Harley Goodhouse was right when he predicted that Midvale would become the new Mecca. Since the Miracle, pilgrims from around the globe have kept a steady flow of traffic into and out of the small but popular prairie oasis. Thanks to the Lord’s visitation, the newly found wealth, and the industry of Jr. Williams the town has taken on an entirely new look. The once dusty buildings now sparkle with fresh coats of paint and clean storefront windows. The streets are lined with potted trees and millions of year-round flowers. Shops like Guthrie’s and Fast Albert’s are open six days a week now and doing a landslide business. All in all the town is prospering far beyond the dreams of any of its residents, and each of them give daily thanks for their blessings. Strangely, the single rose placed on the park platform by Hattie Scott is still there, as radiant as it was the evening she left it. Through wind and weather and the curiosity of kids it remains, a simple statement that God is still alive.
The Organized Ministry (including Brother Michael and Deacon Collingsworth, who returned from hiding-out the day after he heard that the Miracle was for real) has remained intact but now they are operating on a much higher level. One Saturday and Sunday a month all nine churches in town close their doors and each of the ministers take turns hosting a service from the bandstand in the park. The weather on those particular weekends so far has been glorious.
Ironic as it seems, the man responsible for all the trouble Abe and Shorty ran into in the beginning, Harley Goodhouse, went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for his in-depth testimonial article in the Midvale Monitor. From the small weekly paper the story went on to become the number one lead in global news. Harley retired shortly thereafter and is now busy writing a book on miracles in general. That’s sure to be a best seller.
Although the reckless drive towards the same Pulitzer was Roland Thompson’s downfall, as it turned out it wasn’t all that bad a move for him. He wasn’t cut out to be a reporter in the first place. Pig ranching was more his style. Uncle Rayford understood this but he also felt he had an obligation to his sister to keep Roland employed. So when Dwayne Pearson quit his job at the television station Rayford sold him the Chronograph and bought a hog farm upstate. He put Roland in charge of the place and between the two of them they raise some of the finest potbellied pigs in the nation.
Munroe Washington found his niche as well. Using the money they collected from their parking-lot venture he and his son, Jesse, put in a petting zoo and waterpark at the far end of the pasture. As Munroe put it, “It keep the childen occupied while the old folks is paying they respects ovuh at the park.” Big Sister Allecia and Charlie Belew work for Munroe. That is when they’re not busy giving anger management classes down at Brother Elkins’ New Hope Mission. Elkins, himself, was their first client. There’s talk around town that there’s more to Allecia and Charlie’s business arrangement than they let on but they haven’t announced a date yet.
For a while after the Miracle there wasn’t anyone left in town to take Arthur Hedges up on his offer of help. All the heavy drinkers who were around when the Miracle was taking place were converted and have long since gone back to a more productive life. Of course, it didn’t take long for their replacements to start drifting through and now Arthur is back in business doing what he loves most. Peon (ah, Leroy) is still with him but not nearly as obnoxious as he once was. Oh yes, about the Captain and his car---God must still be with him whenever he gets behind the wheel.
No one ever heard what happened to Antonio Pasta and the boys from Windsor. That’s probably not too unusual. Prior to the Miracle no one heard much about them either. Their gray sedan was towed into Midvale a couple of days after their departure but it was never claimed. Jr. Williams finally had it designated as city property then gave it to Miss Haggard as a token of Midvale’s support of her work.
There is one other point of possible interest that could have a connection to the shady side of life. A new non-denominational retreat located on the only hilltop within a hundred miles of Windsor was opened a while back. Rumor has it that an anonymous gift of five million dollars in cash was donated to that retreat in the name of one Mama Lucia. But that’s only a rumor. Gerald Dodge was going to look into it but he left the Bureau before he got the chance. It’s said that the First Lady herself hosted his retirement party and that he’s now soaking up the sun on a houseboat somewhere in the south Florida Keys.
Abe and Shorty stayed on with Ms. Haggard and got the old Waverly Home looking almost new. To this day the only living creature who knows them for who they really are is Horace, and that’s as it should be. Mr. McDougal spends his spare time nowadays giving free billiard lessons down at Bill Carson’s establishment. You can find him there every Thursday night surrounded by teens and sighting down his beautiful pearl-inlaid cuestick. That was a gift from Bill when the little man offered to help get the new operation up and running. You see, Bill doesn’t sell liquor anymore. He turned in his license and changed the name of his place to The Old Tyme Soda Fountain and Billiard room. For business as well as personal reasons it was the best move he ever made.
As for Abraham. He and Elizabeth got married. We all knew that would happen. After their marriage, the state honored Elizabeth’s request that she and Abe be granted approval to foster all the children. The idea that they were now an actual family thrilled all the kids and brought on the immediate cessation of little Alvin’s thumbsucking problem.
That brings us to Horace. In Alvin, the old dog found a soul-mate but on the more natural side of life he also found himself in the fatherly way with a neighboring retriever named Lulabelle. It won’t be long now before a whole new generation of tiny Horaces will be chasing butterflies in the Waverly’s courtyard.
So life goes on, today better than yesterday and tomorrow…well, to put it honestly, who but God knows what tomorrow will bring?
One last point. In an unprecedented move, backed by both the First Lady and the Supreme Court, a joint session of congress just recently voted unanimously to keep God in the Pledge of Allegiance. Will the Miracle never end?
####
Your review posted on your retailer's site is extremely important to me. Hopefully you enjoyed the story, and by offering your review, you will have given other potential readers reason to purchase a copy for themselves. Thank you for being a fan.
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends