-I wrote the following novel nearly two decades ago. In the years between then and now I've honed my craft, and my perception of this world; my thoughts and ideas; have changed dramatically. However, I still enjoy the premise and have decided to do an overhaul of revisions and rewrites, though likely not until sometime next year. (Though I'm sure I'll do a little as I post chapters)
For now I hope you will enjoy a glimpse into my book writing beginnings...
They are the closest of friends though they have never met in waking life.
Prologue-PT1 Prologue-PT2 Chapter 1
Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10
Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13
Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18 Chapter 19
I feel the need to say something before readers begin this chapter. I know I have made a recurring point about having written this twenty years ago, which is extremely obvious to me as I briefly re-read each section- but this one in particular... it was a little hard for me not to alter it because of the drastic changes that have occurred on my spiritual path in life since this was written. I even felt an urge to apologize for my naivety...but this is a part of who I was so a part of me now as well, and I'm embracing it instead. Enjoy!
Chapter Twenty
“There you are!” Collin pushed some branches aside, as he made his way down to the stream.
Aliyah grinned up at him, “Wow, it’s been like five days or something, I was beginning to worry!” she called.
He plopped down next to her and looked around. “The air feels different, a bit more crisp.”
“I noticed. Bye bye summer, hello fall.” She picked up a few leaves, some of the early droppers, then let them go and a light breeze carried them down into the stream. They were tinged just slightly with yellow and orange, and for a moment she became transfixed as they twirled around on the surface of the water. They looked like dancing butterflies.
“I’ve always felt that autumn was a magical time of year,” Collin was also watching the dancing leaves.
“Yeah, me too, but there’s also something somehow sad about it. It’s like a melancholy fairytale. Spring is fairytale-ish too but because it’s so full of life it’s not as apparent…or actually I’m not quite sure how to put it.”
“No, I understand. It’s as if spring is the Disney kind of fairytale, while fall has the Brother’s Grimm spin on it.”
“Yeah, that’s it! Except that it’s not all bad, it’s more like the rewritten versions of the brother’s Grimm, a dark side to it, but still a happy ending.”
Collin nodded slowly, then smiled. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
Aliyah blushed a little at this, but covered it up with a solemn, “I do.”
She stood up and went closer to the stream. It was moving a bit, and the reflection she caught of herself was distorted. Then he was next to her gazing in, and she was struck with an odd feeling, as if they were looking at one another’s perception of the reality of this place. She turned and faced him, and realized he looked a little sad or worried.
“What’s wrong?”
“You know my teacher friend,” he answered right away.
“John?”
“Right. Well I had lunch with him the other day and things are a bit weird between he and his wife.”
“Oh no. Why?”
“Apparently she has taken Jesus as savior and she’s become this whole different person, and he’s not handling it so well.” He turned to look at her reaction.
She was quiet, apparently waiting for him to go on.
“I guess,” he continued, “that she’s talking about giving up her practice and is wrapped up in church meetings and the idea that every path except for the one outlined by the bible leads to hell.”
Aliyah nodded slowly and thoughtfully. “I see.”
“What do you think?”
She didn’t have to ask him what he meant, she knew he was asking her about her own faith, and whether she believed the same thing. She was just trying to figure out how to begin such a conversation.
“Well. I’ve grown up in a household where I have been taught the same thing since I was able to talk. The Bible is God’s word, that he sent his son to save us and there is no way to heaven except through him. But since I have always believed that, I don’t think I can quite relate to your friend’s situation. I can’t really imagine what I might think if it were all new to me.” She paused for a moment trying to put herself in those shoes. “I know that it says in the Bible that if you don’t believe, you can not know. I think what that means is that until you have faith in the words that are written, they don’t mean anything to you, that God only gives understanding with belief.”
It was Collin’s turn to be thoughtful before he answered. He had never had much exposure to religious things, it was one area where he was extremely inexperienced. But he couldn’t help but acknowledge that something about it appealed to him, drew him. That kind of faith had to give hope and meaning and purpose to the things that you did.
“So basically, without that faith your doomed to remain ignorant of spiritual matters?”
She chewed her lip, “I believe so. The best way to put it is this- there are intelligent people who study the Bible and have read it cover to cover and still there are so many things that they don’t grasp. Yet I know this girl in my church who is in all resource room classes at school, and usually when you talk to her you want to finish her sentences, but when she starts talking about the Bible it’s like a complete transformation. She has a comprehension of passages that even amazes me! So basically unless you believe the words are written by God himself than it’s a story and can be nothing more.”
He regarded her skeptically. “Wouldn’t that mean that it’s just faith itself that gives the words power? And isn’t everything like that? I mean take Santa Claus for instance. When you’re little your taught that he exists, that he has lists of your rights and wrongs and around Christmas time faith in the jolly old gift giver is like a power over you, making you want to be good.”
“In a way, except that faith in Santa is purely selfish. You’re only being good because you want lots of presents.”
“Okay, but aren’t you being good for Jesus so you can get to heaven?”
“No. Granted there are people who may think that way, but you don’t have to be good to go to heaven. You only have to believe in Him, and know that he died for all the bad you’ve ever done. The reason that people try to be good for Him is that your faith creates a desire to glorify the one who paid your debt. Once you are his, it doesn’t matter how many bad things you do, you’re forgiven. Technically you could do whatever you want and still be forgiven, except that once you have that faith you no longer want to do things that wouldn’t please him. Not that you won’t make mistakes, millions of them like everyone else. Present company included.”
“Hmm. Well, I don’t know. It’s always seemed a bit farfetched, and yet at the same time I have no better answers to explain the mystery of the universe, of creation, or what happens after you die. I have to admit that it would be nice to no longer have those kinds of questions.” Collin began fidgeting, there was a feeling that he didn’t quite understand, some part of him that didn’t want to continue this conversation. He couldn’t blame it on being preached to, after all he was the one that asked. He tried to shake it off but found he couldn’t.
Aliyah watched him as he started to become a little agitated. She decided it was time to change the subject.
“So…I am sort of seeing this boy in my school,” the instant she said it she kind of regretted it.
He looked at her with surprise. “Really? I would think you would consider yourself to young for boys.”
“That I would consider myself to young? Or do you mean to say “Aren’t you too young?”
Collin shuffled his feet, “Sorry, I guess you should know whether you’re old enough.”
Aliyah laughed, “It’s okay, don’t worry, I’m not offended. I probably am too young. But it’s fun, you know, it gives me something to look forward to at school.”
“What does “seeing one another” entail?”
“Uh, I don’t know exactly. I guess I’ll find out.”
Collin’s eyebrows raised. “I think you should have some idea of what it means, at least on your end.”
“Sheesh, forget I brought this up, it’s like talking to my parents about it.”
“Okay, okay, sorry. But if I told you about a girl I would get twenty questions too.”
“I suppose. Is there a girl?”
“Nah, not at this point anyway.” Collin thought briefly of Sophia. But that was for a later time.
“Did you decide definitely on a college yet?”
“Actually I did. Unless something comes along to radically change my mind I’m headed off to Cornell.”
Aliyah’s eyes widened. “Cornell? That’s not that…”
She was home in bed again. Instead of being upset about it, she felt a stir of excitement. Cornell, that was only about an hour from her house! Maybe that’s how they would end up meeting. She lay back down, this time drifting off to sleep fairly quickly.
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