Far Country (17 page)

           
Still, he reflected, he had a lot to be thankful for, and if falling off a
cliff had been what was necessary for God to get his attention, Steve was
willing to consider it one of the luckiest days of his life!

           
Gone were the nightmares of the car crash; the anger and hurt had faded too,
just as Pete had promised.  Jesus had brought peace and acceptance. Was he
still guilty? Yes, but now, he was forgiven.  Steve clung to that. 
These last few months had brought just as much healing to his spirit as it had
to his body.

           
Steve grabbed his towel off the hook and headed to the showers, struggling not
to give into the throbbing in his thigh, which all too often resulted in a
pronounced limp.

           
For the past three months, Steve had been working part time as a desk clerk at
the
Bayshore
Hotel, and one of the perks was free use
of all the spa facilities after his shift.  Refreshed and clean, he
climbed into his mother’s old Bonneville station wagon and headed over to
Reverend Graham’s church.  Tonight was the New Believers Christian
Fellowship and Bible Study, something that Steve was surprised to find that he
had begun to look forward to.  He had always scoffed at reading the Bible,
but now, it seemed like he couldn’t spend enough time soaking in the
Word.  Reverend Graham’s New Believer class gave him an opportunity to
explore what he was learning with other people who had many of the same
questions as he had himself. 

           
Their group was made up of seven people.  Three were young, single
marines, barely into their twenties who attended whenever they were not on duty
or out in the field. There was also the Morgan’s, a married, thirty-something
couple who attended whenever they could find a babysitter for their
rambunctious toddler. The last member of their class was a young woman named
Beth, who worked as a nurse at one of the pediatric clinics in town. 

           
By virtue of the similarity in their ages, and the fact that they were the only
two who attended nearly every meeting, Steve and Beth frequently sat together,
and had even gone out for coffee once or twice after class.  Beth was
lively and quick to laugh.  When she walked into a room, heads turned her
way. She had a quality about her that seemed to draw people to her. What amazed
Steve was her interest in him! Why she would be interested in a gimp like him
was beyond Steve, but he knew when a girl was flirting with him, and the signs
were all there.  Steve sighed. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the idea
of dating someone still, but he did enjoy her company.

           
Steve pulled himself out of the car and stretched his leg.  It still
cramped painfully if he had to drive very long.  He grabbed his Bible and
the bucket of chicken he’d picked up on the way across town, and headed for the
small classroom where the New Believers met each week, setting the fried
chicken on the table.  He was about twenty minutes early, so he went back
to the kitchen and brought out some paper plates, cups and napkins, then he
took the time to refill the oil in the sanctuary candles.

           
Alone in the sanctuary, Steve turned and studied the altar. This was an old
building, dating from the beginning of the twentieth century. Polished wooden
pews and high stained glass windows led to a kneeling rail before the raised
altar.  Suddenly obeying an inner compulsion, Steve made his way up the
aisle and dropped to his knees at the rail. Slowly he raised his eyes to the
golden cross, hanging stark and victorious above the altar.

           
How strange it all seemed, Steve thought, yet how wonderful. The more he
studied the Bible, the more he learned of how God took evil and created hope. A
boy could be sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt, yet become almost as
great as pharaoh, and save his family in the process. And the symbol of the
worst possible death could become the symbol of the best possible way to live.

           
Once again, Steve felt a wave of awe and adoration wash over his soul, and
wondered how he had remained so blind to the truth all of these
years.   He closed his eyes, feeling the peaceful assurance of God’s
presence all around him. He didn’t know how long he remained bowed in silent
worship, but eventually he opened his eyes and smiled up at the empty cross one
more time.  Then painfully, because his leg had stiffened from kneeling,
he pulled himself to his feet.  He realized that this was the first time
since before the accident that he had managed to get into a kneeling position.
There,
Doctor Harris
, he thought with a smile.
I finally delivered that ‘thank
you’ note we talked about
.  As he turned to leave the sanctuary, he
saw Reverend Graham sitting quietly in the last pew.

           
Steve blushed, a little embarrassed.  “How long have you been there?” He
asked.

           
“Not long, Steve,” the old man replied, a strange husky note in his
voice.  He cleared his throat.  “Please forgive the intrusion, but
it’s a joy to see the answer to several years of prayers.  A pastor needs
that once and awhile.”

           
Steve waited by the altar as Reverend Graham got to his feet and walked down
the center aisle to join him.  Together they headed back to the Sunday
school room, where Steve found that Beth and the Morgan’s had arrived and were
already fixing plates of food. 

           
Beth grinned at him unapologetically.  “You snooze you lose,” she teased,
adding a drumstick to her plate.

           
Steve didn’t need to be told twice.  He grabbed a paper plate and began
filling it with the evening’s pot luck. Besides his bucket of chicken, the
table now sported a huge tossed salad, macaroni and cheese, and a plate of
double fudge brownies for dessert. And despite Beth’s threat, there was more
than enough for everyone.

           
Steve was working on seconds as Reverend Graham opened his Bible to Ephesians
6:10, “Proper Christian Attire for Defeating the Devil”.   Steve
doodled a little stick man in the corner of his notebook, adding a helmet,
sword, breastplate and sandals as the lesson progressed.  By the time
Reverend Graham reached the end of the list, Steve’s line drawing had taken on
an unexpected aspect of fierceness.  Steve was impressed. The little guy
really might have the power to stand in the evil days. Stick men in to
warriors; fishermen into disciples.  This was a God who truly delighted in
creating something from nothing.  Once again Steve felt an overwhelming
sense of awe at the world the Lord had chosen to create.  What a blessing
it was to finally become a part of it all!

           
Reverend Graham closed the lesson with a prayer. Since the marines had not
attended tonight, and the Morgan’s had to hurry home to pay their anxious
babysitter, Beth and Steve volunteered to stay and clean up the dishes.

           
Beth returned from the kitchen with a soapy dish rag. As she wiped down the
tables she eyed Steve speculatively.  Steve fidgeted as he grew
uncomfortably aware that she was watching him, and began to consider leaving
abruptly, before she got up the courage to say whatever was on her mind. Steve
thought he knew what it might be, and he was pretty sure he didn’t want to hear
it. He glanced at his watch, about to offer some inane excuse for why he
suddenly needed to leave, when Beth finally broke the silence.

           
“So,” she said. “Have you ever been diving at the wrecks?”

           
Steve shook his head. “No, the only diving I ever did was when I wiped out on
my surf board,” he replied flippantly, reaching for his coat.

           
Beth rolled her eyes and tossed her shoulder length blonde hair. “So you’re
pretty good at it then,” she answered matter of
factly
.

           
“Steve blinked, losing the thread of the conversation. “At what?”

           
“Diving. From your surfboard.”

           
Steve raised an eyebrow in mock disdain. “Cruel” He acknowledged, and drew
himself up to his full height. “However, since you have never been surfing with
me, I will ignore that uneducated remark.” He shook his finger at Beth,
admonishing her in a mock serious tone of voice. “You have no idea to whom you
are speaking. I was pretty competitive in my youth, and my mother has my medals
suitably displayed in a lovely shadow box to prove it.” Steve shrugged into his
coat and picked up the trash bag to carry outside, thinking the conversation
was over.

           
“You should try it, you know,” Beth persisted.

           
“Scuba diving?” He asked uncertainly.

           
“Yes!” Beth replied, her voice growing more animated. “It wouldn’t take you
long to get certified, and there’s so many great wrecks off the coast to
explore!”

           
“That’s why they call it ‘Cape Fear’, you know,” he quipped, still refusing to
take her seriously.

           
Beth sighed and looked a little hurt. “You are just full of it tonight, aren’t
you?” She picked up the plate that had held the brownies, tucked the dirty dish
into a plastic grocery bag, and slipped her purse over her shoulder. “Got your
key?” She asked coolly as she walked toward the door.

           
Steve felt a twinge of guilt. He hadn’t meant to hurt her feelings.  He
hurried to catch up with her by the door.  “Hey, I’m sorry, Beth.  I
didn’t think you were being serious. What made you think of scuba diving?”

           
She paused and turned back to him.  “Your leg, for one thing. It would be
great exercise for you in a zero gravity environment, plus its fun, and…” she
paused, the added quietly.  “I thought it might be fun to dive with you
this summer.”

           
“Oh.”  Steve was silent for a moment, taken aback by her sincerity. 
He’d never given scuba diving more than a passing thought.  He supposed it
could be something different, and a whole lot more interesting than swimming
laps in the pool.  After a moment he shrugged. “Okay, I’d be willing to
try it, I guess, but I don’t have any gear,” he warned her.

           
“Not a problem,” she replied smoothly.  “You can borrow some of mine until
you decide if it’s something you would want to do.”

           
“
Soooo
, who do you suggest I contact to find out
about classes and times?” Steve asked.

           
Beth smiled.  “Me.” She said simply.

           
Steve frowned.  “I thought you were some sort of a nurse somewhere.”

           
Beth laughed.  “I
am
a nurse, silly.”

           
Steve blinked. Sometimes she made him feel incredibly stupid.  “So you’re
a nurse
and
a diving instructor?”

           
Beth rolled her eyes again in exasperation. “I also like horseback riding,
hiking, and knitting, and I have even delivered a baby or two when the doctor
couldn’t get there in time; which is okay, since I am also a registered
midwife.”

           
Steve whistled, impressed despite himself.  “Busy girl,” he acknowledged.

           
“That’s me!” She agreed with a grin.  “I never was very good at just
sitting around watching soap operas.  I like to try new things, which...”
she grew serious again. “Brings me back to the point of all this.  Do you
really think you would like to get your certification? Go diving with me this
summer?”

           
Steve thought for a moment, and then nodded.  “Yeah, I think I’d like to
see what
its
like. It sounds like something I should
have tried a long time ago.  When do we start?”

           
Beth smile, pleased with his positive response. “Good! We’ll start Saturday
morning around eight - if you can get up that early?” She asked, raising a
doubtful eyebrow.

           
Steve gritted his teeth at the
barb
, but smiled,
deliberately ignoring her taunt. Not long after beginning the class he had
admitted to enjoying sleeping in until nine o’clock most mornings, while Beth
had smugly asserted that
she
liked getting up at five o’clock and going
for a run.

           
 “No problem! But where am I going?”

           
Beth held out a business card with her name and address.  “My house,” she
said with a toss of her blonde locks. “Don’t be late!” She admonished him one
more time, and then headed out the door.  Steve waited a couple of minutes
before walking out to his car. He really wasn’t sure about Beth.  She was
funny and interesting and definitely pretty, but she could really irritate him
sometimes!  Now that she had put the idea into his head, though, the
prospect of diving and exploring the many sunken ships off the coast was
exciting! Three days seemed a long time to wait to begin.

           
Steve kicked his fins lazily, using his hands to propel himself around a huge
algae covered metal beam and out through the gaping wound in the ship’s hull.
It had been eerie swimming up the long ghostly ladders between the decks and
then down the pitch black corridors, so distinctly human, yet now a home for a
variety of fish and seaweed.