of me to bring up triggering memories for you. . .”
“Carny,” Meta Knight said gently but firmly, “you did nothing wrong. It was all me. I lost control of myself and scared you. I really should learn to hold myself together more.”
Carny stared unblinkingly at him. “That’s not an adequate solution to your problems, though,” she said softly. “You need God.”
“Must I keep repeating the obvious?” Meta Knight said heatedly. “I do not believe in God!”
“Oh, yes, you do,” spoke up Cloudy.
All eyes turned to her. “Whatever do you mean, honey?” asked Springtime.
Cloudy set her lips in a tight line and looked pointedly at the soldier, who looked steadily back at her, a flash of orange illuminating his eyes. She continued to scowl at him, trying to get a telepathic message across. The others waited, watching, wondering.
“Uh,” said Star.
“This is getting a little scary,” Zach admitted.
“Yeah. It’s as scary as being in an abandoned house at night,” confessed Yodi.
“It’s not that terrifying,” Zach scoffed.
“Terrifying enough,” Yodi shot back.
After another minute, Kimora decided to break the silence. “Kids,” she said brightly, attempting to relieve the awkwardness of the moment, “um, today, the workers finished installing our brand-new stained-glass window. Now it’s a surprise, but we’ll allow you all a little sneak peek—that is, if you want to go.”
Zach shrugged. “Sure, that sounds cool,” he said, tucking his football into his pack.
“I’m in,” Star said.
“Radical!” all five of Cloudy’s brothers cheered in unison.
“Then let’s be off,” Kimora said, steering them towards the car.
“Be safe, children!” Springtime shouted as they hopped into the vehicle. Carny lingered a little with Meta Knight, though. “Are you gonna come too?” she asked him.
He shook his head. “I will stay behind.”
Carny sighed. She felt very disappointed. “All right,” she said as she trudged to the car and climbed inside. The door slammed shut and Kimora drove off in a cloud of dust and pollen. The knight looked after the car for a while, a slight slump to his usually proud form. Scazzarda cast her worried eyes upon her son and then threw her head back to the bright blue sky, running her fingers through her hair.
* * * * *
When Kimora arrived at the church, Victor was waiting for them. “Hey, fam!” he called cheerily, waving enthusiastically to them. “it’s been some time!”
“Pastor Lambe, it’s only been twenty-four hours,” Cloudy said with a short laugh, leaping out of the car and skidding a little on the smooth pavement, her nails scraping against the granite and gravel as she regained her balance.
Victor grinned. “That’s a long time, right? It’s been about, oh, 1,440 minutes since we last saw one another!”
Cloudy snorted. Zach chuckled as she walked up beside her. “It’s snice to see you again,” he told Victor.
“You as well, Zach,” said Victor, clapping a friendly hand on the boy’s shoulder.
The others climbed out of the car and stood beside Kimora and Carny. “All right!” Kimora said, clapping her hands for attention. “Everyone in single file and follow me! We go forth to see the new window, unrevealed window!”
Kimora led them inside the church. Cloudy sneezed from the dust and wood splinters itching her nose. The sunlight shone through a few empty squares where windows would be placed. And at the front of the church was the new window covered with a large gray cloth. Kimora led them onto the stage and lifted up a corner of the cloth. Cloudy gasped at sight of the window and Star whistled. “Wow,” whispered Zach. “That is beautiful.”
“It was handmade by my mother and sister,” Kimora said. “They had it flown over here from Leupochena.”
“They must be amazing stained-glass window designers, then,” Cloudy said, because I’ve never seen anything of finer, intricate art and style.”
Kimora smiled at the compliment. “I can make stained-glass windows too. Just not large ones like this here. I make smaller ones and sell them. Occasionally I’ll create a crystal flower or a lampshade.”
“You Lambes must be incredibly talented,” said Sharkell. “I have enough trouble making a toilet-paper net! The fact that you can make a lampshade is awesome!”
Kimora blinked at the mention of “toilet-paper net,” but she merely grinned and said, “Actually, my side of the family is known as the Nahads. My husband said his side, the Lambes, was never really talented at art and such.”
“So you two are polar opposites!” Sniper laughed. “Funny, since, you’re married.”
“Opposites attract,” Kimora quoted. She let the cloth drape over the window again. “Noe you must keep this a secret until Easter,” she warned. “I’m only letting you children see it because I trust you to keep a secret. And furthermore—”
From outside came the sound of a truck braking to a stop. The terrible screech made Cloudy wince and fold down her ears. Then the door opened and shut and a course, rough voice yelled out: “VICTOR! Where are you?!”
“Is that Ray Holder?” Waffle asked with a groan.
“None other,” Kimora sighed, suddenly looking like she had come down with a splitting headache. “Well, let’s go see what he wants.” She walked with the children back down the aisle and outside. Ray Holder was leaning against his truck, his arms crossed. He looked steamed.
“Uh-oh,” Sniper whispered in Zach’s ear. “That guy looks angry enough to fry chicken on his head.”
Zach covered his mouth to stifle his laughter. “Sniper! That’s terrible!”
“Then why are you laughing?” Sniper wondered.
“Because it’s so terrible it’s funny,” replied the boy.
Victor appeared from behind the church ad walked over to Holder. “Hi, Ray,” he said. “I was just checking on the foundation. It appears to be holding up well.” He frowned at Holder’s livid expression. “Is something the matter?”
“Is something the matter?” Holder repeated. “Of course something’s the matter! And I believe you’re the cause of it!”
Victor’s face showed plain confusion as Holder led him to the bed of his truck, where a large bundle wrapped in a black tarp was lying. Holder undid the twine that held the folds of the tarp together and threw back the plastic cloth, and Victor gasped.
“What?” Kimora asked, walking briskly over to her husband and looking down at the bundle. Her eyes widened. “Is that Vanessa?!”
Holder nodded angrily, his eyes flashing fire and brimstone. “Shot dead by a bullet,” he said simply, but his tone was enough to communicate what he was thinking.
Carny stared at Holder in astonishment and defense of her father. “You don’t believe Daddy did it!”
“Yeah,” Holder growled. “The day he went out hunting was the same day she was found dead. She wandered out of her paddock and ran away into the woods. Found her only last night. I figured it was you who committed this evil deed, Victor!”
Victor shook his head, his voice trembling a little as he answered, “I swear I didn’t shoot nay of your stock, Ray. I only shot squirrels and rabbits.”
“A likely story,” Holder sneered, digging into his pocket and bringing forth a small, dark-brown bullet. “The vet found this in Vanessa’s body.”
Cloudy squinted and studied it. It was a Cup-and-Core bullet, designed for shooting deer and other small animals. She walked over to Holder, lifted her head, and snuffed it carefully. After smelling it, her eyes became serious. “Pastor Lambe,” she said slowly and monotonously, “do you have your gun anywhere around?”
“It’s in the trunk of Kimora’s car,” he answered.
“Go get it, please,” the child requested.
Confused but willing, he went to the rear of the car and was back in a few seconds. He held out the rifle to Cloudy and she sniffed it. Her tail dropped and her ears wilted slightly. “Pastor Lambe,” she said gravely, “this is your bullet.”
Victor started. Kimora’s hand flew to her mouth. Carny looked at Victor in shock. “Daddy!” she cried out. “You killed Vanessa?!”
“N-No! I—I didn’t kill her! I swear! That’s just not possible!” Victor insisted. His eyes clouded with thought and he murmured, “Or—Or maybe I did. . .and didn’t realize it. . .”
“So!” Holder cried triumphantly. “You did kill my mare! That makes you liable!”
“If I did, I promise from the bottom of my heart it wasn’t on purpose!” Victor said. “Ray, you’ve got to believe me!”
“You’re just angry because I ranted against your dumb old church,” Ray accused, pointing a finger in Victor’s face. “And you decided to get even by killing my mare!”
“No!” Victor cried. “I would never do something that cruel!”
Holder paid no attention. A cunning smile snaked across his lips. “You have no proof you didn’t hit my mare on purpose,” he said coldly. “And there were no witnesses. Therefore, I could send you to jail if I wanted!”
Cloudy’s blood ran cold. Jail?! She couldn’t imagine Victor being confined to a cell! And if he were arrested, what would become of Kimora and Carny? How would they support themselves without Victor?
“No, oh, no!” Carny begged, clasping her hands. “Please don’t send Daddy to jail! Please!”
Holder smirked and rubbed his chin. “We-ell, maybe I could work out a deal with your old man.”
“What sort of deal?” asked Victor.
Holder folded his arms over his chest. “Since Vanessa was prized—worth about $60,000, I’d say—you, and you alone, must pay me that exact amount at the end of two weeks, starting today!”
“Two weeks?!” Cloudy exclaimed. “Have you lost it? They don’t have that kind of money! Most of what they did have went to building this church!”
Holder glared at her. “It’s either that or jail for him,” he sneered. “It’s his choice.”
Cloudy sighed in irritation and backed off, looking to Victor to see what his response would be. He seemed to be in deep distress. Kimora rested her hand on his shoulder, Carny beside her, her pretty eyes wide in anxiety. Holder waited, tapping his foot impatiently.
Finally, Victor heaved a sigh and looked Holder right in the eye. “I will have the money ready at the end of two weeks,” he said quietly.
“Done,” Holder said, turning on his heel and jumping back into his truck. The truck sped off with a roar and a cloud of dust. Cloudy sneezed and covered her nose with her paw.
Sniper stared after the retreating truck in disbelief. “I can’t believe you actually agreed to pay that guy, Pastor Lambe,” he said at last.
“I killed his mare, so now I have to pay the price,” Victor said. He turned and walked over to the church, resting his hand against the wall and bowing his head. Cloudy knew he was praying. She wanted to pray too but something inside her wouldn’t permit her to do it.
And she had no idea why.
“Who is that Holder guy?” Sniper asked for the fourth time as he, his friends, the Stellarums, and the Lambes explored the interior of the dusty church together.
Kimora Lambe heaved a sigh. “He’s quite a character around Spring Breeze,” she said. “He’s irritable and quarrelsome and is absolutely obsessed with taking his prize stock to fairs and such. He really irks me sometimes.” She smoothed back a lock of her pink hair and continued, “He met my husband twelve years ago. They talked together a lot and hung out, behaving as sinners do—drinking and smoking and so on. Then after my husband became a Christian, Ray became hostile toward him and began to get angry at him for believing in God. He stayed like that toward Victor for a long time. But after my husband paid the debt on Ray’s house because he couldn’t afford it himself, they agreed to help each other whenever they needed it. Ray’s held up to his end of the bargain, surprisingly, even though his dislike for Victor keep growing day by day.”
“So he helps Pastor Lambe because he’s obligated to?” Sharkell asked.
Kimora nodded. “Exactly.”
Cloudy figured that perhaps despite his grouchy attitude, Ray could be liked in a grudging sort of way. Still, she wondered how Pastor Lambe could put up with a guy like Holder for so many years. I guess only by God’s supernatural hand, she thought.
“Well,” Scazzarda said with a short laugh, “I hope we can convice Ray Holder of God’s love for him. After all, that’s what Easter is all about—God raising Jesus from the dead so we could live with Him in Heaven forever.”
“I pray we can show him that the narrow path is the only right way to go,” Victor finally spoke. He sighed heavily. “I suspect he might be so against Christ because of something that happened to him as a child.” Cloudy noted that Meta Knight tensed at that, and her ears went back slightly. Victor didn’t seem to notice, though. “Or maybe it was something else. I wish I knew, but I won’t poke my nose into his business. If he wants to tell us, he can. We’re always here for him.”
“Carny is always so kind to him,” Kimora said, glancing down fondly at her daughter. “Even if he doesn’t care for her much, she cares for him a lot. And that’s all I ask of her.”
“Sounds like Cloudy,” Waffle observed, throwing a glance over his shoulder at his sister. “Tons of people have been mean to her throughout her life, and she’s still loved them anyway. Few are like that these days.”
“Magnanimous she is,” Star said admiringly.
Victor smiled at Cloudy and bent to scratch her behind the ears. “I knew just by looking at you that you were indeed a rare girl.”
“She is, Daddy!” Carny chimed, dancing in excitement. “She’s the Prophesied One! She has the mark to prove it too!”
Victor looked startled for a brief moment. He gently lifted Cloudy’s right-front paw and gazed thoughtfully at the mark for the minute, then released her paw and stood up. “So she is,” he said slowly. “A warrior of courage and agape love. Rare you are, child.”
“Thank you,” Cloudy said, her eyes holding a somber look.
After walking in and out of the church for ten more minutes, Kimora declared their tour ended. “The workers still have a lot of construction to do around here, so we’d better leave the to do so.” She twisted her wedding ring on her finger. “But,: she said to Scazzarda, “if you want to, my husband and I can take you and the kids out to eat. You know, to celebrate being new friends.” She smiled a little tentatively. “I’d really like to get to know all of you better.”
Scazzarda considered a moment. Then a smile flashed across her face. “I’d love to.”
Victor frowned. “I was planning to go hunting after checking on the construction,” he reminded his wife.
Kimora’s face fell. “Oh, that’s right.”
“You hunt?” asked Cloudy.
“Occasionally,” said Victor. “I have permission, so don’t worry. And I don’t shoot a lot of animals, mostly squirrels—even deer when they’re in season.” He shrugged. “It’s a hobby.”
Carny had been standing aside from the others while her parents had bee talking. As she fidgeted, waiting for her father to finish his hunting talk, she looked off toward an old oak tree shading the church and saw Meta Knight standing underneath one of the branches, his cape wrapped around his body. Cary thought he seemed upset—probably because Holder had insulted him. Carny’s heart went out to the soldier. She hadn’t been with him two hours and already she knew a lot had gone wrong in his life. She could tell by his actions and the way he carried himself—like he wanted to prove he was okay but deep down he wasn’t.
Kimora shook her head regretfully. “I’m terribly sorry, Scazzarda,” she said, “It looks as though we won’t be able to go out now. I forgot my husband had made other plans for today.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine!” Scazzarda insisted. “We can go out to eat another time. But if you want, we can hang out at your house. I just need to drop the kids back at my friend Springtime’s.”
“Oh, you have a friend?” Kimora said, her eyes showing interest. Scazzarda bobbed her head. “Springtime, huh? That’s a beautiful name.”
“She’s my mother,” Cloudy said.
Kimora beamed. ‘How amazing! I’m sure she’s as lovely as her name is.” Then she paused a moment. She seemed to be thinking quite hard. “Well, since you’re on your way to your friend’s house, do you mind if Carny and I tag along? I can help bring some of the children back so you don’t get a ticket for breaking the law or anything.”
“I’d appreciate the help,” Scazzarda said warmly.
Meta Knight spoke just then. “If you will kindly excuse me, Mother, I would prefer to stay apart from the family for a time. I have much on my mind.”
Carny somehow felt she wouldn’t be able to leave Meta Knight by himself. Not when he was so bothered. She had to talk to him, let him know that Holder’s insults were not to be taken personally. But first. . .
“Mom,” Carny said just as Scazzarda was about to open her mouth, “um, i-is it okay if I skip the gathering at Cloudy’s home? I kinda want to stay out here for a little.”
Her mother gave her a level gaze, then looked at Meta Knight. Her eyes flicked back and forth between the two for a few seconds, but she finally focused all her attention on her daughter. “If you desire,” she said calmly, “but be careful.” Carny knew she wasn’t talking about personal safety, but rather personal conversation.
She nodded to say she understood. “I will, Mom.”
“All right. Then let’s go,” Kimora said, addressing herself to Scazzarda. Scazzarda called all the children except for Carny and piled them into the two cars. Kimora kissed her husband and handed him his rifle (which had been lying in the backseat of Kimora’s car) and wished him luck on his hunting. Then she climbed into her car, shut the door, stabbed her key into the ignition, and drove off, Scazzarda’s car clanking after her, jolting slightly as it bounced lightly over small bumps and tiny rocks and gravel. Carny waved to them until the vehicles disappeared over the hill.
“Well, I’ll catch you later, honey,” Victor said, hugging Carny. “Be good and don’t talk to strangers and steer clear of dangerous places.”
“Yes, Dad. Yeesh, I know what I’m doing,” Carny said, laughing and playfully pushing her father.
Her father winked at her. “I know you do. I’m just giving you a warning reminder.” He shouldered his rifle and set off toward the woods. Carny watched him until he was lost to view.
For a moment after her father was gone, Carny felt stuck. She had never been in this kind of situation before. She didn’t know what to do next, and yet she felt she ought to know. She pressed a finger to her cheek, thinking hard. Meta Knight remained nearby, watching her steadily—not creepily, but wonderingly.
Carny shut her eyes, a memory coming to her mind. She was five years old. A friend of hers was in distress because her kitty had died in a car accident. Little as she was, Carny had come to her, taken her hand, invited her for a walk in the woods, and they had talked about death and Heaven and how it was possible her friend could see her kitty again. Carny had never forgotten the happy look on her friend’s face as she skipped homeward, no longer sad about her kitty.
Carny opened her eyes and exhaled, walking over to Meta Knight as she did so. He looked down at her, his expression unmoving as she halted beside him.
“Are you all right?” asked Carny, sounding unsure about the question. Still, bravely, she pressed on. “You seem upset—distant, even.”
“I am fine, Carny. You need not concern yourself about me,” the soldier said a little coldly. But Carny noted he didn’t look her in the eye as he spoke—a sure sign of fibbing.
“Is it because Holder—called you a blueberry?” she softly said.
Meta Knight’s eyes glowed a burning red. Carny, suddenly frightened at his expression, drew back, her body tensed in fear. Meta Knight saw her terrified face and sighed deeply, relaxing his body, his eyes reverting back to yellow.
“Forgive me, dear,” he said. “I was not thinking properly for a moment. You are not to blame.” He shifted a little and released his cape, letting the soft fabric cascade over his shoulders. “I suppose Holder’s name-calling provoked a sensitive area in me.”
Carny studied him, wondering how he managed to dress up the emotional language of today’s world and make it sound as if being offended was no big deal to him. But of course, she saw past the surface. She knew it hurt him to be offended.
Carny reached out her hand and clasped his strong, gloved one in her nimble one. “Come with me,” she directed, tugging him gently toward the woods. Surprised but willing, he followed.
The two walked for a long time in silence, the sunlight flickering in patches on the ground. A few geese started a game of tag, dipping and rising and going round and round about the sky. It was dizzying to watch. Water insects skittered over puddles left from the last rain. The flowers stretched their petals to the sun, their leaves slightly curled, as if they were glad for the warmth. A squirrel darted onto a branch, chattering at a woodpecker, who ignored him, jabbing his beak into the rotting wood of a fallen oak in hopes of finding some breakfast.
And all the while, Meta Knight and Carny walked. But not one said a word. Not because they were afraid. Not because they didn’t desire to.
They were waiting for the right time.
* * * * *
And then, the right time came. It was beside a small stream that Carny named Cowrie Stream because of the many tiny cowrie shells buried deep in the silt. Their pearly surfaces had been smoothed by the water.
Carny and Meta Knight sat at the edge of the stream together. Carny dipped her hand into the cool water and scooped up some water, letting it trickle between her fingers. Meta Knight didn’t stir.
At length, Carny dried her hand on her dress skirt and looked at the soldier. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” she inquired absentmindedly, not really expecting him to answer.
“Very pretty,” he agreed, looking to the sky. “it is on days like these when I find it easy to get away from my problems.” His voice suddenly faltered and he stopped speaking, as though he had said something he wasn’t supposed to. Carny shot him a funny look.
“What do you mean by that?” she asked.
He remained silent, feeling as though he ought to tell her the truth about his life. On the other hand, he didn’t feel comfortable. He couldn’t do it, not yet. His fist involuntarily clenched. “It. . .is nothing,” he replied at last.
Carny didn’t take her eyes away from his face. Her gaze was searching and yet kind. But he didn’t look at her. He was afraid to. And he didn’t know why.
Carny looked back at the stream. Then she stood up and waded into the water, kneeling to dig a cowrie out of the loose, sandy soil. She rinsed it well in the stream and sloshed back to shore, sitting down beside Meta Knight again. “What is this?” she asked, extending the cowrie on her palm.
Astounded by the question, he answered, “It is a cowrie shell.”
“Correct,” she said. “And do you know how it got so smooth?”
“The water washing over it carved away the rough areas,” he said.
“That’s right,” she said, sounding more like a teacher than a seven-year-old girl. “That’s how it came to be as it is. The water made it the way it is.”
Meta Knight nodded. “What is your point?”
Carny turned the shell in her hands, her purple eyes darkening. “The cowrie represents each person,” she said. “The water represents the storms and experiences of life we go through. It was our experiences and lessons we learned along life’s slippery, rocky, uneven path that made us who we are today.” She raised her head and frowned a little, pressing the shell into his hands. Then to his surprise, she took both his hands in hers. “In the same way, your life is what’s made you so introverted and stoic.”
Meta Knight looked down. He couldn’t bear to look in her the eye, especially because he knew she was right. Howe did she know so much about him, despite the fact that she barely knew him. That sounded very familiar to him. . . .But why?
Then he knew. The answer hit him like a brock and shocked him beyond measure, and he gave a low gasp. Cloudy. Carny talked and acted just like Cloudy!
A flashback shot through Meta Knight’s mind. He was a child, a fifteen-year-old boy, cowering against the wall of his small cabin, staring up at a hooded figure, his eyes filled with dread. His little sister, Tourmaline, stood nearby with Scazzarda, terror-struck. The hooded figure raised a long, sharp rod, the gleaming edge of a whip swung at his face, and all went black.
The dark picture flipped to him standing in a kitchen with his ex-wife, yelling at her. She was yelling back at him, trying to appear defiant, but her eyes held a trace of fear. A little girl, a near twin of her mother, stared in confusion at the two. They paid her no mind.
The next scene was of the same woman, days later, after a violent verbal argument, throwing her wedding rings on the floor and storming out of the cabin, slamming the door. The rings lay untouched on the floor for hours until, finally, he picked them up. When he did, he wept, knowing their marriage was lost. The woman never came back.
The last scene was of something he had experienced very recently―waking up from a horrible nightmare. He remembered all too well the tears running down his face, the anxiety and uncontrollable shaking he endured, the past he had tried so hard to run from.
Meta Knight gasped and jerked his hands feet from Carny’s hold, standing up quickly. He stared at her, breathing heavily. Carny remained where she was, rooted to the spot, gazing wide-eyed at him, a light breeze tousling her hair.
“Are you okay?” she asked gently.
He didn’t answer. He placed his hand on his chest, trying to slow his breathing. His gaze turned to the calm stream, a sharp contrast to his tumultuous thoughts and the turmoil he wrestled with. A small turtle blinked a lazy eye at him and plopped into the water, out of sight. A garter snake swung down out of a tree, flicked its tongue at him, and coiled back on itself, slithering away among the tangled underbrush and mossy rocks.
Carny stood up, her dress stained with spots of mud and bits of grass, he face showing a bit of a strain, possibly due to worry. “Sir Meta Knight,” she repeated almost vehemently, “are you okay?”
He looked at her, his breath hitching for a brief second. Suddenly he felt something sharp press into his palm. With a low hiss of pain, he looked down at his hand and saw that in his agitation he was squeezing the shell so hard a sharp point at the base was digging into his skin. Blood stained his glove and trickled down his wrist. He dropped the shell to the sand, beginning to tremble all over.
“Meta Knight,” Carny softly repeated, taking a step forward.
He stared at her.
“What are you doing?” she asked plainly, sounding almost angry.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry, Carny. You shouldn’t have become a part of my problems. I didn’t want to do this to you. . .I did it anyway.”
Carny eyed him the way a mother would a little child and walked up to him, standing a few feet away. “What are you talking about?” she wondered.
Meta Knight knew the time had come to tell her the truth. He couldn’t hide it. “I was abused, Carny,” he said at least, voice breaking. Carny gasped. “Nightmare did it―he’s my father. I―I hate him for that―and I hate myself. I carried all of my pain for years, never knowing what to do―I still don’t, in truth.” Suddenly feeling a surge of fury, he struck his fist against a tree. The bark cracked and a small dent showed where he had punched it. Carny’s mouth hung agape, her muscles tensed.
The soldier lowered his head and sank to the ground. Carny caught his hand as he went down, sitting beside him, leaning her head against his shoulder as he cried softly. She looked out at the bluish-silvery water, the tiny minnows zipping about, their tails flicking and flashing in the sunlight. Then she began to sing:
“What do you do when the sun goes down?
What do you do when you crash to the ground?
How do you know the right road to take?
How do you know the best option to make?
Rise again, rise again,
Release your fear on wings of wind
Let’s God’s peace in you settle in
Rise again, rise again.”
Thus Carny sang. When she finished, she felt Meta Knight’s hand tighten slightly on hers. She smiled at him and hugged him, and he returned the embrace.
* * * * *
Springtime grinned as the children Scazzarda, and Kimora climbed out of the car. “Hi, everyone!” she called. “I see you brought a friend!”
“This is Kimora Lambe,” Scazzarda explained. “She’s married to Victor Lambe, future pastor of Hallowed Father Church.”
“She also had a daughter named Carny,” Cloudy said, “but she stayed behind with Meta Knight. Pastor Lambe went off to hunt.”
“I see,” Springtime said quietly. “Well,” she added cheerily, “do come in and make yourself at home, Kimora! It is very nice to meet new friends!”
“Thank you,” Kimora said, mounting the porch steps. “I can see where your daughter Cloudy gets her kind spirit, You’ve raised her so well.”
Springtime chuckled. “I just do my job,” she said, brushing off the compliment.
“Then you’re doing it well,” said Kimora. “Many mothers today don’t care enough to raise their kids properly. But you do. And that’s remarkable.”
“She’s the best mommy ever!” Star exclaimed, snuggling up to Springtime.
Springtime giggled. “if you say so.” She cleared her throat. “Noe come! Let us get to know each other better over some cold lemonade, shall we?”
* * * * *
Victor fingered his rifle as he tramped through a deserted area of Whispy Woods. He kept his eyes peeled for squirrels or birds―even rabbits. But not a single animal was in sight.
A rustle to his right made him freeze. He quickly loaded his rifle and raised it to his shoulder, ready to fire, What came out of the bushes was a small brown squirrel. He reacted fast and fired a few shots at it, one of the shots missing their mark and ricocheting off a tree, flying away into a deeper part of the woods. The stray bullet smacked right into the head of a large brown form and it fell to the ground with a thud. Curiously, the pastor didn’t seem to notice or hear the sound.
“Finally,” he said with satisfaction, picking up the rabbit and stowing it in a canvas bag he held. He slung both the rifle and the bag over his shoulder and set off toward another part of the woods.
The sun beamed brightly down on the wide pasture as a small black and white puppy carefully scouted around the front of her three-story house, her thick tail stiff with excitement, her green eyes sparkling with mischief and wonderment, her sharp ears pricked. Her gaze slowly traveled around the area and landed on the rosebushes in front of the house. With a grin, she trotted over to one of the bushes, stuck her nose into the foliage, and shouted, “One-two-three on Eloise!”
“Aw, man!” the girl complained, standing to her feet and brushing a few rose petals out of her blond hair. “You did it again, Cloudy! I thought for sure this time you wouldn’t find me!”
“Wouldn’t find you?” Cloudy giggled. “Never let such a thing go to your head. I’m a dog, and dogs have excellent smelling and hearing senses, you know.”
“I know,” Eloise responded, giving the Malamute a playful swat on the shoulder. “Now let’s find everyone else.”
Just then, Cloudy’s keen ears picked up a rustling sound from the garden. Her eyes narrowed slightly and a smile began to form on her face. “I think that’s your sister,” she whispered to Eloise, who nodded silently in agreement.
“Let’s sneak up on her,” Eloise giggled softly.
“Okay,” Cloudy murmured.
Silent as a cat stalking a mouse, the two sneaked over to the garden gate and peered into the thin spaces between the wide boards. Cloudy caught a flash of light on a few strands of blond hair. “That’s Nika,” Cloudy mouthed.
“On my signal. . .” Eloise held up three fingers, then two, then one. With a nod to one another, they threw open the gate and exploded into the garden, leaping in front of Nika cowering behind the fence and yelling “Gotcha!”
“Ahh!” Nika screamed, startled. Her face turned ashen white in fear until she realized who it was. A sigh of relief escaped her. “Cloudy! Eloise! Thank goodness it’s only you!”
“One-two-three on you!” both sang together.
The eight-year-old crossed her arms, a trace of a childish pout on her face. “Okay, you got me.” Then a grin split her face. “But I bet you cannot guess where Zach is.”
“In the tire swing?” Cloudy inquired nonchalantly, her eyes roaming absently around the garden.
“Ugh, how’d you know?” the nine-year-old boy complained, slipping out of the swing and to the ground. “I thought for sure no one could see me!”
“I couldn’t see you,” Cloudy said.
Zach looked confused. “Then how did you know where I was?”
Cloudy smiled mysteriously, her eyes twinkling. “Hey, we’re missing someone,” she suddenly said, glancing quickly about. “Where’s Sniper?”
Nika’s eyes wandered to the drainpipe behind Cloudy and her eyes widened. A grin spread across her face as if the air itself was going to tell a joke. She covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, then cleared her throat. “Can I guess?” she politely said, raising her hand as though she were in school.
“You may,” Eloise said, looking a bit puzzled as to why her twin was grinning like a maniac.
Nika pointed her finger toward the drainpipe, snickering, her body quivering with uncontrollable laughter. Eloise looked where she was pointing and her mouth dropped open in disbelief. Sniper was hanging from a rope tied to the top of the drainpipe, sleeping like a baby, his mouth slightly open, snoring. Drool was sliding down his face and dripping onto the ground.
“What the!” Cloudy exclaimed, staring at her eldest brother’s ridiculous sleeping face. She slapped her forehead with her paw. “Oh, brother. This is so embarrassing. If this gets around town, I’ll be the laughing stock of Spring Breeze because my annoying brother looks dumb snoozing like a newborn baby.”
Eloise pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the funny scene. “Yeah, maybe they would. Say,” she added with a wicked grin, “I wonder if I could get this picture printed out and stick it on your school bulletin board, Cloudy?”
Cloudy’s eyes grew large. “Eloise, you wouldn’t!”
“Of course she wouldn’t,” Zach quickly answered, shooting Eloise a murderous glare. “None of us would do such a thing. We’re your friends, and true friends would never try to humiliate one another.”
“And you all are certainly my true friends,” Cloudy said with a soft smile.
At that moment, Sniper opened his eyes. He blinked wearily, looking blearily around at his friend and youngest sister. Then he looked down at the puddle of drool on the ground, the rope that was looped around his chest, and his friends looking as though they couldn’t contain their laughter for five more seconds. “Where am I?” he inquired.
“Er, well,” Nika began, her voice strained, “apparently our Hide-and-Seek game took longer than expected and you fell asleep. And well, let’s just say you looked pretty silly sleeping while dangling in the air.” The memory was too much for her, and she burst into hysterical laughter, falling to the ground.
“What are you talking about?” Sniper said in a growly tone.
Eloise held up her phone and Sniper’s jaw dropped upon seeing the photo. “N-No way is that me!”
“Oh, yes, it’s you,” Cloudy said, a smirk crossing her face. “And a few minutes ago,” she continued, with a wink at Eloise, “we were talking about putting this picture on the school bulletin board so everyone can see it. Weren’t we , Eloise?”
Eloise caught on. “Yes, indeed,” she nodded.
Sniper gasped with horror. “You can’t do that!” he cried. “Everyone will make fun of me and laugh at me forever!”
Cloudy scratched at her ear, pretending to be in deep thinking mode. “Hmmm,” she said. A mischievous look came across her face. “Okay, then. Maybe we won’t embarrass you in front of everyone. . .that is, on a certain condition.”
“What? I’ll do anything!” Sniper said, his eyes determined.
“You must promise not to bother any of us anymore,” Cloudy said, “and to always tell us the truth about everything. That means if I ask you if you cleaned your room—”
“Okay, okay! I get it! I promise! No more annoying and nothing but the truth!” Sniper said, raising his right paw. “I swear!”
“Ohh, so nothing but the truth, huh?” Eloise said, rubbing her hands together. Cloudy had to restrain a snicker at her impish expression. “Then tell me, Sniper—is it true that you’re in love with Lily?”
An embarrassed look flashed across Sniper’s face. “Um, well. . .”
Cloudy burst into laughter. Zach grinned at her and then at Eloise, who high-fived him. “Oh, Sniper, you should have seen your face!” cackled Nika, slapping Zach’s arm.
Sniper snorted, trying to appear as if he didn’t care. “Can you just get me down now?” he pointedly inquired.
Eloise obliged and in seconds Sniper was standing on the ground,. He shook out his rumpled fur and scowled up at his friends, but there was a hint of a smile on his face.
“Children!” came the familiar call of Cloudy’s mother, Springtime, from the front porch. The children hurried out of the garden and around the side of the house. Springtime seemed a bit worried until she spotted them running toward her from the direction of the garden. A relieved smile passed over her features. “Oh, there you are. I thought maybe you left the yard.”
“No way!” Zach burst out. “Why would we do something so idiotic?”
Springtime shrugged, seeming a bit apologetic. “I don’t know. I’m sorry. I just want to make sure you’re safe. I am responsible for you all, you know.”
“We know, and don’t worry. We’re all just fine,” Eloise said, trying to suppress a giggle. Nika snickered and Zach smiled widely. Springtime raised an eyebrow, wondering at their contained laughter, but wisely asked no questions.
The other children ran up just then, waving joyfully and shouting. Arrow, a gray Siberian puppy, walked next to Cloudy and asked, “So I take it you found everyone?”
“That we did,” Cloudy said, smirking, “and the last one we discovered in a most enlightening way.”
Sniper blushed a little. “Give me a break.”
At that moment, the familiar sound of an engine drifted toward their ears. But Cloudy knew that was no ordinary car, no everyday automobile passing by on the busy street that separated her house and her elementary school. It belonged to Scazzarda Stellarum, friend of Springtime’s and mother of Meta Knight, mentor and friend to Cloudy.
Sure enough, a gray car pulled up by the fence and a blond-haired humanoid woman climbed out, her field-green eyes glowing in the sun’s rays. A masked figure with a navy-blue cape and gray pauldrons too climbed out of the car and stood beside his mother as she locked the car. Cloudy barked a welcome greeting and mother and son turned.
Scazzarda’s eyes lit up upon seeing the puppy. “Cloudy!” she warmly called. She opened the gate and walked into the pasture. The knight, on the other hand, barreled the fence easily, as he was a warrior and was used to doing all sorts of stunts.
Cloudy yipped happily and ran over to her mentor, doing a rough-and-tumble right into him and knocking him flat on his back. A startled exclamation escaped him as he fell down. “Cloudburst, what are you doing?”
“Yay! Sir Meta Knight!” the child cried delightedly, licking his hand in delight. “You’re back! It’s been a while. I thought you would come to visit sooner than that!”
“It’s been only three weeks or so since I visited, but I have had to help my daughter with her new baby, as well as Mother with the housework,” Meta Knight said softly. “I have been busy.”
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t know,” Cloudy said hurriedly. She lightly scraped her claws across the dirt.
“Scazzarda!” Springtime’s cheerful voice rang out with joy. “Welcome! It’s been some time! How have you been? And why have you come here?”
“I’ve been wonderful,” Scazzarda said, embracing her friend. “As a matter of fact, I came over here to see if the children would like to drive over with me to look at the new church. It’s almost done; they just have to put the roof on and finish the painting.”
“I understand they’ve been working on that project since January,” Springtime said. “Most buildings don’t get finished in so short a time.”
“The workers are very diligent,” Scazzarda said. She glanced around at the wide, excited eyes of the curious children standing around. “So, you kids want to go?”
“Yeah!” they all chorused.
“It’s so hard to believe we’re gonna get to go to church soon!” Arrow said. “And the great part is, the very first service we’ll be attending is the Easter service!”
This was going to be Cloudy’s second Easter, but she couldn’t remember much from her first one because she had been so little then. However, her mother had told her much about her first Easter and why they celebrated that special holiday.
“Easter is my favorite holiday, next to Christmas!” Star, Cloudy’s older sister, said. “I can’t wait to hide eggs, eat chocolate, and play with the adorable baby bunnies! It’s sure to be a great time!”
“Yes, honey, but always remember that Jesus’ resurrection is the reason for Easter,” Springtime gently reminded her daughter.
“Okay, if we want to go, let’s move!” Scazzarda said, clapping her hands for attention. “Let’s get this show on the road and go see that church!”
The children and Meta Knight jumped into the car and buckled up, all squeezing together. Sometimes two puppies sat in one seat. “I hope I won’t get a ticket for this,” Scazzarda said worriedly as she put the car in drive and turned around.
As Scazzarda drove, Cloudy glanced briefly out at the passing fields and houses and neighbors. Then she thought about her life and family.
Cloudy had five brothers—Sniper, Sharkell, Yodi, Pancake, and Waffle—who could be mannerly and kind if they really wanted to be. More often than not, though, they teamed up to play pranks and wreak havoc and generally cause all sorts of bad things to occur. They were Siberians, and like their father, had brown eyes and brown and white fur.
Star was a gray and white Siberian with sapphire-blue eyes that seemed to see deep into the soul of even the objects that had no soul. She was charming and lively, but could sometimes be snippy and hurtful with her words.
Springtime, the stay-at-home, Christian mom, taught her children to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind, body, and strength. She cooked, she cleaned, she loved, she edified, she taught, and she reached out. She was truly a rare example of the Proverbs 31 woman.
Showerstorm was an author/bank worker who occasionally submitted short stories or poems to The Dreamland Times. He was quiet and meditative and enjoyed studying God’s Word. He supported his children, wife, friends, and coworkers through thick and thin.
And Cloudy herself was what others called the Prophesied One. She was titled that for a specific reason, and the reason was simple: She was the Star Warrior who would save Dreamland from Nightmare’s tyrannical grip of death and hatred. Over a hundred years ago, Photron, ruler of Planet Popstar and the forger of Galaxia, prophesied that a Star Warrior bearing a diamond mark on her paw would be born. Cloudy bore that mark and thus was known to be the Prophesied One. Cloudy was strong, spirited, and brave, and she showed potential and status as a growing warrior, thanks to Meta Knight.
Cloudy also had a rare gift she had discovered last year while conversing with her new friend, Jacob Osen, while in Leupochena. She, her parents, and a few friends had come to Leupochena to visit her aunt’s friends, the Mestereins, for Christmas. While flying, Cloudy had had a strange “dream” which forewarned her of a crashing. The plane had indeed crashed and the pilot was killed, and Cloudy learned from Jacob the next day that she had a light form of ESP. While it was odd to think of herself as being weakly psychic, Cloudy accepted the gift as part of who she was.
Cloudy looked thoughtfully out the car window as she wondered what her future held.
* * * * *
“Here we are,” Scazzarda said, braking the car to a stop and gesturing to the half-finished building sitting neatly on a large patch of grass and wildflowers. “Hallowed Father Church. . .or at least part of it.”
“It looks weird unfinished,” Star commented, looking at the skeleton woodwork and rough scrawls on the paneling. “It looks more like an abandoned building than a half-completed church.”
“Yeah, I know. But trust me,” Scazzarda said, opening the door and stepping out, “once they get it done, you won’t even be able to tell it was once an odd-looking, unpainted structure.” She slammed the driver’s door shut.
Eloise opened both backseat doors and the children leaped out. “Wow, neat!” Sniper said, staring in awe at the pile of stacked wooden boards. “Hey, Yodi! Check this out! This is like a playground!”
“Except you’re not allowed to play on it,” Cloudy muttered under her breath, hoping her brother wouldn’t get ideas. Aloud she called, “Why don’t we all ask if we can look at the interior of the church?”
“Okay, but who are we gonna ask?” Zach asked with a shrug. The place seemed deserted but for a few workers.
“I don’t know. Why don’t we see if we can find someone who will let us in?” Cloudy began to walk off toward the church, and the others, after exchanging brief glances, followed.
Cloudy sniffed the woodwork and the carvings on the red bricks lining the underside of the unpainted windowsills. She smiled upon seeing a carving of a cross with Jesus hanging upon it. Another carving showed an empty tomb, and a third displayed Jesus ascending to heaven, with his disciples staring upward in fascination.
As she rounded a corner, ready to hunt for more interesting sights around the site, she was startled to come face to face with a young pink-skinned girl with purple eyes sitting on a wooden board lying on the ground behind the church. Cloudy’s eyes widened and her ears went back slightly in alarm. The girl gasped and jumped to her feet upon seeing the puppy, neither making a sound. They merely stared, as if trying to deduce who the other was.
“Who are you?” the little girl demanded after a minute or two of silence and staring. Her voice was not one of harshness or rudeness, but the manner of politeness and habit.
It was a moment before Cloudy could find her voice. “Cloudy,” she said at last. “And you are?”
“Carny.” The girl smiled, her surprised look replaced by one of friendliness. “Carny Lambe.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Carny,” Cloudy said, smiling tentatively. She glanced around. “Are you alone?”
“No, my dad’s here too. I think he’s with my mom around the other side of the church,” Carny explained. “They were checking the foundation of the red bricks. I was hanging out here waiting for them to get back.” She grinned. ” Sometimes when I’m bored, I like to pretend I’m a superhero or a warrior fighting to save the day!”
She dramatically pumped a fist in the air, then positioned her stance to look heroic. Cloudy laughed.
“So what do you do on your spare time, Cloudy?” Carny asked, plopping down beside Cloudy and folding her hands. “Pretend to rescue someone? Play swordfighting?”
“Actually, I do do those things, but it’s not pretend,” Cloudy said. At Carny’s puzzled frown, she held up her left-front paw. The girl’s eyes grew as big as paper plates and she gasped in awe.
“So you must be the Prophesied One!” Carny said in a stage whisper. She looked ready to squeal from pure excitement. “I am so pleased to meet you!”
“Nice to meet you too,” Cloudy said, extending her paw. Carny shook it eagerly. “And I’d like to meet your parents. Who are they?”
“Kimora and Victor Lambe. My dad’s the future pastor of this church,” Carny said.
Cloudy blinked in disbelief, shocked at what she had just heard. “Wait, what?! You mean. . .your father is going to be the pastor of this church?!”
“I know, it’s exciting!” Carny said, clapping her hands and giggling a little. “This is sure to be the greatest Easter ever!”
“Cloudy!” Eloise called, darting around the back of the church. “What are you doing back here for so long! We’ve been. . .” Her voice trailed off upon seeing Carny and Cloudy together. Carny’s brow furrowed and she raised an eyebrow at the newcomer, casting a questioning look at Cloudy,
“It’s okay,” Cloudy said reassuringly. “This is Eloise, one of my best friends. Eloise, meet Carny Lambe. She’s the daughter of our future pastor.”
“Oh.” Eloise hesitated a second, then shook hands with Carny. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Carny.”
Carny smiled. “You too.”
“Eloise!” Nika yelled, tearing over to her sister and accidentally knocking her off-balance. The twins tumbled to the ground.
“Ouch!” Eloise hissed, rubbing the scrape on her elbow.
“Incoming!” Sniper cried, racing by Cloudy and Carny and tripping over Eloise’s prostrate form. Yodi, right behind him, fell over his older brother and crashed to the earth. Then the rest of Cloudy’s friends appeared, shouting and shrieking. Carny stared, dumbfounded, at the vast array of humanoids and puppies leaping around and falling over each other. Cloudy just rolled her eyes and told Carny the names of the rest of the kids.
“Hey, children!” Scazzarda called, attempting to restore order. “Children, behave yourselves! We’re in a public place. Please, let’s be orderly and respectful to all who are here, okay?”
“Oh, we’re sorry,” Zach panted, standing to his feet and brushing the dirt off his clothes. “We were just caught up in the moment, I suppose.”
Meta Knight appeared beside his mother, quiet as usual, observing as always.
Carny smiled at Scazzarda and Meta Knight. “Hello. Who are you two?”
“My name is Scazzarda Stellarum. This is my son, Magnus,” Scazzarda said kindly. “But for personal reasons, he wishes to be called Meta Knight.”
“I’m Carny. Carny Lambe.” The girl shook hands with Scazzarda. “I’m the pastor’s daughter.”
“How nice!” Scazzarda said, beaming a smile. “Um, where is your father, dear?”
“He’s at the other side of the church with my mom,” Carny said. “Do you wish to see them on a certain matter?”
“I do.”
“Then just walk around that way. You’ll find them,” Carny said, pointing to the right.
“Thank you.” Scazzarda smiled thankfully at Carny and walked off, Meta Knight following behind.
Eloise grinned at Carny. “How old are you, Carny?”
“I’m seven!” Carny said, tossing back her hair. “What about you?”
“Eight. Zach’s nine,” said Eloise. “The puppies are all over a year old.”
“Neat! We should be friends!” Carny did an excellent pirouette, her pink hair flying wildly in the breeze. Then she stopped, suddenly looking sober. “I don’t have any friends yet. We just moved to the parsonage a month ago.”
“Well, we’ll be your friends,” Star said, furiously wagging her tail.
Carny smiled a little. “You really want to be friends with me?”
“Why not? You’re nice and we like you!” Nika said, draping her arm over Carny’s shoulder. “Of course you can be our friend! We would love to hang with you sometime!”
“What school do you go to?” Sharkell asked.
“I’m homeschooled,” Carny said, brushing a leaf off her dress. “Mommy is scared to death to let me go to public school. She thinks it’s safer to teach me at home. I guess I agree with her, but I’ve never been in a public school before. If I could visit a real public school, perhaps I’d understand why she’s so against putting me in it.”
“Yeah, well, we go to public school, and trust me, it’s not that great, so be glad you’re homeschooled,” Nika said. “Our mom was talking to my dad this morning at breakfast about maybe homeschooling us next school year.”
“Yeah. I’d much rather prefer to be homeschooled,” Nika admitted. “I mean, my friends are nice and all, but some of my teachers. . .well, they just don’t really try hard to properly teach us.”
Before Carny could answer, everyone heard a truck pull up in front of the church and brake to a stop. The engine shut off and the door opened, and a man’s brusque voice could be heard yelling: “Victor! Where are you?!”
“Ugh,” Yodi complained. “Who the heck is that dude shrieking?”
Carny looked none too pleased. “That’s Raymond Holder. He’s a farmer who raises prize animals. He lives in the western area of Spring Breeze. Sometimes he helps my dad with yard work and my dad helps him with farm work. However, he’s not at all friendly, and he hates anything to do with God or church or the Bible.”
“Yikes. Does that mean he doesn’t like your dad, either?” said Star, her eyes suddenly showing worry.
“I don’t know,” Carny said. “They don’t see themselves as close friends, but they’ll help each other if need be. You know?”
“Yeah, I think I do,” Star replied. The truck door slammed shut and the kids could hear heavily booted feet moving toward the front doors. Star detected Holder muttering something under his breath, but she couldn’t make out what it was.
Carny stood up. “Let’s go meet Mr. Holder and direct him to my dad. He doesn’t sound as if he’s in a really great mood.” She led the way around to the front of the church and met up with Holder, who looked ready to let off some steam.
“Oh, hello, Mr. Holder,” Carny politely greeted him. “Are you looking for my dad?”
“Yes, I am!” Holder said firmly. His eyes locked on the children behind Carny and his brows drew down. “Who are these, Carny?”
“Oh, they’re my new friends,” Carny said cheerfully. “Everyone, this is Ray Holder.”
The children smiled and called out greetings.
“Hi,” Holder said curtly, barely nodding in their direction. Then he returned his attention to Carny. “Young lady, get me to your father at once. I don’t have time to waste standing around here all day.”
Cloudy’s mouth fell open as Carny led Mr. Holder toward the other side of the church. “Okay, that was really rude,” she whispered.
“No kidding. His momma must not have cared that he flunked manners school,” Pancake muttered.
“Aw, come on, guys. He probably isn’t as bad as he seems,” Zach said. “Maybe we just need to get through to him. Perhaps he hasn’t had a lot of love and kindness shown toward him throughout his life. Maybe it’s up to us to change his attitude. And that starts with being Christlike!”
“Yeah!” “Amen!” “Zach’s right!” “Speak the truth!” several voices clamored.
Cloudy stepped to the front of the group, a determined glint in her eye. “Then let’s do this,” she said, flashing her pearly fangs.
* * * * *
Victor looked up briefly from pointing out to his wife how solid the red bricks were to see Carny leading Ray Holder toward him. “Howdy, Ray,” he said, calmly, straightening up. “What do you need?”
“I came over to here to collect my money from that job I did for you the other day,” Ray said in a completely no-nonsense tone.
“Oh, of course. I’m terribly sorry,” Victor apologized. “I completely forgot.” He pulled out his wallet and counted some bills, laying them in Holder’s hand.
“Thanks,” Ray said, not sounding at all like he meant it. He stashed the bills in his pocket. Then his eyes locked on Scazzarda and Meta Knight, who were standing behind Pastor Lambe and his wife. “Who are you two?”
“I am Scazzarda Stellarum,” Scazzarda said cooly. “This is Magnus, my son, but for reasons he does not wish to address, he wants to be known simply as Meta Knight.”
“Hmph, so you’ve got a blueberry for a son,” said Holder with a snort. “Real nice. Though I think he’d be of much better use in the winepress.”
“Hey!” Eloise said angrily, putting her hands on her hips. “That’s not nice!”
“Who says it has to be?” Holder returned. “The truth ain’t always pretty, girly.”
Nika placed her hand on her twin’s arm. “Please don’t say anything, Eloise,” she quietly begged.
Zach, trying to act on his determination from earlier, said in a tone of forced politeness, “So Mr. Holder, are you going to be attending the Easter service with the rest of us?”
“Me?” Holder laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous. I wouldn’t set foot in that church even if you begged me to. It’s a waste of time to sit around reading stupid fairy tales from that idiotic Book. I don’t want anything to do with that religion.”
Sharkell gasped. Yodi’s eyes narrowed sharply into slits.
“Why do you think such a thing, Mr. Holder?” Zach said.
“Because of what I’ve been taught, that’s why.” Holder stormed away from them without waiting for a reply. Then all of a sudden, he halted and spun on his heel to face the group. “And Victor, if I were you, I’d consider halting the construction of this useless building! It’ll serve no purpose at all except to get Christian fanatics to study a bunch of crazy mythology!” He stomped back to his truck, climbed, and drove away, squealing his tires as he did so.
Cloudy blinked in confusion and shook her head to clear her mind. It seemed like this Easter was going to be challenged by a quarrelsome farmer.
“Why are we going to Cloudy’s house again?” Liloy asked her father as they trekked through a tumult of grass and reeds. She clutched Comery closer to her as the ground became more treacherous. Meta Knight could see the three-story house up ahead, its shiny paint glistening in the blinding sunshine.
“Cloudy told me she and her family had a surprise for us,” he explained. “But I do not know what it is.”
“Heh, maybe she’s going to give us a scare,” Liloy giggled. Then a yelp of alarm broke from her as she nearly tripped over a large stone sitting on the ground. Meta Knight reacted quickly and caught her arm. “Are you okay?” he asked, frightened.
“I’m fine. Just a little shaken.” Liloy smiled gratefully at him. “I’ll watch my step next time.”
“I know you will.” The two shared a good laugh and then moved on, picking their way over stones and roots.
* * * * *
“Oh, oh, oh,” Sniper said in a hushed whisper as he peered through the garden lattice, his ears pricked. “Alert, alert. Everyone to your battle stations! The enemy is approaching the house.”
“Oh, Sniper,” nine-year-old Zach sighed. “Do you mean Meta Knight and Liloy?”
Sniper nodded.
“Is Comery with them?” Eloise inquired. Nika, her twin, was beside her, trying to fix a twisted streamer.
“Erm. . .” Sniper squinted against the sunlight, peering at father and daughter for a moment. Then he nodded again. “Yeah, Comery’s there. Man alive, is he ever so tiny!”
“Of course he is. He’s only a few days old,” Springtime whispered from her hiding place under the picnic table.
Sniper flashed her a knowing grin. “Mommy, when we jump out to surprise them, don’t bump your head on the underside of the table, okay?”
Arrow and Lily, two of Cloudy’s canine schoolmates, giggled.
“Now, Sniper, have a little more faith in your mother!” Springtime begged. “I know I’ve done that before, but do you have to rub it in?”
“It seems to be a bad habit,” Sniper observed. “Like, you can’t stop doing it!”
“Or maybe she likes having bruises on her noggin,” Pancake giggled.
“Oh, by the way, when is Miss Scazzarda going to get here?” Sharkell broke in, directing the question to Springtime.
“I don’t know. She said she’d be here in a few minutes,” Springtime answered. “She also mentioned she’d be bringing an old friend, but I don’t know whom she meant.”
“Shush!” Showerstorm warned, jerking his head in the direction of the pasture. “Meta Knight and Liloy are coming toward the garden! Hide, everyone, and be quiet!”
Everybody scrambled to obey orders. Cloudy crouched down inside the tire swing, her eyes wide and glistening with excitement. We’re going to scare Liloy and her father good, she thought. I can’t wait.
“Hello?” Cloudy heard Liloy call. “Where are you guys? We have arrived!”
Cloudy stifled a giggle and yelled out, “We’re in the garden! Come in!”
There a rustle of leaves and hesitant footsteps as Liloy and her father entered and looked about warily. A cake sat on a piece of cardboard on an overturned washtub, and a few balloons and streamers were strung in the branches of the old oak tree. The atmosphere was festive, cheerful. . .and suspicious.
“Um, guys?” Liloy said, fear evident in her voice. “Where are you?”
Sniper giggled to himself as he silently got up from a tall patch of weeds and, putting one foot in front of the other like an Indian, approached Liloy from behind. When he was right behind her, he opened his mouth and shouted as loudly as he could, “BOO!”
“Eeek!” Liloy shrieked, clutching her baby tightly, her muscles tensed. Even Meta Knight jumped, momentarily startled. Little Comery’s eyes flew open, his face scrunched up, and he began screaming loudly, irritated and upset at having his sleep disturbed.
“Uh-oh,” Sniper mumbled sheepishly. “I just woke the baby, didn’t I?”
“Sniper!” Springtime scolded, standing to her feet to have a serious talk with her son. Unfortunately, once again, she bumped her head on the underside of the picnic table. “Ouch!” she cried, rubbing her head. “Oh, you stupid table!” she scolded.
“Don’t worry, Mommy, you always do that,” Pancake assured her, trying to sound serious but not quite being able to restrain a smirk. Springtime’s glare shot like an arrow toward him, fire in her eyes, and Pancake relented at poking fun toward her. The other children burst into laughter at the silly scene.
“There, there, sweet boy, it’s okay,” Liloy soothingly assured the crying baby, placing him over her shoulder and patting him on the back. “Mama’s got you.”
“Wow! For a first-time mom, you seem to have a lot of confidence,” Nika said, her blue eyes shining.
“Thank you. It’s all thanks to Father and Grandmother for teaching me about how to care for a child.” Then as if noticing something was amiss, she glanced around. “Um, speaking of Grandmother, where is she anyway? Didn’t she says she would be here?”
“She went to go pick up an old friend,” Showerstorm explained, poking his head out of the garden shed door. “She’ll be here soon. Just be patient.”
As if on cue, the rumble of an engine resounded in the distance and then came the sound of brakes. “That’ll be Miss Scazzarda!” Cloudy sang out. “She’s finally arrived.”
A minute later, Scazzarda was at the garden gate, rapping on the paneled fence wood. “I’m here!” she said. “May I come in? Sorry I took so long. I had to pick up a friend.”
“Yeah, your ‘old friend,’ right?” Springtime grinned as she marched to the gate and unlatched it. When she swung back the gate, her eyes widened at the familiar girl standing beside Scazzarda. Scazzarda winked and placed a finger to her lips, making signs to be quiet. “I want to surprise the kids,” she whispered.
Springtime nodded. “Got it,” she whispered back.
The girl went through the gate and there was silence for a long moment. All the children, standing in a group, stared at the girl for a long moment, uncertain as to who she was. But Cloudy recognized her right away, though it had been a few months since she had last seen her. “Wylanda!” she cried, jumping up and down in pure joy. “It’s Wylanda Coven!”
“Cloudy!” Wylanda exclaimed, rushing forward and embracing the puppy. “It’s been a while!”
“Yes, it has!” Star agreed, licking Wylanda’s hand in fondness. “Welcome back, Wylanda!”
“Yay, it’s Wylanda!” Nika cheered, throwing her arms around the older girl’s neck. “We didn’t expect to see you!”
“I was in town checking out the rubble that’s going to be the new church,” Wylanda said. “Can you believe it? A church right here in Spring Breeze!”
“And when it’s finished, we can attend services!” Lily said, her sharp-pointed ears pricked with excitement.
Springtime waltzed in at the moment with Scazzarda. “Miss Scazzarda!” the children chorused together, delight spreading throughout the garden. They swarmed to her like ants at a picnic, hugging her and chattering and laughing all at the same time. Scazzarda fondly returned their affections.
“So what’s been cooking?” Wylanda asked when the group hugs were finished. “That is, besides Tilry’s funeral and Joseph Unswall and Miriam’s moving away and whatnot.”
Cloudy cringed. She didn’t want to be reminded of all the bad things that had occurred in the last couple of months. “Lots of things,” she said dully, then added with a huge grin, “but cake is the main one!”
“Cake?” Wylanda’s brow knit. “What do you mean? Is it someone’s birthday?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. . .technically,” Cloudy said. “Liloy’s baby, Comery, was born five days ago, and so we’re celebrating his miraculous birth.”
“Oh, that’s so cute!” Wylanda said, looking across the garden at the swaddled bundle in Liloy’s arms. “But what do you mean by ‘miraculous birth?'”
Cloudy scratched her ear and gazed intently at Liloy, who had been listening to their conversation. At Cloudy’s questioning look, she nodded permissibly. “Liloy was thinking of ending her pregnancy, on March 22” she explained, “but a miracle happened and Comery was born on my birthday.”
“Our birthday,” Sniper reminded her, and his brothers and Star nodded.
“I stand corrected,” Cloudy said, giggling. Then she became somber. “But in all seriousness, yes, Comery was a brand plucked from the burning.”
“I seem to be hearing that phrase a lot,” Meta Knight called to her.
“And it’s true!” Wylanda insisted, spreading her hands as if in worship. “God saved Liloy and her baby from harm and regret! We should praise Him!”
“That’s a perfect idea!” Cloudy cried. “Why don’t we sing?”
“But what can we sing?” Zach asked, scratching his head. The other children looked at each other a moment and then shrugged. They couldn’t think of a single song that fit the happy, uplifting mood of Comery’s birthday celebration.
After much puzzling, a sparkle came into Wylanda’s eyes. Cloudy knew that look; it meant Wylanda had an idea. “What do you have up your sleeve, Wylanda?” she asked.
Wylanda leaned forward, her face lighting up with excitement. ‘A few weeks ago,” she whispered, “my aunt found out she had cancer and so she underwent a series of tests. The doctors said she would surely die. But at church the following week, hundreds of people prayed for her, and when she went back to the doctor three days later, they could find no trace of the cancer. And next Sunday, they played a special hymn called ‘Lord of the Dance’ and it was amazing! People were jumping up and down and singing and it was so amazing!”
“So we should sing ‘Lord of the Dance?'” Cloudy asked.
“Yeah! Or I can sing and you guys dance!” Wylanda clasped her hands together. “So, what do you say?”
Cloudy nodded at her friends and family, and they nodded in return. “I say let’s do it!” Zach said, and the children released a cheer that reached to the heavens.
Wylanda stood beside Scazzarda and began to sing as Springtime watched from the back corner of the garden fence. Eloise and Nika and the pups began to dance and swing about as Wylanda sang:
“I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth:
At Bethlehem I had my birth.
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.”
“Whoo-hoo!” Cloudy cried. “Wylanda, you rock, girl!”
“Thanks! You dance really good!” Wylanda complimented the children, and continued singing in her bright soprano.
“I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee,
But they would not dance and they wouldn’t follow me;
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John;
They came with me and the dance went on:
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.”
“Another verse! We can’t stop now!” Star panted, beginning to get a little breathless. Wylanda laughed and carried on.
“I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame:
The holy people said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me on high,
And they left me there on a cross to die:
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.”
“More! More!” Lily begged, furiously wagging her tail in rhythm to the song.
“I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black;
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back.
They buried my body and they thought I’d gone;
But I am the dance, and I still go on:
They cut me down and I leapt up high;
I am the life that’ll never, never die.
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me:
I am the Lord of the dance, said he.
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
Yea, I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.”
The song ended and the puppies, twins, and Zach dropped to the ground, gasping for breath. Wylanda giggled at their fatigued forms. “Man alive, were you all having a good time! I didn’t think you would last throughout the whole song! Good job!”
“Thanks,” Cloudy said, still winded. She smiled at Meta Knight, whose eyes glowed a light green as she held his daughter’s hand. Liloy glanced down at Comery, who had been watching the dance. One finger was in his mouth as he smiled widely at the puppies, who smiled back at him. Liloy laughed. “I think Comery liked your dance,” she said.
“Thanks, Comery,” Star said. Comery cooed and grinned shyly, hiding his face in his mother’s cape. Meta Knight chuckled softly.
* * * * *
After all the cake had been consumed and the games had been played, everyone was content to lounge on the porch and watch the sun set. Cloudy, lying at the foot of the steps, smiled as she watched the fiery, molten ball slowly descend behind the treetops of the Whispy Woods. Soon, the sky was pinkish-golf, speckled with a few twinkling stars and planets. The frogs croaked and the light breezes stirred the leaves on the rosebushes. A nightingale from far away called “goodnight” to the citizens of Spring Breeze.
As if the nightingale has reminded her of something, Scazzarda said she would be right back and slipped into the house. Cloudy raised an eyebrow. “What’s she up to?” she muttered, laying her head back on her front paws.
A moment later, Scazzarda was back outside with the baby bird’s temporary home. To Cloudy’s utter astonishment, the birds were fine and plump and had beautiful plumages. The girls were a glossy brown; the males were a bright red. While they were still juvenile, they were beginning to look like adult cardinals. “Oh, my!” she breathed, unable to believe what she was seeing.
“Pretty little things, aren’t they?” Scazzarda said to no one in particular. “I almost can’t believe it myself. They’re all grown-up now, ad ready to take off on their own.”
“In other words,” Cloudy said, a faint smile beginning on her face, “they’re ready to leave the nest?”
“Yes,” Scazzarda said. One by one, she took each bird out and set them on the porch railing. They teetered for a moment and looked wonderingly at each other, as if to say, “What do we do now?”
“Fly away, little cardinals!” Star said. “It’s time you set out on your own! Go raise families and never forget how much your mother loved you!” With a little nudge of her nose to one of the males, all four birds jumped off the railing and flapped away beyond the treetops, their wings glinting in the last rays of the sun. Everyone watched them until they were out of sight.
Star sniffled and wiped her eyes. “Do you think we’ll ever see them again?” she quietly asked.
“I don’t know,” Scazzarda honestly answered. “There’s really no way to tell that. But I’m definitely sure we will see their descendants.”
“You know,” Liloy said thoughtfully, rocking Comery gently, “it’s funny how the Lord brings about His will through odd, everyday circumstances. We were expecting Tilry to live, but he died. And we were expecting the birds to die, but then they lived. And I was expecting to opt on a different path come the day after Cloudy’s birthday, but I was stopped.” She looked up to the dusty peaks of Mount Moonstem, bathed in the last glow of the sun. “Just a few more signs that God was and is watching over us all the time.”
“That He is,” Lily nodded, a smile growing on her lips.
And as the world was drenched in moonlight and the stars shone down on the citizens of Spring Breeze, Cloudy heard a strange, peaceful voice whisper in her heart:
“Wherever you go
Wherever you roam
I’m always here
I’m always home.
When the rainclouds seize
And the sun disappears
Know I am the Lord
I am always here.”
______
“Lord of the Dance” is a hymn written by Sydney Carter back in 1973.
Meta Knight took the news of Liloy’s appointment without a word. Cloudy’s siblings were speechless and solemn as they watched Meta Knight trudge out of the room and shut the door, Scazzarda looking after him. Springtime lowered her head, tears stinging her eyes. They had done all they could to make Liloy listen to reason, and nothing had worked. Now it was too late. The day after Cloudy’s birthday was the dire day no one in Spring Breeze was looking forward to.
Long after everyone had gone to bed, Cloudy stood watching the birds for a long time. Their shivering, limp bodies seemed to indicate something far more profound than illness or grief; it indicated death and finality. Her thoughts then drifted to Liloy. Where was she tonight? What was she doing? How did she feel? Every unanswered question felt like another burden added to her back, as if she didn’t have enough emotional baggage to carry already.
As she stood staring sadly at the birds, she heard a voice to her right:
“Faith is evidence we believe in what we don’t see.”
Cloudy jumped and looked in the direction of the voice. To her surprise, no one was there. A chill crept down her spine as she gazed carefully into the corners of the inky blackness, making certain someone wasn’t playing a trick on her. But no one was lurking. It was only Cloudy, the birds, and her troubled soul.
“Who’s there?” Cloudy spoke into the darkness. There was no audible reply, but voices from the past began crowding into her mind, causing her to think hard about her situation and her status as a warrior:
“Showerstorm! Do you see? Do you see? This is the one! The Star Warrior we’ve been waiting for!”
“Are you joking? That girl hates you! She wouldn’t listen to you for anything!”
“I believe He’s calling me to talk to her.”
“I don’t want to keep living in misery. I want happiness.”
“The only way to obtain true happiness is salvation through Christ.”
“There’s something special about this child. And I do not mean because she is the Prophesied One.”
“If you really want to know about my history, ask your daughter. She knows a lot from my past.”
“You have a Friend whom you can run to if ever you need Him. That’s a promise.”
“If we are children of the Lord, we can praise and rejoice even amidst the tragedies. But if we are not saved, we have no hope. We are bound by despair.”
“Why does this hurt so much?!”
“We’re gonna keep praying because there’s a thousand reason to believe He hears us and will answer! Am I right?!”
“If there is one I will never forgive, it is Nightmare himself. May he suffer all the tortures he put me through!”
“Just because he did who-knows-what to you as a child doesn’t mean you should wish the same things to happen to him!”
“It’s all right to be scared. What’s not all right is when you allow fear to govern your life.”
“Don’t be afraid. We’re still alive for a reason, and God willing, nothing will happen to us. We will all make it out alive.”
“I love her with all of my heart. And I love you too. So much. But I hate it when you feel as if you have to keep something from me because you’re afraid I’m going to get angry at you or react badly.”
“God has decided to end this chapter, but that doesn’t mean the book is concluded. In fact, your story’s just beginning!”
“I cannot keep pretending to believe Tilry will be all right. I know he will not, but still I continue to behave as if he will.”
“What are we going to do if he just—dies without ever waking up?”
“Take care. . .of our baby. Promise. . .you will.”
“Very few have such a passion to persevere and follow God even in their trials as Tilry did.”
“If you’re not willing to change your problems, Sir Meta Knight―then your problems will eventually begin to change you.”
“Tilry was the only reason I hung on for as long as I did, but since he died, my rope has been down to a thread.”
“It shouldn’t have happened, and yet. . .I knew it would.”
““You promised. . .You promised Tilry you would take care. . .of your baby. . .”
Cloudy slowly raised her head as visions, miracles, memories, and dreams came back to her, all swirling her mind in one endless spiral. A Bible verse came to her mind; it was 2 Corinthians 5:7: “For we live by faith, not by sight.”
Cloudy’s breath caught in her throat as the truth struck her for the first time. “Faith!” she repeated out loud. “Faith is evidence we believe in what we don’t see! Of course!” So what if it appeared to everyone that evil was reigning in the world? God was working behind the scenes to create a world even bigger and better! And what if Nightmare was trying to control the universe and would do anything he could to get his hands on power? Cloudy had been appointed to fight him and defeat him for good, and she would, with God;s help! And so what if Liloy had said she would opt on a different path than the one her Father had commanded her to walk? God could rescue her from grief and the baby from death if He willed it! And all Cloudy had to do as believe it with all heart, knowing He could do anything!
My faith has slacked since Tilry’s death, Cloudy admitted to herself. She looked up to the ceiling, and a quiet voice spoke into her heart. She knew it was the nudging of the Holy Spirit, inviting her to come to Him. So she bowed her head and prayed, “Lord, help me never again to have a lack of faith. I know You can, if you will it, save Liloy and her child. Please help us. Help us all.” She added in a low whisper, “I know You can.”
And that night in the room, the atmosphere began to change, glowing with a soft light, and Cloudy found she no longer felt afraid or sad. A smile came over her face as peace filled her heart.
* * * * *
The day of Cloudy’s birthday finally arrived. In the early morning dawn, joggers trotted past the three-story house, gazing curiously at the garden hidden from view by tall rosebushes, but they could hear the strains of a cheerful song reverberating throughout the cool spring air:
“Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday, dear puppies,
Happy Birthday to you!”
“Now it’s time to eat cake!” Showerstorm cheerfully announced, bringing out a chocolate/carrot cake with seven glittery candles positioned on the top. Cloudy snickered at her mother’s grimace. “Happy Birthday to you children!”
“Thanks, Daddy!” Pancake said happily, righting his blue party hat.
“Totally. This is great!” Star chimed.
Cloudy smiled cryptically, but didn’t speak. She merely started on her first piece of birthday cake while her parents looked on, smiling but seemingly puzzled at her sudden happiness. The other children chattered happily as they stuffed themselves with cake, Sniper being a little too gluttonous.
Then, without warning, Springtime lifted her head and a strange look came over her face. “Excuse me,” she said to her husband, hurrying away in the direction of the front of the house. Cloudy stopped eating, her eyes locked on her father, who looked confused as he stood, waiting, staring at the trellis.
Within a few minutes, Springtime was back, leading a worried-looking Meta Knight with her to the table where the children were seated. “Cloudburst,” she firmly addressed her youngest child.
Cloudy sat up straight, her stature proud. “Yes, Mommy?”
Springtime suddenly burst into giggles, startling the children. It had been a long time since they had heard her laugh! “Well, I’m going to say, it looks as though a brand has just been plucked from the burning, thank God!” she laughed.
Cloudy tilted her head. “Huh?”
Springtime wiped tears of laughter from her eyes, “Sorry, dear. I’m guess I’m just relieved.” She cleared her throat and attempted to sound dignified. “Liloy just went into labor and is at the hospital.”
Cloudy stood stock-still, gazing at her mother, waiting for the catch. “Did you hear me?” Springtime asked. “I said, Liloy just went into labor and is at the hospital!”
“So?” Cloudy thought she was beginning to understand, but wanted her mother to reveal the answer first.
“So she’s saved! Her baby is saved!” Springtime shouted.
Cloudy was stunned, but only for a brief moment. “Ya-hoooo!” she cried with delight, leaping onto the picnic bench and then off, landing squarely on all fours on the grass. “Hooray! The Lord be praised! Great are His works, and mighty indeed! He’s the Lord of all! Hooray! He’s saved us all! Heed the call! Whoopee!”
“Yes, indeed!” Springtime chuckled. “But the reason Meta Knight is here is because he wants you to go with him to the hospital. Would you like to?”
“Yes!” Cloudy replied without hesitation.
Springtime outfitted her in a pink scarf and sent her on her way. As Cloudy skipped happily ahead of him to the hospital, Meta Knight watched her, a mixture of fear and happiness in his eyes. He could tell she was excited, and he was too. But one question still raged in his mind: Would Liloy want to keep her baby?
* * * * *
“Here we are!” Cloudy sang in a cheerful voice. “Oromo Thuli Hospital! I can’t wait to see Liloy’s baby.”
“I cannot either,” Meta Knight confessed. He opened the sterile glass door. “Ladies first.”
“Veterans second,” Cloudy joked, grinning. Meta Knight shook his head, pretending to be annoyed, but he was smiling as he walked in behind her and shut the door. The nurse behind the check-in desk looked up and peered at them from behind her bifocals, smiling kindly. “Hello!” she greeted them. “Who are you here to visit?”
“Liloy Stellarum!” Cloudy piped up.
The nurse chuckled. “Oh!” She looked more closely at Meta Knight and then slowly nodded. “Of course you are! You are her father, aren’t you?” she inquired of the soldier.
“I am.”
The nurse pulled out some papers from underneath her desk and scanned them. “She’s in the delivery room right now. But I don’t know if the baby is born yet, so why don’t you wait here until the doctor calls you.”
Cloudy and Meta Knight decided to follow her advice and sat on two plastic chairs in the waiting room. Cloudy fussed with her bow and smoothed down her fur, a sign that she was nervous since she was never self-conscious. Meta Knight laughed at her fidgeting. “Be patient, Cloudy. The time will come soon enough.”
“I hope so,” Cloudy said, moving about restlessly and reluctantly sitting back down in her seat.
Minutes passed and Cloudy tried to be patient, but it wasn’t easy. At last, though, her efforts were rewarded. The doctor, Herb Serbue, a licensed physician, opened the waiting room door and called, “Meta Knight and Cloudy, you may come with me now. Liloy wants to see you.”
Cloudy felt a thrill of wonder as they followed Dr. Serbue to Floor 5. He led them to Room 509, checked his watch, rapped on the door a few times, and waited. And who should open the door but the same nurse who had paid for Tilry’s funeral arrangements! Cloudy gasped upon seeing her.
“Well, Sir Meta Knight and young Cloudy. Long time no see,” the nurse said, a soft smile growing on her visage. “I am pleased to see you again, and in such high spirits too! Come in.” She gestured for them to step inside, and they gladly accepted.
The first thing Cloudy heard as she stepped into the room were the ear-shattering screams of a newborn baby being attended to by two nurses. The second sound she heard was Liloy’s cry of joy as she spotted her father and his friend. Cloudy trotted over to the bed and placed her front paws on the mattress, her fluffy tail wagging at high speed. Meta Knight came up behind her and his hand descended gently upon the child’s head, softly caressing her fur. Cloudy looked up at him, eyes bright, and then back at Liloy.
“How do you feel?” were Meta Knight’s first words to his daughter.
Liloy blinked a few times, as if trying to gain her bearings. “Sort of weak,” she admitted. “I remember I was in a lot of pain, and then someone put a cloth over my face and I blacked out. . .must have been chloroform or some other type of drug so I wouldn’t feel any pain. Then I woke up and I heard. . .a baby crying. . .and the nurses told me it was my baby.”
“Yup,” Cloudy said nonchalantly. “He was a brand plucked from the burning.”
“What?” Liloy looked startled. “What does that mean?”
“It’s a phrase in the Bible. It just means your baby was saved from a terrible disaster,” Cloudy explained. At Liloy’s blank look, she frowned. “Don’t you remember? You planned to ‘opt on a different path,’ as you put in. In other words, end your pregnancy. You scheduled an appointment that was due for tomorrow.”
“I. . I did?” Liloy murmured. She thought a moment, then gasped softly, as if remembering. “What have I. . .Oh, no. Oh, what have I done?” She hid her face in her hands. “Why didn’t I listen. . .How stupid could I have been?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore, Liloy,” Meta Knight gently comforted her, taking her hand. “It’s all in the past. Your baby is born; he is safe. That’s all that matters.”
“Actually, no, that’s not all that matters,” Cloudy objected. She lightly jumped up onto the bed, checking to make sure her feet weren’t dirty before she sat down on the sheets. “You had the baby, but now you have to make a choice.” She paused for effect, then went on in a slow monotone, “Will you keep the baby and raise him as a good, godly mother would do? Or are you going to give him up?”
Liloy fiddled with her fingers for a long time, looking down at the light-blue blankets. “Well,” she said at last, her voice strained, “I know that what I tried to do was wrong. . .and honestly, I don’t know why I even scheduled that stupid appointment. But I can’t follow through with it. I know I can’t. . .and I won’t.”
Cloudy smiled. “So does that mean you’re going to keep him?”
“Yes,” Liloy confirmed. “I will keep him.”
Just then, one of the nurses walked over to Liloy, carrying the precious bundle in her hands. “Here’s your baby!” she said. She laid the baby boy in his mother’s arms and stepped back, smiling a little at the beautiful scene.
Liloy shifted the child in her arms and drew in her breath at sight of his face. He had dark-blue skin like Meta Knight, but his facial features matched his once-living father’s. “Oh!” she gasped. “He. . .He looks like-like Tilry!”
“And a little like you too, Sir Meta Knight.” Cloudy smiled at the soldier.
Liloy gazed at the baby for a time, her eyes shining with wonder. Then she burst into tears. ‘Oh. how could I have even thought about opting on a different road with this child?” she cried. “I’ve always believed life was sacred! Truly, every life is beautiful! But for a time I lost my true outlook on life. I refused to open my ears to your advice and wisdom! but I promise that from this time forth and forevermore, never again will I ever attempt to do something that God says is wrong.” She wiped her eyes, trying to compose herself, then laughed a little. “I had no idea my child would be born a month earlier than expected.” She grinned at Cloudy. “A brand plucked from the burning.”
Cloudy bobbed her head, her bow jiggling slightly.
Liloy rocked her baby gently for a minute or two, humming under her breath. She seemed to be in deep thinking mode. After a moment, she stopped humming and looked up. “Guess what I’m going to name my baby?” she said.
“What?” Cloudy asked.
Liloy chuckled as she proudly looked down upon her sleeping son. “Comery. His name is Comery.”
“That’s a cute name,” Cloudy complimented the new mother.
“Thanks.” Liloy smiled up at Meta Knight and held out the baby to him. “Father, would you like to hold him?”
Cloudy restrained a giggle as Meta Knight’s eyes flashed orange. She wondered how he felt about holding a newborn baby for the first time. Then the moment of hesitation passed and the knight confidently but gently took the child in his arms, holding him gingerly, as if he were afraid he would drop him. The baby didn’t move, but he uttered a tiny laugh. Meta Knight held out his hand to the child, and the baby’s tiny hand curled round his finger. The knight’s eyes glowed blue, a sure sign he was happy. Cloudy grinned, her pearly fangs flashing in the overheard lights.
Meta Knight quickly handed back the baby to Liloy. “He’s very beautiful,” he said softly. “Your perfect gift.”
“You mean Tilry’s and my perfect gift,” Liloy corrected. “We made this child.” She smiled and kissed Comery, who was sleeping peacefully. Meta Knight clasped his daughter’s hand in his, and she smiled at him, holding her baby closer.
Cloudy looked out the window and saw something amazing that caused her to gasp. Liloy stared at her in surprise. “What is it, my dear?” she asked.
“A rainbow!” cried Cloudy, gesturing to the shimmering loop hidden halfway behind the trees lining the edges of the hospital. “And it’s not even raining!”
“A sign from God!” Liloy said, reverence clear in her voice. “He has rescued me and Comery, and this is His sign that He always works things out for good. . .He always keeps his promises.”
“Yes, He does!” Cloudy agreed wholeheartedly. She stared with awe and wonder at the rainbow, and a faith-filled peace sneaked into her heart and enveloped every fiber of her being. The rainbow seemed to smile upon them, each individual color’s haziness blending into the next.
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