OH LAWD chapter 9



Marley Gets a Girls Bike
courtesy photobucket.com

 

What started out as one of the happiest days of my life turned out to be a painful experience in more ways than one.

It ended alright because I did get my new bike back, although it had a couple of scratches and a small dent in the head light.  

Paddy said he saw that damage and he had lifted the money from the hoodlums' wallet to pay for a new replacement bike if I wanted a new one.

I told him no, I liked this one, and I would get a new headlight, and have the paint touched up.  Maybe I would have some stripes put on it at the same time.

Paddy said I could keep the money for the beating they gave me. I must admit last night was a miserable night and I am still sore today.

Officer O'Malley came by for breakfast, and told us that he took good care of the punks.  Because they had been in trouble in the past, it would be a long time before they were let out of jail.

I knew Marly would be pouting if she didn't get a bike also, so I took her down to the bike shop and let her pick out a new bike for herself. I paid for it out of the money Paddy had taken off the punks that beat me up.

Each day I got a little better and it looked like I would be healed up by the time school started. Being thrashed as I was caused me to want to spend more time at the gym. 

 

Between Paddy and the other boxers in training, I received some professional instruction especially about fighting defensively.

Paddy said, “If you can keep from getting hit - - you can be twice the fighter you would be otherwise.”

The first day of this years schooling started and I was hoping I could stay out of trouble.  

 

We decided not to ride our bikes to school, for I knew that some way, somehow they would be a source of trouble.  Jealousy can cause kids to act in a way they wouldn't otherwise.

The first day was confusing like it was every year but Marly and I made it through, while seeing some of the kids we met during the summer.

We also met some kids we had never seen before. A boy in Marly's class took a shine to her, and she seemed to like the attention.

He asked to walk her home, with me following a ways behind giving them room to talk without me listening in.  

I wanted to get to the gym and see Paddy before I had to start my chores for the day. After a light work out we left, and went to the restaurant for he had to get ready for the evening crowd. There would be the regulars, some drop ins, and the professional fishermen bringing their catch for sale, that were always hungry when they got in.

On this particular day I had a glass of milk and a piece of pie that was just out of the oven before starting my work, and I saw an old man who was fishing off the pier.

 

He was using a drop line and a hook with a dough ball for bait. I had never seen him before so I asked him if he had caught anything and he said, “No, not yet but I am hopeful.”

After I finished my work I went down and asked him if he had any luck yet. He said, “No not yet, but I'm hopeful.” I stayed late that night and helped Paddy finish up and as I was leaving I saw the old man still fishing.

Again I went down and asked him, “Have you caught anything yet?”  He said, no not yet but I'm still hopeful.” and he continued fishing.

I went back to the restaurant and got some fish left over from the evening crowd and gave it to the old man.  He said, “You know I just about run out of hope, but my perseverance in doing what I could do has been rewarded at last.”

He thanked me, and I was a little confused at what had just transpired; but something my Ma had once told me came to mind and that was, “The Lord works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.”

It was then I thought, maybe this is the way God performs much of what he does. - - -

 

- - - He uses people.

Oh Lawd!     

 

To be Continued