Her laugh was infectious. Jason was chuckling as he answered, “It’s still one Hundred Rand, and I can still buy lots of stuff.”
Faith then carefully straightened the note, and promptly tore it nearly in two. She held it up by a corner, the bottom half dangling precariously.
Jason stopped laughing, and reached out to grab the note. “Hey! That’s my money.”
Faith held it just out of his reach and raised her eyebrows, head cocked to one side.
Conceding defeat, Jason answered her unspoken question. “It’s still one Hundred Rand, and I can still buy a lot of stuff. What’s your point?”
Faith gently held the soiled note in her hands. “My son, it doesn’t matter how much you’ve been bruised, crushed or torn apart by life, you are still everything that God created you to be. You haven’t lost an ounce of your worth in His eyes. All He asks is that you will surrender your life into His hands so that He can heal you.” She sank back into the deck chair, still cradling the damaged note in her hands.
It was all too much for Jason. He stood to leave, walking away as he spoke, “I’ve got to go. Thanks for lunch.”
He was already through the door and halfway down the passage when Faith called out, “Jason – your money?”
“Keep it.”
“I’m here if you need me, Jason.”
The words followed him out the door before it swung shut behind him, cutting off any further comment.
***
Shane had dutifully removed all traces of the unwelcome female tenant by the time Jason arrived back at the flat. Shane himself was also conspicuously absent. Jason poured coffee and made his way to where the other two sat poring over the phone book and the newspaper. “How’s the hunt going?”
Tim rubbed his nose and squinted at Jason. “Didn’t know there were so many of these places. Look at this list.” He held up an A4 page that boasted three open lines. The rest were covered in his spidery scrawl. “I suppose we should start phoning around.”
Kenneth was growing glummer by the minute. “If she’s not using her real name, there’s no way we’re going to find her that way. I think we’ll need to do some footslogging. We’ve got a photo of her.”
Jason nodded grimly. “For once I agree with you.” He frowned briefly as an unwelcome thought occurred to him. “Tim, get hold of the Goodwood’s. Ask them to check if Claude is still at the B&B in Stutterheim. He had no way of knowing that she left. That could give us a bit of time. I’d feel a whole lot better knowing we were a step ahead.”
Shane arrived back as Tim was making the call. “Hey guys. How’s the hunt going?”
“Slowly.” Not one to mince words, Jason tackled him, “Who the heck was sleeping in my bed while we were away?”
“Long story. Just a damsel in distress that I rescued off the beachfront from a mob of drunkards. She’d just arrived in town and had nowhere to go. Poor kid. I felt sorry for her, that’s all.”
“So you bring her in here and give her my bed.”
“Well I couldn’t let her loose in his room.” He jerked a thumb over shoulder in the direction of Tim. “If she wasn’t eaten alive, the radioactive leftovers would surely have done the job.”
“You’re an oaf. Do you know that? A big, soft-headed oaf. Anyway, you’re forgiven. Just don’t do it again.”
Shane shrugged as if it didn’t really matter, one way or the other. “Thanks. How was your trip up north? Did you get your girl?
“She’s not my girl. Believe it or not, her trail has led us back here. Oh, we did get this much.” Fishing around in his pocket, he pulled out the photo of Rebecca and handed it over.
Shane’s eyes stretched. “What did you say her name was?”
“Rebecca. Why?”
“She’s identical to the damsel I rescued.” He shook his head in disbelief. “Can’t be her though, her name is Rachel.”
“We were just saying that with Claude on her heels, she’s probably travelling under an alias. Do you think it could be—?”
They were interrupted by Tim, speaking in a tone of voice that sent a chill down Jason’s spine. “Claude left Stutterheim on the same night Rebecca disappeared.”
Jason reached for his shoes and started strapping them on. “Okay chaps. No more treading water. We’ve got to find this girl before Claude does and it sounds as if he’s got a head start. Tim, you stay here and keep phoning B&B’s. Ask about Claude and Rebecca. Let me know if anything turns up. I think we should start with your damsel Shane. Let’s go.”
***
Claude stalked the streets with his insides sour. As much as he swore he hated the farm, the amalgamation of buildings, traffic and people that constituted a town made him nervous. He hated feeling nervous. He hated being in town. It was Rebecca’s fault that he was here in the first place. He snarled out loud at the thought, causing the crush of people around him to disperse somewhat. Good. He liked that.
“Rebecca, Rebecca. Where are you? Come to me. I’m going to find you anyway.” She couldn’t hide forever; destiny would deliver her up to him. He loped along, swinging his head from side to side – looking.
Finding a café, he popped in to buy a fruit juice. It struck him as he was queuing to pay. He knew that face. It was splashed across the cover of the Daily News in glorious techni-color. Rebecca had made the newspaper.
He laughed then, knowing that he was right. They were destined for each other, and however much she squirmed to avoid it, fate was on his side.
Chapter 22 – A Boat and a Log
Clive Sheldon sat back looking satisfied. “I think you’ve hit on a real winner for tonight Rachel. You were heaven-sent.” The grin on his face took years off him.
Rebecca smiled back and replied, “So were you, Mr. Sheldon. Trust me.”
They’d been sitting together for an hour going over possible menu combinations for the next week to fit in with the restaurant’s launch theme of around the world in 8 days.
It was a warm moment that was soon over. “The lunchtime shift is covered. You’re off duty, but I suggest you go rest up for tonight. Let yourself out, I have some other business to take care of.”
Rebecca left his office feeling light inside. Mr. Sheldon was a difficult man, but fair – much like Edward Rochester. The biggest difference was that he didn’t come with an obsessed son. Another bonus was being back in civilization. She loved the farm, and the peace that was there, but it felt good to be around people. Normal people.
She turned right to head up to her room, suddenly realizing that she’d left her purse in the restaurant’s reception area. Sheldon had paid her handsomely from last night’s takings. It felt good to have taken the first step toward independence. Life seemed to be working out okay. Maybe Claude had done her a favor.
A cheerful buzz emanated from the lunchtime crowd that filled the restaurant. Skipping down the last few stairs, Rebecca rounded the corner and froze. Claude was speaking to the receptionist. Sinking behind the palm that shielded her from his view, Rebecca felt her hands begin to shake. Peeping through the fronds she saw a newspaper in Claude’s hands. A newspaper with her face on it.
“Let me ring her room Sir.” The receptionist dialled and waited. “I’m sorry; she seems to have gone out. She’s on duty this evening; you’ll have to come back then.”
Claude leaned forward and started whispering to the receptionist. She shook her head in response. He took out his wallet and flashed a number of notes. It was too much for the young girl. Peering quickly left and right, she took the money and pocketed it, waving Claude in the direction of the stairs to the staff quarters. The stairs right behind Rebecca.
***
Shane pulled up outside the restaurant for third time in three days. “This is it. Hopefully the end of our quest.”
The other guys had already evacuated the vehicle and were making their way toward the door. Shane locked up and followed.
The receptionist was looking rather pale, and she turned
an alarming shade of red when they showed her the photo of Rebecca. She spoke too quickly with eyes that never settled. Her hands kept fiddling with something in her pocket. “Yes, she does work here, but she’s not in at the moment. I’m afraid you will have to try this evening when she’s on duty.”
“Are you sure? Could we check her room?”
“Yes I’m sure, and no – you cannot. I’m sorry; I cannot be of any further assistance.” She promptly turned her back on them, ending the conversation. The three men looked at each other, silently conferring. Tim spoke their thoughts out loud. “I guess that means we come back later.”
***
Jason had been feeling a growing desire to get on his boat and head for the open sea. In the light of the urgency of finding Rebecca, he’d ignored the desire as a frivolous distraction. As the day had progressed, the vague yearning had escalated into a driving compulsion that couldn’t be ignored. With nothing else to do but wait for evening, he left the others and headed for his boat feeling strangely relieved.
Stopping only when the shore was no longer in sight, Jason cut the engine and let it drift. He’d spent the last two weeks running away from God, or fighting against Him.
He knew it was time to quit; he had to stop and face his nemesis. Not sure what to do or say, he lay back, the sun warm on his face.
When he opened his eyes, his little sister was sitting opposite him. He knew it was all in his head, but she looked so real his heart ached. The sunlight sparked bright flecks in her hair and she grinned at him with her eyes twinkling.
“Oh Nic’s. What would you do in my shoes? Would you still have been able to trust Him if He’d taken me away?”
His little sister didn’t speak, she didn’t need to – her expression said it all. What kind of stupid question is that? Of course. He always knows best.
“I’ve never been able to trust Him the way you did.”
That’s because you’ve never taken the time to really get to know Him. You would be surprised at what He carries in His heart about you.
“What do you mean?” It was more than a question, a desperate grasp for a lifeline, but the image was already fading. Jason felt his heart fade with it. “Nic’s don’t go.” He put his head in his hands and sobbed.
I will never leave you, nor forsake you!
The warmth of the Presence that enfolded Him was overwhelming. He sank to his knees on the wooden slats; face still buried in his hands.
You’ve been wandering through the wilderness, tormented by doubt and fear. Desperate for truth, but afraid to trust. Now, know the truth and let it set you free… My name is Faithful and True. I am not man that I can lie. It was I who called you into the wilderness, into the place of loneliness that I could woo you and win your heart. In Me your life has purpose, outside of Me you will drift aimlessly. I came that you could have LIFE and have it abundantly. I died so that you don’t have to. But there is a price.
The words flowed over Jason and into him. His sobbing ceased as the words washed away the anger and pain, a soothing balm to his soul. His heart recognized Truth and leapt within him. Hands dropping to his sides, he raised his tear-stained face toward the Light. Eyes tightly shut; he saw the empty shell his life had become. Worthless, beyond repair, full of death. And he handed it over to the One who had power over death.
His saw in his mind the old hollow shell consumed by blazing Light and in its place a brand new baby glowing with Life appeared before him.
You’ve stepped out of this darkness and into the Light. The old has gone and the new has come. Welcome My son!
Blazing warmth flooded through his body. He felt the Father’s smile and it melted his frozen heart. Jason felt the weight of years fall away. Years of feeling guilty, years of running from the Truth. With surrender came a Peace that permeated his being. “Yes Jesus. You can have my life; You can have all of me.”
He stayed there on his boat, lingering in the Presence of the One who had loved him for so long. Peace enfolded him, permeating every cell, every fiber of his being. It felt like being spring-cleaned from the inside out.
At some point Jason drifted into a deep, deep sleep. A sleep filled with Light and Life. Like a patient in the hands of an anaesthetist before heart surgery, Jason floated into unconsciousness. Way beyond the realm of conscious awareness, the Architect of his life began operating inside of him; removing death and the cancer of sin, replacing it with Life and wholeness.
The sun had begun embracing the horizon when the waves knocked something against the boat with a loud Thump! Roused from sleep, yet instantly awake, Jason scrambled to the side to peer into the water.
“What the—Oh no.”
***
Rebecca had to think fast. Staying low, she backtracked away from the stairs toward the kitchen. Tumie grinned broadly when he saw her.
Too scared to stop, Rebecca ignored him and ran for the back door. She quickly made her way to the street, checked for cars and crossed. The shop across the road from the restaurant had a quaint park bench outside. With a sparkling smile she managed to get her hands on a newspaper from a vendor, promising to pay later. Unfolding it, she sat down on the bench and hid behind it. She would have to stay there until Claude came out.
Ten minutes passed, and still no sign of Claude. By this time Rebecca was shivering violently, not having had a chance to dress for winter outdoors. Cars came and went. No Claude. A 4x4 pulled up and parked. Distracted by a stranger down the road who had hair like Claude’s, Rebecca didn’t see the passengers get out. She looked up just in time to see Shane. Not daring to draw attention to herself, she watched numbly as he went inside. Everything inside her wanted to shout out, but fear rooted her to the bench. A short while later, he came out with two other young men, one had black hair and the other whom she couldn’t see properly from where she was sitting. Two climbed into the 4x4 and left, the other took off toward the beachfront. Still no Claude.
She was starting to feel really anxious. What if she’d missed him coming out and he was somewhere watching her? “Oh God. Please help.” She stayed where she was, trying to look everywhere at once.
Two hours later, lips blue and fingers numb - she’d still seen no sign of him. The only thing she knew was that she couldn’t stay where she was any longer. Deciding that she must have been distracted and missed his departure at some point, she headed towards the restaurant with her heart hammering in her chest.
She tiptoed through the kitchen that was in the graveyard state that occurred between meals. All the staff were off on break. It took every scrap of her courage to climb the stairs to the staff quarters. The passage—lined with doors and dotted with chairs—was deserted. By the time she got to her room, her insides were screaming at her to run. Determined not to give in to fear she stretched out her hand to the door handle. As she pulled the handle downwards, her courage gave way and she started backing away from the door. Bile rose in the back of her throat as the door handle continued its downward slide and the door swung slowly open.
“Hello Rebecca. Have you been avoiding me?” Triumph gleamed in Claude’s eyes. A scream tore loose from Rebecca’s throat. Still screaming, she grabbed a chair and flung it at Claude, knocking him backwards. Rebecca turned and ran. Adrenalin pumped through her body as she flew down the stairs and out of the building.
***
She ran towards the beachfront, not daring to look back. She could hear Claude calling. He was chasing her and slowly closing in. Leaving the road, she ducked into the trees hoping to lose him. Branches tore at her face and hands. Rebecca fought down the sobs that threatened to erupt. Claude’s voice was muffled now. She’d managed to put some distance between them. The faint sounds of cursing filtered through the bush, Claude seemed to have lost her trail.
Working her way into the thickest part of the growth, Rebecca hid herself and remained as still as she could. Her breathing was still rapid and she tried desperately to breathe more quietly. Perspiration beaded on her fo
rehead and turned chill in the winter air, dropping her body temperature. The trembling started at her lips, but soon her whole body began quivering, then shaking with fear and cold. She had to keep moving. Straining her ears, she tried to hear where Claude was. Deathly silence. Either he’d given up or—more likely—was waiting for her to move and give away her location. Her blue fingers convinced her, she had to move on.
The wind had picked up, disguising the rustling of leaves as she passed. Feeling more confident, she picked up speed. Hope surged in her heart until her foot caught on a tree root and she crashed down hard. No amount of wind noise could hide that. Immediately, Rebecca heard movement behind her. Scrambling to her feet, she pushed on through the bushes.
Her heart nearly stopped as she broke through the edge of the trees and found herself on an open stretch of deserted beach. The roar of the waves to her right was deafening, and before her snaked a silent river flowing into the ocean. If she could just cross the river, she would be safe. She knew from living with him on the farm that Claude was more afraid of water than she was. Any moment now, he would burst through the trees and find her out in the open. She had to move.
Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and headed for the water. “God help!” Fear of Claude pushed her into the icy water. Ankle-deep, knee-deep, then up to her hips. The tide was going out, drawing strongly from the water in the river. Her muscles strained to keep her footing.
“Rebecca! You’re going to kill yourself. Come back!” Claude had found the beach and stood at the edge of the water, shouting in frustration. “AAH! Go on then. I’ll be waiting when the sea spits out your dead body.” He was pacing up and down furiously.
Desperate to get away from him, Rebecca threw caution to the wind and flung herself into the water. The current immediately snatched her up and started carrying her out to the open sea. It was all she could do to keep her head above water. Fear and cold were taking their toll and she knew she couldn’t go on much longer. Salt water stung her eyes, but closing them brought flashbacks—