She was a beautiful, seventeen
year-old. Her name was Merilee, and rightly so, for her laughter surrounded her
as did the glow of her youth. Her light pink cheeks next to her long, dark,
wavy hair gave her a look of sweetness and incorruptibility. And yet, she had a bend toward evil, as
we all do apart from the grace of God. But for the most all of her life, her
trespasses were unnoticed, and this probably due to her tendency to smile and to
care for the people around her. She certainly did have a desire to aid those
who were hurting, and this is where her story begins to end.
Joe
grew up next to Merilee, and as children they would walk to and from Longfellow
Elementary School every day. After obtaining their drivers licenses, the two
friends quickly lost touch, even when living just a house away. When Merilee
heard the news that Joe’s parents were getting a divorce, right after he had
broken up with his serious girlfriend, Joann, she could hardly sleep, worried
by the pain he may be feeling. After three nights of restless sleep, it was
actually Joe who called, asking if Merilee would like a ride to school on such
a cold winter day. Relief flooded her as she affirmed him and later jumped into
his blue mustang. Her rapid rush to join him ironically began her dive into a
reckless romance.
In
the eyes of almost every woman, Joe was considered extremely handsome. Standing
at six foot two, having golden skin, dark curly hair, and intensely blue eyes,
while exhibiting a respectful, caring personality, Joe appeared to be the
perfect man for Merilee. In fact, she had already determined him to be the man
for her by the time they reached school that morning. She convinced herself of
this so completely that she didn’t second-guess his integrity when he
introduced her to marijuana and his not-so-impressive friends a few days later.
As weeks passed, Merilee was consumed with Joe, centering her identity upon
him, and when she found herself pregnant with Joe’s child, she depended all the
more on Joe’s display of affection for her.
Joann
was envious of Merilee since Joe first starting hanging around with her. She
heard of Merilee’s secret when she was six months pregnant. In her mind, she
hated Merilee and unconsciously plotted some sort of revenge. It was not until
Merilee was eight months along that Joanna devised a scheme that was sure to
have devastating consequences. Joann, employing a few friends, started a
conversation when sitting near to Joann during lunch. Speaking in a way that
Merilee could not help but hear, Joann glorified her experience in seeing Joe
high on meth. “It wasn’t until he told me he loved me that I was able to
witness him doing it.”
Merilee suddenly questioned Joe’s
care for her, and begged him that night to show her as well. “That was
nothing,” he said, “I only do it sometimes, and I wish you would just believe
me when I say that I love you.”
Merilee
relentlessly insisted Joe to demonstrate his love to her in such a way.
Considering the emotions of a pregnant woman, and his desire to please her, Joe
brought her to his parent’s shed that weekend. He started to smoke the drug and
after a few minutes, Merilee’s breathing started to quicken until she was
wheezing uncontrollably. Joe was able to push her into his parent’s house,
where they dialed 911. An emergency c-section was performed, removing the
infant before the mother took her last breath. The child was placed in the
neonatal intensive care unit until he was mature enough to live on his own.
Merilee’s older sister, Iris, cared for the baby once he was released from the
hospital until he was put into foster homes to be raised and nurtured by women
who were willing to take care of him. This child was miraculously saved,
although his mother was not. She experienced the fruit of her own pride and the
envy of another.
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