The Struggle Is Everything
by
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“Her medical records indicate that she was beaten to death.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she protested.
“We can only guess at the reason the death certificate was marked accidental. Maybe the coroner wanted to protect Randy. If they had prosecuted his dad, Randy would have had no guardian and would become a ward of the state. Or maybe the coroner was being kind. After all, who wants a kid growing up knowing his father killed his mother. Think of that Sister, a complete stranger has Randy’s best interest at heart over one of his teachers he spends half his life with.”
“I don’t believe it. You have no proof she was murdered.”
“I’ve had another coroner look at Mrs. Nathan’s x-rays. He thinks she was. But how about the fact that Randy is covered with bruises all the time, limping, and I just found that he’s being starved. Or are you just too busy praying to have noticed?”
“That’s quite enough, Mr. Colten. I would ask that you leave now.”
“How can you in good conscience look away? The boy is being tortured - tortured mentally and physically. If you don’t help me, his death will be on your head.”
“Things are very different here in
“If we go through the proper channels, Randy will go to foster care and with his history, it will only be a matter of time before he hits the wrong person, literally or figuratively, then it’s juvenile hall. You must know that yourself. I can’t risk that kind of outcome for Randy.”
“This institution can’t become involved without working with the proper authorities and through the proper channels,” she countered forcefully. “Now, I will ask you to leave once more and file your formal complaint with the police.”
He picked up his coat and went to the door. “I am my brother’s keeper. I’ve always lived by that. It was the only thing that made any sense in 12 years spent in a Catholic school. What words from the Good Book do you live by, Sister?”
She could not meet his eyes. In a small voice coming from a thousand miles away, he heard her say, “Suffer the little children who come unto Me.” She shook herself and looking directly into his face, saying firmly, “Suffer the little children who come unto Me.”
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About the Book
When Darci and Walter Colten and their ten-year-old son, David, moved to their new home, they expected adjustments but becoming guardians for a troubled child was not one of them.
As the ugly circumstances behind Randy’s behavior came to light, it was a test of Herculean wills, strategy and finely tuned manipulation to save Randy’s life. Walter Colten’s unusual team pieced together the boy’s escape. The long shot paid off but it was only a temporary fix.
Ultimately, a little nun with the heart of a lion stood between Randy and his past as it raged forward to consume him. Only one of the combatants survived. Only her indomitable will, allowed Randy to become a member of the Colten family.
The vast differences in the boys’ personalities lead them in different directions. Randy, having been the victim of the legal system, went into law with a vengeance. David’s years of hockey, hockey, and more hockey paid off with an NHL contract. But ultimately, their futures again became entwined as they realized that David had the makings of a brilliant politician and Randy, his brilliant strategist. Together, they set their sights on the governor’s house.
The brothers’ philosophy was to represent the people, but their father strongly warned of the dangers of fighting the powers that be. The brash young men summarily dismissed these warnings. However, as their struggling campaign gathered the momentum of a freight train, the ugly predictions were coming true. The stakes were too high to let the brothers take control. It became more and more apparent that something had to be done about the Coltens.
In the final minutes, would anyone hear Randy’s prayer?
About the Author
When asked to ‘highlight her credentials as an author,’ she offered the following:
After completing private high school and a technical school, I studied big city life in
Since that time, I has traveled extensively throughout the
I have studied law, but not conventionally. Unable to afford law school, I have been a legal secretary for more years then I will openly admit. I learned organization and patience and enough law to point you in the right direction.
Extensive knowledge of construction and home repairs was gleaned through hands-on training. My best advice: Remember that repairs take three times longer and cost four times more than you’d initially imagined. Fortunately, I enjoy gutting a bathroom or being on a ladder 30 feet up cutting out dead branches in the pines.
The workings of the human body have always fascinated me. Among some of the subjects I have explored were mind mapping, the ways of shamans in various cultures, massage therapy, Chinese medicine and numerous new age sciences.
Additionally, I have read thousands of books on thousands of subjects.
But the most valued and leading educational reference I possess is my son, Eric. He is constantly improving my knowledge on computers, psychology, photography, music, and sports just to name a few. His experiences through his jobs – the zoo, the bowling lanes, construction, - everything has increased my knowledge of the planet and its inhabitants immeasurably.
Consequently, if you are unable to afford college, I definitely recommend constantly reading and having a child because the worlds they will open for you are well worth the investment.