Hank and Jess had something in their marriage most couples cannot claim, an unbelievable connection and fierce love for each other. While on a mission trip to Haiti, Jess is murdered. The shock of loss overwhelms Hank and his journey to reconcile he...
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August 29, 2018
Jess looked forward to her walks. She enjoyed the peace and quiet of this undiscovered country--- undiscovered to her, at least. It had become her ritual to breathe in the place every morning, to experience as much of it as possible within the ten days she would be here. Unfortunately, her meditative walks did not come without the heat. She wiped her brow as she made her way onto the path in the wooded area of the property. Haiti was hot, but not near as hot in the early morning hours, and the bugs were not as threatening to her contemplations.
It had taken no time for her to fall in love with the people. The level of poverty here had shocked her. Guilt overwhelmed her emotions as she considered her lavish and extravagant life. She had never considered herself wealthy, but she was filthy rich compared to the vast majority of the people here. Yet, there was something remarkable--- something unexpected she would not been able to grasp about these people had she seen them on television or read about them in a book. The Haitian people were full of immense joy and passion for life. Somehow, circumstances had not eroded their soul, when back in the states there was an overarching discontentment that defined the lives of most.
She felt invigorated here, her soul more alive and receptive to the things that mattered; serving these people brought great joy to her heart.
Her team had worked so hard to finish the project. They had worked hours on end to complete the construction of the kids' area. The church was nothing more than a dilapidated building; the kids' building was an old pavilion with makeshift walls, but to the local children, it was a grand palace. The mural was the perfect touch in capturing the majesty of this wonderful place. She felt she was leaving her mark on this country with each brushstroke.
She wished she could bring Pastor Vaughn and his family home to stay with her and Hank for a time. They felt like family now, and she would miss their warm and hospitable nature. Part of her feared bringing them to the states, as they would most likely have a negative reaction to the excess of Americans.
Pastor Vaughn had wept as he thanked them for their work on the church. Hank would be so pleased with what they had accomplished here. He loved this country, too. She was so sad, even mildly disappointed, when he decided not to come. He had too much going on at church to go this time. She would have loved to experience this past week with him. She couldn't wait to tell him about this and her other special news.
As she made her way into the tree line, she more sensed than heard someone coming behind her. When she turned around, her eyes met her pursuer; she immediately recognized who it was, causing dread to overtake her. She could tell by the wicked look on his face that this was not going to end well. "Are you following me? Look, we have had this talk before. You are not going to go there again, are you? This was settled a long time ago. Listen to me; you need to go back to the church. Don't do anything stupid here. Answer me!" He didn't. He just kept slowly coming towards her; rising fear began to overtake her. She looked around, preparing her escape route.
Suddenly, he charged. She somehow dodged him, turned and ran. He was faster than her, and he lunged and shoved her violently. The momentum of his push sent her flying into the air. For a moment, time stood still, her hopelessness becoming as inevitable as the ground she was about to plow into. She hit face first into the dirt path and grunted, the wind knocked out of her. "Ugh, why...are...you...doing...this?" She tried to scream, but she had no air left as he jumped on top of her, digging his knees into her back. He turned her over to face him.
His voice was like lava, every word seeking to consume her: "I told you if I wanted you that you would be mine. You didn't believe me, Jess, but today I will show you how wrong you were." She grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it in his face. She kicked up hard, hoping to connect. He grunted and fell off her; she scrambled onto her feet and started to run again, this time toward the trees. If she could just make it before...
She never got close as he reached out and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her back down to the ground. She screamed as she fell, but no one was within earshot to rescue her. He had her now, as she succumbed to the inevitability of his cruelty.
She still wept in hopes of mercy as he straddled her. She spoke her last words of reproach: "I should have never trusted you. I thought you had really changed. I was always nice to you, when everyone else treated you like an outcast." He didn't seem to hear her. He was lost in his debauchery now, as he tugged on her shorts.
After he was done, she felt numb; her body was limp, like she had been disconnected from it. All she could muster was faint whimpering. That angered him; he yelled at her at the top of his lungs: "Shut up! Shut up! I don't want to hear anything else from you. You asked for this. This was all because you didn't listen!" She tried one last time to scramble away, but she knew it was pointless. She was completely at this monster's mercy.
He didn't deal in mercy, though. He grabbed her by the throat and began to squeeze. She tried to fight, but she couldn't get leverage to break his grip. The big canopy of trees, hanging over the path, were all she saw, but in all their size and strength, they would not budge for her; she was all alone in the woods in a foreign country with him, her killer. She quit fighting and resigned herself to her fate. Only one thought came out before everything went dark, "Haaannk."
