Chapter 5 Dilemma

Woodway Texas, United States of America.

Mandy and her friends made preparations to leave for Pennsylvania. They discussed how they'd blend into college life.

Bradley went back to Dr Harry to inform him of his admission to the University of Pennsylvania. Doctor Harry wished him luck, and referred him to one of the specialists in Philadelphia.

As Bradley walked out of Dr Harry's office, his gaze fell on the nurse who had helped him the last time he was there.

"Pleased to see you again, Nurse." Bradley said, stretching out his hand for a handshake.

The nurse received the handshake. "It's Fiona." She beamed.

"Bradley. I'm Bradley Harper. I've gained admission into the University of Pennsylvania. I came to tell the doctor."

"This means the doctor will be referring you to another hospital over there in Pennsylvania?"

"He has already transferred me." Bradley grimaced.

The nurse placed one of her hands on his. "Don't worry, it is well."

"Can it ever be well with cancer?"

The nurse winced upon hearing that he was diagnosed with cancer.

"Not cancer. It's you I'm referring to. It is well with you."

"Which god were you talking about the last time we spoke?" Bradley asked, unable to stifle his curiosity.

"There is only one true God, and he is the one I was talking about."

Bradley shot her a confused look. "Which religion do you belong to?"

"I am not a religionist, but I am proud to say I'm a Christian!" The nurse was unable to stifle her glee as she made that affirmation.

Becoming more confused than he was, Bradley asked the nurse. "Is Christianity not listed as one of the religions in the world?"

"That's how the world sees it, but in the Bible, the people who were called Christians were those whom they said lived like Jesus."

Bradley swore under his breath. He asked a series of questions but wasn't persuaded with the answers the nurse gave him.

"I really don't believe you, I don't think there is any difference from your sky daddy and other gods. There is no peace in the world, everyone suffers regardless of their religion. People get sick. People die. You know what else?" Bradley's blue eyes stared right into the nurse's brown eyes. "I think you are weird. I should be on my way."

Bradley proceeded to walk away when the nurse said something that made the hairs at the back of his head stand as though he had stepped on a live wire.

"You said there is no peace in the world. Yes, I agree with you, but I have peace because I am in Christ and I am not of this world."

Peace! The same peace he was looking for? Was the nurse telling the truth or she was pretending like he did to his friends? Should he turn and listen to her? Why should he? As far as he was concerned, there was no peace in the world. The nurse was just lying and pretending. That was what they were. Religious people. All pretenders. Bradley hurriedly walked out of the hospital without looking back.

"Oh Father! You said you've answered my prayers. When I saw him today, I thought it was the opportunity you gave me to lead him to Christ, but I didn't make good use of it," the nurse prayed.

"Yes, Fiona, beloved, I answered your prayers. Leave him to me. Be still and know that I am God." Nurse Fiona gave thanks to God and went about her duties.

-----

The Parker's mansion.

Mandy sat on one of the couches adjacent to her father, buried her face in her palms as she cried

Her father, Mr Jonathan Parker stood and walked across the living room to where his daughter sat, and began to pat her back gently. "Oh, my baby! Don't cry."

Mandy looked up from her palm to her father's moist eyes. "Father, please, I don't want to go to school in this session"

Jonathan drew back a little perplexed. "But it hasn't gotten to that."

"I can't leave Mother and Jason!" Mandy spoke through a choked voice.

Jonathan hunkered down in front of Mandy, and gently took two of her hands in his. "What of your friends? What will they say or think of us?"

"I'll tell them anything, anything, Father. Just please don't let me go to college." Mandy turned her face from her father and kept wailing.

Looking at his daughter's emotional state, Jonathan felt his heart being clutched by an invisible, icy hand.

"I wish I was never born. I wish we were never born. I wish we didn't do the terrible things we did!" Mandy's words cut deeper into her father's emotional wound.

Jonathan stood and dropped his hands on his sides, still staring at his daughter. He felt his world crashing in front of him, and the thoughts flowed into his mind. Suicide! Suicide! End it now. Let me just kill my family and kill myself!

He remembered the words of the religious priest who said that karma was taking its course, and they were paying for the evil they did. One of his friends who belonged to the religion referred him to the priest. Trusting his friend, Mr Jonathan and his family had taken the priest's words seriously, despite being atheists. What other explanations could be given to the tragedy that had befallen them? No, there was no hope for him or his family again.

The dark voice in his mind kept giving suicidal suggestions, but why couldn't he do it? Why?

Jonathan perched on the edge of the sofa with his daughter's head on his laps, rubbing small circles on her back, soothing her.

"Don't you want to respect your mother's wish?"

Mandy's body froze at the question from her dad.

"You know she will be disappointed to hear you say you don't want to go to college." Jonathan paused for a while and continued. "She'll feel guilty that you did not go to college because of her. I'm sure you don't want that?"

"And what about you?" Mandy raised her head from her father's laps and looked straight into his eyes.

Jonathan placed his right hand on Mandys left shoulder. "You know it has always been my desire to see you and your brother go to college."

Mandy wiped her eyes with the back of her palm. "That's not what I'm talking about, dad. How will you take care of Mother and Jason? Will you be able to do that all by yourself?"

"Your mother is my wife." Jonathan pointed to himself. "Jason is my son. I love my wife and son so much, including you, my baby." Jonathan stroked his daughter's cheek.

Mandy smiled slightly, shifting away from her father.

"Yes, that's my baby," Jonathan said when he saw the smile that perched on his daughter's face.

"I love you, Father."

"I love you, too, my baby." Jonathan nudged her forward. "Now go upstairs, and prepare for college."

Mandy grinned from ear-to-ear and without another word did as her father asked.

-----

Harper's mansion.

Hunter stood from his big-sized bed, and walked around his room aimlessly. Who could ever understand him? Who would he tell of his struggle, his addictions, that won't think it was his fault?

Hunter went to the window of his room and moved the curtain so he could see the front of the big compound.

Looking down at the compound beautified with various ornamental plants, trees and garden flowers, he remembered his innocent childhood. He pulled back some strands of his unkempt, blonde hair from his face. His gaze flickered to the swing he and his brother played with as children, and his eyes grew moist. He was such a sweet, little, innocent child, loved by his mother, adored by his father.

Not until he stumbled on the devil himself, who had come in disguise of a friend. He was still loved by his parents and twin brother. That was because they didn't know what he did.

Hunter remembered the day he asked his parents and twin brother what they thought of a person with his kind of addiction. Their response had been cataclysmic.

"People like that should bury their heads in shame!" his mother had said with a look of disgust.

"I wouldn't hesitate to call the cops when I see people like that!" His father's words filled him with dread.

"People like that are animals, or even worse than an animal!" Bradley's words made him shudder.

Hunter hit his fist hard on the window protector and groaned loudly! "Curse you, Alfred. Curse you for doing this to me!"

Oh! Megan, Megan his love! How he wished she understood. The day he asked her, and said it was one of his friends, he remembered that look on her face, the look of disdain.

"Please, don't tell me that this friend you speak of is someone from our circle. I'll be very heartbroken and disappointed!"

Megan's words shattered any twinge of hope and made him close his mouth forever. Even at that, did he still get what he wanted? He remembered the day he asked her out, telling her how much he loved and cared for her.

"I don't love you, Hunter. I have someone who I believe is far better than you. I can't date you no matter what," she had said.

Hunter pressed his hands tight on his chest as though the memories were too painful to think of.

"But I love you Megan! I swear, I loved you! I still do. I always will."

Hunter backed away from the window, and leaned back, slowly sitting on the floor. He heard the prolonged honk of a car and knew his brother was back. Back from where? Wherever he went, he didn't care.

Bradley entered the apartment building and headed straight to his twin brother's room for a brief discussion. They were busy wallowing in their own frustrations and worries that none of them noticed the dark circles beneath each other's eyes.

Hunter, Bradley and Mandy weren't the only ones who were frustrated and worried about life and family issues. Megan, Skylar, Anne-Marie, Ryan, and Avery also were..