Chapter 4

As me and Joshua walked into Mr. Clarkson’s house, we couldn’t help staring. The place was huge! It had high ceilings, carpeted floors, massive paintings on the walls. It was a beautiful change.

“Welcome back sir,” said a young woman with a friendly smile.

“Thank you Grace,” Mr. Clarkson replied, handing her his coat. “This is Joshua and Faith, the participant from Group D. Please make the feel comfortable.”

“Yes sir.”

The headmaster went into a room that was off the foyer. Grace was a tall, slender looking woman. Her brilliant blue eyes popped against her raven hair.

“You be tired and hungry after your journey,” Grace said, hanging the coat in a closet by the door. “Come and freshen up. I’ll show you to your rooms then I prepare your something to eat.”

“Thank you,” I said, letting her take my small bag of belongings.

We followed her up a staircase to a large, long hallway. There were picture frames all over the walls. Some of the frames had a pair of curtains covering them. I wondered why.

“Faith,” Grace said, entering one of the last rooms. “This will be your room. I’ve laid out some fresh, comfortable clothes in the bathroom so that you can bathe. If you need anything, just let me know.”

She walked out with Joshua. I went to the bed and ran my hand over the covers. They were so soft, and the pillows were brand new and fluffy. A smile crept across my face. I didn’t need my bag, so I left it where it was next to the bed and went to the bathroom. There was a stack of clothes on the vanity and a brand new towel hanging on the rack. I closed the door and started to run the hot water. Compared to the cold showers I was used to having at Group D, hot baths were an extreme luxury.

After my bath, I got dressed in the new clothes. I was wearing a blue and black shirt with a little, short sleeved, leather jacket thing over it. And I had on a pair of ripped, skinny jeans, with black, open-toed boots. Compared to my usual uniform, these clothes were comfy to wear. I looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize myself. I had never worn normal clothing in my entire life, but I was enjoying it. I smiled and looked at my bracelet from Lukan. I knew that he would want me to be happy and enjoy this, no matter what the outcome might be.

I came out into the hallway and met Joshua. We was wearing a blue plaid, button down, flannel shirt; a gray cardigan, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows; a pair of dark jeans and converse. His hair was wet.

“Hot water,” I said with relief and admiration.

“I know,” he said with a sigh. “Wow, you look different.”

“I know, no uniform. This is my first time wearing normal clothes.”

“Really?” he asked, his eyes grew wide. “Wow! So, do you want to go exploring around the house before we eat?”

“Are we allowed?” I asked slowly.

“We can ask.”

I nodded and followed him tot eh staircase. Grace was dusting the banister.

“I see the clothing fits,” she said, stopping her work. “I had to guess your sizes from the description Mr. Clarkson gave me. I have some cinnamon buns in the oven. They should be done in a few minutes.”

“Thank you,” I said, smiling back; it felt good smile again. “We were wondering if we could explore the house a bit.”

“I can give you a tour, if you’d like. The history of this mansion is very interesting.”

Joshua and I nodded before following Grace downstairs to the front room.

“This house was built in the early eighteen hundreds,” Grace began as we looked at an old photograph of the front of the house. “It is said that this mansion was intended to be a safe house for those in the royal family. But in nineteen-oh-five, a fire broke out and the house was destroyed. No one who was present was harmed, however everyone grieved at the loss of the place. During what is known as the Holocaust, the mansion was rebuilt with fire-proof materials. Queen Elizabeth the second hid here for a time as a young woman before taking the throne. No one really knows about that story. Prince William and the duchess Kate Middleton vacationed here in secret shortly before acquiring the throne and-“

I exchanged a look with Joshua.

“-my that is a mouthful!”

Grace laughed, Joshua chuckled slightly. I hadn’t laughed since Lukan was around. I didn’t know if Grace was trying to be funny, or if she was complaining about it being a mouthful.

“Who are the people in the photographs?” I asked, pointing to one of the walls of frames.

“The Clarkson family members,” Grace replied, walking up to one of the frames. “Other relatives, there are even some of past Assembly participants.”

“Some of the frames have curtains on them,” Joshua said. “Why is that?”

Grace sighed and shook her head. “Those pictures are of Mr. Clarkson’s wife and son,” she explained. “When the boy was only six years old, his mother took him and everything they owned, and left. Mr. Clarkson was just appointed as headmaster of Kennedy Academy in that time. He was so crushed, he ordered that the pictures be either burned or covered up. Harold, the butler at that time, didn’t have the heart to have them burned. He had them covered.”

“That’s so sad,” I said in a quiet voice.

Grace nodded solemnly.

When we finished the tour, Grace said that we could go about the hose as we pleased, now that we were on our way.

“Just remember to let the headmaster do his work,” she told us. “He is preparing for your training. I’ll have your snack in a little while.”

Joshua and I went down the east hallway that was near the front room. There was a big dining room, a ballroom, a billiard room, and a library.

“Let’s check out the library,” Joshua said.

“OK,” I said, following him into the large room.

There were book shelves all over the place. There were even second floor lofts with book shelves on the walls. It was the coolest place I’d ever seen. Joshua went to one shelf that held extremely old fashioned records, CDs, cassettes, and every kind of music player invented. Most of them appeared to only be on display. Times seriously changed since the twenty-first century.

“These are such old bands,” Joshua said with amazement, picking up one of the CDs. “When I was on my own, there was a place I would go to play guitar to earn some food. They would always play old music while I took a break. Kutless was one of them. They had this song....” He looked at the CD and smiled. “Yep, there it is. What Faith Can Do.”

He handed me the CD. I looked at the cover art, it was very unique and different from the cover art I would see in Miss Bertrum’s office.

“That is the very CD my great grandmother owned,” said Mr. Clarkson, who was suddenly standing with us. “Would you like to hear it?”

“Yes please,” I replied, giving it to him.

He took the disc and placed it in one of the old stereos. The thing looked ancient, I was surprised that it still worked.

“Can either of you play an instrument?” he asked before turning on the box. “Guitar or piano?”

“I used to play guitar,” Joshua replied, sitting in one of the chairs.

“I’ve never played an instrument,” I said disappointedly.

“Can you sing, perhaps?”

I bit my lip. “A little bit, I mean, for chapel. And when I’m alone speaking to the Lord.”

Mr. Clarkson smiled at me softly. “Faith,” he said, pressing the button on the box. “You are a rare breed.”

A song started playing out of the speakers that hung all over the library. I sat on the floor as I listened to the words.

Everybody falls sometimes

Gotta find the strength to rise

From the ashes

And make a new beginning

Anyone can feel the ache

You think its more than you can take

But you’re stronger

Stronger than your know.

Don’t you give up now

The sun will soon be shining

You gotta face the clouds

To find the silver lining

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains

Hope that doesn’t ever end

Even when the sky is falling

And I’ve seen miracles just happen

Silent prayers get answered

Broken hearts become brand new

That’s what faith can do

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard

Impossible is not a word

It’s just a reason

For someone not to try

Everybody’s scared to death

When they decide to take that step

Out on the water

But it’ll be alright

Life is so much more

Then what your eyes are seeing

You will find a way

If you keep believing

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains

Hope that doesn’t ever end

Even when the sky is falling

And I’ve seen miracles just happen

Silent prayers get answered

Broken hearts become brand new

That’s what faith can do

Overcome the odds

That you don’t have a chance

(That’s what faith can do)

When the world says you can’t

It’ll tell you that you can

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains

Hope that doesn’t ever end

Even when the sky is falling

And I’ve seen miracles just happen

Silent prayers get answered

Broken hearts become brand new

That’s what faith can do

Even if you fall sometimes

You will have the strength to rise

My eyes were closed at the end of the song; light tears ran down my cheeks. It was a lovely song.

“That is the song you two will perform,” Mr. Clarkson said, “at the Royal Assembly. Joshua, I would like for you to learn that song on the guitar. Both you and Faith will do vocals. There will be a back-up band to accompany you. This will be your music presentation. Will you be able to do this?”

“It will be fun to get back into practice,” Joshua said, “but I don’t have a guitar anymore. It was taken away from me when I was enrolled into the academy.”

“I will provide the guitar. What about you, Faith?”

I opened my eyes and looked at the headmaster.

“I’m a fast learner,” I said slowly. “And that song is.... Wow.”

“Good,” Mr. Clarkson nodded his head. “Music instructors will start coming tomorrow. In between your music practices, I will train you in the other event areas. This year’s Assembly is mainly focusing on the musical talent of the students....”

As Joshua and I listened, I was feeling a huge weight being lifted off of my shoulders. I wasn’t worrying about Miss Bertrum entering and calling out “miss” or “master” and having them led away. I was at peace for the first time since I’d left my mother. Of course I had always had peace because God was gracious and helped me through it all. But now I had total peace. In my heart, I began to say a special prayer.

Thank you God Almighty for this abundance of peace. Thank you for Your protection on my life. I know that my brothers, and Lukan, wherever they may be, are in Your hands. Thank you Father. Amen.