A Light in Bailey's Harbor by Bethany Baker

Author:Bethany Baker [Baker, Bethany]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780996173476
Amazon: B0176VUMKI
Barnesnoble: B0176VUMKI
Goodreads: 27384181
Publisher: Mantle Rock Publishing
Published: 2015-10-26T16:00:00+00:00

Blake sat at the kitchen table, drinking his coffee. His father was still sleeping, but would probably be awake within the hour.

His mind drifted back a couple of days to the moment he saw his father after nearly five months. It was the last thing he would have expected from his father. This wasn’t the man he had grown up with all of his life, and this especially was not the man he’d left behind in Massachusetts.

When he walked into his father’s room two days ago and saw the look of sheer joy on his face, he had been confused. He had expected a semi-conscious form, barely able to speak because of intoxication. He never expected to see his father propped up in his bed, hair neatly combed, face shaven and eyes lively and alert. Blake remembered standing in shock at his father’s bedroom door, until his father asked him to sit down.

“Blake, I want to explain what the Lord has done for me.”

Blake’s mouth nearly hung open, upon hearing Pa speak about the Lord.

“I know this is not what you expected,” continued Blake’s father. “Believe me, it was not what I expected, either, but please let me tell you what happened, Blake. I need you to understand that I’m a changed man. I don’t expect you to believe me right away, but I at least want you to know what happened.”

He wanted to walk out. Blake wanted to leave and never come back. How many times had Pa broken his promises, because he needed a drink? Blake studied his father. He couldn’t deny it. There was something different about his countenance. “Alright, I’ll listen to your story, but don’t expect this to change everything, Pa.”

“Son, one day I hope I can prove to you that everything has changed. Let me tell you what happened. It had been two days since I’d had a drink and I had finally fallen asleep. I’d dealt with terrible cravings—wanting a drink more than I wanted my next breath. But each time I was about to reach the breaking point, Pastor Stanton, from the little church your mother used to attend, would show up. It was amazing the effect that man had on me—or rather it was amazing the effect that his words had. He would open his worn black Bible and begin sharing words of comfort and hope. And when he left, it was these words that would come to me when my cravings returned. The words would echo in my mind and heart until I finally fell asleep.

Pa shifted himself in his bed and winced. Blake was immediately at his side,

“What is it, Pa? Can I help?”

Joe Strawberry shook his head, “I’m fine, son. Let me finish.”

Blake nodded and returned to the winged back chair he was sitting in.

“That night I couldn’t gain the peace I’d previously known. It took a while, but I finally fell into a restless, fitful sleep. It was also that night that my nightmare returned. It was always the same one.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.