TRICKY TRIANGLE

CHAPTER 9

AUGUST 1985 to SEPTEMBER 1985

Ed flew to Florida, returning with his camper in two days. He had dinner at the Storm residence almost every evening. He and Dawn also resumed weekly motorcycle rides. Yet Ed’s return didn’t stop Dawn from her runs with Ron Melrose, her suspected lover. Ironically, it was shortly after Ed’s return that Hal discovered Brenda Melrose always joined them.

Hal was playing the fool, but didn’t know it. Due to his unfound jealously over the imagined affair Dawn wasn’t even having, he invited real temptation to his beloved wife. However, he felt vastly different about her time spent with Ed over Ron.

He loved Ed. Whenever he came across the story of David and Jonathan in the Bible, it reminded him of their own relationship. ‘He loved him as he loved his own soul’ (1 Samuel 20:17). Plus, Dawn and Ed had needed each other in the aftermath of Wendy’s death.

Now they simply wanted to enjoy the bond they had formed, and Hal was determined to not get in the way. After all, he had had his own relationship with Wendy, and they kept it platonic. Yet their bond had been over prayer meetings and Bible study. Dawn and Ed’s was over motorcycle rides. Dawn usually wore tight jeans and leather jacket as she hugged Ed’s backside.

Thus far, Dawn and Ed had kept their relationship platonic. They both felt loyal to Hal. But their desire for each other was pushing their limits with temptation, and their spiritual lives were less than steadfast. Bringing every thought into the obedience of Christ was a thing of the past for both of them. Fighting carnal minds with human power was wearing them down.

At the end of September, Ed invited Dawn to go on an all day motorcycle ride called a poker run. Up until then, their excursions were no more than two hours long. This event would keep them on and off the cycle for more than seven hours, taking them over one hundred miles.

“What’s a poker run?” Hal had asked Dawn.

“It sounds like they ride to five different taverns,” Dawn explained. “They get a card at each establishment, and at the fifth bar, the best hand wins.”

“Wins what?”

Dawn shrugged. “I don’t know and don’t really care. I just think it sounds like a fun day.”

“So, now your gonna trade going to church to go to bars?”

“You don’t want me to go then?” Dawn asked with a pouty lip, knowing this usually won Hal over.

“That’s up to you, I’m just saying.”

“Just this once, okay? I’m going for the ride, not the bars. I doubt we even drink.”

“Well, I would hope not, especially Ed.”

“Ed has never had one beer while riding his motorcycle. At least not with me.”

Hal smiled and nodded.

“We leave at eleven in the morning, and it will be over by six,” Dawn informed him.

On the morning of the big ride, Hal felt a pang of insecurity when he went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Dawn was taking a bubble bath and carefully shaving her legs. Then he shook his head at himself. Dawn shaved her legs every week at about that time.

He noticed the clothes she had laid out. Black Harley Davidson shirt, faded blue jeans with holes in the knees and thighs, black tights, and, to his relief, plain undergarments, nothing frilly or sexy. A little later, when he watched her pull on her cowboy boots, he noticed her makeup of heavy black eyeliner and dark red lipstick. He bit his tongue from commenting.

When the clock struck six, Hal figured it should be fifteen or twenty minutes until they arrived home. At six thirty, they still hadn’t arrived. After a day of feeling left out, tense, and now outright worried, Hal went to Dawn’s stash of wine and poured almost half the bottle into a large goblet. Later he would reflect on his decision. If he would have prayed, instead of imbibing, a damage to relationships could have been avoided. At ten till eight, the phone rang.

“Hey, hi Honey,” Dawn said happily into Hal’s ear.

“Hey, where are you? I’ve been worried sick.”

“Sorry,” Dawn giggled. Hal instantly noticed she sounded half drunk. “Can you come get me?”

“Once again, where are you at?”

“Eddie’s camper.”

“He doesn’t have a phone there.”

“Actually, I’m calling from the campground’s office. Can you come get me?”

“Eddie was supposed to bring you home a little after six. What happened?”

“We swung by his camper to have a vodka and lemonade,” she said, giggling some more. “But we had about four. We figured the campground is only a few miles away and you wouldn’t mind coming out.”

“Well, I’ve had a whole bottle of wine, and I shouldn’t drive.”

There was a long moment of silence. “Dawn?”

“I’m here, and I have a solution,” she said, slurring solution.

“Yeah?”

“I’ll spend the night with Eddie, and he can bring me home in the morning.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why? He already said I could stay.”

“I bet he did.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Hal mumbled, never feeling more jealous and insecure in his life. Yet due to the alcohol, he felt strangely excited. There was something about her naughty behavior that turned him on, even though another part of him was angry. “I guess we don’t have a choice.”

“I guess we don’t.”

“You’ll behave won’t you?”

“No,” she replied, and then she giggled.

“Dawn!” Hal tried not to bark. “How about I call you a cab?”

“I don’t want to ride in a smelly old cab with some creepy driver smoking a cigar. I’d rather just sleep in Eddie’s spare bunk for the night.”

Hal liked the sound of that, thinking she was just teasing about not behaving. Yet he needed reassurance. “You’ll behave then, right?”

“Oh, I’ll behave, Henry,” she said with a giggle. “Maybe.”

“Whatever,” Hal responded with exasperation.

“Hal?” Dawn said softly and seriously.

“What?” Hal replied sharply.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Hal said reluctantly.

Hal slept fitfully, and at the crack of dawn, had coffee, choked down toast, and swallowed three aspirin. At seven in the morning, he raised his fist to knock on Ed’s camper door. Then he figured that since his wife was in there, he didn’t have to knock. He tried the door handle, and it wasn’t locked. He opened the door slowly, being as quiet as possible.

Dawn hadn’t lied. She had slept in Ed’s spare bunk. The problem was, Ed was in it too. By the looks of their scattered clothes, they had done more than just sleep. Hal felt enraged, and thought about making a scene. But then, for some reason, he turned and left as quietly as he came.

At around nine, Dawn stirred, opened her eyes, and was disoriented. The last thing she remembered before passing out, was her and Hal making passionate love. But why were they in Ed’s camper? Hal’s arm was draped over her, spooning her to himself. Then she noticed a scar on the hand. It wasn’t Hal, it was Ed!

Dawn flung Ed’s arm off of her, stumbling out of bed. The room spun, and the nausea rose quickly from her stomach to her mouth. She just made it to the sink when the vomit was expelled in a violent torrent. When she finished, she realized Ed was rubbing her back and asking if she was okay. Last night his touch felt tantalizing, arousing, and erotic. Why did it feel so repulsive now?

“No, I’m not okay!” she barked as she wiped tears off her face. The mascara smeared all over her cheeks, making her look like something out of a gothic horror movie.

“Yeah,” Ed groaned. He went to the fridge, pulled out a red substance in a bottle, grabbed a bottle of vodka, and made a Bloody Mary.

Dawn groaned herself, mumbling. “What if Hal finds out?”

“He already did,” Ed said dully.

“Huh?” Dawn replied baffled. “Are you drinking? It’s nine in the morning.”

“Hair of the dog. Want one?”

“No,” Dawn barked, then frowned. “What do you mean Hal found out? How could he?”

“He came in here about seven.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not. I’ve been a light sleeper ever since Vietnam.”

Dawn paused, gathering her racing, jumbled thoughts.

“Did you talk to him?”

“No,” Ed said, lighting a cigarette. “I pretended to be asleep as I thought about what I could possibly say to him. But he just turned and left.”

“Put that cigarette out or I’m gonna puke again,” Dawn ordered.

Ed took another quick drag and snuffed it out. “Sorry.”

“On second thought, I think I’ll have one of those concoctions you just made,” Dawn said, rubbing her face.

The cocktail made her feel surprisingly good. She even admired how Ed looked wearing jeans and no shirt. But then that thought triggered the guilt over what they did. She rubbed her face some more. She wanted to rub her skin off. “What’s Hal gonna say? What’s he gonna do?”

“Speak of the devil,” Ed said as he hurriedly pulled a shirt over his head.

Dawn was suddenly aware that she was wearing one of Ed’s shirts. Her adrenaline spiked and she rushed to grab her clothes. “I’d say we’re the devils, not Hal.”

Once again, Hal walked into the camper without knocking. Dawn had made it to the tiny bathroom just in time.

“Morning,” Ed choked.

“Morning,” Hal said blandly. “What’s new?”

“Not much.”

“Oh, yeah? Not much huh? You guys sleep well?”

“More like passed out,” Ed chuckled without humor. Then he raised his glass. “We’re pretty hungover, and having a hair of the dog.”

“Can I have one?”

“Of course.”

“Where’s Dawn?”

“The bathroom. She puked first thing this morning. That’s why I made us a couple Bloody Marys.”

“So, you were too drunk to do anything besides pass out?” Hal asked as he bent down in front of the kitchen table, picking up Dawn’s tights. As bad and strange as Hal felt, he couldn’t help laughing at the look of horror in Ed’s eyes.

He went to the bathroom door and opened it. A look of surprise came over his wife’s face. She hadn’t begun to dress. She had been sitting quietly and listening intently to the conversation between the two men.

“Nice shirt,” Hal said matter of fact. “You forgot these.”

“Thanks,” she squeaked as Hal shut the door.

Then the way Dawn looked registered with him. Matted hair, bloodshot eyes, and mascara smeared all over her cheeks. He opened the door again. “Are you alright, Dawn?”

“No,” she croaked, then began to quietly cry as she spoke. “I’m sorry. I’ve sinned against you and betrayed our marriage. And I’m so, so sorry.”

“I forgive you,” Hal said, but then immediately closed the bathroom door.

But this won’t be forgotten, Hal thought as he stepped to Ed, who looked stunned at Dawn’s confession. Ed extended the Bloody Mary to Hal, but he shook his head. “I decided I don’t want it.”

Hal sat down hard and sighed. The two men were silent for a long moment. The tension in the air so thick you could cut it with a knife. Hal prayed earnestly for the right spirit, the right attitude. Blessed are the peace makers began to reverberate in his head.

“Well,” Ed said shakily. “I guess the cat’s out of the bag.”

“Was it ever in the bag?” Hal asked bitterly.

“Probably not,” Ed said, wincing. “Listen, Hal, for what it’s worth, I’m truly sorry. I know it’s no excuse, but we both drank quite a bit, and…”

“So, it’s the alcohol’s fault?” Hal asked with eerie calm.

“No, it’s several things. I, I guess I don’t even know what to say… I heard you forgive Dawn, do you forgive me?”

“I do,” Hal replied reluctantly. Last night’s wine dulled his spiritual perceptions, and made the stress of this awkward situation unbearable. “On second thought, can I have that cocktail?”

“Of course,” Ed said, then asked cautiously. “Are we gonna be able to get past this?”

“Well, that’s the million dollar question, isn’t it?”

(DESTINY’S BIBLE STUDY NOTES AND QUOTES)

(The LIFE and MINISTRY of JESUS Part 22)

The Sermon on the Mount (See Matthew 5, 6, and 7)

Hearts that respond to the influence of the Holy Spirit are the channels through which God’s blessing flows. Were those who serve God removed from the earth, and His Spirit withdrawn from humanity, this world would be left to desolation and destruction, the fruit of Satan’s dominion.

Though the wicked don’t know it, they owe even the blessings of this life to the presence, in the world, of God’s  people whom they despise.

Our profession of faith may proclaim the theory of religion, but it is our practical piety that holds forth the words of truth.

In the life of Christ the principles of the law are made plain. As the Holy Spirit of God touches the heart, as the light of Christ reveals to men their need of His cleansing blood and His justifying righteousness, the law is still an agent in bringing us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith.

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” Psalm 19:7

The greatest deception of the human mind in Christ’s day was that a mere assent to the truth constitutes righteousness. In all human experience a theoretical knowledge of the truth has been proved to be insufficient for the saving of the soul.

The darkest chapters of history are burdened with the record of crimes committed by bigoted religionists.

The Pharisees thought themselves the greatest religionists of the world, but their so called orthodoxy led them to crucify The Son of God!

The same danger exists. Many take it for granted that they are Christians, simply because they subscribe to certain theological tenets. But they have not brought the truth into practical life. They have not believed and loved it, therefore they have not received the power and grace that come through sanctification of the truth.

God’s ideal for His children is higher than the highest human thought can reach.

Satan is jubilant when he hears the professed followers of Christ making excuses for their deformity of character. It is these excuses that lead to sin.

All who choose Christ’s kingdom of love and righteousness and peace, making its interest paramount to all other, are linked to the worlds above, and every blessing needed for this life is theirs.

Good works can never purchase salvation, but they are an evidence of the faith that acts by love and purifies the soul.

Self is but shifting sand. If you build upon human theories, your house will fall.

It is not enough, Jesus says, for you to hear My words. By obedience you must make them the foundation of your character.