CXXII

TRICKY TRIANGLE

CHAPTER 2

REMEMBER NOW YOUR CREATOR IN THE DAYS OF YOUR YOUTH

ECCLESIASTES 12:1

The bell rang as Hal stepped into science class, and slumped into his chair at the lab table he shared with Wendy Lancing. He felt surprisingly uncomfortable sitting next to the pretty redhead. Yesterday at this time they had really hit it off. So much so that he began devising a plan to ask her out. But then, his so called best friend, Ed Parker, pulled the rug out from under him.

Initially, Hal had hoped to arrange a double date. He would escort his brand new lab partner Wendy, and his good buddy Ed would pair with Wendy’s best friend, Dawn Bird. But after school yesterday, Hal had suggested this idea to Ed as they walked to the school parking lot. He even gave Ed a visual as he pointed out the two girls as they made their way to a bus. That’s when Ed dashed off by himself and asked the preferred girl first. Leaving Hal with snooty, stuck up Dawn.

“Hey,” Wendy greeted Hal with a bright smile.

“Hey yourself,” Hal replied, then he forced the corners of his lips upward.

“Dawn and I are really looking forward to Saturday night,” she cooed.

He felt like saying ‘Ed is too,’ but instead replied, “We are too.”

Then she spoke low and conspiratorially. “I had no idea you liked Dawn.”

Hal felt like replying bitterly that he didn’t realize it either.

“Actually,” she continued and then giggled, scrunching her slim, elegant nose adorably. “When you guys came over to the bus stop yesterday, I thought for sure it would be me going out with you, and Ed with Dawn. I mean, you and I hit it off so well yesterday after we were assigned a lab table together. I just figured, you know…”

“Yeah, I know,” Hal replied as his brain scrambled to somehow turn the tables, putting him with Wendy, and Hal with Dawn. It seemed possible if he played it right.

“Can I ask you something?” Wendy asked with a whisper and excited giggle.

“Sure,” Hal replied with a shrug.

“How long have you had a thing for Dawn?”

Hal felt his eyes widen. Wendy put a hand over his hand. “Dawn and I are tight, yes, but I promise, cross my heart and hope to die, that I won’t tell her.”

“Um, well, the truth is,” Hal replied, then paused, and glanced toward Dawn. She was sitting one table up in the row of tables on the other side. She was wearing a dark blue skirt that rose a couple of inches above her knees. One leg was crossed over the other, and a pump with a one inch heel dangled from her toes. He admired the arch of her foot, and the shapely tan leg it was attached to.

“The truth is what?” Wendy asked eagerly.

Hal had considered coming clean about the double cross. It might end his and Ed’s friendship, but unlike Dawn who declared she was saving herself for marriage, Hal felt like Wendy would give in over time. Maybe even not very much time.

But he kept watching Dawn. Her hand went to a pencil on her table. The index finger slowly pushed it slowly to the edge, and it quietly clattered to the floor. When she leaned over to pick it up, Hal noticed the small, but pleasant form protruding from her snug, light blue turtleneck. After she secured the pencil in her fingers, she aimed a gaze at Wendy at Hal. When she discovered her eyes locking with Hal’s eyes, she quickly turned her head.

Hal chuckled. “The truth is… I don’t really know. It’s been kind of a recent development that I quite honestly am not sure of.”

“What aren’t you sure of?”

“Well,” Hal shrugged, then paused, choosing his words carefully, but unsuccessfully. “She’s always been, you know, a snot.”

“She’s really not, a snot,” Wendy said with sad eyes, but then giggled at the rhyme. “She’s really sweet when you get to know her. She’s just shy, and I know the way she handles her insecurities can appear to be bratty.”

“Dawn insecure?” Hal laughed. “She could run faster and climb a tree higher than most of the boys in our class. But she was also the quickest to nark somebody off if they, say, played basketball in the school gym when they weren’t supposed to.”

“Man, you really hold a grudge,” Wendy scolded with a lighthearted smile.

“I’m just saying,” Hal shrugged.

“I don’t know if you know, but her father had died not long before that whole incident. So her pain probably made her more prone to be, as you would say, a snot.”

“I don’t remember, to be honest,” Hal responded. “I don’t recall ever seeing her dad. I remember her mom having a heavy accent.”

“Her mom was born is Spain. She came to the states when she was a teenager.”

Hal nodded. “I also recall her grandfather dropping her off at school quite a bit.”

“That wasn’t her grandfather, silly. That was her dad.”

“That white haired guy that always drove that big black Cadillac was her dad?”

“Yeah, he was at least twenty years older than Dawn’s mother. And her mother was in her late thirties when Dawn was born. She was an only child, and her mom is, forgive me, a cold uptight neat freak. I’ve never seen her show Dawn any affection. As a matter of fact…”

“Alright, class,” Mr. Jackson ordered. “Open your textbooks to page twelve.”

Three days later, Hal was quiet and pensive as the two young men rode in Ed’s car to pick up their dates.

“You’re still mad at me, aren’t you?” Ed tried cautiously.

“I must not be too mad. I’m here aren’t I?” Hal replied.

“Why so down cast then?”

“If I need to explain, you’re not a very good friend. Which I’m already concluding.”

Ed sighed. “Look man, we’ll switch, alright? It’s not like I really premeditated what I did in asking Wendy out first. You’re the one who has always told me I need to be more spontaneous.”

“Alright, we’ll switch then. Do you want to tell Wendy to get in the back with me, or should I?”

Ed eyed his buddy a little stunned. He didn’t really mean they should switch, he was just trying to ease his conscience with some disingenuous words. But Ed knew his friend too well. He was certain Hal was playing him. “Would you mind telling them? You’ve always been a smoother talker than me.”

Hal grinned at Ed. “Calling my bluff, eh?”

“Oh, you were bluffing?” Ed replied with his own relieved grin.

Hal just wanted to get the evening over with. As soon as the band was done, he was done. But something took him a little off guard. Every time he saw Dawn lately, she seemed even more attractive than the last time.

 Both girls wore short plaid skirts. Dawn’s was red, while Wendy’s was green. Both wore go-go boots. Dawn’s were black, while Wendy’s were white. Dawn had a red button up sweater on covering a white blouse, Wendy wore a green turtleneck.

The four teenagers ate burgers and fries at a drive in restaurant with a waitress on skates serving them. Wendy and Ed chatted merrily, Dawn and Hal ate mostly in silence. Then Dawn wearied of the tension between them. “So, what do you plan to do after graduation?” she asked.

“Shoot, I don’t know. Graduation is a long way off with the school year just starting.”

Hal actually felt uncomfortable with how testy he sounded, and he asked Dawn with an upbeat tone. “How about you, do you have plans?”

“Wendy and I are going to college at UNI. We both want to be teachers.”

“What kind of teachers?”

“I hope to teach high school English, and Dawn wants to teach art.”

“Why don’t you want to teach elementary? Don’t you like little kids?” Hal asked and once again, regretted his tone. He was just trying to tease, but it sounded like a criticism.

Dawn just shrugged. “I love literature, and writing.”

Hal nodded, and they resumed silence.

The concert was outside. Wendy and Ed still seemed to chat nonstop. Dawn and Hal did their best at small talk, but it felt forced and awkward. Boy, did Hal ever want to get this night over. But then something shifted in their chemistry, ironically happening when the concert was over.

Wendy and Ed went to find a phone booth, and Dawn and Ed were walking back to the car when Dawn stepped in a rut, twisting her ankle. As she was falling, she clutched Hal’s arm. His quick reflexes and natural athleticism kicked in, and he caught her. She winced with pain, and Hal scooped her up effortlessly. She gave a little squeal of surprise as her arms went around his neck. He walked her to a nearby bench, sitting her down gently.

“Lets have a look,” Hal said. He knelt in front of her and unzipped her boot. He rubbed her ankle carefully, asking “Does that hurt?”

“Not too bad,” she replied a little breathlessly. Her anxious gasps weren’t from the pain, however.

“It’s not broke,” Hal said, and then seemed to go into a bit of a trance. He was mesmerized by the sexiness of this once nerdy tomboy. As his hands inched up to her calf, she exuded a nervous laugh. “I think I’ll be alright now. Thank you.”

“Oh, yeah, yeah, you’re welcome.” Hal sat back on his haunches like a baseball catcher, a bit dazed by what he was feeling.

He watched her put her boot back on, to make sure she was okay, of course. After she zipped the boot back in place, she stood and did two laps around the bench, limping slightly. “I think I’m fine. It just really smarted when I first twisted it.”

“Okay, yeah, good,” Hal stammered.

Dawn giggled, and he felt his face flush. Did she know her beauty was disorienting him? But that wasn’t why she was laughing. She pulled a tissue out of her purse. “Hal, you’ve had something on your face ever since dinner, can I wipe it off?”

Now he felt not only embarrassed, but annoyed. She hasn’t changed after all. Little Miss Perfect. He wiped at his face with an irritated fury, but missed the catchup at the corner of his mouth entirely.

“Here,” Dawn said, rubbing it with her tissue. “You helped me with my ankle, I’ll help you with your messy mouth.”

But the catchup had dried. Dawn frowned, then licked the tissue to moisten it. She rubbed the corner of his mouth again, and the catchup transferred easily to the tissue. Hal felt the wetness from her mouth on his skin.

“What?” Dawn said with a startled expression.

“What do you mean what?”

“You’re looking at me funny.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“I don’t mean to be,” Hal said, and then with out thinking, licked the spot where he felt her saliva.

It occurred to her that he was her date, not some child she was babysitting. She felt her face flush and looked away shyly. Thankfully Wendy and Ed returned.

“You cats ready to go?” Ed asked.

“Yes,” Dawn and Hal replied eagerly and at the same time.

In bed that night, Dawn retraced the evening in her mind. There were so many awkward moments, it was hard to feel optimistic. She had hoped Hal would ask her out again, or at least say he had enjoyed himself. Instead he simply said goodnight.

Why did she feel so drawn to him? It wasn’t just because he was cute, there were other handsome guys that were beginning to pay her some attention. He was actually kind of a rebel, but she knew he had a sweet side. Maybe that was it. She never forgot the time in fourth grade when she dropped her notebook and some mean boys began kicking at the scattered papers, Hal demanded they knock it off. He then helped her pick them up.

So why did she tell on Him and Ed a year later for playing in the gym when they weren’t supposed to be? It must have been a case of thinking negative attention is better than no attention at all.

Hal felt annoyed that Dawn wouldn’t leave his mind. He had trouble getting to sleep. How dare she wipe his mouth like he was a little kid? Yet the feel of the wetness of her tongue so close to his mouth was strangely alluring. And the way she looked. Dawn was no longer a tomboy, that’s for sure. But he bet she was still a fast runner with that lithe body, and sleek, strong looking legs.

The following afternoon, he had just finished running an errand for his father in his father’s pickup truck. He approached the back side of an attractive female walking on a foot trail just off the road and along a wooded area. She was wearing jean shorts, a white and blue checked blouse, and sneakers. Her brown hair was in a ponytail.

Then something about the young lady made his heart race with anticipation. She was limping slightly. After he passed, he glanced out of the back window. Sure enough it was Dawn. He looked at the road ahead, and then turned to look again. She was gone!

He pulled off the road and looked frantically for where she might have disappeared. Then he spotted her climbing carefully over a barbed wire fence, and then heading down a deer trail. Where was she going? The woods ended in a quarter mile at a bluff overlooking the river. It was thirty feet up from the water, you couldn’t fish there.

He parked the truck and began to follow her. He told himself it was because a hobo jungle was nearby, and she might need protection. The reality is, he was spying out of curiosity. Would he even be doing this he hadn’t just been on a date with her the previous night? Probably not. He would have admired the view of her walking and just kept going.

By the time he caught up, she was at the bluff, kneeling by a rock. What was she doing? He slowly, quietly, inched closer and closer. She was talking to herself. He got a little closer and heard her say “Lord.” She was praying.

Hal sat carefully, silently on a fallen log, eavesdropping on a prayer by a girl he told himself he wanted nothing to with. Yet she would not leave his mind ever since the date last night ended. There was no doubt she would discover him when she finished. He got the feeling if he didn’t leave immediately, this was going to end badly. Yet he couldn’t move.  

(DESTINY’S BIBLE STUDY NOTES AND QUOTES)

(The LIFE and MINISTRY of JESUS Part 15)

Imprisonment and death of John the Baptist.

John the Baptist had been first in heralding Christ’s kingdom, and he was also the first in suffering.

The life of John had been one of active labor, and the gloom and inaction of his prison life weighed heavily upon him. As week after week passed, bringing no change, despondency and doubt crept over him.

Like the Savior’s disciples, John the Baptist did not understand the nature of Christ’s kingdom. He expected Jesus to take the throne of David; and as time passed, and the Savior made no claim to kingly authority, John became perplexed and troubled.

To the desert prophet all this seemed a mystery beyond his fathoming. There were hours when the whisperings of demons tortured his spirit, and the shadow of a terrible fear crept over him.

John’s disciples came to Jesus with their message, “Art You He that should come, or do we look for another?” How short  the time since the Baptist had pointed to Jesus, and proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.”

Jesus was keenly disappointed. If John, the faithful forerunner, failed to discern Christ’s mission, what could be expected from the self-seeking multitude?

The evidence of Jesus’s divinity was seen in it’s adaptation to the needs of suffering humanity. His glory was shown in His condescension to our low estate.

God spoke to the prophet by “a still small voice.” (1 Kings 19:11, 12) So Jesus was to do His work, not with the clash of arms and the overturning of thrones and kingdoms, but through speaking to the hearts of men by a life of mercy and self-sacrifice.

John had been called to reprove the sins and excesses of his time, and his plain dress and self-denying life were in harmony with the character of his mission. Rich apparel and the luxuries of this life are not the portion of God’s servants.

Understanding more clearly now the nature of Christ’s mission, John yielded himself to God for life or for death, as should best serve the interests of the cause he loved.

It is moral worth that God values. Love and purity are the attributes He prizes most.

The revels of one night cost the life of one of the greatest of the prophets.

The sinner’s own thoughts are his accusers; and there can be no torture keener than the stings of a guilty conscience.

Jesus did not interpose to deliver His servant. He knew that John would bear the test. Gladly would the Savior come to John, to brighten the dungeon gloom with His own presence. But He was not to place Himself in the hands of enemies and imperil His own mission. Gladly would He have delivered His faithful servant. But for the sake of thousands who in after years must pass from prison to death, John was to drink the cup of martyrdom.

“Unto you is given on the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” (Philippians 1:29)

Of all the gifts Heaven can bestow upon humanity, fellowship with Christ in His sufferings is the most weighty trust and the highest honor.