PAPER HEART

PROLOGUE

Jedidiah is the missionary who started the work in Guatemala. He now only goes to the field for the summer with the summer workers. He is finding the tropical disease that he has is robbing his strength. Soon he may not be able to even go on these trips.

Jedidiah has three sons, but he never takes them to Guatemala. He takes Matthew with him every summer, but Matthew is adopted.

Rebels, who call themselves ‘Freedom fighters,’ captured the group of summer workers the previous year. Jedidiah Barrington showed great courage and became an instant hero by insisting that the rebels release the others and keep only him. Months go and come but nothing is heard of Jedidiah so the general opinion was that he died leaving the rebels without a bargaining tool. No body was ever found as he was alive.

The Wild Tribe found him tied to a tree where the rebels left him. They try to restore his health, thinking that he could replenish their tribe, but Jedidiah would never consent to father a child or children as Julie was his wife. The tribe gave the youngest girl to Jedidiah. She was about twelve at that time. They were both taken to the mission hospital. The girl was not to come back until she became pregnant.

Matthew and Julie go to Guatemala to take Jedidiah home. Julie takes the girl back to Atlanta with Jedidiah, not knowing what else to do. Matthew stays with the mission doctor to help him.

Jedidiah’s youngest son, Jordan, has the same disease and has never been able to walk. He is now about seven, but still in a wheelchair. However he is very bright.

CHAPTER ONE

“I’m not a baby,” Jordan protested.

Matthew was carrying his brother Jordan to the car with plans to go back for the wheelchair having found it easier to carry his forty-seven pounds out first than try to navigate the ramp with the wheelchair.

Matthew knew that his brother didn’t like his inability to use his legs and now even his arms seemed to be losing the strength he needed to lift himself in and out of the wheelchair. At twelve, Jordan was still the size of a five-year-old with a bigger head and hands but his mind was like that of a brilliant scholar. The family didn’t notice his peculiar shape but strangers did and Jordan was sensitive to their looks and gasps of astonishment.

“Look!” He commanded Matthew, who having put him in the car was adjusting the straps to the child’s safety chair. “That man has a gun.”

A man had driven up the long, steep driveway and parked his car a few feet in front of his parents’ car. The parents were standing, talking to him but the man was angrily waving his gun, threatening them. “If I were in my chair, I could run him down.” Jordan said.

Matthew backed out of the car, recognizing the man with the gun. “Pa?” It wasn’t a friendly greeting, just recognition of who he was or had been to him. For three years, Matthew had called Harry Grout ‘Pa’ thinking this man was his father until Julie had rescued him.

“Who are you?” The man pointed his gun at this big, tall man.

“Matthew.”

“Ah. The skinny kid.” Harry said, then ignored him as he always had. Turning to Julie, his face turned an angry, ugly purple.

“It’s all your fault, pretty, little Ms Julie.” Harry said sarcastically, his face twisting in uncontrollable rage. “I’ve been in prison these long, horrible years because of you and been planning this the whole time. Now it’s your turn to suffer.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Matthew saw Jedidiah move, putting himself in front of Julie to protect her. Harry saw it also and switched his gun to cover them. Matthew gauged the distance and wondered if he could tackle Harry and get his gun. It had been some years since he was the football star but he would have to try.

Everything happened so fast, yet it all appeared to be in slow motion. Matthew leaped in a tackle. The gun went off. Bang. Bang. Bang. Three times. Matthew saw his parents crumble to the ground. His own tackle was short and he landed on the hood of the car, but the car was moving, pinning the gunman between the two cars. Matthew felt his body slowly sliding off the hood. His own head hurt and blood was dripping down into his eyes. He saw the gunman’s hand come up and was sure the next shot was meant for him, but he couldn’t move. He heard the shot. If I’m dead, why did I hear it? Matthew’s mind was unclear. He felt his body slam into the man. Did I make the tackle? Did we win the game? He could hear screaming voices and blaring sirens as he slipped into a deep, dark blackness.

“PAPER HEART”

ISBN 978-1-9535-2017-8 hard cover
ISBN 978-1-9535-2016-1 soft cover
ISBN 978-1-4535-2019-5 kindle