Chapter Two:

We arrived at the police station a few minutes later.  The woman turned off the ignition and Switchfoot stopped playing.  She got out and came to my side of the car, opened the door and I shuffled my way out.  Her hands cupped my shoulder and arm as I was lead into the red brick building..  I was brought to the back of the building where cells lined the wall.  I was placed in front of a cell wit a man already in it.  He was in jeans and an orange muscle shirt.  His arms were covered in tattoos and his left eyebrow was pierced.  The police woman opened the cell door and I walked inside. When I was in she slid the door back into place, and I felt trapped once more.

“Sorry about this Jeremiah, but you have to spend the night here.  I will be here in the morning to get you for questioning.  Hopefully, if Amy shows some progress, we will see her before the interrogation.  Would you like that?” She asked.  I couldn’t help but smile at this thought. 

So I replied, “Yes, ma’am.”  She smiled back at me and started to walk away. “Wait,” she stopped and turned, facing me once again. “What is your name?”

“Maggie Robertson, Detective Maggie Robertson.”  She continued to walk forward till I could not see her.  I walked away from the door and sat on an empty cot. “Hello,” I said to the man in the corner of the cell.  He stood there with his arms across his chest.

“Sup” he greeted back.

“What are you in for?”

“Robbed a convenience store with some of my hommies.  Had the cashier by gunpoint, but the cops overpowered me.  My peeps got away and I didn’t, just needed a little cash.  How bout you, kid?”

“Well… they think I raped my girlfriend.”

“Did you?”

“NO!” I shook my head.  He walked over to the cot across mine and sat.  the stared at me, looking right into my eyes.  It was as if he could tell what I was thinking and feeling.  Finally, he spoke, “You’re not lying.  I can tell when a person lies, comes with the business.  What’s your name, kid?”

“Jeremiah, Yours?”

“Tony” I nodded and laid down on the cot, staring up at the ceiling.  It was a popcorn ceiling.  One of Amy’s favorite things to do was making shapes out of clouds, so, when it rained we would use the ceiling.  It was stupid, but it was with Amy.  I lay there in the quiet, wishing that this hadn’t happened to Amy.  Not for my sake, but hers.  I sighed then heard the twang of a guitar.  My neck cracked as I turned my head.  Tony was playing an acoustic.  I listend for a while, and thanked God that I had meet Detective Robertson and that Amy was still alive.  Without thinking, I said “Amen” aloud.    The guitar playing stopped and I heard Tony laugh to himself.

“What’s so funny?” I questioned, sitting up.

“Its just that, well, all my life I’ve been confronted by my folks about how I should become a Christian.  Forced it down my throat, and now I’m sharing a cell with a “honk if you love Jesus” type.”  He tried his best at the Southern Baptist drawl and it made me chuckle.  He continued, “So tell me how I’m gonna go to Hell, and that im a sinner that needs to repent or I’m gonna be sent to the Lake of Fire by an All-Powerful God who hates sinners.  Go on preach at me.”

“I’m not going to preach at you.  I believe that if you try to force God and the Bible on somebody they turn further away from him.  God dosen’t hate sinners, he hates the sin.  Romans 3:23 says: ‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’.  It dosent say Tony has sinned, or Jeremiah has sinned.  All have sinned and therefore we are all separated from God.  But, there is hope, Christ died for us.  John 3:16 says: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not die but have everlasting life.’  All you need to do for God to forgive all of your sins, past, present, and future is to accept him.  Then your name is written in his book and eternity will be spent with Him in heaven, instead of apart from him in hell.”  I looked at his face, he was processing.  Tony’s head was down, looking at his hands.  He lifted his gaze toward me.

“That’s easy for you to say.  I’ve done way more things than you have.  It will be harder for God to accept me, kid.”

“Have you ever stolen anything?”

“Yeah.”

“So have I, what does that make us?”

“Thieves.”

“Right.  Have you ever looked with lust at a woman when you already had a girlfriend?”

“Lots of times.”

“I have too.  That means we have committed adultery in out hearts which makes us thieving adulterers.  And that’s just for starters.  Personally, I’ve lied, thought murderous thoughts, coveted possessions, taken the Lord’s name in vain, and made idols.  That makes me a swearing, lying, covetous, murderous, thieving, adulterer, and idolater.  Do you still think God sees me differently than you?”
“If your that bad, kid: I guess not.”

“That’s right, he takes you just as you are.  No questions asked”

“Ill put some thought into that.”

“Good”  I laid back down and slowly drifted of to sleep.