Lizzie Jane noticed that Charles had used some of her mascara — very lightly, but having seen Charles before, it was obvious. Charles realized that she knew what he had done, so he replied, “Sorry — I will go back in and wash it out.”
Lizzie Jane gently grabbed his arm and said, “It is okay. I know.”
“You know what?” asked Charles nervously.
“Let's just say that I know.”
A Lizzie Jane Story
Chapter 2
By Billie Sue Pilgrim
Charles woke on a bright sunny morning. He looked around trying to determine where he was. As he relived the previous night’s events, he began to realize what a dangerous position he had placed himself in his sucide attempt. It seemed like Satan had taken over his body and he could do nothing to prevent his self destruction and was doomed to perish in the swirling waters of Coosa River — that is, until the angel came along.
He glanced around the room looking for a clock. It was 8 o’clock in the morning. He figured that he went to bed about 1 am, so that made 7 hours of sleep — the most restful sleep he experienced in a long time.
Sitting on the side of the bed, he looked at his clothes. They were the same ones that he had worn the day before. The angel had respected him enough so that she did not pull off his garments. He appreciated that. In reality, he was very modest.
Rubbing his eyes, trying to get the sleep out, he sat there for a few minutes. He tried to stand on his feet, which he did with a little difficulty. His legs felt very weak. He ventured outside the room and looked for a bathroom. Still groggy, he made his way through the living room and into the kitchen.
“Good morning. Doesn’t everything look a lot brighter this morning?” asked Lizzie Jane in a sweet song-like voice. “Jake will be in here in a minute and we will eat breakfast. He is milking the cow. How about some bacon and eggs with a buttered biscuit? We have some fresh honey, too.”
“Right now I need to go to the bathroom. You do have one, don’t you?” asked Charles.
“Oh yes, when Sam bought a couple of acres of land from Uncle Jed and put up his restaurant, one of the provisions was that he would pipe some running water from the spring on the hill. He built this house for us and included a bathroom. I never had one when I was growing up.” Lizzie Jane realized she was talking too much, so she quickly stated, “Go through that door there and it will be on your right.”
Jake came in the back door into the kitchen with a half pail of milk, poured it into a wide mouth jar and placed it in the refrigerator. Sitting down, he asked, “Have you heard from our guest this morning?”
“Yes, there he comes,” answered Lizzie Jane as Charles made his way back to the kitchen.
“Good morning. Bet you are as hungry as a horse,” said Jake.
“Well, everything smells good,” replied Charles.
“Well, here you are, boys — go to it,” said Lizzie Jane as she sat three plates of bacon and eggs on the table. In the center of the table, she sat a plate piled with homemade biscuits. She sat down next to Jake, sitting at the head of the table. Bowing her head, she gave thanks.
Charles had never been one to pray over his food, but he politely bowed his head, too. After all, this was an angel praying to God.
“Dig in,” declared Jake as he forked a biscuit. Charles took the cue and forked one, also.
“This being Saturday, I will be going into town for a few groceries. We grow our own in the garden and Lizzie Jane will can some for winter, but there are a few things we need from the store,” Jake mentioned to Charles. “Care to ride with me?”
“I guess so. Nothing else to do right now,” answered Charles.
“How about a change of clothes? I have some that I think will fit you.”
“Well, I don’t know — you all have been so nice already.”
“Well, go take a bath and I will get some of Jake’s clothes for you,” offered Lizzie Jane.
"Well — all right.”
“The towels are in the cabinet as well as the wash cloths,” said Lizzie Jane as Charles slowly headed toward the bathroom.
Lizzie Jane accompanied Jake into their bedroom to find Charles some clothes. “How about this shirt?” asked Lizzie Jane as she held up a flowery one that had been given Jake last Christmas from his mother.
“Ah, that is too sissy,” answered Jake.
“I say to offer it to him. I bet he will take it. In my dream, mother told me what I needed to know about Charles when she sent me to rescue him.”
“What about Charles?”
“I am not saying right now, but you will find out when the time comes. Charles is facing a tough road and it is going to take some people on his side for him to make it through his problem and we are some of those people. Charles is weak. I don’t know what we are going to do or how to do anything, but God knows.’
“We need to lead him to God. What he does not realize is that God will accept him just as he is, but that is a lesson he will have to learn. First, we will have to help him face his problem and go from there.”
Jake opened the bathroom door slightly without going in and handed Charles some clean clothing. In a few moments, Charles was out looking as fresh as a daisy.
Jake remarked, “I need to go to the bathroom for just a minute. I took a bath early this morning, so I will be right out.”
Lizzie Jane noticed that Charles had used some of her mascara — very lightly, but having seen Charles before, it was obvious. Charles realized that she knew what he had done, so he replied, “Sorry — I will go back in and wash it out.”
Lizzie Jane gently grabbed his arm and said, “It is okay. I know.”
“You know what?” asked Charles nervously.
“Let's just say that I know.”
Charles face blushed a cherry red, which caused Lizzie Jane to giggle a little.
“Whether you believe it or not, my mother talks to me in dreams. She told me about you. Why else do you think I would get out of bed in the middle of the night and drive so many miles to a railroad bridge in Gadsden to stop you from taking your life unless my Mother did talk to me? God knows, but He looks on the heart — not on the outward appearance. You will have problems and it will be with men. I am here to help you. Please believe that.”
“Well, you put up a good argument, but I have tried to keep it a secret — just dressing in the closet.”
“You can’t keep secrets from God.”
“I never thought about Him seeing me.”
“Well, He did and He loves you. I have been to Heaven and met Jesus. He told me that I have a long life ahead of me and God would use me in a marvelous way — in such a way that I would not believe. I was sent to you or you were sent to me, either way you want to look at it, so we will cross each bridge as we come to them. Okay?”
Charles smiled for the first time in quite awhile and said, “Okay. When I saw you, I thought you were an angel — now I know you are — my angel.”
Jake came out of the bathroom and said, “Well, let’s go.” He looked at Charles and cocked his head sideways and remarked, “You know — that shirt looks good on you.”
---To be continued
Copyright 2008 by Billie Sue Pilgrim
