It was very late in the morning when Jan finally awakened. She could tell that by where the sun was shining through her bedroom window.
For a few minutes she didn’t even try to move. Her whole body felt stiff and sore, and her arm ached in its cast. She just lay quietly thinking over all that had happened the day before.
Candy poked her head in the bedroom door. Seeing Jan awake, she clattered down the stairs. “Mom, she’s up,” she called.
A few minutes later Mom appeared carrying a tray. On it was Jan’s favorite breakfast, a stack of crispy waffles with syrup. There was bacon and orange juice too, Jan noticed when Mom set the tray down.
“Good morning, Honey,” Mom said in a cheerful sort of voice. “Looks like you were able to sleep. I was afraid maybe your arm would keep you awake. The children, especially Julie, have been wanting to waken you. I shooed them outside.
“Here, let me prop you up with this extra pillow.” Mom matched her actions to her words. Then she set the breakfast tray on Jan’s lap.
Jan picked up her fork and slowly took a bite. There were some things she needed to settle, and she knew it.
Mom sat down on the other bed. But she didn’t say anything more. She seemed to know that Jan would talk when she was ready.
Jan took another bite. The waffles were delicious, but she didn’t even notice. A tear welled up in her eye and splashed onto her plate.
In a minute Mom had her arms around her daughter. “Why don’t you tell me all about it, Jan. You know I love you,” Mom said hugging her tightly.
“Oh, Mom,” Jan wailed, “I’ve been so awfully bad. I lied and disobeyed Gramps and everything. And even though Quang helped me, I’m still mad at him. I’m so mixed up!”
For a few minutes all she could do was cry. But at last on a hiccup she said timidly, “I ... I asked God to send someone to help me. I told Him I needed to be a new creation like the verse says so I won’t lose my temper and stuff. And do you know, Quang came not too long after that?” She said it in a wondering voice. “Do you suppose God answered my prayer and sent Quang?”
“Why, yes, I’m sure He did. God does hear and answer prayer. And if you really do want to be a new creation, we can tell Him right now. He’ll answer that prayer. He wants you to belong to Him.”
So right there Mom and Jan bowed their heads together. And Jan told the Lord Jesus very simply that she wanted to belong to Him. She told Him about her temper and the lie she told and her disobedience. She thanked Him for the forgiveness He offered based on the blood He shed on the cross. She knew she had been made a new creation in Christ.
Mom helped her and then she prayed too. She thanked the Father for watching over Jan when she was hurt. And she thanked Him for making Jan His child.
Afterward Mom hugged Jan. Her eyes were bright and she was smiling.
Jan could feel herself smiling too. It seemed a long time since she had felt like smiling.
Suddenly she realized how hungry she was. That stack of waffles just disappeared!
Mom stayed to talk. Between bites Jan told her about finding the trapdoor. She explained how she went back to the barn after supper and got the door open. She told about going down into the cellar; and she described what she had found there. Then she told how she fell going up the rotting ladder.
Some of this Mom already knew, some she heard for the first time. She let Jan talk uninterrupted and then she said, “Well, it was very wrong of you to lie about where you were going and disobey Gramps. But God used all of it to bring you to Himself.”
She was silent for a bit. “I can’t help being excited about what you children have found,” she said at last. “Your Dad showed me that metal box and the message you brought home. The box we can’t open without breaking. And it belongs to Gramps. So he will have to break the lock or give someone else permission to do so.
“But that note interests me. It seems to be some sort of hidden message. As though it says one thing but means another. I have an idea what it means but I’m not sure, of course.
“Anyway, I have already talked to Gramps this morning on the telephone. He called to ask how you were. Then he told me he wanted everyone to come over on Lord’s Day afternoon. He said he had a guest coming who could tell us more about that secret cellar you found in his barn. I told him about the metal box and the message. He seemed really excited. So I promised him your father would bring them to him tonight.”
“Lord’s Day!” Jan cried. “That’s four days from now!”
Mom just laughed and went downstairs.
Jan was thoughtful as she got dressed. She didn’t feel different exactly. But something was different, she knew.
For one thing she was no longer mad at Quang. He had helped her, it was true. But he had started the fire and caused all the trouble in the first place. She had tried to tell herself this morning that she would not have gone to the barn alone if Quang had not started that fire. Maybe that was so. But she had lied and disobeyed all by herself. Somehow now she could admit it. And by admitting she was wrong, her anger with Quang had gone away. In fact she found herself feeling sorry for him.
“It must be true,” she said aloud, “I must really be a new creation.”
It was hard to get dressed with one arm. But finally she managed to get on her clothes. Then she went downstairs to see where Julie and the others were.
She found Julie in the backyard with Fred and Susan. They greeted her with a babble of questions. So she had to tell again everything that had happened. The Bakers and Julie were excited and open-mouthed by turns.
“Wow, what do you suppose Mr. Roberts was using that cellar for?” Susan asked, her eyes round.
“For crying out loud, Suzy, that’s what everyone wants to know,” Fred teased. Then he had to duck as Susan took a swing at him.
There were guesses but no real answers. The children decided they would have to wait until Lord’s Day when Gramp’s guest came. Perhaps he would be able to clear things up.
Meanwhile time seemed to drag. Jan could not do all of the active things she usually did. She had to watch while everyone played softball and other outdoor games. And of course the barn was strictly a forbidden place to go.
The only thing that happened during that time was a surprise visit. Jan was alone in the living room trying to read a book. The other FACT Club members were down at the corner playing softball.
It was a bright Saturday afternoon and Jan longed to be outside playing with the others. But today she just didn’t feel like watching. So she had stayed at home when they all went to play.
She was reading the same page over for the third time when there was a knock at the front door.
“I’ll get it,” she called jumping up.
She opened the door to see Dr. and Mrs. Hua with Quang.
“Please come in,” she invited feeling shy.
Mom came out of the kitchen drying her hands on a towel. “Why, hello,” she said smiling. “Do come in and sit down.”
Mr. Davidson, hearing the knock at the door, came upstairs from the basement to greet the visitors.
Dr. Hua was saying, “We have come to see how Jan goes on. Also, Quang wishes to speak with her.” He nodded to his son.
Quang cleared his throat. He shifted his feet, then finally he said bravely, “I come to make apology for trouble.” Here he seemed to get stuck for a minute. “I ... I set fire to Mr. Hinkle field.” He hung his head and was silent.
“Quang, my son, tell them the rest,” his mother said gently.
Jan could see what an effort it took for him to speak. What he had to say was hard enough. But also it was difficult for him to speak English. Her heart warmed to him and the last little bit of anger went away. She smiled at him in a friendly way.
He caught her look and went on in a rush, “I want to make trouble for FACT Club. I not want you in barn. But then you get hurt, Jan. Father say you go there alone because Mr. Hinkle forbid.” Here he had to laugh because he realized what he said didn’t really make sense.
Laughing broke his tense look. He went on more easily, “English very bad. When I see you hurt Jan, I hurt too.” He pointed to his chest. “I see is my fault a little.”
He looked at his father. “Well, maybe much my fault.” His look was mischievous.
Now it was Jan’s turn to laugh. “Much my fault too,” she said. Everyone joined her laughing.
Dr. Hua came to Quang’s rescue. “Quang came to me and explain. He is truly sorry for what he did. Already we have been to see Mr. Hinkle.”
Jan’s admiration for Quang grew. She could never admit what she did wrong to so many people!
Dr. Hua went on, “Quang came to know Jesus after we talk.” There was real happiness in the look he gave his son.
“Why, so did I!” Jan couldn’t help exclaiming.
Then everyone started to talk at once. Jan and Quang went out in the backyard and left the grown-ups.
They found a lot to talk about. Jan said she was sorry for the way she talked to him the day of the bike accident. And she told him how awful everyone felt when those boys were mean to him at softball. “We were glad they didn’t come again to play. They were not friends of ours,” she said firmly.
Quang, it turned out, had thought they were. “I thought they are your friends,” he said surprised.
No wonder he had disliked the FACT Club, Jan thought.
With that out of the way, he became really friendly. He told her about his rock collection and all the interesting rocks he had found at Gramp’s barn and field.
“Quang,” Jan began as she was reminded of something she had wondered over, “how did you know about Gramp’s fear of fires?”
He looked mischievous again. “I hear all your talk from cellar of barn where I work on rock collection.”
Jan’s eyes opened wide in surprise, but then she nodded. “Of course, I never thought about it. What else did you hear?”
But he only grinned.
Then she told him about finding the secret cellar, the metal box, and the note. By the time his parents came to get him, Jan and he were acting like they had been friends for years.
“I see you at Mr. Hinkle’s tomorrow?” Quang asked as he left.
Jan nodded and waved to him. But she thought, Is it just tomorrow? I can hardly wait!