No Rest For the Weary

Stepping off the plane, John saw his own name scribbled in large balloon letters across a sign held at arm’s length above the serpentine line of people snaking in front of him. He waved at his contact, an American missionary named Matthew Smith. The short blond wore an easy smile with friendly but weary eyes.

“Welcome to Port Moresby, Mr. Braddham. How was your flight?” Matt welcomed, reaching for John’s carry-on bag.

“Very long. I can’t wait to stretch out,” John replied, hanging on to the bag.

“I’m sorry; you won’t be able to do that just yet. We still have a four-hour drive to POW’s New Guinea headquarters. Then fly from there to Irian Jaya,” Smith said of the Prayer On a Wing organization.

John tried to hide his impatience. “Four hours! I thought I would take my flight from here.”

“Well, Mr. Braddham, no plane from here can take you where you need to go,” Matt said, leading the way. “Plus it is cheaper altogether to send you on the next supply plane to Irian Jaya.”

“No rest for the weary.” Not that I’ve traveled for the greater part of twenty-four hours, changing planes in Honolulu and Sidney. Nothing that I’m not used to. John reflected of his flight to Vietnam a few years earlier.

Now he was here, less than a year after attending a church service describing the shortage of the missionary pilot supply worldwide. The war in Vietnam needed all qualifying pilots.

“Come along, Mr. Braddham.” Matt plodded ahead, shaking his head.

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Jeffrey W. Bennett, is the author of Commitment-A Novel and other non-fiction books, novels and periodicals.

Making a Clean Break-Excerpt from Commitment-A Novel

     The morning sun cast a brilliant golden canopy across the sky from the east. Off to the west, darkness graduating to blue toward the east. John awoke a few hours before the rest of the village. He sat facing the sun, remembering the evening, wondering if he would survive here. He was already homesick for his old life back in the States, feeling strange and distant. While he was collecting his thoughts, a stoic, older man, small in stature, took a seat near him. The man never said a word, just took a stance of vigilance.

     During the pre-dawn hours they shared the sounds of the awakening jungle, hardly recognizing each other’s presence with more than a nod. Insects buzzed, the tiny, black and white Thomas’ leaf monkey skittered through the trees, and birds chirped their good morning songs. This was like so many sounds and experiences he associated with Vietnam, and a reminder of his harrowing night only three weeks before.

     John felt homesick, but dismissed the thought of returning to the states. He had to stay at least a year or two. Then he would earn enough hours to apply at an airline. He would be flying regularly and that was good enough. However, something else, another reason to stay, grasped his attention. It had to be the lure of this enchanting woman who gave up her comfortable life to live in these austere conditions.

     He looked to his left to see his silent companion shift his weight without taking his eyes off the jungle. Turning back to his thoughts, John realized he shouldn’t fall for someone out here. He needed to know he could make a clean break when the time came.

Remember, 100% of all royalties will be applied to Jeff's mission trip to Asia. Jeffrey W. Bennett, ISP is the owner of Red Bike Publishing. Jeff is an accomplished writer of non-fiction books, novels and periodicals. He also owns Red bike Publishing. Published books include: "Get Rich in a Niche-Insider's Guide to Self Publishing in a Specialized Industry" and "Commitment-A Novel". Jeff is an expert in security and has written many security books including: "Insider's Guide to Security Clearances" and "DoD Security Clearances and Contracts Guidebook". See Red Bike Publishing for print copies of: Army Leadership The Ranger Handbook The Army Physical Readiness Manual Drill and Ceremonies The ITAR The NISPOM