"Can you believe we'll be seniors in September?" Katrina Doty asked, lying on her back in the haunting May sunlight.
"I'm really looking forward to it," Charity Ward commented. For a moment, the young women were silent, relaxing meditatively on the Dawson Community Church lawn. That was Katrina's idea. Her father was the pastor, and the Doty's house--the church parsonage--was just beyond the church parking lot. The girls had just gotten out of school--Dawson Christian Academy. It was a small first-through-twelfth grade ministry run by the church, in the heart of downtown Dawson.
"I can't believe tomorrow's already the last day of school. It seems like it was just Christmas," Bethany Addison broke the lull.
"I consider today was the last day," Katrina replied, smiling. "We're done with finals and have our grades back. Tomorrow's just a fun day. Where do you guys thing Mr. Cameron will take us?"
It was tradition every year for Principal Cameron to blindfold the high schoolers the last day and take them on an outing. The blindfolds couldn't be removed until they reached their destination.
"Where did you go last year?" Nicole Trent asked curiously. She was only a Freshman, and hadn't accompanied them on last year's outing.
"Water skiing at Sandstone Lake," Bethany answered, half-grinning. "I didn't think too much of that. It was that time of the month for me, so I had to sit out."
Katrina nodded. "They need to think about those things before they plan trips. But Mr. Cameron has no idea about that. I didn't really enjoy the water skiing all that much either. I couldn't make it up on the water at all. I just kept getting dragged forward. I must have swallowed three times my weight in water!"
"Me too," Charity agreed. "That was hard."
Katrina laughed. "I almost drowned."
Charity smiled and Bethany chuckled. Nicole listened reflectively. Katrina continued. "Mr. Cameron made David Williamson jump in and rag me back to the boat!"
"I remember that," Charity nodded.
"He wouldn't look at me at church or around the neighborhood for about a month after that," Katrina laughed some more. "It was awkward."
"Why should it be awkward?" Nicole asked.
"Oh, I don't know. It just was," Katrina told her. Nicole didn't always sympathize, Katrina had learned.
"Where is David Williamson these days?" Bethany wanted to know. Katrina was the authority on such things by virtue of being the pastor's daughter and therefore being privy to such information.
"Am I David's keeper?" Katrina asked, partly exasperated, partly amused. After Katrina's near-drowning at the lake last year, everyone had jokingly paired her and David together. Both Katrina and David had tried to curb these jokes.
"Sorry," Bethany repented. Bethany was a polite girl, and seldom overstepped her bounds.
"Oh, no problem. But seeing as I have no interest in David whatsoever--"Katrina added this line for emphasis," I don't keep up on what's going on in his life since he graduated last year. I know he's off at college. I don't know which one."
The four young ladies had been friends for years, all growing up in downtown Dawson. This area on the west end of the city had been the exciting downtown, where all the action was, where all the best shopping centers were, and where the only church in town was located. Dawson Community Church was a beacon in the small city. This had all bee true until about five years ago. Dawson had expanded southward. Several new housing developments, a new mall, new department stores, newer churches and schools had been started. Downtown Dawson was still called just that--downtown Dawson. Now, it was more of a little town of it's own. Many residents had moved to the newer developed areas, and consequently, downtown was a smaller, more close-knit community. Only one shopping center remained, containing an Albertson's grocery store, a Burger King, a True Value Hardware, a used bookstore, one nice sit-down restaurant called Hudson's, a SuperCuts, and a women's clothing store called Kimberly Rose. Downtown might seem a bit older, a bit run down, and a bit less-impressive. But this was where the history was.
"Do you know what you're doing next year after your graduate, Katrina and Charity?" Tenth-grade Bethany asked.
As was her nature, Charity waited for Katrina to answer first. "Well," Katrina seemed to be thinking, "I don't completely know yet. I've been praying about it, and I have the feeling God will show me a little of it this summer."
"Why this summer?" Nicole wanted to know.
Katrina shrugged. She couldn't explain it, especially not to Nicole's satisfaction. Nicole required hard numbers and facts. Katrina went more by discernment and faith. Right now, even she didn't understand her premonition about the summer. Katrina had found it was hard to get people to take her ideas seriously at times. Still, she seldom wavered when God seemed to place something on her heart. Mom affectionately called her the Prophetess, and the name had somewhat stuck with her friends. Katrina, in turn, had a biblical nickname for each of her friends as well, though she never said them aloud.
Nicole was Thomas, because of her cynical nature. Occasionally, in her heart of hearts, Katrina called Nicole a Pharisee, but always chastised herself after thinking so. Nicole's exacting personality made her seem much bigger than her height of four-foot-eleven. Nicole was slender, due more to excessive exercise and discipline with food than genetics. She could have done well to pay more attention to her frizzy gold hair. She could be intimidating, but her eyes were gentle, and she smiled easily. These things disarmed others who might otherwise feel threatened by her perfectionism.
Bethany was Bana-mon--a combination between the encouraging Barnabas and the wise Solomon. She was the easiest person in the world to get along with, and was a good friend to turn to for wise counsel. In all the years Katrina had known Bethany, she couldn't recall a single argument. Bethany had a calming personality. She was pretty, but kept her appearance pretty low-key. Her straight brown hair hung just below her shoulders, and she usually dressed simply, in Christian T-shirts and knee-length denim shorts.
Charity was just Charity. Her name said it all. She was sweet, gentle, soft-spoken, a little bit shy, and very faithful. Despite being very introverted, Charity had a sunshiny disposition. She was plump and rosy, and her beautiful smile lit up any room she happened to grace. Of course, Charity had always considered herself plain, but only she held that opinion. Her bright blue eyes, light dusting of freckles, and long light auburn hair were quite striking. But Charity never believed that. She was humble, and focused on others. Katrina had never met another human being more suited to her name than Charity Ward. Perhaps that was why Katrina considered Charity her very best friend.
Katrina felt she, not Charity, was plain. Like Charity, though, Katrina was unaware of her beauty, and the fact that everybody but herself saw it. She was of average height, somewhat shapely. Her long brunette hair hung down her back in waves. Her eyes could go from a peaceful gray to a bright green, depending on her mood and surroundings. Katrina took her position as Pastor Greg Doty's oldest daughter seriously, and tried to be a good example. Her faith was important to her. In a lot of ways, she was more analytical than even Nicole.
"What about you, Charity?" Nicole was asking. "What are you going to do after you graduate?
"Well," Charity answered in her soft, sweet voice. "I don't know. I"m with Katrina. I'll just wait to see what God's will is for me. I'm doing that summer missionary thing at the church this summer--the one Pastor George has been talking about from the pulpit."
"DSYM," Katrina interjected. "Dawson Summer Youth Mission. Yeah, he's been putting it together for months. I don't even know everything that's involved, but I'm doing it too. I know he said it's like a mission trip to our own city."
"Dawson needs it," Nicole concurred. "I was planning to do it too. But I don't need that to show me what I'll do after high school. I'm going to college right away. Probably the state university."
That was Nicole, the overachiever. She was only just now finishing up her Freshman year, and she had her whole post-high school life mapped out.
The May sunlight continued to beam down on the four friends as they each silently dreamed their innocent dreams of the future.
YOU ARE READING
A Summer of Eternity
Spiritual"Perhaps her shaking and shivering were caused by more than just the chilly wind. Deep inside, Katrina had a premonition. It wasn't a good premonition this time. Not like this summer had been. She felt as though she were about to receive the res...
