5.  The Power of Mothers’ Prayers

Lying there in the dark, I felt exceptionally peaceful and confident.  I had been promoted to a new position which I was prepared to begin in the morning, one that would provide a higher wage to support myself as a widow, and the last two of my children still living at home.  My 11-year old daughter had finished her homework and gone to bed, and my 16-year old son was spending the night at a friend’s house.  It had been a quiet uneventful day, and I was asleep soon after going to bed.

I was dreaming that a bell was ringing…. WAIT!  A bell was ringing!  It was the doorbell.  I jumped up quickly, grabbed my robe, and saw a police officer through the peephole in the door. He had one hand on the doorbell while the other fist pounded on the door.  I unlocked and opened the door as quickly as I could.  He shouted in the dark.

“There’s been a shooting!  Get to the Emergency Room as fast as you can!”

I flipped on the porch light as he turned to leave.  My heart was pounding as I blurted out, “Where?”  What happened?”

He responded, “Your son!  That’s all I know.  You need to hurry!”

©Pat Montesano 2003 All Rights Reserved.