"Heya boy," Grandpa said.
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"Hey Grandpa, how have you been? Are they taking good care of you over there?," I asked.
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"I've been good. Just tending to the garden your grandmother left me. James, Gracie and Nathan came over yesterday. Gracie made dinner," he said.
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"How was it?"
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"Well you know your Aunt Gracie."
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We both chuckled.
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"She tries her best," I said.
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"Yes, she does. I miss your grandmother's cookin'."
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"Ah her huge breakfasts!"
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"Yeah. Bacon 'n eggs, grits, you know the deal," he said. "You read that thing I wrote in your journal?"
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"No. I forgot to unpack it from the box."
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"Don't worry about it, you've probably just been busy with the move. You guys are coming out in June right?"
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"Yeah," I said.
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"Okay. I'll see you then, my boy," he said.
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"Okay. See you then grandpa," I said and hung up the phone.
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After our call, I went looking for the journal. There was one last box sitting in my closet that I had not unpacked yet. I found the journal there along with some sweaters.
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I rubbed my hands across the leather cover. It smelled brand new. I grabbed a pen and opened it to the first page. Surprisingly, there was the note from Grandpa.
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"If they never tell you the truth, write your story here."
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Why would grandpa write that? What was its meaning?
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~~~
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Marley and Naomi still hadn't gotten a call back from their Uncle Marcus. They told me that they had tried giving him a call, but he never picked up.
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"Where were you guys yesterday?" I asked Marley and Naomi as I walked to their table. I asked them since I hadn't seen them at school.
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"She had a doctor's appointment," Naomi said.
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Marley took the earphone out of her ear and coughed.
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She responded, "Yes, yesterday I had a doctor's appointment and Naomi was at the diner covering for my Grandma."
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"You have a lot of doctor's appointments," I said.
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"Yeah...about that...," Naomi said to Marley.
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She was hinting at something but I couldn't tell what. I sipped down my chocolate milk, as I pretended to mind my own business.
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Naomi's attention went to Alan. She was watching him walk by.
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"You should talk to him, Naomi. He looks sad," Marley said.
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"What happened?" I asked.
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"Well, they..."
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"We broke up, that's what happened," Naomi interrupted her.
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"Sorry," I said.
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"I say go over there and talk to him, you guys always make up," Marley said.
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Naomi ignored her.
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Marley tried once more to convince Naomi to go talk to Alan, but Naomi snapped at her, "Marley, instead of trying to get in everyone's business, why don't you tell Ben why you always have so many doctor appointments?"
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Marley looked sad. She got up from the table and walked away.
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"I think she's just trying to help," I said.
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"I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't have said that," Naomi said and took a deep breath. "You know she's always telling people's business," she shook her head irritated.
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I didn't know whether to feel bad for her or Marley. I could tell that she had a bitter side. Marley did say she wasn't the same ever since their father had disappeared. Maybe Naomi was different; she must have been nicer before it all happened.
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"I'll be right back," I said.
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I went to the milk freezers where I saw Marley standing there.
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"Not sure whether to pick chocolate or regular?" I asked.
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She was wiping her eyes with her sleeves. She looked like she had been crying. Her puffy hair was in her usual side ponytail and she was wearing a pink long sleeve shirt and jeans.
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She grabbed a milk, "Chocolate," she said.
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I grabbed one too. "Chocolate is also my usual choice.
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"Can I ask you a quick question?" I said.
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"Yeah. What's up?"
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"How exactly did God tell you that I would help you find your father?"
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Marley's sad expression disappeared. "Well," she said happily. "One night I was praying and asking God to please help us find my father. I've been asking for this for a great while. Then, when I saw you at the diner with your parents that day, I heard Jesus say, 'He will be the one to help find your father and solve his disappearance'. Truthfully, this made me hopeful that my father was still alive. It also made me question, why hadn't He just told me where he was. But instead, I just chose to trust God on this. I know he's right and what He said will come to pass. So yeah, that's what happened."
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I was blown away. I had no idea if I believed everything she had just told me or not.
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"Do you believe in God, Ben?" she asked me.
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"No. My parents never really talked about God. They don't believe in that stuff," I said.
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"My parents didn't believe God existed either. But, God is real. The Bible says, If you seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him! I did."
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"How do you seek God?"
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"Pray to Him, ask Him to show you that He is real. Literally go after Him with all of your heart!" she said happily.
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"Can I ask you one more question?"
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"Sure."
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"Naomi doesn't believe in God does she? Like you?" I asked her.
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"No. She doesn't. I do pray though that she will turn her heart to Jesus. Sometimes she just falls apart. Jesus can help her, He can save her, but she doesn't believe. She thinks I'm crazy."
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She seemed really sad about it all.
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