HAVEN
“They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.” Psalm 107:30
I didn’t intend to fall asleep. I was startled to see the sun above me when I woke up the next day. I was still lying underneath the thorn bush and could hardly move. The asthmatic sting in my lungs reminded me that I had been running yesterday. How far? I knew that something devastating happened, but my groggy mind refused to wake up as fast as I pleaded it to.
I looked around as far as I could from my hiding place and saw nothing familiar. All too slowly, I recalled fragments of the previous evening: machine guns in the night, blood on my cheek, a prayer whispered in hiding.
And then I remembered everything.
My breathing sped up. My throat constricted. Begging myself to remain calm, I t
