Book 3- Annie Adams-College Years

Annie Adams-College Years

                                                                                       Chapter 12

                                                                                 Change of Heart

     One of Len's deputies called when Charles Jones' arrived at the Waterbury Sheriff's Department.  I'll be right there," Len told him.  "Give the prisoner a cup of coffee and a danish after you do his paper work, etc, etc. ....  "See you all in a few," Len said ringing off.  "Come on Charlie let's go!"  Charlie just had time to give him a nod when the door bell rang.

     Annie was closest to the door so went to answer it.  When she did, she saw that Frank Malone was standing on her front porch grinning widely at her.  Frank's hair was cut short now and combed neatly.  And he had put on some much needed pounds on his thin frame.  "Uncle Frank!  How nice to see you!"  Annie squealed, inviting him in and giving him a hug.

     "It's nice to see you too kiddo," Frank told her. "And hey!  Congrats on your expectin'," he added, beaming at her.  "Thank you!  We're absolutely thrilled about it!" she gushed.  "Come and say "Hi" to everyone and meet a new friend of ours."  Zack and the other "old friends" hugged Uncle Frank to pieces, and then Annie introduced him to Harmony.

     "Hello Harmony.  I see congrats are due to you also,"  Frank said, eyeing her growing middle.  Harmony laughed and said, "Thank you Mr. ...."  "Please call me Frank," he told her.  Harmony grinned and then added, "Thank you too Frank for agreeing to talk with Charles today," she said, a tear trickling down her cheek. 

     Frank smiled at her, "I have every confidence that God can put your little family back together again," he told her while gently patting her shoulder.  "I'm praying that will be so," Harmony whispered through her tears.  Patti, who was sitting next to Harmony put a comforting arm around her.

     "Frank! Charlie!  We need to go.  Charles is waiting for us.  Even though he doesn't know it yet."  Len said with a smile.  Frank turned to face Annie and said, "We'll have time for a visit after," he promised.  Then Len, Frank and Charlie Proceeded to the door.  Annie followed behind.  Len kissed his wife and said, "Honey please pray for us."

     "Sure will," Annie told him.  "The snow is starting earlier than predicted," Len said, watching the big flakes fall.  "Be careful out there,"  Annie ordered, kissing him again.  Len winked at her and then hurried off to his truck where Charlie and Frank were waiting.  Annie resumed her seat on the sofa beside Harmony and suggested, that the group pray for a change of heart for Charles that day.  So they did.

     Len, Charlie and Frank walked into the Sheriff's Department and the first thing they saw, was Charles Jones sitting in a holding cell drinking coffee and eating a chocolate eclair; another one setting on a napkin in his lap waiting it's turn.  "You two can go to lunch now," Len told his two deputies.  They both gave him a nod and left.

     Len, Charlie and Frank took off their coats and hung them on a rack, setting just inside the door to the right of Len's desk.  Len's office was a pleasant place to be. Two other desks sat almost against the far wall.  A painting depicting the town of Waterbury graced the wall over Len's desk, along with his fishing pole.  Folksy Norman Rockwell paintings which completed the decorations, made the room feel warm and inviting.

     Len's Law Enforcement credentials, all in matching black frames, hung on the wall opposite his desk.  Len, after hanging up his coat, retrieved a key from the desk drawer and unlocked the door of the holding cell.  Charles Jones' eyes grew wide wondering what this was all about.  And that he'd better take off his cap as a sign of respect to the sheriff.  As he did so, his ash blond hair cascaded down to his shoulders.  He was a husky guy, about five foot nine inches tall, his weight about two hundred pounds.

     He wondered as he watched to the three men.  This sheriff had just dismissed his deputies and who were these two guys with him?  Was he about to be beat up?  Obviously the sheriff would know that he had hit his wife.  And Charles had heard of police brutality.  All these fearful thoughts ran through his mind.  But then Len spoke to him in a quiet friendly voice.

     "No one is going to hurt you, Len assured him, " We just want to talk to you if we can" he ended, while Charlie nodded in agreement and Frank gave Charles a smile.  "Come and sit out here with us," Len offered, waving a hand at four chairs setting in front of his desk.  "You don't have to, but I'm hoping you will," Len told him. 

     After a few minutes of sizing up the three men in front of him and coming to the conclusion he wasn't about to be harmed, Charles stood and then walked through the jail room door to the other side.  Len proceeded to move the four chairs into a circle, so he and the others would be facing each other.  Everyone sat down, except Len who ran to get a cup of coffee for Charlie, Frank and himself and to top off Charles mug.

     When Len came back he handed out the coffees and said, "Introductions are in order.  Of course you know I'm the sheriff, but my name is Len Summers."  Charles nodded at him and Len reached out to shake his hand.  This is Charlie Bowers, a good friend of mine," Len said, watching as Charlie stuck out his hand to Charles with his crooked grin in place.

     "And this is Frank Malone, another good friend," Len said with a chuckle.  Frank grinned widely at Charles as he shook his hand.  Len noticed Charles blue eyes were still wary.  "So...." Len began, "Charlie and Frank thought you might benefit from hearing their life stories up to this point in their lives."

     "Yeah," Frank started.   "I wasn't always the upstanding citizen I am today."  Len and Charlie laughed, and even Charles cracked a smile.  But Charles didn't say anything, so Frank said, "I'll start.  Shall I Charlie?"  He nodded and grinned at Uncle Frank to go ahead.  "Well, let me say first of all, I would still be living on the "Lam" and stealing everything that wasn't nailed down if it hadn't been for God, Len, his wife Annie, Charlie and their friends, who are now my friends too."

     "I was raised up in a church, as they used to say.  A man named Pastor Michael Murphy was my church pastor.  I sang in the choir, helped Pastor Murphy around the church.  Everything was great until I turn twelve years old." Frank took a deep breath and cleared his throat, "Then my brother, whom I loved so much, died.  I went to pieces.  I blamed God.  I blamed everyone.

Charles was listening intently, and Len was glad to see it.  "Pastor Murphy tried to comfort me, tried to help me through the pain.  But I wasn't having it.  Finally, I ran away from home and broke my mother's heart.  I got into trouble with the law; stealing cars, breaking into houses, etc, etc."  Just then the phone rang on Len's desk.  And he jumped up to answer it.

     All talk ceased while Len was speaking.  "Okay.  Yeah."....Calm down Hon...."  Charlie and Uncle Frank's eyes were wide as Charlie whispered,  "Something's wrong at home."  Then Len spoke again.  "We'll be right there!  Don't worry.  Yes. I'll bend the rules, he can come too."  Charles knew that the sheriff was talking about him.

     "We'll be right there," Len promised.  "Come on guys, we gotta go!" he said urgently.  "Charles.  Harmony is being taken to the hospital."  Charles gasped and dropped his coffee cup.  "You're going with us."  Just then Len's deputies came in the door.  Len quickly explained that Charles' wife took ill and was this minute on the way to the hospital and that he was bending the rules and taking Charles with them.

     The men nodded and one of them, Steve, a tall dark headed man said to Charles, "I'll pray she be okay."  "Thank you," Charles said sincerely.  Then Len, Charlie, Frank and Charles piled into his truck, (luckily it was a "Club Cab") and Len, having put the siren on top of the cab, took off toward the hospital.  "This is all my fault," Charles lamented, with his head in his hands.

     Charlie who was sitting in the front with him patted his shoulder.  "No.  It isn't." he told him.  "I want you to know Frank," Charles started, twisting himself around to face him where he sat in the back seat, "I heard what you said in there, and you were telling my life."  Frank smiled and said, "Do you want to hear more?  The end is fabulous!"  Charles wiped his tearing eyes and said, "I sure do."  Frank grinned, while a tear fell from his eye.

                                                                              End of Chapter 12