Mark's Dream Get Together

    *May the good Lord be praised forever* Mark said silently to the Lord as he listened to the sound of the many voices of all his friends. He could hardly believe how many had turned out for this event. So many that he had known from the college, as well as a few he had never met, but had only talked with on line. He was amazed at how many had turned out, he began running through his mind some of the different names of those he had heard was here. Both the names of those he had known for a long time, and some of those which he was about to meet for the first time in person. *Wow*He thought again as he went over some of their names in his mind. Melissa W, Charity and her husband Carlos and the little one, Tim L, and Tony. The Ali he had known from JBU, and also the other Ali from on line. Also Sarah the clarinet player, she was there, and also many many others. It had happened he had brought them altogether at last. 
    "I best call this crowd to order and get us loaded up and headed out to the cabin" Mark said to his friend Travis after he had personally welcomed the folks with much hand shaking and neck hugging. 
    "Alright." his friend replied. 
    Mark had just opened his mouth to speak, when he heard yet another car drive up. "Oh good! We still have another person coming."
    "You better make that persons" Travis said "looks like they are three young ladies getting out of that car."
    "Oh I wonder if it could be, no I won’t count my chickens before they hatch, it would never be Jaclyn, we have talked so little, and she doesn’t even get to receive my emails very often." Mark Said. "Hello" he called turning his head in the direction of the sound of foot steps.
    "Hi are you Mark" 
    "I am and you."
    "I’m Jaclyn."
    "Jaclyn!" Mark soon found out that Jaclyn another online friend had come and she had brought with her two others. Sarah the leader, and Bethany. "I am so glad you are here all three of you." Mark was never aware of this but he had one of those moments when his eyes focused right into the eyes of Jaclyn and Bethany, as if he were looking them right in the eye and wasn’t blind. Again he never knew this though. 
    "Alright." Mark began speaking to the crowd as a whole. "If I can have all of your attention for a moment we will get this thing started shall we."
    "Go for it one" of the girls that was there said. 
    "First of all I want to extend a warm welcome to all of ya. I do appreciate you coming, my were gonna have a wonderful time by the Lord’s grace. We got a cabin about 2 miles out in the woods here that we will be staying in. It is way to small for all of us! but we will make do. Now most of ya are gonna ride up on that wagon over their pulled by the John Deer Tractor. Now I am gonna drive it, but I’m blind as a bat as you all know, so I need someone to get up there with me and steer it, or tell me which way to turn or something. But we will figure that out after I get the other two folks in the vehicles. Alaina Jo, if you don’t mind driving, I am going to ask you to take our friend Bea and Jude in that old ford pick up. It is a three speed on the column standard shift. Now I have ridden with You before Alaina , and I know you are easy on a clutch, so I’ll ask you to drive that one if you don’t mind?"
    "No! That’s fine" she said. "Thanks for asking, I’d would love to drive your truck."
    "Good, it’s just an old ford, nothing extra, but it runs pretty good. It was the pickup my granny had and drove before she passed away. She drove a standard about the same way you do, so it should feel like it is in familiar hands" Mark said chuckling. 
    "I’ll probably kill it or something I’ve never drove a three speed before" Alaina said. 
    "Aw you’ will be fine. I’ll let our friends Jude and Bea ride with you in the cab, and we are going to be on dirt road, so we can load the back full of people." 
    "Where’s John? Alaina" someone asked John being Alaina’s husband. 
    "Oh he’s here, he is already at the cabin helping get a few things ready."
    "Oh yeah" Mark broke in, "encase you are wondering where some of the folks are like John, Paige and Rob, Brian and Lauren, and Stef, they agreed to come early and get some things ready for all of us at the cabin."
    "That’s nice of them."
    "Your telling me, I could never pull this off with out every ones help. By the help of the Lord, and every one working together this is going to be an incredible week for us all." (Writers Note: I was going to have this story be about two or three days, but Jessica wanted a week. Anything for Jess right?) "One more thing to all of you" Mark said raising his voice above the crowd once again. "I also want to say a special welcome to all of you new comers. Like to Sarah The clarinet player, to Tony, Tim L, Jaclyn, Sarah the leader, Beth, and all you other new comers. Now I do want every one of you here to go plum out of your way to make every one feel welcome. One of the things I wish to emphasize and live out as a whole while we are together, is how all God’s people are one body. Believers are all one family. And if there is one here that is not a believer, well, that’s fine. Please, please feel welcome, and know you are welcome to be here. We love you and welcome you, and value you. I want love to be a theme of the gathering, and I want you to know again that I love all of ya."
    "Now Charity and husband Carlos you all are here right?"
    "Yes"
    "Great! I heard you was, but some how I have not made it to you yet. Please step forward if you will both of you."
    "I’m here to." a small child’s voice piped up! 
    "Oh good you brought that young one. how exciting!!!"
    "I’m free" the boy piped up!
    "Alright getting to be big boy huh!"
    "We have also brought with us my youngest sister, Hope" Charity said. 
    "Marvelous!!" Mark said with excitement. "Welcome Miss Hope" Mark said reaching out his hand. He couldn’t see it but Hope’s face beamed as he welcomed her. There was something about the way he greeted her that made the fifteen year old feel as though she was fully an adult! "Yes Miss Hope Joy, I am so glad you came, why if you weren’t here we would be Hopeless. But now", and then Mark burst into song "I’ve got the Joy Joy Joy Joy shaking my hand. Shaking my hand, shaking my hand." He was singing to the tune of Joy Joy down in my heart, and every time he would say “shaking my hand” he would give Hope’s hand a swift shake. She and some of the others laughed. "Folks for those of you that do not know, this couple here Carlos and Charity, are pretty much newly weds. So we want to make this trip kind of special for them in a special way. So they are gonna drive by themselves in my special classic town car. Follow me you two and I’ll show two the car and I’ll give you a few tips on how to drive it."
    Carlos, Charity’s husband gave Mark sort of a puzzled look, but of course Mark didn’t see it. *Okay* he thought to himself. *So I have been driving, a few years now, you can’t see, and you say you are going to give me some tips on how to drive your car. Okay??* He didn’t say anything but someone else did. It was Jess one of Marks close friends. Mark and Jess were known for their constant playful arguing with each other. Sometimes it sounded serious if you did not know them, but those that knew them knew they were close and both thought a lot of the other person. "You think he needs you to tell him how to drive a car?"
    "He might" Mark replied. 
    "I think I saw him driving up here"
    "you didn’t see him driving mine."
    "Oh that’s right, anything of yours would be special, out of the ordinary."
    "Oh stop it!" Mark said. 
    Jess burst into laughter. "Now I got to go take Carlos and Charity over to it, and He’ll bring it around." 
    "I’ll bet you wouldn’t know how to drive it either Jess."
    "I’ll show you drive" Jess said. 
    "Alright Children" one of their friends Josiah broke in to their playful arguing. 
    "Follow me" Mark said to the man and wife. 
    "Coming sis" Charity said to her sister, 
    "I’m going to come on the wagon with Brooke." Now Brooke was one of the girls from Colorado and she and Hope had instantly hit it off. 
    "She is in good company" Mark said to the couple, "Brooke and I go back a little ways. She’s great and has been a good friend to me. Her and Tim L are dating now. I am so glad you brought Hope with you Charity" Mark continued, "One thing about it she isn’t too young is she?" They all three laughed as this was a little joke between them about Hope and something that had happened sometime ago. 
    Mark wanted to visit with the two a little more as they walked the short walk to the car, but he also really wanted to give the couple some space together on this trip, so he ran ahead a little ways. The two followed Mark as he walked with his cane in front of him. Mark did not know it, but on the short walk to the surprise classic car, they got a kick out of Mark. He was whistling a catchy little tune and tapping his cane to the beat, with out really even realizing it. He seemed to “resonate” with a God given joy. They had only gone a little ways when they came to the car. "Here she is" Mark said The Car is an old Ford Model T. A 1920 model. Mark ran ahead and opened the doors. 
    "Oh my goodness!" Charity exclaimed. "Wow" her husband echoed… 
    "Here you go oh wait, come to think of it, you are not ready to get in yet Carlos."
    "I’m not" he asked a note of question in his voice? (Writers Note: The instruction concerning how the model t is operated is true. The instructions Carlos will be given is actually how those old model ts were back then.) 
    "No you can’t start it from inside. Well, actually, no Charity will turn on the mag."
    "Oh you mean this is one of those old cars you have to crank to start it.
    "Yip I thought about putting an electric starting system on it, but what fun would that be. I’ve kept her original as I can. Come around here to the driver side though Sir and I’ll show you how she works. That lever there" Mark said grabbing one of the levers "now that is your spark. You won’t need to mess with that though I’ll set that up right for you before you take off. Now the lever on the other side is your throttle. Now that works like the gas petal on your modern cars. Pull it back the motor speeds up, push it forwards, it slows down. That of course is your gear shift" he said grabbing another lever, "you got low and high just two gears. Now lets start the car up and I’ll show you a couple more things. Charity since you are in, see that key looking thing down low in the middle. Ahuh. Turn that to your right if you would."
    "Oh what is it doing" she asked as it set up a pitiful buzzing noise? "Oh that’s just the mag, that is normal. Now pull that round knob out if you will that one a little above the mag you just turned on. See it yes. That is the choke pull that out if you will and When I tell you, go ahead and push it in. Got it?"
    "Yip" she replied. 
    "Now here it Goes" Mark said gripping the crank in his hand. "Carlos something else important here, very important. Notice my hand position that I am holding the crank in. If you don’t hold the crank in this way, it can kick back, and it could break your thumb or Maybe even your arm. Here she goes. With only one crank the motor began to chug. Push the choke in now if you would," Mark called to Charity. She did so and the motor began to chug study as a grand fathers clock. 
    "Wow that has a pretty sound" Carlos said.
    "Well jump in my friend and you can take it back to where every one else is waiting for us. I’ll jump in and ride back as far as where we left every one else." Mark had just set his foot on the running board of the car to get in when the car jerked in to motion. 
    "Oh my I’m sorry" Carlos exclaimed! "All I did was pushed the clutch in, you alright it should not have taken off at all!" 
    "I’m fine" Mark laughed. "You actually let the clutch out. 
    "No I pushed it in, I was just going to put it in gear is all, but I guess it was in gear already. But why in the world did it take off when I pushed the clutch in."
    Mark knew he really shouldn’t tease but he could not resist. "You let the clutch out Carlos." 
    "Honey it doesn’t really matter" his wife spoke softly as she seen he was beginning to get a bit frustrated with Mark. 
    At this point, Mark burst in to laughter. "I’m sorry Carlos I’m just messing with you, I plum forgot to tell you. Buddy, these old model ts are different. Just hang on now before you push any petals. Alright the petal on your left I guess is the clutch alright, but when you press down that makes the car go. You must hold it down for the car to keep going. It is just the opposite of cars to day. In other words when you push in on the petal, it is like letting the clutch out. When you let off, it is like pushing the clutch in. Sorry for giving you such a hard time."
    "Oh that’s fine" Carlos said also laughing now. "I understand I was bout to get upset with you. I was like Man I know whether I am pushing a clutch in, or letting it out." They both laughed. 
    "Anyhow, Mark continued, "The petal in the middle, now that’s your reverse petal. And the one on the right, well strange as it may sound that’s your break."
    "Okay got it."
    "Oh and pull that leaver that’s your horn." He honked the horn and it made a strange sound. Ooga Ooga.
    "heard these in parades but I have never had the privilege of driving one. I appreciate this" he said. 
    "Yeah" they all cheered as the old model t drove up to where the others were waiting. "Alright you all ready and loaded up in and on your vehicles? Okay. Lets have a prayer to start this thing off, and then we will go!" A hush fell up on the crowd and all was quiet save the sound of the Model-T chugging. 
    "Dear Lord, I so do appreciate and thank you for each one that has come out for this uniting together. To worship, to praise, to celebrate your birth as well. We pray this would be a good and spiritual refreshing time to all, and that we would all find ourselves closer to you dear Lord. Now guide direct us, and may your hand be up on us, and may this event over the next week be pleasing to you. A sweet smelling savor in your nostrils. Thine be the glory and honor for ever and ever, amen. Alright lets go" Mark said. "Oh I need a helper on the tractor."
    "I’ll help" Tim S said another one of Mark’s good friends. 
    "Alright." Now the tractor was also very old one of those Popping Johnny as many used to call them. Mark spun the fly wheel and the motor fired. Pop pop, pop pop, pop, and with Mark and Tim S on the tractor, and several in the trailer sitting on bails of hay they headed down a dirt road toward Marks little vacation cabin in the woods.

Part 2

By the time they pulled away heading down the dirt road toward Mark’s cabin the sun was going down. The weather was cooling off to. It wasn’t to cold, if one had a coat they were comfortable, and Mark had warned every body to bring lots of warm clothing. So every body was pretty comfortable. "I can’t believe how many has turned out for this event" Mark said to Tim S as they drove the tractor. 
    "I know it’s amazing" Tim replied. 
    "Now Tim I am going to stop the tractor after we top this next hill." 
    "How can you tell where we are?" 
    "Oh, I have been over it a few times."
    "Wow I should say you have. What are we stopping for?" 
    "Well, tell me are the stars shining yet Tim?"
    "Yes they are in fact the sky is exceptionally beautiful tonight." 
    "Oh praise the Lord" Mark said slamming his hand down on the steering wheel with excitement. "I had prayed the night would be just right to sort of set the mood for this event. We have a huge mixture of people with us Tim. People from 15, well one three year old, to ones who is in their 40s or 50s I don’t know. Also we have a very different back ground. Meaning people from very different back grounds, all raised a little differently. But they are all people I consider friends and I love them all and want them to have a great time." 
    "Is there something you are going to do to sort of help make that happen?" Tim asked
    "Well I guess you could say that. You haven’t been to my cabin either have you Tim?"
    "No. Travis has told me some about it." 
    "Well, you will be surprised to. Oh we are climbing the hill now, we will stop at the top. We are still in the lead are we not?"
    "Yes we are. Alaina is behind you, and I believe the other couple, what’s their names, the ones in the model t?"
    "Carlos and Charity, boy am I glad they are here!"
    "They pretty close to you?"
    "Well she kind of is, and I hope to become good friends with Carlos as well. They really mean a lot to me, but no time to get into all of that now, I believe we have topped the hill."
    "Yes we have!"
    "Great I’ll go just a little farther, I don’t want Alaina or Carlos either one to have to take off on that steep hill. I mean they would handle it alright, but my rigs are so old when they park and kill the engine they might role backward down the hill." 
    "That would not be good" Tim said.
    After they had went a bit farther Mark grabbed the hand clutch and stopped the hay ride. He killed the motor. By this time Alaina and Carlos and Charity had caught up with him, they both stop letting their engines idle. "Something wrong one of those that were behind asked?"
    "No I just want to do something here a moment if we may. Go ahead and jump out if you are all able and turn the truck off. Some body please call back and ask Carlos and Charity to get out and step up this way as well. Oh and ask him to go ahead and kill the car if he would. Tell Him if he is not thrilled about having to start it again I’ll help him. Oh and tell him to push the clutch, He’ll know what that means" Mark said laughing.
    A few moments later all engines were turned off, and every one had gathered around and was silent, waiting to hear what Mark had to say. "Alright," Mark began. "If you are wondering why I stopped, I simply wanted to take a minute to look at the stars." This caused many looks of bewilderment, as they all knew Mark can not see. "I just want to share something from my heart with you all if I may. Is that okay?" "Go for it" one of them piped up and several other words of agreement followed.

    "I love standing out here in the stillness of the night,
    In Wonder at the stars, that shine so bright. 
    Even though I am blind, and can not physically see,
    God has not hidden their wonders from me.
    For I can imagine the beauty of their shine
    And it brings sweet scenery unto my mind.
    Causing much beauty to fill my Soul,
    and it all comes from God this I know!
    In the day I feel the sun, and I know the sun gives light,
    and the stars in evening give light also, reminding me there is always hope, peace, comfort, in the darkness of night.
    And as we are coming close to Christmas I also am reminded, of how the star led the Wiseman to Jesus, just like the Lord had intended.
    Yes you may wonder why I have us stop and stare at the sky,
    Especially when I can’t physically see them, but I do it to be still and remember Our God is nigh."

    As Mark broke off his speaking at this point. They all just stood in silence. After a bit Mark spoke again. "Would someone mind telling me a little bit about what the stars look like in the sky tonight?" Two or three of the ladies started to speak up and tell Him. 
   One named Fran, Sarah the Leader and Little Kropp, also Heidi, but just before any of them spoke, young Hope of 15 years old spoke up. "I’ll tell you Mark. The big dipper is out tonight, and there are other stars moving around. They seem like they are brighter than normal tonight, and there are a few that are moving around a lot. It looks like they are dancing."
    "Wow… What a sight" Marks said softly in a low tone. "Isn’t Our Lord quite the creator."
    "Can I make a suggestion" Ali asked.
    "Yes you certainly may."
    "May I" she repeated chuckling a bit. "I think Sarah should play something on her clarinet." 
    "Oh Sarah" Mark said with obvious excitement in his voice, to Sarah the clarinet player, "did you bring your clarinet along?"
    "Yes" she said sort of shyly. "But I don’t know if I know anything that would best fit the occasion." 
    "Whatever" one of her friends replied, "you have been playing since 6 grade or something like that! 
    "Well I could maybe play something."
    "We would love to hear it"
    "yes" some of the others echoed. 
    "Right here?" Sarah asked she was still sounding a little shy, but also it sounded like she was beginning to get excited about playing. 
    "Right here" they answered, 
    "a solo. That is if you want to Sarah" Mark said in a warm tone. "We are not twisting your arm, you do not have to at all if you don’t wish to do so."
    "I can play" Sarah said.  She took her instrument out of the case and began to play. Hardly any one knew the peace she played. It was a lovely peace. Pretty, absolutely beautiful in Mark’s opinion. She played for about 6 or 7 minutes. 
    "That was great" both Ali's said. 
    "Very nice Sarah. Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us."
    "Thank you!" Sarah said with excitement in her voice.
    "Well I guess we ought to be getting back."
    "Yeah I want to hear the tractor run." It was the little three year old boy that had spoken up now. They all laughed. 
    "Well you set up their with Tim L and we will get going." 
    "Carlos do you need me to give you a hand starting the town car?"
    "Na I got it" he said.
    In a few moments, they were off again. My but it was a fine time. Some were still talking about the beauty of the stars and stillness of the night that they had just witnessed. Some were singing songs. And a few were just small talking, and some were discussing their love life's. 
    "Oh my" Mark said, as Tim S was still on the tractor with him. "This is just going to be nice, I can just feel it. Why this has meant a ton to me already and the week has not even started, it is just Sunday night. We have not even been to the cabin yet."
    "DO you know the name of that song that girl played?" Tim asked?
    "No I don't know the name of it, but I recognized it. I have heard it before. The only words that I remember is “I’ve told every little star how much I love you, why haven’t I told you?" (Writers Note: There is a real song which the words are very similar if not exactly like that. However I have not ever heard the song. I don't know the tune, nor if that piece would have fit the mood of the evening or not, but in the fiction story, it’s tune fit perfectly.) 
    "I’ll have to say she played it well, I kind of thought it might be a hymn."
    "No at least not to my knowledge. It could be that at some point a hymn was done to that tune."  The little dirt road had now become simply a trail in the woods just big enough for their vehicles to cross through single file. It had pretty much became that at the point they stopped and saw the stars. At last they could see a light up ahead. That’s the cabin Mark said. We are all most there folks he called to those on the trail. 
    "Hope we bout to cabin we bout to cabin" the three year old said jumping up and down with excitement. He might have fallen off the bail of hay he was sitting on, but Tim L had a good hold on him.
    "Here we are all assured" Mark called as he stopped the tractor. The tractor idled down to an rpm so slow it seemed the motor would surely stop, but it kept running. Pop,, Pop,, Pop,,,, Pop,,,. "I will leave it run Tim and then you can back it in to that hey barn over yonder if you would."
    "Sure" Tim said "this is the clutch right?" he asked putting Marks hand on a lever. 
    "That’s it." They all piled off from the wagon and out of the other vehicles and headed for the cabin.
    "Oh my goodness look" one of the girls said. "That light is coming from an oil lamp of some kind in the windows." 
    "Yip. Mark answered, "this cabin has no electricity, you are all about to take a step back in time in some ways." 
    This caused a ringing of words such as “Oh my word, my goodness, Oh, my Gosh,” as well as a few other words that I best not repeat. Mark was not surprised by their reactions. 
    "You mean there is no electric here?" someone asked again
    "Nope, but we won’t need it."
    "My cell phone" one of the girls said. "How will I charge it?"
    Mark’s reply was not what the lady asking the question was wanting to hear, but there was something about his voice tone when he spoke that comforted and calmed her anyway. "Aww I’m sorry my friend, but cell phones won’t hardly get signal out here any way. But I promise it will all be fine my friend, and should you really need to get a hold of someone, I’ll see that you get to do so."
    "Thank you the lady said. None of the people really had any idea what kind of time they were about to have at Mark’s little cabin, but they were all quickly realizing that they were about to have a time that would be quite different than any time they had ever had before…

Part 3

As they walked into the cabin, they were greeted with the sound of music. There was a bright tune playing, it sounded like a fiddle, accompanied with guitar, as well as some other instruments. The tune was catchy and you immediately found yourself wanting to tap your toe to the beat, or perhaps dance a little jig. 

“What’s playing” someone asked? 

“Oh my goodness, it’s an old phonograph” someone said! 

“It sure is” said Mark.

Just then the music began to drag down in pitch and tempo. It sounded horrible. Just then Mark heard the sound of quick footsteps on the hard wood floor. 

“That’s Paige you hear running to the record player to crank it up again” Steph said. “She has not been able to leave it alone since she got here. I think she’s worn out three needles already.” 

“It sounds good” Paige said in her defense. “I think this is awesome!” She began cranking the crank. The music picked up in pitch and speed again making some strange sounds that caused some laughter from those that were listening. 

“Uhmm umm something smells delicious” Travis and Mark said at the same time. 

“Yes, I’m going to call us to order if it’s ready. Is it all ready Lauren” Mark asked one of those that had been preparing the evening meal? 

“Yes perfect timing!” 

“Okay” Mark said as he walked over and turned off the record player. 

“If I could have every body’s attention we will say grace and eat” Mark said. Every one came to order once again. 

“First of all I want to extend gratitude to those of you that have come and made supper ready for the rest of us. Now I know there are a few things you need to know about such as, where your bed rooms are and stuff like that, but I figure we are all hungry, so lets eat and then we will talk about that later, I mean if that is okay with everyone?”

“Yes this food smells delicious” many of the friends responded.

“It is! Steph made some of her delicious butter milk biscuits” Brian said.

Then his wife Lauren spoke up. 

“Alright! And don’t forget my home made apple butter!”

“Oh yes, the biscuits would not be complete with out that. My wife Lauren here makes apple butter so good, I know you could put a dab of it on your forehead and your tongue would leap clear out of your mouth an up to your forehead trying to get to it” Brian said. “Well then we better eat it now.” Mark said. “You all just set your bags and luggage and such where ever you can find a place, and we will all deal with that later. Oh and if you need to wash your hands, I do have running water in here, but it is manual. You pump that handle up and down at the sink, and the water will come after a bit. I don’t have hot water, but we can heat some up on the cook stove, or the fireplace. 

“Where is your rest room someone else asked?”

“Oh you go out the back door and down the hill just a little ways. It is an out house, but I assure you it has been cleaned up.”

“What in the world, you don’t even have a bathroom in this place someone asked?” Then Before Mark could say anything the three year old piped up. 

“Dad I need to go p, let’s go to the out house!!” 

“Ian SHSH” his dad said in a corrective tone. The rest of them laughed. 

“Well let’s go ahead and pray” Mark said, “and then we can all do what we need to do.”

“But Mawk I need to go to the out house!” Little Ian said with determination in his voice. 

“SHshsh we will go in just a second" his daddy told him.

“I’ll make it a quick prayer” Mark said, “the Lord will understand.”

“I can pay” the little boy said.

“You want to pray” Mark asked?

“Yeah!”

“Okay go ahead and pray.”

“God is good, God is great, we thank Him for the food amen!  Now lets go to the out house daddy!!”

The others could not help laughing at the boy. 

“Well folks Grace has been said form a line and dig in. All of you just get right up here and fill your plates. If you leave hungry it will be your own fault” Mark said. 

“Can I help you get something” Jess asked Mark. 

“Yeah, but I’ll get something in a minute let some of the guests go ahead.”

“Can I turn the record player back on” Paige asked?

“You sure May” Mark answered.

Well the evening meal was absolutely wonderful. Biscuits, fried chicken, Mash potatoes and gravy, and home made pies for dessert. They all eat until they were absolutely stuffed. 

“Where in the world are we all going to sleep this cabin does not look very big” one of the friends asked? 

“Well I tell ya. I figure all the girls, that is, those who are not married, they will sleep up stares. Husbands and wives will sleep in that bedroom that is on this floor, the only other bedroom I have. All the rest of us guys will sleep in here in the front room on the floor.” 

“You got that many beds” someone else asked?”

“Nope, I got one little bed with a feather mattress on it. That’s it; the rest will have to make pallets on the floor. I am very sorry for the lack of privacy, but it is the best I can do.” 

“Oh that’s fine” Charity said. “We are all just glad you are doing this.” 

“Yeah this is really cool of you” Bethany said. 

“Oh and it isn’t much, but you can hang curtains up for privacy if you want to if you can find away to do it, if it were me, I’d just sleep in my britches all of you and not worry about it. But hang curtains, do whatever, make yourself at home. Including all that is here. I mean please respect every thing I have and put it back where you find it, but feel free to take and use all things here as your own. That includes my pick up, the car, though you might want Carlos or I to show you a few things about it if you decide to take it for a drive. Those instruments hanging up there, any one who plays take them down to play. Jam, have a great time! This is a vacation and a pre Christmas celebration. So please, please make yourself at home. “

“Can I help you carry some stuff up stairs girls” Mark asked?

“Sure” some of them replied.

Now it was Rob that started the entertainment for the night. He didn’t say anything, but he grabbed the five-string banjo from off the wall and began to pick it. There was something so graceful in the way Rob strummed the instrument. He started out slow, strumming a few cords as he took some time to kind of get the feel of it. Then he took off on a well-known banjo peace known as the foggy mountain break down. 

Travis looked over at a guitar. 

“Hey mind if I play along” he asked the man playing the banjo?”

“Not at all” Rob answered.

“What’s your name again?”

“Rob.”

“I’m Travis good to meet ya.”

With that he grabbed his guitar and began to play. 

“Yay this is cool” Jaclyn one of the girls said. 

“You should start blowing in to that doctor pepper bottle you are holding,” one of the guys told her.

“What, oh my you can’t be serious.”

“I am very serious just blow.

She did and after a few attempts, you could hardly tell it from a base instrument. This is all it took people were stomping and clapping some were doing a little jig, and some were attempting to do some type of dance to the rhythm, and ended up having it not go as smoothly as they had intended. This caused for more laughter. They sung some old folk songs, and did a lot of instrumentals as well. They Sung songs such as “O Joe Clark” and “O Dan tucker.” “Sleepy eyed John.” 

“Lets do down by the bay” Hope suggested. “Alright someone else said. Now you know how this works every body, we have to go in a circle and what ever you say has to rime. Start us off Hope if you would!”

She began to sing. 

“Down by the bay, where the wild flowers grow, back to my home, I dare not go. For if I do my mother would say. Did you ever see Tim sitting on a limb down by the bay.” 

The way the song when is they would sing the first part of the chorus over and over, then on the end, they would put who ever was next in the circle would have to come up with a rime kind of like Hope did. There were times when this could be very humorous, and just plane silly. Little Ian had to take part to. Once when it came time for his rime, with out even pausing he burst into song and sang, did you ever see Mark getting chased by a shark, down by the bay.”

Then immediately imitated to the best of his understanding the way a shark would sound. Every one got tickled as they heard this and watched his facial expressions.

Well, they all had a time singing and laughing and talking dancing and so on until about 11 o’clock at night. “Where has the night gone to,” some of them ask when looking at the clock. 

“Time flies when you’re having fun. Where is Ian, I have not heard anything out of him in quite a while” Mark asked?

“He passed out about an hour ago” his dad said. “Perhaps we should all be getting to bed” Mark said.

“Oh and as far as breakfast goes, just whoever happens to get up early you can start cooking on the old wood cook stove. If you will go out the back door here, and walk just a little ways, you will find the cellar. That is where I have every thing kept. The bacon, eggs, who knows. Lauren might make some more of those biscuits.” 

“Maybe” Lauren said in reply.

“Well lets have an evening hymn shall we Mark asked? A hymn before we call it a night.” “That would be awesome Travis said!

“we could sing do Lord,” Travis said.

“yeah let’s sing do Lord” Calley and Abbey another couple of the friends said at the same time.”

“Grab your jug again Jaclyn.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah it you do great with that!”

Do Lord was the best song of the whole night. Every one was taking part, singing and playing what ever they could. Alison played the old pump organ, their were several guitars. One was hitting two spoons together for rhythm. Some were slapping their thighs, some whistled along, and many sang. 

“I’ve got a home in glory land that out shines the sun. I got a home in glory land that, out shines the sun. I’ve got a home in glory land that out shines the sun way beyond the blue.”

They sung and then Calley and her sister took a solo lead and sung with such soul that it would have even out done Eeva Casity. The song was only two verses, but it lasted a good 8 minutes or so. Marks favorite part was the way they ended it. Because they stopped all the instruments, and sung acapella on the end. All singing their different harmony parts. And rather than ending with the chorus as one generally would do, they ended by singing the second verse again. They slowed down, and sung in full harmony, as well as full volume adding several cords which built the song. Thus the melody was full and rich, and perhaps more beautifully sung than that simple little song had ever been sung be fore. They slowed even more and let the last few words of the song resonate all over the cabin as they ended the song.

“I took Jesus as my savior You take Him to. While, He’s calling you…”

After they had ended the peace, there was almost an awkward silence. Well not really awkward, every one seemed to be at peace, that is almost every one. The only thing awkward about it was, no one seemed to want to break the silence. It was as if the last sounds that had filled the cabin had just left every body in such a state of aww, and it would not be write to break the mood; for the silence was ringing loud. Suddenly the silence was broken by the sound of a door slamming so hard it seemed to jar the cabin! Wow almost every one jumped startled by the loud noise. 

“What in the world! I nearly jumped out of my skin!” Mark said.

“Now that would have been a site to see Jess said. 

“That might be kind of gross huh. Just have a big o pile of skin laying around.”

“Oh stop it” Mark said causing Jess to burst into laughter.

“Who left out with such a bang?” Mark asked

“It was Sarah” Ali said. 

“Which Sarah?”

“Sarah the clarinet player,” Ali answered.

“Hmm, something must be wrong the way she stormed out.”

“Want me to go check on her Sarah the Leader asked?

I’ll go to” said Little Cropp.”

“No No that’s not necessary I’m going” Ali said and with that she was off.

“I really think something is wrong” Mark said softly to the others after Ali had left.

It was the other Ali that had gone to check on her.

“I wonder if there is something I ought to do” Mark wondered allowed.”

“Better give them two their space Mark” Sarah the leader said.” 

“Yeah you are probably right. Well, I guess off to bed for who ever is ready, I think I am gonna call it a night.”

With that people began to talk once again as they went here and they’re trying to sort out the sleeping arrangements. Mark and all the guys who were unmarried were sleeping on pallets that were on the floor. The unmarried girls slept up stairs, and the married couples slept on the floors of the one down stairs bedroom. Now there was one bed, a feather bed in that bedroom and Carlos, Charity and Ian slept on it. Mark did not go to bed right away he had stepped out side, and was waiting for the other Ali and Sarah the clarinet player to come back. He was about to get concerned, as he did not hear either of them, and he had been told that they had not yet come back to the cabin. It was just about mid-night, but at last he heard them coming. They lowered their voices to a whisper when they saw him in the moonlight, thinking that he would not hear them. However, Marks ears’, being as sensitive as they were, was hearing nearly every word.

“Oh no, there he is” Sarah was saying.

“I don’t want to have to explain why I stormed out like that.” 

“Just tell him the truth” Ali replied.”

“Tell him you were having a bad night, and the thought of being out here in the middle of no where, no electric no showers, he is going to hear from me about that one before this is over, tell him straight up.”

“But that would be mean! Besides it wasn’t all about that any way.”

This was all Mark heard, they stopped talking as they came up to him. 

“Hi Sarah, you and Ali alright?”

“We’re fine thanks for asking they both replied in a kind tone.

Good I was beginning to wonder about you both.”

Ali rushed on past but Sarah stopped. 

“You are welcome to stay up as long as you want, but I think pretty much every one is going to bed” Mark said.”

“Yeah I’m tired to” Sarah said. Mark wanted to say more, but he didn’t feel right about it in his heart. So he kept all he had heard to himself. He just gave Sarah a pat on the shoulder as the two of them walked into the cabin.

“I am so glad you are here Sarah…” He said sincerely.”

Thank you for inviting me,” she replied in a warm tone as she headed up the stares. The other Ali had already gone up, she had walked on in and up the stares while Sarah and Mark were still talking. 

At last every one seemed to get settled in, and all was quiet. The only sound heard was the crackling of wood in the wood fireplace as every body drifted off to sleep. Most sleeping with a light heart as they drifted off with the sounds of music, and praise in there ears. As thanks giving and freshness seemed to be over taking them, they slept and slept well. Most of them the whole night through, save when one or two would wake up now and then to step out side, or throw a log on the fire. For the night was cool outside, but the little cabin filled with friends and people most being a people who rest in Christ, and all being a people, who was seeking, the cabin was warm. Thus, over all the little cabin was restful that night, and sleep was sweet, very sweet indeed…

TO BE CONTINUED....

Written By: Mark D Rotramel