Chapter 24

As time is known to do, it marches forward, it waits for no one. Your personal struggles pale in comparison to the struggle life had to make to come into existence so it moves forward relentlessly.

Either you can embrace nature or get swallowed up by it. Only when there is a balance does time and creation flow more profoundly. Thinking you are above or removed from such things because you feel everything should be given to you, or because you believe in a god, only makes contentment that much harder to find. Luckily often time's ignorance is bliss.

Soon everything gets into a rhythm. Sarah comes over and does her homework after school and Christopher brushes her hair, even though it is pretty much ceremoniously done at this point, because she still has to go home and take a bath.

Nan is still being stoic and has yet to tell Sarah that she is dying. Christopher thinks it is unfair to Sarah, for it is a good chance to face death with a loved one, but Sarah is not his to make those decisions ... yet. "We must all face death in the end, and upon our passing it helps if you can face it without fear and with an understanding of how the universe works."

"Christopher?"

"Yes, my love."

"Remember I was telling you about my new friend Hannah."

"Of course."

"I wanted her to come over here for Easter Sunday, but her grandma said no. However, I would still like to give her one of my pretty dresses so she can have something to wear, and I want to buy her a basket full of stuff."

"I think that is a wonderful idea. We still have to go get your Easter basket, as today is Thursday, April the fifth, so we will get her one at the same time. I guess we need to go today so you can give it to her tomorrow."

"You are not mad that I want to give away one of the dresses you bought me? Hannah is my very bestest friend."

"Of course not. I would expect no less from your beautiful heart. It sounds like Hannah is less fortunate than us, so I would be happy to help her anyway we can."

"Oh, thank you, Christopher! Thank you!" She flies into his arms.

"Alright, let's finish your homework. Oh hey, why don't you see if she wants to do the swim league with you, and we'll pay for it and give her rides back and forth if the grandma says it is okay?"

"Really? I think that is a marvelous idea."

A few days later, in fact on Saturday April seventh, a day before Easter, John, the state trooper from across the street, comes over. "Hey, John, what's up?"

"I heard about what happened. All of it, and I'm sad too, but you couldn't have known, and whether you can see it or not you did the right thing."

"Thanks, John. I understand that he is just another casualty of war. We don't all die on the battlefields in foreign lands. Some of us die at home feeling further away than when we were on the other side of the world. He had earned the right to be helped by the very people he helped, and he was forgotten. That, more than anything else, is what hurts the most. I know there was probably help if he asked for it, but it still weighs heavily on a soldier's soul."

"Yes it does. Anyway, the real reason I came over for is because I belong to a gun club a little ways outside of the city, and you have to be invited by a member to be able to come. I'm here to give you that invitation."

"Cool. I haven't been shooting for a while now. Can I bring Sarah and teach her how to use a gun?"

"Sure."

"Great, how about next Saturday?"

"Okay, I'll come over about ten."

"Thanks, John."

"What is next Saturday?"

"You burglarizing my conversation, young lady?"

"No." She giggles and then says, "Wait! What?"

"It means listening to other peoples conversations when they don't know you are there."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I have no secrets from you. How are you this fine morning, my precious girl?"

"I'm good. What is next Saturday?"

"I forgot to asks, did you get the dress and basket to Hannah yesterday?"

"Yes, and she said thank you very much. She was really, really happy. What is next Saturday?"

"I was thinking about teaching you how to shoot a gun, but for now we can continue with our other training. I have something in here for you."

"What is it?"

"Well, get your cute little butt in here and see."

As soon as Christopher found out about someone approaching a child he had started to formulate a plan. It is true it turned out to be something other than what it was, but that doesn't mean other dangers still don't exist. It's still a struggle to get Sarah to do her own push-ups other than lying on top of Christopher as he is doing his, but eventually they start working out for both the coming swim league and self-defense.

"It's pretty."

"Yes it is, but it has another purpose other than as a fancy writing pen."

"It does?"

"Yep. I want you to carry it with you at all times. Keep it where you can get at it quickly, but when you are running around on the playground have it put up so you don't hurt yourself with it. I want you to use this pen as a weapon, and if anybody ever tries to hurt you I want you to stab them with it."

Sarah's eyes go big. "Stab them with it?"

"Yes. Take it into your right hand and use your left hand to make sure nobody can take it away from you and use it against you. If somebody grabs you, pull it out and stab him or her in the eye. When they let go you run to a teacher or an adult you know is safe. If they don't let go yet you do it again and again. If you are too far away from his or her face stab them in the balls and or private area."

Sarah is looking at it as if it is alive, but Christopher persists, and she starts getting the hang of it soon enough. Yes, it may take some of the innocence of childhood away, but that is nothing like the innocence that will be lost if she is attacked. They exercise and train at every opportunity.

Easter comes, and Sarah is dressed all so prettily as are all the girls in the neighborhood. John and Susan from across the street do their yearly thing for Easter, and all the neighborhood kids seek out the hidden eggs and play with each other. It is the first time Sarah has participated, and the neighbors absolutely adore her heart and looks. It is another good day.

At long last next Thursday, the twelfth, comes, and Sarah gets to spend another night. Sarah has long since explored the boundaries of her wonder and freedom, and has settled on three things to wear at night. She splits her Thursday's up by either wearing her regular pajamas, or her Harley tee shirt, or her three quarter tops and bikini underwear.

"I wish I could wear just underwear more often. It makes me feel special."

"You can, sort of."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know we bought you two one-piece swimsuits, but we can get some bikini swim suits and you can wear them in the pool or a lake or at the ocean if it is warm enough. I mean, while you are in competition I would think you would want to wear the one-piece, but for pleasure you can wear the bikini style, and it will give you another reason to have a pretty smile on your face when only you know why it is there."

"Can I get them today?"

"Sure, if Nana doesn't care. I have to go and mail the screenplay back to Cathy today, anyhow. I've kept it a week longer than I planned so I'm going to be in Hartford."

It turns out Nan is feeling bad today, so she doesn't mind having Sarah out of the house for a bit.

As they are driving over to Hartford Christopher asks, "So did your friend Hannah have a nice Easter?" Sarah gets a sad look on her face. "What, baby?"

"Hannah said her grandma ate most of her candy and made fun of her for looking pretty."

"Well, I'm all for eating candy, but why would she make fun of her granddaughter for looking pretty?" Sarah just shrugs her shoulders.

They drop off the screenplay to a special messenger first, so they can take their time picking out bikini swimsuits. Christopher quickly sees a problem and that is Sarah looks adorable in all of them. After two full hours of the quintessential movie fashion montage they have it narrowed down to five. "Screw it, we'll take them all."