The Mark

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"He just drives me crazy, that's all," she answered, pulling the sports section from her newspaper and handing it to him. "He knows you won't work for him, but he never lets up."

"He didn't ask today."

"Really? Why not?"

"I haven't come up with any contacts to help him with his fund raising. He continues to meet with the farmers and gather their wish list, but I don't know where he's going to find the funding." Thomas opened the sports section and glanced down the baseball standings column. "He just wanted to shoot the breeze today, that's all."

"I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. He's a politician first, and don't you forget it."

Thomas turned his head from the paper and met eyes with Robin. "So tell me, how do you really feel about him?" Robin was never one to hide her feelings. Thomas knew it was a strength and a weakness both at the same time.

Robin looked at her watch. "Mom and dad will be here in an hour. I'd better make sure the girls have all their stuff packed." "I thought you did that last night."

"All the essentials, but now we need to make sure their baby dolls and teddy bears are in their backpacks. A week at grandma and grandpa's is a long time to be without Snugglin's."

As he glanced through the sports section, Robin stood. But then a surprise kiss on his cheek made him lift his eyes to meet hers.

"Thanks for taking the day off to be with me."

Thomas grabbed her by the arm as she turned to leave and pulled his wife onto his lap. He reached around her and kissed her like he meant it. When they both came up for air, Thomas smiled and said, "Your welcome." He set her back on her feet and sent up a quiet prayer of thanksgiving. Thanks again, Lord. She was a great gift from You. I really love her.

As Robin walked out of the room, Thomas could hear the scam pering of little feet in the upstairs hallway. Every summer Christie and Sarah spent a week with Robin's parents. It was a nice break for Robin who went straight from teaching fourth grade right into Vaca tion Bible School at church, swimming lessons, and a birthday party for Christie. By the end of June, she really needed a week off.

Thomas stood up from the couch and walked back into the kitchen. Spotting his Bible by the cookie jar, he laid the newspaper

on the counter and walked over to it. Flipping open the front cover he pulled out last Sunday's bulletin and opened it. Robin came bustling into the kitchen, two backpacks in one hand and one teddy bear in the other.

"Are we planning on going to that picnic Sunday afternoon at

church?" he asked as she dropped the packs on the counter and walked over to her desk. "Which picnic?" Robin pulled the girls' coloring books from her

bottom desk drawer.

"The one with the Mormons. You know, it's one of the summer

mixer events."

Robin stood, coloring books in hand, and wrinkled her nose.

"We went to the first one with Holy Spirit Chapel. Do you really want to do this one, too?"

Thomas breathed a sigh of relief. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"Are we terrible people if we don't go?"

"It's a big church-there are plenty of people who will be there. I have nothing against the Mormons, but I'm just tired. And we have that cookout on Saturday night with my department from work. We may even need to sleep in on Sunday... He raised his voice in a questioning manner.

"Works for me. Now, help me find Snugglin's. He was just in here

for breakfast."

Soon the girls and their bags were safely packed into their grand parents' car, and Thomas and Robin decided to head to downtown Creston for lunch. As they pulled out of the drive, the radio news cast was describing the fallout from an earthquake in Japan. Robin turned down the volume and said, "I'm just not interested in bad news today. My vacation has just begun, and I'm going to enjoy it."

Thomas pulled out his iPod from the center console of the car and handed it to Robin.

"The plug is in the glove compartment.

Robin plugged it in to the lighter, and soon they were listening to their favorite Kenny Chesney CD.

"So Durbin thinks Magorum is going to unite the world into a one world government." "Durbin also thinks Creston is going to become the next

Indianapolis."

"He watches Magorum like a hawk. Ever since Israel aligned with Russia, things have been pretty quiet in the Middle East. He credits Magorum." Thomas hit his turn signal and slowed the car.

"Did I just read that their temple is up and running now? That was fast."

"I think Israel wanted that for a long time, and once they got the right to build, they ran with it before anyone would change their minds." He completed the turn on to Washington Street.

"Do you think any of this has prophetic implications?" Robin reached over and took Thomas's right hand in her own.

"I don't know. Have you asked your dad about it?"

"He's so busy with his own church and all, I rarely even talk to him."

"Didn't he think that the temple would be rebuilt before Jesus

returned?"

"Yeah, that's why I'm asking you what you think."

"Well, there are so many end-of-the-world fanatics out there right now, I don't want to jump on that bandwagon. We have enough prob lems here in America. We really can't solve the problems of the world, too. We tried for decades to bring peace to the Middle East, yet Rus sia did it so easily. Maybe this means we should have kept our nose out of their business a long time ago." Thomas pulled into the park ing lot at Annie's Café. "Is this all right?"

"Sure-they should be serving lunch by now."

Thomas put the car in park and looked at Robin as he unbuckled his seat belt. "As for 'prophetic implications, I have to be honest with you.