Forgiveness in War

Amy Jones heard the rumbling of her son’s old mustang, “ Honey!” she shouts at her husband, “Their home!” Richard Jones stands up from his desk and walks up the stairs from his den in a hurried manner so to meet his son at the door.

“Is everything ready?” He asked his wife as he climbs the last step into the kitchen.

“Yeah, did you call Karen?” she answered,

“Yep, she said she will be a little after the kids get here.” Richard replied.

“Where’s the gift?” Karen cried aloud in a frantic search.

“It’s right here.” Her husband said in a reassuring manner as he entered the family room with a large gift under a small gift bag that sits atop the large wrapped gift.

“Oh” she gasped with great relief.

“Hello,” Kyle calls out as he enters through the front door followed by Josh and Jennifer.

“Where are Mom and Dad?” Jennifer asked her older brother as she walked past him and into the living room.

“I don’t know” he replied as josh walked over to the stairs and sat down.

“SURPRISE!!” Amy and Richard Jones shouted as they came around the corner all smiles. “Happy Birthday! Jennifer!” they continued. Jennifer jumped at the shouts in surprise.

“Happy Birthday Sis!” Kyle added with a broad smile.

“Happy birthday!” Joshua said in a faked glee, “Whoopee!!!” He added with sarcasm. Kyle glared at his friend, “What?” he cries in a shameless innocence. Jennifer ignores Joshua’s comment.

“Wow! This is great I was kind of curious about what we were going to do for my birthday.” Jennifer said with a smile.

“Well, let’s start the celebration.” Richard Jones said with a gleam in his eye.

“Yes let’s” Amy chimed in.

“Mom, Dad please don’t embarrass me.” Jennifer begged.

“Embarrass you?” Amy asked, “It is only us.”

“Yes, But…” Jennifer begins to state.

“But what? We’re family here. There is nothing to be embarrassed about.” Richard interrupts his daughter and takes her by the arm and drags her into the kitchen and dining room. Jennifer looks back at Kyle in desperation, as Kyle shrugged his shoulders knowing he would be unable to help his little sister.

“Hey, man I need to talk to you.” Josh said to his friend.

“Now?” Kyle asked.

“Well… I guess…” Josh started.

“Tell me after the party.” Kyle interrupted as he gave his friend a smile. Joshua looked up at his happy friend and tried to find the words to tell Kyle what he had been trying to all week. Then Josh hears a light tap on the door, he got up to open the door to find his mother standing at the door with a gift.

“Hi, Honey” Karen Cromwell said to her son.

“Hi Mom” He answered, “They’re all in the kitchen and dining room.”

“Alright,” she replied, “Let’s go.” She said and grabbed him by the hand and walked with him into the dining room where they were greeted by friendly smiles. Josh stops in the door way and sighs with a deep sorrow, knowing that what he has to say to Kyle and his mother is going to hurt them greatly.

Joshua tried very hard to enjoy the party but was unable to do so. As the party was coming to an end, he knew he need to say something or it would be too late.

“Hey Josh,” Kyle called to him from the kitchen, “Can you help me with the dishes?” he asked.

“Sure.” Josh replied. “Now is a good a time as any?” he thought to himself. As he got up to help Kyle he thought about how he was going to break the news to his friend his mother would a have to come later. “Hey, I need to tell you something” he said as he brought Kyle the dishes from the dining room.

“Sure,” Kyle replied as he kept his eyes on what he was doing, “What’s up?”

“Well…” Josh hesitates as he searches for the right words.

“Hey, Just say what’s on your mind.” Kyle says as he handed Josh a wet dish for him to put in the dishwasher.

“I’m joining the Army.” Joshua whispered.

“What?” Kyle asked as he leaned in trying to hear his friend better.

“I’m joining the Army.” Joshua said a little bit louder.

“What?” Kyle asked, “I can’t understand or hear you man. You’re going to have to talk louder.”

“I’M JOINING THE ARMY?” Joshua shouted as his mom and Amy Jones enter into the dining room. Joshua looked around the room at the expressionless faces. “I… Uh…” Joshua stuttered as he turned and ran for the backdoor and ran toward Amy’s garden.

“I…” Karen paused, “I should go talk to him.” She added as she walked through the backdoor to find her son.

“Wow!” Jennifer said, “Never saw that coming. But it will probably be good for him anyways.”

“ALRIGHT!” Kyle shouted as he slammed down the dishtowel down on the counter, “That’s enough Jennifer I don’t want to here you bag on Josh anymore, Okay!” He added with an angry glare as he ran past his dad and up the stairs to his room.

“What’s going on?” Richard Jones asked as he watched his son run past him upstairs. Amy Jones shakes her head in disappointment, as Jennifer sits down in a stunned and shaken manner.

Karen Cromwell walked through the gate at Amy Jones’s garden and found her son sitting on a rock with his face in his hands. As she sat down next to him he looked up in astonishment. “I didn’t think that anyone would want to talk me after that fiasco.”

Karen Cromwell looked sympathetically to her son and said, “You’re my son why would I want to talk to you.”

“Well, I thought you’d be disappointed in me.” Josh said as he stared at the ground.

“Disappointed in you?” Karen asked in a surprised, “Josh I will never be disappointed in you. Never!” She added as she turned his face to her, “I just…” she continued as tears filled her eyes.

“Mom I just can’t take living here in this hell hole. It’s just to much and I want to get out.” Josh said with determination.

“Lets talk about this at home, Ok.” His mother said as she fought back sobs.

“Alright, can we go home now?” Joshua said with a pleading look in his eyes. Karen turned toward the Joneses kitchen window,

“Okay, we can go home now.” She answered. Josh and his mother got up and headed towards back gate and they headed across the street to their home.

“Yeah, Josh wanted to come home he need some space so I thought I’d give it to him.” Karen said to Amy Jones over the phone. “Yeah… I don’t know. I’ll talk to him when he’s ready. Yeah, Alright, Talk to you later, bye.” As she hung up the phone she turned to see her drunken husband as he came through the door.

“Where’s my dinner?” Her husband asked in a heavily slurred tone. “Where’s my food?” he shouted in a drunken anger as he slapped her across the face. Karen fell to the floor and started crying, “Oh, quit your blubbering.” Charlie Cromwell said in his drunken stupor and anger, as his father turned toward his mother Joshua grabbed a spatula and moved slowly toward his father. His father stopped over his mother as he did Joshua drew back and swung at his father with a cry of hatred. As Josh swung his father turned around and took the brunt force of the blow across his, “Ah!” Charlie groaned as he stood to his feet slowly Joshua drew back for another swing but his father punched him in the gut. Josh gasped for each breath as his father stood up and wiped his bleeding cheek, as he reached his full height he drew back and punched his son across the face.

“No!” Karen screamed out as her son fell to the floor. “Get out!” She said in a steadied harsh tone. “Get out of my home.”

“Your home?” Charlie said in astonishment.

“Yes, I mean it Charlie, get out now! Or I will call the police and have them take you out.” Karen cried as she grabbed the spatula that her son had earlier and watched as her stunned husband stumble towards the front door.

Kyle lay on his bed and replayed the events that had transpired earlier that evening. As he did he felt something within him start to stir, he felt as if someone was talking to him. He closed his eyes and began to pray aloud, “God, I don’t know what exactly your trying to do in my friends life. But I know you want to use me in some way. Just tell me what you want me to do, give me a sign…” his words drifted into a sleepless state, then suddenly there was a thud. He jumped and sat up to look and see what had happened. He looked at his bible that lay opened on the floor, as he walked over he noticed that the bible had been placed solidly on his dresser. As he bent over to pick up his bible he noticed something a little out of place. As he read where he was in his bible he saw that he was in the book of John Chapter 15 but something else he noticed was that there was only one verse highlighted through out the entire two pages he was looking at. But as he read the verse his heart began to race, “Greater love hath no man than this, but that he would lay down his life for a friend.” As he laid his bible back on his dresser, he walked back to his bed and knelt down to pray again. “God I don’t understand what it is your trying to say to me but I know your speaking to me. Please confirm in my heart what you have spoken to me tonight. So I might obey you and your will, Amen.” As he finished his prayer he climbed into bed and fell asleep and began to dream of his friend and himself playing the games that they used to play in his backyard.