CHAPTER ONE
But there's a beginning in an end, you know? It's true that you can't reclaim what you had, but you can lock it up behind you. Start fresh. – Alexandra Bracken
The sun started rising on the horizon, the colors yellow and gray blending in with the sky that was just turning an iridescent shade of blue and pink. It was particularly brilliant up on the hill where the quiet meadow with its fields of green could be seen below, adding to the picture-perfect effect. Sebastian took a minute to stand and watch as the sun slowly peeked out, the only sounds were the wind and his rapid breathing.
There were just some things you had to stop to appreciate, and this was one of them.
A few minutes later the sun was up; a bright color that warmed the whole scene. Sebastian took a drink out of his plastic water bottle and looked at the scene again. Then he turned back and continued to jog down the hill and back to his home.
A thrice-weekly run was what he did for fun—from his home down to the quiet road in the morning, where there was a shady area full of banyan trees on both sides of the road. Then, up to the hill that overlooked a meadow of grass, rocks, and flowers. He always paused at that spot, always waited for the sun to come up—or, if the weather was rainy, he still paused to watch the clouds take form and turn darker and darker. Then he would go back down, take the same route until sweat built up again by the time he completed the run.
He liked jogging. It was healthy for the body and the mind, and it allowed him time for himself—to organize his thoughts before the day officially started, to go over his plans for the day and get himself ready for what he planned to do.
A jog also helped him clear his head and focus if need be.
An hour after he started the routine Sebastian was starting back on the route home just as everyone else in town started waking up. He reached his home in record time, and passed through the backyard and the back door, which immediately led to the kitchen.
Sebastian’s house was simple enough—a one-story stucco design with a master bedroom and a garden that he only tended to during spring. The kitchen was basically his favorite spot to hang out in, what with his love for food and brewing coffee. When he opened the back door, the smell of coffee immediately permeated the air. There was also the scent of eggs cooking, making him smile as he went in. No one was around, which meant his housekeeper had probably made a quick run to the front to get the deliveries.
He went to the bathroom right off, stripping off his clothes and getting in the shower. The water was warm, sluicing down his skin and muscles and unknotting whatever tension was left. After the shower, he quickly got dressed then went back to the kitchen to check out the progress.
“Good morning, Pastor Seb,” Dorotha greeted cheerfully, in the process of transferring the fried bacon from the pan to a big plate. There were already eggs there and slices of toasted bread. “How was your run?”
“Good as always, Dorotha,” he replied with a smile. “Breakfast looks great.”
The middle-aged woman smiled, bringing a glass of orange juice to the table as he sat down. As his housekeeper, her tasks usually involved cooking him good meals Monday to last for the whole week, weekends excluded. She stored them in individual containers and placed them in the fridge, and all he had to do was microwave them when he came home. Usually her meals involved healthy food, except for Monday mornings when she liked to cook him something extra fattening.
She cleaned his house on Wednesdays, but sometimes he cleaned it himself when he had the time. Dorotha was a dear, almost like a mother hen. It was why he hired her all those years ago when he knew absolutely nothing about cooking, and why he kept her service even when he already knew how to cook most basic meals.
“Aren't you gonna grab a seat and eat with me? There's plenty here,” he asked, indicating the food in front of him.
Dorotha shook her head. “I would love to, Pastor, but I still need to take the kids to school. Rain check?”
He nodded. “Anytime, Dorotha. Please do bring the kids when you can. I would love to take them out to the park right after lunch or dinner.”
Dorotha replied that she would love that. She scurried about some more and gave him a rundown of the meals she prepared before finally taking her leave.
He ate in silence, loving how the eggs melted in his mouth and the flavor of butter he could detect. The plate was empty minutes after, and he did a quick rundown in his head of his activities for the day.
There was a bible study he needed to get to and then the meeting with some clergymen for some joint project they had in mind. Reverend John usually handled that, but he had another meeting to attend with the council. Hence the other task was given to him.
Not a very busy day.
With that in mind, Sebastian got ready for his work at the church.
*****
Sebastian was assigned the weekday morning session, which began at ten in the morning with a group of housewives and a few teenagers still on their school break and wishing they were still in bed. The people who went out to work didn't attend classes until evening or weekends, which Reverend John mostly handled unless he had other matters to attend. Today's lesson had been about greed and its consequences, and he was pleased to see most of the teenagers listening in rapt attention instead of sleeping like most teens did in class.
Once the class was over he went to visit with the attendees. The teens in attendance were from the nearby high school, members of the school choir and on their way to compete in a national contest. With them was their voice teacher, Amanda Jones.
“I hope you can attend one of our practice sessions, Pastor Seb,” Gigi said enthusiastically. Gigi was the choir soprano, and one of their school's best students.
“Perhaps sometime soon,” Sebastian replied with a smile. He chatted a bit more with the students before turning to the teacher, Amanda, who stayed behind as the teens slowly started filing out.
“Seconding Gigi on your visit to their practice,” she said with a smile. “They would be very happy if you could come.”
Sebastian nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll definitely come. What time do they usually practice?”
“Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays at 3pm.” Amanda placed her hand on his arm appreciatively. “Thank you, Pastor Seb.” She then removed her hand and sidled closer, almost shyly. “If you’re interested in dinner after, I know this great restaurant in town.”
It was a friendly invitation more than anything else, but Sebastian could read something between the lines that shouldn’t be there, no matter how subtle. It had happened all too often. He knew the look she was giving him even before she said something. Amanda was nice and very pretty, too young to be a school teacher, but apparently very brilliant at her job.
She also deserved something better than dabbling in some fleeting crush with the community pastor.
Sebastian gave her a smile before shaking his head. “I’m afraid I can’t, Amanda,” he said gently. “But I will check out the practice when I can, okay? I’m sure the students are going to do great, thanks in large part to you.”
Amanda blushed at the compliment. “I…thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I hope you have a good day.”
He walked away first, turning to talk to the housewives who had participated in the class. Some were old enough to be his mother, while others were young and enthusiastic to get to know him more. He was polite, answering all questions he could before excusing himself to the side, where a colleague, Pastor William, was standing.
“Great turnout on a Monday morning,” William commented as he observed the housewives filing out after talking to Sebastian. “I bet they loved to hear the sermon about greed.”
“Of course they would.”
“I bet that’s also why they are all over each other trying to ask you out to dinner,” William said, eyes twinkling. “And why the place is always full when you’re scheduled to lead the class.”
Sebastian raised a brow. “Why William, what are you suggesting?”
William laughed, then patted his shoulder. “Nothing, just jesting with you. It’s just amusing to watch how you get asked out practically every day, and you never even bat an eye.”
“That’s because I’m not interested. Women are not part of my priority, remember?”
“Oh, I know. It’s just that you were so different in college.”
William had been a year younger than him in college, a religious studies student before leaving during his third year to enter the seminary. It was natural for him to ask the question, considering Sebastian had quite a reputation in college.
Then the accident happened, and things went dark for him. He’d been lost and scared, and felt guilty as hell—and he wanted to repent for what he did. But trouble kept coming, in the form of haunted dreams and more fraternity fights. One of the fights involved a drug dealer almost taking his life, and that had been a wakeup call more than anything.
Seminary school was the last resort. It took years, but it helped him discover another part of himself—the skill to draw in a crowd with his words, to change lives, and make people think. He’d found healing and a second chance, and he shared it.
Seminary school had started as an escape, to keep himself out of trouble and alive. Now, it gave him peace. He was working with two colleagues, Pastor William and Reverend John in an active church in a fair sized rural community. The church drew people from all around.
“Things happen, William,” he said quietly. “I’m just glad I chose this path, and it has chosen me.”
William nodded. “Good to know. So long as you’re happy.”
They chatted a bit about their next activities for the day before William brought up another topic.
“By the way, I actually was supposed to pass on a message to you from Reverend John.”
“Oh.”
“We have a new member of the congregation—a young girl who had just arrived in town and is his niece. You’re to show her around until he’s back tomorrow.”
John was their head pastor, and one of the most beloved people in town. He’d been the one who had taken in Sebastian a few years ago, and had offered a chance to change instead of rejecting him. Sebastian imagined the niece to be a pleasant little girl, probably just as pleasant as John himself.
“I’d love to show her around. Where is she?”
“She’ll be arriving here in thirty minutes. Her name’s Lily Ray Jameson.”
“All right. Leave it to me. She’ll be in good hands.”