Chapter 25

Tender chicken breasts sizzled in a light olive oil, with tarragon, sliced red peppers, sliced cashews, mushroom, onion, basil, and garlic. A touch of fresh ginger lightly sprinkled over the dish, made it complete Christine brought the dish from the heat, transferred it into a serving dish, whilst Nathaniel finished setting the table. Christine had only put the dish amongst the three salads on the dining table when she heard a car approaching. A car pulled up outside and Christine went to the door to greet Jonathan.

She saw Jonathan pay the taxi and step out of the car holding a box that she assumed contained the sweets. With the other hand he picked up a briefcase and greeted Christine with a smile. She opened the front door for him and he stepped inside

In the hallway Christine said. "Let me take that from you. "She took the box with the sweets in it and led him into the kitchen. As he approached he could see Nathaniel checking something in the oven. Pleased to see a man in the kitchen he commented.

"It�s good to see that this is a house, with a real man in it."

Nathaniel turned, smiled, wiped his hands on a cloth and approached with his hand outstretched.

"It�s a pleasure to meet you Jonathan," he said, shaking Jonathan�s hand warmly." Would you care for a drink? "

"Yes, that would be nice. That cab didn�t have any air conditioning."

"What do you fancy, wine, beer, or a soft drink?" Nathaniel asked.

"A wine would be nice Yes, let�s crack this one." Jonathan said, comfortable to suggest it now. Both Christine and Nathaniel looked on as Jonathan lifted the lid of his brief case. It opened up to what looked like a cooler. It was magnificent. He had two bottles, chilled, sitting on a bed of liquid that looked as if it may have been half frozen. He took out both bottles and motioned for Nathaniel to open the first one. As Nathaniel did so, Christine grabbed the second and took it over and put it in her wine rack. Both men watched her, wondering what she was doing. As she caught Jonathon�s eye, she laughed and returned to the kitchen to put it in the fridge.

"Have you seen that advertisement on television?"

"Yes," Jonathon smiled, warming to them already.

"Ever since I�ve seen that ad I�ve been dying to do that. Just to see the expression on a visitors face."

"Did I give you an adequate expression of surprise?" Jonathan asked looking into the deep blueness of Christine�s eyes.

"What do you think? Of course you did. I love that ad. Some people are like that aren�t they?"

"More so in business" Jonathon replied. "It�s actually refreshing to meet people who are not too serious. What do you do Nathaniel?"

"Well, I started out in my own building material business. Now I�m a franchise consultant advising other franchisees. It keeps me really busy with staff training, stock ordering procedures and the like. Sometimes it�s like having to manage thirty businesses myself, as people often buy into a business with no real experience They use their Super payment or something. I virtually have to run their businesses for them."

"That must keep you busy." Jonathon observed, as he took a seat.

"Keeps me away from home a lot. That�s for sure. Yet, It�s improving. I�m thinking of getting consultants in to train someone to take over my position."

"It�s funny that you�ve mentioned that. This week I met a consultant with a good reputation." Jonathon reached into his wallet and pulled out a business card and handed it to Nathaniel. "I met him at breakfast this week in the hotel. He�s currently up here in Sydney assessing and advising a major fast food chain. You should give him a call. Where is most of your business?"

"Stangely enough it�s in Melbourne. I hadn�t planned it that way, but a lot of people have just recently retired it seems, and want to run their own business."

"That�s good because this young guy�s engaged to be married. He�s a little upset with all the Melbourne to Sydney travelling, as you can well appreciate. If he did work for you in Melbourne maybe he could free you to stay in Sydney most of the time."

Nathaniel looked over to Christine. She winked at him. "That would be an answer to prayer. It�s been getting me down a little lately. Thanks Jonathan. I�ll take a note of this number." He got up and wrote it down on a blank pad by the phone. Then he returned the card to Jonathan.

"Are you ready for lunch?"

"I certainly am." Jonathan said. I only ate lightly at the Hotel this morning."

"I don�t know if we can compete with the Hotel�s food. But you are going to have my favourite dish." Nathaniel said, as he went back into the kitchen.

"Is he always this helpful?" Jonathan asked.

Christine smiled." Of course he is. He�s a darling, isn�t he? I have to pinch myself sometimes to remind myself it isn�t just a dream. I think he gets it from his family. His dad used to help around the house a lot. We�re both very fortunate to be working. Our house is nice, we have money in the bank, we have a couple of reliable cars, and our children go to Christian schools. If we didn�t co operate, we couldn�t do it all."

"It�s so good to see." He took a sip of his wine. "You say you�re Christians, and you go to church, yet you drink alcohol. Why�s that?"

"We drink it because we enjoy it." Christine lifted her glass to her mouth. "It can be abused by certain people. We would never serve it to those who have a problem with it. The fact that we follow Christ doesn�t exclude us from enjoying what life has to offer. We use discretion."

"That�s interesting. What religion are you?"

"We attend a Baptist church."

"I thought Baptists were strict on things like alcohol." Nathaniel remarked.

"Some are. Drinking comes up a lot in discussion about religion. Some people are strict on its consumption. We aren�t. With us though. It depends on the company we keep I suppose. For instance, we have a friend called David. He used to be an alcoholic so we don�t drink while he�s around. It�s not that we can�t drink, or that we�d feel guilty, it�s just that we think it wouldn�t be fair on him to watch us drink." Christine leant forward on her seat. "It�s similar to offering a smoke to someone who�s trying to give it up."

Nathaniel liked this couple. They were Christians, yet they were down to earth also. They were funny, polite and good hosts. They weren�t out to boast or show off, and it was obvious they had a very successful marriage. He always liked to see actions line up with what a person was professing and Christine and Nathaniel struck him as being true to their beliefs.

Over dinner Christine shared the plight of the street kids. She started with a little overview of Kings Cross. She explained why a child is attracted to her beat. She dug deeper and expounded her views on how sexual abuse, physical violence, and broken homes contribute to the ever-changing population on the streets. She drew from personal examples the process of healing. She made sure to underline the sheer struggle a child faced to remove his or her mask of sexual abuse. There were no quick fixes and no easy answers. Each child would need quality time spent with them on a one to one basis. The children needed new role models to be taught what love is and how to be loved.

She shared her vision and what she perceived to be the answer for the children. She spoke of a book she�d like to see written in an easy to read format. She stressed the need for committed individuals, and how the infrastructure was to assimilate with other existing services. She openly discussed the enemy, the drug dealers, the abusers and the paedophiles. She explained how money isn�t necessarily the answer for a child. Rather hope, a feeling of worthiness and self love were the real goals of the children, that they sought in drugs, prostitution and crime.

Christine shared the process she would like to undertake. Her goal was to have a network of houses and counsellors, which could constantly help the kids back into normal society.

After a couple of hours Christine was talking specifically. They had discussed the need for accommodation for the Kids of the street. She had done some research across Australia as to how to run effective houses for street kids. She wanted to see such successful houses operating in the Cross. She told Jonathan that she�d seen a couple of old homes for sale in the area and had even inspected one.

"Why don�t we go and have a look at them?" Jonathan asked

"That sounds great." Christine couldn�t believe her ears. He sounded as if he wanted to buy one for the youth. She whispered a silent "Thank you" to God.

Christine and Jonathan left in Christine�s car shortly before two o�clock. Nathaniel stayed home, in case the children decided to come back early.

*******

Sharon woke to the sound of a large truck rumbling down the road. She looked across the bed toward her clock and saw that it was two o�clock. Her first thought was for Tony. She wondered how he had taken the news of his friends� death. She pondered on what church would have been like. She pulled herself out of bed and looked at the heroin. She was going to take some immediately except that the phone rang. She ran to answer it.

"Hi Sharon, its Dave. Tony and I are thinking of going to the beach, we wondered if you wanted to come?"

"I�d love to. Can I bring Joanne, my friend?"

"I�ve only got a ute, but I suppose a couple can sit in the back." Dave said.

"Okay, what time?" Sharon asked.

"What about three fifteen?"

"Sounds good to me." Sharon replied.

"Okay, see you then. " agreed Dave.

Sharon hung up the phone and dialled Joanne�s number. There was no reply. She rang again. Still no reply. She wondered if Joanne was just ignoring the phone, but she had never done that before. She decided to go to her friend�s place to wake her up. She dressed and walked down to Jo�s apartment. After knocking on the door once, she opened it with her spare key and went in.

"Joanne?"

"Joanne are you home?"

Sharon turned into the loungeroom. "Jo, Jo, what�s wrong?" She cried as she rushed toward Joanne, who was lying grotesquely on the floor.

As it dawned on her what had happened a scream reverberated around the room and the dam of her pent up emotions burst. Darkness seemed to cloud the air as Sharon sobbed, holding Joanne�s head and stroking it like a baby.

Joanne�s body was fairly rigid, lacking colour except for a blue grey smudge around her eyes. She wore a waxy cold, unfriendly mask of death. With her dress hitched way up and legs spread in a distasteful way, it took all of Sharon�s willpower not to touch her friend further to help her look more ladylike in her resting place.

Picking up the phone she struggled with shaking fingers, and a memory dulled by grief, to remember Christine�s number. Her hands shook and it was hard to press each of the numbers yet, after the third attempt, she heard the phone ringing at Christine�s home.

"Hello," a deep voice answered the phone.

"Hello Nathaniel. Is Christine there?"

"No, She�s gone out with a business man to look at some houses. Who�s this?"

"It�s Sharon" was all Sharon could manage to say her voice quivering.

Picking up on the quiver he asked. " Is any thing wrong Sharon? Are you all right?"

Sharon struggled with a "No!"

"Please take your time Sharon and tell me what�s the matter."

"Joanne�s dead "

"Where are you?" Nathaniel asked, grabbing a pen and paper next to the phone. "I�m at her apartment."

"Stay there, what�s the address?"

Taking down the address and reassuring Sharon as best he could, he ran to the bathroom to wash his face and comb his hair. He made a quick call to the mobile phone Christine had in her car, yet he couldn�t raise her. He dialled his friends and asked them to keep the children till later. He locked the house, started his car and within minutes was in the Cross.

Upon entering the apartment he saw Sharon hunched on the floor in a foetal position. With her arms wrapped tightly around her legs, her head between them; she rocked back and forth. Closed off to the world and shivering she sat next to her friend, who certainly looked dead. Passing Joanne�s body as though it was of no interest to him he went over to Sharon and put his arms around her. She looked up at him with reddened eyes heavy with sorrow. She just stared unseeingly while from the back of her throat came a sustained and involuntary whimper.

Nathaniel rose, picked up the phone to report the death.

"Hello, Kings Cross Police? This is Nathaniel Wallace speaking; I am the husband of Detective Christine Wallace. I would like to report a death. My guess is, it�s an overdose." He carefully gave Jo�s address and added "Yeah right. I�ll see you shortly. " Nathaniel hung up the phone and said, "That�s the police. They�ll be here in a little while."

Sharon didn�t seem to respond. She rocked and sobbed. Nathaniel felt uncomfortable, and unsure of what to say or do in this situation. He knew she needed comforting and yet was at a loss to know how he could help. He wished Christine were here, she�d know what to do. Yet, despite his feeling of inadequacy he felt that in some way he was comforting her by just being there.

Sharon was hurt beyond words. Her mind was numb with emotion. Tears trickled down her face, and great gulping sobs shook her frame. An eerie sound escaped her lips, like a hum or a song as she rocked in her anguish. Sharon�s sound chilled the room with it�s intensity and power. Deeply emotional, it stole a place at the very base of Nathaniel�s spine.

A dark spiritual cloud started to descend upon her as the sound grew in intensity. Her eyes became unfocused and hazy, as if she was in a trance. They had a lifeless quality backed with a sinister glimmer.

Nathaniel didn�t like what he saw and started his own spiritual meditation. He began praying silently for Sharon�s well being. He didn�t realise the effect it was having nor did he look up at Sharon. Without knowing he�d done so, his prayer became audible as it increased in intensity.

The eerie sound stopped abruptly and Nathaniel looked at Sharon in surprise.

"What are you doing?" Came a bellow in a man�s voice out of Sharon�s lips. Her eyes flashed with fire. She still looked as though she was in a trance and her mouth quivered and became contorted.

"What are you doing here?"

Nathaniel concentrated on keeping his sanity. Shaking his head, he replied with a gathering of strength. "You invited me."

Sharon hissed at him in this deeper tone. "You have no right to be here in this place of death."

Nathaniel responded intuitively the best way he could. " No, it�s you who have no right to be here! In the Name of Jesus Christ I command you to leave."

Sharon�s body shook and the cloud that had descended over her seemed to move to a place on the far side of the room. Her eyes focused and she ran to Nathaniel. Opening his arms he accepted her embrace and hugged her. He stroked her head and she admitted to him that for a few moments, she�d felt anger, confusion and hatred. He re- assured her that it was just pent up emotion and said that with a little help and comfort she would come through all of this and be fine. Time slipped by into minutes as she accepted his compassion.

A knock came to the half-opened door and two detectives entered the room and introduced themselves. They started asking Sharon all the expected and necessary questions. Sharon seemed distracted yet answered politely. She left shortly after. Nathaniel noticed that the dark cloud was no longer present.

Nathaniel left shortly after Sharon; he�d answered the questions the police needed to ask. He rode the elevator down and looked up and down the street. He was upset. The police had disturbed everything. That moment of communication was gone. He kicked himself that Sharon had managed to leave before he could help her further. He didn�t know where she lived so he drove carefully, looking for her on the streets, before turning towards home. As he drove he thought about the change that had overtaken Sharon and about the episode he�d just witnessed.

He knew many people would discard the notion of demons and their existence. True enough, belief in them could have you committed. But tonight as he drove home there was simply no other explanation in the palpable world. It was scary stuff. He felt he�d almost met the angel of death himself.

*******

Sharon made her way back to her apartment. The dark cloud had now descended upon her. Her eyes dulled, her step was slow and laboured; her feet heavy. Her spirit felt drained and all of her inner strength seemed to have vanished. Her mind perceived a thought, and as she dwelt on its existence it took shape and grew to its full dimensions. Suddenly she wanted to give up and to kill herself. It came with a warm rush of emotion; it surrounded her soul with a hazy blanket of comfort. She knew this desire; it spoke assurance, finality, and the total release from pain and suffering. She embraced it.

Eagerness came to her walk; there was new hope in each step. The end was in sight; to rest in peace was such a welcoming hail from the other side. To join her friend, in a deep sleep. The ultimate relaxation, the end to all the abuse. Yes death was attractive. Her mind reeled at its lure, she felt it seduce her spirit; she felt the presence beckon her, tempt her, and lead her to the surrender.

She pulled her mind back to reality. She had been here before. She�d danced in the river of death; she�d tempted fate. Today though, she didn�t feel the strength to fight it. Today, she didn�t feel she even wanted to fight it.

A voice in her head kept on saying �end it, end it�. As she listened to the voice she started to nod. She thought about all the people who really cared about her. The only person she was sure that loved her was Tony. Yet what good could she be to him? The voice in her head told her. �Yeah, he�d be better off with Dave. You�re wrecking his life. He�s only staying with you because he�s feeling sorry for you.� Sharon struggled to get her own mind back. Yet, when she did, didn�t have the power to refute the voice. The voice seemed to be telling the truth and she agreed, I am holding Tony back. He�s found Dave, and they seem happy together. No one needs me.

The little voice kicked in again with its lie � That�s right, no one loves you. No one needs you. You�re just a pain and a drain on other people. You�d do everyone a favour if you just ended it. You know that�s what Joanne did.� The truth was however that Joanne had taken some bad heroin, and it had killed her. But Sharon didn�t know that. � Your best and closest friend killed herself. You should join her. Tony has already coped with the loss of his friends, What about you, hey? Do you think you�re more special to him?�

Sharon argued with the voice for a second. "I am special to him," she said aloud.

The voice, not giving an inch, continued in her mind. This time stronger than it had ever been. Part of the dark cloud following Sharon disappeared as it went inside her. � You�re a loser Sharon. No one loves you. No one cares. You�re selfish. That�s what you are. Everyone is sick of trying to make you happy. Joey cries at night for you. He�s always worried. Christine and Dave are concerned for you. They don�t love you, but you keep them worrying. Just end it. Everybody will be happy then.�

Sharon in her weakened state decided. �Yes I will do it. I�ve had enough of this life.� She cried for the loss of her friend and the voice kicked in again. �Come and join Joanne in the afterlife. She understands you Sharon and she�s waiting. Come and join her. She�s waiting.�

Sharon made it home and immediately ran a bath. Sharon hopped into the bath with a razor blade and began. She did a major cut across one wrist and blood started to spray over the bathroom wall. She was in pain now, yet felt ecstasy as the little voice pushed her further. � Cut along a vein. Follow your track mark. That should do it.�

Sharon hesitated. � Come on; just do it.' Joanne�s waiting for you.� That was it. The voice had succeeded. He�d said the right thing. Sharon picked the blade up again and slashed her arm right along the vein. With another little burst of energy she continued with the other arm. Her head became dizzy from loss of blood.

Two minutes later, Tony entered the bathroom looking for Sharon. When he found her he let out a horrific scream. David ran in and saw Sharon, naked in the bath, with blood everywhere. A dark cloud hovered in the corner of the room. Dave shouted orders to Tony. "Ring an ambulance." Tony immediately ran out the room.

Dave panicked. He braced himself and picked her up out of the bath. Blood and water soaked his shirt. Conscious that she might have only minutes to live, he moved fast. He laid her on the floor. Kneeling down he ripped his T-shirt off and wrapped it around one arm. Whilst applying pressure he looked around frantically for something to secure it. He saw an elastic hair band in her hair and pulled it out with a free hand. He pulled it over her fingers, shaking as he did and did a double twist in it at her wrist making it tighten. He then ripped the cord from his boardshorts and quickly used it to secure a towel to the second arm

He throat constricted in fear as he held back tears. He held both her arms, stemming the blood flow as best he could. He felt helpless and suddenly aware of his own limited mortal abilities. There was nothing more he could think of doing; Sharon�s life it was all in the ambulance attendant�s hands.

Time slipped by so slowly, that it seemed an eternity before the ambulance arrived. When they did, they got straight to work. Sharon had a respirator put over her mouth, the men moving Dave out of the way as they attended to her. They stemmed the bleeding, transferred her to a stretcher and hurried out of the front door.

Dave approached Tony and they embraced. Nether was surprised with each other�s tears, and both needed consolation. Dave prayed a silent prayer and his heart felt a relief flood into it. They parted.

"She�ll be all right Tony. I can feel a peace. It was a close call. Let�s go down to the hospital." Dave went into Sharon�s room, opened the wardrobe and found a shirt. He cleaned himself up, and pulled the shirt over his shoulders. His boardshorts were loose but they were sufficient. "Come on, let�s go."

Tony felt relieved with Dave�s manner and the words he had spoken. He was happy that God could answer prayers. Most of all though, he was happy that they�d got here in time. There�d been a car accident blocking the traffic but Tony had shown Dave a way through the alleys and back streets that only a street kid would have known. He thought about that on the way to the hospital. If he hadn�t had that week on the streets before Sharon took him in, Sharon would be dead now.