Page 41 of Gideon

“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 andpicked 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.

---