Chapter 35-2
A Ghost Of A Lesson
Part 3
It was day eight and it would be 4 more days until our review with Social Service. And Jeff still hadn't shown himself since yesterday, but I could see his handy work or fates hand in this. I had learned that Shawn, Kerry, Arthur and the two small boys have caught my fever. By the time Shane, Jody and I made the second trip to the watering hole. Dad had come home early just as sick as the rest of his family and Mom was doing the best she could on her own and the only one so far that wasn't sick or she never let on about it. Maybe the health food had something to do it with it?
For conveyance, she had placed Shawn on the couch in the family room, and Arthur on the floor beside him in a sleeping bag. So she wouldn't have to go up and down the stairs to change cold packs every so often. Besides, she hated what her husband was doing down there, it scared her to think, that her dear sweet husband was capable of such diabolical deeds that would make her hair stand on end. It was better to ignore it all together then face the true reality of it.
Mom had tried everything, but the fever wouldn't break and everyone else's was following suit. She didn't dare leave the house while trying to keep everyone cool. Praying to God to give her strength as her house was falling apart. Mom struggled to make a list of things she needed most; having to call in a large order to the Herb Store to keep her in medical herbs. Asking if they had something stronger and sending Shane after it. Plus, a few items from the grocery store. That she didn't have on hand from her seven-year supply that church had ordered each member to have in case of in an emergency like this.
It was up to Jody and her to run the house while Shane ran errands from one store to the other. By four o'clock; Jody had joined the rest of the family in bed and Shane was starting to show signs. Dad and she prayed for guidance and strength that God would lift the sickness from the house, but neither prayer or herbal remedies seemed to help. She was in tears, and the fever had started to show signs on her as well, by the time the doorbell rang. Finding the Bishop had returned with his companions.
He was the Scout Master of the ward. I had been told that he lived only four houses down from the end of the street, and the Relief Society President and two other members carrying food and medicine into the house. She invited them in saying that her entire family was down with a fever if they would come back when things are more manageable for company. I heard the Bishop walking down the hall stating. "Mrs. Rothwell, this is the second time you have tried to turn us away. If you don't humble yourself before God, how much longer do you intend to ignore that I have been sent to aid you and your husband as you and your family suffer the consequences?"
Mom was silent for the longest time; as they stood in the hallway before she agreed. To let the Bishop and his followers in; Dad was too sick to say no as the Bishop started with him and his wife. Letting them give them a blessing and worked his way down, to each child in the house. Mom put her foot down when it came to me and Arthur. Saying thank you, but it isn't necessary as he pushed his way through the door. Gasping at my torn back as I laid there burning up with fever and in so much pain, that I was nearly unconscious. I barely heard him ask the reason and hearing her state it was from a skateboarding accident. Telling him the boys were pulling me down the driveway by a rope as I was riding my skateboard, falling off as I skidded on my bare back onto the hard pavement
Of course, that was a lie, but Mom couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth. Fearing what would happen if the Bishop and his companions would do or say behind closed doors. The Bishop excused the women from the room and closed the door. Attended to Shane and me, asking if it was true. What could I say when I had promised Shane and Dad that I would keep my mouth shut regarding what was really happening in the house? I was torn by telling the truth and breaking a promise. Having been taught when a man breaks a promise he's word means nothing and could never be trusted again until he earned that trust back, which in some cases is impossible.
No, I needed proof. I needed real evidence, not speculation that something deeper, something darker was going on behind these locked doors. I winced knowing that I was going to have to lie, breaking a trusted bond that Pa had instilled within me, feeling Jeff's disapproval as if I was making a mistake for the greater good. I prayed Jeff and God would forgive me and understand. I nodded that it was true, hearing Shane breathe a sigh of relief and that I could be trusted in his eyes. Yet I wondered deep inside how long I could keep this secret and the cost I would pay to keep it; and what the consequences would be when or if I ever found the proof I needed to expose the dark secrets into the light.
It was different when the Bishop and his companion and soon to be my Scout Master placed their hands upon my head, giving me another blessing. The world seemed to stop and warm bright light seemed to fill my soul and radiate it through my broken, fevered body. The second they closed the prayer I felt my fever and the pain slowly subside. My head began to clear as I sighed with relief. I was told that they would stop by to check on me and the Rothwell's in two days time opening the bedroom door finding Mom waiting as her eyes narrowed on me and Shane.
I knew we were going to have words and they weren't going to be pleasant. Bishop stating that he had left orders with the Relief Society President to help her tend to her family needs with meals, medicine, and other household duties. Until everyone was back on their feet and set an appointment to meet in two days time to discuss my arrangements regarding scouting. Considering they get very few boys in the ward that are close to becoming Eagle ready. And as God as his witness, he wasn't going to let the opportunity slip through his fingers.
It was either a fluke or by chance or a well-favored wind. That one by one in no particular order her family with the help of the Relief Society had begun to recover quickly. Dad and Shane were the first to recover from the illness that swept through the house like wildfire. Their generosity of having the help she needed indeed humbled Mom. Watching her beloved family stir from their sick beds; my fever was the last to break and the showers were becoming more spread apart. My wounds were healing at a more rapid rate since the Bishop laid his hand upon my head.
The Relief Society brought meals and medicine all week long, helping Mom feed them and helped with laundry and light house cleaning; spending anywhere to three to four hours each day helping her care for her family. To say she felt relieved when they were no longer needed was an understatement.
Plus, learning a hard lesson that herbal remedies could cure when there are better medicines that could be used that didn't require a Doctors Prescription. Yet she tried to enforce healthier food. Mom had learned a few new recipes and we as her family were indeed grateful. Not having to gag down potatoes skins and wheat germ and other non-edible things that had no place except as garden compost.
It had been nearly three days since I'd seen Jeff, but Dad and the rest of the family had been changed having woken on several occasions; claiming of bad dreams so real; that when they looked themselves in the mirror, marks would appear and disappear. Whatever they dreamt,' it seemed a part of that dream lingered in this reality. I knew that Jeff was behind it, I didn't have to ask what they dreamed, but whatever it was. It made things a little more interesting. For instance, Dad had taken it upon his self to burn every humility vest he could find tearing the house apart and setting them to blaze. It was the last time Arthur wore one during those three years I had lived in that home.
In some ways Mom was glad, but not glad that she had to buy new clothing for Arthur; by not having the vest to wear every day except for Sunday. But what choice did she have? When fate comes knocking on the door as she knew he would. Dad and Mom learned a hard lesson those first few days and the start of my new life. That God was indeed watching and he was not happy. Dad solemnly opened the door that Friday afternoon. Inviting the Bishop and my Scout Master into the living room; sending Shane to fetch me. Mom taking a seat telling them I had just climbed out of the shower and would be right in, offering refreshments as they waited.
Dad had taken the rest of the week off as sick leave. So he could tend to himself and his family and he wanted to be here when the Bishop and his companion was here. He had his own questions to ask, as he waited as I took a seat on the couch. With a towel across my shoulders, Mom still wouldn't let me wear a shirt afraid of the fever coming back. She had decided it didn't matter the Bishop and my Scout Master had already seen my back so there was nothing to hide. I shook hands as I entered the room and leaned forward enough so my back didn't touch the back of the couch. I grimace as I twisted just enough to stretch the wounds, and was grateful the nearly formed scabs held.
Bishop asked the usual question like how the family is recovering from the past illness and other trivial things before he came to his point of being here, rather than updates. Telling us that he and his companion Mr. Niles have been assigned as our home teachers. Mom and Dad did there best to show no concern about it, but I could see in their eyes just for a brief moment absolute terror. Dad did his best to stay calm asking in regards how the Bishop came to know that they required special help when they themselves never called them.
I knew the answer, but chose to remain quiet, and that I hadn't been given permission to speak so I remained silent. Bishop eyed me from across the room and I returned my eyes to the floor where I could see my very clean toes and my legs and wiping my hands on my shorts and was glad I wasn't sitting there in my boxers. Not that would have made much difference considering Bishop couldn't help but notice my nearly bare butt two days before. I was seriously beginning to wonder what the world had against me wearing clothes or was I doomed to be caught in these most embarrassing situations.
Bishop said that. "He was driven by the spirit of the lord that we need help, that sickness was upon the house that you could not lift it on your own." Once again he looked at me and I knew he was holding back what he knew; and I was glad because I really, really didn't want to discuss Jeff. Or what he had been doing over the past week. Yet I knew when we next met in his office, out of earshot of Mom and Dad. I was going to have some serious explaining to do.
Dad being a God-fearing man winced telling everyone that he firmly believed in the power of prayer, saying his faith in family prayer has indeed strengthened over this past week and how important the power of the priesthood was in his life and his family lives. That God in his wisdom had chosen to test him and his faith and he had failed the test. That he and his family needed to learn to have more faith and double their efforts in becoming closer to God in all aspects not just by prayer alone.
Mom had tears in her eyes seeing Dad humble himself, reached over and took his hand saying as his partner she would be by his side to do whatever it took to make sure our family strives too meet those goals. Personally, to me I wanted to run and hide where religion didn't turn people like the Rothwell's into religious freaks; where they go too far one way and not far enough the other. It reminded me of something what people call a dog and pony show. Or better yet, Mr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In the days to come, Dad and Mom did just that.
Now it was on to the next point of their business, Mr. Scott. T. for Thomas Nile's or brother Nile's we like to call in the LDS faith say brother or sister instead assume title (Mr. or Mrs.) is used to say they are our brothers and sisters according to God's kingdom, meaning we are all related.
Brother Nile's an older chap in his mid seventies taller than Dad at seven feet three, gray silver hair and thinning. Bright blue eyes with aristocrat nose and bold chin; long burly arms of a wrestler and broad shoulders of a football linebacker, could easily pick me up without breaking a sweat. Have been told he likes to run or jog before sun up and lift weights at a gym to keep in shape three days a week. He once was a firefighter for the American Fork Fire Department. Now retired after twenty-five years of service, his wife Clara had died from cancer five years ago this past March.
Mr. Nile's had taken out his scouting binder to gather information about my scouting. Mom and Dad's support of the idea surprised me. Considering Arthur was never allowed and none of her other boys were all that involved, but I was going to change that starting with me. So I gave him the rundown on how I had fifteen merit badges and earned my Arrow of Light. But dropped out when I had lived with the Steeds. That it became impossible having the lack of a scout leader always changing from month to month. And my parents didn't think it was important. The Downings did try, but not being LDS made it nearly impossible and again it was getting the members in my area to include me.
Mr. Nile's said that he would personally take me under his wing and make sure that by end of next summer I would have earned my Eagle. If he has to pin it on me himself. Dad seemed a little unsure what to do, but I knew from the past few days and how they watch Arthur and I like a hawk. Afraid that if we were on our own that we would fly the coop and spill every dark secret what was going on behind closed doors. So he figured I needed a chaperone. Shane and Shawn had just been enrolled into scouting or say chosen to be my chaperons. I couldn't wait to see their faces when he pulls that surprise out of his hat. Once again Arthur wasn't included even though the Bishop tried to get Dad to see reason.
The answer was a flat no, and he wasn't budging. Mom wrote down the time that the scouts met on the calendar which was Tuesday, and Mr. Nile's said he would swing by and pick us up. Most likely to make sure the Rothwells didn't change their mind. And Bishop reminded her that Thursdays is mutual night and I was expected to be there as well with her two daughters and two boys and Arthur was more than welcome. That I would meet him on Sunday an hour before church. Dad cringed at the idea, but he couldn't say one word against it. I knew for a fact that he or Mom would be waiting for me outside that door in case I decided to flee. I am not saying that the thought didn't occur to me, but I needed to earn that badly needed trust. As Jeff said play nice with the enemy.