shoulders despite the sun being hidden behind the clouds. “I’m a California girl. Born and raised, though I’m sure some would say that’s not such a great thing to claim.”
“Why not?”
She wrinkles up her nose. “Most people out that way are…well, they’re not like folks around here.”
“How so?” He listens to his feet beat the pavement, counting his steps to keep from thinking of the pain gathering in his lower back.
“You are all so polite and warm.”
“And people from out west aren’t?”
“Oh no,” she rushes to shake her head. “I’m not saying there aren’t well-meaning people out that way. There are for sure! It’s just…” she pauses. “I guess I don’t get to be around a lot of them.”
The wistful tone in her voice calls to Timothy. He knows a thing or two about feeling lonely.
“So what kind of girl leaps out of the back of a moving ambulance to give aid to a complete stranger?”
Hannah appears to think over the question before her face turns serious. “What sort of person wouldn’t run to a stranger’s aid?”
He is surprised by her response, so much that he can’t seem to find an answer. How many people does he know that would have done as she did? People he grew up with or lived beside for years who might not have answered his call for help.
“You’re something special, aren’t you?” Timothy says, realizing even as he says it that his words are true.
An appealing blush rises in her cheeks. “My aunt and uncle like to say that. I guess they think if they say it enough times I’ll start to listen…” she trails off.
When she doesn’t say anything more Timothy glances around Iris’ head to see that Hannah has become unusually withdrawn. “Are you ok?”
“Yeah,” she tries to offer him a smile but it falls flat. “I’m just worried about my uncle.”
“Was that him in the back of the ambulance? The one who Charley said was hurt?”
When Hannah glances away he realizes that she has begun to choke up. He wishes that he could reach out and offer her some small ounce of comfort. “It all happened so fast. There was a terrible ripping sound and then the water flooded in. I don’t even really know how it happened. We found him lying on the ground with a spear of wood embedded in his stomach. He was so pale…” Her lips begin to tremble and she falls silent.
Charley was right to leave me behind.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers, understanding what Hannah is unable to say, and vows to get them both to the hospital as soon as possible.
SIX
Rescue
Hannah walks in silence, lost in her thoughts and fears about her uncle. Andrew is strong. He’ll pull through…God willing.
That’s always the kicker. Is God really willing? Hannah finds herself wondering that more and more.
Having grown up in church, she knows all too well that praying for selfish reasons usually doesn’t turn out well. Questions seemingly go unanswered. Sick people still die, even when their loved ones hang on to faith for dear life. Homes get destroyed. Jobs vanish and bills pile in to suffocate well-meaning people.
Life is hard and usually doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Glancing at the man walking beside her, Hannah can’t help but admire the strength Timothy possesses. Although he is obviously physically strong, it is his drive to protect his neighbor that she admires most. What man would go to such lengths to carry an elderly woman this great distance?
Although Hannah is admittedly not the most athletic person , she prides herself in having a fairly decent stamina; however, this walk is kicking her butt. The heat beats down on her. The winds have begun to rise. Her shoes are soaked from sloshing through drenched yards and flooded gutters. Her lower back has begun to pinch with pain. Her soiled white eyelet shirt sticks to her clammy skin.
She doesn’t know how Timothy is
“Why not?”
She wrinkles up her nose. “Most people out that way are…well, they’re not like folks around here.”
“How so?” He listens to his feet beat the pavement, counting his steps to keep from thinking of the pain gathering in his lower back.
“You are all so polite and warm.”
“And people from out west aren’t?”
“Oh no,” she rushes to shake her head. “I’m not saying there aren’t well-meaning people out that way. There are for sure! It’s just…” she pauses. “I guess I don’t get to be around a lot of them.”
The wistful tone in her voice calls to Timothy. He knows a thing or two about feeling lonely.
“So what kind of girl leaps out of the back of a moving ambulance to give aid to a complete stranger?”
Hannah appears to think over the question before her face turns serious. “What sort of person wouldn’t run to a stranger’s aid?”
He is surprised by her response, so much that he can’t seem to find an answer. How many people does he know that would have done as she did? People he grew up with or lived beside for years who might not have answered his call for help.
“You’re something special, aren’t you?” Timothy says, realizing even as he says it that his words are true.
An appealing blush rises in her cheeks. “My aunt and uncle like to say that. I guess they think if they say it enough times I’ll start to listen…” she trails off.
When she doesn’t say anything more Timothy glances around Iris’ head to see that Hannah has become unusually withdrawn. “Are you ok?”
“Yeah,” she tries to offer him a smile but it falls flat. “I’m just worried about my uncle.”
“Was that him in the back of the ambulance? The one who Charley said was hurt?”
When Hannah glances away he realizes that she has begun to choke up. He wishes that he could reach out and offer her some small ounce of comfort. “It all happened so fast. There was a terrible ripping sound and then the water flooded in. I don’t even really know how it happened. We found him lying on the ground with a spear of wood embedded in his stomach. He was so pale…” Her lips begin to tremble and she falls silent.
Charley was right to leave me behind.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers, understanding what Hannah is unable to say, and vows to get them both to the hospital as soon as possible.
SIX
Rescue
Hannah walks in silence, lost in her thoughts and fears about her uncle. Andrew is strong. He’ll pull through…God willing.
That’s always the kicker. Is God really willing? Hannah finds herself wondering that more and more.
Having grown up in church, she knows all too well that praying for selfish reasons usually doesn’t turn out well. Questions seemingly go unanswered. Sick people still die, even when their loved ones hang on to faith for dear life. Homes get destroyed. Jobs vanish and bills pile in to suffocate well-meaning people.
Life is hard and usually doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Glancing at the man walking beside her, Hannah can’t help but admire the strength Timothy possesses. Although he is obviously physically strong, it is his drive to protect his neighbor that she admires most. What man would go to such lengths to carry an elderly woman this great distance?
Although Hannah is admittedly not the most athletic person , she prides herself in having a fairly decent stamina; however, this walk is kicking her butt. The heat beats down on her. The winds have begun to rise. Her shoes are soaked from sloshing through drenched yards and flooded gutters. Her lower back has begun to pinch with pain. Her soiled white eyelet shirt sticks to her clammy skin.
She doesn’t know how Timothy is
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