"Well, who cares?" he answered himself. "They barely even acknowledge my two boys. They don't even send presents on Christmas. Much less birthdays. And poor Belle. You would think she came from another planet the way they treat her."
"I guess I better pray some more about it."
"Dear God, You know all about this. What should I do? Please hurry up and direct my path. Amen"
Mal could do a long prayer when he felt the need, but he was also very good at just a short simple prayer. He tried to start every morning with a thankful heart. He expressed his thankfulness to God verbally; he asked forgiveness for any known sin, and asked for direction for the day. So if he felt the need to pray a short prayer any time during the day he was comfortable in just asking a direct question or for a direct favor. That was usually all he had time for during the day. Actually he was supposed to be busy right now, but he was really just hiding from Belle. She knew he was in a quandary about what to do next. Mal didn't feel too bad about hiding out right now. Both the boys were out of diapers; they were currently well without even a sniffle; and they slept in their own beds at night. So Belle didn't have nearly as much to do as she had just a few short months ago. Except of course she was running around in circles planning the perfect wedding. Thank goodness they had had boys. When they got married it would not be their responsibility to plan the wedding.
------------------------------------
"Good grief," Belle thought. This wedding is driving me bonkers! And Amelia doesn't seem to care what is going on. She is just acting like it absolutely does not matter what sort of wedding we put on. She hasn't even met one of Huey's sisters and that doesn't bother her either. Thank goodness I like Huey's mother. Maybe I should call her up and see if there is any of this she would be willing to manage. Like the entire reception. I may get a migraine if I don't do something about this stress."
"Mom, where are you?" called Jake.
"Yeah mom, where are you?" chimed in Mattey."
"Where I am always this time of day?" Belle answered patiently. "I am in the kitchen or the laundry room."
Belle wondered why the boys were looking for her. They were only three and four years old. But they knew morning was preschool time. They usually spent thirty minutes hiding from her. And then another thirty minutes going over letter sounds and numbers. Then they did art work (scribbling) while they listened to some kind of educational CD or watched a DVD. They were really cute singing the songs they learned that way. And their art wasn't too bad either. Of course sometimes their art was on the walls or floor instead of the paper. But Amelia had found out about "Killz". That was some spray on stuff that covered up color and pencil marks and blended into the paint.
"What do you want?" Belle called.
"Umm, nothing. We don't want anything."
The boys walked into the kitchen and stood staring at Belle.
Finally Jake broke the silence. "Mom, we know that Amelia is marrying Huey. So he will be our uncle Huey - right?"
"Yes, you know that is right. We have already talked about it."
"And they are going to live here with us?"
"Yes, Amelia and I made that decision years ago. As long as God allows we will always live under the same roof. Don’t worry. This house is as big as four average houses. Amelia and Huey will even have their own kitchen. So what's the problem? Don't you want Uncle Huey to live here?"
"We do want them to live here. The problem is the wedding."
"I'm sorry boys. I know I have had a lot to do. Have I been neglecting you?"
"No mom. That's not it," said Jake. "It's those clothes we have to wear for the wedding. One of the boys in Sunday school had to wear clothes like that. They took his picture and his mom goes around showing it to everyone. All the kids are laughing at him. You know mom, Mattey is shy. This could be very bad for him," Jake said solemnly.
Belle tried not to smile, and address Jake's concern's seriously.
"Jake, Mattey doesn't care what he wears. You know that. He also doesn't care who laughs at him. In fact, if someone is not laughing at him, Mattey finds a way to make them laugh. You don't want to wear the suit do you?"
"Not really. I can wear it. But I won't be able to smile for any pictures. And you know how Uncle Huey likes to take my picture when I smile."
"Well, Jake, you are going to wear the clothes Amelia picked out, and you are going to smile. But I will try to make it a little easier on you. Let me think about it."
"Ok Mom. Umm, can we skip our lessons today since I am feeling so bad about the wedding and you are so busy with planning it?"
"No. But maybe we could start a little later than usual. How about that?"
Satisfied, the boys went back to playing.
"Shaking her head Belle thought about how fast they were growing. And she remembered that when she and Mal had first been married they had planned to wait five years to start a family. Then by their second anniversary they had two boys. If Amelia had not been around to help them out, she didn't know how they would have managed.
The first one they had named Jacob Maximus. The second they had named Matthew Orion. Amelia had shortened it to Jake and Mattey immediately. Amelia had also got Belle a book on birth control after Belle had announced her second pregnancy.
"Amelia, you are something else. I don't think I could stand it if you were moving away. But I am not sure how adding an extra man to the household will work out. Of course, this place is really a duplex with a common living area in the middle. It shouldn’t be that crowded by just adding one more person.
AJ
"I am almost Mrs. Mitch Farmer," AJ thought to herself. She was completely satisfied with her decision to marry Mitch and her situation in general. "I wonder what some of those bimbo's who were after Mitch are thinking? Did they ever think he would marry anyone but me after his wife died." With dark glee AJ remembered when she had first heard the news that Mitch's wife was seriously ill. She had learned immediately that the illness was terminal. AJ's first question was, "How soon is terminal?" To her instant relief she had learned it was late stage cancer, and the out look was 2 to 6 months even with treatment. The woman had lasted close to 8 months. AJ was certain that she had clung to life just to slow Mitch down in his career. But Zisa had explained that it was better for her to last longer because AJ was still so young. That would give AJ an opportunity to appear helpful and useful. AJ had followed Zisa's advice to the letter. She had intruded in every possible way in Mitch’s life.
"Yes," AJ thought. Lisa Farmer knew before she was even sick that Mitch and I were going to be together. Then she lived long enough to watch me replace her while she was still alive. I really enjoyed that."
AJ was well aware of Mitch's weakness when it came to young women. Truthfully, it didn't bother her at all. It allowed her a certain freedom as well. She had a level of affection for Mitch that was beyond her usual capability, but not enough to allow any of his personal shortcomings to be especially hurtful to her. The only thing she really cared about was that he remained acceptable to the public, and was careful not to embarrass her. Lila, poor fool that she had been, had never understood Mitch. She wanted an old fashioned husband who would have been faithful, and stood at her bedside holding her hand while she died. Instead she got a completely modern man who saw marriage as a tool, not a way of life. And she got AJ holding her hand in death. Well, actually, she got AJ holding her hand for a photograph session. She died alone.
AJ had not been living at home for some time, but she was home for a few days of preparation. Shelly had insisted on being allowed to assist in planning the wedding. There was no question that her marriage was acceptable to both parents. Both money and social standing were coming with this son in law. It was nothing like the marriage Mal had made with that little nobody.
Thinking of Mal and his wife, AJ became agitated.
"I hate those people," she said aloud. "I really don't see how Mal can be so stupid and have the same parents that I have. And
how could he possibly consider going to his sister in law's wedding instead of his own sister's wedding? He doesn't care anything about his real family. He acts like that family of losers is more important than me!"
AJ attached no importance to having skipped Mal's wedding because she considered it an unfortunate event attended by losers. AJ had barely seen her two nephews. She agreed with her father and mother that eventually Mal would come crawling back to his real family. AJ only hoped he would leave those two brats with their mother when he finally came to his senses and decided to reconcile with his family.
"Truly," AJ said, "religion ruins everything. The world would be so much better off without any Christians or any religious ideology of any kind."
"Mom," AJ called, "Can you come up here for a minute? I need to ask you something about these clothes. Do you have a maid coming today? Maybe she could hand wash a few things for me and drop the rest at the cleaners."
"I'll be right up honey," Shelly called. "I'll bring up some tea and biscuits."
Shelly already had the tray ready to take upstairs. She had just been waiting for AJ to give the summons.
Shelly carefully picked up the tray and walked toward the stairs. She stopped briefly to view her image in the mirror. She was quite pleased with her appearance since she had had a few cosmetic changes made to her face, lost a few pounds, and toned up her muscles with regular workouts at a combination gym and spa not to far from home. Shelly would never be the serious flirt that Frederic was, but she had been delighted to learn she could still turn a few heads when she made an effort. That had not been lost of Frederick either. Now she was even likely to flirt just a little in front of Frederic just to make sure he noticed.
"Mom" shrieked AJ. "Where are you? Do I need to call out for something to eat?"
Shelly tore herself away from her image in the mirror and quickly started up the stairs.
"I'm coming AJ," she called in a pleasant voice.
Soon the women sat sipping tea and nibbling on the biscuits.
"Mom, what do you think Mal will do?" AJ asked. Can you believe he really won't attend my wedding?
"I'm afraid he won't honey," Shelly said sadly. "It's obvious to any thinking person that a sister's wedding should take precedence over a sister-in-law's wedding, but Mal has not had one really normal thought since the day he met that woman. I kept thinking he would get tired of that rigid lifestyle. Instead he has grown more and more determined to stick with it. I wonder if we had been a little more supportive in the beginning if he wouldn't think it necessary to show us we were wrong."
In the five years since Mal had married Belle, Shelly had grown more and more convinced that Frederick and AJ were entirely correct in their assessment of the situation on the day Mal had announced his decision to follow Christ and marry Belle. When the first grandchild had arrived Shelly had dutifully visited the mother and baby in the hospital. Until then there was hope that the baby might somehow draw them all together. But Shelly had taken one look at the child, seen his mother's eyes, and immediately found the child repulsive. Shelly was honest enough to admit that regardless of how much she might have been drawn to the baby, the chances of her becoming the doting grandmother were very slim anyway. Shelly was just beginning to enjoy life. She wasn't going back to being a frumpy homemaker. And she really didn't care to be seen as a grandmother.
"Mom, you know when Mitch and I are married you will be a step grandmother," AJ said as though reading Shelly's thoughts.
"I know sweetie," Shelly said, but it will really be to my advantage. Mitch's son is almost grown. If I am seen with him as his grandmother, people will think - my she looks young to have a grandson that old. Or something like that. By the way, how old is the boy now? Fourteen or fifteen?
"No, he's already seventeen. He's plenty old enough to go to boarding school. Or some sort of military academy or something. You really won't have to put up with him unless he is willing to be an ally.
"Anyway mom, you can be glad you will now have a grandson you can brag about instead of just those two clones of their mother Mal produced."
"You know AJ, I really tried to like Belle, and I did try with the first baby. But when they had the second one so soon, I realized that nothing was going to change there and that we had lost Mal. Sometimes I don't even think about Mal for a week at a time. And I virtually never think of those kids. The real problem is that his radio program is becoming fairly well known. Sometimes a friend or acquaintance asks me if that is really Mal doing all that broadcasting. I don't know what to say. I have to wait and see if they are laughing at me for having such an idiot for a son, or if they are really interested in what he has to say. I have tried to listen to it a few times, but he always has the nuttiest people on as guests. And sometimes he even lets his wife or sister in law do a spot on the program. It is so humiliating."
"I know what you mean mom. It really is embarrassing. And he is so brainwashed by those Bible thumpers he doesn't even know how crazy he sounds. I just keep thinking that if he had all this talent in organizational skills and broadcasting, why didn't he cast his lot with me? He could never have handled the public eye like Mitch and I do, but he could have been helpful as an assistant or something. It is such a waste." AJ said shaking her head sadly.
"I know AJ, I know," Shelly said in agreement. "I can't stand to think about it.
4th Demension
stratigic operations
Cabiri and Zisa both believed they deserved the credit for the success with AJ so far. It was true that if AJ ever changed her mind, outlived her usefulness, or turned against them, they would both blame each other. But for today, AJ was marrying exactly the man they had chosen for her. At least for the moment. Things were looking good. Eventually either Mitch or AJ would become expendable, but for today they made a good team.
Cabiri said, "Zisa, what have you been able to do about that son of Mitch Farmer's? Has he made any decision to work with us or not?
"What do you mean 'what have I done about the boy'?" Zisa snapped. "He is just as much your responsibility as he is mine."
"From that answer I take it you haven't been able to recruit him yet," Cabiri said maliciously.
"Well neither have you!' Zisa said. "I know for a fact he has been listening to Malachi Jones' radio program. If you don't do something fast, he will probably start to listen to other programs and look things up on the internet. Then it is just a matter of time until he goes to church.
"Just shut up Zisa, and do something about it instead of make dire predictions to me!” Cabiri replied angrily.
Stellar Dominion Outpost
Command Center
Raphael was humming 'Joyful Joyful, we adore thee'. He loved music. Sometimes he thought sadly about the eternal state of the former music director of heaven - now known as Satan.
"But, I'm happy today!? Raphael said to himself. "Amelia is all grown up and marrying the man of her dreams. Those two little boys will steal the show, but that's what she gets for having kids in her wedding. And, to top that, AJ's step son is seriously considering the Bible as truth. He is beginning to seek God. And those who seek God find God."
I hope you have enjoyed reading ‘The Broad Way’ which is the first book in the ‘Two Gates’ series.
Look for the second book ‘The Narrow Way’ in July of 2012.
Thank you for reading my book(s). God bless you.
Please remember to pray for the lost people, the sick people, the sad people, the hungry people, and the persecuted Christians.
Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
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The Broad Way (The Two Gates) Page 13
