Page 49 of Jael

“I thought you said it wouldn’t bother her.”

“It’s not about that. See you around.”

Danny shouldered out of the car, watched Christopher disappear down the road, then looked at his apartment building and sighed. He wasn’t ready to be cooped up yet, so he turned on his heel and walked down the sidewalk with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

As he passed a tall brick building, music drifted out the half-open door. A tune he recognized. He veered up the steps, poking his head in far enough so he could see into a lobby area.

“Can I help you?” A teenage girl was folding sheets of paper at a high table near the side wall. It had a giant “Welcome” sign above it.

“Sorry,” Danny said. “I heard the music.”

“Yeah. They’re practicing for Sunday, but you’re welcome to come in and listen if you want. Or I can get someone for you if you need to talk?”

“No, I’m good, but I wouldn’t mind listening for a few minutes.”

“Absolutely. Come in and sit wherever you like. You want anything to drink? Tea, coffee, soda?”

“No thanks. Listening is enough. It’s exactly what I need.”

She nodded with a smile, then focused back on her folding.

He entered a large auditorium space and made his way along the seats in the back row, keeping his focus low as he sat.

He kneaded his shaking hand with his thumb. The day had gotten under his skin more deeply than he realized, but he was thankful to God that he’d been there. Who knew what would have happened if Christopher had brought someone more sadistic? He steadied his breathing against the bile that rose at the thought.

“Please, God. Make sure Burger changes his life so Eva will be safe.” He continued to pray for her and her safety as the music team finished their sound check and began to run through the songs. The woman leading had a rich, deep resonance to her voice that made the words melt inside of him and allowed God to do a work on his injured soul.

He hadn’t been inside a church since coming back to America. In Nairobi, he attended a small fellowship and brought as many of the boys from the slum as he could, but it was a lot of work, and he never took as much time as he needed to look after his own spiritual health.

Having all this space around him to sit and meditate was uncomfortable at first, but as the music continued, his heart opened further, and God began cleaning off the filth of what Danny had experienced that day. He knew God was with him, but he also knew he wasn’t allowing God’s wisdom and discernment to steer him as much as he should be. In this environment, he’d been his own man with no god to lead him. He wouldn’t let himself fall into the familiarity of that again. That’s the person he’d been the last time he’d worked withDeborah; he wouldn’t be that person now. He’d changed too much.

With that thought, a bitterness came that he hadn’t realized he’d been harboring against Deborah and how she’d used him. Coming back wasn’t just about protecting people or putting anyone in prison. It was a cleansing for Danny as well, and he wanted to ensure that God could do the full work before his time here ran out. God could make the most of it if Danny could submit to his Father’s leading.

Chapter 13

Jael pawedthrough the drawer in the bathroom looking for a hair clip she kept there. She wanted to give it to Becca, who needed something to lift her spirits and remind her that she’d chosen the right path. They’d spoken on the phone that morning, and Becca had insisted she was making too much trouble.

“Martin’s right. I ruin everything,” she’d said.

“None of this is your fault.”

Jael had begged her to understand, and when Becca had continued to struggle, made her promise not to make a move until Jael could get there.

The longer she left it, the greater the chance of Becca giving in.

But the clip remained elusive. She slid the drawer shut, moving to her bedside table to check there, but to no avail. She dropped onto the bed, thinking back to the last time she’d worn it. Earlier in the week, Bec had commented on it. Then Jael had had dinner with her dad.

“The dinner,” Jael groaned, flopping backward in despair. At dinner, it had been biting into her scalp. She’d taken it off and couldn’t remember picking it back up again before she left.

Rolling onto her side, she curled into a ball. Her dad had been demanding lately. More than usual. And with Danny’s surveillance and her dad’s constant attention, she avoided contact with him as much as possible. Today was the first time in a while he wasn’t expecting her, and she’d looked forward to the break. If she went to the house, she’d have to make time to sit with him or he’d become suspicious and make excuses to keep her there.

She rang Becca.

“Jael, hi. If you can’t come, I completely understand. I’m feeling better now.”

“That’s not why I’m calling. I wanted to bring you a gift, but it’s going to take me longer to get there than I thought.”

“Why would you get me a gift? I should be getting you a gift for everything you’ve done.”

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