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As he stood in front of the streaked, tarnished mirror,
Stone carefully placed the new felt hat on his head; it had been a long time
since he’d worn a real hat, and this one fit him like it was made for him. He
checked himself over from head to toe. Liking what he saw, Stone patted his
chest and took in a deep breath; he could smell the leather from his vest and
felt his new clothes breathe with him. He was comfortable in his new skin and
admired what he could of his reflection. Considering that he’d spent the past
ten years in prison, Stone was still undeniably handsome and in great shape.
“God’s done an awful lot of work with you, and He’s just startin’,”
he said to himself.
Stone walked out of the changing area and into the lobby of the prison.
“How’s it feel?” asked McKinney, one of the guards that Stone had
known for years. He was a well-built man and one you didn’t want as an enemy.
“Makes me feel like a man again,” Stone replied.
“Looks like they fit you right well,” commented Shupe, another guard
who was sitting behind a desk.
John Riley, the warden, was close by, leaning up against a wall and
taking in Stone’s new appearance. Though it could never be said, the warden
had grown quite fond of Stone Hawkins. John was (and still is) a devout
Christian at the time Stone was brought to prison, while Stone was a rebel,
seeking only to please himself and his unruly ways. John thoughtfully, patiently
encouraged Stone to seek God’s forgiveness and asked him if they could pray
together; religiously, Stone refused, but the warden would often pray right then
and there anyway, and implored the Lord to open the eyes of Stone’s heart.
Then one hot summer night, the guards were awakened by someone crying; it
was Stone. He was on his knees, begging God for forgiveness. Flabbergasted and
dismayed, the guards sent for the warden, who joined Stone and prayed with him.
Since then, Stone and the warden frequently talked and read from the Bible
together, and John Riley had seen spiritual maturity bloom and grow in a
hardened man, in an unlikely place.
Despite the boundaries of their roles as warden and prisoner, John and
Stone had become friends. And now, ten years after they had met, they were about
to part.
“You think you can behave yourself out there now?” Though John Riley
may have sounded harsh, Stone knew better, and nodded respectfully.
“Here’s your things,” said Shupe, with no regard to their
conversation. He slid an envelope, a well-read Bible, and a bag of old clothes
across the desk. “I just need you to sign this here paper.”
After Stone signed the paper, he tucked his possessions in the sack and
threw it over his shoulder.
“I reckon you have everything,” the warden said.
“All I need,” Stone remarked proudly.
“We’re sure gonna miss you, Stone,” Shupe said.
“Sorry I can’t say the same,” Stone said with a half-smile while
looking at Shupe and McKinney. The guards shared a bit of laughter.
John Riley stared at his friend, then stuck out his hand. In some ways it
pained him to suppress the feelings he had for Stone, but he had an image to
live up to in front of his men and a reputation to protect among the prisoners.
Stone couldn’t resist smiling as he shook the hand of the man who had helped
save his life. More was spoken in that moment than the two would care to admit.
“You stay out of trouble now. Lord knows I’ve seen enough o’ your
ol’ ugly mug to last a lifetime,” the warden said.
Stone bid his final farewells to Shupe and McKinney, then headed for the
door as McKinney opened it.
“So where you bound for, Stone?” Shupe asked just before Stone walked
out.
“Home, to Ash Falls.”
Before setting out on his journey, Stone stopped at a local store, bought
a few supplies, and asked what was the surest, fastest way back to Ash Falls.
Once he’d been pointed in the right direction (and after reaching the
outskirts of town), Stone took off like a wild Mustang. He hollered like a man
gone crazy as he embraced the freedom of the open frontier. He jumped, rolled in
the tall prairie grass, and danced in the glorious sunshine. With God as his
only witness he let loose an unbridled praise, and started to sing ‘Amazing
Grace’ as his adventure began.
Since Ash Falls was a good 15 miles off, Stone was looking forward to
some time in the wilderness. Only a few miles into his trek, he came upon a huge
lake that was calling his name. Clad in his long johns, he waded through the
cold, fresh water, splashing his face. Then he threw his arms out and fell in
backwards, and felt like he was baptizing himself anew, right there, with Heaven
as his audience.
But he spent most of the day walking. He stopped in the next town to make
sure he was still on course, and by late afternoon, he’d grown weary from all
his exploits. Knowing he didn’t have much further, Stone decided to kick back
for the evening and enjoy the approaching night.
He made a modest, bare camp with an apple for dinner (It was fresh,
juicy, and more satisfying than the cuisine he’d grown use to.), and an old
log to lean up against for some sleep. Stone took advantage of what daylight was
left by reading his Bible. Then he leaned back and readjusted his hat over his
eyes. He began to think about Ash Falls and wondered how different the town was
now; he tried to remember every person he could think of and reasoned whether or
not they would still be there, and how they might react to seeing him again. Of
course, he couldn’t escape thinking about Josie.
Time had dulled his memories of her, but his heart stirred at the mere
thought of her. Stone dreaded seeing her wrapped around the arm of another man
with little ones running all around, and he prayed for strength. At that moment
he wanted to go anywhere else in the world except Ash Falls.
“But I know you’re leadin’ me there,” Stone said out loud to God.
He settled in and thought maybe, just maybe, Josie wouldn’t even be
there anymore.
©2003 StoriesByEmail.com
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