Chapter 11
Gideon stopped his truck at the edge of the town square, and Nikki jumped from the back.
She didn’t hurry for the sidewalk. With her hands tucked in her pockets against the cool night, she walked like she was out for a midnight stroll in case anyone was watching. But when she entered the dark edge of the sidewalk, it was almost impossible to see her as she slunk along.
Gideon drove around the block and dropped off a stocky man with arms like barrels before driving back to the park and up onto the grass, where he stopped in front of the totems that loomed thick against the dark sky, blotting out the stars with their bulk.
Gideon and another man, slim and a little older, climbed out of the cab and grabbed the axes from the truck bed.
“We’ll wait for Nikki and Gunther to catch up,” Gideon said while he surveyed the park. “You’re certain you want to do this, Ty? ”
“You asked us all that several times back at the motel.”
“I know. But you’ve got the most to lose if things go bad.”
“Mary and I talked it over, and we prayed. We both agreed that I should come along. In fact,” he moved closer to Gideon. “I keep thinking that I should have made a move like this sooner. It shouldn’t have been left to you. If I’d done?—”
“What if it wasn’t time yet? What if God required someone to come from the outside? Especially if this blows up. All we can do is trust that God knows what He’s doing.”
“Maybe.”
Nikki jogged over, her head swiveling as she approached. “I think we’re good,” she said. “I couldn’t see any signs of anyone. There’s no one on the surrounding streets. Where’s Gunther?”
“Not back yet,” Gideon said, checking the perimeter. He saw a shadow cross the street. “There he is. I hope.”
The shadow waved as it approached.
“We’re all clear,” Gunther said when he reached them, out of breath. “I would have been here sooner, but I heard something in an alley. It was a rat.”
“Gross,” Nikki said.
“At least rats won’t give us away. Other than that, I didn’t see lights on anywhere. Everyone’s tucked away.”
“All right.” Gideon handed him an ax. “Nikki, make sure you stand clear.” She backed against the truck as Ty and Gunther got into position. “I’ll start chipping away at the one on the far right while you guys fell that one.” He took a deep breath and looked up. “I’m sure glad you talked me into bringing help,” he said to Nikki as he headed for his pole.
Ty and Gunther took turns swinging. Gideon watched for a minute. Both men had been a part of the church when Pastor Thomas was still there, and Nikki said they’d both been supportive. Especially after her dad had passed away.
Others, she said, had supported the idea of chopping down the totem poles but wouldn’t come tonight. He couldn’t blame them. Trusting God was easier when you were sitting at home on your couch. Coming out tonight was a big ask of anyone.
Gideon cut a notch, then moved to the back and started swinging.
“Coming down,” Gunther said as he and Ty stepped back. They all stopped working for a moment.
“Anyone else feel a weight lift?” Ty said.
“We can dwell on that later,” Gideon said. “Let’s get these other two down so we can get out of here. Ty, you cut that one into logs, and Nikki, you can start loading the truck.”
As the last totem fell, Gideon wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Almost done with phase one,” he said, plucking his shirt against his chest to cool it.
“I’m looking forward to phase two,” Nikki said, her arms hanging limply at her side. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a bonfire.”
“Take a break if you need one,” Gideon said.
She shook her head without looking at him and picked up another log with a grunt. “I’m okay. We need to get out of here as soon as we can.”
Gideon stretched his shoulders, then started chopping the last totem into pieces.
“Can we talk about how good this feels while we carry wood?” Ty said. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but it’s like I can breathe again.”
“I can feel it too,” Nikki said on her next lap. “I almost wish we did it sooner, but I don’t think it was time yet.”
“That’s what Gideon said.” Ty heaved a large piece into the truck bed. “I can’t help but think there’s a lesson for us in all of this.”
“With God, there’s always a lesson,” Gunther said. “Earlier this week, my son, Ricky, was sulking because he didn’t get the PlayStation for his birthday like he had hoped. But we can’t afford it. Can’t afford anything. I was going to apologize because I felt so bad. I wanted to tell him I know how he feels. I was getting frustrated with God ’cause I can’t buy the new mower I’ve been wanting. Then my five-year-old says to him, ‘Why are you sad about not getting something you can’t even take with you to heaven? What do you really need it for?’ His brother told him to get lost, but I received the message loud and clear, and I started thanking God for the mower I had.”
“Maybe we should let the five-year-olds run things for a while,” Nikki said. “They’ll probably do a better job than the rest of us.”
Gideon tossed the remaining log into the truck. “That’s it. Let’s get out of here.” They all climbed in. “ Where am I headed, Nikki?” he said as he drove back onto the road.
“Turn left up here and keep driving out of town. It’s a few miles out. I’ll give you a heads up when we’re getting close to the turnoff.”
“And you’re positive they’ll be okay?” Gideon eyeballed her.
“Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins insisted. They wanted to help, but they’re in their seventies. They were part of the small group of voices that protested the totems being installed in the first place.”
“It’s a lot of wood to burn up.”
“They’re glad to be of service.” She leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah. Just tired. I don’t think I’ll be able to lift my arms tomorrow.”
“You didn’t have to push so hard.”
“We needed to get out of the park.”
“When we get to the farm, you can take a break. We’re not in a hurry anymore.”
“Don’t worry about me. I know my limits. I can pull my weight.”
“He’s right,” Gunther said. “Don’t overdo it. We all know you’re tough as nails. You don’t need to prove anything.”
She twisted in her seat. “Are you picking on me?”
“No, all I’m saying is I’ve known you a long time. You have a tendency to push hard. That’s fine when it’s necessary, but this is not one of those times. ”
“Will it make you all feel better if I say I promise not to hurt myself?”
“Much,” Gideon said. “How much farther?”
“About another mile. Then we just need to get far enough away from the highway that no one will see the fire.”
“They don’t care where we do it?”
“Not on this part of their farm, no. As long as we don’t set the whole field on fire.”
They drove the rest of the way in silence, and when they turned onto the dirt road, Gideon had to focus on avoiding potholes.
“Up around this bend should do it,” Nikki said, and Gideon found a rocky patch behind a copse of trees, where he parked.
“We’re going to sleep well tonight,” Ty said as they unloaded the logs into a pile.
“It could still be a while yet. We can’t leave the fire burning. There’s minimal risk of it spreading here, but I don’t want to take any chances with everything so dry.”
Once they were done, Gideon poured gasoline over the wood.
“You guys step back,” he said as he lit a match and tossed it in the pile.
With a whoosh, the flames licked the sky and crackled.
“Whoa,” Ty said, shielding his face.
After a couple minutes, when the flames didn’t die down, Nikki said, “Shouldn’t that fire be backing off by now? Maybe you didn’t need the extra fuel after all. ”
“My God is an all-consuming fire,” Gunther whispered.
“We may get to bed earlier than I thought,” Gideon said.
They continued to watch the fire in silence as the pile of wood quickly burned down to ash.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Ty said, shaking his head. “I guess that proves it.”
“What?” Nikki said.
“That God is with us.” He looked at Gideon. “Now that’s done, what’s next?”
“You’re eager,” Nikki said.
“After a show like that, you bet I am. My wife and I have been praying for this for years. I can’t believe it’s finally happening.”
“Slow down a second,” Gideon said. “We don’t know for sure what God’s doing.”
“What do you mean? You saw the fire. What we did tonight is going to change everything.”
“This is one step.”
“I know. And I’m ready for the next one.”
Gideon’s eyes slid to Nikki, then to the ground. “I’m working it out still.”
“God was clear about the poles,” Nikki said. “I’m sure he’ll be clear about what’s next.”
“I thought you said he had a plan to save the town,” Ty said.
“He does. One step at a time.”
Gideon mumbled under his breath and walked into the darkness. “I should never have come.”
He walked until he was cloaked in enough darkness that no one would see the grief on his face. Then he looked up at the stars. They were far away.
The silence broke as someone approached from behind. “You okay?” Nikki said, coming up beside him.
“Why did you tell him that?”
“What?”
“That I was going to save the town.”
“Isn’t that what you said you were here for? That’s what we’re all here to be a part of.”
“What if this is the end? What if this is all God wanted for me? He could be done.”
“I trust you, Gideon. God brought you here for a purpose, and it’s about more than dropping some trees.”
“You sure about that?”
“This is just like before. You’re being fickle.”
“This is different.”
“Why?”
“Ty’s looking to me like I’m the leader of a revolution. I’m a regular guy.”
“A regular guy wouldn’t be out here tonight. No one else has been brave enough to take action.”
“I’m not brave. This isn’t bravery. I’m bumbling around in the dark, trying to be obedient. That’s it. It’s not my idea. It’s not in my strength. I have nothing to offer. You can’t let people think I’m more than I am. You can’t fill them with hope.”
“What’s wrong with hope?”
“What if I let them all down like I’ve let Ty down tonight?”
“Ty’s excited, not let down. He’s excited to help. He’s felt hopeless over the years, like I have and, I’m discovering, a lot more. It’s good to finally be doing something.”
He wanted to accept her comfort. It was nice having her beside him, encouraging him. But he couldn’t rely on her to prop him up. “There’s one glaring problem.”
“Which is?”
“I don’t know what to do next. Or if there is a next.”
“Don’t worry about Ty. He can be patient. Why don’t we go back to the fire. We can worry about the rest once we’ve had a good sleep. For now, let’s enjoy the fruits of our labor.”
“What? Destroying town property?”
She shoved him. “Stop being so melancholy. I wouldn’t normally promote vandalism, but this is different. And I think we made a big impact tonight. Things have changed already.”
“What do I tell Ty?”
“Tell him he’s done a great job, and you appreciate his help.”
“What if he’s not happy with that?”
“He’ll be fine. He’s a good guy.”
Gideon sighed, then went back to the fire, which had nearly burned out.
“Everything okay?” Ty said when they returned.
“Yup,” Nikki said.
“Listen, Gideon, I’m sorry if I sounded harsh. I know God sometimes gives us one step at a time. Nikki trusts you, so I trust you. If God wants us to wait on Him, then we’ll wait on Him. I was anxious, not wanting to lose momentum, that’s all. Who knows how the town will react in the morning. Maybe God wants it to sink in before we do more.”
“Yeah,” Nikki said. “I think we need to wait and see what happens.”
“That sounds ominous,” Gunther said.
“It is for those who are against God,” Ty said. “Just promise me, Gideon, that you’ll keep me in the loop. I want to help however I can.”
“Thanks, Ty,” Gideon said. “I appreciate your help. All of you.”
“Whatever you need,” Gunther said. “I’m in. But no pressure.”
“I think we’re done here,” Gideon said. “Let’s cover the embers with dirt before we go.”
With the last of their energy, they cleaned up the fire and left.
“Thanks for your help tonight,” Gideon said when he pulled up to Nikki’s house. He’d dropped the other two off already.
The light from the porch made the edge of her face glow, and he almost let something in that he wasn’t prepared for.
“I was glad to be a part of it.”
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” He kept his fingers wrapped around the steering wheel so he didn’t reach for her.
“You gonna be okay?”
“Yeah. I’m tired. That’s all. It’s been a big night. ”
“Yeah. I hope you can sleep.”
“I doubt I’ll have any trouble.”
“Good. Okay.” She hesitated for a moment, then said, “You can talk to me, you know. Any time. I’m here for you. Don’t think you have to carry this all on your own.”
But he knew he needed to. Or at least, that’s what he told himself. “Sleep well,” he said when she didn’t get out.
“You too.” She frowned but opened the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He waited until she’d reached the house before he let out a long slow breath. “God, whatever you do, don’t let me fall for her. Don’t do that to me. Not when I know I’ll have to say goodbye when this is all over.”