David jumped up, taking the Bible, but leaving the video. Karen followed.
She could not believe his Mom had prayed for her before she had even met David. She never met David until Attack Day. But she had seen the list herself in the Bible.
David didn’t seem surprised.
“Mom was always praying for my future wife, that God would lead me to her, and that I would not foul it all up,” David said, noticing her shock.
When they passed the door to the fellowship hall, one, two, then everyone stood up silently.
Jim walked them to the door, and asked again if they would spend the night on his farm. Karen thanked him, but explained they would go home.
A woman from the kitchen hurriedly handed her two large styrofoam cups filled with three biscuits and butter. Karen thanked her silently, then carefully put them in her backpack while David shook Jim’s hand.
Everyone watched as an old woman slowly hobbled to the door with her quad cane, and motioned to Karen.
“How far along?” the old woman asked.
Karen paused, then replied “Two months,” covering her mouth with a trembling hand, her eyes glistening.
“Twins,” the old woman said, definitively. She did not say it as a prediction, or hope, or guess, but as an undisputed fact.
“I want you to have my wedding ring,” the old woman said, taking it off her finger.
“I couldn’t do that,” Karen replied, wiping away tears.
“It’s a good one. It lasted through sixty one years of marriage,” she said, looking into the past.
“No family to give it to. My husband died eleven years ago. All my kids are dead.”
“It’s a terrible thing to outlive all your children, it’s just not the natural way …” the old woman paused.
“God Almighty, why?” the old woman cried, lost in thought.
Karen noticed no one seemed to wonder why she quit talking to her, and asked God a question. It was apparently routine for the wise old woman.
Jim told Karen, “She is the prayer woman.”
It was quiet for several seconds, then the woman continued.
“Yes, Lord. Your ways are not our ways. You are high and lifted up, ” the prayer woman said powerfully, raising her left hand, turning back to Karen.
“ Everyone knew I was married,” the prayer woman continued, in her normal tone, with no explanation.
“ But you look so young, they may not know you are married. Take it,” the prayer woman urged.
“God told me to get my house in order, so this ring is for you,” the woman explained
“Thank you, “Karen said, as she tried the ring on. The ring was a little loose, but it fit. She would sew some thread around the back of the ring for a tight fit.
“You will need it a little loose, because your fingers will swell something awful during your pregnancy with twins,” the old woman said.
“Thank you God for room to grow on the ring. Your ways are perfect in everything!” the woman said, smiling, very pleased with God’s foresight. She turned to leave, then paused.
“Child, you are exactly the kind of wife a Mother prays God will send for her son to marry.”
“Believe me………I know,” she said, then walked away.
There was absolute silence as they walked outside.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?” David asked on the way to the truck.
“I wanted to be sure,” said Karen. “I thought I was pregnant once before, then my heart was crushed.” He held her left hand, feeling the wedding ring.
Karen quietly thought about preparations for the birth as they drove east on Highway 98. They quickly reached Wilmer Park, where Mom was buried.
“Lorraine Phelps, Wife, Mother, and Hero of the Battle of Wilmer,” read the marble stone. Karen took a pencil and paper and etched the marble marker writing. David looked puzzled.
“Your Mom’s grandchildren will have a copy of her monument,” she said. David smiled.
“Mom used to make these surprise breakfasts. She put them in a large styrofoam coffee cups to eat on the drive to school. She would make them the night before, and leave stick on notes “microwave for one minute” or “keep cold”.
“She wrote me reminder notes, Bible verses, or taped newspaper clippings to the side of the foam coffee cups for me to read. My Dad loved her so much.”
It was quiet, as Karen regretted that she had never been able to meet her. They walked silently to the truck.
David looked back at the grave.
Tears rolled down his face when he saw the large styrofoam cups with the Church biscuits sticking out the top of Karen’s backpack. She caressed his face with both hands, silently took his keys, and cranked up the truck.
David put her backpack against the door, ate one of the biscuits in his cup, savoring the butter. He took the remaining two biscuits and added them to the three biscuits in Karen’s cup.
“These two biscuits are also for you,” David said.
“Well, actually for my twin boys,” David said. He smiled, gave her the cup, and soon fell asleep.
Karen felt, or maybe just hoped, they were boys. I don’t know much about girls, she thought.
She felt a tremendous feeling of peace at just having him here, hearing him breathe. She didn’t know what the future would hold. They could be ambushed on the way home, but she would face it together with David. She realized how important it was to David that he find his Mom. It was the last thing his Dad asked him to do.
She started crying, thinking about how much she had missed her Mom, how she had quit asking about her. And the whole time David’s Mom was praying for Karen, as David’s future wife, without even knowing who she was.
It was quiet as she drove and her mind drifted. She automatically scanned for ambushes, randomly changed speeds, slowed down, stopped, made U-turns, bypassed choke points, and scanned with her thermal imaging binoculars.
She thought about meeting the prayer woman, and how glad she was to have a wedding ring. It was a big deal, she thought, as she looked at it on her finger. She caressed her stomach, remembering the prayer woman had said she would have twins.
Storm clouds filled the sky as the torrential downpour began. She really loved storms. She inserted the CD and played Rich Mullin’s song Calling out your name.
The miles rushed by, and she was soon close to home.
Their home.
Copyright Notices and Disclaimers
My First Bible in Pictures by Kenneth Taylor, with illustrations by Richard and Frances Hook, which the fictional character Samuel owned in this novel, is a real book, owned by its respective copyright owners, and is highly recommended.
Aircrew Survival - The US Aircrew checklist book is real, and derived from two versions, a white cover and green cover, published by the United States Department of the Air Force. The Spiritual Checklist cited is from the 1985 edition pages 120,121.
US Army Special Forces Medical Handbook-1982 is real and cites the attributed text on page 22-3 “Maggot therapy for wound debridement”
The excellent 34 minute DC3/C47, 89th Troop Carrier Group WW2 training film TF-1-33 shows the cockpit, plane and flight controls in use . It has been uploaded on You-Tube by ShootingStar31, who is not affiliated with this novel, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jtmb-kPGB0c
The thermal evasion suit is derived primarily from an article written by Brandon Smith “Defeating Drones: How to build a Thermal Evasion Suit” and a video published on the internet by Alt Market and Oath keepers online in June 2015. I added the Velcro adaptation.
prepperwebsite.com and SurvivalBlog.com are excellent primary and referral source for post nuclear survival articles. They are a rich source of articles on the web, and a good place to start. Neither website is affiliated with this novel.
Bible references are from the King James Version-Public Domain. The Bible is available through free access on the website http://www.biblegateway.com/
Th
e Gideon’s Bible referenced in the novel to record marriages and deaths, was the Blue Hard Cover Version of the KJV found (in the novel) in the destroyed ruins of a Hotel, which had been distributed by The Gideon’s International.
Lyrics from “Jesus Loves Me” by Anna Warner v1. (1860) and William Bradbury (1862) Public Domain
Lyrics from “Amazing Grace” by John Newton (1807) Public Domain
Rich Mullins, Chris Tomlin, and Kari Jobe are/were real people, and extremely talented, artists. The pink housecoat version of Revelation Song written by Jennie Lee Riddle, and performed by Kari Jobe, is especially annointed, and is still on You-Tube.
Wilmer is a real town in Alabama on Highway 98. I have never actually been to Wilmer, but I did visit the town in virtual reality on Google Maps Street View.
This is a work of fiction. Any fictional character, plot, or thematic resemblance to any person, living or dead , or any prior work in any media, is purely coincidental.
All inventions, modifications, or descriptions of current or imaginary products are fictional and any replication, modification, or reproduction should not be attempted under any circumstances, as severe personal injury, or death may result.
None of the procedures or medicines described in this work of fiction should be used for any actual medical treatment, under any circumstances, as severe personal injury, or death may result.
Manuscript and Cover copyright Colt Triarii 2015
Nuclear War Club: Seven high school students are in detention when Nuclear War explodes.Game on, they are on their own. Page 36
