Read Online The Ravine by Robert Pascuzzi - Free Book Online

Both sons hated to be reminded of the pain and shame they had brought upon their parents, and they were truly perplexed as to how their lives had gone from good to bad to horrible so quickly.
    As Tony grew in his faith, he was able to see that things had gone downhill little by little, because of the numerous bad decisions he had made. Pride had played a big role in his decline. After all, by the time he was a junior in high school, he was used to being the most popular kid in school; he believed this was his due and expected it would continue throughout his life. One day, when his mom came alone for a visit, he told her about some of the lessons he had learned, and honestly asked her to forgive him. It was the first time he saw her truly smile since that night in January. That’s when Tony realized these visits were for his mother and his father, not for him and Danny, and he needed to see them in a new light. He also saw that the truth was very powerful.
    Danny, too, felt a responsibility to try to cheer up his parents when they met. He could always get his dad to talk about the rivalry between the Browns and the Steelers, or gripe about how poorly the Indians were doing, but it was a mistake to go near reality. Once he slipped and said, “The first thing I’m gonna do when I get out of here is go downto Cleveland Stadium to see the Indians or Browns. Whatever time of year it is.” The awkward silence that followed spoke volumes, and then his mom began to weep.
    The topic of just how long they would have to stay in jail always brought the discussion to a sad ending. The reality was that it was possible they would be in prison for another twenty years. To young men in their twenties this prospect was horrifying. While other young men their age were starting families and building their careers, they were stuck in this place, for “one stupid mistake,” as Debby often said, concluding with “it’s just not fair.” The prospect that they might not be free until they were in their forties was daunting.
    And so it went for several years. One of the reasons Tony was able to change and grow was thanks to the regular visits from Joe Hamilton, Carolyn’s father. He knew the boys from coaching them in baseball and, as a man of faith, felt it was his obligation to visit them and, by his presence, let them know that someone cared about and forgave them. He visited each of them and encouraged them to find the strength every day to get the most out of life, despite their situation, and never to give up hope, because miracles were always possible. Both Tony and Danny appreciated his visits, and even Danny, who was usually uncomfortable talking about his feelings, would sincerely thank him for coming. Mr. Hamilton never failed to bring each of them a few copies of
Sports Illustrated
, and they would pore over these pages again and again.
    Then one day that miracle Mr. Hamilton had been talking about happened. They each received an identical letter from Kevin Grant. Yes, the very same Kevin Grant whom Danny had clubbed in the head, whose pregnant wife had been shoved to the floor, whose parents’ house they had robbed, and who had spent a month in the hospital and another year recovering from the wounds they had inflicted.
    He wrote that after years of hating them, he had come to the conclusion that the only way he could be free of his misery was to forgive them. He wanted to write to their warden and ask for a meeting with them, so he could personally forgive them. He needed to do this for himself, not for them, and he wanted their permission before he wrote to the warden.
    Imagine that
, thought Tony.
Here we beat the crap out of this guy and, four years later, he’s asking us for permission to come and forgive us!
There was honesty in that letter that was undeniable. Jesus taught that unless you can forgive those who have harmed you, you will never be free. Tony remembered the verses as: “And forgive us our debts, as we