| . |
Chapter Fifty-two
Welcome Home, Mrs. Clark
"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother [family], and shall cleave
unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."
~ Genesis 2:24 ~
"Let not the sun go down upon your wrath."
~ Ephesians 4:26 ~
 t was
just after seven thirty in the evening when Adam's private jet touched down at the
small airport in Twin Yucca. The sun was setting against the western horizon of the
Mojave Desert, as the small group descended the steps of the jet and into the warm
air.
The familiar feel of the dry wind against Charlie's skin reminded her of just how
much she had been missing home. She had spent much of the last few months away from
the desert, and was grateful to finally be back to the land that she had come to
love so much.
While Adam and Kevin unloaded their luggage and camping equipment, Chad looked about
the empty airport for his brother. A few hours earlier, Mike called and had given
an update as to their father's condition. He was conscious and talking, and according
to the doctors, doing extremely well for someone who had suffered a mild heart attack
the previous day. Tests were still being done to determine why he had collapsed,
for the cause wasn't readily apparent to the doctors. As always, Mike had ended the
call with another plea to pray for Thomas. Even though their father's physical condition
was improving, his sins had not been forgotten. Chad had strained to hear any news
from Mike that their father had repented of his indiscretions, but Mike had been
unable to give his little brother any such consolation.
"Where's Mike?" asked Adam, setting the last of their luggage on the runaway
and looking about the mostly vacant airport. "I thought he promised to meet
us."
"I don't see him," Chad sighed disappointedly.
"Thank God there's no reporters," said Charlie, grateful that they had
been able to sneak back home without arousing the attention of the media.
"Amen to that," agreed her husband.
"Someone's coming," Kevin announced. He stood beside his client and warily
watched as a solitary figure walked toward them.
"It's Mike!" cried the boy.
Momentarily forgetting that he was too old for such displays of emotion, Chad ran
to Mike and the brothers hugged.
"How's your father, Mike?" asked Adam, as Chad buried his face in his older
brother's embrace.
"Fine, I guess," mumbled Mike. "I don't understand, Uncle Adam. He
came so close to death, and he still refuses to be honest about his sin. I thought
that maybe I could talk to him, but he just won't repent. He even told me that it
was no big deal, because his last 'momentary lapse of judgment' had only been with
a prostitute. Uncle Adam, I was sitting there, looking at my own father, and thinking,
'I don't know this man.'"
|