shortchanging yourself, Rock. You know you’re a comedian at heart. You’ll have those kids in the palm of your hand. And you have a great testimony.”
“When would you do it?” Shade asked.
“He said I could pick my day and time.”
“That’s good. Your work hours are flexible, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Are they going to pay you?” Kevin’s question, of course.
“I think so. And he also said that over the summer new campers start every Sunday, so he’d want me to come at least once a week.”
“Aw, man, you gotta do it. Just think of all the people you’ll reach. And this could lead to speaking gigs all over the place. Church youth groups, stuff like that.”
“Don’t get ahead of the guy in the wheelchair, OK? I don’t know yet. Just pray. And don’t tell anyone, because I don’t know if it’s going to work out.”
“Sure, buddy.”
Shade felt a bubble of anxiety form in his gut. He needed prayer, too. Did he dare ask them for it?
“Uh...I have a request, also.”
“Now’s the time,” Max answered. “Whaddaya got?”
“You guys kinda know where I come from, right? You know how the band ended, and about my accident?”
They exchanged glances and didn’t immediately speak. Kevin began to study the ends of his tennis shoes rather than look Shade in the eye.
“We think we know,” Rocky said. “We figured you were here for a reason and decided we wouldn’t press you on any of that. It’s your business.”
“Yeah,” Max added. “We all followed the band. We know you were in a car accident with Pete and he died. We know you were in pretty bad shape.”
He wasn’t a bit surprised Max knew about Pete. Pete was the drummer all other drummers wanted to be. And he was sure whatever they didn’t know, they’d gone home to look up after they first met. Though the band’s official website had been removed following Pete’s death and the collapse of the band, there were a multitude of blogs, reviews, interviews and news reports about Dead Lizard Highway. Some of it wasn’t so flattering.
“I was in bad shape. I had to deal with the physical injuries, the grief, my problems with alcohol. But that’s not what I need prayer about.”
They exchanged glances again.
“So, what do you need?” Rocky asked.
“While I was still in the hospital, I found out my girlfriend was pregnant. My daughter was born in late October. She’s six-months-old. I’ve never met her, but her mother said I could meet her today.”
Shade took a deep breath as the burden that had him bent almost to the ground lifted from his shoulders. Now he understood about sharing needs with fellow believers and asking for help. He felt better, already.
But the heavy dose of his reality seemed to sit in the guys’ laps like a six-hundred-pound gorilla.
“Wow,” Rocky said. “Forget my request. Let’s just pray for Shade.”
“Dude.” Kevin smirked and rolled his eyes. “I think God can handle them both.”
Max shot them his “stop-being-morons” look and put his hand on Shade’s upper arm. He stepped closer. “What about the baby’s mother? Are you...I mean...are you trying to put your family back together?”
“No, she’s moved on. Waaaay on. She married a guy from around here. They live over there in Oak Manor.”
“That’s why you came back here,” Kevin observed.
“Yep. I got well, I got sober, and I came home to start fresh and be a part of my daughter’s life.”
“And the new husband? He’s OK with this?”
“I think Jess, that’s the mother’s name, made it clear from the beginning she wanted to leave that door open for me. I don’t know. We’d been talking on the phone trying to work out some boundaries and all of a sudden I get a phone call this morning that I should just come over for lunch after church and we’ll all talk. It’s crazy.”
“Sounds like God is already working.”
“What’s the baby’s name?” Kevin asked.
“Rachel.”
“And you’re sure
“When would you do it?” Shade asked.
“He said I could pick my day and time.”
“That’s good. Your work hours are flexible, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Are they going to pay you?” Kevin’s question, of course.
“I think so. And he also said that over the summer new campers start every Sunday, so he’d want me to come at least once a week.”
“Aw, man, you gotta do it. Just think of all the people you’ll reach. And this could lead to speaking gigs all over the place. Church youth groups, stuff like that.”
“Don’t get ahead of the guy in the wheelchair, OK? I don’t know yet. Just pray. And don’t tell anyone, because I don’t know if it’s going to work out.”
“Sure, buddy.”
Shade felt a bubble of anxiety form in his gut. He needed prayer, too. Did he dare ask them for it?
“Uh...I have a request, also.”
“Now’s the time,” Max answered. “Whaddaya got?”
“You guys kinda know where I come from, right? You know how the band ended, and about my accident?”
They exchanged glances and didn’t immediately speak. Kevin began to study the ends of his tennis shoes rather than look Shade in the eye.
“We think we know,” Rocky said. “We figured you were here for a reason and decided we wouldn’t press you on any of that. It’s your business.”
“Yeah,” Max added. “We all followed the band. We know you were in a car accident with Pete and he died. We know you were in pretty bad shape.”
He wasn’t a bit surprised Max knew about Pete. Pete was the drummer all other drummers wanted to be. And he was sure whatever they didn’t know, they’d gone home to look up after they first met. Though the band’s official website had been removed following Pete’s death and the collapse of the band, there were a multitude of blogs, reviews, interviews and news reports about Dead Lizard Highway. Some of it wasn’t so flattering.
“I was in bad shape. I had to deal with the physical injuries, the grief, my problems with alcohol. But that’s not what I need prayer about.”
They exchanged glances again.
“So, what do you need?” Rocky asked.
“While I was still in the hospital, I found out my girlfriend was pregnant. My daughter was born in late October. She’s six-months-old. I’ve never met her, but her mother said I could meet her today.”
Shade took a deep breath as the burden that had him bent almost to the ground lifted from his shoulders. Now he understood about sharing needs with fellow believers and asking for help. He felt better, already.
But the heavy dose of his reality seemed to sit in the guys’ laps like a six-hundred-pound gorilla.
“Wow,” Rocky said. “Forget my request. Let’s just pray for Shade.”
“Dude.” Kevin smirked and rolled his eyes. “I think God can handle them both.”
Max shot them his “stop-being-morons” look and put his hand on Shade’s upper arm. He stepped closer. “What about the baby’s mother? Are you...I mean...are you trying to put your family back together?”
“No, she’s moved on. Waaaay on. She married a guy from around here. They live over there in Oak Manor.”
“That’s why you came back here,” Kevin observed.
“Yep. I got well, I got sober, and I came home to start fresh and be a part of my daughter’s life.”
“And the new husband? He’s OK with this?”
“I think Jess, that’s the mother’s name, made it clear from the beginning she wanted to leave that door open for me. I don’t know. We’d been talking on the phone trying to work out some boundaries and all of a sudden I get a phone call this morning that I should just come over for lunch after church and we’ll all talk. It’s crazy.”
“Sounds like God is already working.”
“What’s the baby’s name?” Kevin asked.
“Rachel.”
“And you’re sure
Similar Books
