For the Love of My Brother

By Sheilia Stodder

David Cole, an exceptionally talented and gifted artist living in Hawaii finds himself homeless and addicted to alcohol. After and unfortunate turn of events, he wakes up in a local hospital vaguely remembering how he got there. His sister, Alana, visits David in the hospital and becomes instrumental in his recovery. An unexpected woman also becomes involved. The result of the women's persistence turns David's life from homelessness to abundance. The God who created him places David on another island, an unbelievable paradise of love and sobriety.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sheilia Stodder
• Release date: Jul 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005564810

Sheilia Stodder

Born in Indiana, moved to California when I was twelve. At age fifteen I was invited to visit Maui with a friend and her sister who had an aunt and uncle who lived there. I kept coming back to Hawaii every summer afterwards. I have lived most of my adult life in Hawaii. I have two children and two grandchildren. My hobbies include reading, swimming laps in the community pool and listening to Christian music on the radio. I enjoy my Cavalier King Charles dog, Toby.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii

2010

Coming down from the heaven is a rainbow circle, in the midst of this circle is the Hawaiian Islands. The shimmering vibrant colors of this haloed effect open to the island of Oahu, with green mountainous valleys, tropical rural landscape, and white sandy beaches. Focusing on one lone picnic table situated precariously close to the oceans edge, five men sit, two engaged in a game of chess.

The aura of this encompassing circle hovers over the group as the Creator of the universe gently whispers in the ear of one of the men, I knew you while you were formed in the innermost parts of your mother’s womb; I have plans for you, my son. Plans to give you hope and a future.

The men have been drinking, bottles of beer are hidden in small brown grocery bags. One of the men is in his 50’s, unkempt, belligerent and argumentative. The men are creative types, most likely musicians, writers, and artists. The discussion gets heated as one gets up and staggers down the beach, causing others to make bad mouth comments. Tension is building and foul language can be heard by passersby.

Across the street and separated by a two-lane road is a local grocery store. A family of four exits the store, tourists and Christians as evidenced by the crosses that grace the necks of the father and mother. Hearing the language coming from across the street, they are unaccustomed to this type of behavior, although the husband views this as an opportunity to show God’s love and mercy, especially to the lost. He excuses himself telling his family he will only be a minute. His wife knows exactly what he is going to do, he will return to the store to purchase food for these men.

He buys two pounds of cooked teriyaki steak along with some Hawaiian sweet rolls. The family cross the street approaching the table cautiously. The father motions for his wife and children to wait by a coconut tree as he walks to the table with the bags of food.

Excuse me, gentlemen, I thought you all could use some nourishment this afternoon. There are forks and napkins in the bag. You all have a blessed day and remember that Jesus loves each and every one of you.

Why thank you mister, that’s really kind of you, says one of the men.

Yeah, thanks man, says another.

As the man leaves, the group make snide remarks at the message the man left. Grabbing aggressively at the bags and pulling out the Styrofoam containers, the men smell the pleasant aroma of the meat before them. One picks up a piece of steak with his hands, but it slips and lands on the ground. He reaches down into the sand and picks it up, putting it into his mouth, sand, and all.

Hey, that’s uncool, you could get sick doing that! says one of the men.

The one most inebriate puts a big piece of steak in his mouth and immediately starts to choke. His eyes get big as he gasps for air. The other men react in panic, trying to locate a cell phone to dial 911. A phone is located, and one fumbles to dial the numbers.

911 Emergency, what’s your emergency? the dispatcher asks.

My friend is choking; hurry he can’t breathe! cries one of the men.

Where is your location? asks the dispatcher.

Pupukea, the beach park across from Food Market, please hurry! the man says with fear in his voice.

Within seconds, sounds of a siren are heard a short distance away. The fire station is less than a mile down the road. A fire truck approaches, and the firemen jump into action, using a metal device to dislodge the piece of meat from his throat. The firemen lay the man down on the grassy area beside the picnic table. The group stands back as the firemen try to resuscitate their friend. An ambulance and two police cars arrive on the scene just as the firemen have the man finally breathing. Four minutes had passed since he had been without a breath. The friend is placed inside the ambulance, and it drives away, the siren blasting. The group looks frightened, wondering if they will ever see their friend again. It all happened so fast.

Several policemen remain at the scene. One introduces himself saying he will need some information about the man in the ambulance, as well as any witnesses.

Let’s start with the man’s name? asked the policeman.

David, says one of the men.

Last name? asks the policeman.

Ah, man, I don’t know, do you know, Melvin? says the same man as he looks at his friend.

Cole, David Cole, he’s the artist, someone in the crowd that has now gathered calls out.

Address? the policeman asks as he writes the information on a small pad of paper.

He’s homeless, sleeps on the beach, Sunset, the one from the crowd calls back.

The policeman gets names and contact information from the ones that know the most about the man who choked.

This man is my brother, David Cole, a gifted and talented artist, and this is his story.

David

Wow, what a strange sensation, choking on that really small piece of steak, who’d ever thought! After that, the world went blank, and a mysterious floating feeling held my body in suspension. My life flashed before me, as if I were the star of a major movie. Beginning with brilliant white light that I thought was the tunnel that you hear about on the way to who knows where, though it turns out to actually be the delivery room in which I was born. From there, scenes of my childhood flashed by an alarming rate. I went from birth to adulthood in a matter of milliseconds! The worst part was when it came to all those bad decisions that I made, the hurt that I caused to others, mostly my son and family. I felt tremendous remorse as I cried out to do it over, only this time, in a more loving way. It ended in a kind of hell that seemed to last years. I hope this ends, I won’t be able to stand this agony. It just keeps going and going, the worst playing over and over with each agonizing second.

CHAPTER TWO

Alana

One-hour plane ride away on the Big Island of

Hawaii

Alana, David’s sister, is awakened by the low hum of her cell phone. It is 3:30 am and a number that Alana doesn’t recognize. She decides to answer it anyway. It is her nephew Josh who lives in Oregon. Josh tells his aunt that his father choked on a piece of meat while at the beach with friends and is in an intensive care unit on Oahu. He tells his aunt that his father almost died and is now in a coma. Josh asks if she would call grandma and tell her what has happened. Alana gets a piece of paper to write down the hospital and phone number. She then calls Seaview Medical Center on Oahu to inquire about her brother, telling the nurse on duty that she is the sister of David Cole, who is in intensive care. The call is put through and a male nurse answers the phone telling Alana that her brother was a mess when he arrived in the late afternoon yesterday. He himself had washed, shaved, and made her brother comfortable. Currently he has been placed in a medically induced coma and that his temperature has been lowered. He informs Alana that she can call anytime to check on his condition.

Alana then does the only thing she knows how to do when the devil has struck her family, she grabs her Bible and speaks words rebuking the devil in the name of Jesus. She will read the Bible and then call their mother. The Bible will give her comfort and the wisdom of words to speak to her. A few minutes of quiet reflection will help in making the phone call.

Alana is four years younger than her only brother, David, who now lies in the hospital unaware that his life is in peril. How many times has she tried to reach him, encouraging him to get help, attend AA meetings, and curb his drinking? How her heart aches as she thinks that this may very well be the end of his life, a life wasted on foolish choices. She has preached God’s Word to him and was in the very room that her brother asked Jesus into his life while he was visiting her on Maui more than twenty years ago. Unfortunately, her brother still lived a life that was not following God’s Word.

Alana decides to make the call. Their mother is in her eighties and lives in Arizona and will be up now. She wished she were there in person and wonders how their mother will react to the news of her only son.

Good morning, Mom.

Morning sweetheart!

Mom, I have some bad news. Are you sitting down?

Yes, I’m sitting.

Mom, David is in ICU. Josh called early this morning. He asked that I be the one who tells you. Apparently, David choked on a piece of meat and he is in a coma, mother.

Oh, my son, my poor, poor son.

Mom, I called the hospital where he is at and was told that they have him in a medically induced coma and something about lowering his temperature. Mom, it doesn’t look good. I will call you the minute I have more information. They were able to get Josh’s cell number from his phone. I’m sorry to tell you this news Mom, try not to get upset, trust in the Lord and His will in David’s life.

I will ask God to be with my son and give him life, replied their mother sounding as though tears were finally brought to the surface.

You know Alana, David has escaped death so many times in his life, it’s a miracle that he is still alive. Please call me as soon as you have more information. In the meantime, I will be praying.

CHAPTER THREE

David

Seaview Medical Center-Oahu, Hawaii

I know that I am in the depths of hell, experiencing things that I don’t want to repeat, things that no one would ever want to witness. I am at their mercy; ugly, grotesque, satanic forces are beyond my control. They laugh, they mock, they have control of my mind! I feel like I am burning up inside although my body is cold on the surface. I must be in a hospital room. There are noises around my bed, machines are hooked up to keep my heart beating. I hear voices of strangers, assuming they are nurses and doctors. In my mind’s eye I can see their images. I overheard a male nurse talk to my sister; I think. His voice said that they have lowered my temperature and will wait for the doctor’s instructions as to when they will warm me up and see if there is any brain damage. Wow, this is heavy. It means that I may wake up and be a vegetable! I wouldn’t want that. I wouldn’t want to be a burden to my family or placed in a state facility for the rest of my life. These glimpses are infrequent, but they still have control of my mind. Images begin to come out of the walls, bodies that