On the Victory Trail (11 page)

“Girls!” Mr. Chambers called from the bottom of the stairs. “Hay Wagon Number One leaving the station in five minutes.”

“Hey, Melissa!” Skye yelled at a tall blonde, tiptoeing across the sleeping bags toward the steps. “Come here.”

“What's up?” Melissa walked over to Skye, who met her halfway.

“Is Chad here? I didn't see him get off the bus.”

“Yeah, he's here. He was in the back, protecting his guitar from the wild beasts.” Melissa flashed her pretty smile and studied Skye from head to toe. “Although — the way you look, he'll have a hard time keeping his eyes on his guitar. Your dark hair looks terrific with that red sweatshirt. And where'd you get those boots?”

“At the mall.” Skye ran her fingers through her silky hair, letting it fall casually onto her shoulders. “I always thought I looked okay in red.”

“Okay is not the word,” Melissa said. “More like awesome! Chad will be totally impressed.”

The girls giggled their way into the flow of those who were already starting down the stairs. At the bottom, they joined one of the chaperones, Mr. Salem, and the boys who were meandering to each stall, looking at the horses, reaching cautiously to pet their noses. Skye made a beeline toward Champ, bubbling about how great a horse he was.

“Okay, kids!” Mr. Chambers shouted from the open doorway. “Wagon departing!”

The kids charged toward the door. Mr. Chambers barely managed to get out of the way before they rushed through the opening and jumped onto an open wagon fluffed with a soft bed of hay. Against the back railings, Morgan and Sooze already sat like two hens on a nest of eggs. The last ones to board were the chaperone and Skye, who found herself sitting near Chad. As usual when he was around, her face turned red hot.

Chad's brown eyes sparkled. “Hey, Skye!” he said.

“Hey,” she said back. “Where's your guitar?”

“On the driver's seat with Mr. Chambers,” he answered. His chipmunk smile and blond eyelashes seemed to light up the wagon. “I didn't want it smashed in the hay fight that I predict will happen with this bunch. So, how's it going?”

“Good. It's going good,” she answered.

For the next hour, the wagon drawn by two work-horses from a neighboring farm meandered on dirt roads around and through the Keystone Stables property. On the hill behind the barn, the passengers enjoyed the beauty of autumn in Shade Valley that stretched for miles around them. The wagon passed the picnic grove, the pond, and crept through the red and orange canopy toward Piney Hollow.

Bouncing with every rut and bump in the road, the group laughed, sang songs, shared stories from school, and talked about football and soccer. Despite the excitement of it all, Skye found herself preoccupied with thoughts of Chad as she stared awkwardly at her boots, not knowing what to say to him.

Deep in thought, Skye hardly noticed the hay fight that had erupted until a wad of it hit her right in the face. She gasped and sputtered like a motorbike out of gas, spitting out hay dust. Then all in one motion she scooped up a handful of hay and pitched it toward the first target in her line of fire — Chad. Her reward was a handful of itchy hay dust down her sweaty back.

The wagon bounced along the trail with squeals of laughter and a dustbowl of flying hay. When it rounded the corner through the woods and pulled into Piney Hollow, Mrs. Chambers and Mrs. Salem were placing heaps of food on a large table in front of the chuck wagon. With the smell of hot dogs, baked potatoes, and roasted corn in the crisp fall air, the hay fight ended as fast as it had started.

The kids jumped off the wagon, dusted each other off, and gathered in a circle as Mr. Salem led them in prayer. Shoving each other in line, they filled their plates with the best that Piney Hollow's chuck wagon could offer and sat on sawed-off stumps around the campfire.

Skye, Melissa, Sooze, and Morgan sat in a cluster eyeing Chad and Bobby, who were engaged in a corneating contest. By the time supper came to an end, Pastor Newman pulled up in an RV. After a quick cup of coffee, he presented a short message to the group at the chapel. A question-and-answer period about the book of Jonah followed. Then the group was dismissed for some time to socialize.

Chad and Skye made their way back to the campfire. Chad poked at a cluster of coals in the fading flames.

“Pastor Newman sure knows his stuff. I always wondered why Jonah was so mad at God for sending him to Nineveh,” he said. “I guess those Ninevites weren't exactly your friendly next-door neighbors. They would've chopped your head off pretty quick.”

Skye grabbed a stick and stuck a marshmallow on the end. “Yeah, it does make more sense now. I always thought that story was a fairy tale. But a big fish really
did
swallow Jonah. Can you imagine being in a fish's stomach? Gross!”

They were both laughing when Sooze approached and sat down next to Skye.

“Hi, Sooze,” Skye said with more enthusiasm than she actually felt.
This is so not the time to be crashing the
party, Sooze!
she thought ungratefully.

Chad looked over past Skye. “Hey, Sooze, how are you doing?”

“So-so,” Sooze forced out.

Skye smiled weakly.

Sooze smiled back. “Skye, I need to talk to you.”

Skye ignored her and turned to Chad. “Bobby told me you just got hired at Jacob's Hardware Store.”

Chad smiled. “Yeah, I'm saving for a car.”

“Skye,” Sooze said softly.

Skye turned toward Sooze and gave her a can-this-possibly-wait look. “What?!”

“I
really
need to talk to you — now.”

Without wanting to, Skye noticed Sooze's posture —slumped over, the brim of her Stetson pulled down, tears dropping on her shirt.

“Excuse me, Chad.” Skye was already turning toward Sooze.

“No problem,” Chad threw his stick in the fire and stood. “I'll go see what the guys are doing.”

“Okay, everybody!” Mr. Chambers announced right behind Skye. “Time for the scavenger hunt! Meet me over by the hitching post under the pines.”

“Scavenger hunt?” Chad responded. “It's almost dark!”

Mr. Chambers' mustache twitched playfully. “I know, my good man. That's what makes it so much fun. Trying to find an acorn with the sun sinking fast is very tricky. But at least the bears don't usually come out until after dark.”

“Bears?” Chad's smile melted into mock fear.

“Ah, he's just kidding,” someone called out. But the tone didn't sound reassuring.

“I sure hope so!” Chad's glance swept the scene. “Whatever, I'm ready. Let's go — and in the opposite direction of the bears!”

“Are you two coming?” Mr. Chambers asked.

“In a sec,” Skye said. “We have to do something first.”

“Fine,” Mr. Chambers said with an understanding smile. He joined Chad and walked to where the others were gathering.

Skye knelt beside Sooze. “What is it?” Skye whispered.

“I need to talk to you,” Sooze's voice quivered. “Alone.”

“How about over there?” Skye pointed toward the chapel. “There's nobody around.”

The girls walked to the bench in front of the cross. Sooze sat in obvious pain, gasping for breath. Then she started to weep out loud.

Skye sat down next to Sooze and slipped an arm around her. “Did somebody say something?”

“It's nothing like that,” Sooze said, wiping her nose on her sleeve. She glanced toward the cross. “All that stuff about God you've told me since I moved in here — it finally sank in tonight when I listened to Pastor Newman. I mean it really sank in. I want to invite Jesus Christ into my life, and I'm not just saying that 'cause I'm scared. I see now that I've been fighting against myself.”

“Sooze, God loves kids like us. That's what's so neat about him. Jesus died so we could be at peace here on Earth and live with him forever someday in heaven.”

Sooze studied the cross. “Well, what do I have to do? I've never belonged to a church. Do I have to join? I've never even prayed. How do I pray?”

“Just do what I did. It's not that hard, Sooze. Ask God right now to forgive you and wash away your sins. Jesus already took your punishment, so there's nothing for you to do but thank him for it and accept it. Just talk to him honestly. That's all he wants.”

Unaware of the yells and laughter from the woods, the two friends talked and prayed. A sliver of pink from the setting sun shone through the trees, illuminating the cross as the two bowed their heads. For the first time in her life, Sooze prayed out loud. Opening her heart wide before God, she asked him to forgive her and to come into her life.

“Amen.” Sooze said with a relieved tone in her voice.

“Sooze,” Skye said, looking into her friend's eyes, “God just made you brand new on the inside. You'll never be the same again. You'll see.”

The friends threw their arms around each other and cried tears of joy.

chapter thirteen

W
e're going to a football game,” Mrs. Chambers shouted above the noise and laughter of the TV in the Bodmer living room. “Sooze asked if we could stop by for a few minutes to see you.”

Skye and Sooze plopped down on the floor and let Mrs. Chambers have the green chair. With November's chill and the threat of snow, all three were bundled up in heavy coats, on their way to Madison's last game.

Mrs. Bodmer had already nestled into her favorite spot on the sofa hours earlier. Her frizzy hair was now red. Purple fingernails held a cigarette that she puffed every few seconds.

Sooze's mother lifted the remote control and forced herself to click off the TV off. “I was wondering what brought you this way. I hope this isn't anything more than a social call.” Her eyes shifted to Sooze. “And aren't you a pretty sight? What have you been eating to get so big so fast? You'll soon be as big as me, and that's saying something!”

“It's not from food, Mom,” Sooze said. “It's from my meds.”

“What meds?” she asked flippantly.

“Steroids,” Skye said. “They help her fight the pain from the tumor.”

Mrs. Chambers shifted her weight. “Sooze's medicines do strange things to her body, Mrs. Bodmer. But we didn't come to talk about that. Sooze wants to tell you something.”

“What trouble are you in now?” Mrs. Bodmer snarled.

“I'm not in any trouble at all,” Sooze replied calmly.

“This time Sooze has
good
news to tell you, if you can believe it!” Skye could not keep the delight from her voice.

Mrs. Chambers added, “She's been making some very good choices lately, and I think she should tell you about them herself. Go on, Sooze.”

Mrs. Bodmer crossed her arms. “Well, what is it?” She stared glumly at her daughter.

Sooze leaned forward slowly and rested her elbows on her knees. “I've been learning all kinds of stuff at the Chambers' house, Mom, to help me get my head together. They've been telling me about God, and a few weeks ago, I asked Jesus Christ to come into my life.”

“And what does that mean?” Mrs. Bodmer barked, running her free hand through her frizz. “Don't tell me you got religion now! That's all I need to hear!”

“It's not religion, Mrs. Bodmer,” Mrs. Chambers said. “It's a personal relationship with God — the creator of the universe. When someone accepts what Christ did for us on the cross as Sooze did, God makes that person new, inside and out. Sooze is a different person now.”

“Yeah,” Skye added. “I accepted Christ too, and I've only been in trouble once since then. God gives — ”

“Hey!” Mrs. Bodmer snapped. “I told you the last time that I didn't want to hear any of this God junk. My kid still have that tumor in her head? Huh? Look how much good God's doing her! Now if that's all you came to talk about, there's the door!”

“But, Mom,” Sooze pleaded, “you don't understand. This is different. If you'd just listen — ”

“That's it! No more. You got no business coming into
my
house and cramming this religion stuff down my throat.” Mrs. Bodmer blew a short blast of smoke out her nose and scowled at Sooze. “And I'm surprised at you for falling for this baloney, Susan. What's the matter with you?”

“Mom,” Sooze's voice cracked, “God is real — and he loves you!”

“Easy, Sooze,” Mrs. Chambers warned.

“Yeah, and pigs can fly!” Mrs. Bodmer's face turned beat red. “If that's all you came to tell me, I'm not interested. Let me repeat it, so it's nice and clear. I'm not interested — period!”

“I'm sorry to hear that.” Mrs. Chambers stood and zipped her coat. “All right, girls, I think it's time to go. But, Mrs. Bodmer, would you consider doing one thing for Sooze?”

“What?” Mrs. Bodmer said gruffly.

“Thanksgiving is in a few weeks. Would you come to our place for dinner? We'll have turkey and all the trimmings. If you like football, Tom will have games on all afternoon.”

“Yeah,” Skye agreed. “We'd love to have you. Wouldn't we, Sooze?”

“Please, Mom. I could show you my bedroom and the barn and the horse I ride.”

“We'll even come to pick you up,” Mrs. Chambers added.

“I'm busy!” Mrs. Bodmer fired back.

“We were never busy before on Thanksgiving,” Sooze said. “We always ate frozen dinners and watched TV.

What's different this year?”

“I told you I'm busy. Thanks, but no thanks.” Mrs. Bodmer turned on the TV.

“Then how about Christmas?” Mrs. Chambers said loudly.

“I'm busy!” Mrs. Bodmer said even louder without thinking twice. “I'm just busy!”