Welcome to chapter twenty-nine of this story. The reviews and encouragement you are giving have been incredible, so thanks again for that.
Yva J, thanks for pointing out that typo. It's been fixed. I'm glad you liked the revelation scene. It was nice to finally give our poor Angel Boy the glowing moment he deserves. ;-)
Jenni-OnThisSide, you are so right. Andrew is not "just an apprentice". It pained me to even write that... poor love...
Garjzlavarden, It's good to hear that you're still enjoying the story. I am really appreciating your comments!
With my comments made, thanks again for the support. You all rock! Enjoy the next chapter!
Chapter Twenty-Nine
As Andrew and John made their way slowly home that evening, they talked very little. Andrew did not know if that was because John was tired or if the man just did not know what to say. Truthfully, Andrew did not really know what to say either. His revelation was over and talking merely about how busy the store had been earlier seemed a bit silly after all that had transpired within the last twenty-four hours. So he opted to say nothing at all and remained quiet as they walked.
It was not long though before both man and angel could hear shouts coming from further up the road. They were angry shouts and Andrew shot the shopkeeper a curious look.
"What is that?" He asked.
John shook his head. "I am not quite sure. Whatever it is though, it does not sound like a friendly get together to me."
They each quickened their pace, both very curious as to what was going on. A few minutes later they rounded a bend in the road to find a group of young men off to the side of the road. It was obvious that a fight was going on, but as to who was winning and who was losing, that was not very easy to tell.
John looked at Andrew. "Hold on." he told him.
Andrew then followed John as the man hurried over to the group of about five young men and listened to what the shopkeeper said to them.
"Stop this at once!" John shouted over the young men's own shouts. "What is the meaning of this?"
At closer inspection, Andrew and John could see that among the group of young men, there was one kneeling on the ground who appeared like he had been beat around quite a bit. His shirt was torn, his hair full of twigs, and his face covered in grime and blood.
One of the young men standing looked at John curiously. "Why do you care what we are doing? You are a Patriot and I know that you would spit on any Redcoat, if you had the chance!"
John just shook his head. "One of you lads had better tell me right this instant what is going on here. I want an explanation."
The ringleader of the group sighed and pointed at the beat-up young man on the ground. "He is a Loyalist." He stated, as if that said it all.
John nodded and then glanced over at the Loyalist. Suddenly the storekeeper gasped with surprise. Andrew looked more carefully at the young man and then recognized him as one of the Loyalists who had come into the store the day before. This man had not been the one to kill Samuel, yet he did cause a great deal of damage. Realizing this, Andrew took in a sharp breath and looked to see what John would do.
The shopkeeper looked angry upon recognizing the beaten young man. Both knew that it was not the same man that had killed Samuel, yet it was obvious to Andrew that the shopkeeper still had a raging battle going on inside of him. John had a choice. He could help the Loyalist and rescue him from the angry Patriots who would give him no mercy. Or he could not. The choice was his and it was not an easy one to make. Andrew just waited silently to see what John would do. He knew what the right thing was to do, but that was definitely not the easiest one. Andrew could not help but feel angry himself as he stared at the Loyalist.
Finally, after a long silence John took a step closer to the young Loyalist. Everyone just stood and watched, not daring to say a word. They were all curious as to what the shopkeeper would do. John just stared at him for a moment, his face void of any emotion at all. Then he slowly raised up his hand, causing everyone to be sure he would hit the young man. The Loyalist looked sure of this as well, and Andrew noticed that he braced himself for impact.
But then to the surprise of every single one there, John lowered his hand and held it out to the Loyalist in offering. "Take my hand, lad." John said softly. "Let me help you up."
No one watching said a word as this happened, but no one could hide the expressions of surprise on their faces. The young Loyalist, too, looked a little bewildered and he hesitated for a moment. Then he slowly raised up his hand and gripped John's offered one.
John slowly helped pull him to his feet, but the young man could hardly stand after the thorough beating he had received from the four other young men. Seeing this, John sighed and wrapped his arm around the young man, helping to support him. As Andrew watched the scene unfold before him, he shook his head and then quickly went to assist the shopkeeper.
Finally, one of the younger Patriots found his voice. "What are you doing, Mr. Chandler?" he asked in complete shock. "This is a Loyalist!"
"One of the very ones that came into your store yesterday turned hell loose upon you!" Another Patriot spat angrily.
John looked angrily at them. "I am quite aware of that." He stated, his eyes dark. "And I am quite aware of what am doing. I suggest you lads disperse immediately, or else I will see that there are consequences for this. Good day." And with those words he turned his back on the men.
The young Patriots only looked at one another for a moment and then without saying another word, slowly began to drift from the scene. When they were gone, Andrew smiled at John.
"You did a wonderful thing, sir." He told the man softly. "The right thing."
John sighed. "The right thing is not always easy, Andrew. It would have been so... so much easier to just help those boys finish this one off." He glanced at the young man who he continued to support. "But what is done is done, and Andrew, I would really appreciate it if you would help me get this lad home. I think he could use some attention."
Andrew nodded. "Yes sir."
So John and Andrew each grabbed a supporting hold on the young man's arms and together they began to help him down the road. As they walked home, Andrew kept finding himself watching John's face. He was still quite surprised at the man's actions with the Patriots and the Loyalist just minutes before. The day before, Andrew was sure that the shopkeeper would have been glad to join the other men in ganging up on the Loyalist. But today he hadn't. Today he had chosen against the hate, though it had not been at all easy. When the man had prayed to God to give him an opportunity to change his hate into love, he had been serious and God had given him the opportunity he asked for.
A little while later, they arrived back at the Chandler home. The young Loyalist they helped along the way was not in much better shape by the time they arrived, but they had managed to learn his name during the walk home.
As they came up the walkway towards the house, Mary saw them coming and hurried outside to see what was happening.
"John," She asked when she reached them. "Who is this? What happened?"
John shook his head and shifted his weight slightly under the nearly unconscious man he held up. "Mary, this is Thomas Goodson. We found him being beaten along the side of the road. I do believe that he could use your attention."
Mary nodded. "Of course. Quickly now, help me get him inside and upstairs."
Andrew and John nodded and began to follow the woman into the house and up the stairs. She led them into the very bedroom that Andrew had been laid up in only days before.
"Lay him here." She walked over to the bed and patted it slightly. Then after they had helped Thomas into the bed, she handed Andrew an empty pitcher. "Andrew, dear, would you please run and ask Tess for some hot water and a washrag? This young man needs some cleaning up."
Andrew nodded and took the pitcher. "Yes ma'am, of course. I will be right back."
As Andrew disappeared down the stairs, Mary pulled her husband aside and whispered into his ear. "John, what happened? Who is this?"
"We were coming home and came across a group of about four men beating on this young man here." John sighed. "I broke it up, but Thomas here was in pretty bad shape, as you can see, so we brought him home with us. Mary, he can hardly stand on his own. We have to help him."
She glanced back over at the young man, lying with his eyes closed on the bed. Then she looked back at John. "So... these men that beat him; they were Loyalists, I imagine?"
John paused a moment. He glanced over at Thomas and sighed. Then he looked his wife in the eye. "No. Mary, the men that beat him... they were Patriots. And Thomas... Thomas is a Loyalist."
Mary looked shocked. "A Loyalist? John, what has come over you? Just yesterday your store was torn apart by Loyalists. A young man your daughter loved was killed by one. I would have thought that you would never have stopped to help this man."
John considered telling Mary about how Thomas Goodson was one of the very men in the store the day before, but he decided against the idea. He was not sure how his wife would take it and he knew that the young man needed caring for. Instead, John took his hands and gently rested them on Mary's arms.
"Your are right. Yesterday I would have probably joined them. Or I would have at least just continued along my way. I never would have given thought to helping him. But Mary," John said softly, his face earnest. "I want to change my ways. I have been so hateful and I have been so wrong. I am not yet a completely changed man, Mary. But I want to be. I am trying and with God's help, I can change."
"God?" She looked at hims strangely. It was not that she did not believe in God, but that it was so unlike her husband to act the way he was. "John, what has happened to you today?"
"I met an angel, Mary." The shopkeeper told his wife sincerely. "Well, I did not exactly meet him. I have known him for a while now. You have too. We just did not know who he really was."
"An angel?" Mary's eyes looked doubtful. "John, you are acting so strange. You're beginning to frighten me. Are you sure you're alright?"
"I could not be better." He nodded. "Mary, Andrew is an angel. A real angel... sent by God."
She tried to interrupt, but John continued. "No, listen. I know it sounds crazy, but it is true. Trust me, I was there. Mary, he looked completely normal one moment and the next... there was this light radiating out of him that was... it was just so amazing, so beautiful I cannot even begin to describe it. But it was God's love in that light and I could feel it. I could feel it and it was the most amazing thing I have have experienced in my entire life."
Mary shook her head. "John, I want to believe you, but I..."
"Mary, he told me what I was doing was wrong." John continued earnestly "He told me how God wanted me to love, even as much as I dislike these Loyalists. And it is not easy and I don't want to. A part of me wants to hate these Loyalists with every ounce of strength I can possibly muster. But after seeing who Andrew really was... and after feeling the love of God that came from him, it makes me want to try and be different and to be what God wants me to be. Don't you understand, Mary? I had an experience today I will never forget as long as I live and it is changing me for the better. I promise that to you. With all my heart, I promise that to you."
But Mary still looked doubtful and as much as she wanted to believe her husband, she couldn't. With a sigh, she just shook her head and turned back to the Loyalist on the bed behind them.
