Chapter 15
AJ
School had started and AJ was doing quite well with everything. The dual credit classes had been a little harder than anticipated, but AJ was passing with the help of some notes on test material that had mysteriously appeared in her notebook one day. AJ didn't care what their origin might be. Zisa had told her not to worry about it, so AJ wasn't worried.
She really had a chance to be popular, but it seemed she had outgrown any need to connect with her peers in school. She was above them. AJ had gone from being Miss Nobody to being Miss Better Than The Rest of Them. AJ decided she really did like it at the top. She wanted to be there forever.
And there was the campaign. Mitch was running for state senator, but it appeared he there would be an opening in Washington DC within a few years. The elder senator from the state was approaching retirement age. He also had health problems. It all looked good for Mitch.
AJ thought about their first meeting. She had been introduced to someone by her father who could introduce her directly to Mitch. She had dressed carefully for that meeting, paying attention to every detail. It was hard for someone not quite 17 to get the attention of any adult, so AJ had spent hours meditating with Zisa as her guide. She had known in advance that Mitch would instantly like her. And she was right. She had also known his wife would hate her. And she was right again.
Mrs. Farmer had taken one look at AJ and known she was the type her husband would go for. She had tried to put her in an out of the way place on the campaign. Just an envelope stuffer job. But Mitch had seen the sparkle in her eye, and the sophisticated way she dressed. He had asked her how she would like to be the junior reporter for the campaign. She could be on a campaign bus on weekends, write articles for her school paper, and send out press releases to the other high schools in the state. He said it was growing voters for the next campaign. AJ would be his official spokesperson to the generation who would be old enough to vote in the next election. It was just wonderful. AJ was in love. Well, sort of. She was in love with herself and very happy to have someone appreciate her unique abilities. She was going somewhere.
Malachi
Mal and Belle were officially engaged. The wedding was tentatively set for June. But that was going to change.
Mal heard his cell phone ringing. It was just a normal ring. Like "riiinng - riiiinngg. Mal was a very straight forward kind of guy and he liked a plain straight forward ring.
"Hello," he answered in his most pleasant voice. Belle had scolded him that his telephone manners were not really what anyone could call polite. So he was working on saying 'hello' in a way that would tell the caller he was a nice guy. He felt like a nut about it.
"Mal, its Amelia. I need to talk to you a minute."
"What's up baby sister?" Mal asked. He wasn't expecting anything unpleasant from Amelia. He could really relax around her.
"Well, Mal, I know it's a little early, but I thought you and I could go shopping for Belle's Christmas present."
"Huh?" It's only the end of September. Christmas is almost years away. I do my shopping December 21. I can get it all done in one day. It isn't hard."
"Well, you can forget that now. You have to bargain shop anyway. That takes forever. Besides, I have something else to talk to you about. Let’s meet at the food court at the Mall close to the house. When is a good time?" Amelia asked.
"I can get there today at lunch - but what about your classes?"
"My classes are on my own schedule now. I was going to the Christian School at the church, but now I am doing home school through the church. I do my work when I feel like it. Of course if I don't do my work, Belle would really be mad. Anyway - I'll see you at lunch."
Mal arrived about 10 minutes early. He ate an ice cream really fast and had a mild ice cream headache when Amelia arrived. He suggested they both pick what they wanted to eat and then sit down to chat while they ate. Soon, their meals in front of them on one of the lovely plastic tables in the food court, they began to chat and munch on their fries.
"You know Mal," Amelia began. "It has been really hard on both Belle and I since mom and dad died. But harder on Belle, because she sort of feels like she has had to be both my sister and my parents."
"I cannot possible imagine what you two have gone through." Mal said with genuine sympathy. He wondered where this conversation was going,.
"Well, I have been thinking. The holidays are coming before you know it. They are just awful in that house by ourselves."
"Do you think you should go ahead and move into an apartment until you finish school?" Mal asked.
"No, I think you should move in the house with us!" Amelia stated matter of factly.
"Well, that won't work. Belle laid down the law from day one. She gets a ring on her finger and words in front of the preacher before anything like that happens."
Laughing, Amelia said, "Silly, I mean get married now instead of next June."
"Mal was about to begin explaining why that was not a good idea when the strangest thing happened. His chair began to move. Startled, he looked around quickly, only to see that everyone's chair was moving. The entire building was moving.
"My first earthquake!!" Amelia said excitedly. "A sign of the times!"
Unsure of what to do, Mal tried to remain calm. He failed. Grabbing Amelia he tried to run for the exit. Fortunately, the mall was not busy, but most of the people there were also trying to get to the door.
Later, Mal was thankful he tried to make the door, because a beam above their table had collapsed crushing the flimsy table. But they did not make it to the exit before a piece of falling debris hit Amelia on the head and almost knocked her unconscious. Mal later remembered that it seemed like an unseen hand had pushed him away from the falling objects, causing Amelia to be hit only by one instead of several chunks of debris. Amelia was not really small, but Mal was able to carry her to his pickup. Mal thought the earth had stopped shaking, but his legs were so shaky he wasn't sure. He had two things on his mind; to get Amelia to the hospital and to contact Belle.
Amelia was not fully conscious or unconscious. Mal thought she was mumbling something about ‘seeing that angel who sat with her after the accident again’.