Chapter 48: A Farm Named Eden

Gabriel still being a little charged picks up the .45 and holds it at the ready just behind him out of sight. “Yes.”

“You probably don’t remember me. I was at the Event, and afterward you and the girl...”

“Molly!”

“Right, forgive me; that was quite the day. Anyway, afterward when asked what your next plans were you said you were going to buy a farm and rescue young girls off the streets and make it a safe place for charismatic girls and so on.”

“And?”

“Well, sir, over the next few days everybody received a box of money in the mail with a note that only said ‘a farm named Eden’.” Molly and Gabriel look at each other and smile. “Well, sir, we bought you a forty acre farm here in Tennessee. It’s outside a little place called Maryville and...” When they hear the name they look at each other in ecstasy and rapture. “Here’s the deed.” He starts to hand it to Gabriel, but Gabriel motions for him to hand it to Molly; and then he starts to leave, but stops and says, “The weird thing is some of the mail came by regular mail the next day, which means it was mailed before the Event.”

Molly says, “It’s best not to think about it too much.” The guy walks off absolutely in his own ecstasy and rapture that he got to be a part of a miracle, a divine calling, which will probably not be believed by those who wouldn’t believe even if they were there. For believers no proof is necessary, for unbelievers no proof will change their minds. Unless of course you are like Saint Paul and Jesus himself comes to you after he died and then rose again and then ascended. Blessed are those who do not see, but believe.

There is a map with the deed. They open it up and find their new home. Molly is overjoyed to have a place to call home. “At least we know what to call it.”

“I hope it turns out better than the last Eden.” Molly turns to him real fast and her mouth falls open and then she hits him. “Humph.”

As they are packing Molly grabs Gabriel by the arm and with a look of pure wonder, glory and fulfillment Molly says, “Maryville?”

Gabriel stops and kneels down before her and with no words being spoken a trilogy is written. Gabriel takes hold of the love of his life and holds her so tight Molly can barely grunt out, “Gabriel, I can’t breathe.”

Gabriel relaxes his hold, but does not let go. He laughs and says, “Sorry.”

She smacks him and says, “Don’t you ever be sorry for loving me.”

“Humph.” They both laugh and get back at it.

They pack and travel at a leisurely pace. They are very excited to have a place to call home, but they are in no hurry because to do so would not be leaving themselves open to the will of God. He may have more need of them; and of course he does.

“Young lady, are you okay?”

“Gabriel, she’s bleeding.”

“Sweetheart, is this your first menstrual cycle?”

“What is that?” the blonde haired with green eyes girl, who can’t be more than thirteen, asks.

“The blood coming out of you is from your menstrual cycle. It’s normal for girls your age, there’s nothing wrong with you.”

Both Molly and Gabriel can see the panic drain from her. “Really?”

“Yep, I went through it and go through it once a month, but luckily I had someone who loved me and taught me all about it before it happened or I too would have freaked out. Mine happened in the middle of church.” Gabriel thinks real quick and can’t remember Molly going through it other than the first time.

“No!”

“Yep, but they were all understanding too.”

“Sweetheart, why are you out on the street alone this late? Nothing good is going to happen to you out here.”

She starts to cry, “I know, but nobody loves me.”

“I’m sure that’s not true. Why do you think that?”

“Well, sir, my mom was raped by a black man and then after I was six she killed herself and I had to go live with my grandma. She hates me.”

“What’s your name?” Molly asks with compassion.

“Mandy.”

Gabriel continues, “Well, Mandy, the truth is she probably thinks of her daughter and hurts when she looks at you. It probably has nothing to do with you personally, but it has to do with the memory of her daughter being raped and killing herself because of it.”

“She doesn’t like black people.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.” adds Molly.

“I don’t know, Molly; a black man raped and eventually was a part of the death of her daughter. It’s not fair, and her reaction was as far from God as was the man’s who raped her daughter, but often from one person’s actions many are affected.

“Yeah she tells me every day.”

Gabriel’s head falls and he shakes it. Molly has tears in her eyes. Gabriel first looks to Molly and then says to Mandy, “How would you like to come live with us on our farm. Farm life is hard work and you will be raised with Republican Christian values. We are going to have many girls there, we hope, and at the first sign of liberalism the person will be made to leave.”

“How come?”

“Have you ever read the Bible?”

“My grandma makes me read it every day.”

“In the Bible it says ‘if there is an unrepentant sinner amongst you, you must throw him or her out of the community before he or she contaminates other people’. We won’t make you do anything, but if you don’t want to live godly and work hard, then you are not the kind of girl we are looking for.”