The first page of the third story in Birds of a Feather is coming up. But here’s a little behind the scenes info on the story. It takes place in a fictional town in Alabama called Bethel, which in the Bible refers to the Gate of Heaven and the site of Jacob’s Ladder.
The name Bethel comes from the Hebrew beth, meaning house, and el, meaning God. Bethel means House of God. Numerous events of Bible History occurred there, including God’s appearance to Abraham and Jacob, and for some time it was the place where the Ark of The Covenant containing The Ten Commandments was housed.
This story was written because of my concern about the deadly violence being perpetrated today–even in the small towns of our beautiful America.
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SHOOTING AT HEAVEN’S GATE
Satin is crouching at your door. You ain’t seen him coming, boy. Nobody seen him coming but the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, he’s after you. Don’t wait for his spear. Conquer him!
On the last day of the Spring term, Edmund had to leave the teacher’s podium during a Sociology class because his grandfather’s fanatical voice would not depart from his head. Standing in front of his class, he couldn’t remember the point he was making and his teacher voice began to tremble; so he lifted the sheet of notes he’d made as a reminder, but the notes seemed to will themselves into a crumpled ball then fly from his hand toward the back of the room. His students looked stunned. Several dodged the paper ball, and the rest turned their eyes downward, as if they were embarrassed for him, as if he didn’t measure up to their expectations, and never would.
He felt nauseous, mumbled some excuse, left the class room and headed down the hall to the men’s room, just as the squatty shadow of Mal Hawkins emerged from its fluorescent glare. And therein lies your ruin, Edmund. I’ve told you to nip him in the bud. But will you listen? No!
“You all right?” Mal asked, holding open the door for Edmund to enter. “
“Fine!” he snapped at the psychology professor, while in his mind his grandfather went on and on about the fact that Edmund was not fine. Not fine at all.
“See you tonight then.” Mal said. “We’ll get you feeling better—that is, if your wife will let you out.”
“Oh, she’ll let me out alright,” Edmund said. “She doesn’t tell me what to do.”
Mal grinned as he left, and the door to the men’s room swung closed behind him.
Translating a World on the Edge 