Helen walked across campus toward her class. It was now the fourth day of dance lessons, and she didn’t want to get behind in her studies. She was deep in thought and unaware that evil eyes were observing her every move. She opened the door to the Science building and walked in. The sun was bright, so she had to let her eyes adjust.
He watched her walk toward her class and couldn’t help but smile. She did not seem to know that she was being watched. She had turned into a lovely woman. He put the cigar up to his mouth and took a long drag on it. She was not as carefree as when she was a little girl, but he knew if he waited he would get her alone again.
The man watched her go into the building. In his sick twisted awareness, the fact that the child he had assaulted did not tell anyone what he had done to her made him think he had ownership over her. In his mind, she had enjoyed what he had done. He had been so angry when he no longer saw her walking to her friend’s house. He had gone to her house to see her and was furious to see that her parent’s and she had moved. He had carried that rage around for years and then he saw her on TV. In his perverted mind, he was getting a second chance to have her again.
The man snuffed out the cigar on his boot and leaned against the tree. He would wait until she was out of class. He would follow her as he had done so many years ago. He would know her every move and then when the time was right he would take her again.
Helen sat in class taking notes. The professor was making sure that everything was clear on what he was teaching. Helen knew that meant a test was coming. Everything the professor said she wrote down. As he was explaining the dangers of drug-resistant bacteria, she wrinkled her nose. She was soon going to be an MLT, but the micro part of it made her feel like she needed a shower. Every time she learned about a new superbug, she would go right home and shower. Her mom always laughed at her, but Helen didn’t care. She laughed right along with her mom.
Helen smiled. When she got home later that night, her mom was going to have a good laugh for sure. Helen could see her now. Dinner would be ready, but Helen would say she needed a minute to freshen up. The minute that came out of her mouth the laughter and the teasing would start. It was always in good fun, so it never bothered Helen.
The day they learned about flesh eating bacteria, Helen had lined the living room pillows up and sprayed them all down with Lysol. Her mom walked in the house, took one whiff, and busted out laughing. Helen started laughing too but warned her mother that it was not for the faint of heart to look at pictures of what flesh-eating superbugs can do. Ester had tried to look sorry about laughing at her but failed.
The professor was done with giving notes. He now was making sure that questions could be answered before class tomorrow. Helen felt very comfortable with the material, so she decided to go ahead and start studying for her next class. Two more classes and then home for some food after a shower of course.
She was super hungry. She had stopped for a sandwich before class but could not seem to fill up. Helen realized that the dancing was making her a bit hungrier than normal. She was thinking of calling her mom before her next class just to make sure she was indeed planning on cooking.
Helen felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Taking it out, she looked at it, and almost giggled out loud when she saw that it was her mom texting. She opened the message and read it. Her smile widened a bit. Her mother was making sure she was hungry. It seemed she was going to be making her favorite meal for supper. It was her mom’s way of saying she was proud of her. Helen could not help but snicker a little bit. What were the chances that she would be thinking about food at the same time her mom was letting her know that there would be plenty to eat? At that moment, Helen was enjoying life. At least she was until she read the next text. It seemed with this being the first night the news was going to be showing Helen and Logan her mother had invited the Days over. It wasn’t that Helen did not like the Days. It was just that Helen had no intention of watching herself on TV. It seemed she would have to now.
Helen put her phone away and started to focus on the rest of her classes. The drama could wait. With a deep breath, she stood and picked up her backpack. It was time for her next class.
Logan sat across from his mother at lunch. He had finished earlier that day than the previous day with Helen, so he had time to take his mom out for a bite to eat. She smiled at him.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked trying not to laugh.
Logan did not even honor her question with and answer. She knew what he was thinking. He had come home and was standing in the kitchen when she came in and scared ten years off of his life.
“It is a talent son. What can I say?” Elaina joked trying to look superior.
“It is a dark art, Mom. Who are you trying to kid?” Logan laughed now. “I thought I was going to see Jesus before you.”
Elaina’s phone beeped that she had a text. She picked it up and looked at it and then texted back. Looking at Logan with a big smile, she announced. “We are going over to the Kiser’s for supper tonight. It seems Ester would like to make a bit of a fuss about you and Helen’s TV debut together.”
Logan’s heart did a little skip at the thought of seeing Helen again. He did not have a clue why. He would need to evaluate that reaction for sure.
“Did you not want to go over Logan?” his mother asked from across the table. “You are doing that thing you do when you are upset.”
“I’m not upset.” Logan started “I’m just a bit confused about my reaction.”
Elaina raised an eyebrow “What reaction would that be?”
Logan was not sure how to answer her. He looked out the window before he looked back at his mom. Shrugging his shoulders, he answered the best he could, “I know I enjoyed seeing her the past few days, but to be honest, our hours are spent with the teaching and learning. This will be the first time we are together in a nonworking situation. I think I like the idea of doing this. My heart did this funny thing when you said what we were doing.”
“I see,” Elaina said.
“If you do, I don’t. Mom, Helen has been hurt. If I am falling for her, there is a good chance I will get hurt too, or worse, I’ll hurt her more. She can hardly speak to me without getting agitated. It is all she can do to look me in the eye. I am just not sure what to do with this or if I should do anything with this.” he finished.
“We don’t have to go.” Elaina offered.
“I want to go.” Logan whispered, “It is like I am on a ride, and I know I should get off, but the ‘what if’ is keeping me on.”
“Ok then we go, but we pray before we do. Remember, Logan, that you are in God’s hands, and He is great at protecting us.” Elaina reached over and squeezed her son’s hand.
Logan had a sudden rise of anger. “I know I don’t have all of the answers, but if God is so great at protecting us, where was He for Helen? I am not going to be dishonest it ticks me off that He seemed to be absent when she needed him most.” Deep down inside Logan knew God had seen something that Logan didn’t, but it was still hard to imagine what could have happened to Helen and wonder why God did not stop it.
Elaina looked at her son. She knew this walk was new to him. The blind trust sometimes was a hard pill to swallow. She thought before she spoke and then began explaining her thoughts. “We are never told we will not be spared from pain and hardship, Logan. We are told that when we are going through the worst of the worst, He will be there. He will help us deal. When we ask to be spared, sometimes the answer is no. I am going to rephrase what I said earlier, God is good at protecting us from what we can’t handle.”
Logan looked up at his mother. At that moment, he could see why God had given him this woman to be his mom. When Logan took his first breath, God knew him. He loved his mom, and at that moment Logan was so thankful for her.
“I love you.”
&nbs
p; “I love you too” Elaina whispered back. Those three words coming from her son always made her heart dance.