This was the second story I ever wrote. It was a shock to me to realize that I had some talent at writing, and have picked it up ever since. I hope you like the story!
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Calling the Prodigal
It was a usual day for Michael. Everything had gone wrong at work and now here he was in his mixed up home again. His siblings were unruly and stubborn, always getting into things that they weren’t supposed to. Joanna, the elder sister, just under him, was constantly trying to keep the house clean, and keep the children happy. Joseph, the eldest, was always working and was only seen on weekends. The parents were conveniently in a different place, Dad to work and Mom to Laundry Care. Michael himself did his best to stay out of his sister’s way, so that she wouldn’t need another person to take care of.
Today Michael was especially down. His boss had fired him; saying that he was irresponsible, and disrespectful, and therefore he was no longer needed in that situation. Then he was bumped into at the intersection in town and had a huge dent in the side of his truck. What was life worth living for, anyway?
Michael sat down at his desk in his room, staring at the wall. Maybe there is life beyond here, this place of unhappiness, and boredom. Where could I go? Hmmmm, Chicago? Nah, that is too likely a place for them to find me. I know, up state New York. That’s where I could go! Yahoo!
Michael sat a few more minutes at his desk and then pulled one of his drawers open. He pulled out a sheet of paper, and scribbled a few words on it. Then he folded it and wrote something on the face of it.
Having done this, he grabbed his truck keys, and sauntered down stairs. Wondering into the kitchen, he wondered if Joanna had made something.
Yep, she had. Chicken sandwiches and Chocolate Chip Cookies. He grabbed a sandwich and a handful of cookies and headed out the door. Getting into his truck, he placed his sandwich and cookies on the seat beside him, and started the engine. Off, he was on the opportunity of a lifetime.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Joanna, did Michael come home at all this evening? Asked Dad.
Well, his truck was parked out there earlier, so he must be up in his room,” she answered him.
Dad wandered up to Michael’s room, to find it empty. He glanced about the room and his eyes rested upon the desk. He went over to it. Yeah, there were telltale signs that he had been here, papers shuffled about. One caught his eye. It had his name on it. He picked it up and unfolded it. After a brief minute of silence, he let out a cry. A cry that was heard even down stairs.
Joanna came rushing up, and into Michael’s room. She saw her father’s bent shoulders and knew that something was wrong. She went over to him and looked over his shoulder. Seeing the message, her eyes filled with tears. Her big strong brother was gone, who knew where. Now she would have to tell the boys that Michael was gone. How could she bear it?
Oh, Michael, Michael, why? Why did you leave? Why didn’t you take me with you? Why didn’t you just let it work out?
Joanna slowly made her way down the stairs and to the kitchen. There she stood, looking about. Yes, Michael had obviously taken some cookies and sandwiches. Oh well, why begrudge him a few sandwiches. It may be the last good sandwich he will have for a long time.
Moreover, she was right. It was the last good sandwich Michael had, ever.
Soon after his Dad found the note, Michael was speedily on his way to up state New York. He was out of the state of Vermont when he slowly began to run out of gas. “ Guess I’d better find a gas station soon,” he mused to himself.
Soon his eyes lighted upon a town. “ Oh, good they’ll have gas for sure!” he said to himself.
However, the town was sooooo large that it took up the rest of his gas to find it. Once he found it, he found that it was all out of the fuel that his truck usually used. Therefore, he chose an alternative. After filling his tank with gas, he sauntered into the station. It was brightly lit, with all sorts of fluorescent lights. He adjusted a few minutes and marched over to the sandwich counter. A confusing array of different sandwiches boggled his mind. So many choices. What to choose. Hmmmmm, I think this turkey Swiss sandwich ought to do. Picking 3 up, he went to the snack stands. Now for some potato chips!
Aaaahhhhh, so many choices here too. I’m glad Mom and Dad do this in quantity, not me. Now, where are those chips? Oh here they are. Now for the flavor. Ummmm, maybe I’ll get one of each.
Having made his choice, he walks over to the beverages. How about a six pack of root beer and Dr. Pepper. All this collected, he marches to the front counter. The clerk looks at the pile and then at Michael. “ You sure you want all this?” he asked. “ Sure, why not? I’m on my own now. A bachelor. On my way to New York to have the time of my life,” he grinned at the clerk.
The clerk shakes his head and rings it up. Then he asked for the pump number. Mike gives it to him and how much gas. “Total comes to $66.59.”
Mike whisks out his credit card and hands it to the man at the counter. The clerk swipes it and pauses a minute, then hands it back to him. “ Just checked to make sure it wouldn’t bounce,” Michael said to the clerk. “ Just got fired from my job, so I’ve got money for a while.”
The clerk looks at him weird and handed him the bag. “ Have a nice day?” he said reluctantly.
Michael dashes out the door and to his truck. Once inside, he breaks open the sandwich. Mmmmm, good sandwich, yet not quite so good as Joanna’s.
He drives out of the station, and heads for the main highway, and soon he is on his way again. He glances at his watch. “3:30p.m.!” “Wow, I didn’t realize how late it was, he said to himself. Better find a place to stretch out soon.”
Just as the sun was setting, he came up on the outskirts of a large city. He pulled into the motel parking lot, and got out. He got out and went inside. Asking for the cheapest room, he headed out to his truck and brought in what was left of his lunch, and took it up to the room with him.
Soon he was in bed. It had been a long day of travel and he was tired. However, he was having a hard time falling asleep. What kept him awake? Was it because he already missed his brothers and sister? Even his Mom and Dad? Impossible! Yet, it was so. The usual noise his little siblings made wasn’t there. Joanna’s piano wasn’t playing soft music to put the boys to sleep. He couldn’t hear his parents and Joe’s voices humming softly in the living room. All at once Michael was homesick, but he couldn’t stop it from over taking him. He buried his face in the pillow and cried, as he had never done before. Michael was homesick!
That evening, the family was sitting at the table, one place was vacant. Mike was always the one who had an interesting thing to tell them about what happened at work or in town. However, he was not here, and they didn’t know when they would ever see him again.
What could have gone wrong? Where did we err, Julia? Asked the troubled father to his wife.
She didn’t answer. Her second son, her pride of life was gone. Oh how could she bear it!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael reached up state New York, and by this time was feeling good. This was always what he wanted, yet was never old enough to do.
He found himself a motel and then headed over to a restaurant to eat. Inside one of the restaurant is a lounge, a place forbidden for young people like Michael. He sauntered into the lounge and up to the bar. A burly man looked at him and asked what he wants.
“Uh, give me a minute,” he answered. The waiter went off to help another person.
Why is this so hard,” he asked himself. After all, I am a man now and I can do as I choose.
Finally he decides and waits. The waiter came up to him.
“Make up your mind yet, young fella? He asked Michael.
Michael winced. “Uh yeah, I’d like a _____ and make it quick.”
“ You in trouble, fella? He asked Mike.
“ No, I just want to get to eating my food, that’s all,” Mike answered.
He got his drink and set himself down in one of the restaurant tables. Here his mind gave way to a host of emotions.
What was his family doing now? Did they miss him? Did they care that he left?
Mike ordered his food, ate, and thought. Periodically, he sipped at his drink.
Eventually, he finished his food and made his way slowly to the register. He paid and went to his room. He sank down onto his bed and wearily went to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Dad, where are you?” Asked Joanna.
“ In here, daughter,” came the answer from the family room.
Joanna went into the family room to find Dad and Mom sitting on the couch, talking.
She hesitates. Dad sees her and asks, “ What is it my daughter?
She swallows. “ Uh, is this a bad time, Dad? I can come back later.
No, no, come here. Your Mom and I were talking about you anyway, so you came in time, he said, motioning her to sit between them.
She sits and looks at her hands folded in her lap. She was unaware of her father observing her, until he spoke.
“ You know, Joanna, you have really grown up quite a lot since Mike left,” he said, the last with tears in his eyes.
“ Your father and I have really noticed how much you love your family, by your hard work and such. In the thought of hard work, we thought of a surprise.” Saying this, Mom took a folded piece of paper out of her pocket.
“You have a good friend, Sarah, by name who e-mails you often. Well, this morning, I received an e-mail from her Mom, Leah, saying that Sarah is off for summer vacation this next week, and she wanted to know if you could spend it with her. Your Dad and I have decided that it’s about time you have a break from your hard work. So this afternoon, if it is agreeable to you, I will e-mail Leah back to say Yes or No. Now it is your choice.”
Joanna couldn’t believe it! This was the exact thing she was going to ask them! But how did they know? Something’s weird here.
“ I – I don’t know what to say. I mean, I would love to, but how did you know I wanted to go? I mean, this is what I was going to ask you. Sarah’s place sounds like so much fun and all, and she several times mentioned that it would be neat if I came for a visit, but a whole summer? Are you sure, Mom that you can handle everything alone? Oh, I can’t wait!”
“ You needn’t worry about your Mom, Joanna, for we are planning a surprise trip for the boys that will last all summer. However, I was thinking, Julia, if we could keep this all a secret for Sarah. What a pleasant surprise to see Joanna on her doorstep one day!”
“ Leah requested I keep it a secret, and that you would too, Joanna. Sarah’s birthday is on Saturday and we are to put you on the plane early that morning, so that you will arrive in time to go out to supper with them. We have it all planned out,” Mom replied.
Let’s see... to day is Thursday, and so we may need to take Joanna out shopping so that she will have some good clothes to wear. Leah told me what kind of clothes Joanna ought to bring and she doesn’t have those,” Julia stated, smiling at her daughter.
Joanna had tears in her eyes. “ Oh, it’s so good to be alive!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*
For Mike, it was totally the opposite. How he wished he wasn’t alive. Many a time there was a thought of suicide, yet something in his gut told him to hold on a little longer.
As the summer wore by, he began to lose his carefulness as well as money. Soon he was out looking for a job. However, no one would take him, because of his bad record at previous jobs. His money was spent on parties, gambling, and all sorts of youthful delights.
Eventually, he found a job with a pig rancher, carrying out the slop to the pigs to eat. Though he was hired by the rancher, the rancher never fed him. He said that a big strong boy like him ought to feed himself. Nevertheless, whenever she could, the rancher’s wife gave him a morsel of bread to eat.
Oh is there a better life some where else?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
All this while, Joanna was with her friend Sarah. Yes, she was surprised and eagerly showed Joanna around. She took her everywhere she went, including Bible Study. There Joanna came in personal contact with Jesus Christ and believed on Him and was baptized. She then went on in her life, seeking to find joy in serving Christ in everything. Therefore, the summer passed, all to quickly for them both.
When she got home, Joanna began to tell her parents the new life she is living. Her parents immediately contacted the Reynolds and talked with them about it. The Reynolds in turn came to visit in October and shared the gospel with them. The Smith’s responded right away. Julia quit her job, and took time to learn how to be a housewife. Joanna, while visiting the Reynolds, learned to sew, so she made clothes for the family. It was a time a reformation for the family, who before where happy in their life, but turned around and are joyful because Christ is in their life.
Dad upon reading the scriptures one-day suddenly laid the book down and said to his family, “ You know, I don’t think I even prayed that God would bring Mike home. Let’s pray for him now!
So saying, he got on his knees and prayed that God would bless Mike and that he would bring him home soon, if it was his will. Although they didn’t know it, they were calling the Prodigal home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mike on the other hand, was in a miserable sort. It was rainy and cold and he was sick. Slowly making his way to the well house, he climbed in. Here at least it was a little warmer.
He soon drifted off to sleep, and while he slept, he dreamed. He saw his family gathered around the family room, on their knees, praying. He heard his father asking for him, asking God to bring him home. Then he awoke, and thought, “ Even my father’s employees are paid and have food and shelter. Perhaps I should go back home and.. However, he didn’t finish his sentence. He was already on his way to his beat up truck, and tried to start it. To his surprise, it did. Then he drove out of the yard with one half filled tank of gas, and out onto the highway. Soon he was speeding towards home, not knowing when he would run out of gas, but this he knew, he needed home.
As he got to the border of NY, he fully expected to run out of gas, yet the truck kept going. He got to the borders of the other states, and still the gas didn’t diminish. He got to his own hometown and never did it seem so sweet to him as it did now. He was still running on ½ tank of gas, which took him from NY to here- home. As he rounded the bend leading to his house, he fully expected his family to have moved. Yet, as he parked just up from it, he could see Dad’s Bug sitting there in the driveway and Mom’s convertible
sedan parked beside it. Yet, there was something different about the place. There were no toys cluttering the yard, no holes where the dog dug. The lawn was mowed and there were beautiful shrubs in the garden beds.
Mike got out of his truck and walked towards his house. Just as he was coming up the walk, the front door burst open and out ran his Dad. Mike, tears streaming down his face runs to meet his Dad and they hug. Then Mike says, “ Dad, I have sinned against God and against you and am not worthy to be called your son. Please, give me the position of a servant, and I will serve you all the rest of my life!
But Dad calls out to his family, “ Bring here the clothes for Mike and get his new watch and shoes, let us go out to dinner and rejoice. For this our son was dead and is now alive, he was lost and now is found!”
So they dressed him, fed him, and fell over each other to serve him.
Now when Joe came home and heard the music, praise, and feasting, he asked one of the neighbors, “ What’s going on?” To which he replied, “ Your brother has returned and your family is rejoicing and feasting, because God has answered their prayer.
Joe stomped into the house, and to his room. His Dad came up and said “why are you angry? Come on down and rejoice with us.”
However, Joe said, “Why are you feasting for such a good-for-nothing, when I, your oldest son, have been with you since the beginning
To this the father replied, “ My son, I know that you have been with me all along, yet let us rejoice, for your brother was lost and gone, but now he is back and alive.!
THE END!
