Walking the Right Path

Chapter 4

I remembered a conversation I had with my friends one day. It was evening and we were lounging on the roof of Oliver's house. His parents allowed us to because we had won the football game earlier and they wanted us to celebrate. I sat quietly in the corner, sipping on apple juice which my friends assumed was beer like they were having. 

"Move away from there Tony," Sylvester said, laughing hysterically as Tony stood at the edge of the roof on one leg with his left arm dangling at the other side.

"Relax," he smiled as if he wasn't playing with his life. "I'm just fooling around. I feel light like a bird right now," Tony laughed. I got the feeling that he was already drunk.

"Seriously? What's fun about playing with your life?" I asked.

Everyone went silent. Evans gave me a look that said I shouldn't have said anything. I shrugged at him.

"What? You think I'm a scaredy cat like you? I'm surprised your mother even allowed you to come today. No church revival tonight?" Tony said. The guys snickered silently. They always try to get under my skin by bringing it up. Some days it's easy to ignore them while other days it's not and so I have to hold myself back from doing anything.

"Daniel is right," Evans seconded me. "Just get off man. Remember what happened at Angelica's last birthday bash?"

"Oh yeah," Joshua said. He's the captain of the team and the reason the boys bother to invite me to anything they're doing. "I heard that kid in Senior year, what was his name?" He snapped his fingers as he tried to remember.

"Henry," Adam said. "Henry Rollins or so. He was in the debate club."

"That's him. He fell off the roof. Some think it was an accident since he was drunk while others think he killed himself," Josh said.

"What a dumb way to die," Tony laughed.

"Well I heard he was going through family problems or something related to that. Poor guy, he had a scholarship to a good university waiting for him," Evans said, leaning against the wall. I watched him close his eyes, probably imagining Henry falling off a roof as I was.

"I think he killed himself," Joshua concluded, to which most of my teammates agreed with him.

"But he had so much to live for? Why would anyone resort to that?"

I don't remember who asked that question but it resonated in my head as I walked up to the counter to meet the man whom I still didn't know his name. I think I understood why Henry killed himself—it felt right. It's an easy way out of all the problems and troubling thoughts in your life. Tony eventually left the edge of the roof once he sensed the changed atmosphere.

"Feeling better?" The man patted my back gently. "You looked lost for a moment there."

"I am lost," I whispered under my breath. "You never told me your name."

"And you didn't tell me yours," he smiled. Why was he always smiling? 

"Daniel."

"Alright Daniel. I live in an apartment not far from here where you can stay for a while, it depends on what direction you're heading. My son is away on a trip so you can use his room. We're just about to close."

"Okay."

He cleared his throat, "I want to know why you're alone Daniel. I mean, no matter what you're going through you must remember that running away from our problems never solves it."

I held my bag tightly. "I am not running away from my problems. You wouldn't understand."

"Then what are you doing, Daniel? Just look at yourself. I'm trying to help you but before I can do that you have to confide in me," he said softly.

I'd never felt more pain than I did at this moment. This man who barely knew me was doing his best to take care of me while the mother I knew all my life couldn't bother. I broke out into tears again. What am I doing? I kept asking myself this. I didn't want to tell him but at the same time I couldn't hold it in any longer so I told him everything.

"Seems like you need to find God for yourself."

"I'm done with him sir."

"Are you telling me that you've spent all your life by his side and never felt the love of God once? You've not made the decision to surrender to him, that's why you feel suffocated."

I was confused by his words. Surrender? "I take it you're also a Christian," there was a hint of malice in my tone. 

"I am. Listen–"

"It's closing time Sir," an employee said. "We're heading home, you can close up when you're done here right?" He tossed the keys to him.

"Yes I will. Good night. Greet the wife and kids for me." The rest of his workers bid him goodnight until it was left with us.

"You must be tired. Daniel I'll give you a week at my place but after that you have to promise to go home to your mother."

"What? No. I just told you why I left and you want me to go back," I was angry.

"What you're doing is reckless and stupid Daniel—"

"Then I don't need your charity!" I grabbed my bag, "I'm leaving. I knew this was just too good to be true."

"Where will you go? Don't be stubborn, it's not safe out there."

"I am not going back home again."

He sighed. "Okay. If after a month you haven't changed your mind about God or figured out your next step then you can leave for wherever you like and never go back home. I can help you find a job so you'll have some money for the future."

I looked at him suspiciously. "Why are you helping me?"

"Because I see a confused boy who's losing his color. You know what you want but you're too afraid to admit it. You don't have any rebellious bone in your body, you're just going through a test."

After listening to him I made up my mind that he didn't know anything about what I was going through. Let him think what he wants.