life as it was with isaac, chapter 1

“Life itself cannot very well be analogized. But we, as people blessed with it, are like fish in the ocean that is the world.”

Pastor Sam then told us to turn to Luke, chapter 5. Noah squirmed in his chair, meaning that he had forgotten his Bible again, and elbowed me in the side.

“It’s when Jesus talks about being fishers of men, and other stuff,” I whispered to him, because I had forgotten mine too. The house had been in chaos this morning since Isaac had disappeared for the fiftieth time. He said he had left his suit in the car so he walked out of the house but didn’t come back even after an hour. I don’t know how this could have slipped past Mom and Dad again because the same scenario had happened three times before. In any case, we drove to church without him, in hopes that going there and praying will help bring him back safely.

Noah nodded and wrote this down in his journal. Normally, eight-year-olds wouldn’t bother with it, but Mom bought him one last Christmas and made him promise to take notes during Sunday service, so he wouldn’t fall asleep again. Speaking of Mom, she was hardly focused on the sermon herself. She kept clasping her hands, whispering a prayer, and then peering around before she even finished. We were sitting in the middle of the tabernacle but you could tell she was making Pastor Sam nervous. His eyes kept shifting back to us and to where the door was in the back. He knew Isaac was missing too.

Finally, he asked us to stand up for closing worship. It was then, in that silence, when a little girl burst into the tabernacle, holding onto Isaac’s arm and screaming, “I found him! I found him!” She was followed closely behind by her mother, who immediately put a hand to her mouth and grimaced in apology.

Mom yelled, “Thank the Lord!” and ran towards them. Dad looked like he was about to faint and the pastor’s face broke into a relieved smile. The whole congregation erupted into applause and good-natured laughter.

Noah and I sank down in our chairs. Neither of us said anything as Mom returned back to her seat with her hand on Isaac’s back, telling him she knew he was a good kid and asking that he wouldn’t scare her like that ever again. But we knew better. We knew that what she was saying was the opposite of what she felt inside.