Who killed Wanda Day? (DAY! Series Book 1)

Chapter Eleven - A friend, a fight, and a flag

Christopher Carl Thielmann was born in September of '87, much to the delight of his devout Catholic parents, Frank and Sue. They had been praying for a little bundle of joy for what felt like an eternity, and finally, their prayers were answered.

As an only child, Chris was the apple of his parents' eyes. They protected him and he was raised in a household that was all about church, family, and faith. Every Sunday, they would pile into the car and head to church, where he would sing his little heart out and soak up all the holy vibes. Despite being a happy-go-lucky kid, his parents never let him forget the importance of their religion. They were like a tag team of Catholicism, making sure their son was always on the straight and narrow.

In the summer of '93, he was cruising down Lexington Road on his trusty bike, enjoying the sunshine and the wind in his hair. Little did he know, a tiny mouse was scurrying across the road, minding its own business. Before either of them knew what was happening, Chris and the mouse collided, and the poor little critter was split in half. Now, Chris had been raised in a very religious household, so when he saw what had happened, his mind immediately went to thoughts of purgatory. He came to a screeching halt and quickly ran back to the scene of the accident, hoping to make things right.

With tears streaming down his face, he looked down at the squished mouse and felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He knew he had to do something to make things right. So, he said a prayer and buried what was left of the mouse in Mr. Stanton's garden. But even after he had done that, he couldn't shake the feeling of remorse. For four long nights, he lay awake in bed, haunted by the memory of what had happened. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and confided in his mother. Through his tears, Chris told his mother everything. He expected her to scold him or punish him, but instead, she simply stroked his back and offered him comfort. "Oh Christopher," she said. "Don't worry. It wasn't on purpose. Just pray ten 'Hail Marys' and you will be forgiven."

Years had passed since the incident with the mouse, but he could never quite shake the memory from his mind. Every time he said his prayers, the image of the tiny creature split in half would flash before his eyes. No matter how hard he tried to suppress it, the guilt and remorse lingered. Despite this, Chris had grown up to be a model citizen. He was a well-behaved, religious young man who treated his parents with respect and brought home good grades. He never caused trouble or gave his parents any reason to worry. He was always home on time, and there was never a call from school.

When he was just 14 years old, his world was turned upside down. His beloved mother was diagnosed with cancer, and it seemed like every day brought more bad news. First, it was her breasts, then her colon, and finally, her lungs. But Chris and his father weren't going to give up that easily. They prayed every day for a miracle, hoping that somehow, someway, a cure would be found. Unfortunately, the universe had other plans. The cancer continued to eat away at his mother until it finally took root in her brain. And just when Chris thought things couldn't get any worse, he overheard the doctors at the hospital talking to his father. "There is no cure," the doctor said, his face as grave as a tombstone. "You can take your wife home. There's nothing we can do for her anymore."

Chris was devastated by his mother's illness, and he prayed and prayed at her bedside, hoping for a miracle. But as the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months, it seemed like God had gone deaf to their prayers. His mother, once a proud and vibrant woman, was now a mere shadow of herself - sickly, embittered, and embarrassed. At night, she would often scream and beg God to finally redeem her, and on one of those nights, he began to doubt the existence of God. Why didn't he hear them? Why didn't he redeem her? It haunted him, and he couldn't help but wonder if God was really there at all. As his mother's condition worsened, Chris' doubts grew stronger. If God existed, why did he allow good people to suffer? It didn't make sense to him.