AZOTUSLAND Chapter 101

SEVEN MONTHS LATER

Renata was beginning to push and Rand was doing all he could to encourage her. Outside, in the waiting room Jim, Ted and Hans all paced. The end of the pregnancy has not been easy and there was some sign that one of the children had an irregular heartbeat. Jim finally sat down and stared away in space and started to think about ad known Renata and what they had shared as friends. In some ways she was like another duaghter to him and he liked the way that she and Mattisse and always read each other.

Jim respected Renata because she lived out her own faith quietly and with love and dignity. Now she was in there fighting for her life and also her babies.

Ted slumped down next to Jim and closed his eyes. Jim figured he was praying.

"You figure it does any good?" he said two minutes later.

"What? Prayer?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, you're a Heretic...I figured you would know."

Jim smiled. It had become a joke between them, often working in the same room on their various projects. Ted called Jim "Heretic" and Jim would often answer "Well you're no Fundie anymore,' or just call him "Fundie".

"I dunno Ted." Jim said quietly. "It does seem God has given us a terrifying freedom and that our lives, while possibly pointed at His Life are also totally our own here and now." How else do you explain all the bad things that happen to people who love God..or for that matter, those who don't...given grace.?"

Hans continued to pace in a straight line exactly 20 paces each way.

Ted pondered, then said, "You never really answered the question."

Jim did a gallow's chuckle and said. "Well, some people believe truth is paradoxical. In that case both would be true. We have a terrifying freedom, but God does answer prayer...sometimes...I guess God has an even more terrifying freedom than we have."

Then Jim grinned at Ted and leaned in quietly. "Hey...you know how people complain about God wanting to be praised and thanked all the time."

"Yea..I have heard some good comedy acts on that," Ted said.

"Well maybe it's because God has the most thankless job."

Just then the docter came out looking grim faced.

"Are you her father?" he asked Jim.

"Close enough." The doctor looked at Ted.

"Brother," Jim said quietly.

"We lost the first baby. Her heart was just too frail and undeveloped."

Jim head slumped and he started to cry. Then he caught hold as Ted put his hand on his back.

"Go on...how is she and the other baby?"

"She is going to have some complications, but they are not life-threatening," the doctor said. It was just then that Jim focused on his name tag. "Steven Hurley."

"Dr. Hurley," he said . "how is the second child?"

"She is well. Strong and in good health. She is a little small at 5 pounds, but that is not unusual for twins."

"That is all I can tell you for now."

*******

It was a Saturday and Ward was running most of the place. Roo was off in New England working on the final plans and designs for the Azotuscafe there. Martine and Maugham were also helping and Manfred was scurrying about even though he really did not have to anymore.

Over the many months Manfred had kept investing and re-investing his money into small companies that bank-rolled Mexican soap operas that Manfred was catalogging on his Tivo and then tranferring to DVD via Andy's hot new tower down in the IC. The stocks rose gradually until, at one point four of the seven programs he had invested in were bought out by a huge American congolmerate with over 37,000 stations nationwide and several deals for overseas and Internet rights.

Manfred might as well have bought mass quantites of Google stock at 4.

None of this stopped Manfred from still pilfering Jim's ice cream, nor did it deter him from bringing the car around for Jim. In fact, on New Year's Day of that new year Jim came out expecting to find the Jeep and Manfred drove up in a brand new 2006 Yellow Mustang GT soft-top.

"That your's?" Jim asked him.

"No Sahib" said Manfred grinning wildly "It 's yours!" Then he got out of the car and left the door open for Jim while the husky engine blabbed on.

Jim settled into the seat and smelled the leather. He looked up at Manfred and said "sometimes Manfred you overwhelm me."

"Oh I saw that movies!!" Manfred said clapping his hands. "Only's it did not make very much sense Sahib because they switching of the adversarial to the wonderfulness and dog was much too sudden. I mean, they ignore him all the ways homes and then whammy! Suddenly he is overwhelm-med?"

"It's a point well-taken Manfred. Thank you for the car. I assume I cannot convince you to take it back?"

"Oh no Sahib! It would be like all your other directives in their utter uselessness."

With that Manfred turned and skipped up and down around the outer path of Azotus. But he stopped when out of sight and walked slowly. He loved Jim and it made him happy to see him happy, if only for a few moments because he sensed Jim's deep sadness.

*******

Martine and Maugham had been married for four months. Maugham, a life-lonmg bachelor, could no longer conceive of a life lived out without her. She seemed to reveal new things every week than made them more One and despite his own dark side he decided he was always safe with her and he truly was.

It was a mystery as to how she became this way. How she had kept her sense of self, honesty and inner strength while also being vulnerable and compassionate. It just was..like any force of nature.

So, in November of the previous year they hiked up Mt. Tam and Jim and Rich co-lead a service for them in the presence only of close friends and family. On Maugham's side that was no one except Jim in front of him. Martine's mother was there and sister. The Azotus was closed down for the day, or better yet, being outfitted for a very large and exclusive party.

Maugham looked pensive but handsome and sleek. Martine was radiant and funny.

*******
More in a bit!