ago.”
Startled, Kelly spun around to find Wynne propped up on one elbo w, watching her. “Did she…? Was it… ?”
Wynne offered a gentle smile. “No, she didn’t wake. She went in her sleep, the way we’d all prefer to go, if that’s any comfort. I said a prayer for her.”
Kelly swiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks. “I don’t know why I’m crying. I didn’t even know her. It’s just so sad. We … we don’t even know her name. At least the man and the boy have their wallets on them, but there’s nothing to tell us who she was—if she was someone’s wife or mother. She died alone.”
“Not at all. We were here with her. God was here.”
“Was He?” Kelly countered caustically. “Was He there when the plane crashed and killed so many unsuspecting, innocent people?”
“Now, Kelly,” Wynne admonished softly. “Don’t be bitter. You know He was there, watching over you, making sure you and I and the others got out.”
“Why us? Why them?” Kelly held her hands out, palms up, in a gesture of confusion.
“It’s not for us to question the Lord’s decisions, my girl. He alone knows who and why and when.” Wynne’s eyes clouded. “He took my James. I realize that now, though my mind has tried to deny it all day. I, too, want to question God’s authority, but what good would that serve? No, better to accept the Lord’s will as gracefully as possible and wait for him to call us in turn.”
Kelly heaved a sodden sigh. “Easier said than done.”
“I know,” Wynne concurred softly. “Just now, I’m feeling very sorry for myself, with James gone. We’ve been together for so long. I just don’t know how I’m going to be able to live without him. I hope our Heavenly Father, in His mercy, lets me join James soon. Somehow, I feel certain He will.”
Kelly crawled over to the older woman, took her wrinkled hand, and tenderly stroked the paper-thin skin. “I’m sorry, Wynne. If there is anything I can do to make it easier for you, all you have to do is ask.”
“Thank you, dearie, but I think only God can help me now.”
D awn was tinting the sky in shades of pink and pearl gray as Zach limped down the final stretch of beach toward the camp. He felt like warmed-over death, and knew he must look the part, too. He’d walked most of the night, allowing himself only brief rest periods and one short nap. His ankle throbbed, his ribs and shoulder ached. His head felt as if an army of c ontractors were holding a nail- hammering contest on his skull. His eyes were scratchy with grit and lack of sleep. And every muscle and tendon in his body was in revolt. He could barely place one foot in front of the other.
Worst of all, he was returning with bad news. In the course of his all-night marathon, he had traversed the entire circumference of the island, with the exception of one section on the north side, where the rocks had formed an impassible barrier. Of necessity, he’d had to turn back the way he’d come, and walk the whole perimeter in reverse, thus doubling the distance. Roughly, he estimated he’d walked more than thirty miles, fifteen-plus miles each way. His best calculation was that the island was eight miles long, north to south, and about four miles wide, west to east, with a shape similar to an irregularly curved, knobby kidney bean.
And for all his searching, his efforts had been for naught. He hadn’t met one other person, hadn’t come across a single building, abandoned or otherwise, let alone a town or village. Not even a rotting boat dock or an old campfire. The only sign of life he’d encountered, other than a few birds he’d disturbed from their slumber in the trees, had been a sand crab that had tried to nip his toe.
Unless there was a village nestled further inland, it appeared the island was totally uninhabited. Deserted. And Zach didn’t have to think very hard to determine why. He hadn’t discovered any water, either. Again, unless there was a
Startled, Kelly spun around to find Wynne propped up on one elbo w, watching her. “Did she…? Was it… ?”
Wynne offered a gentle smile. “No, she didn’t wake. She went in her sleep, the way we’d all prefer to go, if that’s any comfort. I said a prayer for her.”
Kelly swiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks. “I don’t know why I’m crying. I didn’t even know her. It’s just so sad. We … we don’t even know her name. At least the man and the boy have their wallets on them, but there’s nothing to tell us who she was—if she was someone’s wife or mother. She died alone.”
“Not at all. We were here with her. God was here.”
“Was He?” Kelly countered caustically. “Was He there when the plane crashed and killed so many unsuspecting, innocent people?”
“Now, Kelly,” Wynne admonished softly. “Don’t be bitter. You know He was there, watching over you, making sure you and I and the others got out.”
“Why us? Why them?” Kelly held her hands out, palms up, in a gesture of confusion.
“It’s not for us to question the Lord’s decisions, my girl. He alone knows who and why and when.” Wynne’s eyes clouded. “He took my James. I realize that now, though my mind has tried to deny it all day. I, too, want to question God’s authority, but what good would that serve? No, better to accept the Lord’s will as gracefully as possible and wait for him to call us in turn.”
Kelly heaved a sodden sigh. “Easier said than done.”
“I know,” Wynne concurred softly. “Just now, I’m feeling very sorry for myself, with James gone. We’ve been together for so long. I just don’t know how I’m going to be able to live without him. I hope our Heavenly Father, in His mercy, lets me join James soon. Somehow, I feel certain He will.”
Kelly crawled over to the older woman, took her wrinkled hand, and tenderly stroked the paper-thin skin. “I’m sorry, Wynne. If there is anything I can do to make it easier for you, all you have to do is ask.”
“Thank you, dearie, but I think only God can help me now.”
D awn was tinting the sky in shades of pink and pearl gray as Zach limped down the final stretch of beach toward the camp. He felt like warmed-over death, and knew he must look the part, too. He’d walked most of the night, allowing himself only brief rest periods and one short nap. His ankle throbbed, his ribs and shoulder ached. His head felt as if an army of c ontractors were holding a nail- hammering contest on his skull. His eyes were scratchy with grit and lack of sleep. And every muscle and tendon in his body was in revolt. He could barely place one foot in front of the other.
Worst of all, he was returning with bad news. In the course of his all-night marathon, he had traversed the entire circumference of the island, with the exception of one section on the north side, where the rocks had formed an impassible barrier. Of necessity, he’d had to turn back the way he’d come, and walk the whole perimeter in reverse, thus doubling the distance. Roughly, he estimated he’d walked more than thirty miles, fifteen-plus miles each way. His best calculation was that the island was eight miles long, north to south, and about four miles wide, west to east, with a shape similar to an irregularly curved, knobby kidney bean.
And for all his searching, his efforts had been for naught. He hadn’t met one other person, hadn’t come across a single building, abandoned or otherwise, let alone a town or village. Not even a rotting boat dock or an old campfire. The only sign of life he’d encountered, other than a few birds he’d disturbed from their slumber in the trees, had been a sand crab that had tried to nip his toe.
Unless there was a village nestled further inland, it appeared the island was totally uninhabited. Deserted. And Zach didn’t have to think very hard to determine why. He hadn’t discovered any water, either. Again, unless there was a
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