HEAVY METAL MIRACLES

PART 2

CHAPTER 16

NANCY

YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL WALKS ABOUT LIKE A ROARING LION, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR. (1Peter 5:8)

          “If you’ve always felt anxious about seeing him, why do want to meet with him?” Drew asked me.

          “I’m not afraid anymore,” I said boldly, exercising my new faith. “The Lord has given me a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind, not fear.”

          Drew was pleased, his smile loving. And this made me happy as he said, “Quoting 2 Timothy 1:7, very nice.”

          “I need to thank him in person,” I told Drew.

          “How did he rescue you?”

          I had never talked of my escape, and until now, Drew had never asked.

          “He jumped through a picture window.”

          “Huh?”

          “When I was… being used… for… you know.”

          “Yeah,” he said, taking my hand and giving it a supporting squeeze.

          “I usually did what I was told, otherwise I was punished. But the last time I was subjected to their perversion, I broke. When they told Justin to join me on the bed, I started crying. The person who impregnated my mom barked at me to get it together. I tried to reverse the sobs, but I was still choking out these little whimpers.

          “Justin had this look on his face as I tried to hold it together. I don’t really know what was in his expression. Compassion, fear, uncertainty, I don’t know. But all of a sudden, he leapt from the bed and dashed down the stairs. The three guys that were about to film us shouted for him to get back as two gave chase. One watched me.

          “Only seconds after he dashed from the room I heard the crash of breaking glass. He dove through the living room window of the big house we were in. The neighbors across the street were out doing yard work. As soon as they saw a ten year old boy, who wasn’t wearing any clothes, fall into the front yard in a spray of glass, they called 911.”

          I had been pacing as I spoke. As I told of Justin jumping through a picture, I found myself standing in front of the living room window of the Aldo’s home. I felt Drew’s arms go around me, spooning me into himself. It was then I realized that I was trembling. His embrace was like a warm blanket on a cold night. The more I experienced it, the more it felt like home. I couldn’t wait to hold the title of wife.

          “I guess I misspoke a moment ago,” I told him after I felt the softness of his lips just ahead of my right ear.

          “About what?”

          “About having no fear.”

          “I beg to differ.”

          “What do you mean?”

          “You stopped trembling.”

          Reluctantly I stepped out of his reverse hug. But I did something equally as pleasurable. I looped my arms around his neck and put my lips on his. “That’s because after the gift of salvation, the greatest gift God has given me is you.”

          “That’s sweet of you to say. I too can say the same thing.”

          “Hardly,” I said with a laugh that had no humor behind it. “How can you say that when you have been my protector for a decade? Minus three years, due to my stubborn ignorance.”

          “Because my greatest joy on this earth has been loving you.”

          I hugged him fiercely, then kissed him just in front of his right ear before I whispered into it. “I want to marry you as soon as possible. I no longer fear intimacy.”

          “I’m ready and willing,” he told me with a warm smile.

          I couldn’t resist putting my lips on his again. But as soon as our mouths separated, I picked up my phone. Thirty seconds later I spoke to Justin for the first time since we were children. He was delighted to hear from me. He was surprised, but very willing, when I told him I would like to meet with him in person. He also had no problem with Drew joining us.

          A week later we met Justin in Chicago. He lived in a high rise apartment, but we met at a pizza place. I was concerned that it wouldn’t be private enough, but the thought of going to his home was disconcerting. I don’t know why. Although we had been forced to do very inappropriate things together, he ultimately was my rescuer from that prison.

          I remembered Justin as a nice looking, athletic boy with dark hair and brown eyes. Now all these years later, he had the pasty out of shape look of someone who spent a lot of time at a computer or gaming. Also, despite being only in his early twenties, his hair was noticeably thinning.

          I was expecting to see scars all over his face and arms, and even braced for it. I had a vague memory of him in the chaos of police cars and ambulance. I recalled seeing him wrapped in white towels with lots of blood. But upon meeting I only noticed a thin line above his left eyebrow, and a thick two inch scar on his right forearm.

          After shaking hands and telling him it was nice to meet with him, I pointed to the scar. “Is that from…?”

          “Yeah,” he replied casually. Then he humbly added, “I wasn’t cut up as bad as you might think for jumping through glass without, you know, not being dressed.”

          It was indeed awkward at first. I had a hard time looking at him as I simply uttered, “Yeah.”

          A waitress asked if it was three of us. We told her it was and then followed her to a booth. Thankfully, it was fairly secluded for a public setting. Drew slid in next to me, with Justin across from us.

          “I was surprised when you wanted to meet me in person,” Justin said with a hesitant smile after we sat. “I was just hoping for a letter, phone call, or text. Just something to know you turned out alright.”

          “Yeah, well, about that,” I responded. “I felt bad about ignoring you, because I always have really appreciated what you did for me.”

          “I understand. So what motivated you to meet with me now?”

          “I recently became a Christian and I became convicted that I needed to thank you, in person if possible. I also wanted to share my new faith, because it was that that finally gave me enough peace and courage to reach out to you.”

          “I see,” he replied with neutral expression. “Well, good for you. I’m glad you’re in a good place.”

          “Are you a believer?” I asked.

          “I’m a believer in justice.”

          “So what do you do, Justin?” Drew asked.

          “I work in law enforcement,” he said with subtle pride. “On the computer side. I guess you could say I track down scum that do things similar to the things we escaped from.”

          “That’s wonderful!” I said. “So you’re making a career out of rescuing people like you did me.”

          “Yeah, I suppose you could say that,” he replied with a pleasant smile. “Only now I’m able to do it without jumping through picture windows.”

          “I’m sorry,” I said, and had to look away from him.

          “Nancy,” he said, and waited until I looked at him. “What I did saved my life too. But even if it was only yours, I do it over a thousand times.”

          “But not a thousand and one?” I said and instantly regretted the lame joke.

          But Justin laughed and said, “To be honest I would stop at a thousand.”

          After a brief pause, he asked, “How’s your mom?”

          I shrugged. “She’s okay. She moved back to California.”

          A pained look came over his face. It was so weird. I didn’t even know this guy, but I read something in his expression that made me inquire. “What’s wrong?”

          “There is a second reason I wanted to be in communication with you.”

          “Okay,” I replied hesitantly, not completely comfortable with his demeanor.

          “Nancy, do you know much about those three guys that were, um, abusing us, and others?”

          “Just that the man who impregnated my mother was killed in prison. Another committed suicide. And the third disappeared.”

          He winced. “What I know is complicated. By your response, I don’t think you know the truth about, as you put it, the man who impregnated your mother. What I know about him likely will bring you relief. But it will also raise questions about your mother that may be, well, upsetting.”

          “I want the truth,” I said calmly.

          “About your mom or the man you think impregnated your mother?”

          My heart raced but still outwardly calm I replied, “Both.”

          “The woman that brought you to Iowa is your aunt,” he told me, and I felt my jaw drop before he continued. “Her twin sister was addicted to heroin. The guy you thought was your father kept her strung out so he could use you in the vile garbage he made. Just so you know, your mother didn’t know what he was doing. When she found out, she mysteriously died from an overdose.”

          I was completely and totally stunned. Yet I managed to ask, “How do you know this?”

          “I overheard the guy you thought was your dad tell the guy who disappeared that your mom found out what they were doing, but not to worry because he took care of it. The next day I heard she died of an overdose. The rest I found out through my job with the FBI.”

          “Why did my mom, or as you say, my aunt keep this from me?”

          “I have a pretty good hunch therapists told her to pretend she was your mom for your benefit.”

          “But why?” I mumbled.

          “I don’t know if you recall,” Justin said with a pained look in his eyes. “But when you began to cry, you know, just before I went for a leap, you whimpered, ‘I want my mommy.’”

          I felt my lip quiver as I replied, “I remember.” Then God gave me the fortitude to ask, “Who’s my father if the creep isn’t?”

          “I don’t know. That might be a question for your aunt… I’m sorry, your mom.”

          “It is what it is,” I replied mechanically.

          I felt a hand squeeze mine and recognized the familiar touch immediately. I looked at Drew, my fiancée, the I man I was destined to spend the rest of my life with. His look of love and compassion let me know everything would be alright. But in the moment, I still had hard questions I wanted answers to.