Crime Doesn't Pay!
by Megan Nel
Kendall
pulled the car into the church parking lot and immediately Jordan
felt
even
more uneasy than before.
“You
didn’t tell me we’re tagging a church.”
“Well
we are. Do you have a problem with that?” asked Kendall.
Jordan
shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He really wanted to be on
Kendall’s
good
side.
“No,
I don’t.” He lied.
“Good
then you can carry the paint.”
A
few minutes into spray painting Jordan heard something. It was
footsteps!
They
were going to get caught!
“Someone’s
coming!” Jordan whispered frantically to Kendall.
“What!
Let’s get out of here!” Kendall practically shouted.
The
boys piled the paint into the black backpack. The footsteps came
closer and
a man
called out,
“Hey!
Is someone there?”
Kendall
took off running back to the car, leaving Jordan with the paint. He
quickly
hid it
behind one of the bushes and ran after Kendall.
“Stop!”
the man yelled after them.
Kendall
ignored him and jumped into the car, started the engine, and began to
drive
away. Jordan reached the car just as Kendall pulled away. When they
were a
safe
distance from the church Jordan furiously turned to look at Kendall.
“You
were going to leave me!” Jordan spat.
“No,
I was just uh... turning the car round to come get you.” Kendall
said
nervously.
“You’re
lying!” Jordan declared. He crossed his arms and looked out of the
window.
“Well,
maybe if you’d kept a better lookout we could have reached the car
earlier,
and I
wouldn’t have lost my paint!” Kendall snapped.
Jordan
turned to face Kendall again.
“If I
hadn’t heard the footsteps we’d both had been caught for sure.”
They
drove in silence for a few tense minutes when Kendall stopped the car
and
told
Jordan to get out.
“This
isn’t even my block!” Jordan complained.
“Well
then, I suggest you start walking. You have a lot of ground to
cover.” He
paused
then smiled cruelly.
“Oh,
and don’t bother hanging out with me again, you’re far too boring
for my
taste.”
With that he drove off.
Twenty
minutes later Jordan arrived back home. He unlocked the door and
quietly
headed upstairs. He went to his room and fell onto his unmade bed.
How
could Kendall just dump him like this? He had promised that if Jordan
helped
with this ‘paint job’ as he had called it, Jordan will be allowed
into the ‘cool
kids’
group. Jordan knew there was no way Kendall would allow him in now;
Kendall
had
made that very clear. If only...
Thinking
these thoughts he drifted off to restless sleep.
Jordan
and his family arrived at church the next day. The same church he had
vandalized
with Kendall the night before. Everyone around them was talking about
the
‘horrid’ thing that someone did to the building the previous
evening. Jordan saw a
few
people glance over at him and felt as though they knew he was
responsible for
this.
His
mother turned to him and asked if he was okay.
“Yes...Of
course I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be?” Jordan answered quickly.
His
mother frowned slightly, then said. “You just look somewhat pale.”
“I
guess I’m just a little tired.” That wasn’t a complete lie, he
hadn’t rested last
night.
The
music began and everyone started singing; that is, everyone except
Jordan.
One of
the elders went to the front and gave the announcements; the
vandalism was
mentioned,
of course.
Pastor
John took his place at the pulpit, prayed, and then began his sermon.
“Please
open your Bibles to Proverbs 1.” The sound of rustling pages filled
the
building.
Pastor John began to read.
At
first Jordan wasn’t paying attention to the sermon, but he soon
found himself
unable
to think of anything but what Pastor John was saying. This sermon
seemed to
be
aimed straight at him.
Pastor
John was explaining about how godless friends will lead you down the
path of
eternal destruction. Jordan knew he was going down that road. He sat
with
tears
in his eyes as the sermon finished.
When
the service ended, Jordan searched for Pastor John. He found him
talking
to Mr.
Bower, the man who had almost caught him the previous evening.
“May
I please talk to you?” Jordan asked.
“Certainly!”
Pastor John replied. He led them to his office in the back. Pastor
John
told Jordan to take a seat.
“What’s
wrong Jordan?” He asked the crying boy.
“I’m
so sorry, sir.” Jordan said and cried harder.
“However
so?” Pastor John asked.
Jordan
spent the next few minutes explaining his story through sniffs and
tears.
By the
time he finished Pastor John was next to him and patting his back
reassuringly.
Jordan apologized over and over again.
“Jordan,
what you did was wrong. But I’m very proud of you for admitting
your
mistake.”
Pastor John said returning to his seat.
“I
would like to repair the damage I’ve done.” Jordan said. “But I
don’t have
enough
money to pay for paint. I’m willing to do anything to help.”
Pastor
John thought for a moment then said, “I may have a solution to that
problem.
We’ll supply the paint for you, then you can paint it for us. If
you’ll mow the
lawn
and help with cleaning up you can pay us back in just a few months.
How does
that
sound?”
Jordan
sat up straight and answered. “I’ll be more than willing to help
with that.”
Pastor
John stood up and said. “You should also apologize to Mr. Bower
though;
you
gave him quite a big fright.”
“I
will.” Jordan promised. He exited through the door and searched for
Mr. Bower.
