DAWN WILL RISE 

By Tessa Harvey

    Mark strides up the garden path. He is a little anxious about the news he wants to share with Ella. To his surprise, he sees that the lawn, shrubs, even the flowers in their small front garden need more than a little attention. He frowns, annoyed. His parents have taken the boys out for the day. Surely Ella could make a bit more effort.
    The twins can't possibly consume the whole day, can they? He sees the door is ajar and walks in, stunned by the clutter of washing, dishes, unmade beds..... Mark realises that children involve some mess, but this....... Words fail him.
    He sees Ella asleep in the armchair holding the twins. They cannot fall, snuggled tight in shawls, but sleeping in the day is not Ella's style, or shouldn't be!
    A Bible is open to some Psalms by the coffee table. It must have slipped to the floor. The bible! No, this is ridiculous.
    What God allows a child to be handicapped. He claps the book shut, wanting to banish it forever. The sound wakes Ella. She startles, looks guilty and the babies jerk awake sensing wrongness and start crying.

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