It was a dark and chilly evening! Three adventurous boys led four unsuspecting girls into the misty unknown. Wandering through the hushed streets of Merthyr, the troupe at last reached the outskirts of the park. Some attempted to scale the rather large wall separating the protected castle from intruding pedestrians…it didn’t work.
They ventured further and found a few rod iron bars that had been pulled apart…no doubt it was done by previous intruders. The seven managed to squeeze through one by one, some living more dangerously than others. Once inside, the girls clung to one another, as if somehow constructing a fearsome, stronghold by linking arms and trudging down the soggy, unlit path together. The boys led the way through the pitch-blackness, skillfully using their video camera light to…uh…light the path. They plodded down to the gloomy stage, stood on it and looked at the castle for a brief moment, then they all decided it was best to leave quickly.
The trek back to the gate seemed to take much less time than it did to reach the coveted stage. They had a close call though, as they neared the Trespasser’s Entrance, when they saw a figure darting about in the shadows and then climbing out the way they had gotten in. Soon after, they noticed a policeman strolling by, peering through the bars and into their souls…er, the park! This moment much reminded me of the scene from The Sound Of Music where the family is hiding in the cemetery from the Nazis. But the kindly officer continued on down the street, unaware that seven mischievous shadows lurked behind a cluster of trees. Again, one by one, the seven filtered themselves through the crude opening in the bars, but this time back into wonderfully lit streets! They all concurred that it was time to go back to their homes, as it was nearing the midnight hour. They began sheepishly walking down the streets, only to be stopped by the painful winces of one of the girls who had twisted her ankle while attempting to climb out of the park! Remorse quickly fell on the other six as they realized they had not cared for their sister in arms as they should have. The boys helped her walk gingerly down the slanted streets, only to realize moments later that they had no idea where they were going! The group searched for any familiar signs or streets, in hopes that something would jog their memory and they would be pointed in the right direction. But alas, none could be found. So one of the boys decided to attack…I mean, ask an older gentleman getting out of a taxi cab for directions. The poor man misunderstood the lad’s question and sent the troupe walking in circles, ending up in a dark alley in front of some foreboding houses. The six knew the invalid among them should not walk any further until they had clear direction of where they were going, so as not to agitate the girl’s ankle. Two of the boys were sent off down the street, with the daunting task of finding a way back to each home. The last boy was left with the terrifying responsibility of protecting four frightened girls from whatever lay ahead.
They sat and prayed for the poor girl’s ankle and for their safety, AND that the sent boys would return with the way home. They opened their eyes, and there were the two boys, waving at them to follow quickly! So the reunited troupe once again set off, this time, with a spark of hope that they would be home before midnight! But as they neared the first intersection, the boys realized they didn’t know which way to turn. They were just about to step into the intersection, when they heard loud slurring voices coming from the right. When they discovered that the noise was coming from a local pub and there were several drunken men staggering outside, they felt it best to stay in the dark alley they were standing in, rather than be discovered by the inebriated gentlemen. Once again, the two boys were sent off, only to be found quickly by Dave (the kind man that the boys were staying with), who was in his car looking for the boys! Dave picked up the two, who took him to the now panicking group, as the drunks were making their way down the street, closer to the girls and the last boy. The two jumped out of the car, and the five began to walk towards the car in relief. Then realizing that their identity had been discovered by the wandering drunks, and were now being hooted and hollered at, the girls dove into the car; the boys hung back ready to protect their sisters in Christ with a fight, if necessary! Fortunately, Pastor Garreth drove up right behind Dave to pick up the boys.
On the way back to the girls’ host homes, the girls pondered and grieved over the past few hours, wishing they could have been a better example, and less of a headache, to the Merthyr church. The four girls parted, and the two remaining were driven home in silence. They sneaked up the stairs, growing more sorrowful with each creaking step. Each fell into her bed worn-out, scared, and remorseful. They continued to talk about the evening, though; unable to rid their minds of the embarrassment they had caused their leaders…in both countries. Hours later, they drifted into a fitful, exhausted sleep, knowing they must face their unsuspecting fearless leader (Mike) in the morning…and dreading it!
