Ezra Lucas

Ezra-15-Lucas

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2

Over the past few weeks things have been different. Madeline has been a little distant; she seems to be distracted by something. I have asked her if she is okay multiple times, but each time she says that she is. I try to not think of it a lot because I am worried that something bad is going to happen.

I stare up at my plain white ceiling and replay all the moments I've had with Madeline. Her blue eyes still mesmerize me when I see them. Those eyes help me to fall asleep at night when I can't sleep.

I don't remember when I fell asleep, but when my eyes open Madeline is sitting next to me. "Hi," I smile groggily. She stares at me and her eyes make me shiver. She doesn't smile back at me; she only pulls her hand away from me. I frown and sit up. "What's wrong?"

She keeps her gaze even with mine. "I applied to college. Multiple ones actually, and they accepted me. I'm going to go to Florida, Ezra."

"What? Florida is a long ways away, over six maybe even twelve hours away. We are graduating in a few weeks. What about us? I can't drive down there." I question and shake my head.

"I'm not asking you to come see me, Ezra. This is for the best. We wouldn't work long distance. I could never ask you to come with me either. I don't know what you've decided to do, but I don't think we have a future together."

My mouth drops and my heart breaks in two. "We have no future together? What makes you say that, Madeline?"

"I'm not a Christian! I know how they are. You would drop me like a hot potato as soon as I told you that I wasn't, so I am breaking up with you before you break my heart." She stands up and starts to walk away.

I scramble off my bed and grab her arm. I spin her around and kiss her like I never have before as tears pour down my face. "I love you, Madeline."

She closes her eyes. "I can't do this. Stop trying to make me stay. It's over, Ezra." She turns and runs out with my heart.

The next few weeks, I am numb and spend the least amount of time in school as possible. Graduation comes and goes. Gram tells me that I need to decide what is best for my future. She told me that I may hurt now, but the time will come when I find the girl that is truly right for me. I stayed quiet and thought to myself that I already had, but she is in Florida now. I tried to distract myself from the fact that she is gone. I needed to figure out a career for myself and start making money for myself, so I wouldn't burden Grams any more. I decided to be an aircraft mechanic. It should keep me busy and it only requires about a year of school which isn't bad.

My summer was filled with college and financial aid paperwork. Grams gave me the speech on how to be a man and whatnot before I left to go to college in the fall. I made decent grades half the year and then things changed.

I step into the cheap apartment building I was staying at. It was dusty and filled with old furniture, but it was livable and not too out of shape. The woman at the front desk waved me over when she noticed me.

"Sir, you missed a phone call. They left a message for you." She says and hands me a piece of paper. I thank her and head up to my apartment. I sit on the only chair I own and read the paper. It slips out of my hands and I shake my head.

No. This can't be right. It isn't true. It is for someone else. Gram is still alive she has to be. My stomach drops and something inside me says that it is true. I think I am in shock as I dial the number on the paper and hold my cell phone to my ear.

"Ezra? This is Officer Red. I'm so sorry to have to tell you what happened. Her neighbor went over there yesterday and she passed in her sleep." He pauses. "Are you there?"

I nod and tears fall down. Sobs break the quietness of my small apartment and I clutch the phone close to me.

"I'm so sorry. Do you need me to come get you? Scratch that. You do not need to drive. I'll be down there in a few hours, okay? Pack enough things for about a week."

Once the sobs stop enough that I can speak again, I agree with him and start packing. I call one of my good friends to get him to get all the schoolwork I will miss for me and he gladly agrees. He tells me that he and the other guys will be praying for me.

By God's grace I kept my grades up for the rest of the year, and graduated for Grams. All I had left was to do the thirty months of work experience, and learn to live without Grams and Madeline.