| The Creative Expressions of... Bill Vivrett |
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| Updated 03.02.06 |
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| Page 7 of 8 |
| The Troll... "For you it wasn't...until now," came the reply. They were completely away from the town now. As they came closer, Gabrielle, in the lead, a figure in white approached them. Harry could already feel the warmth of HIS healing power within. Harry walked faster, this time focused with child-like awe. Harry-John felt suddenly energized throughout his entire being. "I know HIM!" he exclaimed and moved ahead of her. She stopped and when he turned around to repeat it, she was gone. Oh, there were still a few rumors of sightings. Usually from the town drunk or the milkman, something about cash found in his empty returnables-but they never saw him. Harry was working the produce route full time now to save money. "Call me John, now. You know, like the one whom Jesus loved," Harry announced to Erich early one Spring morning just after Easter Sunday. "I'll call you whatever you want," Erich bantered, "As long as you keep working so hard." Erich Stechbarger had become totally taken with his young helper and he had been mentoring him in all matters, helping him to become a godly young man. Erich helped him send a telegram to Little Rock in response to the railroad's investigation of a possible missing passenger somewhere in the Heartland Hills between St. Louis and Little Rock. Meanwhile, Kristin and Aunt Maude had been checking regularly with Missouri Pacific authorities in St. Louis, Poplar Bluff and Little Rock. And the troop trains kept rumbling through, their windows stuffed with khaki-colored humanity, lonely boys bound for far away places. They would come back men, if they came back. John's only telegram to his sister Kristin was terse. "New life for us both. STOP Join you very soon. STOP Love, forever, John." STOP "He scrubs up real nice don't he?" Bonnie Blue commented to Ole' Blue at the busy town station to see John off. Of course, all she had ever seen of him was just the late night shadow-of-turning by her window. As for Blue, he had never really seen him either-not once. But when he went up to bring his chess set home, he could easily see that he'd been checkmated! Ole' Blue just smiled. "Daddy he is-just beautiful, now. He almost shines," Erich's youngest daughter exclaimed, vociferously. She especially admired John's thick blond curls and said so. "That inner beauty was there all the time, honey." Erich Stechbarger gently answered, scooping up his daughter in his powerful arms. "Even through the worst of it," he added, almost to himself. "But not until he met Day Spring was it this clear and focused," her mother answered, continuing "He has a certain something-New," she finished, with conviction. |
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