Wednesday, January 14, 2004
A story
(From Joshua Harris’ I Kissed Dating Goodbye)
This is a story without an antagonist........
It was raining that night. The night was cold and droplets of water fell on Jason's back without mercy. The rain masquerade the sweat from his back. Jason was digging a hole in the front yard. NOT his own front yard, but someone else's. If he's caught again... it means big trouble. Right beside his feet was a plastic bag full of papers with words written on them. Jason was digging a hole, not so big, not so small, but big enough to have him give an effort. Finally, he saw that the hole was big enough and carefully placed the plastic bag into the hole. Carefully so he doesn't wake those sleeping inside the house, he put the dirt over the hole, covering up the plastic bag...........
The story at this point must be rewind to a few years ago.
Jason and Allie were only eighth graders. They didn't even go to the same school. Actually if it weren't for that retreat they would never have had interest in each other. Oh that Jason, so responsible, so caring about others, every where he goes you can see that he's one close to the Lord. And Allie, always so cheery, always so caring, concerned about the needs about everyone that's around her, so full of the Lord's fragrance. They met and as intelligent reader is expecting, became good friends, and even after the retreat they kept contact with each other. In this golden age of technology, you would think they Email or IM each other to keep contact, but they're old schooled, the actually wrote letters to each other, mailed. Of course, they weren't without mutual church friends, so they still see each other more often than not. Slowly and slowly, they like each other more and more, and those friendly words turned into romantic quotes and what not. To their mutual friend who knew about this, slowly and slowly they were "unofficially" officially together. Those letters got longer and longer, and they actually write them often. To them, it was something very important, something that they can't just go, "stop" and just stop. And so as their relationship grew, their lettering continued. On a side note, let this be enlightenment to those who like to email and IM. This continued for awhile. But as intelligent readers expect and all good stories are, there must be a twist.
It was their sophomore year, when Allie's dad Jim found out about this lettering and the relationship. I guess you can say that it's Jim's fault that the letters has been on-going for a couple of years yet he never realized, however as a spiritual elder and a good father, he knew to give his girl some privacy she so rightly deserved. So Jim never read her letters, or whatever she wrote. Until he stumbled on one carelessly placed letter. As he read the letter he realized what was happening. You can probably tell what happened next, and let me tell you, you're around 60% right, but not fully. As a father to their precious daughter, his initial frustration is understandable, but he thought about this further rather than pulling any blunt action. For one, he knew that Allie was too young to be in a relationship, she doesn't have the capacity to give a commitment - something that is so necessary in a relationship. And for her sake, as well as Jason's sake, this must be stopped for now. Many of you feel that Jim is the antagonist, and I thought the same when I first heard this story. But this story has no antagonist. Rather than going to Allie to discuss about this, he decided to go to the possibly more sensible person -- Jason.
And so it was. Jim called up Jason to set up a dinner date with him. Now this is something potentially dangerous, because Jim didn't know how Jason will take it. Jason is more sensible than Allie, considering where the words will be coming from (her father), but Jim doesn't really know what would happen. On the dinner table at Denny's, Jim told Jason that it's not a good relationship to continue, he and Allie are both not ready, and so on so forth. Jason, surprisingly, took it in especially well, because he knew the words of a spiritual elder are very important. Jason agreed with Jim about the relationship, even though at the same time it's hard for him to listen to these words. Jason promised that the relationship will stop. So a potentially disastrous dinner date turned out well. For those of you who hate Jim, don't be, because there are no antagonists in this story.
Jason told Allie that they needed to stop this relationship, because it's not beneficial (and many others… I wont go in details). Even though Allie thought it hard to handle, she agreed. They pray together, and it was good. They return to being normal friends, they are still able to talk to each other, have fun together with friends, and basically just BE good friends, so all in all, you wouldn't think it's too bad. All is good u say? And indeed it was for the remainder of the sophomore year. They were able to hang out as friends, talk as friends, just as before they were together. But this would not last. Junior year came and there were so much going on academically that they lost focus. Slowly and slowly they got closer again, and slowly and slowly, they were together again. This time, it was something they had to do secretly. They had to hide from both their parents and friends (in fear that they would tell anyone), it was something that they both felt guilty of, but something, somehow that they felt they needed. As typical as teenagers would say "iono", that's what they said: they don't know what to do in this spiral. This continued for about half a year.
Jim found out during the winter break, and the whole thing wasn't pretty. Jim was particularly upset at how Jason broke the promise. He promised, but now he's breaking that promise? Jim was quite the upset person. There was a lot of tension in the family when Jim found out as well. For a long time the mood in the house was silence. Jim talked to Jason and his family, and Jason's parents, already knew the history, was quite upset as well. Jason was ashamed at how he broke that promise, and was ashamed that he so lacked self-control. After a week of this happening (and Jim storming away from Jason's house), Jason went to find Jim again, and apologized, at the same time he vowed that he would keep that promise, never to break it again. At this point, you faithful readers might really be frustrated, why does Jason need to apologize! Out of love, some people might say. Yet love is more than just feeling, love is also wisdom and understanding. Jason realized that. Jason thought that in order to fulfill his promise to Jim and to protect both himself and Allie, he must completely stay away from Allie. He knew that he must disappear for awhile from Allie's life to make this thing work out for the better. So he did, and here is his method. He went to talk to Allie, not only about the recent turn of events (which Allie already had personal experience over), but also one more thing. "The letters," he said. Jason wanted the letters; all of them, every single letter he wrote to her, because he knew if she sees those letters, read those letters, he would never really disappear from her life, there will never be a sense of closure. They argued about this, yet in the end Allie conceded. With eyes full of tears, she handed over a tin box, full of letters, cards and what not. You knew she treasured that stuff, and from the way it's clean of dust, it's an item she touches often.
So it was that night, that cold night in the rain. Jason biked to Allie's house late at night, without waking up her parents, without waking up Allie, he sneaked into the front yard, took out his shovel and started to dig. Beside his feet, as faithful readers knew, was that bag of letters, inside it was not only Allie's letter, but also his letters. On that night, he buried --- deep underground --- the thing that he treasured the most. On the night, he buried a part of his childhood, a part of his teenage year, a part of his memory, a part of his life.
My faithful readers, at this point I apologize for the possible tear shed and the tissues used (but personally I don't think I'm such a good story teller).
We must fast-forward two years. In these couple of years, Allie has not heard from Jason again, not through email, not through mail, not through phone, and not even through friends… Jason even made sure that he doesn't have contact with their mutual friends. To Jason, that was what it took, and he did it. In time, they both graduated from high school, and both got into college, living the freshman life, and still, Jason did not contact Allie, even when there were no parents watching, no one to catch them. Now somewhere in the middle of the year, Allie and her parents were talking on the phone, dealing with some school issues, dorm issues and what not, when Jason was brought into the conversation through certain topics. What the parents got was a sarcastic Allie: "you expect me to know? He never talked to me ever again, never! You expect me to know?!? I don't even know where he went to college. He even took all of the letters…" Allie was in tear. Allie's mom told Jim about this, and Jim was shocked. He didn't know that Jason kept his promise to this degree. To Jim, this proves that Jason might be ready for a real commitment.
Jim found out Jason's number, through various different sources that will take too long to talk about, and called him up. Jason was surprised to receive Jim's phone call, as any other guy would, after such a long time without talking. Jim's proposal was even more surprising. No, it isn't what you think. Jim told Jason that he needs a ride to a place near his college, and asked if he's willing to give him a ride, and they can talk on the way and stuff. It was a long trip from his college to where Jim lived. Jason thought that he must have done something wrong again, except he doesn't know what it is. Jason agreed to take Jim, in hope to find out what he did wrong, only to find something quite the opposite. On the 5 hour drive, Jim told Jason about how he thought that God's time might be now and ask Jason about his idea. Jason was surprise, pleasantly, but nevertheless surprised. Jason told Jim to give him a week's time to pray to God and see what His will is. Jim still had to stay in town for a week so he agreed to Jason's proposal. During this week's time Jason prayed hard, search earnestly for God's will and direction...
A week passed and Jason went to get Jim. On the ride back, Jim thought definitely he'll get a positive response from Jason. But it wasn't to be. As intelligent readers would predict, if something went according as predicted, then it doesn't fit the flow of this story (haha… alright so it's not funny greesh -___-;;). Jason told Jim that it's not the right time for himself. Jason told Jim that he's still not ready to make such commitment, maybe he has to wait for a year or so, when he finds out more about himself, becomes more wise, etc. Jim was surprised at hearing such reply, but that reply strengthened Jim even more, Jim now knew even more that Jason was one honest to God, honest to men, and has matured. Jim remembered that time when he and Jason had that dinner talk when he told Jason about God's timing, yet this time it is Jason who was instructing him about God's timing, God has a way to play with you, he thought. Jim told Jason to go with whatever the Lord told him, and Jason will always be welcomed when he finally decides he's ready.
And so the story turns for the better (according to the reader, possibly, because in God all is good). After a year, when they were approaching the end of sophomore year in college, Jason finally felt he was ready, in front of God and to himself as well. He contacted Allie once again, and they regained contact, slowly and slowly they became what they were, good friends, and later on, together once again (third time over… people might say?). But this time it was very different from the other times. This time, they had friends' blessing, parents' blessing, and most importantly, God's blessing. Their relationship was finally where God wants it to be, after so many years of tests and trials.
The End...................
Or so you think.
The story is rapidly coming to an end, and some people will think that it did end. If you scrolled down this much, you're in luck, because the real ending is here. How can there be any other way to end this marvelous story but with how Jason proposed to Allie, right?
It was a Christmas after they graduated from college. Jason's family was invited to Allie's house to spend Christmas together, but Jason went a few hours ahead of his family for the surprise that he had for Allie. It was all planned with Jim and his wife, of course, and you can tell by that smirk Jim had all day around the house. Jason brought this tree to Allie's house, saying that it's a present for Allie. Allie was sullen at such gift. She was completely disinterested in the tree and was partly angry at Jason for giving her something like this… where's something more practical… all in Jason's plan, of course. Jason urged Allie to plant it immediately. Allie, disinterested, wasn't feeling up to it. But of course Jim was urging, "Just go" he said. Reluctantly, Allie went and picked up the shovel from the back yard, and went with Jason into the front yard. Now where to dig you might ask. But intelligent readers know better.
Yes.
Jason guided her to the spot where he buried those letters, and she took her shovel and dug. And dug. And dug. Until her shovel hit a box and made a clink noise. She removed the dirt and found that what she hit with the shovel was a familiar box inside a plastic bag. There were letters that looked so familiar, words that were so familiar. She pulled out the bag and took out some, shaking excitedly. Yes indeed it was those letters, those letters that 7 years ago Jason took from him. In tears she flipped through some pages; it was part of her memory as well. Only until after awhile did she saw that letter that was UNfamiliar in the bag. She wondered. So her hands went into and took out that unfamiliar letter and opened it. With clearly high-school writing it was clearly right on the page and in front of her eyes: "Allie – will you marry me?" Words cannot describe what she was going through. Now more than just tears, but also shocked. She turned around and saw Jason, kneeling, and had that ring presented up to her.
"Will you marry me, Allie?"
On that night, Jason not only buried what he treasured the most, but he also buried what he looked forward to the most. Full of hope and faith and perseverance about what lies ahead in the future was he when he added that extra letter into the bag... and the Lord does not dissappoint.
The rest is history.
May all of you who read this wait for God's timing and I'm sure, all of you will write your own beautiful, romantic stories… and I'll be expecting to know about it.
posted by Samuel on 1:40 AM
|
