A Christian Romance

Chapter 32 - A new picture

Richard's health condition wasn't improving. He would go back and forth from the prison hospital to his cell much more often now. He hardly ever received visits too. The only person that still visited him was David. The pastor was allowed to bring him decent food, and also had a medical prescription that allowed him to bring Richard his medicine - the prisoner thought it was just something to keep himself high in the prison tedious environment, but it contained thallium.

One day, when he was bored looking through the window of his quiet cell, a guard walked to him and called for his last name with authority, informing him that there was someone to visit him. It wasn't David, for they walked him to a non-contact visit room. Through the barrier, he recognized the bald guy in front of him: Adam. He was surprised to see him there, especially with that hairstyle. He sat down, grabbed the intercom phone, and with cold and rude eyes, he inspected his visitor.

"What are you doing here?" Richard demanded.

"Did my father pay a doctor to fake my disease?" Adam went straight to business.

Adam was a layman. He had no idea how things worked in prison. Richard, however, was very well instructed and knew how things worked there. He knew he couldn't pass the letter onto Adam through the glass, at least hypothetically. For his luck, - and of many other prisoners - there was a crevice on the wall, beneath his table.

"The wall," Richard emphasized. "of the church is painted already?" He tried to sound articulate and normal. "Because there was a crevice, down there" he pointed down, trying to prevent the officers surrounding them from understanding their conversation. He continued. "If you don't do it, you gotta take that letter from the bank to the Police." He tried to make sense, but he hadn't developed any type of relation with David's son to talk to him in any special code.

He knew he was risking a lot, but he simulated a cramp and managed to push the folded paper through the crevice. The officer standing by, rushed and grabbed him, while he was still twisting in fake pain, which was plausible considering his health condition. The prisoner kept pointing to something in the wall, but the officer quickly grabbed his hand and handcuffed him, leading him away from the room.

Adam was taken aback, failing to know how to react, but he needed more time than what the officer gave him. He was gently expelled from the visiting room. As he was coming out, he recalled the words and signs that Richard had said. Then they made sense. But how could he get back there? He tried to explain that he had forgotten something, but in the prison, they sent an officer to inspect the room he had used instead. Adam took the risk, saying that it was a letter he was playing with against the wall, that it was probably on the floor. The same officer went into the room again, as he was inspecting, he found the crevice and the letter there. Adam was called for interrogation.
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The first days of sacrificing herself entirely to be vulnerable to God were hard. Debora found her mind trying to make excuses and shortcuts to circumvent that renunciation. It was hard to focus on God, after being distracted for such a long time, but by the end of the first day, she saw the first fruits of her abnegation. "But without faith, it is impossible to please Him; for He that comes to God must believe that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." (Hebrew 11:6).

It was hard to keep the spiritual discipline and focus, but the reward of peace and bliss wasn't anything that she could find elsewhere, only in the presence of God. She saw things with a clearer mind and perspective. It was like she could see the whole picture, and it wasn't about her, it was all about God and bringing all the glory to Him.

She had put all her life and accomplishments in check and waited for an answer from God. Whatever God would tell her to do, even leave Australia, she was willing to obey, because He knew better. Her devotion and surrender were pleasing to God, therefore her answer came sooner and clearer than she had expected. She was happy to know that her heart agreed with Her Heavenly Father. Leaving the church was a thing that she should do, as soon as possible, and she even received an answer of where she should congregate, but this involved Joel as well. Speaking of him, she also received the confirmation that he was the one for her life - in the Father's plan. There was one thing, however that started to not sit well with her mind, and that needed to be addressed. That meant that the time she had waited to express her feelings had come.