Anyway, that's what I've been busy with. Read it if you wish. Oh, yeah, I don't own… blah blah blah…
Chapter 13: Surprise!
"What now?" Popuri asked. Cliff sighed. He had never seen someone so hungry for the Word of God. Not that it was bad; it was just that he and Ann were getting tired. They had been pouring over the Word for hours by now. The clock in Ann's room already said 9:00 meaning that they had been doing this for, at least, six hours straight.
"Popuri?" Ann finally asked. Popuri looked at her, "Hmm?" Ann sighed, "I know that you're really excited and all, but, quite frankly, my dad is probably already really suspicious and we are both exhausted. Do you think we might be able to continue this tomorrow morning, after we've gotten some rest? I mean, we've already read through Matthew and Mark, and those two alone should be good enough for tonight at least." Popuri yawned and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm getting pretty tired too. I guess I'll see you two tomorrow."
Popuri got up and walked towards the door that led out of Ann's room.
Before exiting, she turned around. Once again, tears were threatening to fall. "I… I can't thank you two enough. What you saw in me, I don't know, but you went along and talked to me about Jesus anyway… you… you've changed my life… thank you…" Ann got up, walked over to her, and embraced Popuri. This time, the tears did fall. When Popuri began crying again, tears in Ann's own eyes began to fall and the two cried together for a few minutes.
When they were both finished with the crying, they embraced once more and Popuri exited the room.
Popuri exited the house quickly, as not to arouse suspicion. What she didn't expect on was bumping into somebody right outside the house.
WHAM! Popuri slammed into somebody and both of them fell back. "Who's there?" The other person called. Popuri's eyes widened, she knew that voice. A flashlight clicked on and the person shined it into Popuri's face. "Popuri? What are you doing here, shouldn't you be home?"
Popuri sighed, "Yeah, I'm just going there now, Gray. Sorry for disturbing you." She got up quickly and began walking off. "Wait." She winced when she heard Gray's suspicious voice. "Why were you here this late in the first place?" She turned around slowly. "I was talking to Ann about some important stuff." In the moonlight, Popuri could see Gray frown. "What important stuff?"
Popuri, not wanting to witness to Gray so soon after being saved herself, decided to try to get around that question, "It was of life or death importance. In fact, Ann could probably explain it better than I could. You may want to ask her." Gray nodded and began walking back towards the house.
Popuri was about to start walking back home again, but, once again, she was stopped. Not by anything physical though, it was more her conscience.
"Gray, wait." Gray had been ready to open the door when he turned back around. Popuri walked a little bit closer. "I just… I know that this will never make it better or anything, but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry for the pain that I've caused you. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry."
Gray didn't reply. He hardly even gave Popuri any indication that he had heard her. Instead, though, he just opened his door, walked inside his house, and closed it behind himself.
Popuri sighed. She had figured that he'd react like that. After staring at the door a little while longer, she turned around and began walking towards her home. She had to get some rest; she did have a big day tomorrow after all!
Gray's throat constricted and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to rid himself of the image of Popuri standing there in the moonlight, sorrow on her features.
He was leaning against his front door. Why? Why did I have to do that? He wondered. He slowly sat down on the floor. He put his head in his hands. Why do these feeling still plague me? Do I want to get hurt? Is that what I want? His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Ann's door open. "See you tomorrow." He heard somebody say and then the door shut.
Gray's feelings were temporarily forgotten as he rose to find out who else was in Ann's room. His flashlight clicked back on and he shown the beam of light on the face of the individual who had just left Ann's room. It was Cliff.
"Cliff?" Gray hissed. "What were you doing in Ann's room?" Cliff smiled, "We were talking about some important stuff. It's not what you are thinking." Gray flicked on the overhead light and crossed his arms across his chest. "Tell me." Cliff's eyes widened, "Uh… let me get Ann first." Gray nodded curtly and Cliff walked back across the room toward Ann's room.
Cliff knocked quietly and Ann opened the door. "Cliff? What are you—" Cliff cut her off, "Gray's demanding answers." Cliff stepped aside to let Ann see Gray, who was looking impatiently towards the two. Ann sighed, "I'll take care of it." Cliff shook his head, "No, we'll do this together." Ann smiled, "Thank you for your support, but he's my brother. Let me talk to him. He'll listen better if it's a one on one talk." Cliff frowned and then nodded. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."
Cliff quickly walked past Gray, and, before he could object, out the door. Gray was about to go after him, but Ann cleared her throat. "Leave him alone, he's tired." Gray looked back and glared at his sister, "Why were they here? First Popuri is here and she tells me to talk to you and now I find Cliff in your room!"
Ann looked at Gray in surprise. "You talked to Popuri? What'd she say?" Gray frowned and sighed heavily. "She… she asked me to forgive her… she said that she was sorry." Ann could see the conflict on Gray's face. On one hand, he wanted to just forgive and forget, but on the other, he was still hurting and wasn't ready to forgive.
"I don't get it… why is she sorry now of all times?" Gray wondered aloud. Ann grinned; it was a perfect chance…
Cliff hurried back to Jack's house. When he got there, Jack's light was on.
"Jack, you home?" Cliff called. That's when Cliff noticed the television was on. Jack was sitting on the couch watching it.
"Hey, where've you been?" Jack asked as Cliff sat down next to him. Cliff grinned, "Well… we've been talking to Popuri…" Jack looked at him quizzically. "What? Why have you… been…" Recognition registered on his eyes. "You didn't." Cliff grinned, "Yep. Popuri is now a born-again Christian." Jack sighed heavily and turned back to his TV.
"What's going on? Why is Popuri sorry? Why was Cliff here? And also, why did I find your statue of the Goddess imbedded in our lawn?" Ann's eyes widened. She had forgot about throwing the statue. "Well… something happened to me recently. Do you remember Jack? The older one. Do you remember how he was different from the rest of us, religion-wise?" Gray nodded slowly. "Well…" Ann made a quick decision to leave out the fact that Cliff had led her to Christ, just in case Gray got mad, "We, Cliff and I, believe in it also." Gray was about to reply, but Ann held up a hand. "Just today, Popuri found us praying in the church. After a talk with her, we led her to our belief in Christ also. So, go ahead. Insult me. Get angry with me. Scold me. Go ahead! It won't change anything though."
Gray was silent for a few moments. Finally, when he spoke, it was with a tone that Ann would have never suspected him to speak with… joy. "Ann, Father and I, we both became Christians right before Jack died."
"Popuri! Where have you been?" Lillia asked when Popuri entered the flower shop, which was adjacent to her house. "I was… at Ann's house." She answered truthfully.
Lillia nearly swallowed a lung. "The Greens? Why… were you there?" Popuri sighed, "Mom, it's not what you think. Ann and I finally made up today. She… uh… told me something interesting that um… sparked our old friendship!" Lillia frowned, "I thought that friendship was over… what did she tell you?"
Popuri swallowed, "Um… she… she told me about a guy! She told me about this guy that really loves me." Lillia looked at her quizzically. "What is this man's name?" Popuri fumbled, "Um… his name? Uh…" Lillia crossed her arms across her chest, "Popuri, what have you been doing today?"
Ann was silent for a long time. The news was just so hard to swallow. Gray, on the other hand, was ecstatic. He grinned like she hadn't seen him grin in a long time. She could tell that he was about ready to jump out of his seat and embrace her.
Finally, she managed out a quiet, "You… are?" Gray nodded and did jump out of his seat to embrace her. Ann held up a hand to stop him. "What? Why didn't you tell me?" Gray sat back down. "Ann, please don't be mad, we were afraid if we told you…" Ann finished for him, "That I'd be furious and do something irrational." Gray looked up at her and nodded. Ann sighed, "I… I probably would be…" That's when it clicked…
"Wait… you and Dad are Christians?!" Gray frowned, "Uh… yeah, we—" Ann had embraced him before he could finish his sentence. "I can't believe this! This is so great! Wait… you and Dad still go to the bar and everything. Why?" Gray grinned, "Not to drink." Ann sat back down, "Why?" Gray's grin got bigger, "To look for possible recruits."
"Recruits? Recruits for what?"
"The Army."
"I…I don't understand." Lillia said. "How'd you become a Christian?" She asked. "Probably the same way I did; through prayer." Lillia spun around to face the person who had spoken. It was Basil. "W-what?" Lillia asked quietly.
Basil walked over to his bewildered child, gave her a quick thumbs-up, and stood behind her. "I didn't tell either of you everything that happened on my trip this year.
"You see, as I was traveling through the country-side in America, I came across a wounded man. He looked like he had been beaten terribly and then left to die.
"Quickly, I bandaged the man's wounds and gave him some food to eat. I found out later that he had been beaten by some of his old friends. They had turned on him once he had attended a service at a local church and had come to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
"Anyway, to make a long story short, I listened to his testimony, and came to know Christ myself. After that, my trip changed. I was no longer just a wandering sightseer; I was now a traveling evangelist. I'd preach the Gospel wherever and whenever I was given the chance."
Popuri couldn't believe her luck. It was one thing for her to have become a Christian, but her father too? It was amazing! The coincidence of all coincidences! Now, if only they could convince her mother…
"What do you mean, the army?" Asked Ann. Gray smiled and with rehearsed perfection he said, "The Army shall stand up for Justice, Mercy, and the Christly way. We will fight Satan and his lies until death lifts us away from this wretched world." Ann crossed her arms, "Sounds like a cult." Gray shrugged, "The statement of purpose needs some work. But, the point is, we aren't the only Christians in Flowerbud."
Ann stared at him, "What?" Gray grinned, "It seems that Jack left behind a legacy. Right before death, his preaching became more and more desperate. He led a few people to Christ right before he died. Those few people, Dad and I included, formed the underground Christian organization called, The Army. We started with just three people and… well… we're only up to five now, but that's okay. We're saving lives. That's all that matters."
"So, where is this Army?" Gray laughed, "Where else? Rick's backroom." Ann coughed, "My whole family are Christians and I was still left out?!" Gray shrugged.
"So, how did you find Christ?" Gray asked finally. Ann smiled, "Well… Remember how I said Cliff is a Christian too?" Gray nodded. "Well, that night when Jack went to get Karen from the bar," Gray looked downcast. "Gray? What's wrong?" Gray sighed, "It's just, I'm sure you know about this, but there was a fight at the bar that night. First between Karen and Kai, and then between Jack and Kai. I could have stopped either of them, but I didn't. I chickened out…" Ann sighed and put a hand on Gray's arm, "Gray, it's okay. Everybody makes mistakes. You should have seen me today when Cliff and I were witnessing to Popuri! I got so bad that Cliff had to take me into another room and talk to me about it."
Gray looked up at Ann, "I can guess why…" Ann cleared her throat, "Gray. I know you would have never expected me of all people to say this, but I think you should give forgiving Popuri another chance." Gray looked up at her. "I know she hurt you, but I have never seen her so sorry before in my life. Her entire life was changed today." Gray sighed, "I know… it's just…"
"I had to forgive her today also, Gray. Don't forget that. It's not as hard as you think. Just think about the fact that she didn't know Jesus before. She didn't know the consequences of her own actions. She was stupid in doing them, yes, but she didn't know it. It may have been sin, but just as God is willing to forgive and forget, so must we."
"When are you going to realize that what you are following is a lie?" Jack asked finally. Cliff sighed, he had seen this coming. "Jack, God is not a lie. He is there. He is real. He is, was, and is to come. God loves you whether you realize it or not. God—" Jack silenced him. "Don't tell me God loves me. Go through what I went through and then tell me that he loves me." Cliff sighed, "Fine, but can I, at least, tell you my testimony?" Jack groaned but didn't do anything to imply that he'd leave.
The entire village was dark with the exception of the flower shop and the bar. The bar just so happened to be in full roar. The flower shop, in contrast, wasn't. In fact, if one looked through the window, that person would have been surprised to see Basil and Popuri raising their faces to the heavens while Lillia was on the ground, weeping with tears of joy…
"Cliff… led you to Christ?" Gray asked in astonishment. Ann nodded happily. Gray sat back in his chair. "I guess… I misjudged him… I never would have thought he, of all people, would have been able to turn my stubborn sister into a Christian…" Ann nodded at first and then, "Hey! What do you mean stubborn?!" Gray chuckled, "Don't deny it. You know you'll lose." Ann growled and then yawned. "I think… *yawn*, we'd better get to bed. We got a big day tomorrow!"
"We?" Ann grinned, "Yeah! First, you've got to introduce me to the Army, then, you, Cliff, and me will have to help out Popuri in whatever she needs, which is a—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa… Since when am I involved with helping Popuri?" Ann sighed, "Come on, Gray. Your forgiveness means everything to Popuri." Gray sighed heavily, "I know, it's just…"
"Gray. Think about what God is forgiving. You've been hurt once. God is hurt every time Popuri has sinned." Gray was silent for a while. "I know, it's just…"
"Sleep on it. Maybe you'll think better with some sleep." Gray nodded and got up. "Good night, Ann." Ann smiled and entered her room, closing the door behind her.
Gray sighed and walked back to his room with the knowledge that sleep would evade him for most of the night.
Jack listened to Cliff's testimony in silence. It was a powerful testimony; that was for sure. But, Jack didn't by it. "Cliff, for all you know, you could have blacked out. Maybe you were hypnotized. You never know." Cliff sighed, "What about the church?" Jack shrugged, "Coincidence." Cliff sighed, "It's a bit much for a coincidence, don't you think?" Jack shrugged once more and rose from his position on the couch, "I'm going to bed. Good-night."
Cliff watched sadly as Jack climbed into bed and clicked off the light on his nightstand, leaving Cliff alone…
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Anyway, how'd you like it? Surprised maybe? I figured it was about time I did a big plot advancement, so here it is!
As always… R&R (Please!)
God Bless!
--Ben (or Bob. Whichever you prefer)