Chapter Text
It was snowing in Milwaukee. Cecil Thomas was having a hard time driving to the Clines’ house that Tuesday evening. He had just closed up the garage for the night. It had been snowing all day long, Cecil remembered. That day, Milwaukee had gotten three feet of snow. Cecil planned on driving slow since they had gotten some snow that day.
Six o’clock was now here in Milwaukee and still no sign of Cecil.
“Cecil’s always here at five – thirty. Where could he be?” Terry Cline asked worriedly.
Jeremy Cline looked out the window.
“I hope he didn’t get caught in the snow. I’ll go look for him,” Sheriff Cline said.
“You stay here, Jeremy. You can’t drive anymore and dinner’s starting to get cold,” Terry said.
“I’m going to look for him anyway, Terry. I want to make sure his car didn’t get stuck in the snow or anything,” Sheriff Cline said to his wife.
“All right. Put on a heavy jacket and gloves. Have Tony drive you,” Terry said.
They kissed as he left the kitchen. He went to the closet in the office and found his sixteen – year – old son, Tony at the computer.
“Hi, Dad,” Tony said as he heard Sheriff Cline shut the closet door.
“Hi, Son. Would you mind logging off? We need to find Cecil. He hasn’t come for supper,” Sheriff Cline said.
Tony heard what his father said and stopped playing FarmVille and logged off.
“What were you doing?” Sheriff Cline asked.
“Playing FarmVille,” Tony answered.
Tony grabbed his coat and put it on. He found the car keys and he and Sheriff Cline said a quick good – bye to Terry on their way out.
“Be safe out there,” Terry called as the front door slammed.
“Isn’t it going to stop snowing?” Tony asked.
“I don’t know. It’ll be perfect for skiing,” Sheriff Cline said.
“Where do you think Cecil could be, Dad?” Tony asked as he drove away from Broadway.
Snow kept falling.
“Gosh, snow is heavy today,” Tony said, turning the heater on in the car.
Tony was driving a couple blocks when they saw a man walking on the sidewalk.
“That’s Brad,” Sheriff Cline said, recognizing the man on the sidewalk.
He rolled down the window.
“Brad!” Sheriff Cline yelled to the town druggie.
Brad Scott looked to see who was calling him.
“Hi, Jeremy,” he said.
“Hi, Brad. Have you seen Cecil?”
“Cecil? No. Why?”
“He hasn’t come home for supper and it’s after six,” Sheriff Cline said.
“Sorry, Jeremy. Haven’t seen him.”
“Thanks, Brad. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, Jeremy.”
Sheriff Cline rolled up the window as Tony kept driving. They drove for a long period of time that night and still no sign of Cecil. It was already dark. Cecil couldn’t believe all the trouble he was having of driving with the snow.
“Jeremy must be worried about me. He needs me,” Cecil said to himself.
He couldn’t use his cell phone because it was out of service and the snow was already heavy enough.
“Where has he been all day, Dad?” Tony asked.
“The garage, Tony. He can’t be that far from the garage on count of weather,” Sheriff Cline said.
“Let’s go to the garage then,” Tony said. He headed immediately for the garage.
“Good thinking, Son. You should be a cop when you grow up,” Sheriff Cline said.
Tony didn’t reply. He knew where the garage Cecil worked for.
They found Cecil’s car a few blocks away from the garage with Cecil behind the wheel.
“What are you doing here, Cecil? You were supposed to be at our house at five – thirty,” Sheriff Cline said.
“I was headed that way, Jeremy. I couldn’t call because of the weather. I thought driving slow was a good idea but it looks like my car isn’t going to cooperate,” Cecil said.
“Come home with us and leave the car here,” Sheriff Cline said.
“Thanks, Jeremy. I knew you’d be worried,” Cecil said.
“Terry was.”
That night in the guest room, Cecil prayed for a while when the whole Cline family was sound asleep in bed. He prayed to God face – to – face in the guest room.
“I have some news for you, Cecil,” God said.
“What, Father?” Cecil asked.
“Remember when I told you your friend would be dying in the next year or two?” God asked.
“Yes, I remember,” Cecil said.
“Well, it looks like he won’t be dying. He will be living longer than I thought he would,” God said.
Cecil couldn’t believe his ears.
“You mean to tell me that Jeremy will be living at an old age?” Cecil asked.
“That’s right.”
“Thanks, Father. I’ll give them the good news in a couple days,” Cecil said, knowing it was only December twenty – third.
God liked the idea, knowing it would make a good gift for the family. As he vanished from the room, he and Cecil said a pleasant good – night.
“Good – night, my child,” he said as he vanished.
“Good – night, Father. Thanks for letting Jeremy live a longer life.”
Cecil fell asleep with a smile on his face that night.