The Last People on Earth XV – Letting Go

He was going to get a gun today, and that was final. He didn’t say anything to Miriam about it, and he would hide it from her if he had to. Maybe he could leave it in the truck. As they sat at the kitchen table that morning, eating cold cereal, he was angry, and she could tell.

He had never served them cold cereal for breakfast before, only as a snack, and he wasn’t talking. He always said how important a good breakfast was. She could see the problem on his face, and she knew what it was. “Jeremiah…….please promise me, you won’t get a gun today……” His eyes grew big. How did she know? “I can’t do that Miriam, I just can’t.” With that he slid back his chair, stood up and headed for the door, grabbing the keys to their mangled truck. With his hand on the door knob he said, “The drones are costing me my sanity, so I can’t make that promise”. Tears welled up in her eyes. He opened the door and said, “I’ll be at the neighbor’s house across the way…..” With that he opened the door, and she cried out, “Jeremiah please….”

He walked out regretting every minute of it, and everything he just said. But as he got into the mangled truck, he convinced himself he was doing the right thing. So he drove, down the lane, and through the two sets of gates, and to the neighbor’s house about a mile away. “I have to protect my family”, he said.

As soon as he walked into the neighbor’s house, he saw what he needed over the stone fireplace. He took down the 12 gauge, pump action, shotgun. He racked the chamber a few times, loving the sound. “No drone can survive this!”, he said out loud. In the den he found a whole glass enclosed, case of shotguns, and two rifles. Most farmers had been hunters, he thought to himself.

When he checked the drawers of the desk, he found the most beautiful gun he had ever seen. Tucked away in a beautifully carved leather case, with “Colt” written on it, was a collector’s edition, Colt .45 caliber revolver. And it had a pearl handle! It was stunning. He found some ammo and loaded it. Spinning the chamber, he then closed it. Next he looked around the house for bottles and cans. He could go target practicing!

It wasn’t until he was outside, ready to shoot, that he remembered Miriam. A stab of pain shot him in the heart, realizing how badly he had sounded earlier. He didn’t realize it but she had been crying the entire time, since he had left. He would never do anything to hurt her, not intentionally, and he knew she would hear the shooting. She would be horrified, and she might even lose the baby!

It was also a Friday, which meant Miriam would be lighting the Sabbath candles in a few hours, and singing the prayers. He certainly didn’t want to mess that up. He loved her singing, and he had no intentions of being a hypocrite by being angry during their beautiful time together. He loved the Amharic and the Hebrew.

He opened the chamber of the revolver, and dumped the ammo into his palm. He looked up at the sky and said, “Ok this one is in Your hands!” “Help me to trust”. As he walked back to the house he said out loud, “Maybe that’s what peace is all about…..….having the power but refusing to use it…..…” It was time to get back home, (without any guns) and apologize to his beautiful wife.

    

Writing and Image © Copyright 2015, nicodemasplusthree

Peace and blessings to everyone.

“If you love nature, you will love people.”

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The Eye of the Hurricane

There is victory in the fighting,

strength in the struggle,

and peace,

in the eye of a hurricane.

I once had a fight,

that lasted for years,

bloodied, and bruised,

I looked up asking,

for a rope,

“Can I get some help down here??”

He said, “You don’t need a rope”.

“I’m teaching you to fight”,

“to love, and to forgive”,

“to trust, without eyes”.

So now I look up when I fight,

using two hands,

my whole heart,

never doubting,

stronger than ever.

There is victory in the fighting,

strength in the struggle,

and peace,

in the eye of the hurricane.

Don’t you ever quit!

Poetry © Copyright 2015, nicodemasplusthree

image from google and noaanews.noaa.gv

Peace and blessings to everyone.

“If you love nature, you will love people.”

The Escape XIII – JLo and JJ

Microfiction

They were both surprised by a surface to air rocket, that went after the back of JJ’s F-18. “Lookout!!” JJ took evasive action, turning his plane upside down, to the left, down and then up again. The rocket barely missed him.

JLo swung around, to the right and away, banking sharply. She came down low in a turn, until the pirate vessel was in her sights. She was barely 50 ft. above the water, with the engines screaming. She yelled, “Locked and loaded, you sons of devils!!” She flipped up the plastic cover over the trigger button. The M2 Browning, from the pirates, started blasting. JLo yelled, “Go back to hell…… now!!!” She pushed the red button, and two rockets launched simultaneously. She pulled up, and banked to the right. Both rockets met their target, resulting in a ball of fire on the ocean. JLo continued with, “…..where you belong….”

The four people on the Escape saw the ball of fire, but it was very brief. After a minute even the smoke and steam were gone. The two F-18’s swung around, and then together came down low, to make sure it wasn’t there. As they flew over, there was nothing left, except a few boards, floating on the water. “And the ancient evil was destroyed”, JJ said in a low tone. “Is that from a poem?”, JLo asked. He responded with, “Yeah, but I can’t remember who said it.” “Was it Tennyson?”

Jonathan asked Belinda to head for the Dominican Republic, and Costa del Sol. “We’re flying back to New Jersey as soon as possible”, he said. They all understood. Elaine wasn’t looking well. In fact, she looked terrified, and said, “I can’t wait to get off this boat”. And she meant it.

A few minutes later the two F-18’s flew over the Escape, waving their wings in victory, and saying goodbye. They pulled up sharply, and very quickly they were in the clouds. They leveled off, and headed home. The sun was fully up now and filled the sky with beautiful colors.

At 5,000 ft, JLo said, “So, you owe me a dinner at La Plata Grande…….”. “Yeah I know….but you’re worth it!” he said. Privately he wished he’d never said anything about a bet.

JJ turned to his partner, and asked, “So are we ever going to get married – or what?” He had asked her before, in a more formal way. She turned to him, looking through their cockpit windows, and said, “JJ, my Mama didn’t raise no fool!” She broke off to the right, laughing to herself.

“Hey wait a minute!” JJ yelled at her, “What the heck does that mean??” He broke off to the right too, and followed her. Privately she was having great fun, but knew she should say something else. “It means JJ, that sooner or later we should get married!” “I would be a fool not to.”

Now that was something, he thought. “Sooner or later” she said. So there was hope after all. JLo slowed her F-18 down, and the two best friends were once again flying…….wing tip….to wing tip.

 

To be continued.

Writing and Image © Copyright 2015, nicodemasplusthree

Blessings to everyone.

“If you love nature, you will love people.”

One Flag One Country

The Conferderacy was defeated,

again yesterday,

some will always have the sin,

of pride,

the poison of hate, below,

the surface.

But healing has started,

let it pour, and rain down,

from heaven.

One flag, instead of two,

one country,

one people,

different, yet equal.

Thanks God,

we needed this.

Note: This in reference to the Confederate flag being taken down, in South Carolina. Thank God. Now the fight goes to Florida.

Peace to everyone.

Poetry and Image © Copyright 2015, nicodemasplusthree

“If you love nature, you will love people.”