Terry Phelps could take no more, he had been on his own for two months, living in boxes, eating out of garbage cans and drinking rainwater. It was time to end his misery, all he had to do is jump and it would all be over. No more hunger, no more shivering in the cold of the night and no more fear. The fear was the worst, the footsteps in the dark, the swinging club of an old druggie hoping to steal another fix or the cloying touch of one who wanted even worse things! All he had to do is step off the cliff and it wouldn't hurt any.
It all began when his father found the magazines, the screaming and shouting, the kicks and beatings, then the silence as the front door was shut behind him and in the silence, he could hear the click as the door was locked against him. The first few days weren't too bad, until his father finished notifying the parents of all his friends, then, all the doors were locked against him. Soon, his clothes were too rank for him to go to school, there were none to whom he could turn.
He sat in despair on a park bench, "Lord, God, help me, I am only 16!"
He had wandered the slums, finding scraps and garbage that could be eaten, until the winter began and it started getting cold. He shivered in his light shirt, he had no jacket and his shoes were tied on with pieces of string. At the end of his endurance, he wandered out of the city and headed for the hills of the National Park, hoping, perhaps a late camper had left something edible. The campgrounds were empty, not even the Rangers seemed to be around, night after night, he spent shivering, laying up against a tree hoping for a little warmth.
Finally, at last, he knew he could go no further, he would have to end his misery, somehow. He began walking, his strength rapidly ebbing. As he approached the summit, he saw the cliffs and the river in the deep gorge below. He knew, at last, how to end his pain. As he approached the precipice, he steeled himself, telling himself that it would be quick, just jump and the hurt, the pain, the hunger would be gone forever.
As he sucked in his breath to jump, a voice behind him said, "Son, whatever your troubles, nothing can be that bad."
He nearly screamed in fright, turning, he was confronted by and old man, his white hair braided behind his back and a long walking stick in his hand. The man reached out with his hand and said, "Come, have lunch with me and let us talk about your situation."
Terry began to cry, great sobs racking his chest, "Yu, yuuu, you would feed me?"
The man smiled and replied, "Surely I would feed you and we can talk in front of a warm fire in my camp."
Terry's mind was numb, "Fooooood, warmth .... Oh, please do not tease me." The man, still smiling, stepped up to the rank-smelling boy and put his arms around him, as if to protect him from the cold and hunger. Suddenly, Terry felt warm and protected, his senses numbed, he said, "Yes, please, may I eat with you?"
The man replied, "Of course, you may, come, let us go to my campsite." The old man led Terry away, just a short distance and bade him sit while he prepared some food. Terry's numbed brain was trying to figure out how he had missed this man and his campsite as he searched the campground for something to eat, but the effort was beyond him. The old man placed a bowl of steaming soup before Terry, almost as if by magic. As he was draining the bowl, a plate of warm bread, slathered with butter and jam appeared at his place. Terry didn't question further, he ate all that was put before him.
When he had eaten his fill, the old man sat beside Terry and started to talk, "I am Michael and I will help you. No boy should be as troubled as yourself."
Terry hung his head and mumbled, "But my father says I am bad, maybe I am."
Michael gave a short laugh, "No boy is bad and no boy deserves to be in the condition you are. Come, let us clean you up and find something clean for you to wear."
As Terry watched, the old man filled a bucket of water and set it on the fire to heat. He went into his tent and rummaged around, reappearing with some clothes in his hands. When the water was warmed, he carried it into the tent and gave Terry a wash cloth and some soap, telling him to clean himself and put the new clothes on. He closed the flap to give Terry some privacy, Terry's mind was too numb to question why the tent was not dark and how it was the old man had clothes that were exactly his size!
After Terry had washed and dried himself, he put the clean clothing on, it all fit exactly, as if it had been made expressly for him. He suddenly was so weary, he could no longer stand, he lay down on the blankets that were spread on the floor of the tent and slept. As the boy slept, the old man smiled, looking upward, he mumbled, "We saved another one."
It was daylight when Terry awoke, horrified that he had slept, leaving his benefactor outside in the cold. He crept to the tent door and peeked outside, the old man was sitting before the fire, eating his breakfast. Without turning, the old man said, "Terry, come join me for a hot breakfast, then we will talk."
Terry slipped on the new shoes that were sitting on the floor of the tent and came outside. He said, "Michael, how do you know my name?"
The old man smiled, "You just look like someone whose name should be Terry, I guess." He handed Terry a plate, loaded with bacon and eggs, toast and jam and a sliced apple. A large glass of milk was sitting on the table waiting for him.
After he had eaten everything on the plate, Terry asked, "Who are you, Michael, that you seem to know me?"
The old man replied, "I am just Michael, nothing more and nothing less, Terry, but I would help you if you will let me."
Terry began to cry, "Bu, bu, but you know nothing about me or what I have done!"
Michael wrapped his arms around the sobbing boy, "Terry, I know all I need to know about you." He stared into Terry's eyes and said, "Yes, I know about that, too. It makes no difference."
Suddenly, a sense of peace came over him, a peace that Terry had not known since he was a young child. Wrapped in Michael's embrace, he said, "Please Michael, help me."
The old man smiled and replied, "Yes, Terry, yes I will help you."
They cleaned up the camp and folded the tent. Suddenly, Terry saw an old pickup truck sitting beside the campsite. He was sure it had not been there earlier. He shook his head and thought, "I must not be fully recovered yet!"
They stacked everything in the truck and prepared to leave. Michael said, "Terry, you drive, I do not like mountain roads."
Terry got behind the steering wheel and said, "But, my driver license is gone..."
Michael cut him off, "Do not worry, no one will stop us."
Terry shook his head in wonder, but everything else about this old man was strange, so why not this? Michael directed Terry along roads he was sure had never been there before, it was like he was in a dream. They drove all day long before coming to a small town at the edge of what appeared to be a desert. Michael directed him to a small house at the end of a street. The lights were on and he could see people moving inside the house through the windows.
As he stopped the truck, a man and woman came out of the house, they obviously knew Michael as they hugged him in greeting. Michael turned to Terry and said, "Terry, this is Jacob and Naomi, they have agreed to take you in and care for you for however long you need them."
Jacob strode up to Terry and wrapped his arms around the trembling boy, "Terry, welcome home, son."
At that, Terry lost whatever composure he had and collapsed into the man's arms, sobbing as if his heart would break. Jacob picked up the boy and carried him into the house. Naomi turned the covers down on a bed in a small room, Jacob gently lowered Terry into the bed and drew the covers over him. Terry succumbed to sleep and was dead to the world.
When he awoke the next morning, Naomi was in the kitchen making breakfast and he could hear Jacob rambling around in the other bedroom. He entered the kitchen and Naomi came over to him, giving him a light kiss on the cheek and asked, "Do you drink coffee with your breakfast?"
Terry said, "With lots of milk!" She laughed and set a creamer down in front of him and brought the coffee pot so he could pour his own. Terry looked around and asked, "Where is Michael?"
Naomi laughed, "Michael never stays in one place for very long."
Jacob came into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Naomi brought plates loaded with meat, eggs and fried potatoes. Terry was sure he could not possibly eat that much, but he ate every scrap!
When he finished, Jacob said, "Son, we need to get you registered in school."
Terry looked down at the floor and said, "My father will never release my records."
Jacob laughed, "But you are no longer who you were, you are Terry Donaldson now." He passed a bundle of papers to Terry, school records, birth certificate, driver's license, everything and they all said he was Terry J. Donaldson! It was even his picture on the driver license. Jacob laughed, "I assure you, they are all genuine, so finish up and I will take you over to the High School to get registered."
Terry looked up shyly, "Can I call you Mom and Dad?"
Naomi laughed, "Surely you can, because we are!"
Jacob walked Terry through the small town, to the High School. The school was small, but it appeared to be fairly new. As they walked through the halls, people greeted Jacob in a friendly manner, even stopping to talk. They walked into the Administration Office, where a smiling, gray haired lady greeted them, "Good Morning Jacob, I see your son has finally gotten here." She turned to Terry saying, "Good Morning Terry, I am Mrs. Betts and we will get you sorted out and back into classes right away."
Her smile and manner was so genuine and friendly, Terry was close to tears, he replied, "Yes Ma'm, I am looking forward to being back in school."
Mrs. Betts leaned over the counter and took Terry's hand, looking him straight in the eyes, "Terry, I KNOW you will do well here." She handed Terry a printed sheet with his schedule of classes, he was shocked, they were all Advanced Placement Courses! He started to protest, but Mrs. Betts smiled at him and all of a sudden, it didn't matter anymore, he would do the classes. Mrs. Betts called to another student, who was passing by, "James, will you escort Terry around until he becomes acquainted with our school? He is in the same classes as you."
Terry looked at the boy, he was stunned. It was like looking into a pool of clear water, he was sure he could see James' very soul! He stared, open mouthed until James laughed, "You trying to catch flies?" Both boys giggled as they went down the hall towards their first class together.
Terry was amazed, subjects that he had once thought impossible, were suddenly clear to him, the morning periods flew by. The bell rang for the lunch period, Terry suddenly remembered he had no money to buy his lunch. He told James that he would wait for him outside, but James refused to be put off. Terry, shamefaced, said, "I have no money to buy my lunch."
James looked at Terry and replied, "Then, what is that!" He was pointing to Terry's shirt pocket, Terry looked down and saw a $20 bill folded in his pocket! Terry lost his composure and started to cry, James hugged his new friend and whispered in his ear, "Go with the flow, BROTHER, it all will be OK."
The two boys sat together in the lunch room, Terry couldn't believe his eyes as the lady behind the counter piled food onto his plate. She smiled at him and said, "Growing boys need fuel for their bodies!" The food was incredible and Terry ate every bite.
Terry's afternoon classes raced by, even Gym, which he had always hated. As he started walking home, he was joined by his new friend James, who said he lived nearby to Terry. They walked and talked as if they had known each other all their lives. Suddenly, Terry had a thought, "James, do you know an old man named Michael?"
James got very quiet, Terry was somehow afraid he had offended his new friend. James stopped walking and looked at Terry, "Michael saved me from doing something very foolish, I owe him my life!"
James started to cry and Terry reached out to hug him, he whispered in James' ear, "Me, also!" Terry held James until his cries ceased, then the two boys resumed their walk home, each holding the other's hand. At his new home, Terry hugged James again and told him he would wait for him in the morning so they could walk to school together.
He walked into the house, deep in thought. He saw Jacob sitting in the living room, so he went to greet him, "Dad, today was the very best school day I have ever had and I made a new friend, James."
Terry sat down beside his new Dad and Jacob looked at him, "Terry, do you have a question?"
Terry hesitated before replying, "Yes, Dad, who is Michael?"
Jacob was silent for a time and then, he slowly replied, "Terry, that is an answer you must discover for yourself, I have known Michael for a very long time and still, I am not sure who he is."
The days flew by, Terry was happy living with his new parents and, truly, they WERE his Mom and Dad! His schoolwork stretched his mind, but his grades were all "A"s, he was a happy boy. He turned 17 and his folks threw him a gala birthday party, his entire Junior Class was invited for a backyard Bar-B-Que.
He and James had become even closer, the attraction seemed almost magical. One afternoon, after school, they were walking home and Terry stopped, looking at James. He started to speak, but James stopped him, saying, "Terry, I feel the same way, but it is too soon." He quickly kissed Terry lightly on the lips and ran off to his home, leaving Terry standing in the street, goggle-eyed!
Terry spent the evening in a daze, Jacob and Naomi noticed, but wisely, said nothing. Terry completed his homework and decided to go to bed early, he was still smiling as he dropped off to sleep. He would never be able to remember, exactly, of what he dreamed, but when he woke the next morning, he knew that he and James were meant for each other and that Michael approved!
The two boys walked to school as usual, both were very quiet. Terry said, "I had a strange dream last night, I just know, somehow, that we are meant to be together."
He looked, shyly, at James as he replied, "Terry, I also had a strange dream, but I know that I love you and only you!"
Jacob and Naomi were watching them out the living room window, Jacob said, "Michael has great plans for those boys, I pray that you and I can let go when it is time."
Naomi replied, "It is going to be hard, Terry IS MY SON!"
Jacob embraced his wife saying, "For this we were born, for this we will love and support both our beloved Terry and his James." The pair were sure they felt Michael's loving embrace, for they, also, had been saved from a terrible deed by him.
The school year came to a close, both Terry and James had excelled in their classes and were at the top of their class. Now they were High School Seniors. The boys had volunteered to be counselors at a youth camp and they were excited to have been accepted. They had received their orientation packets and had assembled all the materials they would need for a six week camp in the high mountains.
They climbed onboard the bus, it was already loaded with 36 youngsters, aged 10 to 16 years old. Some were crying and most had worried looks on their faces. Terry stood behind the driver and announced, "I am Terry Donaldson and this is my friend, James Barbot, we will be your counselors for the next 6 weeks. We want you to come to us with any problem, no matter how small!"
James said, "Let's start with your names."
As the two young men walked down the length of the bus, each boy said his name and those boys who looked scared or were crying, they hugged. Terry and James introduced the boys to round robin songs and traditional "Going to Camp" games so that they hardly realized the passage of time.
It was a group of happy and frolicking boys that arrived at the Mountain Camp. They paired a younger boy with an older boy, telling them that they would be partners for the camp. They were assigned two bunk houses, Terry would stay in one and James in the other, they got the boys all settled just in time for the lunch gong. They got their charges lined up and the two groups headed for the chow hall.
Terry and James were stunned, meeting the boys at the door was Michael! Michael greeted each boy by name and welcomed him to Camp. When Terry and James passed in the door, Michael winked at them and greeted them also! After lunch, the schedule said that all boys under the age of 12 would take a nap until 2 pm, boys older than twelve were to meet on the ball field for games.
James said that he would watch after the younger boys during their nap, so Terry led the older boys off to the ball field for a pick up game of flag football. Michael stood watching Terry with the older boys, he murmured, "Yes, I have chosen wisely."
The ball game went back and forth across the field, Terry guiding the boys on both sides. One boy fell to the ground crying as if his heart were to break. Terry stopped the game and rushed to the fallen boy, "Are you hurt?" Terry asked.
The boy replied, "I am not good enough to be playing with these boys." The boy began crying even harder.
Terry gathered the crying boy into his arms and cuddled him, "It does not matter how good you are, only that you have fun doing it!"
The boy cried even harder, "They all hate me for being so slow and dumb."
Terry looked around at the boys crowded around them, "No, Donny, they don't hate you, look, they are concerned about you, they think you are hurt."
Donny looked around and said, 'Yu, Yu, you don't hate me?"
One of the older boys came and sat beside the disturbed boy, he put his arms around Donny and said, "No, we don't hate you, come, let us go for a walk and rest until you want to play again." The two boys walked of a short distance, both talking intently.
Unseen in the trees, stood Michael, who said to someone behind him, "Soon, very soon."
James brought the younger boys out from their afternoon naps and each boy hooked up with his partner for crafts and games. James made the rounds of each group, helping them and reassuring each boy that his craft or his game was just perfect! Again, unseen in the trees, Michael stood with a smile on his face. The afternoon went quickly and it was time for the boys to wash up for supper.
After eating a huge meal, everyone's appetites had been sharpened by the outdoor activities and the clean mountain air, it was time for the evening campfire. The counselors were asked to tell stories to the campers, Terry and James agreed to tell a story about a lost baby deer and how he finally found his way home. Their story had everyone crying and then cheering for the brave little deer and his adventures in finding his home. In a way, Terry and James were telling their own stories.
Michael was standing back, listening intently, nodding his head and thinking, "Yes, soon, VERY soon!"
The camp proceeded, each camper grew physically and emotionally stronger, as did the counselors. Before the end of the camping session, the boys thought it great fun to go on a ten mile hike before lunch or kayak race across the lake and back! James would read to his younger boys during the nap sessions and soon, those boys were reading the stories themselves, even boys who had difficulty reading in school!
It was a happy group of boys who gathered for their last campfire, they sang the songs that Terry and James had taught them and they all hugged each other in friendship. Their love for Terry and James was evident in their tears as they climbed onboard the busses to return to their lives. James and Terry hugged each boy and made them promise to be better boys than they were, to study hard and to treat one another as they had been taught at camp.
As the busses drove off, Michael was standing in the trees looking upwards, "It is time, they are ready!"
Jacob and Naomi were waiting as the busses unloaded their cargo of excited boys. As James and Terry left the bus, the last to dismount, Jacob wrapped his arms around both boys and said, "James, we have talked with your parents and we all agree. You two boys are to remain together, first at our house then at yours." The two looked at each other, tears in their eyes. They had been dreading the thought of being separated at the end of summer, even though they lived nearby to each other.
James' parents stepped forward and whispered to the two young men just one word, "Michael."
Terry and James were delighted, but fearful of what their parents thought about them being together. Jacob looked at the two of them and said, "Sons, love is unconditional and is, therefore, perfect in God's eyes, we can do no less."
They looked into each other's eyes, Terry said, "James, I love you without conditions!"
James replied, "No less than my love for you, Terry!"
They first went to live with Jacob and Naomi in their home. Nothing was said, but the single bed had been replaced with a double and there were two dressers also in the room.
The first day of school, the two High School Seniors walked down the hall, not touching each other. They were afraid of what their classmates would say or do, until Mrs. Betts stepped out of her office. She whispered into their ears, "It's OK to hold hands!" They looked at her as if she had just grown a second head, she laughed and said to them just one word, "Michael!"
Terry grabbed James' hand and held on for dear life. As they walked down the hallway, their schoolmates smiled, but not a single derogatory word was said! They entered their first-period class, nobody even noticed they were holding hands. Their entire day was equally strange, as they walked home after school, they discussed what had taken place and came to the conclusion that, somehow, Michael was still watching over them.
The days turned into weeks and then months. Halfway through the school year, James and Terry moved to James' parents' house. Linda and Paul Newberry were delighted to have their turn with them and they went all out to make sure that the two felt welcome and accepted.
One night, near the very end of their Senior Year, Terry had a dream, a dream so vivid that he remembered every detail when he awakened the next morning. He woke up to find James laying beside him, tears coursing down his face. Terry hugged his love and asked. "Why are you crying?"
James hugged him and replied, "Terry, I have waited for you all my life and now you are mine!"
They then described their dreams to the other, the dreams were identical! They knew what their life's work was to be, caring for homeless children as they had been cared for. James reached out and hugged Terry as if his life depended upon it. Terry returned James' hug and said, "James, you ARE my life and Michael is waiting for both of us."
James nodded and they proceeded to dress. They went into the living room, where they saw both sets of parents waiting for them with Michael standing in the front. They went to Michael and knelt before him, Michael began to glow.
Together, the young men, Terry and James said, "Bless us, Saint Michael as we begin our lives in your service."
Saint Michael, Arch Angel, pulled a great sword from his back and touched both their foreheads, saying, "Go thou forth and do good works, house the homeless, love the unwanted, succor the helpless - SAVE THE CHILDREN for thou art MY WARRIORS! You are THE PROTECTORS!"
AFTERWORD:
Terry and James graduated from high school and were awarded scholarships at the University, where again they excelled, they obeyed their calling, spending their free time searching out homeless children and placing them with caring and nurturing parents. Their lives changed dramatically as they graduated from the University, their story will be continued in BOOK 2 - "THE CHILDREN"