DeletedUser8396
Guest
you always write such dark stories?
I was always told to do what I'm good at.
DeletedUser40768
Guest
you always write such dark stories?
Well bad things happen in reality don't they
Would be nice if life had the happily ever after ending to every situation though Anyway nice story a pebble, enjoyed reading it the first time you wrote it, and now this revised version makes it even better DeletedUser23986
Guest
Well, yeah, the story is actually good.
Varun
Strategos
Here's a detailed review.
The writing flow and style is very good. Especially I like the flow where it turns from an innocuous friendship to a dark twist in the plot. The twist is similar to the one seen in the play, 'Sorry, Wrong Number'.
Also, the main character's emotions are very well portrayed by the usage of the words. Plus, it is possible to get immersed in the character and imagine oneself to be him. This means that the character development has been particularly good and structured.
I do not need to go for any grammatical errors, obviously. [ Come on, pebs has written it ]
The only improvement that I would like to suggest is this. Supposing, that you want to make this plot even darker, you should allow the main characters to fall in love. The heartbreak would be kinda intense. (Please do not judge me from this statement. Am merely stating the fact)
The writing flow and style is very good. Especially I like the flow where it turns from an innocuous friendship to a dark twist in the plot. The twist is similar to the one seen in the play, 'Sorry, Wrong Number'.
Also, the main character's emotions are very well portrayed by the usage of the words. Plus, it is possible to get immersed in the character and imagine oneself to be him. This means that the character development has been particularly good and structured.
I do not need to go for any grammatical errors, obviously. [ Come on, pebs has written it
]The only improvement that I would like to suggest is this. Supposing, that you want to make this plot even darker, you should allow the main characters to fall in love. The heartbreak would be kinda intense. (Please do not judge me from this statement. Am merely stating the fact)
DeletedUser8396
Guest
I originally debated on making this a true to the name love story with a tragic end. I decided against it as I felt it would be too cliche (which, let's be honest, it would be). It's not a bad suggestion and, yes, it would add to the intensity, but it would make it a feel that I didn't want to portray and in the long run make it have less of an impact due to cliche.
P.S. - Cant tell if you mean it's full of grammar errors or it is grammatically perfect (I have a feeling which
)
Varun
Strategos
I originally debated on making this a true to the name love story with a tragic end. I decided against it as I felt it would be too cliche (which, let's be honest, it would be). It's not a bad suggestion and, yes, it would add to the intensity, but it would make it a feel that I didn't want to portray and in the long run make it have less of an impact due to cliche.
P.S. - Cant tell if you mean it's full of grammar errors or it is grammatically perfect (I have a feeling which
About ps : which one do ya think?
( although I meant its error free)DeletedUser8396
Guest
About ps : which one do ya think?
I thought you meant full of errors lol...I'm not always good with grammar (I know it...I just don't care lol).
DeletedUser8396
Guest
The Chain Between Hope and Love
Please give this a read. I spent a lil while on it. It is also what I want to do when I am able. It truly is a touching read. Please respect all elements even if you disagree.
_____________________________________________________________________
A man walks down the street: dark black suit, a pinstripe added touch, with a beaming red tie to finish off the set. He carries a brief case at his side, gold plated handles- securing something indeed important. He then proceeds down the sidewalk into what appears to be an office – his office. A rather large building, very tall in fact. He walks up to the security officer and greets him by name, “Hey Jim. How’s the wife doin’?”
The guard simply smiles in response and nods his head as if to signal that all is well. The man seemed to understand the gesture, so proceeded on toward the elevator after checking in at the front desk with his key card. Up the elevator he goes to nearly the top floor, still holding briefcase in hand. He walks into his office and sets his body firmly in his fine leather chair. He takes a sigh of relief and begins his day.
A few hours go on passed and a red haired woman walks up to greet him for the day.
“Good morning, sir!” she says ecstatically, “Congratulations on making Senior Partner! In fact, I believe I have your first paycheck with your new salary in my cart. Let me check.”
“Thank you Tiff, it means a lot to me to have made it this far.”
She stumbles through her cart where she finds a sleek white letter with the man’s name on it. Upon finding it she replies, “Yep, here it is. Glad to have you on board! See you around.”
“See ya, Tiff.”
He grabs the engraved letter opener from his desk and opens the paycheck. But just as he is about to pull the information from the letter, he notices the engraving on the letter opener reading “Matthew 25:40”. Curious, he looks up the verse online and finds the verse reads: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
He sits back in his chair, letter still resting on his desk, and thinks to himself. He remembers several instances of Sunday School when he grew up hearing constant stories of Jesus helping others and a faint memory of the verse he had just read, but thought, “that…that’s years ago…”
He still considered himself a Christian, despite not paying it much heed in recent years. He had been too busy – college, law school, working his way up to Senior Partner – it takes time! But he couldn’t rip his mind away from that verse…particularly “the least of these brothers and sisters” portion. He played it over and again in his head, until he had a thought.
He snatched up the letter, opened it, and looked at his check. Astounded by the amount, he peered out his head from his office and asked, “Hey Tiff, about how regularly do these checks come in?”
“About once every two weeks, sir.”
Stunned by the overabundant pay he was receiving, he gave back a shaky, “Th-thanks.”
He went through the rest of his day, still thinking about what he had read and his idea on what to do with it. He barely even slept half a wink and it was time to go again. But he knew he was needed elsewhere. He called into the firm and said he needed the day off – that he was busy. No one dared to question the Senior Partner for one missed day, so he took the opportunity to act on yesterday’s events.
“The least of these…the least of these…” he thought.
***
He went to a local homeless shelter and surveyed the area. In the back there was a small woman with a gentle face serving some of the men and women soup and the children some Mac & Cheese. Every time one would say thank you or smile back at her, her face would have this unending glow that seemed to make the next recipient all the more joyful and grateful.
At the front of the shelter stood three elderly men with cardboard signs. One held a tin can, one a Yankees ballcap and the other a small Styrofoam cup, each with about 75 cents to a dollar’s worth of change in it. The signs read, “Anything helps, God bless”, “Need money for my boy. Please help”, and “I lost my arm in war. Please, anything helps.”
Just upon reading the signs the man nearly teared up, but he pressed on deeper into the shelter. Deeper in he found what appeared to be old mattresses, nearly rotted out underneath and close to falling through, he saw children with dirtied up faces and women with bruises and scars on their face and arms. He peered into the facilities, if only for a moment, after being repulsed by the smell, rearing back his head. A distinct smell of feces coupled with alcohol and vomit. He couldn’t understand how someone could bear to live like this, but soon realized desperation can motivate many types of behavior.
He came up to one man in his early twenties that seemed to touch his heart more than the others. He walked up to him and asked, “What’s your name son?”
Hostile, as if bombarded by a similar question often, “I’m over 18, my parents are dead. Shove off.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I’m not a minor. Stop trying to take me in,” the man said.
“I’m not looking to take you in. I’m not with the government. I just want to know your name.”
Taken aback, the troubled man gives him his name, “My name is Timothy, but you can called me Tim.”
“Nice to meet you Tim. I’m a lawyer from a firm not too far from here. Would you come with me, please?”
“Oh God, you are with them! Now they get lawyers to bring people in? What kind of messed up sh-“
“Hey, hey! No, no man. I’m not taking you anywhere you don’t want to go. Just trust me, ok?”
“Whatever man, but if I even smell those government suits where we’re headin’, I’m out.”
“They won’t be there, promise.”
The two men headed out of the shelter and stepped foot into the lawyer’s car.
“So, where’re we goin?” Tim asked.
“We’re gonna go on over to Kohls and grab you some new clothes.”
“Wait, what? Wh-why?”
“Because…you…you, ummmm…”
“I what?”
The lawyer thought to himself for a moment. “…you did for me” – Matthew 25:40.
“You remind me of a friend of mine. An old friend whom I love very much.”
“What’s his name?”
“I’ll tell you later. We’re almost here.”
The car remained silent as the remaining 3 and a half minutes passed to arrive. The lawyer gestured Tim to step out of the car, where he soon followed after. He gestured for Tim to go ahead into the store.
“Go ahead, pick anything you want and as much as you want out.”
“This has to be some joke. Where are the cameras?”
“None. Go on. Pick some new clothes. I’m gonna help you pick out a suit once you get everything else.”
A few moments passed on by and Tim gathered together about 2 shirts, a pair of shorts and some jeans. He put them all in the cart and went back to the lawyer.
“Ok, here it is,” Tim said.
“That’s all? No no…I mean an entire new set of clothes. Get 7 shirts, 10 even. Get a few jeans and khaki pants. How about some plaid shorts even! And be sure to get some socks, a belt, and a shiny new pair of shoes!”
“But…I…”
“You what, son?”
“I’ve never had that many clothes before…certainly not new ones.”
“Tim. Look at me. I’m here to help you. Seriously, pick out anything you want. The sky is the limit. I’ll worry about the price.”
Tim stifled back his tears behind already glossed over eyes and proceeded back to the men’s department where he chose a few more t-shirts and a couple Polo’s. He found some nice blue and white plaid shorts to match his powder-blue t-shirt and some khakis to go with his Polo’s. After topping it off with some socks and shoes, he returned to the lawyer.
“See? That’s more like it! You ready for the suit or would you like to look around some more?”
“I think I’m ready, sir.”
“Alright then, lets head on over there.”
They walked over to the suit department and found a nice set that Tim liked very much. It was a bit large around the waste and a tad bulky on the shoulders, but it was Tim’s favorite of the selection.
“Don’t worry Tim. I’ll take you to a tailor to have to custom fitted.”
“A custom suit? For me? I’m sorry but I can’t let-“
“It’s my pleasure. It really is. Now, let’s take the clothes up to the register.”
“Yes sir.”
The two arrived at the register with a bundle of clothing in about 3 carts.
“Will this be all sir?” the cashier asked.
“Yes, one moment please.”
The lawyer turned to Tim and asked, “Tim, if you don’t mind, can you please stand behind that wall. I’d prefer you not see the price. I don’t want you to feel debted to me.”
“Alright. No problem.”
Tim walked behind the wall as the price came up on the screen.
The cashier whispered, “Your total is $1,439.47, sir. Will that be cash, credit, or debit?”
“Debit. One moment please.”
“Take your time sir.”
He swiped his card and signed his name. When the payment went through, the cashier’s face seemed puzzled, but she simply let out a, “Have a nice day sir!”
“Tim, you can come back around now.”
As the two walked toward the exit, a conversation broke out between the two.
“Why are you doing this, mister?”
“I told you, you remind me of a friend.”
“That’s hardly a reason to do all this though. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful, but it doesn’t make sense.”
“He’s a very good friend of mine. Even saved my life a while back. You’ll understand eventually.”
The two found the exit and the lawyer held the door for Tim. As Tim walked out, now wearing his new clothes, he noticed an old man on the ground with no shirt on. The man had sunburns all over his body from the scorching heat. Upon seeing this, Tim thought to himself, “If this man can give me this much…I can spare a simple shirt, right?”
Time kneeled down and reached into his bag and handed the old man a deep blue shirt and said, “Here you go sir.” The old man’s face started glowing – grinning ear to ear. The boy that recently had nothing was generous enough to give the moment upon receiving.
The two got into the car with the lawyer looking puzzled.
“Why did you give him your shirt?” he asked.
“Well…I figured I was being blessed by you…the least I could do is help someone else, right?”
“Incredible.”
The lawyer signaled his driver to pull into a hotel so that Tim could spend the night there.
“Hey Tim, I’m going to rent you out a room here until I can find you a full time apartment. Is that ok?”
“What? No…no no no. I can’t let you do that. I’m just some kid. I don’t deser-“
“I once received something I didn’t deserve. Let me tell you it is the best thing that happened to my life. Listen, I want to help you. The clothes, this hotel, and eventually the apartment will be yours. You can refuse them if you want, but I will still be paying for them in your absence with your welcome at any time.”
“I don’t under- Thank you. Thank you so much.” Tim said with a tear.
“Don’t mention it. Now, this hotel has room service and it is all linked to my bill. So, if you want a meal here feel free to order whenever you want.”
“I-I will. Thank you so so much."
“Sir, sir! Do you mind helping my friend with his clothing?” the lawyer asked.
“Yes, no problem. Here, let me take that for you. What room?”
“He’s in room 506.”
Tim and the worker disappeared up the elevator for the time being.
A week went by without the lawyer or Tim meeting up, but the lawyer had gathered some estimates on some local apartments for Tim to look at. The lawyer planned on going to meet Tim that afternoon to discuss some of the options.
Around 2:00 p.m. the lawyer started up the elevator heading toward room 506. He knocked on the door and called for Tim.
“Hey Tim, it’s me. Your friend from a week ago? Mind opening up? I’ve got some stuff to discuss.”
“Yea, one sec!”
One could hear a fast shuffle over to the door and the hear it slowly creak as he pulled he turned the handle and opened the door.
“Hey, hey! Come on in! There’s a couch in here and a bed if you want. Or a chair too. It’s so nice in here, nice and cool.”
“So you’re enjoying yourself? Finding the place cozy?”
“Yea man, it’s great. I can’t thank you enough!”
“It’s no issue, really it isn’t. I do have some apartments I’d like you to look at though.”
‘Oh, ummmm, ok I guess.”
“I have about 3 with me – all very nice. Here’s the first one: 2 bedroom 1.5 bath. Overlooks the city – great view. Comes fully furnished with appliances in the kitchen. Very lovely place. Not the biggest apartment, but it’s very nice.
“Then we have option two: A bit further away from the center of the city, so with that comes a bit more space. 2 bed and 2 bath. A bit quieter, so easier to relax.
“Then the third: My personal favorite. It has 2 bedrooms 1.5 bath, splendid view of a forest. It’s the second biggest of the three and it’s closest to your new tutor, so that works-“
“Wait wait wait…my what?
“Your tutor. I hired a private tutor for you to get caught up on schooling so you could go on to college. So, back to the rooms. Which is your favorite?”
The room went silent. Tim’s face slowly turned pale, as if he were in shock.
“Tim, is- is everything alright?”
“Yeah, yeah…it’s just…just that I never got to finish High School. I dropped out because I had to work for food. I never even dreamed I would…that I would be able to go to college.”
“Well, I’m here to help make that happen. What did you want to be when you got older?”
“I always dreamed of being an Architect. Being able to design things and see them be built knowing I had a part in it. I find it beautiful.”
“It is, son. And you and I are going to make it happen, ok?”
Tim sniffled and wiped away a streaming tear and said, “Ok. Ok, let’s do this.”
“Alright, so which apartment do you like most?”
“I think I’d like the third one, if that’s ok.”
“The third one? You got it. I’ll tell her that we’ll take it. You’ll probably be able to move in within the week.”
“Hey, thanks. Seriously. Thank you. It means so much to me that you’d even care.”
“No problem, friend. I’ll keep in touch. The tutoring sessions should begin in a few weeks, so I’ll introduce you to her then.”
The lawyer left for the day and returned to his office to continue working. A week went by and the apartment was ready to be moved into, so the lawyer went to grab Tim and get his things ready.
“Hey Tim? You there?” he asked.
“Yea, just a second.”
He opened the door with a wide grin on his face and said, “Is it ready? The apartment?”
Chuckling a bit, “Yea, just yesterday. So we need to pack you up and head over there.”
“Oh, I’m already packed. Been packed actually, for nearly a week.”
“Wow, you must be excited. Well, come on them, let’s move it on down and out!”
The two managed to get the luggage out of the hotel and moved into the apartment, where the lawyer gave Tim the basic tour:
“Here is the Master Bedroom – where you’ll be staying. King size bed, Satellite TV, and more. In the adjacent room, we have the Master bath. Here, let’s come out to the main area again.”
The two walked into the living area (open to the kitchen) where the tour continued:
“Here we have the living area with a leather couch and another TV and next to it is the kitchen, equipped with microwave, stove and fried. Still working on the toaster and coffee pot though. No worries.”
“It’s perfect. Everything I always dreamed of.”
Both Tim and the lawyer’s eyes began to water, with Tim’s breaking first into streams. He turned around and ran up to the lawyer, giving him a tight hug that seemed to last forever.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
The hug ended with both awkwardly standing waiting for what to do next.
“Hey, so, uh, the tutor said she’d love to meet you tomorrow if that’s ok?”
“Yea, yeah. Sure thing. Can’t wait!”
“Ok, I’ll let her know. I’m about to head out for a bit to eat if you’d like to come?”
“I’d love to.”
The two went down the elevator and headed to go eat.
“So, tell me Tim. What’s your story?”
“My what?”
“Your story. Like, what was your life like and how’d it happen.”
“Oh. Well, when I was about 11 my parents died on their way to a conference. I don’t remember much except a police officer explaining they weren’t coming home. The Feds then took me and placed me in with my Uncle, but he only wanted me for the checks they’d send. Almost every other night he’d either cut or bruise me and, when he didn’t, I’d often not be allowed to eat. I made it about 2 years until I ran away.”
“I see. And how’d you get to the shelter where I found you?”
“Well, when I escaped, I found this one elderly lady that told me where I could get some food, so I ran to the shelters. But I ended up having to jump shelter to shelter because if you see a 13 year old kid in a homeless shelter begging for food, you should kinda call the Feds. But I didn’t want them to find me – they’d bring me back to my Uncle and I refused to let that happen. So I did that for a number of years and then you came.”
“Wow. It’s amazing how you’re still standing here today. You’ve gone through more than I can imagine, yet I even find my life difficult now.”
“Well, I did have some help along the way, y’know,” he said jokingly.
“Haha, yea, I suppose.”
The two finished their meal and headed off to their own apartments with Tim resting comfortably in his new apartment and the lawyer in his. The night dragged on, but while Tim slept easily, the lawyer couldn’t find peace. He remembered Tim’s story…feeling ashamed that although Tim had gone through so much, he could stand, yet when the slightest pain came across himself he would crumble. That Tim – just a young man – was infinitely more resilient to life’s battery and assault, but that the grown lawyer couldn’t stand when the wind blew.
“He’s gone through so much. More than I could ever dream up in a nightmare. How condemning…how inspiring.”
A few more tosses and turns in the mix, but eventually he found rest. The last few hours rolled around ended abruptly by the ringing of his alarm. He got up and called the tutor who was already preparing for her first day with the new student.
“Hello. We spoke earlier about a friend of mine whom you’ll be tutoring. Are we still on for that at 11:00 a.m.?”
“Yes. Yes sir. I’m gathering together the materials as we speak. And I’ll keep in mind what you said: be gentle at first…that he may not know everything right away. And I assure you, I’ll be gentle but motivating. I have a few placement courses to test both his aptitude and current capacity.”
“That sounds great. He looks forward to seeing you in the next few hours. Goodbye.”
“I’ll speak with you again later. Thank you. Goodbye.”
He hung up the phone just to call Tim a moment later – to get him to prepare.
“Hey Tim, it’s me.”
Clearly just awoken by the call, “Wha-what? I’m sorry, who is this?”
“Tim, it’s me. The tutor is going to be there in about 3 hours. Go ahead and get washed up and dressed. Also- please eat some breakfast. It’s the most impor-“
“-tant meal of the day. Yea yea. My mom said that a lot when I was younger. Will do. I take it she is meeting me at the apartment?”
Still slightly laughing from his comment, “Yes, at your apartment. Should be there around 11 a.m.”
“Ok, thanks for calling and letting me know. I’m going to get ready. Will you be here when she arrives?”
“Not today. I’m afraid I can’t make it. Big meeting today at the office. She only wants to meet you and give you 2 tests to see where to start. If anything goes wrong, let me know.”
“Yes sir. I will. Gonna go get that shower. See you sometime later.”
“Alright, you do that. See ya around Tim.”
Tim put the phone on the hook and breathed out a sigh – one resembling a mixture of relief and of happiness.
“My own shower,” he said to himself, “My own personal shower. How is this happening? Why would he be this loving to some homeless stranger?”
He drew back a tear and pulled off the covers. He snagged a towel from the closet and got his favorite shirt and a pair of khakis laid out ready for when he finished in the shower. He threw the town on the rack and stepped into the now warm shower. He felt a rush of peace – a sense of safety – as the water beat and rushed down his skin. He remembered the shelter – the cold public showers – and how he never wanted to go back and that now he’d never have to. Giving his hair a good wash, he stepped out into the oh-so-suddenly arctic bathroom floor.
“Oh, oh that’s cold. Woo, get the towel, get the towel. Sweet baby Jesus grab the towel.”
Finally reaching the relatively ‘warm’ towel, he went back to his bedroom to dry off. He dusted his hair dry and went to the bathroom to give it a good comb before he got dressed. He walked back to his bed where the clothes were laid out, and slipped on his shirt and pants (underwear as well, mind you).
After brushing his teeth and putting on deodorant, he went out to the kitchen to pour him a nice bowl of cereal to eat as he waited for the tutor to arrive. It was just then almost 10:30, so he didn’t have much longer.
A knock came to the door, followed by a short, quick buzz.
“Tim? It’s your new tutor.”
“Yes, yes ma’am. One moment.”
Tim got up and walked over to the door. He pulled it open where he was swiftly met with a greeting.
“Hey Tim. My name is Bethany. Please don’t call me Beth. I have some books for you. Would you mind helping me with them?”
Startled at first, he replied, “Uh, yea, sure. Where would you like them?”
“Oh, just place them on the counter if that is fine with you.”
“Yes, that’s fine. Let me go get them.”
He grabbed up the books and placed them on the counter as Bethany was preparing her other set. He couldn’t help but notice her. She was a young woman – maybe a few years older than Tim, but nothing too grand. Her hair was a dark brunette, flowing down to just resting on her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep brown, complementing both her hair and face. They seemed to go on forever. She wasn’t the tallest woman, but not exactly the shortest either. Her face was gentle – easy on the eyes, a true pleasure to look upon.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“Uh, sorry. Ready for?”
“Oh, did he not tell you? I have a few placement materials for you,” she said.
“Ah! Yes, he did. Tell me, that is.”
“Ok, good. If you’d take a seat on the couch and we’ll begin.”
He was ecstatic. Her voice was perfect. Soft, nurturing…loving. He played it in his head over and again as if a new favorite song. She was almost like a dream – to good to be real, but she was real indeed.
“Ok. Here’s a pen. Simply put A, B, C, or D in the blank and tell me when you’re done.”
“Thanks. Will do.”
After putting his name and date in the top right corner, he began on his first test – the capacity test. He answered the first few, but started to blankly stare at the page.
“If you don’t know one, just skip it Tim. Come back to it after the others.”
“Oh! I’m sorry, I guess I got distracted.”
“A lot on your mind?”
“Ummmm, you could say that, I guess.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I uhhh…ummm, I was just thinkin’, y’know. Well, you’re kinda pretty, I guess.”
Blushing, “Oh! Ummm, thank you. You’re very handsome as well. Now, try and finish up the test.”
Both Tim and Bethany were several shades of red ranging from light pink to full blown tomato. About 45 minutes passed and Tim had completed the test. Some he guessed on, but most he felt fairly confident on.
“Alright Tim. That’s the first one. Now the aptitude test. I’ll be grading your current assessment test while you take the aptitude test.”
She handed him the new test and began grading. After about 10 minutes passed she asked, “Tim, what grade level did you say you made it through?”
“Eighth grade, why? Did I not do well?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ll be right back.”
She stepped outside in the hall to call the lawyer.
“Hello? Is this the man who hired me for his friend?”
“Yes, this is he. Is there an issue?”
“You tell me. Is this some kind of joke?”
The lawyer, a bit startled and put off, “I’m sorry?”
“That boy claims to have only finished eighth grade yet is testing on an 11th grade level.”
“And?”
“What do you mean ‘And’? Aren’t you a bit suspicious?” she asked.
“No ma’am. I’m very aware of the capabilities of people. Something you will learn is that even the most unassuming of people can be the best you’ll ever meet. I’m certain this man is capable of much more than society has given him a chance for, which is why I hired you – to cultivate that potential.”
“Sir, I didn’t mean to- what I’m saying is…this man is testing on levels far beyond what he should be. If he’s telling the truth, then he is brilliant. Maybe even genius level.”
“Let us hope so. Have a good day Miss.”
She went back into the apartment and Tim was already finished with the aptitude test.
“Is everything ok Beth?”
“Bethany. And yes, everything is fine. More than fine actually.”
“I finished the other test.”
“Yes. Place it on the table and I’ll grade it. I’m almost done with the current one.”
“Yes ma’am.”
He sat patiently as she finished grading the tests. It took about a half hour until she was ready to call him over.
“Tim. Tim, I’m done. Would you like to know how you did?”
“I’m not sure. Was it good or bad? Oh forget it, how did they turn out?”
“You tested on the grade level of an 11th grade High School Junior. Your aptitude test suggests you have the mental capability and stability to achieve much greater things.”
“But, I only managed through 8th grade. How is that even possible, Bethany?”
“I don’t know. I truly don’t. You have mathematical foundation where there shouldn’t be any. It’s as if it simply makes sense on its own to you. Only thing you struggled in were things that used a set formula – but that is simple enough to learn. Your grammar and sentence structure is above par and you have a decent base in science. You are a rather incredible individual.”
“I-I don’t know what to say to that. I just took the tests…I didn’t expect to…wow.”
“Yes. Wow indeed. I’m going to take these to a colleague of mine and get a second opinion, but I should be ready to start our lessons by next week.”
The next day the lawyer called Tim to ask about the day before.
“Hey Tim?”
“Hey man, what’s up?”
“Oh not much. Just calling if you’re up for lunch later today and to ask about yesterday.”
“Sure, lunch sounds good. And yesterday was amazing. I remember hating learning, school, and teachers…Never know a good thing till it’s gone, right? Bethany is incredible. Very nice.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it. I’ll see you in a few.”
They both met for lunch and parted ways. Six days later the tutor came back and began her lessons – at an 11th grade level. This continued fluidly for over a year and a half: the tutoring, the apartment, the home cooked meals and lunch meetings with the lawyer. As he already received his GED, Tim’s tutoring was beginning to come to a close with just closing lessons on current material. The lawyer and Tim were at dinner to discuss the state of things.
“So, I hear you’re almost done with your lessons?” the lawyer asked.
“Yea. A bit bittersweet. I’ve kinda been enjoying em. I’m going to miss Bethany.”
“I imagine so, but I guess that’s part of life. Gain and loss.”
“I suppose.”
“There’s more…isn’t there?”
“I don’t know…maybe. Yes, maybe. I think so,” Tim stammered
“Well choose one Tim. Can’t be on the fence with stuff like this. It’ll make you sick.”
“That’s just it. I feel sick when I’m near her. My heart starts pounding, I start sweating. I get nervous. I don’t know why. I- I think I love…I think I may love her.”
“Ok. And what are you going to do about it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you going to tell her or not?”
“What? Me? Ask her out? No, she doesn’t feel the same.”
“Oh. Did she tell you this?”
“Well…no.”
“Then you don’t know.”
“But…I’m- I’m not good enough for her.”
“Tim. You are one of the strongest people I know. You have a heart as large as the ocean and a mind as sharp as a sword. You are nothing but good.”
“But I-“
“Man, I’m a lawyer for cryin’ out loud. I can do this all day. Just ask her out. What’s the worst that can happen?”
“Her say no?”
“If that’s what you’re scared of then the only logical conclusion is to ask her out, Tim.”
“I don’t follow.”
“Well, you’re scared you won’t be able to be in a relationship with her. If she says no, then that occurs. But she can also say yes. A 50% chance your fear will occur. Yet, if you do not ask, there certainly will never be a relationship. A 100% chance at your fear.”
“But-“
“No buts. You know I’m right, as much as you hate it,” he said with a laugh.
“I suppose. I’ll ask her after tomorrow’s session. But, I’m guessing after I finish the tutoring, you and I part ways?”
“Oh, no no. We aren’t done. You still have college. To be an architect, right?”
“You’re paying for my college?”
“Not sure why you’re still surprised, to be honest. But yes. I have some connections to a nearby University that should be a good fit for you.”
“Wow, you’re really something else. Why do you keep on doing this for me? You didn’t even know me.”
“I told you time and again – you remind me of-“
“No! NO! I want a real answer. There has to be more than some friend.”
The lawyer looked down at his shoes and slowly back up to Tim. He wanted to tell Tim, but wanted the moment to be right. Was this the right moment, though?
“Tim, I tell you the truth. You remind me of a friend of mine. I see him when I see you. Everything I do for you, I also see as doing for him.”
“But who is he? What’s this guy’s name?”
“His name…His name is Jesus.”
“Come again?”
“Not long before I came and found you, I had just made Senior Partner in my firm. When I received my first check, I went to open the letter. But on the letter opener was the verse reference Matthew 25:40. I knew I was meant for more than just an office and a large bank account.”
“What’s the verse say?”
“The verse says: ‘The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
“You…you did all this because you-“
“Because I loved you, Tim. I didn’t know your name, but I knew the One that loved and gave His all for me loved you the same way. So I decided to give what I had to you. The only thing I ask of you in return is to one day do the same for someone else in poverty.”
“You aren’t gonna try to convert me?”
“I thought about it a while ago, but I figured that once I explained my actions and the love that motivated them, you’d be able to make an informed choice. If you ever want to follow Jesus, just call me and I’ll speak with you.”
“I’m ready now. What do I do?”
The lawyer explained the Gospel to Tim, how Jesus had died for his sins thousands of years ago. How He loved him unimaginably and how Salvation was available to anyone willing to believe in Christ and accept the gift. That night Tim became saved.
A few months went by and Tim went into college – payed in full by the lawyer. After four years, Tim graduated fourth in his class with a degree in Architecture. He and Bethany were engaged to be married in the coming month with the lawyer as Tim’s best man. The lawyer also managed to pull a few strings with one of his clients and land Tim a well-paying job. A friendship was forged in a love unimaginable supplied by giving the least of these hope.
Four years later:
“Bethany, keep James in the car. I won’t be long,” Tim said.
He walked up into a familiar building, one he knew all too painfully well. He looked throughout the building until a young woman in her late twenties caught his eye. He walked up to her and said, “Hello Miss. I’m an Architect from a nearby firm. Would you come with me please?”
Please give this a read. I spent a lil while on it. It is also what I want to do when I am able. It truly is a touching read. Please respect all elements even if you disagree.
_____________________________________________________________________
A man walks down the street: dark black suit, a pinstripe added touch, with a beaming red tie to finish off the set. He carries a brief case at his side, gold plated handles- securing something indeed important. He then proceeds down the sidewalk into what appears to be an office – his office. A rather large building, very tall in fact. He walks up to the security officer and greets him by name, “Hey Jim. How’s the wife doin’?”
The guard simply smiles in response and nods his head as if to signal that all is well. The man seemed to understand the gesture, so proceeded on toward the elevator after checking in at the front desk with his key card. Up the elevator he goes to nearly the top floor, still holding briefcase in hand. He walks into his office and sets his body firmly in his fine leather chair. He takes a sigh of relief and begins his day.
A few hours go on passed and a red haired woman walks up to greet him for the day.
“Good morning, sir!” she says ecstatically, “Congratulations on making Senior Partner! In fact, I believe I have your first paycheck with your new salary in my cart. Let me check.”
“Thank you Tiff, it means a lot to me to have made it this far.”
She stumbles through her cart where she finds a sleek white letter with the man’s name on it. Upon finding it she replies, “Yep, here it is. Glad to have you on board! See you around.”
“See ya, Tiff.”
He grabs the engraved letter opener from his desk and opens the paycheck. But just as he is about to pull the information from the letter, he notices the engraving on the letter opener reading “Matthew 25:40”. Curious, he looks up the verse online and finds the verse reads: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
He sits back in his chair, letter still resting on his desk, and thinks to himself. He remembers several instances of Sunday School when he grew up hearing constant stories of Jesus helping others and a faint memory of the verse he had just read, but thought, “that…that’s years ago…”
He still considered himself a Christian, despite not paying it much heed in recent years. He had been too busy – college, law school, working his way up to Senior Partner – it takes time! But he couldn’t rip his mind away from that verse…particularly “the least of these brothers and sisters” portion. He played it over and again in his head, until he had a thought.
He snatched up the letter, opened it, and looked at his check. Astounded by the amount, he peered out his head from his office and asked, “Hey Tiff, about how regularly do these checks come in?”
“About once every two weeks, sir.”
Stunned by the overabundant pay he was receiving, he gave back a shaky, “Th-thanks.”
He went through the rest of his day, still thinking about what he had read and his idea on what to do with it. He barely even slept half a wink and it was time to go again. But he knew he was needed elsewhere. He called into the firm and said he needed the day off – that he was busy. No one dared to question the Senior Partner for one missed day, so he took the opportunity to act on yesterday’s events.
“The least of these…the least of these…” he thought.
***
He went to a local homeless shelter and surveyed the area. In the back there was a small woman with a gentle face serving some of the men and women soup and the children some Mac & Cheese. Every time one would say thank you or smile back at her, her face would have this unending glow that seemed to make the next recipient all the more joyful and grateful.
At the front of the shelter stood three elderly men with cardboard signs. One held a tin can, one a Yankees ballcap and the other a small Styrofoam cup, each with about 75 cents to a dollar’s worth of change in it. The signs read, “Anything helps, God bless”, “Need money for my boy. Please help”, and “I lost my arm in war. Please, anything helps.”
Just upon reading the signs the man nearly teared up, but he pressed on deeper into the shelter. Deeper in he found what appeared to be old mattresses, nearly rotted out underneath and close to falling through, he saw children with dirtied up faces and women with bruises and scars on their face and arms. He peered into the facilities, if only for a moment, after being repulsed by the smell, rearing back his head. A distinct smell of feces coupled with alcohol and vomit. He couldn’t understand how someone could bear to live like this, but soon realized desperation can motivate many types of behavior.
He came up to one man in his early twenties that seemed to touch his heart more than the others. He walked up to him and asked, “What’s your name son?”
Hostile, as if bombarded by a similar question often, “I’m over 18, my parents are dead. Shove off.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I’m not a minor. Stop trying to take me in,” the man said.
“I’m not looking to take you in. I’m not with the government. I just want to know your name.”
Taken aback, the troubled man gives him his name, “My name is Timothy, but you can called me Tim.”
“Nice to meet you Tim. I’m a lawyer from a firm not too far from here. Would you come with me, please?”
“Oh God, you are with them! Now they get lawyers to bring people in? What kind of messed up sh-“
“Hey, hey! No, no man. I’m not taking you anywhere you don’t want to go. Just trust me, ok?”
“Whatever man, but if I even smell those government suits where we’re headin’, I’m out.”
“They won’t be there, promise.”
The two men headed out of the shelter and stepped foot into the lawyer’s car.
“So, where’re we goin?” Tim asked.
“We’re gonna go on over to Kohls and grab you some new clothes.”
“Wait, what? Wh-why?”
“Because…you…you, ummmm…”
“I what?”
The lawyer thought to himself for a moment. “…you did for me” – Matthew 25:40.
“You remind me of a friend of mine. An old friend whom I love very much.”
“What’s his name?”
“I’ll tell you later. We’re almost here.”
The car remained silent as the remaining 3 and a half minutes passed to arrive. The lawyer gestured Tim to step out of the car, where he soon followed after. He gestured for Tim to go ahead into the store.
“Go ahead, pick anything you want and as much as you want out.”
“This has to be some joke. Where are the cameras?”
“None. Go on. Pick some new clothes. I’m gonna help you pick out a suit once you get everything else.”
A few moments passed on by and Tim gathered together about 2 shirts, a pair of shorts and some jeans. He put them all in the cart and went back to the lawyer.
“Ok, here it is,” Tim said.
“That’s all? No no…I mean an entire new set of clothes. Get 7 shirts, 10 even. Get a few jeans and khaki pants. How about some plaid shorts even! And be sure to get some socks, a belt, and a shiny new pair of shoes!”
“But…I…”
“You what, son?”
“I’ve never had that many clothes before…certainly not new ones.”
“Tim. Look at me. I’m here to help you. Seriously, pick out anything you want. The sky is the limit. I’ll worry about the price.”
Tim stifled back his tears behind already glossed over eyes and proceeded back to the men’s department where he chose a few more t-shirts and a couple Polo’s. He found some nice blue and white plaid shorts to match his powder-blue t-shirt and some khakis to go with his Polo’s. After topping it off with some socks and shoes, he returned to the lawyer.
“See? That’s more like it! You ready for the suit or would you like to look around some more?”
“I think I’m ready, sir.”
“Alright then, lets head on over there.”
They walked over to the suit department and found a nice set that Tim liked very much. It was a bit large around the waste and a tad bulky on the shoulders, but it was Tim’s favorite of the selection.
“Don’t worry Tim. I’ll take you to a tailor to have to custom fitted.”
“A custom suit? For me? I’m sorry but I can’t let-“
“It’s my pleasure. It really is. Now, let’s take the clothes up to the register.”
“Yes sir.”
The two arrived at the register with a bundle of clothing in about 3 carts.
“Will this be all sir?” the cashier asked.
“Yes, one moment please.”
The lawyer turned to Tim and asked, “Tim, if you don’t mind, can you please stand behind that wall. I’d prefer you not see the price. I don’t want you to feel debted to me.”
“Alright. No problem.”
Tim walked behind the wall as the price came up on the screen.
The cashier whispered, “Your total is $1,439.47, sir. Will that be cash, credit, or debit?”
“Debit. One moment please.”
“Take your time sir.”
He swiped his card and signed his name. When the payment went through, the cashier’s face seemed puzzled, but she simply let out a, “Have a nice day sir!”
“Tim, you can come back around now.”
As the two walked toward the exit, a conversation broke out between the two.
“Why are you doing this, mister?”
“I told you, you remind me of a friend.”
“That’s hardly a reason to do all this though. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful, but it doesn’t make sense.”
“He’s a very good friend of mine. Even saved my life a while back. You’ll understand eventually.”
The two found the exit and the lawyer held the door for Tim. As Tim walked out, now wearing his new clothes, he noticed an old man on the ground with no shirt on. The man had sunburns all over his body from the scorching heat. Upon seeing this, Tim thought to himself, “If this man can give me this much…I can spare a simple shirt, right?”
Time kneeled down and reached into his bag and handed the old man a deep blue shirt and said, “Here you go sir.” The old man’s face started glowing – grinning ear to ear. The boy that recently had nothing was generous enough to give the moment upon receiving.
The two got into the car with the lawyer looking puzzled.
“Why did you give him your shirt?” he asked.
“Well…I figured I was being blessed by you…the least I could do is help someone else, right?”
“Incredible.”
The lawyer signaled his driver to pull into a hotel so that Tim could spend the night there.
“Hey Tim, I’m going to rent you out a room here until I can find you a full time apartment. Is that ok?”
“What? No…no no no. I can’t let you do that. I’m just some kid. I don’t deser-“
“I once received something I didn’t deserve. Let me tell you it is the best thing that happened to my life. Listen, I want to help you. The clothes, this hotel, and eventually the apartment will be yours. You can refuse them if you want, but I will still be paying for them in your absence with your welcome at any time.”
“I don’t under- Thank you. Thank you so much.” Tim said with a tear.
“Don’t mention it. Now, this hotel has room service and it is all linked to my bill. So, if you want a meal here feel free to order whenever you want.”
“I-I will. Thank you so so much."
“Sir, sir! Do you mind helping my friend with his clothing?” the lawyer asked.
“Yes, no problem. Here, let me take that for you. What room?”
“He’s in room 506.”
Tim and the worker disappeared up the elevator for the time being.
A week went by without the lawyer or Tim meeting up, but the lawyer had gathered some estimates on some local apartments for Tim to look at. The lawyer planned on going to meet Tim that afternoon to discuss some of the options.
Around 2:00 p.m. the lawyer started up the elevator heading toward room 506. He knocked on the door and called for Tim.
“Hey Tim, it’s me. Your friend from a week ago? Mind opening up? I’ve got some stuff to discuss.”
“Yea, one sec!”
One could hear a fast shuffle over to the door and the hear it slowly creak as he pulled he turned the handle and opened the door.
“Hey, hey! Come on in! There’s a couch in here and a bed if you want. Or a chair too. It’s so nice in here, nice and cool.”
“So you’re enjoying yourself? Finding the place cozy?”
“Yea man, it’s great. I can’t thank you enough!”
“It’s no issue, really it isn’t. I do have some apartments I’d like you to look at though.”
‘Oh, ummmm, ok I guess.”
“I have about 3 with me – all very nice. Here’s the first one: 2 bedroom 1.5 bath. Overlooks the city – great view. Comes fully furnished with appliances in the kitchen. Very lovely place. Not the biggest apartment, but it’s very nice.
“Then we have option two: A bit further away from the center of the city, so with that comes a bit more space. 2 bed and 2 bath. A bit quieter, so easier to relax.
“Then the third: My personal favorite. It has 2 bedrooms 1.5 bath, splendid view of a forest. It’s the second biggest of the three and it’s closest to your new tutor, so that works-“
“Wait wait wait…my what?
“Your tutor. I hired a private tutor for you to get caught up on schooling so you could go on to college. So, back to the rooms. Which is your favorite?”
The room went silent. Tim’s face slowly turned pale, as if he were in shock.
“Tim, is- is everything alright?”
“Yeah, yeah…it’s just…just that I never got to finish High School. I dropped out because I had to work for food. I never even dreamed I would…that I would be able to go to college.”
“Well, I’m here to help make that happen. What did you want to be when you got older?”
“I always dreamed of being an Architect. Being able to design things and see them be built knowing I had a part in it. I find it beautiful.”
“It is, son. And you and I are going to make it happen, ok?”
Tim sniffled and wiped away a streaming tear and said, “Ok. Ok, let’s do this.”
“Alright, so which apartment do you like most?”
“I think I’d like the third one, if that’s ok.”
“The third one? You got it. I’ll tell her that we’ll take it. You’ll probably be able to move in within the week.”
“Hey, thanks. Seriously. Thank you. It means so much to me that you’d even care.”
“No problem, friend. I’ll keep in touch. The tutoring sessions should begin in a few weeks, so I’ll introduce you to her then.”
The lawyer left for the day and returned to his office to continue working. A week went by and the apartment was ready to be moved into, so the lawyer went to grab Tim and get his things ready.
“Hey Tim? You there?” he asked.
“Yea, just a second.”
He opened the door with a wide grin on his face and said, “Is it ready? The apartment?”
Chuckling a bit, “Yea, just yesterday. So we need to pack you up and head over there.”
“Oh, I’m already packed. Been packed actually, for nearly a week.”
“Wow, you must be excited. Well, come on them, let’s move it on down and out!”
The two managed to get the luggage out of the hotel and moved into the apartment, where the lawyer gave Tim the basic tour:
“Here is the Master Bedroom – where you’ll be staying. King size bed, Satellite TV, and more. In the adjacent room, we have the Master bath. Here, let’s come out to the main area again.”
The two walked into the living area (open to the kitchen) where the tour continued:
“Here we have the living area with a leather couch and another TV and next to it is the kitchen, equipped with microwave, stove and fried. Still working on the toaster and coffee pot though. No worries.”
“It’s perfect. Everything I always dreamed of.”
Both Tim and the lawyer’s eyes began to water, with Tim’s breaking first into streams. He turned around and ran up to the lawyer, giving him a tight hug that seemed to last forever.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
The hug ended with both awkwardly standing waiting for what to do next.
“Hey, so, uh, the tutor said she’d love to meet you tomorrow if that’s ok?”
“Yea, yeah. Sure thing. Can’t wait!”
“Ok, I’ll let her know. I’m about to head out for a bit to eat if you’d like to come?”
“I’d love to.”
The two went down the elevator and headed to go eat.
“So, tell me Tim. What’s your story?”
“My what?”
“Your story. Like, what was your life like and how’d it happen.”
“Oh. Well, when I was about 11 my parents died on their way to a conference. I don’t remember much except a police officer explaining they weren’t coming home. The Feds then took me and placed me in with my Uncle, but he only wanted me for the checks they’d send. Almost every other night he’d either cut or bruise me and, when he didn’t, I’d often not be allowed to eat. I made it about 2 years until I ran away.”
“I see. And how’d you get to the shelter where I found you?”
“Well, when I escaped, I found this one elderly lady that told me where I could get some food, so I ran to the shelters. But I ended up having to jump shelter to shelter because if you see a 13 year old kid in a homeless shelter begging for food, you should kinda call the Feds. But I didn’t want them to find me – they’d bring me back to my Uncle and I refused to let that happen. So I did that for a number of years and then you came.”
“Wow. It’s amazing how you’re still standing here today. You’ve gone through more than I can imagine, yet I even find my life difficult now.”
“Well, I did have some help along the way, y’know,” he said jokingly.
“Haha, yea, I suppose.”
The two finished their meal and headed off to their own apartments with Tim resting comfortably in his new apartment and the lawyer in his. The night dragged on, but while Tim slept easily, the lawyer couldn’t find peace. He remembered Tim’s story…feeling ashamed that although Tim had gone through so much, he could stand, yet when the slightest pain came across himself he would crumble. That Tim – just a young man – was infinitely more resilient to life’s battery and assault, but that the grown lawyer couldn’t stand when the wind blew.
“He’s gone through so much. More than I could ever dream up in a nightmare. How condemning…how inspiring.”
A few more tosses and turns in the mix, but eventually he found rest. The last few hours rolled around ended abruptly by the ringing of his alarm. He got up and called the tutor who was already preparing for her first day with the new student.
“Hello. We spoke earlier about a friend of mine whom you’ll be tutoring. Are we still on for that at 11:00 a.m.?”
“Yes. Yes sir. I’m gathering together the materials as we speak. And I’ll keep in mind what you said: be gentle at first…that he may not know everything right away. And I assure you, I’ll be gentle but motivating. I have a few placement courses to test both his aptitude and current capacity.”
“That sounds great. He looks forward to seeing you in the next few hours. Goodbye.”
“I’ll speak with you again later. Thank you. Goodbye.”
He hung up the phone just to call Tim a moment later – to get him to prepare.
“Hey Tim, it’s me.”
Clearly just awoken by the call, “Wha-what? I’m sorry, who is this?”
“Tim, it’s me. The tutor is going to be there in about 3 hours. Go ahead and get washed up and dressed. Also- please eat some breakfast. It’s the most impor-“
“-tant meal of the day. Yea yea. My mom said that a lot when I was younger. Will do. I take it she is meeting me at the apartment?”
Still slightly laughing from his comment, “Yes, at your apartment. Should be there around 11 a.m.”
“Ok, thanks for calling and letting me know. I’m going to get ready. Will you be here when she arrives?”
“Not today. I’m afraid I can’t make it. Big meeting today at the office. She only wants to meet you and give you 2 tests to see where to start. If anything goes wrong, let me know.”
“Yes sir. I will. Gonna go get that shower. See you sometime later.”
“Alright, you do that. See ya around Tim.”
Tim put the phone on the hook and breathed out a sigh – one resembling a mixture of relief and of happiness.
“My own shower,” he said to himself, “My own personal shower. How is this happening? Why would he be this loving to some homeless stranger?”
He drew back a tear and pulled off the covers. He snagged a towel from the closet and got his favorite shirt and a pair of khakis laid out ready for when he finished in the shower. He threw the town on the rack and stepped into the now warm shower. He felt a rush of peace – a sense of safety – as the water beat and rushed down his skin. He remembered the shelter – the cold public showers – and how he never wanted to go back and that now he’d never have to. Giving his hair a good wash, he stepped out into the oh-so-suddenly arctic bathroom floor.
“Oh, oh that’s cold. Woo, get the towel, get the towel. Sweet baby Jesus grab the towel.”
Finally reaching the relatively ‘warm’ towel, he went back to his bedroom to dry off. He dusted his hair dry and went to the bathroom to give it a good comb before he got dressed. He walked back to his bed where the clothes were laid out, and slipped on his shirt and pants (underwear as well, mind you).
After brushing his teeth and putting on deodorant, he went out to the kitchen to pour him a nice bowl of cereal to eat as he waited for the tutor to arrive. It was just then almost 10:30, so he didn’t have much longer.
A knock came to the door, followed by a short, quick buzz.
“Tim? It’s your new tutor.”
“Yes, yes ma’am. One moment.”
Tim got up and walked over to the door. He pulled it open where he was swiftly met with a greeting.
“Hey Tim. My name is Bethany. Please don’t call me Beth. I have some books for you. Would you mind helping me with them?”
Startled at first, he replied, “Uh, yea, sure. Where would you like them?”
“Oh, just place them on the counter if that is fine with you.”
“Yes, that’s fine. Let me go get them.”
He grabbed up the books and placed them on the counter as Bethany was preparing her other set. He couldn’t help but notice her. She was a young woman – maybe a few years older than Tim, but nothing too grand. Her hair was a dark brunette, flowing down to just resting on her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep brown, complementing both her hair and face. They seemed to go on forever. She wasn’t the tallest woman, but not exactly the shortest either. Her face was gentle – easy on the eyes, a true pleasure to look upon.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“Uh, sorry. Ready for?”
“Oh, did he not tell you? I have a few placement materials for you,” she said.
“Ah! Yes, he did. Tell me, that is.”
“Ok, good. If you’d take a seat on the couch and we’ll begin.”
He was ecstatic. Her voice was perfect. Soft, nurturing…loving. He played it in his head over and again as if a new favorite song. She was almost like a dream – to good to be real, but she was real indeed.
“Ok. Here’s a pen. Simply put A, B, C, or D in the blank and tell me when you’re done.”
“Thanks. Will do.”
After putting his name and date in the top right corner, he began on his first test – the capacity test. He answered the first few, but started to blankly stare at the page.
“If you don’t know one, just skip it Tim. Come back to it after the others.”
“Oh! I’m sorry, I guess I got distracted.”
“A lot on your mind?”
“Ummmm, you could say that, I guess.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I uhhh…ummm, I was just thinkin’, y’know. Well, you’re kinda pretty, I guess.”
Blushing, “Oh! Ummm, thank you. You’re very handsome as well. Now, try and finish up the test.”
Both Tim and Bethany were several shades of red ranging from light pink to full blown tomato. About 45 minutes passed and Tim had completed the test. Some he guessed on, but most he felt fairly confident on.
“Alright Tim. That’s the first one. Now the aptitude test. I’ll be grading your current assessment test while you take the aptitude test.”
She handed him the new test and began grading. After about 10 minutes passed she asked, “Tim, what grade level did you say you made it through?”
“Eighth grade, why? Did I not do well?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ll be right back.”
She stepped outside in the hall to call the lawyer.
“Hello? Is this the man who hired me for his friend?”
“Yes, this is he. Is there an issue?”
“You tell me. Is this some kind of joke?”
The lawyer, a bit startled and put off, “I’m sorry?”
“That boy claims to have only finished eighth grade yet is testing on an 11th grade level.”
“And?”
“What do you mean ‘And’? Aren’t you a bit suspicious?” she asked.
“No ma’am. I’m very aware of the capabilities of people. Something you will learn is that even the most unassuming of people can be the best you’ll ever meet. I’m certain this man is capable of much more than society has given him a chance for, which is why I hired you – to cultivate that potential.”
“Sir, I didn’t mean to- what I’m saying is…this man is testing on levels far beyond what he should be. If he’s telling the truth, then he is brilliant. Maybe even genius level.”
“Let us hope so. Have a good day Miss.”
She went back into the apartment and Tim was already finished with the aptitude test.
“Is everything ok Beth?”
“Bethany. And yes, everything is fine. More than fine actually.”
“I finished the other test.”
“Yes. Place it on the table and I’ll grade it. I’m almost done with the current one.”
“Yes ma’am.”
He sat patiently as she finished grading the tests. It took about a half hour until she was ready to call him over.
“Tim. Tim, I’m done. Would you like to know how you did?”
“I’m not sure. Was it good or bad? Oh forget it, how did they turn out?”
“You tested on the grade level of an 11th grade High School Junior. Your aptitude test suggests you have the mental capability and stability to achieve much greater things.”
“But, I only managed through 8th grade. How is that even possible, Bethany?”
“I don’t know. I truly don’t. You have mathematical foundation where there shouldn’t be any. It’s as if it simply makes sense on its own to you. Only thing you struggled in were things that used a set formula – but that is simple enough to learn. Your grammar and sentence structure is above par and you have a decent base in science. You are a rather incredible individual.”
“I-I don’t know what to say to that. I just took the tests…I didn’t expect to…wow.”
“Yes. Wow indeed. I’m going to take these to a colleague of mine and get a second opinion, but I should be ready to start our lessons by next week.”
The next day the lawyer called Tim to ask about the day before.
“Hey Tim?”
“Hey man, what’s up?”
“Oh not much. Just calling if you’re up for lunch later today and to ask about yesterday.”
“Sure, lunch sounds good. And yesterday was amazing. I remember hating learning, school, and teachers…Never know a good thing till it’s gone, right? Bethany is incredible. Very nice.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it. I’ll see you in a few.”
They both met for lunch and parted ways. Six days later the tutor came back and began her lessons – at an 11th grade level. This continued fluidly for over a year and a half: the tutoring, the apartment, the home cooked meals and lunch meetings with the lawyer. As he already received his GED, Tim’s tutoring was beginning to come to a close with just closing lessons on current material. The lawyer and Tim were at dinner to discuss the state of things.
“So, I hear you’re almost done with your lessons?” the lawyer asked.
“Yea. A bit bittersweet. I’ve kinda been enjoying em. I’m going to miss Bethany.”
“I imagine so, but I guess that’s part of life. Gain and loss.”
“I suppose.”
“There’s more…isn’t there?”
“I don’t know…maybe. Yes, maybe. I think so,” Tim stammered
“Well choose one Tim. Can’t be on the fence with stuff like this. It’ll make you sick.”
“That’s just it. I feel sick when I’m near her. My heart starts pounding, I start sweating. I get nervous. I don’t know why. I- I think I love…I think I may love her.”
“Ok. And what are you going to do about it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you going to tell her or not?”
“What? Me? Ask her out? No, she doesn’t feel the same.”
“Oh. Did she tell you this?”
“Well…no.”
“Then you don’t know.”
“But…I’m- I’m not good enough for her.”
“Tim. You are one of the strongest people I know. You have a heart as large as the ocean and a mind as sharp as a sword. You are nothing but good.”
“But I-“
“Man, I’m a lawyer for cryin’ out loud. I can do this all day. Just ask her out. What’s the worst that can happen?”
“Her say no?”
“If that’s what you’re scared of then the only logical conclusion is to ask her out, Tim.”
“I don’t follow.”
“Well, you’re scared you won’t be able to be in a relationship with her. If she says no, then that occurs. But she can also say yes. A 50% chance your fear will occur. Yet, if you do not ask, there certainly will never be a relationship. A 100% chance at your fear.”
“But-“
“No buts. You know I’m right, as much as you hate it,” he said with a laugh.
“I suppose. I’ll ask her after tomorrow’s session. But, I’m guessing after I finish the tutoring, you and I part ways?”
“Oh, no no. We aren’t done. You still have college. To be an architect, right?”
“You’re paying for my college?”
“Not sure why you’re still surprised, to be honest. But yes. I have some connections to a nearby University that should be a good fit for you.”
“Wow, you’re really something else. Why do you keep on doing this for me? You didn’t even know me.”
“I told you time and again – you remind me of-“
“No! NO! I want a real answer. There has to be more than some friend.”
The lawyer looked down at his shoes and slowly back up to Tim. He wanted to tell Tim, but wanted the moment to be right. Was this the right moment, though?
“Tim, I tell you the truth. You remind me of a friend of mine. I see him when I see you. Everything I do for you, I also see as doing for him.”
“But who is he? What’s this guy’s name?”
“His name…His name is Jesus.”
“Come again?”
“Not long before I came and found you, I had just made Senior Partner in my firm. When I received my first check, I went to open the letter. But on the letter opener was the verse reference Matthew 25:40. I knew I was meant for more than just an office and a large bank account.”
“What’s the verse say?”
“The verse says: ‘The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
“You…you did all this because you-“
“Because I loved you, Tim. I didn’t know your name, but I knew the One that loved and gave His all for me loved you the same way. So I decided to give what I had to you. The only thing I ask of you in return is to one day do the same for someone else in poverty.”
“You aren’t gonna try to convert me?”
“I thought about it a while ago, but I figured that once I explained my actions and the love that motivated them, you’d be able to make an informed choice. If you ever want to follow Jesus, just call me and I’ll speak with you.”
“I’m ready now. What do I do?”
The lawyer explained the Gospel to Tim, how Jesus had died for his sins thousands of years ago. How He loved him unimaginably and how Salvation was available to anyone willing to believe in Christ and accept the gift. That night Tim became saved.
A few months went by and Tim went into college – payed in full by the lawyer. After four years, Tim graduated fourth in his class with a degree in Architecture. He and Bethany were engaged to be married in the coming month with the lawyer as Tim’s best man. The lawyer also managed to pull a few strings with one of his clients and land Tim a well-paying job. A friendship was forged in a love unimaginable supplied by giving the least of these hope.
Four years later:
“Bethany, keep James in the car. I won’t be long,” Tim said.
He walked up into a familiar building, one he knew all too painfully well. He looked throughout the building until a young woman in her late twenties caught his eye. He walked up to her and said, “Hello Miss. I’m an Architect from a nearby firm. Would you come with me please?”
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DeletedUser46912
Guest
Simply amazing, very touching, makes me think differently about things. +rep
DeletedUser8396
Guest
Glad you enjoyed it mate
DeletedUser46838
Guest
Too much dialogue, otherwise I like it.
DeletedUser40768
Guest
Very nice story a pebble, +rep
DeletedUser46838
Guest
Who was that woman at the end of the story?
DeletedUser40768
Guest
No clue, could be a start to a part 2 of this one or just a way to finish the story
:heh:
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DeletedUser46838
Guest
That homeless guy married his tutor and had 3 boys as their children
The End
The End
DeletedUser8396
Guest
No clue, could be a start to a part 2 of this one or just a way to finish the story
The woman he met in the 'place all too painfully familiar'? Allow me to remind you of what they lawyer said when he met Tim in the shelter:
And then relating it to the one condition for the lawyer's help:
It was Tim helping out another person in poverty, continuing the chain between hope and love.
DeletedUser46838
Guest
Ooh good on. Make a sequel please
DeletedUser8396
Guest
I'd really love to (and make this a small book series of the chain continuing), but I'm afraid I wouldn't have enough unique ideas for that many people. I'll try making a sequel with Tim helping that woman, but no guarantees.
DeletedUser46838
Guest
Do it! DO IT! DO IT DO IT!DO IT!DO IT!