Solutions: The Dilemma of Patience by James Gerard (life books to read .TXT) 📕

“Oh my God!” screamed Julia.  “You’re the little girl that was there.”

“Yes.  I’m Valerie’s sister Jacqueline; Jacqueline Torres.”

Michael saw in an instant the flash of anger that overcame the contented countenance on Julia’s face.  He lunged forward and embraced her tightly knowing that in a matter of seconds Julia would erupt and wrongfully accuse Jacqueline as the one being the executioner of her daughter.

Michael felt the strength arise in Julia as she struggled to break his grip.  “Julia,” he whispered, “she’s not the one who did it.”

The whisper fell on deaf ears as Julia began to shriek.

“Julia!  She’s not the one.  I don't think she was even born yet when it happened; let it go.”

The struggle to break free subsided.  Michael turned to Jacqueline’s puzzled expression and realized that even she had no knowledge of her father’s sadistic deed.

“She doesn’t know,” Michael whispered in Julia’s ear.

Michael felt Julia release one hand’s tightened grip on the arm and saw the hand reach into a pocket.  He caught a glimpse of the object as she held it towards Jacqueline still in the dark about the reaction.

Jacqueline took hold of the tattered photograph and stared at it as if still puzzled by the scene taking place in front of her.

“Jennifer,” said Michael.  “Her name is Jennifer.”

“I don’t understand?” responded Jacqueline.

“She was your half-sister.”

Michael embraced Julia firmly as she sobbed uncontrollably.  He stared at Jacqueline and saw the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.

“One of your father’s embarrassments that he eliminated.”

Jacqueline dropped the photograph to the floor and ran out of the room.

“Julia, let his strength overcome your pain,” whispered Michael as tears flooded down the cheeks.  “Jacqueline is not to blame.”

Michael motioned for one of the nurses who had stood idly by witnessing the painful scene to come over and comfort Julia.

Not knowing where Jacqueline might have run off to, Michael stood in the lighted hallway and looked around.  Eyes locked onto the stairs.  Walking up the sounds of sobbing echoed in the expansive chamber above.  At the top of the flight of stairs, the area made visible by the scant lighting was unable to expose her, but the wailing of tormented sobs afar off in the darkness made known her location.

“Jacqueline, you’re not to blame,” said Michael as he neared the sound of sobbing.

“I hate him so much,” she shouted.  “You just don’t know how much I hate him.”

Michael came up to her and applied a loving embrace.  “Let it go,” he whispered as she sobbed and moaned.  “It’s time to let it go.”

Michael could feel her utter agony in an embrace that was meant to be reassuring, but it only created misery topped by misery.  For how long Jacqueline had been trapped in the control of her father simply could not be guessed.  But in light of the revelation of a sister she never knew existed, coupled with the amazing fact that she had risked her future comfort to rescue Valerie from certain death, it did not matter.

What mattered now was how would Jacqueline deal with and overcome the new revelation about a half-sister that had been killed by the hand of her father.  H knew it would be confronted with much heartache, nonetheless, it had to be confronted.  He had faith that their Lord Jesus would relieve the burden, but when that would be was unknown.

 “How are you feeling?” asked Michael as Jacqueline awoke from a long nap.

Jacqueline appeared confused as she sat up in the bed and scanned the surroundings.  Michael wondered if having awaken in a place that was starkly different from the routine of a corrupt life that it appeared just a dream, but falling back hard onto the bed spoke of the reality of the moment.

She remained mute.  He could see the vacant stare fixed on the ceiling.  Was she assessing the end result of the rebellious act, or was she reconsidering that an error in judgment, a temporary lapse of reason led to a rude awakening?  Michael did not know nor could he be sure of the thoughts she was mulling over.

Finally the silence was broken.  Michael leaned in and asked, “Are you feeling okay?” 

“How do you think I’m feeling?” she snapped.

Michael just sat silently and watched her return to the state of anger he had known and she had thrived in throughout the years, but found a hint of a perplexing expression amidst the raging gaze.  Within the contorted face were signs of confusion that may have arisen out of vengeful thoughts.  It was vengeance that seemingly targeted a single entity.

She laid there on her back with fists clenched mumbling incoherent words.  He reasoned that it must have been devastating to discover there had been a half-sister she had been unacquainted with or ever knew existed.  Worse, she never would know her.

Minutes passed.  All of a sudden, a thought so astonishing that it had him blind to what had been occurring long before her wicked nature had been experienced firsthand popped into the mind.  It was a thought shared with Julia and it came bursting into consciousness.  “Of course,” he triumphantly shouted, “Oh my Lord, how could I have ever doubted?”

Jacqueline stared intently, but the infusion of the power taking place before the eyes sent the body and mind quivering with an overpowering sense of joy and could only see the transformation.  He did all he could do to remain calm and relaxed, to wait for her to realize that what had occurred had not come by a decision she had put into action, but rather by a power to which had been obeyed.

She pounded the bed with fists while shouting out obscenities and sadistically laced threats aimed at the object of her violent passions.  “Let me guess,” Jacqueline grumbled, “he raped her didn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“And he being evil, having been evil, is evil, and always will be evil and decide to act evil and play out the evilness of his evil thoughts.”

Where Michael had witnessed confusion in Jacqueline at first,now spoken thoughts revealed a truth by which he heard the boiling hatred of the woman that was known to be a loyal daughter.  He chose to remain patient, however, to prevent any risky questions from inflaming the already fiery hatred spewing from the mouth of Jacqueline and let peace prevail.

He begged to cry out to her to listen to the words and take notice of where she was and what had brought her here, but the urge to do so was squelched.   Excitement raced through his thoughts in anticipation the she would consider the heart that lay just beneath the piles of deception.  He rooted for her to burst free from the heaps of evil trash that had been continuously dumped upon her day after day.  But she just lay there as if agonizing over all that had happened in the past few days.

Finally, Michael could no longer contain the enthusiasm coursing through the veins.  “I’m curious, why did you come to us?”

“You idiot,” she screamed.  “How many times do I have to tell you?”

“Tell me specifically.”

She sprang up from the bed.   “What?”

Michael backed off a bit and stared into the eyes aglow with a furious rage, “Was it really because of your sister?”

“Yes!  Of course it was because of my sister!”

Michael smiled.  “No, it just wasn’t because of your sister.  Something happened to you Jacqueline.  Something so amazing you can’t even comprehend it.”

“You think,” she hysterically laughed.  “I saved my sister.  I love my sister.  I desperately missed my sister.  What can’t you understand about that?”

“Yes you did.”  Michael diverted his eyes from the fury standing just inches away then looked back up.  “But one more question?”

“What don’t you understand?”

“Why did you save all the others?”

“I…I….”  Jacqueline collapsed on the bed and sobbed loudly.

“It’s time,” he whispered.  “He’s called you out Jacqueline.”

Michael could see that the revelation did not phase her as she continued to sob, but knew once their Lord had emptied his precious vessel of all the deceptive, vile wrath that had been force fed down the throat, she would emerge prepared and willing to abide in his Love once and for all.

He left her alone to think, to understand, and to consider the events that she had been led through. With the Lord’s guidance she could now piece together all the paths throughout a relatively young life and come to know that the One that sent her to the sanctuary was not the end of the voyage, but a path that represented a new beginning.

 A peaceful tranquility that had been absent from the underground sanctuary, one that had only appeared sporadically over the years, all of a sudden swept over Michael’s thoughts as he awoke from a restful sleep.  The sounds of silence emanated throughout the safe haven that usually was filled with the clatter of chatter and confusion.  For the first time he believed in mind and heart that their Lord had listened to and answered all the prayers of all his brothers and sisters residing within.

After a refreshing shower, a cleansing that washed both the sticky grime off of body, he felt renewed in his resolve to tend to the needs of everyone that had sought out the sanctuary.  He stepped out into the hallway with lights illuminating its seemingly endless path.

Moans and cries had been replaced with sweet whisperings of thankfulness and subtle laughs of delight as he passed by the endless rooms on either side of the path.  Even in the wards housing the aged and the infirmed were filled with sounds of playful conversations.  And as much as the desire to forsake the duties that in faith were given to him by the Lord to fulfill and bask in the joy all around, he continued down the hallway to meet with Troy and Philip concerning the replenishing of sustenance for all.  But just as he passed by the newest ward, the ward housing Julia’s friends, something curious was caught out of a corner of an eye.

He stepped back and focused on a bed towards the back and spotted both Julia and Jacqueline together smiling and giggling. They were tending to the needs of those that through Jacqueline’s plan had been brought to the safe haven, but in truth he knew it had been the Lord that delivered them.  His heart was lifted further by their smiles and soft whispers and giggles as he approached.

Just as he closed in on