Last time in the Mosaic Series: It was revealed that Solomon's son, Ash, had been disowned because of his new found religious views. Now we jump back in time to a rather dusty tale, but a heartwarming one.
A painful slush ball collided with Charlie's nose. They had found him. He had tried to maneuver quietly through the halls of Pinewood Elementary School to the back door and slip undetected back to his house, about half a mile away. But he had not gone "undetected".
Adam, John and "the other John" had spotted the newest student as he bolted for the trail that led through the snowy woods to Charlie's neighborhood. Cunningly, they had taken a short cut and laid an icy trap for the tormented boy. Running did no good; snow ball after frigid snow ball hit the poor child as he tried to evade the cruel boys.
Sure, Charlie had to wear glasses, his middle name was a laborious "Alexander", and he aced every test; but were these reasons for the older boys to taunt, tease and bully him? Charlie had had a terrible experience at Pinewood. In fact he had had a terrible experience at just about every new school he had enrolled in. Perhaps it was the streak of pride in his personality, or his lack of social skills. Whatever the reason, he had never been well liked at any of the schools he had attended.
Suddenly, the barrage stopped. He had outran them! But not for long. They would catch up.
"Hey. Umm... if you wanna hide from them, you might wanna, uh, come hide in here... maybe." Turning towards the voice, Charlie began debating whether or not to trust this character. Unfortunately, he was running out of time. Rather loudly, he crunched over to an open under a fallen tree."Here they come. Better decide."
"Ok! I'm coming!" fearfully whispered Charlie. The group of boys stalked by the hiding place under the roots of the fallen tree. "What's your name?" questioned Charlie.
"Uh, Solomon"
"And I'm Eli." Charlie jumped at the sound of another voice in the dark hole.
From that moment on Charlie would be an everlasting "friend" to Solomon. Solomon may object to this statement and say that Charlie is more of a loyal "follower", but we'll leave this debate for another time.
How had the kind-hearted, sympathetic, adventurous Solomon become the bitter, elderly, ungrateful Solomon? Perhaps the answer lies within in a different picture... a different memory.
Showing posts with label Mosaic Series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mosaic Series. Show all posts
Mosaic, Part 3
Last time in the Mosaic series: Solomon recollects the time a selfless boy mowed his lawn after Solomon rudely dismissed him. Solomon had been stunned to discover that the boy did not mow his lawn to force the old man to pay the boy, but instead did the chore without requesting money in return.
For those of you who where confused about the mention of Ash and Joshua's resemblance to him, you may want to read the following story:
A very young man, or perhaps an very old boy, stared out across the bustling city river. A few moments before he had sat across from a lady who worked at the employment office. In a few weeks, his life had been reduced to rubble. A tornado of love and hate had destroyed his way of living. Had his friend Nathaniel been wrong? If he had been correct, then why had his father disowned him? Ash was barely old enough to have a job. A kindhearted old couple were the only ones who had ever showed him love since he had been officially disowned. But they were gone; moved to another part of the country.
A gust of wind whipped up a wisp of Ash's dusty red hair. He closed his eyes. He lifted his tear stained face to the sky. If there was anyone in the world who would care for him now, it was Him. The Friend of the Sinner, and the One who could wipe any tear away. Astonishingly, a mysterious sense of peace seemed to be poured into Ash.
Standing up, Ash was ready to face the world.
Solomon couldn't help but remember the heart wrenching tale. Although apologies had been given around many times over, the once sour old man still a seed of guilt buried deep in his heart.
Solomon went back further, before that event, to a place he wished to eternally erase from his past, but a pivotal point in his enigmatic life.
"I told you never to go to those erronious meetings!"
"But Dad, isn't wonderful... astonishing to know that..."
"Stop being disrespectful to your father! I told you to stop going to those gatherings and you deliberately disobeyed me!"
"Solomon, I think you're being much too..."
"Mae, when we first got married we made some agreements about raising our children. We must stick together on this agreement. Ash can't have one parent say one thing and the other parent contradict the first." Solomon vehemently argued with his patient son. The two spouses were enraged at their son's attendance to the mentioned meetings. But they weren't just any meetings, they were church meetings.
"Ash, a God like that can't exist. You can't see him, hear him, anything! You can't experience him with any of your five senses!"
"But Dad, He does exist. I know it! I've felt it!" the brave teenager held on to his beliefs.
"Son, our family does not believe in a God. We believe in science. If you wish to continue to be part of this family, you'll have to conform."
"Ash, please." Mae helplessly tried to convince her son.
"Mom, Dad. I can't. I won't. I won't give up God."
- - -
Solomon stood in awe over t he amazing ways that Omnipresent Being had worked in his life throughout the years. Through his mother, through his son, and through a mysterious boy named Joshua.
For those of you who where confused about the mention of Ash and Joshua's resemblance to him, you may want to read the following story:
- - -
A very young man, or perhaps an very old boy, stared out across the bustling city river. A few moments before he had sat across from a lady who worked at the employment office. In a few weeks, his life had been reduced to rubble. A tornado of love and hate had destroyed his way of living. Had his friend Nathaniel been wrong? If he had been correct, then why had his father disowned him? Ash was barely old enough to have a job. A kindhearted old couple were the only ones who had ever showed him love since he had been officially disowned. But they were gone; moved to another part of the country.
A gust of wind whipped up a wisp of Ash's dusty red hair. He closed his eyes. He lifted his tear stained face to the sky. If there was anyone in the world who would care for him now, it was Him. The Friend of the Sinner, and the One who could wipe any tear away. Astonishingly, a mysterious sense of peace seemed to be poured into Ash.
Standing up, Ash was ready to face the world.
- - -
Solomon couldn't help but remember the heart wrenching tale. Although apologies had been given around many times over, the once sour old man still a seed of guilt buried deep in his heart.
Solomon went back further, before that event, to a place he wished to eternally erase from his past, but a pivotal point in his enigmatic life.
- - -
"I told you never to go to those erronious meetings!"
"But Dad, isn't wonderful... astonishing to know that..."
"Stop being disrespectful to your father! I told you to stop going to those gatherings and you deliberately disobeyed me!"
"Solomon, I think you're being much too..."
"Mae, when we first got married we made some agreements about raising our children. We must stick together on this agreement. Ash can't have one parent say one thing and the other parent contradict the first." Solomon vehemently argued with his patient son. The two spouses were enraged at their son's attendance to the mentioned meetings. But they weren't just any meetings, they were church meetings.
"Ash, a God like that can't exist. You can't see him, hear him, anything! You can't experience him with any of your five senses!"
"But Dad, He does exist. I know it! I've felt it!" the brave teenager held on to his beliefs.
"Son, our family does not believe in a God. We believe in science. If you wish to continue to be part of this family, you'll have to conform."
"Ash, please." Mae helplessly tried to convince her son.
"Mom, Dad. I can't. I won't. I won't give up God."
- - -
Solomon stood in awe over t he amazing ways that Omnipresent Being had worked in his life throughout the years. Through his mother, through his son, and through a mysterious boy named Joshua.
Mosaic, Part 2
Last time in the Mosaic Series: Solomon, an aged man, gazes at a mosaic of pictures documenting his life. He recounts the story of his sister's birthday party and the mischevious prank he played on the participants in the celebration. He continues to look. Remines
A young boy tromped up three creaky wooden steps to a since faded yellow door. With a hint of shyness and uncertainty, he knocked. Muffled sounds of a chair being pushed from a table preceded the opening of the door.
"How can I help you?" grumbled a man who was probably in his seventies. After glancing this way and that, he finally lowered his gaze the small boy.
"Hello sir, I was wondering if I could mow your lawn for..." he was cut off when the old man's eyes got very big and the door quickly closed.
"Mae, Ash is at the door!"
"What?! He doesn't even know where we live." A stifled exchange of words between the man and his wife could be heard through the door. After sever uncomfortable seconds, the young boy reached for the door-bell as the front door swung open.
"What do you want?" repeated the old man, in a tone of voice that wasn't harsh, but wasn't exactly friendly, either
"Excuse me. My name is Joshua and I was just wondering if I could mow your lawn for you."
"No thank you." And without any further questioning, the door closed once again. Joshua meandered home. At first he expressed internal resentment for the man that lived at the end of the street. Then he remembered something his father had taught him. Something that would always be imprinted in his conscience.
"Well, some people are just the way they are." Consoled Joshua's father at the dinner table.
"I wonder why he didn't want you to mow his lawn. And for only seven dollars a day!" said his younger sister, Hannah.
"'A soft answer stops all anger, remember?" quoted his mother. The conversation left Joshua in a deep state of consideration.
Solomon gazed at the photo of himself and the young boy. This memory was easier to remember as it hadn't occurred but a few years ago. Softly, Solomon recalled how the boy had not been his son, Ash, merely a look-a-like. In one sense, Solomon wished he could take that day back for the unkindness he had showed to Joshua. And in another sense, Solomon would not give that day up for anything in the universe.
A young boy tromped up three creaky wooden steps to a since faded yellow door. With a hint of shyness and uncertainty, he knocked. Muffled sounds of a chair being pushed from a table preceded the opening of the door.
"How can I help you?" grumbled a man who was probably in his seventies. After glancing this way and that, he finally lowered his gaze the small boy.
"Hello sir, I was wondering if I could mow your lawn for..." he was cut off when the old man's eyes got very big and the door quickly closed.
"Mae, Ash is at the door!"
"What?! He doesn't even know where we live." A stifled exchange of words between the man and his wife could be heard through the door. After sever uncomfortable seconds, the young boy reached for the door-bell as the front door swung open.
"What do you want?" repeated the old man, in a tone of voice that wasn't harsh, but wasn't exactly friendly, either
"Excuse me. My name is Joshua and I was just wondering if I could mow your lawn for you."
"No thank you." And without any further questioning, the door closed once again. Joshua meandered home. At first he expressed internal resentment for the man that lived at the end of the street. Then he remembered something his father had taught him. Something that would always be imprinted in his conscience.
- - -
"Well, some people are just the way they are." Consoled Joshua's father at the dinner table.
"I wonder why he didn't want you to mow his lawn. And for only seven dollars a day!" said his younger sister, Hannah.
"'A soft answer stops all anger, remember?" quoted his mother. The conversation left Joshua in a deep state of consideration.
- - -
Solomon gazed at the photo of himself and the young boy. This memory was easier to remember as it hadn't occurred but a few years ago. Softly, Solomon recalled how the boy had not been his son, Ash, merely a look-a-like. In one sense, Solomon wished he could take that day back for the unkindness he had showed to Joshua. And in another sense, Solomon would not give that day up for anything in the universe.
- - -
"Get outta' here! I don't want you to mow my lawn! I can't pay, I don't want to pay you, and I won't pay you to mow my lawn!" Solomon had seen Joshua from the kitchen window and assumed he was mowing the old man's lawn so he would have to pay him.
"It's OK, sir. You don't have to pay me." While the boy started his small push-mower, the dazed Solomon stumbled back in the house.
"I don't believe it, Mae. He was out there for an hour and a half, and didn't even want pay! I wonder what's got into him. Most youngsters I know wouldn't even bother to go looking for a job nowadays. 'Want everything served to 'em on a platter." The old man continued his tangent but kept pondering the young boy's selfless action.
Little did he know how important the young boy would become to his life.
Little did he know how important the young boy would become to his life.
Mosaic, Part 1
Solomon lifted his eyes to a wall covered with his life. He sighed. Photographs of all qualities and colors smothered the wall like a mosaic. Solomon had lived an extraordinary life, a book that wasn't quite finished. Before him was the memories of his friend, Eli, his wife, Mae, and many more people intertwined with his existence. There were the now painful memories of his enigmatic son, and the golden, mystical, and beautiful memories of his perfect childhood. Weaving in, out, in between and through the photos, Solomon's eyes stopped on a picture of him and his best friend having a water fight. In that picture was wrapped a day of intrigue and an apparent defeat.
"Whew! That was a big one!"
"Did you finally get that tree down, Solomon?"
"Yes. It's the perfect size for the roof support. Did you collect all the leaves and green branches we'll need to disguise it?"
Together Solomon and Eli were constructing the perfect hide out. Since his sister Merry was having a whole bee-hive of girls over for her birthday party tomorrow, the two mischievous boys would need a place to hide from such a loathsome enemy.
Notching, binding, chopping and bending, Solomon and Eli finished their work. Eli even bent some live trees over the deep impression in the ground so the camouflage would stay green and wouldn't wither and die.
Then the hour arrived. The first guest was spotted bumping along the serpentine, lengthy, and dusty drive-way. Solomon was ready; he had collected a bag of snacks, binoculars, two "emergency" whistles, two flashlights, a compass, and hand-crafted wooden swords Solomon and Eli had made a week ago.
"OK. I think I have everything. Wait! We need some sort of long ranged weapon! Ah, yes, the stick shooters. Now where are they?!" Solomon scrambled around the house, glancing out the window at the every approaching doom. He tore the harmless weapons off the shelf and practically fell down the stairs. He yanked the back-door closed as the front-door was merrily opened by his sister.
Solomon slid under the tree and down into the fort, where Eli waited.
"Are they here?" quaeritated Eli.
"Yes. I barely made it out the door!"
"What's our first plan of attack?"
"I've been thinking about that. One of us needs to go and spy out the enemy while the other one stays here with the supplies. I know we both would rather spy instead of staying here, so I brought a nickel to help us decide."
A flipping of the coin proceeded, and then a barrage of requests for "best two out of three" from Solomon followed. Eli denied his friend's requests by slinging the binocular strap over his head, sticking one of the "emergency" whistles in his pocket and arming him self with a home-made stick launcher.
"Don't forget" Solomon reminded, "what ever happens, don't let them see you!"
- - -
"Whew! That was a big one!"
"Did you finally get that tree down, Solomon?"
"Yes. It's the perfect size for the roof support. Did you collect all the leaves and green branches we'll need to disguise it?"
Together Solomon and Eli were constructing the perfect hide out. Since his sister Merry was having a whole bee-hive of girls over for her birthday party tomorrow, the two mischievous boys would need a place to hide from such a loathsome enemy.
Notching, binding, chopping and bending, Solomon and Eli finished their work. Eli even bent some live trees over the deep impression in the ground so the camouflage would stay green and wouldn't wither and die.
Then the hour arrived. The first guest was spotted bumping along the serpentine, lengthy, and dusty drive-way. Solomon was ready; he had collected a bag of snacks, binoculars, two "emergency" whistles, two flashlights, a compass, and hand-crafted wooden swords Solomon and Eli had made a week ago.
"OK. I think I have everything. Wait! We need some sort of long ranged weapon! Ah, yes, the stick shooters. Now where are they?!" Solomon scrambled around the house, glancing out the window at the every approaching doom. He tore the harmless weapons off the shelf and practically fell down the stairs. He yanked the back-door closed as the front-door was merrily opened by his sister.
Solomon slid under the tree and down into the fort, where Eli waited.
"Are they here?" quaeritated Eli.
"Yes. I barely made it out the door!"
"What's our first plan of attack?"
"I've been thinking about that. One of us needs to go and spy out the enemy while the other one stays here with the supplies. I know we both would rather spy instead of staying here, so I brought a nickel to help us decide."
A flipping of the coin proceeded, and then a barrage of requests for "best two out of three" from Solomon followed. Eli denied his friend's requests by slinging the binocular strap over his head, sticking one of the "emergency" whistles in his pocket and arming him self with a home-made stick launcher.
"Don't forget" Solomon reminded, "what ever happens, don't let them see you!"
- - -
Solomon fiddled with a stick in a patch of dust and sand. He wondered if Eli was having any luck at his post.
Eli's post happened to be a thick oak tree in the front yard. He fiddled with a arboreal army of ants. Disappointingly, he hadn't seen hide-nor-hair of Merry or her guests, except for one last family that and entered the front door just after he scrambled into the tree. Eli could hear the grown-ups laughing, chatting, and probably gossiping, but he just couldn't catch sight of the girls.
Solomon stopped drawing his nasty piece of artwork in the dust and froze. His ears were alert. There it was again! That was definitely Gertrude McKline.
"Gertrude. What a revolting name." mumbled Solomon as he crawled to the peep-hole in the fort. "Oh no." Solomon said as the words "they're around here somewhere" reached his ears. How had Merry and her friends discovered his plans? Answers would have to wait, it was time to move. Quickly, he gathered the back pack, crammed their supplies into it and bolted for a thicket of closely knit pine trees. From there he darted up a scrumptiously perfect climbing tree as his sister and a band of girls marched towards the fort. "I hope they don't find it! And if they, do, I hope they don't destroy it!"
- - -
"Solomon, what are you doing?! Be quiet!!" Eli whispered from his perch. Panting hard, Solomon explained the predicament. "Well then, we'll just have to surprise them right back..." Eli concluded while a mischievous grin spread across his face.
- - -
"To bad those outlaws weren't hidden in the Magic Forest, your Royal Highness." Anne Matthews performed an outrageously exaggerated bow after finishing her lament. Merry had elected herself queen of Lillia, a magical country consisting of herself, Gertrude, Anne, Deborah, Abigale and Silvia. After all, it was her birthday, so she should get to be the queen today.
"I know. Perhaps we will find them another day and rid Lillia of such a pest." the Queen declared. All their sentences had to be well planned, spoken with a British accent, and stuffed with lurches in the tone of voice.
Unfortunately for the inhabitants of Lillia, they would find their "outlaws" sooner than they wanted. Solomon and Eli uncovered themselves from their arboreal hide out, followed by a armada of water balloons, emptied buckets of water, and squirt-guns galore. Squeals of terror reigned supreme over all other noise in the front yard. While the two boys dashed for cover of the trees, the parents emerged like angered bears from the house.
"That was amazing!" congratulations came after a large amount of panting and grinning. "We did 'surprise them right back.'"
"It's really hot today, I wish...." Solomon was cut-off by a water balloon traveling at an alarming speed towards his head.
- - -
The story seemed to freeze in place on the wall, perpetually incarnated as a black and white picture of Eli and Solomon having a water-duel. Gradually, a smile crept across Solomon's cracked and wrinkled face. And then he chuckled.
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