23
Guitars & Mandolins
Iburst out laughing, when to my surprise, instead of the giant mansion I was expecting, I saw an ole time frame house that looked exactly like my granny’s old home. The only difference, it was a larger version.
She even has a stream that resembles Black Creek, but this is way beyond our old home place. The giant trees in the background with her home nestled near a bend in the creek surrounded with fruit trees and flowers of many colors. Yes, this was way beyond everything I can remember about our childhood stomping ground.
“Uriel, this is definitely my granny’s home place, but I thought everyone got a mansion!”
“Chado she didn’t want a mansion, she chose this home. She actually didn’t have to ask God, He knew exactly what was in her heart and, there it is.”
My granny’s old home place had a big porch all the way around, with a wide breezeway through the center on the inside. Back in those days, there was no such thing as air conditioning, so they built the houses with a wide breezeway through the center and totally open on each end. It was sort of like an extra wide hallway, and it worked really well. All the rooms were located on each side of the breezeway allowing the fresh air in.
Something else I remember, granny’s house had a steep metal roof with a fireplace on each end and a pipe that stuck out of the kitchen wall that was connected to a wood burning stove. I can’t believe I am looking at the mirror image of her earthly home.
I notice several people walking around outside and from the sound of music they must be celebrating something. From our distance it’s hard to make out who the musicians are on the porch, but I can’t wait to find out.
As we make our way across the small meadow in front of the home place, I see Moushie and Rex wagging their tails as they walk and mingle with the folks sitting in chairs out in the front yard. I still can’t make out who they are, when suddenly two of the people petting my dogs stand and start pointing in our direction. The music stops and then I hear several people from the small crowd start shouting, “They’re here, everyone they’re here!”
I look over at Uriel, “Well I guess they knew we were coming.”
Uriel smiles as he pats me on the shoulder, “Take off Chado, I’ll be there in a bit.”
I take off in a fast trot toward the house and see several people walking toward me that I don’t recognize. As I get closer, the first familiar face is my cousin Bob. He had lost his life five years ago down in Texas when he was robbed and murdered. Right behind him is his son who drowned a year before in the Gulf of Mexico in a Jet Ski accident. After a few yards, I can make out one of my favorite uncles. I should have recognized the sound of his mandolin and know it was my Uncle Buddy. Right beside him sat Uncle Patrick. Everyone back home called him Dobber.
Bob and his son ran up grabbing me and shaking me, each taking turns giving me hugs with both of my uncles doing the same .
Bob grabbed me with both hands, one on each shoulder, “Chado Cole, you are going to love it here. I arrived a little over five earth years ago and right now, in this season, it’s as exciting as when I first set foot inside the gate!”
As I gaze at my cousins and uncles, “Guys I can’t believe we are all standing together here in Heaven, this is so amazing!”
“Chado they told us you were coming, so we put together a little welcome home jam session. Oh, did you happen to bring your guitar?”
We all burst out laughing, “Uncle Buddy I sure didn’t but I did bring a friend.” We all turn around as Uriel walks up. “Everyone, I want y’all to meet my Guardian Angel, Uriel.”
They all introduce themselves as we head for the house. Bob taps me on the back and whispers, “Chado, you mind me asking, why do you need a Guardian Angel here in Heaven?”
“I know, it is an odd situation. Why don’t you wait and I’ll tell the whole group, I’m sure you won’t be the only one that’s curious.”
“Sure, no problem, just don’t forget. I would really like to know because I’ve been here five earth years and haven’t ever heard of such.”
“You got it Cuz.”
As I make my way through all the warm welcomes from cousins, uncles and aunts from long ago, I am in search of the old lady that cooked the best sweet potato and coconut pies in American history, my Granny Tressie.
I carefully walk past the musicians’ chairs on the porch with several instruments leaning against them. As I head through the open doors down the breezeway, I begin to smell my granny’s cooking.
Suddenly she jumps out from behind a bedroom door with her hands in the air, growling like a bear and then bursts out in a contagious laugh. She runs straight up to me and wraps her arms around me, then reaches up and gives me a big kiss on each cheek. She then turns, grabs my hand, leads me into the kitchen, pulls out a chair and shoves two freshly cooked pies in front of me and says, “They are all yours, eat up child.” I stare at the tops of both pies as I think back in time.
“Granny I never told you this, but after you were gone, each time I would have pie at just about any gathering, I would tell the story of you.”
“Child, what story would that be?”
“Well Granny, do you remember how poor we were when I was a kid? At Christmas you would tell me, ‘Child, I don’t have enough money to get you anything, but I can bake you some pies.’ To the day I died, I would always tell people that out of all the gifts I ever received, the only ones I could remember were your pies. That meant more to me than if you had given me silver or gold. Now that we are in Heaven sitting here together, I can let you know face to face how much that meant to me. Granny, thank you so much for all our wonderful childhood memories and especially the best pies ever made.”
“Land sakes, child, you need to hush and get busy eating before they get cold!”
Uriel walks in and after I introduced him to Tressie Brooks, my granny, I cut a big wedge out of both pies, slide it over to him and we both sit back enjoying some delicious home cooking.
Uriel starts smiling, “Hey Chado, I’ve known your Granny Tressie longer than you have.”
“Well I guess you have.” Chuckling I said, “Especially if you followed me up and down Black Creek during my childhood.”
I hear the sounds of my Uncle Buddy tuning his mandolin, and then suddenly my uncles and cousins cut loose playing a melody. I stop chewing and sit straight up in my chair. “Hey Granny, that song sounds familiar. Heck, that’s a song I wrote just a couple years ago! It’s called “Lamb’s Book of Life”. ”
Granny and Uriel start laughing and I’m grinning from ear to ear. “How in Heaven’s name did they get a hold of one of my songs?”
Granny spurts off a scripture:
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
“Okay Granny, I still don’t know how they could know my song.”
“Well Chado, what your granny is trying to say with that scripture, is a cloud of witnesses are allowed to see out of the spiritual realm with a front row seat as they watch over their loved ones back on Earth; well, at least when God permits it.”
“Child, your Uncle Buddy and Dobber watched you write all thirteen of your songs and they apparently like them because they play them all the time. They went as far as getting a cello and learning how to play it, just for the two songs that you said needed it. They heard you tell someone that both songs needed a cello to give it that special sound you were looking for. I believe one is “Reach Down” and the other is “Find My Way.” My favorite between the two is “Reach Down”.”
“I don’t know what to say, all I know is the blessings are unending. I can’t believe my kin are on the front porch playing songs that God blessed me with. It is truly wonderful to be here in Heaven. ‘Thank you Lord.’ And Granny, thank you for such a sweet homecoming.”
“Ah child, we knew you were coming and were all excited waiting for you. Have you thought about where you might end up living? There’s plenty of room on this ole creek and we would all love for you to nest down somewhere close. ”
“I probably will Granny, but I have a special job God wants me to take care of before I settle.”
“I know. The Lord has given me dreams about that. You go ahead and tend to it, then you get on back over here and we can wait together for the rest of our family to get to Heaven. Chado Cole? One other thing…”
“Yes Granny.”
“You better go spend a little time with your kin. You remember how anxious you and your brother were, waiting on your cousins to come home for the reunions? Well that’s all I been hearing ever since I told them you were on your way here, Chado Cole, Chado Cole, Chado Cole, is on his way to Heaven. So go sit in with your kin for a spell.”
“Yes Ma’am, I will.”
* * *
As soon as I stepped out on the porch, Bob handed me a guitar and we cut loose like a professional band straight out of Nashville. We played every gospel song that anyone knew and twelve of the thirteen I wrote.
My Uncle Dewey would take a lead run while playing the upright bass. He would twirl the bass fiddle around just like he did when we watched him back on Black Creek. Those were such good memories of the reunions when I was a kid. I couldn’t help but laugh with tears of happiness as I looked in the faces of each one of my relatives, realizing the joy they were experiencing was truly a gift from God. I was witnessing the perfection of talent, and happiness that could only be possible here in Heaven.
The perfect harmony of my granny’s sisters’ voices was echoing through the creek bottom, blending with Uncle Slug’s harmonica and the sweet sound of Uncle Buddy’s mandolin playing the song “Wayfaring Stranger”. It caused me to stop strumming my guitar and just sit back in awe raising my hands in Heaven, praising God.
After we stop for a short break, I’m able to ask about other relatives that I didn’t see at our gathering. Before anyone answered, I notice Bob set his guitar to the side, reached over and picked up a cello out of its case. My two uncles, Buddy and Dobber, move their chairs and place them one on each side of Bob, to be in a half circle facing me.
I’m thinking they must have a special song they want to share. So I set my guitar to the side, leaned back with a smile, waiting to hear how well Bob has learned to play the cello.
Right before starting their song I notice a small framed gentleman that looked to be in his mid-thirties walking with my granny. They made their way through the small group of relatives and I could tell they were heading in our direction. For the life of me, I couldn’t make out who this guy was. I’m wondering if they’ve invited some special singer just for my homecoming.
Walking up behind Bob and my uncles, Granny sat down in the nearest chair available, and the man stepped up ready to sing.
As I look around at the group, it looks like everyone there has grins pasted to their faces as if this was to be something really special.
Bob slowly starts dragging the bow across the strings with my uncles joining in; I immediately recognize the song, its number thirteen, “Reach Down”. Oh my goodness, they were about to do one of my favorite songs that I had written a few years back.
The instrumental at the beginning was like I had never imagined. Their timing is perfect as the man begins the familiar lyrics with a voice made in Heaven .
I leaned over in my chair and place my elbows on my knees with my chin resting in the palms of my hands. I hadn’t noticed, but Granny had made her way behind me and I felt her hand on my shoulder. As I continue to admire the voice of this man and the beautiful instrumentals, I feel the warm tears run between my fingers down my forearms. I’m experiencing the most beautiful, soothing music I’ve ever heard.
When they were almost finished with the song, I look around at my relatives; their grins have vanished and they all have their hands raised praising God.
I reach up and touch my granny’s hand that is still resting on my shoulder. I slowly turn looking back whispering, “Granny, who is that man, is he a relative?”
She starts giggling like she’s thirteen years old, leans over with her lips almost touching my ear and whispers back “Oh child, that’s your Granddad Patrick Brooks.”
From the homemade wooden chair where I sat, I turned and stared at my grandfather. Since I had only seen him in old black and white photos in our family album, his young appearance left me shocked and speechless.
As the last chords were strummed on the guitar and mandolin, Bob slowly drug the horse hair bow across the strings of the cello for the final note; I’m thinking how God’s blessings are truly immeasurable.
Suddenly as the instruments silenced, the whole group started rejoicing, continuing to raise their hands and voices to God in worship.
As my two uncles cut loose playing an old song, “Sugar Foot Rag”, my granny grabs my hand, pulls me out of the chair and starts dancing. We both burst out laughing as she twirls me around like we were really dancing with the stars .
As I look in her glistening bright eyes, I can’t help but remember the last time I saw her, she was on her deathbed. Now I’m dancing with my Granny in Heaven!
While we are still twirling and spinning around, I ask her if she remembered the scripture:
“Oh Death, where is your sting? O, Hades, where is your victory?”
As the song ended, she reached up and gave me another kiss on each cheek.
“Granny, how is it that Grandpa looks like he’s in his early to mid-thirties?”
Before she could answer, my Grandfather Patrick walked over with his arm extended, and as he shook my hand he pulled me closer in, turning a hand shake into a great big warm hug.
“Chado Cole, I know we’ve never met but from time to time the Lord would allow me to peek in at you and I’m sorry your life on Earth got cut a little short, but we’re so glad you made it.”
“Grandpa, Mom told me so many great stories about you and how so dearly she loved you. I always regretted never getting to see you, with your passing before I was born.”
“Yes, He took me pretty early in life, but I didn’t mind at all. God let me know that He would watch over my family and would eventually allow us all to be reunited.”
Grandpa smiled as he pointed across the group of family members standing around the porch. “See there, He is true to His promises. What else did Millie tell you about me?”
“She said you were a Godly man, and you would walk around your old home place and talk to the Lord like He was standing right beside you. She also said you were super smart and even designed and helped build a naval base somewhere down in Florida.”
“Son, any accomplishment in my short life on Earth was only by the hand of God leading me through it. I can truly say it wasn’t me. ”
“Awe, come on Grandpa, from what Mom told me I’ve always considered you to be the smartest person in our whole family.”
He grins as we slowly head for the back porch. “Chado, you know I’ve been here enjoying the blessings of Heaven for a long time now and those hard years on Earth don’t compare to the constant joy we have here. I can’t wait until your mom gets here. She is going to absolutely love it, especially the way I remember her as a little girl always wanting to sing.”
“Yeah Grandpa, could you always sing like that, I mean when you were back on Earth?”
Chuckling, “Heck no, Chado, I couldn’t carry a tune around in a bucket. You’ve only just begun to see the many blessings God gives us here in Heaven. Did you notice how well Bob played that cello? He just found that thing sitting in a case right over there on that rock and suddenly he sounds like he had been with an orchestra all his life. Chado, I’m telling you the mysteries and blessings of God are unending.”
“Grandpa how is it you’re so young? From what I read in the Bible, I thought everyone would instantly be young when they became immortal, but since I arrived, I’ve seen a lot of folks that are still old. Just here at this gathering, my uncles and aunts all seem to still look close to the age they were when they passed. Even Granny looks about the same. Well, I have to admit they all have a certain glow and appear to look a bit younger, but not by much!”
“Chado you’re going to love this. You see your relatives standing around out there?”
“Yes Sir.”
“Look at your Uncle Loy; he arrived here about twenty five years ago, now that’s going by earth years, because time doesn’t mean a whole lot here in Heaven. Okay, saying that, he was in his eighties when he passed, so how old would you say, he looks to be now? ”
“I don’t know, maybe around sixty, or sixty five?”
“Yes, that’s about right. Are you catching on?”
“I guess, Grandpa.”
“Well heck, I’ll give you an example. Just say someone dies and they’re a hundred years old. As soon as they arrive in Heaven their age clock starts going backward and doesn’t stop until they are around the age of thirty three-years old. Remember now, that’s how old Jesus was at his resurrection, and we believe God chose that age for us here in Heaven. Wouldn’t you say the age of thirty-three would have been the prime age of our lives when we were mortal?”
“Yes, I’ve never thought of it like that, and it must be so cool for an old person with each passing hour, knowing they’re becoming younger. It’s the total opposite of the dread we felt as we looked in the mirror year after year and seeing old age creep into our faces. God is so cool Grandpa.”
I hear Granny, “Chado Cole! You run down to the creek and fetch that big black diamond watermelon. It should be chilled down and ready to cut.”
After we share a few more memories and have our fill of watermelon, I let everyone know that Uriel and I have to be moving on. I want to see Dad and Summer before we focus on our mission.
A handful of my cousins follow us for a few miles, but before turning back, Bob wanted me to promise him, “Chado, you are going to settle down around here somewhere, right?”
“I probably will, but I would like to see where Dad’s place is and what it looks like around the Valley of the Children before I make up my mind.”
“Cuz, you do know your dad and Uncle Spike live only a few miles from here, don’t you?”
“No, I didn’t. Well, that’s good news.”
Bob smiles as he takes a sackcloth pouch off his shoulder, and hands it over, “Here Chado, Granny wanted you to have this.”
As I open the pouch, I can smell a mixture of homemade cornbread, biscuits and I see a couple jars of figs. We both laugh, “Granny hasn’t changed a bit, has she?”
“Godspeed, Cousin.”
* * *
Uriel and I head back in the direction of the cobblestone road with Rex and Moushie still leading the way.
I hear Uriel mumble, “Chado, you have a wonderful family that has loved you dearly on Earth and also here in Heaven.”
“I know… I hated to leave. I truly believe I could have stayed right there on that creek bank for eternity.”
“Yes, your family chose well when they made a decision on where to live. When it’s time, God will give you a certain desire for where He wants you to call home. Right now isn’t the time for settling down.”
Uriel reaches over and pats me on the shoulder. “Little Soul, after we visit the rest of your family, at some point God will instruct you with more detail about your mission.”
“Uriel, you think He might tell me in person?”
“Maybe, but often He gives dreams and visions while you sleep. Oh, by the way he might just send a messenger.”
“A messenger; like Allayer and Nipper?”
Uriel chuckles, “Maybe.”
“Wow, Uriel that sounds pretty exciting, but I’m still a little uneasy on what the mission is about.”
“Have no fear; God will lead you through it.”
As we make it back to the cobblestone road, I reach in the pouch Granny gave us and broke off a couple chunks of cornbread and shared it with Uriel and our two pups. We passed Samson’s wine pouch back and forth, washing down some of the best cornbread ever cooked as we continue to admire the unending beauty of Heaven.
“Hey Uriel, I’ve been meaning to ask you, when Nipper and Allayer were transporting me here and we were entering into the atmosphere of Heaven, they were trying to teach me how to fly. As a matter of fact I crashed and burned on my landing. Allayer and Nipper got a big laugh out of that. Well anyway, after I got here, I don’t seem to know how, or maybe it’s just I haven’t had the desire to fly.”
“Chado, God takes away the desire because He wants everyone to slow down and enjoy every blessing He has to offer. Just think, if everyone here was zooming around, you wouldn’t have the peace and tranquility He has provided. I can tell you this; He has portals set up in certain areas that everyone can use when He allows it.”
Before I could ask any more questions about the portals, I happen to look over at Uriel and noticed the deep scars on the left side of his face had completely disappeared and his skin was now clear and smooth.
“Uriel, your face, the scars are gone where the demon clawed you!”
He slowly reaches up and rubs his fingertips across where the scars had been. “Chado, I guess God decided I had that particular scar long enough.”
I reach over and pick up part of his garment that was covering his back, “Uriel, you still have quite a few scars remaining on your back, but it looks like the ones you said the fallen angels gave you are gone also.”
Uriel smiles as he pulls his garment down and holds his hands up, “Thank you Lord. ”
I could still see several scars remaining on Uriel’s arms, his forehead and back. I can’t help but wonder why God didn’t just remove them all.
“Chado, it’s not His timing for all to be removed. Listen, we have a little while before we see your father, I want you to tell me another story of your past and leave out nothing.”
“What story?”
“Remember when you were sitting on the bayou in central Louisiana all night watching for the pipeline company? There were two different nights that you were under attack from the darkness.”
“Are you talking about the night when the guy drowned in the bayou or the guy that wanted to rob me? Come to think of it, there was another one that I caught stealing batteries out of a bull dozer. That was a rough area I was in!”
“The two I want you to tell me about is the guy that drowned and the one you thought was going to rob and kill you.”
“Sure, well how do I start this?”
* * *
“Okay, our pipeline right-of-way was down on the inside levee of Rapides Bayou and that meant we had to lay through some of the most crime ridden areas of Alexandria.
Every evening before dark, after the crews all went home for the night; I would pull out a couple fishing poles and catch catfish out of the bayou. One particular evening, just as soon as the last employee had just driven away, a tall black man came walking up, what seemed like out of nowhere. It really frightened me and Buck, with this surprise visit from a total stranger especially at our dismal location.
It was almost dark, but the distant streetlights were enough to make out the friendly expression on his face. This abnormally tall man, wearing a long black leather jacket, walked straight up to me with his hand out as to greet me with a hand shake. I slowly reach out and shake his hand. The whole time I’m thinking, ‘My pistol is lying on the seat of my truck, what if he attacks me?’
His hand is so big his fingers completely wrap around my whole hand. I nervously ask him what can I help him with and he starts looking around as if to see if we were alone. Noticing his curiosity only added to my concern of being totally vulnerable for an attack. My mind still racing, ‘With his size he could easily kill me, throw me in the bayou and drive off, and no one would know anything for at least twelve hours.’
To my surprise, he asked me if I would be willing to trade a bucket of worms for a bottle of wine. I didn’t see any bucket of worms, but just so I could get him off my work site I told him, ‘Sure, bring me your bucket of worms tomorrow evening before dark and I’ll buy you a bottle of wine.’
He turned and walked back into the darkness, and since I had been caught off guard, I decided my pistol would be in my belt every minute from now on.
The following evening he must have been watching from the shadows, because as soon as the last employee left, he showed up with a five gallon bucket of worms. There were so many red worms in his bucket I could have fished for a month and not used them all.
Being a man of my word, I drove over the levee to a nearby store and I bought him two fifths of strawberry wine.
On my return, when he saw I had bought him two bottles instead of just one he was so happy, he was acting like a kid with candy. Apparently he was an alcoholic.
He didn’t know it, but my reason for buying two was my hope that he would move on. My idea backfired; he spotted my extra fishing pole and asked if he could join me .
At this point I felt a little more at ease. This giant of a man seemed to be harmless. So I pulled out another lawn chair about the time my wife drove up on the levee with a surprise dinner she had cooked for me. It was one of my favorites, green bean casserole. Noticing it was almost dark; I thanked her and sternly let her know she needed to get out of this part of town right quick.
After she left, I found myself sitting beside Tall Man on the edge of Rapides Bayou, sharing my extra fishing pole and a large helping of casserole.
The evening rolled on, but we weren’t catching anything, because there had been heavy rain over the last several days. This was causing the bayou to have way too much current and fresh water in it as the small tributary gushed toward Red River.
I noticed Tall Man’s countenance rapidly changing as he was almost through with his second bottle of wine. He was repeating over and over, ‘When the man upstairs says it’s your time, it’s your time.’ Over and over, then he would ask, ‘You believe me? You better believe me!’ Then he started telling me about how many people he had killed in bar room fights. ‘You believe me, you better believe me.’ Then he started reaching over every time he would repeat himself and shove me really hard on my shoulder.
I finally stood up and stepped back a few feet with my hand behind me with my Colt 45 at the ready and told him, ‘It’s time you get down the bayou, ole buddy.’
He stood up, ‘You get in that truck and you go get me some more damned wine! You do what I say, you hear me?’
At this point, I’m checking to make sure my safety is off and ready to light him up if he starts coming at me. I reach in my pocket and I pulled out six dollars. This was the change I had left over from buying his wine earlier. I slowly reached out and handed him the wadded up money, then I took a couple steps back. ‘You need to get out of here and I mean right now!’
He suddenly started talking nice again as he was walking back and forth in front of the lawn chairs that were sitting only a few feet from the edge of the bayou. His feet got tangled on the small honeysuckle vines growing at the edge of the water.
As he twisted around facing Buck and me, with the bayou directly behind him, he fell almost in slow motion, comically reminding me of the ‘Ice Tea Plunge’ commercial. I couldn’t help myself; it was totally funny to see this giant fall like a huge tree without any expression on his face or movement with his arms, just plainly falling.
I stuffed my pistol back in my belt, quickly grabbing my handheld light, I ran over to the edge expecting to see him swimming back to shore. This wasn’t the case.
Tall Man went down like he had bricks in his pockets. I shined the spotlight back and forth across the water. Finally, I saw one hand come up, he was grabbing at thin air… then it disappeared. Realizing he was drowning, I threw down the light and my pistol, slid down the bank and was just about to dive in. But then… total fear gripped me, with a sudden memory of when I had seen my older brother try to save my cousin from an overflowing canal down in Lake Charles. My cousin almost drowned my brother and himself by clawing and climbing on top of my brother’s head holding him under. If it hadn’t been for the help of a couple of adults that jumped in, my brother and cousin would have both perished.
I knew if I jumped in, there was no way I could have saved this guy. Especially from his enormous size and the way he clawed and thrashed the top of the water when his hand broke the surface. He would have surely pulled me down with him.
I hurried back up the bank, grabbed one of my fishing reels, and with the river weight and bare hook, I started casting to the location I had last seen his hands come up. After many attempts trying to snag a piece of his clothing, the small sliver of hope I had to save him, quickly faded. Tall Man had now been under for several minutes. He had to be dead by now.
I loaded Buck in my truck and drove back to the same store I had bought the guy’s wine at. I used a pay phone to alert the police, and within a few minutes it seemed like the whole police force showed up. It actually turned into a circus with cop cars sliding down the levee and each one running up to me asking what happened. After telling my story over and over, finally the genius of the group starts accusing me of murder. He sarcastically asked me, ‘Where is the wooden two by four you used to kill him with?’ Yes, some real screwballs.
After I finally explained just what happened to one detective that actually had a little common sense, everything was resolved.
They eventually got a crew down the levee, launched a flat-bottom boat and used a long bar with hooks as they drug the bottom. They finally hooked his long black jacket, bringing him to the surface. It was a ghastly sight!
After they saw the bucket of worms, the two empty bottles of wine and found the six dollars that I told them I gave the guy, the lynch mob had finally all accepted my innocence.
After he found out the true identity of Tall Man, the one detective who seemed to be pretty level headed shared information with me that really bothered me. He informed me I was very lucky because this guy had in fact killed several men in his past, some were bar fights and others that were still under investigation. He said during a fight he would get his big arms around their heads and snap their necks and each time he would somehow get out of it claiming self-defense.”
* * *
“Okay Chado, now tell me about the one that you thought was going to rob and kill you.”
“Well, that’s a much shorter story and I didn’t think much about it until after it was over.”
“Just give me the quick version; we’re not far from your dad’s place.”
“Sure, it was pretty much the same area, just down the levee and a little closer to the bad part of town.”
* * *
“Well Uriel, as I remember, it was pretty cold and had been raining off and on for several days. None of the crews had worked very much the last couple weeks, and we had to babysit the equipment night and day. I remember one evening I was sitting in my truck on top of the levee reading, and every few minutes I would glance up to see if everything was okay. One of the times I happened to look up, there was a black guy standing about fifty feet away from me, straight out in front of my truck. At first glimpse he looked very suspicious. I thought, why would anyone be standing around in drizzling rain this time of evening? I’m sure he was up to no good.
This guy was acting very strange, as he would stare at the equipment and then out of the corner of his eye look over at me. He finally starts heading in my direction and without showing much movement on my part, I quickly grabbed my pistol, then I tossed the holster over on the floorboard of the passenger side.
I rolled my window down as he walked straight up within inches of my door. It was like he was trying to see inside my truck. I asked him, ‘What can I help you with? ’
With a very cocky attitude, he started asking me stupid questions, ‘What you doing by yourself out here boy? When yo people coming back?’
I lied and told him the whole crew were on their way back and my boss will be here any minute.
‘Ain’t nobody coming back here, you all by yo self Mista.’
At this stage of our conversation, I figured we were about to do business. I stopped answering his foolish questions and started concentrating on his movements as if I was sitting in a funny car watching for the green light and whoever leaves the line first wins the race; and in this case whoever draws first gets to live. His words faded as I zoned in on everything about him. I noticed he had two small scars above his left eye and a look on his face that was very easy to read; he was about to either rob me or kill me. I also noticed with his right hand still in the pocket of his army jacket, that it was more than just his hand. He was holding a gun, partially concealed.
I slowly cocked the Colt 45 auto without making a sound and had it pointing at him through the door. At this point I had decided if this guy makes a move, I won’t stop shooting until I blow him to the bottom of the levee.
He kept edging even closer, looking over in my truck. I noticed a sudden change in his face when apparently he must have seen the empty holster lying on the passenger side. I believe he knew that I had the drop on him and he wouldn’t have a chance. He suddenly backed off, turning and heading back down the levee toward the hood.
For the next several nights, sitting in my truck was like being behind enemy lines. I even went as far as taking an old quilt and stuffing it into a jacket and placing a ball cap over the make believe head. My thoughts were, if this guy or someone like him tries to ambush me they would take out the dummy instead of me. I would sit it up in the driver’s seat, then I would hunker down on the passenger side. For a bit more insurance, I brought my Browning 12 gauge short barrel shotgun with the plug out. I guess I was as ready as could be for his retaliation that never came. Thank God.”
* * *
“Uriel, I was so glad when the crews finally moved completely out of that area. That was definitely a scary place! So why did you want to hear those two particular stories?”
“Chado, what I’m about to tell you will probably make the hair stand up on the back of your neck. You know when Allayer and Nipper brought you through New Orleans, Chicago and the other cities and you witnessed the presence of darkness with the legions of demons and fallen angels?”
“Yes, how could I forget? I was really glad you were with us; that was truly a spooky sight around those cities.”
“Well Chado, you better be glad I was with you on the levee. You see, that section of Alexandria was as bad as, or maybe even worse than, some of the other cities. Lucifer again was notified of your presence in one of his dark zones, and he set several traps that you almost fell in.”
“What kind of traps?”
“He knew you were under the protection of God and he had no right to take your life. His plan was to try and get you to kill the thief or Tall Man and have murder in your heart. By doing this, it would be just enough that God would take away your protection. Remember, Lucifer has always known that God has a plan for you; he just doesn’t know what it is. So another attempt was made on your life by his dark forces.”
“So tell me, what happened in the Spiritual Realm? ”
“That gun holster you tossed over on the passenger side of your truck was actually the first step in keeping you out of trouble. When you pulled your gun out and tossed the holster, I gave it a little nudge and made sure it landed far enough over that it would be visible to the guy you were about to kill.”
“Wow, I was sure that’s exactly the reason why he backed off; he saw the holster. So if you hadn’t given it that extra little nudge, my goodness, I would’ve had to shoot the guy. Uriel, it would have been self-defense, right?”
“This is true, and the courts would have seen it exactly that way. And God knew you would have been right to defend yourself. But here’s where Lucifer would use it against you. When you first saw this guy up close, the way he looked at you and talked to you in a disrespectful way, you immediately hated him. You then wanted to do battle, and finally had visions of blasting him to the bottom of the levee. God knows you were only human to react this way. If you had been walking closer to the Lord at that time, you may have witnessed to this fellow, even while pointing a pistol at him through the door of your truck insuring your protection. However, you wouldn’t have looked at him with hate, but the love of Christ and Satan’s little snare wouldn’t have worked.”
“I totally understand; you know I’ve always had a problem with any confrontation. Without thinking clearly, I seem to jump head first into a fight. So what ever happened to that guy? I just knew he would have come back and tried to ambush me.”
“He did have plans, and he was going to bring his gang with him. But that same night, the police had a raid on a local drug den and he and his crew were all arrested and eventually served several years in Angola State Prison for drug trafficking.”
“So what about Tall Man, you know, the guy that drowned?”
“Well, that’s where it got a little nasty. Tall Man as you call him had a history of sending several men to their grave. He actually was possessed by three demons and they were very powerful and cunning. Tall Man had tormented so many people, and the Christians in his family had come to a point where they would avoid him like a plague. For years they prayed and fasted for his deliverance, but Lucifer had such a stronghold on his soul that anyone who approached him with the Word of God, he would curse them and threaten them with their lives.”
“So I was actually fishing with this guy? Good Lord!”
Uriel chuckles, “That’s right you were sitting beside a man possessed with demons and didn’t know it. Chado, listen to this: Lucifer summoned the demons that possessed Tall Man, with orders to kill you. And from every dark corner of that city, the night sky overhead was filled with fallen angels. They were floating like vultures, circling that whole area. Yes, you were in grave danger that night. God even sent six other Warrior Angels to help me at the hour of need and I welcomed the additional protection!”
“Goodness gracious, all this was going on just because I wanted to kill that guy?”
“No Chado, because Lucifer wanted to kill you. He sent a wolf in sheep’s clothing and he was carrying a bucket of worms.”
“Wow, I had no idea I was dealing with a crazy man, not to mention demons.”
When you saw his countenance change and he started repeating himself, that was no longer Tall Man talking, it was those demons that dwelled inside him. At the moment you stood, reached around and had your hand on the pistol, there were demons swarming you like bees, lightly brushing your hand trying to prompt you into pulling your gun. You couldn’t hear them but they were repeating over and over, “Kill the bastard, kill him!”
“Where were you Uriel? Well I mean, what were you and the other Angels doing?”
“At that time the other Angels were just a couple hundred feet overhead, they had a made a small circle around us and the fallen knew if they dared to cross, they would have been destroyed. I stood beside you and at that very second I reminded you of the six dollars in your pocket, and instead of pulling your gun you pulled the money out and handed it to Tall Man. This action infuriated the demons, so they decided to try something else. They confused Tall Man, and that’s when he started pacing back and forth in front of the lawn chairs. He finally tangled his feet in the vines, and all at once the demons shoved him backward into the bayou.”
“They actually had the physical power to be able to push him over the edge?”
“Yes and when you threw down your spotlight while sliding down the bank with intensions of saving Tall Man, that’s when they attacked us both. I stood in front of you with my hands raised to God, praying for Him to stop you from diving in, knowing it would have meant sure death for you. At that point, several demons came out of the darkness, two were behind you pushing and whispering in your ear, ‘Dive in hero, save him, you can do it, save him!’ The rest were climbing all over me while I was continuing to raise my hands, pleading with God to stop you. Somehow, one of the fallen angels got past the Guardians and struck me multiple times, finally penetrating my armor and wounding me in several places. That’s when God gave you the memory of your cousin and brother almost drowning, and seeing this vision frightened you enough that you froze in your tracks and realized, if you dove in you would surely die. The demons and the fallen angels saw my hands drop to take hold of my sword; they retreated only to run straight into the swords of the other Guardians that were now coming to defend us. They were destroyed along with Tall Man and the three demons that had possessed him for so many years. They were now trapped inside his corpse as he lay motionless on the muddy bottom of Rapides Bayou.”
* * *
I hear Moushie and Rex barking in the distance, “Uriel, you know back when Moushie or Rex would tree a squirrel or bay up a hog they both had a certain bark but that sounds like their happy bark. I think they are trying to tell us something.”
“Yes, they are. We’re almost to your dad’s place.”
“Awesome, I wonder if he knows we’re coming. Granny knew, so maybe Dad knows also. I kind of wish we could surprise him and see the look on his face. Pop really knew how to kid around. He would have the construction crews in tears with the silly jokes he told… and they loved it.”
Suddenly I see both dogs trotting back in our direction, yep, we must be close. We top a small hill and behold, I see a huge lake, it must be twenty miles across and the length goes out of sight. It’s just as beautiful as everything else I’ve seen so far. There are homes scattered up the shoreline as far as I could see, each one spaced out at least a mile or two from the other. Some look like mansions and others are smaller but just as beautiful.
As we head down the long egress toward the lake, I have a memory where in the Bible it talks about having mansions when we get to Heaven. I look back across the beautiful homes, comparing each with the design of my Granny’s house. I come to realize, they are all mansions, just different styles with each fitting the hearts of who live there. What a cool thought. I look over at Uriel and catch him smiling.
“Chado, you’re starting to catch on. ”
“So which one is Dad’s place, can we see it from here?”
Uriel points off to the left at a great big stone house that’s partially covered by a hill.
“I wonder why they built it like that, I hope Dad’s not worried about tornadoes here in Heaven.”
“You’re right, that is a bit odd. Chado, you’ll just have to ask him.”