Walking the Right Path

Epilogue; Part one

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

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If there's one greater lesson to learn in life it's that our plans and the ones God has for us don't go hand in hand. It's that trust in anything is very crucial and that eternal knowledge will take you far in life.

Listen, I've told a brief story about a young boy clouded with questions about what to really follow. Yes, he ran away and he did it again but all that was supposed to happen to teach him a lesson. God is with you.

So what happened after that fateful night when everything took three sixty degrees?

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Daniel together with his companion stood in front of a beautiful bungalow one evening. It took a day for them to find their bearing before locating Daniel's city where his mother was. Carlos, having no idea where to go and following Daniel in hopes of a better life, planned to stay with him at least for a while till he could stand on his own two feet.

"Are you going to open the door or stare at it like a freaking piece of candy?"

Daniel turned from his home, pacing about through the cobblestoned house. Luckily the house was fenced so no one saw them there or else rumors would've spread far and wide about the return of a missing kid. "So much has changed."

"Then hope that your mother has as well. Hope that she's changed and will welcome you openly."

"I doubt that after what she pulled with Brother Robert."

"I understand her, you should too. She's your mother for crying out loud. Not many are lucky in that regard. She was just trying to find a way to bring her only son and family back home. For once think about how selfish you're being."

Carlos was actually right, to Daniel it would be the first of many instances. So the both of them twisted the door knob and embraced a new life.

Memories of his argument with his mother before leaving surfaced in his mind. He looked at the chair he kicked that evening perfectly intact and at the place where he tossed his baptismal necklace.

Sitting in the living room with a Bible in a lap was Daniel's mother. She looked different from when he left. She had lost weight, her eyes were a pool of sadness and regret, her hair seemed to have grayed in a few places as well.

Carlos broke the ice. "Hello ma!"

The frail lady jumped out of her chair faster than Usain bolt in fright. "Oh my goodness you gave me a freight. Listen boy, you can't just walk into people's homes without permission."

"Then you shouldn't have left the door unlocked," said Daniel sheepishly behind Carlos. He looked down at his shoes, finding them more interesting than ever. "Seriously mom, one of these days you'll actually get robbed."

His mother rushed and engulfed him in a tight hug, breaking into tears at the sight of him. No one needed to tell her that he wasn't the same boy who left her home that night.

"I'm sorry Daniel. I was being selfish and ignorant, I don't even have a valid reason to justify myself for hitting you that day. It's just I too was raised that way but I grew to love it and never regretted my parents forcing me to church everyday. Giving you this life was like giving you a precious gift. I should've given you a choice, I should've given you space. I'm," she choked on her tears. "I'm sorry, for all the years of casting your hurt aside too."

Daniel held onto his mother like his life depended on it. "It's okay mom, I don't care about that anymore," he realized he truly didn't. "I've learned that everything happens for a reason and I want to move on. What good is it hanging onto negative emotions? I'm tired right now mom. I'm tired, please forgive me for running away that night."

It was a sobbing mess with an exchange of apologies and heartfelt changes. The Monroe household would see a new light with a new addition.

Carlos quickly adjusted to living with Daniel. A week passed with many happening, starting from taking down his missing posters and thanking all those who came out to search for him. He went to church that week's Sunday with Carlos as a born again and with a hefty sum to give as thanksgiving to God for bringing him this far.

He was still trying to get used to his mother showering him with attention and love, all the things he craved for yet one thing still nagged him at the back of his mind.

Penelope.

Two weeks prior to his return his mother enrolled him back into his school on Daniel's insistence. He didn't want to switch to a different one but rather wanted to show everyone that he wasn't who he used to be. Oh how he wished teenagers learned from their mistakes.

The bullying started and this time with full force from different rumors and speculations about his whereabouts adding to the flame. Even though Carlos stuck by him the bullying never stopped. But this time Daniel looked at it in a new light.

They can try but nothing will ever break him again. He only saw desperate children looking to pass their anger and frustrations onto a weaker person. However, Daniel Monroe wasn't weak anymore.

He smiled brightly when they taunted him, apologized on their behalf when they tried to cause him physical damage, he preached to them when they tried to verbally abuse him. The light within him just wouldn't be dimmed, instead it shone brighter until the students began to see just what Daniel was going on about.

Three months later his new character started a movement. It was lunch and he, Carlos and Evans sat at their usual table eating and discussing random topics when one girl walked up to them. She was a timid little thing but had eyes that promised strength.

She sat down with them and said, "I want to be just like you Daniel."

The next day two others came and the next three and the next four, in that order the numbers increased. Many students wanted to know about the light in him. They wanted to know what exactly changed him.

And to Daniel maybe the light was always there. He never really got that lost off the track, he just needed an eye opener to what he truly held within him. The reason for everything became as clear as day when he stood in front of a group of twenty students after school with a proud smile on his face.

You had to go through this, friend, for you to discover God in you and consequently have an impact on your youth. I wanted them to see through you that following me isn't a chore or any idea they have in mind. I wanted you to show them the light I have to bring. Answer their questions, satisfy their hunger, bring to me a generation of God thirsty people who will hunger for the truth. That is the purpose I chose you for.

It was good, he felt content yet still one thing bothered him.

Penelope.