repast when Jonathan arrived. After hearty greetings, he accepted the cup of black coffee from his wife and settled into the chair next to Henry.
For the next few moments it was man-talk that flowed in the parlor. Christine noted Henry’s eyes lifting to the face of the grandfather clock now and then. The hands were busily ticking away the minutes, and Christine knew Henry was anxious about the time. She decided to aid him in the matter.
“I’ll just get my wraps from the bedroom and join you in the hall.”
He nodded, his eyes thanking her for her understanding.
There was the usual flurry of last-minute cautions and embraces. And then they were in the car and moving off through the city streets toward the open highway. Henry looked intent on getting out of the city and onto the highway, so it was several minutes before either of them spoke.
“How has your visit been?” asked Henry finally.
“Good. We bought the material and Mother did a great job of sewing the suit.”
“Mother always does.”
Christine nodded. “I hope Amber likes our choice.”
“Amber will love it.”
“Oh, so we speak for her now, do we?” teased Christine.
Henry grinned. “You know what Scripture says. ‘They shall become one.’ ”
“But you’re not one yet.”
“No—not yet. It seems every day drags just a little bit more. I never knew time could pass so slowly,” Henry groaned.
Christine knew he was teasing, but she couldn’t keep from casting him a sideways glance. “So you haven’t had second thoughts?”
“Every day I am more convinced.”
She nodded. “That’s good.”
“What about you?” he asked after a moment’s silence.
“Have you had any second thoughts?”
“About Boyd, you mean? No. No second thoughts. It was the only thing I could do. But . . . but I do worry at times. I wonder. If . . . if I had held to my Christian standards, could I have done more to introduce him to Christ? He’s in the air force, you know. I sometimes think how awful it would be if his plane was shot down—with him not having made peace with God.”
Henry nodded, his face serious.
“There are a lot of them in that circumstance, I’m afraid. Marching off to war with no hope should they die in the trenches. It’s scary.”
“Calgary was full of them. Everywhere you looked—uniforms.”
“I know. I saw them when I drove in.”
The wind had indeed picked up. Snow scurried across the road ahead of them in wavy shivers. Henry held the wheel firmly to keep the car headed straight.
“Have you—did you ever think about—I mean, did you ever have any thoughts about enlisting?” Christine finally found courage to ask.
“Many thoughts. And doubts. And struggles.”
“You did?”
“I did. I don’t remember wrestling in prayer as much over any other matter.”
Christine could feel her throat constrict. “Have you decided? You’re not going—are you?”
“I planned to. I even drove in to headquarters to hand in my resignation to the Force. But I was talked out of it.”
“Talked out of it? Amber?”
“No—not Amber. We had talked it over—many times, actually—and she knew it had to be my decision. No, it was my superiors. They said there are two jobs to be done in wartime. Some need to go. But there is also a job that needs to continue being done at home—to keep stability. To hold things together so those who have gone will have something to come back to. We need a strong, secure base. Our boys need that.”
Christine let her breath out slowly. Henry would not be going off to war.
“So you are—you feel at peace about it all now?”
“I do. Oh, it wasn’t just the conversations. It was a scripture I read when I was searching for the answer. It seemed to speak to me directly. It talked about ‘staying by the stuff.’ I realized that was an important part of the job too. It’s not a case of copping out. Not when you take your duties seriously.”
“Amber must be relieved.”
Henry
For the next few moments it was man-talk that flowed in the parlor. Christine noted Henry’s eyes lifting to the face of the grandfather clock now and then. The hands were busily ticking away the minutes, and Christine knew Henry was anxious about the time. She decided to aid him in the matter.
“I’ll just get my wraps from the bedroom and join you in the hall.”
He nodded, his eyes thanking her for her understanding.
There was the usual flurry of last-minute cautions and embraces. And then they were in the car and moving off through the city streets toward the open highway. Henry looked intent on getting out of the city and onto the highway, so it was several minutes before either of them spoke.
“How has your visit been?” asked Henry finally.
“Good. We bought the material and Mother did a great job of sewing the suit.”
“Mother always does.”
Christine nodded. “I hope Amber likes our choice.”
“Amber will love it.”
“Oh, so we speak for her now, do we?” teased Christine.
Henry grinned. “You know what Scripture says. ‘They shall become one.’ ”
“But you’re not one yet.”
“No—not yet. It seems every day drags just a little bit more. I never knew time could pass so slowly,” Henry groaned.
Christine knew he was teasing, but she couldn’t keep from casting him a sideways glance. “So you haven’t had second thoughts?”
“Every day I am more convinced.”
She nodded. “That’s good.”
“What about you?” he asked after a moment’s silence.
“Have you had any second thoughts?”
“About Boyd, you mean? No. No second thoughts. It was the only thing I could do. But . . . but I do worry at times. I wonder. If . . . if I had held to my Christian standards, could I have done more to introduce him to Christ? He’s in the air force, you know. I sometimes think how awful it would be if his plane was shot down—with him not having made peace with God.”
Henry nodded, his face serious.
“There are a lot of them in that circumstance, I’m afraid. Marching off to war with no hope should they die in the trenches. It’s scary.”
“Calgary was full of them. Everywhere you looked—uniforms.”
“I know. I saw them when I drove in.”
The wind had indeed picked up. Snow scurried across the road ahead of them in wavy shivers. Henry held the wheel firmly to keep the car headed straight.
“Have you—did you ever think about—I mean, did you ever have any thoughts about enlisting?” Christine finally found courage to ask.
“Many thoughts. And doubts. And struggles.”
“You did?”
“I did. I don’t remember wrestling in prayer as much over any other matter.”
Christine could feel her throat constrict. “Have you decided? You’re not going—are you?”
“I planned to. I even drove in to headquarters to hand in my resignation to the Force. But I was talked out of it.”
“Talked out of it? Amber?”
“No—not Amber. We had talked it over—many times, actually—and she knew it had to be my decision. No, it was my superiors. They said there are two jobs to be done in wartime. Some need to go. But there is also a job that needs to continue being done at home—to keep stability. To hold things together so those who have gone will have something to come back to. We need a strong, secure base. Our boys need that.”
Christine let her breath out slowly. Henry would not be going off to war.
“So you are—you feel at peace about it all now?”
“I do. Oh, it wasn’t just the conversations. It was a scripture I read when I was searching for the answer. It seemed to speak to me directly. It talked about ‘staying by the stuff.’ I realized that was an important part of the job too. It’s not a case of copping out. Not when you take your duties seriously.”
“Amber must be relieved.”
Henry
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