From Gloomy Picture to Redemptive Story

Everyone says a picture is worth a thousand words...well a simple image of a man biking through the rain in the dark turned out to be worth almost 5,000 words. When an online writing course placed the gloomy photo story in front of me for a short story assignment, I was initially stumped. Eventually though, after several false starts, a story displaying God's love and plan for a young man disowned by his family for renouncing his Muslim faith emerged and grew into a very long 'short' story:) Enjoy, and as always, I'd love to hear from you!

Brother

I fought my emotions, just as I fought the wind as I biked toward the train station. My eyes stung and it wasn’t just from the blustery wind. The final cutting words my father had flung at me just moments before, echoed in my head. “You have disgraced Allah and shamed our family. I have no son!” He had slammed the front door, and just like that, I was homeless and penniless in a harsh world. All I had was the clothes on my back, a small bundle my mother had thrown together, and my bike. I knew that choosing to follow Jesus would cost me, but to this extent? Doubts began to creep across my mind. Was it worth it?

As if to add to my gloomy mood, thunder boomed and it began to pour. I groaned and braked, pulling to a stop beneath the overhang of a nearby building. I dug through the bundle from my mother, hoping against hope she’d packed something I could use to protect myself from the rain.

My becoming a Christian had broken my mother’s heart, but I was still her baby and my father’s words couldn’t change that. She’d made me wait in the barn while she packed a few essentials for my exile. Her final, grieved look before she turned away haunted me. Wiping away my tears, I pulled out an old umbrella. She must have known a storm was coming and thrown it in for me. Mentally thanking her, I straddled the bike and set out again. It was even slower going now. Fighting the wind while trying to shelter myself from the rain was exhausting and soon I had no strength left to battle my emotions. Tears soon joined with raindrops that had found their way through holes in the umbrella and were streaming down my face. I yelled my anger and grief to the sky and the sky answered back with resounding claps of thunder and brilliant streaks of light.

Finally, I could go no farther. My plan to head to the train station and hop a train to some distant place faded from my mind. I stopped pedaling and allowed myself to topple to the ground. I hit the cold hard concrete with a thud and curled up. Pulling the umbrella over me, I lay there shivering.

“Oh God. Where are you? Can’t you see where believing in your son has gotten me? Why don’t you help me?”

  I wept as wave after wave of loneliness, grief, and fear washed over me. My prayer faded away, as the full realization of my situation sunk in. I was sixteen-years-old, homeless, penniless and disowned by my family; all because I’d chosen to believe the story of Jesus' death and resurrection.

Doubt filled my heart. How did I even know that God would answer my prayers? I was a nobody in the middle of nowhere. What had possessed me to believe such a thing? Bitterness crept in, and I resolved to return home and beg my father’s forgiveness. I would renounce my foolish beliefs and promise to never do such a thing again.

Instead of feeling better, my heart ached at the thought. I wished I could just die and escape the confusion of my world.

Suddenly, my umbrella was lifted off of me and I was looking up into the concerned face of an elderly gentleman.

“Come, my lad. This is no day to be sleeping on the streets. You must come home with me tonight.” The man didn’t wait for an answer, but turned and walked down the street, carrying my umbrella and bundle.

I stood up stiffly and numbly wheeled my bike along beside me. I stumbled along behind the man, wondering if he’d be so kind to me if he knew that I was one of the despised Christians. Was one of those Christians, I corrected myself. I tried to convince myself that I didn’t believe in that nonsense any longer. But deep inside, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was wrong to give up so easily.

After what felt like an eternity of walking, we arrived at the man’s house. I was exhausted both physically and emotionally. I leaned my bike against a tree, shoving my hands into my pockets. Stumbling into the house behind the gentleman, I looked bleakly at my surroundings. It was a neat and tidy house, smelling of beef stew and cornbread.

“Ruby…” The man called, motioning for me to hang my bundle on a hook near the door. A moment later a door opened and young girl hurried in. She looked to be about nine, although her height suggested otherwise. There was a serious air about her.

            “Ruby darling, ask Cora to put another place at the table. This young lad will be joining us for supper.” The man smiled warmly at the girl.

            “Yes, Papa. Shall I fix up the spare room as well?” The girl’s voice was hauntingly beautiful. It was strong and clear, yet held a note sorrow beyond her years.

            “Yes, my dear. That would be wonderful.”

            The girl nodded, than scurried out to carry out her Papa’s wishes.

            “Come, my boy. We shall talk at the table, but first, let’s see what we can do about getting you cleaned up. I do believe you are right about the same size as Lorenzo was.” A note of grief entered his voice.

            “Who was Lorenzo?” I muttered, trying to clear the fog from my mind.

            “He was my son.” The man said, gruffly. “Come.” He began walking down a hall to our right. I followed him.

            “Excuse me, sir. Would you tell me your name?” I forced the words out of my mouth, fighting against the urge to lean against the wall and go to sleep. The man turned to look at me, sympathy on his face.

            “My boy, you look exhausted! I think dinner will have to wait. You need rest more than anything. There will be time for introductions later.” The man opened a door and led me into a dusty room. He hurried to a closet and pulled out a few pairs of clothes. He shook them vigorously, coughing from the dust.

            “They are a bit dusty, but I’m afraid it’s the best I’ve got for tonight. Come.” The man shuffled out of the room and farther down the hallway. The young girl was just exiting a room two doors down. She smiled briefly at me, than hurried away. The man led me into the room from which Ruby had just exited. It was a small, tidy bedroom. A washbasin stood in the corner with a mirror above it. The bed had just been made and looked mighty inviting. I looked longingly at it and the man chuckled.

            “Bed will have to wait just a few more minutes. My wife Cora will have a fit if you climb into her guest bed all grungy like that.”

            The man hurried me through a warm bath and into a pair of the clothes he’d grabbed. They were a little large, but it was a lot better then the wet clothes I’d had on. I climbed into bed and sighed blissfully. I turned my head toward the man standing in the door.

            “Thank you, good sir.” I mumbled drowsily. The man shrugged off my thanks, bid me goodnight, and shuffled away. I was asleep before his footsteps had faded away.

                                                            *******

            I opened my eyes and yawned. I felt strangely at peace, despite an ache in my heart. I had lost my family and my faith in a single day. But regardless, a good night’s sleep had strengthened my mind and I felt ready to face whatever the day held. Stretching, I sat up and peered out a small window. The kind gentlemen and a woman, whom I assumed to be Cora, were strolling along a path through a garden. Ruby was leaning over a rosebush and had a bouquet of various flowers in her hands. She straightened and glanced toward the house. Our eyes met and she smiled. She turned toward where the couple was walking and a few minutes later, the elderly gentleman was hurrying toward the house.

            I quickly washed my face in the washbasin and smoothed down my rumpled hair. I had just finished my hasty preparations, when there was a knock at the bedroom door.

            “Come in.” I called. The door creaked open and the gentleman entered. As I looked at him in broad daylight, I realized that he was much older then I had first thought. A wide smile covered his wrinkled face, causing him to look quite jolly.

            “Well, my lad. You look much better this morning. You look like a fine young man, not someone the cat dragged in. Or rather, I dragged in.” He chuckled at his own joke and I smiled.

            “Yes, sir.” I said respectfully. “I feel much better. Thank you so much for your kind hospitality. I am eternally grateful.”

            “Now, now. None of that ‘eternally grateful’ stuff. You needed a room, I had one. God works all things together for good.”

            My mouth fell open and tears began to stream down my cheeks. I tried to wipe them away, embarrassed to be crying in front of others at my age, but I couldn’t. I dropped to my knees and buried my head in my hands. This man believed in God. God had a plan and he had brought me here where I could have my faith reaffirmed. The gentleman look confused, but he sat on the bed and awkwardly patted my back.

            “Oh come now, young man. Whatever is wrong? Did I say something to offend you?”

            “No. In fact, this is the best day of my life.” I looked up at him and poured out my story. By the end, his eyes were teary also. He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder

            “Look at me, my boy. I can guarantee that God exists. I have seen him work in my life too many times to count. Being a Christian doesn’t mean that life is going to be perfect. In fact, as you’ve already discovered, life is often more difficult. You will experience rejection and persecution. But God has a plan for it all.”

I nodded, wiping my eyes. We sat in silence for a while, each thinking our own thoughts.

‘O God, You have proven that you exist and will take care of me. Whatever happens next, help me to trust in you.’

            The man cleared his throat, just as my stomach growled loudly. The man chuckled.

            “Well, that answers the question I was just getting ready to ask. Let’s go eat.” He started to stand, but I laid a hand on his arm.

            “Please sir. Who are you?”

            He sat back down and smiled.

            “I am just an old man who saw someone in need. My name is Charles Smith.”

            “I am Azriel Ramin. I know you said none of the ‘eternally grateful’ stuff, but I must say that I am indebted to you for the hospitality you have shown me. You will never know how much this has encouraged me.”

            “You are most welcome. Now, shall we?” The man motioned toward the door. I nodded and stood. I offered a hand to help the man up and he took it gratefully.

            “Ugh, I’m feeling my age more and more each day.” He groaned as he stood up.

            “I’m all right now. Come along.” The man shuffled out the door and back down the hall he had led me through the night before. We reached the kitchen just as the elderly lady finished dishing up four bowls of steaming hot oatmeal. It smelled delicious and my stomach growled again.

            “Cora, this is Azriel Ramin. Azriel, this is my wife Cora.”

            “I’m pleased to meet you, Ma’am.” I offered my hand to the woman. She chuckled and shook my hand warmly.

            “It’s wonderful to meet you as well. And please, just plain old Cora will do. Come, have a seat. Ruby will be in shortly and we shall eat.”

            The woman’s friendly manner set me at ease immediately and I took the seat she motioned to.

            A few minutes later, Ruby entered the room, her bouquet of flowers in her hand. She selected a gorgeous rose from the middle of the bouquet and set the rest of them in a vase Cora had prepared. The rose she handed to me.

            “This is for you, Mister. It’s from my rose bush in the garden.” She smiled at me shyly. Her voice caught my attention once again. I wondered what caused this girl so much grief.

            “Thank you, Little Miss. This rose is almost as beautiful as it’s giver. Almost, but not quite.” I winked at the girl. She blushed and giggled a little.

            “Tell me, Miss, how old are you?”

            “I’m seven, Mister.” Taken aback, I turned to Charles, a question on my lips. He shook his head and discreetly mouthed the words, ‘later.’ Puzzled, I turned back to the girl.

            “I think seven is a good age to be.” I smiled. “Oh, and I’m not a mister. I’m just Azriel, but you can call me Az.”

            “And you can call me Ruby.” The girl replied promptly.

            “Well, then Ruby, let’s be friends, shall we?” I offered the girl my hand. She shook it solemnly, and then broke out in a serious case of the giggles. Charles and Cora both seemed surprised, but delighted. I chuckled with her. When Ruby recovered, she looked straight into my eyes.

            “I like you, Az.” She suddenly threw her arms around me and gave me a hug. When she released, my heart was singing. I looked down at her big eyes.

            “You have no idea how much I needed that.” I whispered softly. She gazed deep into my eyes and I got the feeling that she was reading me like an open book. She smiled gently, and then skipped around to her spot at the table. Charles said the blessing and we dug in. The oatmeal was delicious. I felt at home.

            After we finished eating, Charles invited me to go for a walk. I agreed, but Ruby begged to show me the garden first. Charles chuckled and told us to go ahead. He said that he needed to talk to Cora for bit anyway. Ruby grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door. I laughed and allowed myself to be dragged along. When we got to the garden, she urged me to come see her rosebush. I commented on its beauty and a huge grin covered her face.

            “I grew it all by myself. Papa told me how.” She grabbed my hand again and led me on a tour of the rest of the garden. It was a large area and very well groomed. We chatted happily and smelled the flowers. Charles joined us after awhile and we enjoyed a nice stroll.

            “Where will you go?” He asked, gazing after Ruby as she skipped ahead. I shrugged.

            “I don’t know. I was planning to hop a train, but I don’t know where too. Do you have any suggestions?”

            “How about right here? Why don’t you stick around for a few days? We’ve got the room.”

            “Thank you for the offer, but I don’t want to burden you. You’ve done enough already.”

            “Nonsense. The Scriptures tell us to care for the needy. You will not be a burden. It’s settled.”

            “Okay.” I willingly acquiesced, thanking God for his provision.

            The next few days passed in a blur of happiness. Laughter and smiles reigned. I loved the couple dearly and sweet little Ruby had completely captured my heart. Her warm hugs and bright smiles helped to heal the wounds in my heart. Occasionally, a look of sadness would come over her face as she looked at me. But then it would be gone, replaced by a grin. I wondered about her, but felt it wasn’t my place to ask. At least not yet.

                                                            *******

            One day, Ruby and I once again went for a stroll in the garden, enjoying the sunshine and fragrant smell. She seemed unusually quiet as she meandered along beside me. When we reached the opposite side of the garden, she turned to me.

            “You make me think of my brother, Felix. He was tall, handsome, funny and super nice, just like you.” Ruby looked away and once again her voice struck me.

            “What happened to him?” I asked gently. Her gaze became distant and her eyes filled with tears. I regretted asking her.

            “Never mind. We don’t have to talk about it.” I shifted my weight awkwardly.

            “He got sick and the doctors didn’t know how to help him. He was gone in two days.”

            “I’m sorry.” I placed a hand on her small shoulder and she leaned into me. After a moment, Ruby looked back up at me. Her eyes brightened.

            “Do you want to see where I go when I’m sad?”

            I nodded and Ruby ran down a nearby grassy path. I hurried to keep up with her, amazed at how nimble she was on the uneven ground. She kept turning to make sure I was still following her. Just when I felt like I needed to rest, we entered a meadow. Ruby stopped running and waited for me.

            “This is it.” She whispered. My eyes took in every detail of the place. The sun was shining brightly and birds chirped. There was a babbling brook just on the other side of the meadow. Flowers of every shade and kind covered the meadow and tall grass rustled in the wind.

            “It’s, it’s…” I searched for the words.

            “Wonderful?” Ruby suggested. I could only nod.

            “I love it here. It makes me think of heaven on earth.” She stated simply. I glanced down at the girl and was stunned by the change that had come over her. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes glowed. A peaceful expression covered her face and her posture was relaxed.

            “When I’m here, I dream of the day that I’ll see Jesus. I dream of living in heaven with my family again, when I won’t be afraid of losing another person I love. I dream of home.” She seemed lost in thought and slowly wandered farther into the field. Her fingertips gently brushed the tops of the grass. The wind blew in her long brown hair, tossing it around. It was a beautiful picture.

            I watched her, amazed at the pure heart of the little girl. I wondered once again about her story. She had maturity far beyond that of every seven-year-old I’d ever met. I heard someone approach from behind, but couldn’t tear my eyes away from the scene in front of me

            “Tell me about her?” I requested softly, hating to disturb the quiet, but needing to satisfy my curiosity. Charles sighed.

            “Ah, the poor girl had a rough start to life. She’s actually my granddaughter. My son, Lorenzo, married a young lass by the name of Rosalie. Shortly after Felix’s third birthday, hardship befell the family. Lorenzo went into debt and couldn’t pay back his creditors despite being a hard worker, so they arrested him and took his home. Rosalie and Felix came to live with me. Lorenzo was thrown into prison until he could pay off his debt. I was also in a rough financial spot at that point, however I was able to set aside a little money each month. Finally, after three long years, we were able to scrap together enough money to pay off Lorenzo’s debt. He was freed and moved in with the rest of us. He began to save money and eventually bought another house for his family. By this point, Felix was eight and was already becoming a responsible young man. Shortly after they moved, Rosalie gave birth to a sickly little girl who died after only a few days. Over the next five years, Lorenzo and Rosalie had three more children. None of them survived past their first birthday. Illness took them all. After each death, Rosalie grew more and more depressed, speaking only when necessary. Felix took care of his mother while Lorenzo worked threw himself into his work, trying to drive away his grief.

Finally, just after Felix’s sixteenth birthday, Rosalie gave birth to a healthy little girl. They named her Ruby and became very protective of her. Rosalie would rarely let her baby out of sight, not even with Lorenzo or Felix. Joy began to fill the house once again, and Rosalie’s hurt began to heal, although not completely. She would still suffer from bouts of depression during which she neglected her family. When Ruby was three, Lorenzo was struck by a carriage and didn’t survive. This seemed to break Rosalie and she lost the will to live. Felix tried to help his mother, with no success. She isolated herself, refusing to eat, wallowing in self-pity. Three months after Lorenzo died, Rosalie joined him in the grave.”

Charles paused, trying to control his emotions. I glanced over the field, looking for the little girl. She was kneeling by a flower, stroking its petal and breathing in its scent. Charles cleared his throat and continued.

“Felix was heartbroken at the loss of his parents. He left Ruby with Cora and I, and disappeared for a month. We didn’t know where he’d gone, what had happened to him, or if we would ever see him again. All we knew was we had a little girl who was dependent on us. She was a quiet little thing who seemed older than her years. A month, Felix suddenly returned. As soon as I saw him standing there on our doorstep, smiling, I knew something had changed. I wondered if he’d found a girl.” Charles chuckled.

“My guess was off by a mile. He had found Jesus. At this point, my wife and I weren’t Christians. Over the next few days, Felix told us everything that had happened. He’d hitchhiked to a city over 300 miles from our home, trying to outrun his memories. There he’d slept on the streets, living the life of a bum and spending his days wallowing in self-pity. Eventually, he decided to end it all and walked to a tall bridge with every intention of throwing himself off, hoping that the raging river below would drown him quickly. As he took one last look around him, he saw a book lying on the side of the path. He tried to ignore it, but something inside drove him to pick up the book. The first sentence he read changed his entire life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whosever believes in him shall have eternal life.” That verse struck him and he read it again, slowly sitting down to lean against the bridge railing. The thought of ending his life fled from his mind with ever page he turned. When it was too dark to read, he returned to the city with an intense desire to talk to a pastor. He found a church and curled up on the cold stone steps, hugging the Bible to his chest. Eventually, he fell into a restless slumber. He awoke to a hand on his shoulder and a kind voice asking him why he was asleep on the church steps. The man was a pastor and Felix quickly started to ask question after question. The pastor interrupted Felix and invited him inside to talk. He offered Felix food and coffee, before sitting down across from him.

  Felix emerged from that church three hours later, a new man. He arrived on our step two days later, Bible in hand and meaning in life. That was the day that Cora and I became children of God also.” Charles smiled.

“The next two years were happy ones. Felix found a job nearby and began to earn money to provide for himself and Ruby. Both of the children lived with us and we couldn’t have been happier. We had been through so much, but now life was looking up. Then, tragedy struck. Felix came home from work complaining of a stomachache. Two days later he was gone.” Charles choked and wiped away a tear. “Ruby was five-years-old and often called out for Felix, not wanting to believe that he was gone. She seemed to age overnight. She had always been mature for her age, but losing Felix seemed to steal any desire to be a child. It’s been two years since Felix’s death and she still grieves. She is terrified that she will lose another loved one and refuses to become too emotionally attached to anyone except Cora and myself. That is why I was surprised when she bonded with you so quickly. She seemed to accept you right into her life and heart.” Charles looked at me, wonderingly.

“Earlier, when we were in the garden, she said I reminded her of Felix. That’s when she brought me here.” I motioned to the rest of the garden.

“That must be why.” Charles nodded his head. “You do look a good bit like him and his personality was very similar to yours.”

We fell silent and my thoughts wandered. In a way, my life was similar to Felix’s and yet it was different. He lost everything and then found Jesus. I found Jesus, and then lost everything. He had Ruby and loving grandparents, I had nobody. He died, I was alive.

“Anyway, I have a question for you.” Charles turned to me. “What will you do now?”

I turned away, biting my lip. I had no idea. I was a disowned sixteen-year-old child, practically an orphan. Charles seemed to read my thoughts.

“I have a proposition for you. Cora and I are getting on in age and it gets harder and harder to take care of the house and yard. We would love to welcome you into our home and into our family as our son.”

Tears filled my eyes and I couldn’t say a word. Charles seemed to sense the answer though. He placed a hand on my shoulder and we turned to watch the little girl as she ran through the meadow to the brook. Her hair streamed behind her and the sun seemed to shine just a little brighter. A minute ago, I was wallowing in self-pity about having nothing. Now I had everything I could ask for, a Christian home, and a family to call my own.

‘Thank you God for working everything for my good.’  

Charles cleared his throat.

“We must be praying for your father and mother, though. They are lost.”

I agreed for although my father had disowned me, I still loved him and the thought of him dying an unbeliever broke my heart.

“But for now, why don’t you go tell Ruby? I think she will be pleased.”

I began to run, but turned back to Charles.

“Thank you.” The words felt inadequate, but I didn’t know what else to say. Charles pulled me into a quick embrace.

“No, thank you, my son. Your arrival is beginning to heal the hole in my heart.”

I gazed at Charles a moment longer, then ran towards Ruby. She heard me coming and straightened up from leaning over the stream. I stopped a few paces away from her.

“What are you doing, Az?” Ruby asked, bewildered at my sudden arrival.

“Well, Little One. What would you say if I were to tell you that you just got another family member?” I asked quietly. She stared silently at me a moment, uncommitted.

My heart sank within me. Maybe she wasn’t ready for this. Then a smile covered her face and she ran toward me. She covered the last few steps between us and jumped. I caught her and spun around, dizzy with joy. Charles watched from across the field, tears running shamelessly down his cheeks. Cora had appeared in the meadow also and was leaning against her tearful husband, a smile splitting her wrinkled face.

  Ruby clung to my neck. Her cheek pressed against mine. She whispered one word, almost inaudibly. That single word filled my heart with happiness and I felt like I would explode.

“Brother.”