“Then he’s a fool,” Jude said without thinking. He didn’t know why, but the thought of Lou breaking up with Marissa for some other woman angered him. Lou had never been good enough for his Marissa, and to think the man now had the nerve to decide that he wanted someone else.

  Marissa waved his words off. “Lou and Stacey are perfect for each other. Trust me, there are no hard feelings between us. He made the right decision.”

  Was Marissa now with another man? Is that why she wasn’t so concerned about Lou marrying someone else. Jude was just about to quiz her about her love life when Donavan rushed outside and beckoned to them.

  “The doctor wants to talk to us about dad. You need to come back inside.

  8

  “That’s good news,” Nina said to the doctor as Jude walked back into the waiting area.

  “What’s good news?” Jude wanted to know.

  As Nina turned to him, tears were flowing down her face. She hugged him. “Your dad is responding to the medication.”

  The doctor added. “I don’t want to get your hopes up. He seems to be responding... we won’t know for sure for several days. But if he doesn’t suffer a setback tonight, we’ll move him out of the ICU tomorrow.”

  Shouts and “Thank You Jesus’s” went up. Nina let go of Jude and hugged Donavan and Iona. Jude was so excited that he picked Marissa up, swung her around and then wrapped her in his arms like she belonged to him and hugged her as if he never wanted to let her go.

  “It’s okay, Jude. I told you that your father was going to be all right.”

  Marissa speaking into his ear brought him back to the moment. They were in the ICU, the doctor had just told them that his father was doing better... he was holding Marissa in his arms, but she didn’t belong there. Jude released her and stepped back. His hands went in his pocket again. “Thank you, for coming out here to be with my family. You’re a good friend.”

  “I will always be your friend, Jude. I hope you know that.”

  Oh, he knew it... knew it better than he knew his name. Marissa had forever relegated him to the friend zone, and since he had been living with another woman until yesterday, there was no way that he could complain about that. “Yeah, I know,” he told her as he turned back to his family.

  “I knew that husband of mine wasn’t ready to check out of here just yet,” Nina said as they all sat back down.

  “I knew Isaac wasn’t going anywhere. That one will be fighting death with his last breath,” Keith told the group.

  “I don’t know about that, Uncle Keith,” Donavan said. “It was touch and go last night. He didn’t look like the same bigger than life man that I have loved and feared most of my life. I really thought I was about to say goodbye to my daddy.”

  Jude thought the same thing also. But it didn’t have anything to do with how his father looked. By the time he had reached the hospital, his father had already been showing signs of improving. But he seemed at peace with whatever was about to happen to him.

  Jude was amazed about that. He remembered how his father had preached on countless occasions that to be absent from the body was to be present with the Lord. Isaac would always make it sound as if when people who were saved by God’s grace passed from this life, they weren’t truly dying, because they would live again.

  Jude often wondered if his father believed the words that he preached, after seeing him and hearing him talk of going home, as if God had some ready-made home in heaven for him, Jude now knew that Isaac Walker believed every word he’d preached. Jude then admitted to the group, “Dad scared me out of my mind when I visited with him early. It wasn’t that he looked as if he might die... but that it didn’t seem to matter one way or the other to him. I guess I just don’t understand how a man who claims to love his family like Dad does, could be so ready to leave us like that.”

  Nina moved over a seat so that she was next to Jude. She gently put a hand on his shoulder as she shook her head. “Your daddy isn’t anxious to leave us. But know this, if Isaac Walker died today, we would be sad, but he would be rejoicing in heaven, because my husband is a man of God. He has given his life for the cause of Christ. And I just wish I could be there to see My Lord and Savior say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of Your Lord’.”

  Jude didn’t like the sound of that. “For you to be able to hear that, you’d have to die with dad, and I don’t think I could take losing both of you at the same time.” What had he been thinking... staying away from his family so long? His mother had been fifty when he was born. But both, his mother and father had always looked so young and vibrant that he never thought much about their age. They weren’t looking so young these days though.

  “Don’t go crying on us baby-boy. Mama-Nina and Daddy ain’t going nowhere anytime soon,” Iona told him in her needling way.

  “I’m not no baby-boy. I’m a full grown man and I’ve been taking care of myself for years now, so you need to put some respect on my name.”

  Iona got up and mugged him in the head. “Boy, I helped change your diapers so you are always going to be baby-boy to me.”

  “And I taught you how to tie your shoes. That took forever because you didn’t care about tripping on those shoe laces... drove me crazy,” Donavan said.

  “And don’t let me tell everybody how long it took you to stop wetting the bed,” Nina chimed in,” enjoying the moment with her grown kids.

  “What? Do tell, First Lady,” Marissa poked fun at Jude. “How long did he stay in diapers?”

  Jude jumped out of his seat. “Okay, that’s enough.” He waved his hands in the air, trying to end the craziness. “I was out of diapers at two and I rarely wet the bed. End of story.”

  “If you say so.” Nina turned her head away from Jude and laughed, which caused everybody else to start laughing as well.

  Everybody but Jude. “I see how this is going. I haven’t been home in a while, so y’all want to gang up on me. But I know some secrets too. So, who wants me to tell what I know. Next person to tell a Jude joke, gets outed.” They became so silent that the shuffling of papers could be heard from three feet away at the nurses station. “Yeah, I didn’t think y’all wanted to mess with me.”

  ~~~~

  Off into the far, far away distance, angels in heaven were looking down on the Walker family. Brogan and Arnoth stood before the captain of the host. Their wings were folded and their spirits were downcast.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen warrior angels look as sad as the two of you.”

  “I’m not ready for my assignment to end.” Brogan confessed to Captain Aaron.

  Nodding, Captain Aaron acknowledged. “He’s been one of the best. But that’s the thing about humans, they cannot keep their earthly body forever. It must go back to the dust and the spirit must go where it belongs.”

  Arnoth put an arm around Brogan’s shoulder. “We know that Isaac’s spirit will rise up to heaven, so whichever way this turns out, he will live on forever.”

  “I know... I’ve just been standing here reminiscing about the exploits of Isaac Walker. He fought a good fight and brought many souls to the Lord. My one saving grace is that one day soon I will finally get a chance to shake his hand. That will be a great day.”

  “There’s no telling when that day will actually be, so I’m sending you and Arnoth back to earth on another assignment,” Captain Aaron told them.

  “Surely Isaac isn’t about to take on another exploit, the man is barely able to lift his head.” Brogan shook his head while looking down to earth, longing to be able to do battle for Isaac on the Lord’s behalf just one more time.

  “Look a little deeper my friend. You and Arnoth will battle the enemy very soon, but it will be for Isaac Judah Walker and Marissa Allen.”

  Their frowns were replaced by the brightest smile this side of heaven, as Brogan and Arnoth realized that God wasn’t done with this family yet. They lifted their swords and shouted with a loud voice, “We will fight for all that is good and all that is right.”

  ~~~~

  Isaac still felt weak and could barely lift his head from his pillow the next morning. But they moved him out of ICU, so Isaac figured he had to be doing better than he was feeling. The added bonus was that he was able to have his family in his room. Nina was still monitoring his visits and requesting that the kids not hang out in the room all day long.

  Isaac found himself sleeping so much that he didn’t know who was in the room on that first day anyway. He’d never been much for lying in the bed, sleeping the day away when there was so much work yet to be done. He’d told friends and family whenever they suggested that he get some more sleep or that he needed to rest, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead. But this is the day the Lord has made, and I’m going to make some noise every day He sees fit to wake me up.”

  The trouble with getting old was that Isaac still didn’t feel old. Of course he felt tired and sick right now, but before his heart attack, Isaac had still been on the go. He’d been out there chasing down souls and winning them for the kingdom of God. Admittedly, he had slowed down. His bones now ached and quaked in places he’d never felt pain before. He and Keith were no longer doing their street revivals, because they couldn’t figure how to get it to the next level. Which was strange, because Isaac had moved so many obstacles out of his way in order to get the work of God done. But he just couldn’t make since of why he couldn’t get out of his own way and work the ministry God gave him.

  These days it wasn’t visits to Hell that kept him up at night anymore. Matter-of-fact, Isaac hadn’t been drug into Satan’s kingdom in many years. He wasn’t complaining, because there had been times when Isaac thought he would lose his mind if he had to witness another human being tortured. But it pained him that his son was now going through so much torment. Jude would need to figure out what the Lord needed from him if the torment was to ever stop.

  Isaac didn’t know what God was up to. Didn’t know whether it was a gift or a curse to be able to see into the spiritual realm the way he and Jude could. But one thing he did know, was that even though he wasn’t witnessing torture in Devil Land these days, everywhere Isaac looked, he still saw so much trouble in the world. His work was not finished, but it was as if God was diminishing his hunger to get out there and do something about this hurting world. He was decreasing, Isaac understood that, but who was meant to take his place? Jude certainly didn’t want anything to do with the evangelistic ministry. Donavan was busy with the church, Iona had her family and her work as an attorney that she loved.

  So, Isaac was not tormented at the fact that he had unfinished business, but didn’t know who would be willing to finish it for him. That is what Isaac mostly spent his time praying about these days... that God would send a man, on fire for the Lord that he could groom to take over for him.

  Isaac turned his head to the left as he felt a movement in his room. No one was there, at least no one that he could see in the natural. Isaac smiled yet and still, because he could feel the anxiety leaving him. His angel was in the room with him, working things out even as Isaac thought and prayed about them.

  Sighing deeply, Isaac said out loud, “I’d like to see you before I die.” And as he laid there getting comfortable in his bed for the first time since arriving at the hospital, Isaac thought how wonderful it would be if men could see the angels that God sends to protect them. How glorious would something like that be?

  9

  Most of the family had left for the night, it was only Jude, Nina and Isaac now in his hospital room. Since he’d had that last experience in Hell, Jude had wanted to talk to his dad about his experiences. But now that Isaac was sick, he didn’t know if he should bring it up. The television was on CNN, and just as Jude had convinced himself that this was not a good time to bother his father with what he was going through, something terrible happened.

  CNN was showing a video of a man who had his hands up, walking backward away from several police officers. Once the man reached his car, he put his hands on his car and then was shot down just as if he had actually done something that warranted a deadly bullet.

  Nina, Isaac and Jude’s mouths hung open as they watched and listened. Apparently the man’s car had broken down and instead of the police offering assistance, they immediately assumed that ‘this guy was a real bad dude’, as one of the officers flying in the helicopter above could be heard saying.

  Nina stood up and walked toward the television, as if she would see something different if she moved a little closer. “What just happened? Tell me I didn’t just see what my lying eyes are telling me?”

  “I wish I could. But it’s happening right in front of us.” Jude’s nostril’s flared. His fist clenched as red hot rage went through his body.

  Isaac couldn’t get out of bed, but as he laid there shaking his head, he told them, we need to pray. Something terrible is about to happen. I feel it in my bones.”

  Jude pointed at the television. “Something terrible just happened. The police shot that man for nothing. The same way they shot Stephen for nothing, and now he is being tormented forever.”

  Isaac held out his hand to Nina and Jude. He led them in prayer, “Lord Jesus, we thank You for all that You have done for this family. We give You praise for keeping us safe. But there are many in this world who are not safe, and are dying needless deaths. Give us direction Lord. Show us what to do... where to go... who to help. Send the one who is destined to help our people in times like these.”

  “Amen, in Jesus name we pray,” Nina finished for Isaac, as it became obvious to her that he was getting weak again.

  Isaac laid his head back on the pillow and then turned to Jude. “I am sorry about what happened to Stephen. Your mom and I could tell that you were in bad shape after his death. Have you been able to make peace with God yet?”

  To his father everything was a spiritual issue. Why couldn’t Jude just be mad, without being mad at God? But in truth, Jude was angry with God, especially after that nightmare he experienced the other night. Ringing his hands, he confessed, “I need to talk to you about something.”

  “I don’t like the look in your eyes, Jude. You’re angry so I think this conversation my need to wait until your father is a bit healthier,” Nina admonished.

  But Isaac shook his head. “We can’t be like that Nina. I don’t know how much time I have left and Jude and I have unfinished business.”

  “Don’t talk like that.” The frustration was showing on Nina’s face.

  “You’re only 85 years old, Dad. Plenty of people have lived longer.”

  “And I am grateful for every next day that God sends, because I truly never expected to live this long. The way I lived my life, I thought I’d be dead before forty.”

  “But you didn’t die,” Nina reminded him. “You beat the odds and Our God is going to help you beat this too. You and I will go in the rapture, remember?”

  “Yeah, baby. That’s our plan.” Isaac smiled at his wife, still the most beautiful woman, inside and out, that he’d ever met. “Now let me talk to our son.”

  Nina patted his hand and then stepped back and sat down.

  Isaac turned back to Jude. “Say what’s on your mind, Son.”

  “I don’t want to upset you, but I really need answers. Remember how I told you about my trip to Hell a few years ago?”

  “I remember.”

  “You told me that it probably wasn’t what I thought, and that I was only imagining the trip because of the information you had given me about your ordeal.”

  “Yes, but I also told you to pray and ask for the Lord to help you if you experienced it again.”

  “I did that, and those demons would leave me alone. But this last trip was different. Just as I was about to get beat down again, Truth showed up. I was afraid of him at first, but He was the only One who could get those demons off of me. So, I followed Him. He took me to the Fun Room.”

  Hearing that, Isaac’s eyes filled with tears.”

  “Stephen was there and he was being tortured. Truth told me that would happen over and over again.”

  With anguish showing on his face, Isaac told him. “I know the Fun Room well. My brother resides in there, and there hasn’t been a day that God opens my eyes that I haven’t begged for that to change.”

  “Truth acted like it was my fault. Like I wasn’t doing something I’m supposed to be doing. But I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, and I can’t get the image of Stephen being pulled apart out of my mind. If I could do anything to help him, I’d do it in a minute.”

  Sorrow filled Isaac’s eyes, as he told his son, “You can’t help Stephen. It’s over for him.”

  “Then what’s the point, Dad? Why did I have to see him in that Fun Room if I can’t do anything about it?”

  “I don’t know for sure what God wants from you. But, with me, I was able to take my heartache and turn it into my life’s mission. So all I can tell you is seek the Lord, my son. I caused many untimely deaths, but I have also helped many, many people lift up their eyes in Heaven, and that brings me peace.”

  ~~~~

  Marissa expected to see Jude at the hospital the other day, but she didn’t expect her heart to betray her. As she hid under the covers, not wanting to get out of bed, Marissa realized that she was still in love with Jude. “I gave him back to You Lord. All I asked, was for You to give me back my heart.”

  For the last few years Marissa thought she had reclaimed her heart from Jude. She had even dated Elder Lou. She enjoyed hanging out with Lou and getting to know him. Marissa had hoped that she and Lou might be able to build a life together, because they shared the same values. But once they stopped talking about the Bible, she and Lou had nothing else in common.

  Lou didn’t believe that a woman should work outside the home, but Marissa hadn’t gone to college so she could sit at home, making meals and keeping the house spotless. No, Marissa would rather have a successful and fulfilling career, than dust or mop the kitchen floor. She called Mighty Maids for the house cleaning and kept it moving.