"I’m sorry. Did I wake you?"
Stacey appeared behind Tim. "It was nothing. You were just thrashing a little. You all right now?"
Maria glanced up at the loft window and sighed, "no, I want to go home."
Stacey raised her eyebrows, glanced at Tim and back at Maria. "If you want to go home we can—"
"I can’t," Maria said interrupting. "I want … the way it was—"
Tears filled her eyes and she stared through the window into the morning. She wiped her cheeks and sat blinking the sleep from her eyes. "Where’s Josh?" she said finally.
Stacey gently squeezed Maria’s shoulder. "Josh should be waking any moment. He’ll be starving. You stay here and I’ll go make us some coffee."
Maria flipped her thick, black hair back, pulled a scrunchy from her bag and began tying her hair up. “Where are we going from here?"
"Orem," Stacey said over her shoulder. "We’re going east down the mountain to Midway, but we’re heading for Orem. Our friends from the congregation will meet us there."
"And then you’ll leave me," Maria said pouting.
Stacey smiled, moved to Maria and hugged her. "Not for long. You’ll be seeing a lot of us once you get settled. You’ll never be alone, don’t worry."
"What would I have done without you?" Maria said.
"You’re strong. You would’ve done what was necessary."
From the loft they heard the living room door open and close. They heard footfalls trotting up the stairs. A middle aged woman dressed heavily for winter appeared in the loft.
"Oh," she said cheerfully, "you’re all up. It’s such a blessing to have all this company. We don’t very often see people up here. Ever since Chad told us Maria was coming the boys have been beside themselves with excitement, praise Jesus."
"Mom," Tim Jensen moaned.
Mrs. Jensen raised her eyebrows and frowned comically. "Oh…pardon me. Apparently I have a big mouth. Tim has a mad crush on you, you know." She giggled and glanced down at her son who was staring at the wall. She quickly turned back and faced Maria. "Anyhoo," she sang, "Chad said a storm is brewing, so you should leave right away."
~~~
With the help of the Jensen boys, Maria and Stacey were able to load Maria’s belongings back onto the sled and backpacks the boys were toting. She wasn’t carrying much.
The plan was to get settled, then move her belongings out of the cabin. Maria was in no hurry. With the exception of Joshua’s supplies, she wasn’t sure if she could ever face those belongings again. Too many memories, too much pain.
Chad Jensen led the way as the tiny group set out into the frosty new powder. The two Jensen boys bickered over who would carry Maria’s bulging diaper bag until Stacey convinced the older boy that the group would be better served if they had a strong guard taking up the rear. Tim Jensen proudly complied.
They gradually moved to the snow covered creek bed that would eventually lead them eastward to a broad meadow overlooking the small town of Midway. Chad knew the path well. The Jensen family had been traversing that very path each Sunday for the last three months.
Maria was amazed at the untouched powdered creek-bed moving out before them like a sparkling white highway. The bed was bordered on both sides by stumpy golden willow trees left untouched by the fine new powder of snow that had begun to lightly touchdown. Tall, snow-burdened firs flanked the willows on both sides, creating a frosted green canyon leading away into the mountain range. Patches of baby-blue sky framed the towering gray mountains. The smell of pine lingered in the crisp clean air.
It felt wonderfully cool on Maria’s face. "Todd," she said, "look at the snow blowing off the mountain." She pointed high into the west towards a lofty snow tipped mountain peak, its distant clouds of windblown snow trailing into the sky.
She turned to look into the sad eyes of Stacey who was walking along beside her. She quickly returned her attention to the path. "Sorry," she said, "thought you were Todd… I’m just so used to—"
"I know," Stacey said. "Do you want me to take that boy for a while?"
Maria turned back to check on Joshua, who was tightly bundled in warm garments. He was contentedly riding atop a car seat especially adapted to the sled she had been tugging behind her. "No," she said. "He’s fine."
"Maria," Stacey said softly, "you have to talk to Todd. You should at least get his side of the story."
Maria sighed. "I've been thinking that too. Maybe when we get down the hill I'll send him back a message. Maybe we'll meet somewhere and talk. I guess I owe him that much."
Stacey grinned. "Good for you."
They walked together for a time listening to the crunch of their footsteps in the snow over the soft breeze gently blowing the trees around. The constant whish of the sled tracks rose and fell in pitch with each step they took.
"So," Maria said breaking her silence, "this group of people I’m going to be staying with; are they… nice people?"
Stacey smiled. "Salt of the earth. I know you’re a little nervous. You’ll get over that soon."
Maria turned her attention to Chad Jensen’s back as he continued out ahead of them. "I’ve never really had a problem with that before… meeting new people, I mean."
"They’re all good Christians," Stacey said, squeezing her arm.
Maria looked at Stacey a moment before returning her eyes to the path in front of her. "I’m not even sure what that is."
"What?"
"I’m not even sure what a Christian is. I’m Jewish, my foster families were Jewish. All I really know about Christians is, they believe Jesus was the Messiah and they traditionally hate—" her voice trailed off.
"Jews?" Stacey said, finishing Maria’s sentence.
"Well… yes."
"We were never supposed to," Stacey said smiling. "In fact, the Bible clearly tells us that an enemy of the Jewish people is an enemy of God. And honestly, history has confirmed that."
Stacey broke off conversation and began giggling at the antics of the younger Jensen boy, who had taken up trying to leap into his father’s footsteps. "That little boy is a hoot," she said. "He’s going to wear himself out before—"
"Do you think Jesus is coming back?" Maria said interrupting Stacey.
Stacey turned and looked at her in surprise. "Yes, I do."
They walked together in silence for a time. "Why do you ask?" Stacey said finally.
"What does the Bible say about Jesus coming back?"
"Umm well, Jesus said He was going to return. He said so throughout His ministry. The Old Testament prophets have spoken about it. When He was taken up into the clouds, two angels appeared and told those who were watching that Christ would come back the same way He left and that everyone would see Him."
Maria walked quietly for a moment before finally speaking. "Does it say anything about… His…blood?"
"Oh yeah," Stacey said. "The sacrament…when Jesus and His disciples had their final meal together, Jesus told them to drink wine in remembrance of the blood that was shed for us. You see, the blood of Christ is the symbol of the sacrifice—"
"No," Maria interrupted, "I mean, His blood bringing Him back?"
"What?"
"His blood… how is He going to come back… physically?"
Stacey pondered the question a moment. "Well," she said finally, "I suppose, technically He’s going to return twice. Once at the rapture—"
"I’ve heard of that before," Maria interrupted again. "What does that mean?"
"The rapture is when He returns for His own, in the twinkling of an eye. But He’s not really returning. He’s collecting His own and we will be forever with Him." She smiled a contented smile.
"And the next time?" Maria said.
"The final time He comes, He will return to the Mount of Olives just like when He left, but this time it will be with horns blowing and shouting. He’ll destroy Satan and his minions and bring about the thousand year reign.
"Hmm." Maria said, smiling softly down
at the snow.
"I know," Stacey said. "It sounds sort of funny when I say it. The Bible tells it much better."
"Look at that," Sage Jensen called out from the path in front of them, "an eagle!"
Maria and Stacey looked up in the direction Sage was pointing. High above them a large bird was slowly circling overhead.
"It’s a hawk," the older Jensen boy yelled back still walking along behind them.
"It’s an eagle, dummy!" the younger boy countered "Dad says so."
Stacey grinned up at the younger boy."It’s beautiful whatever it is."
"So," Maria said haltingly, "there’s no mention of blood…bringing him back, I mean?"
Stacey frowned. "I’m not sure what you mean."
"The, ah…" Maria shook her head as if to clear her thoughts, "when is all this… stuff…supposed to happen. Isn’t that supposed to be the end of the world?"
"Yeah," Stacey said, "but before that, we need to see the rapture, then the Anti-Christ, that’s when—"
Maria raised her hand stopping Stacey mid sentence. "The Anti-Christ, he’s a bad guy, right?"
"The bad guy," Stacey said. "The totally bad guy.
Maria nodded slightly. "Yeah, I’ve heard of him…. Oh my God, look at that dog."
Stacey glanced up. A mangy looking grey dog was watching them from the tree line. "What’s he doing clear up here?" she said softly. She turned and shouted up the creek bed towards Chad Jensen. "Chad, there’s a dog over there. I hope he’s not starving."
Chad stopped walking and turned in the direction Stacey was pointing. The dog eyed him back warily and disappeared into the underbrush. Chad casually put his arm over his younger son’s shoulder and began easing down the path towards them. Just before reaching them he motioned for his older son to join them. "Let’s…" he said haltingly, "let’s stick close together. That way we can all talk. It’ll make the hike that much more enjoyable."
"That poor dog," Stacey said. "He looked like he was starving, maybe we should try and catch him and take him with us."
Chad shrugged and grinned mechanically. "Well, see… it’s not…so much a dog as it is a… it’s a wolf."
Maria felt the blood leave her face. "I told him I heard wolves!" She whirled, ran to Joshua and began fidgeting with the rope holding him in the car seat.
Stacey looked warily around them into the forest.
"Wolves don’t generally mess with people," Chad said, "but just as a precaution, let’s keep the younger ones in the middle of us."
Maria had managed to pull Joshua from the car seat and was clutching him to her chest."Oh my God, you think they’ll go after the little ones?"
Little Sage Jensen looked up at his father, his eyes wide with fear.
"No, Sage," Chad said grinning down at the boy. "You don’t have to worry. They won’t bother us if we don’t bother—"
Chad Jensen stopped talking and stood looking out into the west. "Hmm," he said.
Maria and Stacey followed his gaze towards the mountain peaks.
Stacey gasped.
Rolling ominously over the western crags, across the entire horizon, black turbulent clouds were moving towards them like a Kansas dust storm.
"Hmm," Chad repeated obviously trying to sound calm. "We should go on back to the cabin, let this storm go over. We can call down on the shortwave and tell them we’ll be coming later."
"Sounds good to me," Maria said, still clutching her baby.
Chad motioned towards his sons. "Come on boys. We’re going back home."
The older boy quickly moved to Maria. "You…" he said stammering. He gulped and looked at his father. "You should tell Maria that we’ll take care of her. We won’t let anything happen to her or the baby."
Maria smiled, lifted her hand to his hood, pulled it away slightly and kissed the boy on his cheek. "You’re too sweet," she said, smiling. "I know you’ll take care of me."
The boy put his hand to his blushing face and smiled a crooked grin.
"Maria," Chad Jensen said. "Just in case, you and Josh stay in the middle with Sage. We’ll all walk back together. How’s that sound?"
~~~
The sound of banging brought Todd out of his wine-induced sleep. He cracked his eyes open and glanced around his living room. Several wine bottles lay on their sides. New crimson stains tainted the white Flokati throw rug Maria had placed beneath the coffee table. "Damn it," he groaned. He sat up, unleashing a round of pounding agony behind his eyes.
He peered around the dismal room. The place was a mess. Blankets were knotted and piled high over him where he lay on the couch. He had apparently stumbled over the kitchen table sometime in the night upending several chairs and sending shattered coffee cups, silverware and sugar throughout the tiny cabin.
Someone was yelling outside his cabin door. He pushed the blankets away and made an effort to stand, but quickly fell back onto the couch. "Ohh," he groaned, pulling his hands to his head.
"Todd," a voice called out from outside his cabin door. "I know you’re in there, come to the door!"
Todd stumbled to his feet and teetered where he stood.
Bang-Bang-Bang.
Todd pulled his hands over his ears and hollered, "Stop banging on the damn door!"
"Todd!" the voice yelled. "Come to the door!" Todd instantly recognized it. He promptly moved to the cabin door and pulled it open. "Eric what’s wrong?"
"The pastor just sent me an urgent message on the short wave," Eric said breathlessly. "A freak storm is coming at us from the west. The Mums told the pastor that a small group of people on the mountain are up there right now traveling east towards Midway—"
"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" Todd said holding his hands up. "A storm is coming where?"
Eric stepped forward. "Todd! Stacey and Maria are with them."
"What? Why are they—"
"Listen to me!" Eric said, panicked. "I don’t have the time to stand here and explain it all to you. They are up there, and the Mums can’t get to them. They were tracking them with a high altitude Predator aircraft, but they had to bring it in because of the weather. The storm is coming from the west. They said it’s blinding…very dangerous. We have to go up after them…now!"
Todd pulled back and stared at Eric. "Josh?"
"The baby is with them," Eric said.
Todd turned and rushed back into the cabin. "Get Louis!" he yelled over his shoulder. "Tell him to round up some men—"
"No time!" Eric yelled back. "The storm is already on the mountain!"
~~~
The storm had descended on them at a periculous speed. Even though Chad Jensen was only feet away from her, Maria could just faintly make out his figure as he went before them pounding out new tracks in the deepening snow.
The sight of a wolf had pulled them into a tight group. Chad was carrying his youngest son in his arms. His older son had taken up position behind Maria and Stacey. Whistling, freezing winds blew horizontally stinging their faces as it piled snow high against the northern tree line, all but obscuring the path ahead.
Maria pulled the baby close to her. Joshua was crying now, obviously hungry. She had tried several times to yell up to Chad but the screaming gale blasting through the treetops made it impossible to communicate.
She sped up and readily caught up with him. "How much further to your cabin?" she screamed over the gale.
Chad glanced back at her, slowed and put his ear close to her face.
"How much further?" she shouted again. "Joshua’s starving!"
"Not far," Chad yelled back. "Keep your eye on the path! Don’t let me get off the—"
Maria abruptly grabbed his coat jerking him to a stop. Stacey and Tim Jensen, coming up behind, all but collided with them.
"Look!" Maria shouted, pointing.
Chad raised his free hand shielding his eyes and grimaced into the blinding snow.
Maria felt searing fear leap up her legs, and into her chest.
Directly ahead, st
anding boldly in their path, three large gray wolves were blocking their way, faintly visible, yet no farther than ten feet from where they were standing.
Chad recoiled, looked around him and began flailing his free arm. "Get out of here!" he called out. Stacey and Tim Jensen quickly followed suit, waving their arms and shouting.
The wolves raised their heads and stood staring back at them, undaunted.
Chad turned, physically pulled Maria into the middle of the group and positioned Stacey and Tim tightly on both sides. He glanced around them apparently looking for some sort of weapon, but the snow had long since buried any sign of free fallen limbs or stones.
Chad looked back at the wolves and made a quick step in their direction, throwing his free arm into the air. To Maria’s horror, the middle wolf lowered his head and pulled his teeth into an ominous snarl.
Chad turned and motioned the group forward. They tightened and began slowly moving towards the wolves. Maria screamed and stumbled backwards when the middle wolf abruptly leapt towards them, snapping at Chad’s legs. Chad hastily pulled back.
Maria could hear little Sage Jensen screaming over the wind. He was in his father’s arms furiously kicking at the wolf.
The wolf backed away and rejoined the other two, still standing in the path ahead.
Chad turned, gazed back up the path from where they came and began nudging the group backwards, forcing them away from the wolves. They moved away slowly, still facing the wolves, until the wolves were nearly out of sight. The wolves turned, leisurely moved off the path and disappeared into the northern tree line.
Chad spun and motioned for them to face away from the center. "Watch out they don’t try and come at us from the sides!" he yelled. He dropped little Sage to the ground, pushed him to the middle and reached for the sled Stacey had been dragging behind her. He pulled the bulky diaper bag off the sled and pushed it at his older son. "Swing this at them!" he shouted. He turned back, brandished the sled, and stood waiting.
~~~
Todd and Eric were pushing their way upwards into the building snow. They had made it all the way to the tree line bordering the faintly recognizable meadow in the aspen grove. Snowshoes had quickened their pace but they were still moving at a crippling speed. Icy gusts of wind penetrated their heavy winter clothing and sand-blasted their naked faces. It had become all but impossible to see the way ahead.
The Son of Man 2, Elders of Zion Page 14
