Testing: Day 9

Word Count: 54,017

Summary of Events:

Ivy watched for Gabriel's arrival, although she had no answer for his challenge, and couldn't imagine how she was supposed to. Gabriel arrived and had a lengthy discourse with Ivy, ending when he stated he didn't believe she would go to heaven if she died the next day. Ivy lay awake at night, unable to find rest in slumber, nor in remaining awake, at the thought of not going to heaven. Gabriel, having decided to let Ivy alone for a day, went about slowly working with the half-wild stallion that had gotten him his job at the livery stable.

Excerpt of the Day:

"Gabriel thought it ironic that, on one hand, he was dealing with a stallion he was sure had been roped in off the range and broken to ride, savage, angry, and distrusting; and on the other hand, he was dealing with a young woman who had comparable beauty — and savagery even — was broken by the loss of her fiancé, and also savage, angry, and distrusting, both because they thought he wanted to dominate them, and both not wanting to have anything to do with him.

Slowly he lifted the bolt. He didn't bother trying to be quiet. Jude knew his goal. But Jude didn't realise his intent, just as much as Miss Oldford didn't seem to. He didn't want to dominate Jude. He wanted Jude to trust him.

The same so with Miss Oldford: he didn't want to dominate her and force his opinions down her throat, he just wanted her to trust God, he wanted her to realise that God wanted the best for her, but what He knew best and what she thought best could be often disparaging — more often than they were in line — he wanted to be for her a liaison of God.

Hard, forceful breaths came through Jude's nostrils as Gabriel slowly opened the stall door and slid inside. Gabriel didn't want to force himself onto Miss Oldford any more than he wanted to force himself onto the stallion.

He merely wanted to help them to understand that what they believed wasn't the truth. God was not cruel, unkind, or sadistic, and men were not all brutal and unkind.

Gabriel wondered if God had given him this job at the livery stable, and put Jude here, for just as much of a reason as He seemed to have placed Gabriel at Mrs. Goddard's next door to the Baptist church and cemetery.

Working with Jude, Gabriel felt, had helped him to refocus somewhat. It put his work with Miss Oldford into a different perspective, and helped him to think carefully, and choose his words cautiously, because he knew one wrong move with Jude could cause the stallion to explode in rage and even bring about his death, while saying something wrongly with Miss Oldford could cause her to shun him forever and possibly forever reject God and leave God brokenhearted.

He was God's emissary with Miss Oldford, and he wanted to make sure he got things right, lest he cause someone to think wrongfully of God because of his mistake, when God was supremely perfect.

Slowly Gabriel raised his hand and offered it to Jude. His nostrils flared wide enough to nearly inhale an egg, the stallion examined the offering, but no relaxation came to him, he maintained his tension, just like Miss Oldford."