Post by Skyler Striker on May 14, 2007 5:56:24 GMT -5
Think about eternity.
Eternity is a very, very long time.
Now put yourself in Skyler Striker’s shoes. Skyler is a born-again Christian. Not many people know this. It takes incredible determination to be a born-again in a world which requires you to hurt people. Nevertheless, this is where Skyler feels his calling. Now, remember Jade’s mother? Shaneyah Phoenix is not a Christian. In Skyler’s view, this means that if she dies, she is going to go to hell. A blunt statement, perhaps, but true in the Christian worldview. This means that for eternity, Skyler will not have the only woman he ever loved nearby. Jade shares her father’s view, and being a child prodigy, she too knows this. Imagine the rest of your lifetime without the woman you loved. Imagine the child Skyler saved earlier in the week being without her mother, who passed away during the fire, for the rest of her life. Now imagine losing the person who you truly loved for eternity – Skyler his lover, the little girl her mother. Two people who need just a little more love in the world.
Now put two and two together.
The scene begins today in the Perth hospital. As any other hospital in the world, it is incredibly busy, with nurses and doctors bustling around to see their respective patients. Outside one room, Skyler Striker waits calmly, his daughter Jade by his side. Jade is dressed in a pretty pink dress and a white shirt, while Skyler has abandoned his usual scarred maroon pants for a set of black jeans more fitting to seeing a patient in a hospital. After about a minute, a doctor emerges from the room Skyler is sitting outside of and Skyler stands, anxious to hear the news.
Doctor: She’s conscious.
Skyler breathes a huge sigh of relief.
Doctor: She’s only just come out of her coma, so I must warn you not to speak too loudly or shake her, as she is still susceptible to shock. She has not received any major burns but a piece of wood that fell on her has managed to break her left leg, so it is elevated and bandaged, please try to avoid contact with it.
Skyler makes to go in but the doctor grabs his arm, and Skyler turns back briefly.
SS: Yes?
Doctor: She also hasn’t heard the news of her mother yet. While she is susceptible to shock, I would advise you break the news now as she needs to know as soon as possible or she will start asking questions.
SS: Okay.
The doctor leaves and Skyler and Jade enter the room. The girl is the only one in the small, isolated room. She turns to see Skyler and Jade and smiles weakly.
Girl: Are… are you the man the doctor said was coming to see me?
SS: Yeah. My name is Skyler. This is my daughter Jade. Listen-
Girl: My name is Katie. Thankyou for saving me – and coming to see me.
SS: You’re welcome, Katie. I have to tell you something. Your mother…
Katie: She didn’t survive the fire, did she?
The little girl is getting teary, and in a surprise, so is Skyler.
SS: No.
There is an awkward silence in the room, and Katie breaks down into tears. Skyler does not reach this extent but a tear rolls down his cheek. For some reason, this one little girl and her plight has registered and affected Skyler more than any recent events – even taking the World Championship. Skyler sits down next to the bed and Jade comes to whisper something into his ear.
JS: Father… she’s got nowhere to go, correct?
SS: Correct.
JS: So, if she has no official guardian anymore, and no place to go, why don’t you apply to adopt her?
SS: Are you serious? Is it possible?
JS: Presuming that her father gave custody of her to her mother, then it should be perfectly legal.
SS: Okay… but I’ll have to ask her first.
Skyler stands again and Katie look up at him, some of her tears drying.
SS: Katie… you only lived with your mother, didn’t you?
Katie: …yes…
SS: Well, I know this is a difficult question to ask right now, but… would you like to come and live with Jade and I? I mean, I can understand if you don’t want to, it’s just that-
Katie: …for serious? That’s nice… yeah, I’d like to!
…The Next Day…
Skyler is sitting in a courtroom alone with Jade, the doctor who was administering to Katie, Katie herself and the judge. The judge hands Skyler a paper which Skyler signs and the judge smiles at Skyler, nodding. Skyler grins and turns to Katie, who is in a wheelchair, and hugs her tightly. The scene fades out here.
Aren’t things better off this way? There are probably millions of situations all over the world that we could fix by adding the two halves that are missing to each other. Then we wouldn’t have a problem. Eternity may be a very long time – but for Skyler, Katie and Jade Striker, eternity just got a whole lot easier.
Eternity is a very, very long time.
Now put yourself in Skyler Striker’s shoes. Skyler is a born-again Christian. Not many people know this. It takes incredible determination to be a born-again in a world which requires you to hurt people. Nevertheless, this is where Skyler feels his calling. Now, remember Jade’s mother? Shaneyah Phoenix is not a Christian. In Skyler’s view, this means that if she dies, she is going to go to hell. A blunt statement, perhaps, but true in the Christian worldview. This means that for eternity, Skyler will not have the only woman he ever loved nearby. Jade shares her father’s view, and being a child prodigy, she too knows this. Imagine the rest of your lifetime without the woman you loved. Imagine the child Skyler saved earlier in the week being without her mother, who passed away during the fire, for the rest of her life. Now imagine losing the person who you truly loved for eternity – Skyler his lover, the little girl her mother. Two people who need just a little more love in the world.
Now put two and two together.
The scene begins today in the Perth hospital. As any other hospital in the world, it is incredibly busy, with nurses and doctors bustling around to see their respective patients. Outside one room, Skyler Striker waits calmly, his daughter Jade by his side. Jade is dressed in a pretty pink dress and a white shirt, while Skyler has abandoned his usual scarred maroon pants for a set of black jeans more fitting to seeing a patient in a hospital. After about a minute, a doctor emerges from the room Skyler is sitting outside of and Skyler stands, anxious to hear the news.
Doctor: She’s conscious.
Skyler breathes a huge sigh of relief.
Doctor: She’s only just come out of her coma, so I must warn you not to speak too loudly or shake her, as she is still susceptible to shock. She has not received any major burns but a piece of wood that fell on her has managed to break her left leg, so it is elevated and bandaged, please try to avoid contact with it.
Skyler makes to go in but the doctor grabs his arm, and Skyler turns back briefly.
SS: Yes?
Doctor: She also hasn’t heard the news of her mother yet. While she is susceptible to shock, I would advise you break the news now as she needs to know as soon as possible or she will start asking questions.
SS: Okay.
The doctor leaves and Skyler and Jade enter the room. The girl is the only one in the small, isolated room. She turns to see Skyler and Jade and smiles weakly.
Girl: Are… are you the man the doctor said was coming to see me?
SS: Yeah. My name is Skyler. This is my daughter Jade. Listen-
Girl: My name is Katie. Thankyou for saving me – and coming to see me.
SS: You’re welcome, Katie. I have to tell you something. Your mother…
Katie: She didn’t survive the fire, did she?
The little girl is getting teary, and in a surprise, so is Skyler.
SS: No.
There is an awkward silence in the room, and Katie breaks down into tears. Skyler does not reach this extent but a tear rolls down his cheek. For some reason, this one little girl and her plight has registered and affected Skyler more than any recent events – even taking the World Championship. Skyler sits down next to the bed and Jade comes to whisper something into his ear.
JS: Father… she’s got nowhere to go, correct?
SS: Correct.
JS: So, if she has no official guardian anymore, and no place to go, why don’t you apply to adopt her?
SS: Are you serious? Is it possible?
JS: Presuming that her father gave custody of her to her mother, then it should be perfectly legal.
SS: Okay… but I’ll have to ask her first.
Skyler stands again and Katie look up at him, some of her tears drying.
SS: Katie… you only lived with your mother, didn’t you?
Katie: …yes…
SS: Well, I know this is a difficult question to ask right now, but… would you like to come and live with Jade and I? I mean, I can understand if you don’t want to, it’s just that-
Katie: …for serious? That’s nice… yeah, I’d like to!
…The Next Day…
Skyler is sitting in a courtroom alone with Jade, the doctor who was administering to Katie, Katie herself and the judge. The judge hands Skyler a paper which Skyler signs and the judge smiles at Skyler, nodding. Skyler grins and turns to Katie, who is in a wheelchair, and hugs her tightly. The scene fades out here.
Aren’t things better off this way? There are probably millions of situations all over the world that we could fix by adding the two halves that are missing to each other. Then we wouldn’t have a problem. Eternity may be a very long time – but for Skyler, Katie and Jade Striker, eternity just got a whole lot easier.
