An Apostle of the Lord, Chapter 2
"Timothy, an apostle of the Lord?" Riding in the Jeep, Sam was quick to change the music to his liking. Dean would never allow him to choose the music in his car, but the stranger didn't care.
"Well, sort of. My name is Edward Timms. Call me Eddie." Noting Sam's gesture he should embellish, Timothy-now-Eddie continued.
"First, give me the pencil in your pocket." Sam looked down, located his lead pencil, and passed it over, and Eddie tucked it behind his ear.
"I'm the current incarnation of one of the apostles trained in miracles by Christ. Not Timothy in the Bible. That's someone else. Some buddy of apostle Paul's. Really nice guy but not an apostle. I was one of the hundred-and-twenty who were trained to perform miracles and then use the occasions to convince our audiences we had the authority to pass on the truths we were taught."
"But, I'm not here to teach anything this lifetime. I'm just here to fix some unnecessary suffering by good people today. Angie here had more to accomplish in this life and being compromised by a demon was going to ruin everything. Make sense, Angie?"
"No?," came a weak reply from in back. She was confused.
"That's okay. You won't remember all this anyway." That did not help her confusion.
Eddie continued, "Anyway, tomorrow I get to part waters to prevent a drowning. The victim's husband was supposed to suffer his loss of family as an example to followers of his, but the followers who needed to witness his suffering took a different path, so to say. So, the wife's death, and maybe the son's, would be pointless. If I succeed, the family will continue as a unit in some hopefully greater cause." I've always succeeded. No brag, I bumble along and it works out right. Timothy tells me all I need to know and all I need to have on hand. And most of the time it was a good thing. Most of the time."
Parting waters. That reminded Sam of what Eddie had said in the swamp. "You said you could turn water into whiskey?" he asked. "Have you actually done that?"
"Yes."
"Where?" Sam leaned in.
"In Lebanon, Kansas." Eddied thought for a moment, then smiled and continued. "I expected Dean to react to that comment back there and he didn't. What are you thinking?"
"Well, when I was a kid, Dean went to a pool party in Lebanon. I was too young to go. And I remember Dad getting a call and he grabbed me and said, "Let's go." And we got in the car and drove to the party. When we got there, Dean was laughing and drunk out of his gourd. He said some guy stood on the water in the middle of the pool and yelled, 'Let's party! The drinks are on me!" and the pool water turned into whiskey. Dean drank a lot. I guess he was an alcoholic from the start. But, anyway, when Dad and I went behind the fence, the pool was just normal pool water. Dean says he doesn't remember when I tease him about it. But, I know what I saw and Dean was really really drunk for being at a party serving only soda and punch."
"Okay. That makes sense," said Eddie. "You didn't see the miracle so you remember. But Dean did see, so as far as he will ever know is no such thing happened, just that he got drunk. As to why I was at the party, there was a youngster I was to prevent drowning in the pool at the height of the celebration and I couldn't keep track of her the whole time. I couldn't risk having the child return unnoticed and drown. So I changed the situation. Most gross things I could have changed the water to would only make it more interesting for her family. But a pool full of whiskey was different; the parents felt she shouldn't be in the presence of alcohol and left for home. Hey, it worked, the child was gone for good, go figure."
"Just like back there with the demon. Ask your brother when you see him and he won't recall what happened or of some white-haired guy with a Jeep being there. He's probably just now beginning to wonder where you are and exactly what happened. He might even rationalize that he killed the demon you guys were going after. Castiel might remember. He's really an angel, right?"
"Now, you remember so far because you're still with me. After I'm gone you'll forget, too. It comes with the gift I have. Things work out that I always fade from the witnesses' memories after I perform a miracle. They aren't for my glory, it's the Lord's. It's probably safe that I can't develop a following. I don't have the training, I don't have the authority to spread the Word on my own name. Oh, that reminds me...Angie! What are you hungry for? Pizza?"
"Okay." Her voice was getting stronger and the conversation had piqued her interest. She was peeking around the back of Eddie's seat, trying to read his expressions, looking for some sign that he was just blowing hot air.
Eddie pulled over the Jeep in the next parking spot and pulled out his smartphone. At the answer at the other end he spoke, "Hey! Arn we found your wife and are headed into town. Can you meet us at the pizza place downtown? Good. Moment...Angie what do you want on your pizza?" He handed the phone back to Angie.
After the conversation, he took the phone back, "I suppose you should order now. We'll join you there in about ... twenty minutes. Angie's hungry. Right?"
"Right!" Angie sounded much better at the prospect of food and seeing her husband.
The couple was united. Sam and Eddie joined them for the meal and, after accepting many thank-you-so-muches, they climbed back into the Jeep. As far as Arnie and Angie seemed to accept, it was a simple lost-in-the-woods situation and Angie was safe, so nothing else mattered. The search was over and so was this mission.
"Okay," said Eddie. "She's going home to Oklahoma. I now have a second reserved room free at my next stop this side of Tulsa. You haven't called your brother. See if he and Castiel want to stay at the Downy Lake Inn for free on their way back to Kansas. You can witness my next miracle tomorrow! I always like to show off when I can. You won't remember by the time you reach Kansas, but still, it'd be cool."
Eddie handed back the pencil from above his ear while Sam pulled out his smartphone to call his brother and confirm lodging plans. Sam took the pencil and looked it over. It was gold. Solid gold. Heavy like gold. Sam looked over at Eddie. He was getting an eerie feeling about what was going to happen tomorrow.
