THE OVERCOMER


By Tessa Harvey



CHAPTER TEN



Sam regularly walked to work unless the weather was atrocious. It gave him time to think and to pray. Stella had not wanted to return to work despite Sam's encouragement.

Not far from the factory there was a small market area and near was a place where people could play an instrument, sing, juggle or tell jokes. It wasn't very big.

Stepping over an empty guitar case, Sam saw a man huddled over. He looked old. There was a battered hat before him, presumably for money, and a white stick. Dropping some loose change in the guitar case (for the young man was a good player and singer), he leaned down and put a note in the man's hat also. Sensing his nearness, the old man croaked a thank you, staring sightlessly ahead. He was unkempt and dirty and his clothes old and ragged.

What made Sam pause was his voice. He knew that voice. Kirby!

Such a surge of rage swept up inside him, he had to lean against a nearby stall. The owner looked at him in some consternation, so he pulled himself together and moved on.

All the way home he fumed. He had thought Kirby dead after these years. He had wished him dead!

He remembered those years of being bullied, his illness was because of Kirby. The fire, the shooting, the ruined wedding-dress, all Kirby's fault. At times his shoulder still ached a constant reminder.

All the frustration of Little Sammy's slowness boiled up also, the fact he had lost his mother early, constant wrongs and slights. Kirby!

Helping James calmed him down. Later he talked to Stella and she listened intently. Then she said something that made him even more angry.

"You have to forgive." She said it calmly, facing him as she sat up in bed. He was angry because he knew she was right.

Then, he cried quietly so as to not disturb his children. He asked God to help him. He knew forgiveness was beyond him.

Next day he went looking for Kirby and sat down next to him on the cold, hard, dirty footpath.

"I am Elias Samuel Cowan, and I choose to forgive you."

The man bowed his head and wept. "I am sorry too for all the harm. You just seemed to be all I was not. Please forgive me. I was overseas, involved in drug-running, and tried to double-cross the others. This is the result. I came here, hoping you would see me and forgive. It has burdened me for years. Yes, I was irrational and possibly mentally ill, but that is no excuse.
Thank you. I feel better now. I'll go and tell the police."

"Leave it," said Sam to his own amazement. "It is over," and he walked away.



                                                          THE END
                                                              (For Now)


                                    Tessa's next story: "HOPE" coming soon!

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