Where's Wally, Part II

Finding a bookstore in Seattle in the late 90’s was a very easy task. Wally didn’t have to walk more than a few blocks from where he stood at the Port of Seattle to find one called “Fairy Tales and Coffee”. Finding a bible in that particular bookstore wasn’t so easy. But after very little help from the staff and some intense browsing, he finally located one, on the bottom shelf in the ‘Spiritual’ section, called “The Way”. He turns to the title page and checks the date that it was published, “Nineteen seventy-two? Bleh. Should still be good.” He looks up Mark 5:8 and reads the scripture quietly to himself, “For Jesus had said to him ‘Come out of this man, you unclean spirit!’”

Wally thinks a moment but can’t come to any conclusions as to why someone would name their sailboat after this verse. With his new sort-of bible in hand, he heads back to the Port of Seattle in hopes of finding a boat he can purchase and sail all the way to Mexico.

***

Calico keeps her sailboat, the “Mark 5:8”, that she inherited from her grandfather, in a slip at Port of Seattle that includes a landline hook-up, water, electricity, but no sewer. She saw a young man on the marina earlier that morning that she can’t get out of her mind, “He’s tainted,” she says to herself. She took the sailboat out today because it’s been so long since she has sailed that she has considered selling the boat. Whenever she gets that feeling, she goes sailing, sees her grandfather's loving spirit in the rigging and the feeling passes.

When she heads back into her slip, she sees Wally again. He is leaning on the rails above looking down at her. “Well, damn, that ain't luck," she says to herself, "Looks like we’re in it for the long haul, Granddaddy. Providence can be damn annoying sometimes."

***

Wally lays in the rear berth of Calico’s sailboat.  The thirty-four-foot ketch her grandfather built. Small but well-appointed enough to be considered an entry level luxury yacht. The landline rings, he answers, “Yeah?”

“Hey, you up yet?” Calico is on the other end of the line.

“Getting there. What’s up?”

“Dad wants you to come to the church tonight.”

“He does? What time? Wait, why?”

“He’ll explain when you get there. Make it after nine, nobody will be around, he’ll wait for you.”

“Um, okay. But I’d like to know why, Calico? What’s going on?”

“Look, Wally, he knows what he’s doing. You said you wanted to be free. He can help. Just let him.”

***

  Wally gets to the church around 9:15pm. Calico’s dad, Trent, is the head pastor at the church. Wally is met at the doors by Trent and another pastor named Orson. They lead him to a room that has a couch, two chairs, a coffee table, and a bookshelf.

“Can I get you anything, Wally?” Trent asks, “Coffee, water?”

“Uh, no thanks. What’s going on? Is it Calico?” Wally is confused.

“Wally, can you read this for us?” Orson hands Wally a sheet of paper with bible scripture on it.

“Sure. Why?” Wally takes the sheet.

“We’ll explain in a bit, Wally. Just give it a read and tell us what you think.” Trent says.

“Okay,” Wally is really curious but begins to read, “Um, Matthew ten colon one… do you want me to read it all?”

Wally's Exorcism

“Yes. As much as you are able. But you don’t have to say colon.” Orson advises.

For some reason, Wally feels suddenly a little bit agitated. He’s not sure why. Maybe he needs sleep, he thinks. He continues reading, “Matthew ten one, Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. Luke ten, seventeen. When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, ‘Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!'” Wally’s unexplained agitation escalates a notch or two. Reading that scripture is really bothering him but he can’t really figure out why. It’s just words, right?

“How much do you want me to read?” he asks.

“As much as you can,” Orson replies.

“I can read it all. I do know how to read. I’m just not sure what the point is.”

“Just read what you can. That’s all, Wally. Just read.” Trent tells him.

Wally becomes instantly, without any real cause, infuriated at Trent, “You can shut the fuck up, Trent. M’kay?” Even Wally is surprised at his sudden rage at Trent.

“Trent?” Orson intervenes. Trent takes the cue and makes himself small in his chair so as not to distract Wally’s demons.

“Keep reading, if you want,” Orson says to Wally.

“Trent. Geez. I am really sorry about that. I... I think I need to get some sleep. I haven’t been myself lately."

Trent waves him off, "No worries, my boy. Keep reading, eh?"

Wally focuses on the sheet and reads the next scripture, “Mark sixteen, seventeen. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. Luke nine, one. One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. Matthew twenty-eight, eighteen. Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.'”

Wally stops reading. Something weird is definitely going on with him. He feels very odd, very stupid at the moment, and extremely gullible. Like, someone, or something, is whispering in his ear that he is in terrible danger and needs to bolt like a stallion that just stepped on a rattlesnake. “What the fuck are we doing right now? This is stupid. Why am I reading this shit? I got stuff to do. Why am I here?” He’s not sure why he said that, or why he said it like that.

“Just keep reading, and I’ll explain everything when you are finished,” Orson says calmly but firmly.

Wally takes a deep frustrated breath, continues reading, “Matthew eight, sixteen. That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sickness. Mark one, thirty-four.  Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak. Luke four, forty-one. Many were possessed by demons; and the demons came out at his command, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But because they knew he was the Messiah, he rebuked them and refused to let them speak.”

What Wally does next should surprise even Wally, but he is in a foggy stupor of spiritual panic.  Not only does he feel detached from reality, like he is floating up in the corner of the ceiling and only watching as an unknown observer, but his current state makes it seem like he is years away and only remembering this event.  Abruptly and with a burst of fury uncharacteristic for him, through red-hot-headed anger and with violent exaggeration, he crumples the sheet of scripture in his white-knuckled fists. Then he slams the ball of crumple paper on the table in front of him so hard that the wood cracks.

Trent and Orson sit quietly while Wally tries to catch his breath.

“What the fuck is wrong with me!” Wally, tears streaming now, fights against an unauthorized surrender.

Orson holds his hand up, palm facing Wally and chants, “You are a child of God! Nothing can separate you from your Heavenly Father! You are a child of God! Nothing can separate you from your Heavenly Father!”

At the same time, Trent holding his palm at Wally and chanting “By the Shed Blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Satan and his deceptive demons are cast out from our beloved brother, Wally!”

After what seems like hours but is really only a few minutes, Wally calms down. He is him again. He notices that he is wet. “Why am I wet?” he asks.

“Profuse perspiration is common. Nothing to worry about,” Orson explains, “Can you continue reading, please?”

Wally picks up the wad of paper and uncrumples it best as he can. Uses the side of his hand to iron it out. He reads, “Um, let’s see… where was I? Oh yeah, Matthew twelve, twenty-eight. But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. Mark five, eight,” Wally hesitates. He knows this particular scripture by heart, “ Mark five, eight. For Jesus had already said to the spirit, ‘Come out of the man, you evil spirit.'”

Wally stops reading again. He thinks hard for a moment. Sweat beads his entire body. Tears well up in his eyes and then he breaks down and sobs uncontrollably.

“Wally,” Orson begins, “Jesus taught that faith and prayer are essential when confronting spiritual forces. Sometimes, strongholds of demonic oppression can only be broken through persistent faith and prayer. These scriptures you just read emphasize the power of belief and the necessity of seeking God when casting out demons. Do you understand? Do you believe?”

Wally nods, then continues reading once more, “Matthew seventeen, twenty. ‘You don’t have enough faith,’ Jesus told them. ‘I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it would move. Nothing would be impossible. But this kind of demon won’t leave except by prayer and fasting.' Mark nine twenty-nine. Jesus replied, ‘This kind can be cast out only by prayer.'”

Wally begins to cry again, bitterly. He can’t stop. He slides off the couch and drops to his knees, forehead to the floor, “Please! God! Please, Trent? Orson? Pray for me! Teach me to pray! Please! Oh God, Please!!!”

Trent picks up the sheet of scripture and begins reading where Wally left off, “Luke seventeen, five. The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Show us how to increase our faith.' First John four, four. But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those demons, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”

Wally collapses completely on the floor, sobbing.

“While believers have authority to cast out demons,” Orson explains, “we must also remain vigilant in resisting the devil and his schemes. The Bible teaches us to stand firm in our faith and resist the enemy through the Word of God and prayer. The scriptures encourage resistance against the forces of darkness. But the power is within you. James four, seven. Humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Wally picks himself up off the floor. Orson hands him the sheet of scripture, “Keep this in your bible. Refer to it often. Do you have a bible?”

“Sort of,” Wally says, referring to his copy of “The Way”.

Trent goes to the bookshelf and pulls a leatherbound copy of the KJV bible. Hands it to Wally, “Here. My gift. Now, go back out there. Live righteously. Fight the good fight.”

Wally takes the bible, thanks them both, walks out into the night. When he reaches his car he checks his watch, "What? No. It can't be this late." He taps his watch face and checks the time again, it is 2:30am. Then Wally has a revelation, “I gotta find Rog! He, he... holy crap! What the fuck just happened? I gotta find Sloan! Ah shit. What have I got myself into this time?" He looks up at the sky, "I am a child of God."

TO BE CONTINUED