My little girl met a new friend
just the other day
on the playground at school
between the tires and the swings
"Hi, you must be the new girl, Rebecca, that my husband was talking about," Sarah LaMontagne said with a smile as she grabbed the young teenager's hand.
"Yes, I am. You must be Henry's wife, Sarah," Rebecca said with the softest of smiles.
"Are you alright?" Sarah asked as she glanced at the scar that went down Rebecca's neck.
"Yes, I'm fine. I was in a ski accident last year," Rebecca said without a moment's hesitation.
"So, what brings you to our church?" Sarah asked, quickly changing the subject.
"My aunt comes to this church and she brought me along."
"Will your parents be joining us?" Sarah asked her with a grin.
"No, my parents are very against Christianity." Rebecca turned to glance at her aunt who was talking with Jonathon Prentiss. "I've got to go, I left without my parent's permission this morning."
But she came home with tear-filled eyes, and she said to me "Daddy, Alyssa lies"
"What's wrong Sarah?" her father in-law and the pastor of the church, Will, said as he walked over to his tearful daughter in law. She surprised him by throwing her arms around him.
"Will, she lied to me. She lied to me. It's horrible!" she wailed as she sobbed into his chest.
"What is it darling? Who has upset you so much?" he whispered into her hair.
Well I just brushed it off at first, 'cause I didn't know how much my little girl had been hurt or the things she had seen. I wasn't ready when I said "You can tell me"
It was weeks later when Will's daughter-in-law came to see him again. Something had been bugging her since the last time he saw her. She looked worn and unhappy. He was beginning to worry about her.
"If God loves us so much how could he let this happen to a young girl?" she yelled angrily. Will was alarmed by her sudden outburst. Ever since he decided to retire as a cop and become a minister he had helped people with their problems with faith, but Sarah's faith seemed like it could never be shaken. "She isn't supposed to go through this. She is supposed to laugh and smile and have her biggest worry be that grade that just isn't high enough. She's not supposed to deal with this!"
"Sit down Sarah, lets talk about this." He got up and walked over to the girl he considered a daughter.
"You won't understand!" she screamed as she pulled herself from him.
"Try me. You can tell me."
and she said... "Alyssa lies to the classroom, Alyssa lies everyday at school, Alyssa lies to the teachers as she tries to cover every bruise"
"It's about Rebecca. You lies to everyone. She lies to the congregation. She lies every day at Youth Group. She lies to the leaders as she tries to cover every bruise." Will's heart stopped. "Her parents beat her up so much just because she's Christian and her faith still remains in tact. I don't know what to do. I feel like a child," Sarah whispered as she collapsed into her father-in-law's arms.
"I'm sorry angel, I'll think of something. Why don't you tell Henry that you'll be sleeping and JJ and my house. I think you'll feel better."
"Ok," she whispered into his chest as he just held her. As she fell asleep in his arms he couldn't help but cry. How could this happen? He talked with Rebecca a lot and yet he always believed the false smiles and the fake laughs. He believed the unrealistic lies and he didn't see through the quick change of subject when he asked about her family. He had been a detective for years before he was a pastor and he couldn't see through one little girl's fasqued?
My little girl laid her head down that night to go to sleep. As I stepped out the room, I heard her say a prayer so soft and sweet "God bless my mom and my Dad and my new friend, Alyssa *oh*I know she needs you bad Because Alyssa lies to the classroom, Alyssa lies everyday at school, Alyssa lies to the teachers as she tries to cover every bruise"
After dinner Sarah went straight for the guest bedroom to go to sleep. Will got up to tell her good night and talk with her, but he stopped in her doorway as he saw her get on her knees.
"Dear Lord, I've always known you, but there is one girl who only recently came to know you. Her name is Rebecca and she is punished daily for knowing you. She loves you and adores you and I ask that you lay your hands of comfort on her and heal the wounds that mar her body. In your name I pray, Amen." With that said Will watched his son's wife get into bed and close her eyes.
I had the worst night of sleep in years as I tried to think of a way to calm her fears I knew just what it was I had to do *I knew exactly what I had to do* but when we got to school on Monday I heard the news
Will slept horrible that night. Sarah was in deep distress at many times of the night and Will went each time to comfort her. When Sarah did manage to get some sleep Will still couldn't sleep. What was he going to do? He knew he should probably talk to the police but he just couldn't. The poor girl would suffer horribly if he did.
Will sighed as he leaned up against the headboard of his bed. He turned his head to look at his sleeping wife next to him.
He was tired but grabbed his bible and went into the family room. He sat down on the couch and opened his book to a random page. He started to read, praying for guidance.
An hour later he smiled as he headed back to bed.
He had no idea the news he would receive when he went to church the next morning.
My little girl asked me why everybody looked so sad the lump in my throat grew bigger with every question that she asked. Until I felt the tears run down my face and I told her that Alyssa wouldn't be at school today
Will looked up as he the door opened to the tearful hall of church members. He saw his wife, JJ, enter with Henry behind her and Sarah next to him holding baby Layla. He closed his eyes as he anticipated what he had to tell his daughter in law. He walked toward her with slow steps. JJ sensed something was wrong and took Layla and Henry over to another group of people.
"Will, what happened? Where is Rebecca? What's going on?" Sarah asked him. For a moment the young women before him seemed more like a child.
"Sarah, I've got some bad news."
'Cause she doesn't lie in the classroom she doesn't lie anymore at school Alyssa lies with Jesus because there's nothin' anyone would do
Will's heart broke as Rebecca's trusting eyes looked up at him. "What is it?
"Rebecca… she's not going to be lying to you any more darlin'. She's with Jesus now," he told her softly. Sarah looked up at him, searching his eyes for some kind of hidden joke that she would never find.
"No," she whispered as she sat down on a chair with tears in her eyes. "H…how?"
"Her mother cut a vain in her throat with a broken bottle," he whispered sadly.
"How could they do this?" she screamed, gaining everyone's attention but she just didn't care. "She was a child! How could they hurt her?" Will grabbed her shoulders as she hit her fists into his chest.
Tears filled my eyes when my little girl asked me why Alyssa lies *Oh Daddy, oh* Daddy tell me why Alyssa lies
"Why did they do this Will? Why?"
"I don't know Sarah, I truly don't."