by Debbie Roome
He made it in eight and walked straight through to Sarah’s room, Jade following behind. “That’s why she’s not answering her cell.” He picked it up from her bed. “It’s on vibrate, so you wouldn’t have heard it ringing.”
Next to it her laptop hummed, the power light shining steadily. He ran his fingers across the mouse pad, causing the page to pop back to life. “I wouldn’t do this normally, but we need to find out what’s going on inside her head.” Jade leaned over to look and together they read the scanned newspaper article.
“Which beach did she say she was going to?” Joel’s voice was urgent.
“She didn’t.”
“Let’s go.”
“Just a moment. Let me leave a note for her to call me in case she comes back while we’re out.”
“I’ll wait in the car.”
Joel prayed as he waited for Jade. Lord, please keep Sarah safe. Don’t let this tip her over the edge or cause her to do anything stupid. Look after her, wherever she is, and give her wisdom to cope with this weather.
Jade pulled the passenger door open and jumped in. “Maybe she’s having coffee somewhere. She’s not used to snow and is probably nervous about driving in it.”
Joel reversed down the driveway, wipers slashing at the accumulation of white on the windscreen. “I hope you’re right but we’ll start at the beaches. I’d guess she’s gone to Sumner or New Brighton, because she’s familiar with them. I don’t think she’d pick a secluded beach. She’s still too nervous.”
“New Brighton is closer. Should we start there?”
Joel nodded as he pulled onto the main road. “I’ll get onto the Marine Parade in North Brighton and we’ll look for her car in all the parking lots from there onwards.”
For the next twenty minutes he followed the coastline south, detouring through sandy parking areas and peering down side roads. Snow was still falling and the afternoon was almost as dark as dusk. In New Brighton village, he drove up and down the main street and checked the beach parking area twice. It was deserted except for a few hardy seagulls, screaming like frightened cats as they wheeled overhead. “We’ll keep going,” he said, glancing at Jade. “There’re more parking lots ahead.”
He spotted the Toyota as he turned into the second one, its shimmery blue paint an eerie grey under his headlights. “There it is!” He pulled up next to it and checked for the tiny rust patch on the right fender, the yellow smiley face hanging from the rearview mirror. “Yep, it’s hers. She must be down on the beach.”
They climbed out of his car, pulling on gloves, rain jackets and hoods.
“I wish I’d thought to bring a thermos,” Jade said. “If she’s still out there, she’ll be frozen.” The wind whipped her words away, mingling them with roaring waves and crying birds.
“Look here.” Joel pointed to the ground. “Do you see these tracks by the fence? They look new—maybe this is the way she came.” He set off to follow them, hugging the fence, step after step until they suddenly veered left towards the ocean and disappeared into flattened sand and fresh snow.
Jade was behind him, her face pinched with concern. “You don’t think she …”
“No, no. We mustn’t think that. Maybe she walked too far and took shelter by walking inland again. Maybe she walked past the houses and found a coffee shop or somewhere else to wait out the storm.” He started moving again. “We’ve got to keep looking.”
They were near the reserve at the end of the spit when Jade tugged his sleeve. “Over there!”
Joel strained his eyes through whirling snow and saw a figure coming towards them with hunched shoulders and slow uncertain steps. “Is it her?” He started to run across the sodden sand, sinking and squelching as he dragged each foot forward. “Sarah! Is that you?” The figure looked up and he shouted her name again. Finally she raised a hand in the air and waved slowly.
Joel reached her as her legs sagged and she collapsed into the sand. “Sarah, what happened?” He bent over her as Jade came up behind him.
“Is she alright?”
“She looks frozen—her lips are blue and her clothes are soaked. Let’s get her into the car and try and warm her up.” He picked her up, struggling a little with the wet slippery jacket. “Will you get the car open, Jade?” He battled across the sand, taking the most direct route to firmer ground. Inwardly, his heart was in turmoil. She looks so vulnerable, so beautiful. I hope she’s not hurt, not too cold.
“There’s a man in the playground,” Sarah murmured suddenly. “He needs help.”
“What happened? Did he do anything to you?”
She shook her head and lapsed into silence again.
“Let’s get her in the back seat, and get these wet things off her.” Joel was exhausted as he helped Jade pull off Sarah’s wet shoes and socks, and slip her arms out of the sodden jacket. “I’ll start the engine to get the heater running.”
“The man needs help,” Sarah said again as she huddled into a ball.
“What about you, sweetie?” Jade leaned over her friend. “Are you hurting anywhere?”
“Just cold. I’ll be alright.” She shivered violently and Joel reached down onto the floor.
“We’re going to put Shelley’s blanket round you. It’s a bit hairy but it’ll help warm you up.” Jade tucked it around her and looked at Joel. “Do you think she needs medical attention?”
“I said I’m alright.” Sarah’s voice was stronger now and laced with indignation. “But there’s a man unconscious in the reserve. Near the kid’s playground.”
Joel made some quick decisions. “Take her home, Jade. If she shows any sign of disorientation or sleepiness, then take her into the emergency room.” He picked up Sarah’s jacket and felt through the pockets. “Her car keys are here. I’ll go and have a look for this mystery man and then I’ll drive her car back. Call me if there’re any problems.”
He pulled his jacket closer and set off down the beach. What is going on here, Lord? I’m relieved Sarah’s safe but something obviously happened out there. Help me find this man; keep him alive until I get there.
The snow was starting to settle now, shallow piles against the beach wall and a fine layer across the sand. Joel walked as quickly as he could towards the reserve. It’s years since I last walked round here. I don’t even remember seeing a kid’s playground. The beach curved round, and through the dusky greyness Joel saw depressions dusted with snow. Sarah’s footprints. He hurried over and followed them to the place she had left the reserve. If I follow this path, it should bring me to the playground, he reasoned.
He saw the man just before he entered the area. He was lying on his side, arm flung out, his beard powdered with white. “Are you awake, sir?” He shook the man’s arm. “Can you hear me?”
A low moan came from the man’s chest but his eyes stayed shut.
Joel pulled out his cell phone and dialled triple one. “I’m calling from the reserve at the end of New Brighton Spit. There’s an unconscious man in the children’s playground.” He answered the string of questions the operator fired at him. “Yes, he’s still breathing … but not responding to my questions … he looks as though he could be homeless … yes, he’s out in the open … I’ll stay right here.”
He clicked the phone off and sat down next to the man, trying to shelter him from the wind and snow as much as possible.
What a bizarre afternoon, God, but I sense You’re doing something here. Be with this man and help him with whatever his problem is. Let this experience be a turning point in his life; a place where he can make some positive decisions and get himself on the right track.
His thoughts turned to Sarah. Had she found the man lying here, or had there been some interaction, a struggle, an attack? What had happened to her in the hours she’d been away from home?
The police arrived quickly, followed shortly by two ambulances. “I know nothing about him,” Joel stated. “He was lying here, unconscious when I found him. He hasn’t said a word.”
He decided not to say anything about Sarah until he knew exactly what happened to her.
Chapter Twenty Two
I’ve never been so cold in all my life. The snow and sleet penetrated everything, leaving me frozen like a slab of meat; just like my heart ...
From the journal of Sarah Johnson
Saturday 9th August
Back at the house, Jade helped Sarah into the bathroom and turned the shower on to lukewarm. “We’ll start off slowly. I don’t want to burn your skin.” With gentle hands she peeled off wet clothes, leaving Sarah in her underwear. “We were so worried about you,” she continued, as she directed her friend into the stream of water.
Sarah nodded, allowing her to soap her back. “My shoulder’s aching.” Her teeth chattered as she spoke.
“The one with the scar?”
“Um hmm.”
“I’ll be careful.” She pooled some shampoo in her hands and began to rub Sarah’s hair. “What on earth were you doing, girl? Look at these twigs!” Jade plucked some out and showed them to Sarah. “And you’ve got cuts all over you.” She lifted Sarah’s hand to show her some of the slashes.
“I’ll tell you when Joel gets back.” A shiver ran through her body, in spite of the warm water.
“Want me to turn the heat up a bit more?”
“A little.”
Jade finished soaping and rinsing and wrapped her in a thick towel. “Will you be able to dress yourself?”
Sarah nodded.
“Put on warm pyjamas and a gown and I’ll go and stoke up the fire.”
Half an hour later they sat in the lounge: Jade, Joel, Sarah, and Trisha, who’d just arrived home. The lights were dimmed and the log burner cast flickering shadows of warmth into the room. Outside the snow had stopped falling and the ground was blanketed with a layer of white. They each held a mug of hot chocolate.
“So, Sarah?” Joel was on one side of her and Jade the other. “Tell us what happened when you got the e-mail this morning.”
She turned to look at him. “How do you know about that?”
“It was open, and we read the article. We were trying to figure out where you were. I’m sorry—I wouldn’t normally do a thing like that.”
“It’s okay. I would probably have done the same.” She pulled her blanket a little closer. “Is the hobo going to be alright?”
“The police said they’ll call me when they got a report on his condition.”
“He really scared me.”
“Come on, Sarah, we’re longing to know what happened.” Jade rearranged herself and tucked her feet under her legs.
“As you guessed, it started with the e-mail. I was just so angry.” Sarah told the story about her outburst against God, her rage, and the terrible fear she’d felt in the reserve. “I sat under the bushes for an hour, petrified. At first I could hear him thrashing around, looking for me, but then the noises stopped. I thought he was waiting for me to show myself, but after a while, I realised I’d freeze to death if I didn’t move. I asked God if He could forgive the way I spoke to Him earlier and help me to get to safety.” She laughed lightly. “I felt an amazing peace come across me and I just crawled out of the bushes. It was as though God was there and protecting me from harm.”
“Which He was and did,” Joel interjected.
“That’s where all the cuts came from.” Sarah lifted her hands and showed the red lines. “It was the flax plants. I fell into them when I was running from him, and their sharp points did this.” She touched her face. “They got me here too. I must look a real sight.”
“They’ll heal,” Joel said quietly. “And they can’t hide how lovely you are.”
Sarah’s face warmed as she continued. “By then, I was so cold and cramped that I could hardly move anyway. It seemed to take forever to straighten my legs, and I couldn’t feel my hands. They were completely numb.” Sarah took a long sip of hot chocolate. “I can’t tell you how good it feels to be sitting here, cosy and warm with all of you.”
“Yes, yes—then what happened?” Jade nudged the conversation along impatiently.
“I wandered in circles round the reserve with no idea where I was or which way was out. It was almost dark and the snow made the visibility even worse.” She stopped and her smile grew even wider. “So I prayed again. I asked God to show me how to get out of there. Within two minutes I saw the playground and knew the path out was on the other side.”
“And when did you see the man again?” Trisha asked.
“As I passed though the playground. He was lying on the ground, moaning.” Her face darkened. “I was tempted to ignore him but it didn’t feel right, and I wasn’t afraid of him any more. So I knelt down and asked him what was wrong. He talked to me but didn’t make any sense—just spouted a whole lot of stuff about his family. I told him I’d go and get help.”
“Do you think he would have harmed you?” Jade asked as Joel got up to throw some more logs into the fire.
“Probably not. He seemed more confused than violent; besides, I know I’m over-sensitive to things like that. He just gave me a huge fright.”
Trisha shivered. “I would have got a fright, too!”
Just then Joel’s cell phone rang. “Joel Baxter speaking … he is? … That explains a lot. Thanks very much for letting me know.” He clicked the phone off and looked at three expectant faces. “His name is James McIntyre and he’s one of Christchurch’s homeless. He’s also a diabetic.” He turned to Sarah. “His blood sugar had bottomed out and he probably would have died if you hadn’t come across him. They’ve got him on a glucose drip and he’s conscious again—doesn’t remember a thing.”
“So he’s not crazy or violent?”
“No. They say low blood sugar in a diabetic can make them act as though they’re drunk, or drugged. He had no idea what he was doing when he chased you.”
“It’s so easy to misinterpret things, isn’t it?” Sarah was quiet for a long moment. “Imagine if I hadn’t seen him; if I hadn’t stopped to see if he was alright. Imagine if my fear had prevented me from coming out and I was still in the bushes.” She took a deep breath, feeling a little dizzy.
“I think you should go to bed.” Jade unfolded herself from the couch. “You look pale and I think you’ve had enough for one day. I’ll go and make sure the electric blanket’s on.”
“And I’ll carry you to bed.” Joel stood, stretching his muscles. “Don’t argue, I’m getting quite good at this.” He scooped her up and carried her down the passage. “How’s the bed, Jade?”
“Perfect.” She passed them in the passage. “See you in the morning, Sarah.”
Joel lowered Sarah into bed and pulled the covers up. “I’m so glad you’re safe. You gave me a terrible scare today.” He knelt down on the carpet and took hold of her hand. “And it was so encouraging to hear that you prayed.”
Sarah looked up at him, his face slightly out of focus, his hair curling over his collar. “Thank you for rescuing me.” She squeezed his hand, enjoying the feel of his strength, and then placed her other hand on top of it. “You’re very special.”
He bent closer and looked into her eyes. “Do you know how beautiful you are?”
She instinctively raised her face as he pressed his lips onto hers, lightly at first, then more demanding as he pulled her into his arms.
Chapter Twenty Three
Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon; your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate. Your neck is like the tower of David, built with elegance.
—Song of Solomon 4:3-4
Joel woke the next morning groggy and tired from lack of sleep. One question had tormented him all night long: Why did I kiss her? Even worse was the fact that it had been enjoyable!
He could still picture her, tucked u
nder the duvet, dark hair spilling across the pillows like liquid chocolate, her face vulnerable and soft. And when his lips touched hers, she responded in a way that drove his passions wild.
How could I do such a thing? He put Shelley’s food down and topped up her water bowl. What will I say when I see her again? How could I lose control so easily? He took a quick shower. I’m sorry, Lord. I shouldn’t have let my feelings run away with me. Please help me to put things right. I hope I haven’t confused Sarah or caused her pain by kissing her. I don’t want her getting the wrong idea about us.
He towelled himself off and pulled on faded jeans and a thick navy polar fleece. Outside, the ground was covered with snow but the sky was blue and the sun bright. I’ll speak to Brad at church, he decided as he locked the house and headed to his car. Maybe he’ll be able to put things in perspective and help me see straight.
Brad agreed readily. “Come home with us for coffee. And stay for lunch if you like. Melanie’s cooking lasagna—her specialty.”
“Thanks, I’d like that.”
A half hour later, the men were sitting in Brad’s lounge. The heat pump was pouring hot air into the room and Melanie brought through mugs of steaming coffee. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.” She dropped a light kiss on Brad’s forehead.
“So what’s up, bro? You look worried.”
“I did a really stupid thing last night. I let my passions run away with me and I kissed Sarah.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“She was in a vulnerable position; and I took advantage of that.” He explained about the drama on the beach and the story that followed. “I know she’s not over Luke. I should never have done it.” He drained his coffee mug and set it on a side table. “I don’t know what to say when I see her again.”
Brad tapped his fingers on his leg, a sure sign he was thinking. “First of all, you need to straighten your thoughts out. Do you have any feelings for Sarah?”
