Come the Rain E-Book

Julie Steimle

• Herausgeber: BookRix
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

What if God suddenly told you to drop everything you were doing and do something so wildly different that it would destroy your reputation, your career, and possibly even your family? Would you have the guts to do it? Or would you check yourself into a mental institution? This is the problem of Noe MacLamech. When the wisdom of God is considered the insanity of men, it is either sink or swim. The question is, can he get is family to go along with it. A 'modern day' re-telling of Noah and the Ark.

Leseprobe

Julie Steimle

Come the Rain

BookRix GmbH & Co. KG81371 Munich

News

Chapter One

Noe MacLamech folded up his newspaper with a sigh and placed it on his desk. It was all the same news as he read the day before—drive by shootings, murders, rapes, and the occasional political scandal. Today he saw an article reporting the latest school killing. Resting his elbows on the desk, interlacing his fingers together and pressing them against his lips, his mind went over and over the words he had read. The attacker was merely fifteen. His classmates and teacher were busy in a lesson, unaware. The police stopped him, but not in time to prevent his suicide. He was a misunderstood boy. A loner. But then, Noe murmured to himself, don’t we all feel alone?

He heaved himself out of his chair, pushing off the arms tiredly, and walked to the window that overlooked his lumberyard. C.E.O., owner and president, he gazed on the lot with a heavy heart. Everyone had gone home. It was well beyond closing time. Dark, the streetlights were lit and the stars outside speckled over the horizon above the homes near his fenced land. He knew his wife was waiting for him, but then she always seemed to be waiting for him. Her patience was angelic, not only with him, but with their now grown children.

Mr. MacLamech sighed once more, turning from the window. With great reluctance, he walked to the door, took his coat off the rack, and collected his hat. Opening the door, he gazed about his office and put out the light. Walking down the wooden planks to the ground floor, he checked all doors and locks. He made his way to the front gate, passing through the lumber piles. He opened the small man-sized door and went out.

“Hey! I thought I’d find you here!” called out his friend from his mustang.

Smiling, Mr. MacLamech crossed the road to him. “Hi, Paul. It has been a long time.”

Paul Griffin grinned, waving him over. “Yes, it has. I was riding along when I thought about you. So I stopped by. Fancy that. I suppose there is a God after all. He led me to you.”

“Please don’t say that just to humor me,” Mr. MacLamech said. He then gazed at the mustang, nodding. “A new ride for getting here and there, huh?”

Laughing, Paul nodded, patting the mustang’s side with affection. “Of course. You didn’t actually expect me to continue with that pinto, did you?”

“I don’t mind pintos,” Mr. MacLamech said still gazing at the mustang.

“You still have yours, don’t you?” his friend replied with a chuckle.

Nodding, Mr. MacLamech glanced down the road. “Yes. I left it at home today though. I figured the walk would do good for my health.”

Blinking at him, Paul peered around the neighborhood. “For your health? Noe, actually, I think for your health it is best you take the pinto. In fact, let me give you a ride home now—for old time’s sake.”

He was ready to resist the idea, still feeling a heavy heart from that afternoon, however, Mr. MacLamech looked up and peered across the street into the darkness. Shaking off the chill that ran through him, he nodded to his friend. “Ok. Just this once.”

As soon as Noe had sat down, his friend steered into the road, continuing his journey as well as their conversation. He did not see the shadows across the street where two men stood, lowering their knives and stuffing them back into their pockets.

“Look,” Paul said, glancing over to his old childhood friend, “We’re old men now.  You need to take life at a slower, more reasonable pace. I have read enough about you in the papers, sir, that tells me you are in for a lot of trouble.”

Smiling mildly, Noe glanced once more at the street they had just left. “In for? Paul, I am already in the thick of it.”

“Then you’ve heard?” Paul asked, looking immediately sad. “You know, you have made the Big Three very angry. It is said they have put a price on your head.”

“How much?” Noe asked, sighing with mild curiosity.

“Does that matter?” Paul exclaimed. “You are my friend—as weird as you are—and I don’t want to see anything happen to you.”

“Is that why you came over today?” Noe asked, raising his eyebrows at him.

“Partially,” Paul said with a shrug. “But also I want you to reconsider the offer I gave you the last time we spoke to one another.”

Noe moaned. “Paul, please don’t ask me that again. You know how I feel about organized crime.”

“The Brotherhood is not organized crime.” Paul flared. “It is protection, financial and physical. I want you protected.”

“How would it look,” Noe said, “if the High Priest of the Church suddenly joined the mob? Besides, you know where I stand concerning the Brotherhood and the Big Three. My answer is still no.”

Coming to a halt on the road, Paul turned to face him. “Give me a break. Stop acting so high and mighty. First of all, you are no longer leading that church group. They ousted you years ago. It was all over the news. I know you still think God called you to lead them, but old pal, your ideas are outdated. You are a geriatric. So am I. And secondly, you can’t afford not to join the Brotherhood. They are going to get the union of builders to boycott you. No one is going to buy from MacLamech’s Lumber if you don’t agree to join us.”

“Truth can never become outdated, Paul,” Noe said. “As for my business, I am not worried.”

Paul shook his head as they continued down the road, stopping near Mr. MacLamech’s home. He let Noe off. “Truth is relative. You have to take care of yourself first.”

Sighing, Noe shook his head. “I realize that we will never agree. Paul, you were a good friend to me in the past. Be one now and don’t ask me to join the Brotherhood again.”

“I am only looking out for your future.” Paul gazed sadly also. “You need to retire before it is irreparably too late. I am afraid for you. You should be too.”

“I have no reason to fear,” Noe said with a shrug. “What will be, will be.”

“You are being a fool,” Paul said.

Noe only smiled. Turning and waving as he stepped onto the curb, he said, “Perhaps. But God’s foolishness is wiser than man’s wisdom.”

Paul made a face, starting off into the road again. “Quit quoting churchy stuff at me. Noe, you have got to face reality some day. I would just hate for it to be on your deathbed.”

“Or yours,” Noe murmured, watching his friend ride off. He sighed again, feeling the weight of life settle on his shoulders once more.

He turned and walked to the house, opening the door and calling out. “I’m home!”

The lamps were glowing a light soft candlelight yellow. The front room was cheery and warm. His home was a haven, keeping out all the darkness of the outsideworld. Walking to the kitchen, he saw his wife sitting down, reading next to a plate of food set aside for him.

“I am sorry I’m late,” he said, sitting down. He did not touch his plate though. Looking upon his wife, he reached out and caressed her cheek. “I missed you.”

She looked up, blinking through the wrinkles that had creased around her eyes. “Missed me? Oh, Darling, you weren’t gone any longer than usual. I had a busy day myself.”

He smiled. “Tell me about your day.”

Encouraged by his voice, she took a breath. “I went to see our daughter Hanna. And wouldn’t you know it, she joined one of those women’s groups that discuss books that have recently come out.”

“That sounds interesting,” he said.

She nodded. “I thought so too, until I sat in on that meeting today with her. Can you believe what they are writing these days? They discussed a book concerning marital intimacy, published by some professor of psychology and sociology. And wouldn’t you know it, they spent half the time discussing whether it is important to be faithful to your spouse or not. Can you believe it?”

“Many people do, I suppose.” Noe picked up his fork, turning over the scalloped potatoes on the plate. “What did Hanna think about it?”

Wincing, as if the memory was painful, his wife Ada, said, “She admitted to having an affair herself. I was so shocked. I had no idea she had fallen so far. When she had married outside the Church, I thought she could still be redeemed. You know, could convert her husband or something. But now, I think she’s going to divorce him for this other man.”

Noe moaned, grabbing his head. “I see.”

“I was so hoping she would not end up like her other sisters.” Ada frowned, tears emerging at the corners of her eyes. “Lili doesn’t even want to see me these days, and Havila refuses to come to our family Sabbath dinners. I know we see Nadina often enough, but she is just as stubborn. She told me today that she and her husband have a cheating agreement. Where have we gone wrong with our daughters? Our boys are wonderful good upstanding men. They chose sweet wives. Egy and I get on so well—but, where have I failed with our own daughters?”

He reached over and wiped away her tears. “We did the best we could. They are adults, able to choose their paths for themselves.”

“But couldn’t we have—” Ada cried.

“Everyone must choose their own way,” Noe said. He then took another bite of dinner. It was cold, but then he knew that was his fault. Coming home hours late never produced a warm dinner. Others had to eat and not everyone could wait for him. Looking up and swallowing, Noe said, “Our sons are coming over tonight. Maybe you could prepare something warm to drink for when they arrive.”

Nodding, wiping her tears, Ada stood up, getting the kettle.

Noe ate, chewing slowly and thinking in silence. The room smelled clean, added somewhat with the fresh smell of flowers. Ada always kept the home in fine condition. He often called her the caretaker of the haven because she was the one that made going home so nice. Of course he was constantly criticized for having his wife stay home. Many said he was oppressing her. The funny thing was, they never asked her opinion on the subject. She loved the freedom of managing her own home. Ada was the finest hostess, the best of cooks, and the gentlest of women. She also had a quick wit, but that she saved for those that knew her well. Outsiders never understood why she did not pursue a career in marketing or in management. She would only smile and say, “I don’t care for that. Money is immaterial.”

Of course, MacLamech’s lumber was a thriving business. They had no worries about money. Noe had inherited it from his father, and his father inherited it from his father. The grandfather was a long-lived man who loved hard work and started many good things. He even made it into the world book of records even. Still, Noe was like his wife. He considered money immaterial. Like his fathers before him, he was also a man of God, and he hoped his sons would follow in his footsteps, especially in this era of violence and immorality.

Hammond was the first to arrive. He smiled, trotting through the door and calling out to make sure people knew he had come. “Mom! Dad! I’m here! What did you want to talk about?”

He walked briskly into the kitchen, beaming at them both. “You are never going to believe this, but Egy says she might be pregnant.”

Ada blinked, a grin spreading across her face as her old tears of sadness were replaced with new ones for joy. “Oh! That is wonderful news! Come here and give me a hug!”

“Have you seen a doctor yet?” Mr. MacLamech asked his son. He had finished off the last of his dinner and was now carrying his plate to the sink where he was going to wash it with his utensils.

Hammond shook his head. “No. Not yet. But her monthly you-know-what is late and we think this is good news.”

Both grandparents smiled. They had other grandchildren, but their daughters had not taught their children after their family traditions nor they did not visit much. Their sons had yet to have children.

“I hope so,” Mr. MacLamech said, grinning.

“Have you seen your brothers?” Ada asked, gesturing for Hammond to take a seat and have a cup of herbal tea.

Hammond took the cup and saucer, sitting down. He reached for the sugar bowl, dropping in the crystals and stirring his warm cup. “Nope, though I heard that Jai went off on some errands for the lumber yard when we were closing.”

Mr. MacLamech smiled. His eldest son was quite responsible. They had to buy more blades to cut wood down for some customers’ orders.

“Shimpton is probably with his friends. Though I do think he was planning on taking his wife out for dinner this week. It could have been today,” Hammond said.

He took a sip and smiled. It wasn’t too hot. Usually in his own home the water was scalding and burned the tip of his tongue as well as the roof of his mouth. Egy was not as skilled as his mother as cooking, still young and learning. He was no better.

The door opened again. They heard it close, two voices calling out. “We’re here!”

Two tall, young, and healthy men entered the room. Ada embraced them both with hugs and then handed them cups of tea to drink. They sat down around the table, the eldest sitting closest to his father.

“So, Dad, what is this all about? You left me a message that you needed to speak to us.” His eldest looked at him patiently. In truth, he was very concerned about his father. Everyone at the lumberyard and in town considered him ready to retire—a doddering old fool. Only he and his brothers seemed to give him any regard those days. It was painful enough to watch his sisters treat his father and his mother with such disrespect. Deep down, Jai was afraid that his father was going to announce that he was dying.

“Yes,” Mr. MacLamech drew in a breath, gazing from one son to the next. “I did. I need you three boys here with your mother, because I have something important to tell you that must not leave this room.”

Shimpton pulled back. “A secret? Even from our sisters?”

His father nodded sadly. “Unfortunately, yes.”

They stared at him, waiting carefully for what he might say.

“As you boys know, I am getting on in years,” their father said, “and you are all to inherit the lumber yard after I leave this world.”

They nodded. It was common knowledge that they would inherit MacLamech’s lumber. The eldest two were thinking about buying off Hammond’s portion because he had expressed a desire to go into the furniture making business rather than wood supply for building, hoping to run a joint venture. However, their father’s expression said that there was going to be a change of plans.

And he said it, “That will not be so, now.”

Hammond glanced at Jai. “Uh, what do you mean? Are you planning on selling the business?”

Their father shook his head. “No.”

He was silent.

They waited for the complete story.

Shimpton glanced at his mother. “What’s going on?”

Ada shrugged and looked to her husband, wondering what her husband would say.

Drawing in a breath, their father said, “We will be working on a new project, and I need your full support in this.”

They leaned in, waiting.

“It will take a lot of time, money and energy,” Mr. MacLamech said. He looked from one face to another. They could tell he was stalling. This project he had in mind did not seem to make him happy, and his sons wondered why he was taking so long in telling them what it was about.

“Maybe if you just blurt it out,” Shimpton suggested.

Shaking his head, their father looked at the table. “It is complicated.”

They stared, still waiting.

Hammond raised his eyebrow and drew in a breath. “Perhaps you should just start at the beginning.”

Nodding, Mr. MacLamech lifted up his chest and looked each one of his sons in the eye.

“Ok. Ok.”

He took yet another strengthening breath.

“Sons, Ada darling, today as I was going over the books at work…I, uh… God spoke with me.”

Their expressions widened. They leaned in more.