Jeremiah's Journey - 10: "Sorry For Your Loss"

So, what is the point of it?”

“Point of what, Jeremiah?” she held me close about the waist, leaning back to peer into my downcast eyes.

“Life.”

“What is on your heart, Jeremiah?”

“My sons and daughter.”

“Tell me about them.”

“My firstborn was a gorgeous girl, only 21 when she died.”

“Oh my God, Jeremiah! I am so sorry. The jewel of your heart, but Jeremiah, even though she is gone from this world, she remains as the fire in your heart.”

“Only an ember. I feel the fire has a wet blanket over it, smoldering and suffocating.”

“How did she die? But only if you want to talk about it, I don’t mean to pry.”

I looked out over the river Arno, the amber lights of the medieval bridge casting a glow on Adelina’s face. I had not talked about the accident except with Christina and Jonathon.

I met Christina in a coffee shop after watching her dance - a ballerina and gymnast, her moves were not choreographed - she danced in the Spirit with joy, a bounce in her step that raised her above the circumstance of her lost father that she had never met. Her mother was a medical corps nurse and met Giovanni, Christina’s father, during the Dominican Republic occupation directed by the CIA. He was an Italian spy and mysteriously disappeared after his recuperation from a battle wound where Christina’s mom nursed him back to health. We fell in love during the spring of our last semester in college, and then Christina left for a summer mission trip to Africa on the Mercy ship.

I escaped from the reality of my misguided American Dream to the Outback of Australia where I met Kelsie, the beautiful daughter of a land baron and cattle and sheep grazier, but only after having a one-night fling with a Kansan girl named Jessie that found me napping under a tree. Burning for Jessie, but longing for Christian and confused about my encounter with Kelsie, I returned to Kansas, wrote off Christina and married Jessie.

Jonathan was an old Irish fisherman that I met following the loss of Atalya, Dre, and my estranged wife, Jessie. I lived in the homestead cabin of his plot of paradise on the lakeshore in Kansas after I lost our house to bankruptcy. This is where I explored my Jewish roots, for he also, was of Hebrew lineage and like me, a born again believer in Christ. A wise man and storyteller, his tales taught me about the substance of life - love.

Take a deep breath. For me, it was also, too much to handle.

“Atalya died of an overdose from drug-laced cocktails given to her by a pimp, sex slave trader, and drug lord. Only God knows why she was partying with him. It may have been the result of her mom filing for divorce and terminal cancer that sucked the life out of Jessie. Then, my oldest son, Dre, was murdered while he was at college.”

“Dear God, such heavy burdens you carry. And, your other son?”

“Trevor was arrested for causing a horrific accident after leaving the party with Atalya. It’s too complicated to tell. Christina, home on sabbatical from an orphanage in Africa was the nurse that led Jessie, my estranged wife, to Christ. The saving grace for Atalya is that she received Jesus in her heart when she found out that her mom had cancer. After Dre’s death, I found a Bible in his apartment and a letter that indicated that he surrendered his bleeding heart to God. He was an artist and painted a portrait of a man dressed in white holding in his hand a heart wrapped in barbed wire. Dre expressed himself through his art in a dark, Gothic way. My family became a disaster, my finances were ruined, and Christina returned to the orphanage in Africa.”

The cool breeze off the water chilled the gap of silence between us. Adelina nestled her head in my bosom. She began to sob as tears wet my shirt. I comforted her, my life to heavy for another to bear.

Life is the story we make of it.

 

Jeremiah's Journey – 10: "Sorry For Your Loss”
Copyright © 2016 by Jeff Cambridge

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The series of episodes of Jeremiah’s Journey begin with “Roses Are For Lovers” published on this blog. Follow me on Facebook @ Jeff Cambridge and join the fans of Jeremiah by subscribing to my blog.