Stormy Heart:

Simone’s Notes:

Redemption is a religious concept referring to forgiveness or absolution for past sins or errors and protection from damnation and disgrace, eternal or temporary, generally through sacrifice. Redemption is common in many world religions, including Indian religions and all Abrahamic religions, especially in Christianity and Islam. In Judaism, redemption refers to God redeeming the Israelites from their various exiles. This includes the final redemption from the present exile. As a Christian theological term, redemption refers to the deliverance of Christians from sin. It assumes an important position, however, only when the ills in question form part of a great system against which human power is helpless. In Buddhist theology, it encompasses a release from worldly desires.

Ginny’s call to reality came one late Sunday afternoon. She wandered home after another all-night binge. The girl couldn’t stop hating herself for it. However, what else could she do? Outside of their circle still didn’t know the truth about Kate’s death and she couldn’t really tell anybody. Damon betrayed her trust and stole her virginity. She didn’t really want to feel anything anymore. One-night stands seemed to be the only way to cure her misery. However, it only led to an endless cycle again. Ginny really didn’t see any other way out.

That all changed when she walked near the neighborhood park. She happened to be walking by a run-off apartment complex when she stopped dead in her tracks. Kate’s mother, Mrs. Davis, walked out of the front door with a bible in her hand. The young woman blinked rather startled.

Is that…?

The older woman happened to look up and notice Ginny in that second. “Ginny?” she asked. The girl tried to cover her face in desperation and run away.

“Ginny!” Mrs. Davis yelled as she ran after her. “Ginny, come back!” The yelling only made the younger woman run faster. She raced into the local park.

“Come back here!” Kate’s mother shouted as she sped up. As she grabbed Ginny by the shoulder, the younger girl remembered that Mrs. Davis used to be active in sports in her youth. Both women stopped in their tracks, panting. Kate’s mom looked up at her, panting.

“Why did you run away from me?” she asked. Ginny lowered her head and dropped her shoulders.

----

Minutes later, Ginny and Mrs. Davis sat on the park bench, talking. Mrs. Davis turned her attention to the younger girl.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. Ginny kept her head down.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she said in a low voice.

“Could you please look up when I’m talking to you?” Kate’s mom asked in a stern voice. Ginny reluctantly lifted her head.

“That’s better,” the older woman said. Ginny gave her an odd look.

“What are you doing here, Mrs. D?” she asked. The older woman gave her a small smile.

“I was preaching to a girl in a half-way house,” she answered. “That poor girl has been through so much. She ran away from home to escape from a bad home life.” She gave her a calm smile. “She fell into the wrong life. She believed that drugs and loose sex would kill her pain. Only made it worse.”

“What made her want to change?” Ginny asked. Mrs. Davis pushed back some of her bangs from her round face.

“An ex-boyfriend nearly beat her to death,” she said. “I happened to be volunteering in the hospital at the time. She came down to a bible class that I held one night and stayed after to talk to me. I stayed and listened to her story.” The wind blew over their heads. “I’ve been visiting her to read the Bible to her and pray every week while she tries to get sober.”

“I see,” Ginny replied.

“So, why are you here?” Mrs. Davis asked. Ginny’s eyes grew big as the color drained from her face.

“Uh…” she said in a low voice.

“Come to think of it,” the older woman said. “I haven’t seen you in church lately. Is everything okay?” Ginny dropped her shoulders.

“I’ve been busy lately,” she lied. Mrs. Davis put her arm around her shoulders.

“It’s okay to talk about it,” she said in a whisper. “I’m still here for you. Kate may be gone, but you still have me. We all miss you at the church.” Ginny looked at her with big eyes.

“You mean that?” she asked.

“I always have and I always will,” the older woman answered. The girl couldn’t explain it at the time, but suddenly she began to feel a little bit better about herself. However, she couldn’t tell the truth about her daughter’s death still.

“How are you and Mr. Davis doing?” Ginny asked.

“I’m fine, but I can’t speak for him,” the older woman answered. “We got divorced last year.”

“What?!” Ginny asked with her jaw dropped. “What do you mean? What happened?”

“We just drifted apart,” Ms. Davis answered. “I couldn’t really get over Kate’s disappearance while he accepted that she might not come back ever again. One day, he filed for a divorce.”

“That’s terrible,” Ginny murmured. The older woman shook her head.

“Not at all,” she replied. “I didn’t fight him. I wanted to be alone at the time.” A little smile came on her face. “Probably a blessing in disguise. I got to clear my head and be able to function like a normal human being again. The volunteer work helps me every day. I still miss Kate, but I can’t keep dragging her around in my life forever.” Ginny couldn’t explain it at the time, but reality finally caught up to her. She rose to her feet with new realization.

“Ginny?” Ms. Davis asked.

“Thank you, Ms. Davis,” she said in a low voice.

“For what?” the older woman asked. The girl glanced over her shoulder at her.

“You reminded me that there is something that I need to do,” she answered. Ginny walked away before Kate’s mother could ask any more questions.

By three o’clock, Ginny knocked on Syd and Ella’s door.