BEULAH CIRCULAR

Isaiah 62 - 4

You shall no longer be termed Forsaken,

Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate;

But you shall be called Hephzibah,

and your land Beulah;

for the Lord delights in you,

and your land shall be married.

Everyone knew Elsa.   Some considered she had mental issues, others were not so kind.   She invariably wore the same old coat and you could recognise her distinctive rolling walk from a distance as she headed off on to the moors with Tess and Penny, her faithful companions.

Elsa didn't suffer fools gladly.   Always ready for criticism and comment she was quick witted.   She knew with certain conviction she would have the last laugh.   There was a higher power and her God would not be mocked.

Perhaps the black audi heading straight for her on the notorious Z bend might have caused her some apprehension.   The driver's face was clearly visible.   He was dark and laughing.   "Here we go" thought Elsa.   In a split second the dogs would clear the three foot high stone wall and run for their lives.   The rest is up to you Lord she considered.

The passenger sitting next to the driver grabbed the steering wheel and turned it violently in the opposite direction.   Thankfully there wasn't any oncoming traffic on the road ahead, otherwise they would have been killed outright.    "Drugs" thought Elsa "no one in their right mind would drive like that."

The Z bend on that particular stretch of road was notorious, it straddled a deep gully on either side, a small tributary flowed down the valley towards the river.   There had been many accidents and broken dry stone wall occasionally witnessed by the tiny stone cottages across the valley.

Sometimes Elsa found cassette tape strewn across the road, rolling and blowing in the wind.   Someone suggested they were recorded curses.   Regardless, many an experienced driver had lost control of the steering wheel on that bend for no apparent reason.

Elsa always considered the tiny row of houses had a perfect view of the black spot.   On the day in question Lucy and Vera were enjoying a cuppa and a slice of cake observing the dark grey clouds scudding across a stormy sky.

"Snow tonight" said Vera "I can feel it in my bones" she burst into giggles.   "Don't know why I'm laughing my body's like a weather station and probably more accurate.   Lucy turned smiling at her companion and the small golden dog perched comfortably on her knee that protested at any adjustment to her human heat pad.

"Hey" replied Lucy "keep looking up - you're leaving that wreck behind - no more pills - no more pain, home at last,  heaven."

"And boy will I be gorgeous" replied Vera "Joe won't recognise me"   Their attention turned to their view from the window.   "Is that Elsa standing at the bus shelter" she asked her friend.
   

"Yeap" said Lucy "I'd recognise that coat anywhere - she's with her granddaughter.  They must be going to the shops before the weather closes in.  We are all going to be stranded for a few days according the latest weather forecast.

Elsa was one of the small group of dedicated christians who had long since deserted the local church fellowship standing apart from twisted doctrine and blind guides.   "After all" she had suggested "you are not going to get on a bus going in the wrong direction, are you?"  

Elsa and Bethany stood in front of the bus shelter.   "There's a storm brewing" said Elsa "pull your hood up Beth".    "Nan" said Bethany stretching to whisper in her ear.   "Why is that man looking at pictures of those girls"  A rather scruffy looking middle aged man had spread both himself and a daily broadsheet newspaper across the seat drooling over the semi naked bodies.

Elsa turned to her granddaughter and said quietly.   "Jesus came for such as that man, the lost, not those who already know His father.  "We don't know why he is as he is, or why he does what he does.   We just ask Jesus to save him from himself."

Bethany nodded approval.   She was a beautiful child, spiritual, almost ethereal, wise beyond her years but also considered queer and odd by her own peer group.   The man was leering at the suggestive poses of the virtually nude women but he was also listening to the conversation between the Beth and her Nan.

"Stupid old bag" he said "hurling expletives in Elsa's direction.  He leered at the beautiful young girl heavily wrapped against the wind stamping her feet to keep warm.  "Another few years and she'll be ripe for picking" he considered.    He folded his paper and moved to stand next to Bethany  "Don't listen to her" he sniggered "its a one way ticket, grab everything you can."

Beth smiled unafraid of the sudden move or his comment and said "Jesus will help you"   The man roared with laughter until he broke into a violent cough.    "That crap" - don't give me that crap - what has Jesus ever done for me?" he replied angrily.

"He died for you" Bethany replied.

The sound of an approaching heavy vehicle interrupted any further conversation.   The bus gleamed its headlights piercing the descending freezing fog.   The coach work was amazing, bright colours, new clean and shiny, lights blazing.    "What" complained the man on the bench "this isn't our local bus."   "No it isn't" replied Elsa.   The doors swished open and the driver leaned forward "anyone boarding" he enquired.   "Where are you going" asked Elsa "usual route" he replied.   

The waiting passengers hadn't notice the destination displayed on the front of the bus they were focused  on getting out of the cold.   "Right" said the man "you are not our local bus, so does that mean you are not going to the village.   "No" replied the driver "staying on the straight and narrow"   "Then you are of no use to me, its a ten minute walk to the village" he returned to the bus seat and his daily paper.     "That's okay" said Elsa "come on Beth" and together they boarded the bus.   The doors swished closed and the bus started up the other side of the hill.

Five minutes later the rather grubby local bus approached the steep drop towards the Z bend.  "Ah" shouted the man "about time too I am just about frozen stiff"  

Vera and Lucy had watched the first bus move off and both wondered whether it was a new service that had taken over the route.  They noted the gleaming bodywork highlighted against the black storm clouds.  "That makes a change" said Vera "a clean bus"    They also saw the local bus appear and head down the hill towards the bend and then heard a loud bang as an articulated lorry from the opposite direction skidded into the bus sending both vehicle and bus shelter over the dry stone wall.  There wasn't much left of the bus shelter, like most debris on the bend from hell it lay strewn on the side of the gully alongside a man's torn body.

"Hells bells" said Lucy "Oh dear God was Elsa on that bus.   "Hey, Hey, its okay" said Vera "Elsa and Beth got on the new service.   In the failing light emergency crews had cordoned off the area and were combing the gully as the recovery vehicle loaded the remains of the bus shelter and the battered bus. 

The police went from door to door in the small terrace.   "Excuse me ladies, you really had a bird's eye view, did you witness the incident."   "Oh dear God" said Lucy still in shock.  "Was anyone killed."   "Just one fatality, a middle aged guy"   "Actually" interrupted Vera "there was a bus a few minutes before.   Our friend and her granddaughter got on that one - thank you God."   "Can you describe that bus" the officer enquired.   "Well we thought it must have been a new company taking over the route.  We certainly hadn't seen it before.   Brilliant coach work it looked very shiny and new.

"Right" said the officer "when you next see your friend could you ask her to give us a call, every bit of information helps.   Just appears to be that damn bend again, time the council did something about it.

The only other person that saw the bus you described was the local Canon he said the destination plate had him puzzled.   It said "Beulah circular" he'd never heard of that.    He said he noticed a woman and a girl waving at him."    As Lucy closed her front door behind the police officer she turned to her stunned friend.    "You don't think" she paused "I do" replied Lucy.

Elsa's daughter telephoned later that month apologising for the delay in getting in touch with her friends.   "It's been very difficult" she moaned "we have no closure, I have no idea where they are.   Bethany should have been with us".

It was well known in the small community that Bethany had not accepted her mother's new husband.   Julie tried hard to explain "your Dad has gone to be with Jesus and I have to get on with my life, soon you will have a baby brother, would you please come home".   But the response was negative.   Bethany wanted to stay with her Nan and at least Julie knew she was safe there.

Julie continued "They are both on the missing persons list, apparently according to statistics 275,000 people went missing in this country last year.  Most of them youngsters.   Some returned but others remained lost.   I actually had to go through Mum's stuff and I found something she had written.   I'd like you to have it."  

"Julie" replied Lucy "please come round anytime, if there is anything, anything we can do you only have to ask"   There was the sound of sobbing at the other end of the line.   The usual blowing of the nose and clearing of the throat and Julie continued   "I am desperate for closure, nothing can be settled and her house is so silent and deserted.   I'll try and get round towards the end of the week."

The remaining members of the small group had gathered.   Vera gingerly opened the envelope with Elsa's words and read them aloud to the group.  

One Way Ticket

She smiled, the ticket's just one way,

so have it all, live for today.

You will not get a second try,

so grab it all, before you die.

This one way ticket I don't buy,

my soul has heard the angels cry.

Visions of a perfect place,

glimpsed, far beyond the human race.

Working till each day was done,

wealth and fame, I wanted none.

But there was Love and Lord I knew,

I was so blessed with gifts from you.

Content to know your precious peace,

saving grace and swift release.

Journeying the road ahead,

by the Shepherd gently led.

Loving as he said we should,

sharing for the common good.

Caring for each living thing,

we play our part, our gifts we bring.

A final heartbeat and I'm free,

soaring to my destiny.

Transformed at last, I understand,

His master plan and mighty hand,

that led me to the promised land.

T.Hills

Copyright 2003

Beulah

In this country the sun shineth night and day; wherefore this was beyond the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and also out of the reach of Giant Despair; neither could they from this place so much as see Doubting Castle.   Here they were within the sight of the city they were going to;  also here met them some of the inhabitants thereof;  for in this land the Shining Ones commonly walked, because it was  upon the borders of Heaven.

The Pilgrims Progress

John Bunyan.

FOR NEIL