The Long Way Home

by Phillip Overton

  Chapter 33

  Sally slipped the key into the front door of their house and turned on the inside light. The clock in the lounge room read 8.23pm. Doug followed her into the lounge room of their cosy Coolangatta home as she put her keys and handbag down on the coffee table before turning and wrapping her arms around him.

  “Oh Doug.” She sighed happily as she leant back safely in his arms so that she could see his face clearly. “I’m so happy for you. That was a great decision that you made tonight, no doubt God saw in you what I have for these past few years, a man with a good heart.”

  Agreeing to go along to the Friday night beachside Christian outreach as they liked to call it was due mainly to the persistence of Angela. Doug had felt uncomfortable at first stepping into the traveling big top that was set up on the foreshore of Coolangatta Beach. Being in the same room as his wife of two years, a woman he had helped leave a job in a strip club and a preacher just didn’t sound like his idea of a fun Friday night.

  Doug had taken the day off work, feeling it was best to be honest with Sally and explain the events of the past couple of weeks. He had dreaded mentioning the $10,000 and the failed business deal with Richard, not to mention Angela. After all, he knew that any conversation a man has with his wife involving the word stripper usually ends badly. Yet somehow over a quiet cup of coffee in one of the cafés along the beachfront, it had all made perfect sense to her.

  Doug still had the words of Pastor Mike floating around in his head. It seemed that the last two weeks had been a way of preparing him for the message that God had been trying to get through to him all his life.

  ‘In conclusion, the most important decision you will ever make in your life is also one of the most simple.’ Pastor Mike had ended his sermon. ‘You either accept Jesus Christ as your personal saviour, or you don’t. You see it really shouldn’t be that hard of a decision, Jesus Christ when he walked among us on earth said bring me the little children, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. If it was easy enough for a little child to understand, it shouldn’t be any harder for a grown person to make the same decision. There’s no test to take, it’s not a matter of am I smart enough or am I a good enough person, no Jesus says come follow me. He’ll take you just as you are, right here tonight, it’s what he will make of your life from this day on that really matters.’

  ‘You see, just being a good person is not enough in God’s eyes. The Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and it’s only by the blood of Jesus that our sins can be forgiven, our brokenness be healed and our lives be made complete in him. If you want to get right with God, then come forward and accept Jesus Christ into your life. Jesus said that he who acknowledges me before men, I will acknowledge before the father.’

  His message had been like a light switch being thrown inside him, thoughts of the future, once clouded in uncertainty, now seemed clearer. Finally he could see the things that were truly most important to him. He had kept himself so preoccupied with rebuilding his life after his divorce to Rowena that he had almost forgotten he had a son who needed him to be there for him. He was always going to go visit him after they had settled into their new house, bought a new car, refurbished the office, sold the next big property, taken a holiday, finalised the deal with Richard. All of that however had counted for nothing. He only hoped that it wasn’t too late.

  “I wish I had listened to Simon all those years ago.” Doug sighed. “He used to try and talk to me about what he’d learnt at Sunday school, and all I can remember doing was brushing him away. You know Sally, the truth was I only used to encourage my Dad to take Simon to church because I knew it would annoy Rowena. She hated anything that sounded remotely religious. I think it might have had something to do with rebelling against her parents when she was younger.”

  “Hey it’s okay, I understand Doug.” Sally kissed him softly on the lips. “Everything happens in God’s timing. It’s something we’ll both never understand. I’m going to go and open a bottle of soft drink. I’m thirsty and it’s so hot in here. Why don’t you check the answering machine and see if anyone has left a message while we’ve been out all day?”

  He watched her walk across the room towards the kitchen, looking cheekily back over her shoulder as she paused for a moment in the doorway. He loved this woman more with each passing day.

  Doug smiled quietly to himself as he walked towards the telephone sitting on top of the small table in the corner of the lounge room. The tiny, green message received button was flashing repeatedly on the answering machine beside it as he reached out to press the play button.

  “Hey Sally, now that I’m a Christian that doesn’t change anything between us, like in the bedroom does it?” He asked playfully.

  “Why, are you planning on getting lucky tonight mister?”

  “Maybe.” Doug answered as his finger pressed down on the black, plastic button.

  “Mr Small, it’s Senior Constable Alan Greeves from the Gosford Police Department. Ah, look I was hoping to speak with you personally, if you can phone me back as soon as possible I have some information I would rather talk to you directly about. If it’s after seven o’clock there will be someone else who will be able to talk to you about this matter, the number is….”

  “What is that about I wonder?” Sally quickly returned to the lounge room. Ice jangled frantically in the two tall glasses of cola she now held as she made her way to Doug’s side. The jovial mood between them had quickly died. Doug was busy jotting the number down on the notepad beside the phone when the machine automatically played the next message.

  “Doug, its Barry.” The saddened voice paused for a moment as his brother obviously struggled to find the right words to say next. “I’m so sorry mate, I’ve just heard from the police back in Gosford and, well I’m sure you’ve heard already. I can’t believe what happened to Rowena. It appears she overdosed, I never thought for a second mate that she was messing with drugs. The problem is that no one has seen Simon since last night. The cops told me that they are looking for him as we speak, but Teresa and I are about to throw some gear in the car now and drive up to Gosford to see what we can do to help. Apparently a struggle broke out between that guy Ron she was dating and the neighbour who found her body and no one has seen him since then. They think he might be trying to reach you. Look when I check into a motel I’ll ring and give you a number that you can contact me on. I’m sure we’ll find him Doug. I feel so sorry for you mate, talk soon.”

  “Oh no!” Doug groaned from the pain that instantly gripped his chest. “How could she do something so stupid? And how am I going to be able to find my son from up here?”

  “Hello Doug, its Peter.” The next message on the machine automatically played. The voice calm and familiar as it drifted out of the cheap, hollow speakers. “That was a great decision you made tonight my friend, God has been waiting for you to respond to his call. Tonight you’ve begun a journey toward discovering the great life he has waiting in store for you. Already you’ve proved that you’re willing to let God use you to impact on the lives of others, and now God is going to return to your care the life of a young boy who will go on to do great things in God’s name. When I first appeared to you Doug, I said you were going to end up being a good father and that Simon would look to you to be his rock as he grows up. Well, his train is due in at 8.45pm tonight at Murwillumbah station. God is bringing Simon home to where he always intended him to be, with yourself and Sally. The two of you take care now, bye Doug.”