The Bridge from OneDayBow

Prologue

Down the road, before the gate, just off the main highway;
HereAndNow looks similar to your town, you might say.
The city hums with action as people come and go.
Whether working or at play, there’s no time to go slow!

On every single corner you’ll see a bobble stand,
With a tempter beckoning, “Come hold them in your hand!”
And if you’re smart or pretty, and have some talent too,
Bonus bobbles may pour out in triplicate to you!

The people with more bobbles are known to have more friends.
They say, “Those with the most will win where the city ends.”
And tempters boast they offer fulfillment, fame, and cheer.
Such things give security—at least right now and here.

But is there more to life than just filling up a pack
With bobbles that are prone to fade, get old, chip, and crack?
Is there something better than appears in HereAndNow?
Maybe you should find out at the Bridge from OneDayBow.

Part One

The Cross Road

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you,
for when you love the world, you do not have the love
of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving
for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see,
and pride in our achievements and possessions.
These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
(1 John 2:15-16 NLT)

Chapter 1

It seemed to take forever, but finally it’s here!
They say this is the biggest and best day of the year.
The streets filled up with people two hours before the Fair,
But Tim was determined to be one of the first there.

“Excuse me, can I pass you? The contest starts at ten.”
But everyone was trying to make it there by then.
Tim ducked beneath the field fence—which made one lady shout—
Then jumped over the rope line to take a shorter route.

He slipped around the entrance, behind the backed-up gate,
And thought, I’ve got a reason—I don’t have time to wait.
After a few more detours, Tim did finally reach
The place the city mayor would open with his speech.

Tim passed by swarms of people, and lots of tempters too,
All jostling for the best seats to have the clearest view.
He sprinted up the bleachers reserved for the event,
And found a good spot facing the town’s great monument.

Just outside the city’s end stood the impressive site:
The tower, huge and glowing with brilliant bobble light.
Legend tells that it was built by all who lived before,
Whose lives were spent attempting to gain what they longed for.

They say the tower reaches to where they’ve never been,
But no one’s ever passed the gate and then returned again
To HereAndNow to tell them just what the tower is.
The mayor is so proud that you’d think that it was his!

And so he tells the fable of the tower at each Fair,
And people come to listen from nearly everywhere!
As the mayor cleared his throat—right at ten till ten—
The crowd waited anxiously to hear it told again.

“The bobbles of HereAndNow make our city the best!
I’m proud to say our tower rises above the rest.
We’re rolling in the bobbles and sharing in the fame,
But all of our great efforts are not just for the game.

“We’re working for the future of all humanity.
We’ll one day reach past heaven and then we’ll finally be
Completely free from worry, for we will then achieve
All our minds have set to do. And that’s what we believe!”

Tim’s mind began to wonder, How do they know it’s true?
Just then the mayor shouted, “This is what we’ll do:
The one who is the strongest will win today’s grand prize
And I will give one bobble to anyone who tries.”

The crowd grew excited, but Tim didn’t feel the same.
“You have to be the strongest,” Tim grumbled. “That’s a shame.
I sure can’t win this contest—and one’s not worth the work.”
A tough girl flexed her muscle and passed Tim with a smirk.

A boy pushed past him, bragging, “Hey, get out of my way!
It’s obvious that you won’t win the grand prize today.”
Tim voiced his own frustration, “I won’t get anywhere
Unless I get more bobbles. But I’m not sure I care.”

As the crowd ran off to play, Tim slowly walked around.
Maybe he could find some bobbles lying on the ground.
Many were left there broken or with no shine at all.
Just as he was giving up he heard the tempters call.

One of them yelled out to Tim, “Come here to win the game!”
The tempter shined his bobbles, saying, “Boy, what’s your name?”
“Some people call me Timmy, but others call me Tim.”
The tempter kept polishing, trying to persuade him.

“Well, Tim, I have an offer I’m sure you can’t refuse.
At the cost of your nooma, I’m here to give to you
The finest pile of bobbles that you have ever seen:
Their glow is enchanting and their quality pristine!

“You’ll be the all-time winner in the Great Bobble Game.
You will be a legend in the Bobble Hall of Fame!
Hold them in your hand, boy. Have you ever seen such shine?
I’ll give you all these bobbles, once your nooma is mine.”

His offer was appealing, and for a little while
Tim considered gaining all the bobbles in the pile.
But something deep inside him warned him to turn and go.
A quiet voice advised him, “Just tell the tempter, ‘No!’”

Tim didn’t give his nooma to the tempters that day,
But thought about the high price they were willing to pay:
If it’s all about bobbles, and bobbles bring the prize,
Why is my one nooma so important to these guys?