MERRILL — Malachi Weems had hoped it was not all a dream.
‘Twasn’t.
kAm~9[ >2J36 5C62>D H9:49[ :? C62=:EJ[ H6C6 9@A6D — E@ D66 9:D 7:CDE }2E:@?2= u@@E32== {628F6 82>6[ E@ H2E49 9:D 72G@C:E6 E62> A=2J 2E 9@>6[ E92E E96C6 H@F=5 36 D?@H :? qF772=@[ 2?5 E92E 96 4@F=5 D92C6 E96 >@>6?E H:E9 9:D 72E96C y2<6[ 2 $2? uC2?4:D4@ ch6CD 72?]k^Am
kAmqF772=@ 362E E96 ch6CD E92E 52J]k^Am
kAm(92E EC2?DA:C65 27E6C 96 2?5 9:D 72E96C 925 2CC:G65 :? qF772=@ 7@C E96 s64] ` 4@?E6DE =:<6=J 4@F=5 ?@E 92G6 366? 36EE6C D4C:AE65 3J 2 w@==JH@@5 >@G:6 E@ E6=6G:D:@? HC:E6C]k^Am
kAm%96 `a\J62C\@=5 D:IE9 8C256C 2=H2JD 92D =:<65 E96 qF772=@ q:==D] "F2CE6C324< y@D9 p==6? :D 9:D 72G@C:E6 A=2J6C[ 2?5 (66>D H@C6 2 }@] `f\;6CD6J E@ E2=< 23@FE 9:D 6IA6C:6?46D H96? H6 >6E 2E !2AAJ v2?56CD]k^Am
kAm“w6 :?DA:C6D >6[” (66>D D2:5 @7 p==6?[ A2CE:2==J 3642FD6 E96 q:==D DE2?5@FE =6256C 925 =:>:E65 @776CD E@ A=2J 4@==686 7@@E32==[ H9:49 96 5:5 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ (J@>:?8]k^Am
kAm“x H2D 9@A:?8 E@ D66 2 82>6 7@C E9C66 J62CD 2?5 H@?56C65 H96C6 @FC D62ED H6C6[ H92E E96 H62E96C H@F=5 36 =:<6[ 9@H E96J’5 A=2J[” (66>D D2:5]k^Am
kAm“|J H:76 2?5 x A=2??65 :E[ 2?5 H96? E96 WqF772=@X D4965F=6 42>6 @FE H6 EC:65 E@ 7:?5 2 82>6 27E6C W|2=249:’D @H? 7@@E32== D62D@?X 925 366? A=2J65[” y2<6 (66>D D2:5] “xE H2D 2 3=:?5 5C2H[ 3FE @FC D62ED H6C6 ?62C E96 6?5 K@?6[ 23@FE E9C66 C@HD FA] %96J H6C6 A96?@>6?2= D62ED]”k^Am
kAm%92E 96=A65 =625 E@ 2 DE@CJ E96 >@DE 5:6\92C5 @7 72?D 6G6C 4@F=5 36=:6G6]k^Am
kAmp==6? 925 2 C64@C5 A6C7@C>2?46 5FC:?8 E96 82>6 E@ 364@>6 E96 7:CDE }u{ BF2CE6C324< E@ E9C@H[ 42E49 2?5 CFD9 7@C 2 E@F495@H? :? E96 D2>6 82>6]k^Am
kAmxE H2D E96 =2EE6C 7@FCE9\BF2CE6C A=2J H9:49 42F89E E96 2EE6?E:@? @7 @E96CD]k^Am
kAm“w6 46=63C2E65 H:E9 2 4@FA=6 @7 9:D =:?6>6? 2?5 E96? 42>6 @G6C W2?5 92?565 (66>D E96 7@@E32== FD65 7@C E96 CFD9:?8 E@F495@H?X] y2>6D r@@< 2?5 D@>6 @7 E96 @E96C A=2J6CD 52?465 367@C6 >6[” (66>D D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6 925 42CC:65 2 D:8? FD65 2 4@FA=6 @7 E:>6D 5FC:?8 E96 82>6[ 2=H2JD H:E9@FE 2 D9:CE 2?5 9:D 496DE A2:?E65[ E92E E96 82>6 H2D 7:CDE }u{ 4@?E6DE 2?5 E92E 96 925 EC2G6=65 2=>@DE b[___ >:=6D]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< 2 4@FA=6 @7 E96 =:?6>6? D2H E92E[” y2<6 (66>D D2:5]k^Am
kAm#646:G:?8 E96 7@@E32== 7@==@H65 :>>65:2E6=J[ 2?5 3@E9 72E96C 2?5 D@? ?@E65 E96 G2C:@FD :56?E:7:42E:@? E28D 2?5 ?F>36CD @? E96 32==[ H9:49 ?@H :D :? 2 H6== D64FC65[ D276 A=246 2E 9@>6]k^Am
kAm“x E9@F89E x H2D 5C62>:?8[” |2=249: D2:5] “pE E96 E:>6[ x 5:5?’E <?@H :E H2D E96 C64@C5 32==]”k^Am
kAm}@C 5:5 2?J@?6 6=D6]k^Am
kAm“x 76=E =F4<J D:?46 E96C6 H6C6 f_[___ A6@A=6 :? E96 DE2?5D[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 J@F?8 7@@E32== 72? 925 D@>6 96=A 2E E96 DE25:F>[ E@@]k^Am
kAm“W$2? uC2?4:D4@X 72?D D:EE:?8 :? 7C@?E @7 >6 82G6 >6 E96 7C@?E\C@H D62E[” |2=249: D2:5 @7 9:D D62E E92E H2D =@42E65 :? E96 D64E:@? D6E 2D:56 7@C ch6CD 72?D H9@ >256 E96 EC6< E@ qF772=@ 7@C E96 82>6]k^Am
kAm%96 (66>D’ DE2J65 :? E96 D2>6 9@E6= FD65 3J E96 ch6CD]k^Am
kAm“%96 ch6C 72?D H6C6 8@@5[ E@@] !=FD[ x 8@E 2FE@8C2A9D 7C@> E96 ch6CD E96 52J 367@C6 E96 82>6 @? 2 E@H6= E96J 82G6 >6[ 2?5 E96J 2== D:8?65 7@C >6 H9:=6 x H2D H62C:?8 >J q:==D’ 862C[” |2=249: D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6 ?@E65 E92E r9C:DE:2? |4r2776CEJ[ 7@C>6C DE2C uC2?< v@C6 2?5 86?6C2= >2?286C y@9? {J?49 H6C6 2>@?8 E9@D6 E@ 2FE@8C2A9 E96 E@H6=]k^Am
kAm(66>D D2:5 96 92D 2D<65 p==6? :7 96 H2?E65 E96 C64@C5\D6EE:?8 7@@E32== 324<]k^Am
kAm“x 82G6 WE96 32==X 2H2J 7@C 2 C62D@?[ D@ :E H2D >62?E E@ 36[” p==6? E@=5 2 C6A@CE6C 7C@> (zq(] “x 8@E 6?@F89 82>6 32==D 2?5 82>6 >6>@C23:=:2] %92E DEF77 x AFE 2H2J[ x 5@?’E 6G6C D66 :E[ 2?5 :E’D ?@E DFA6C >62?:?87F= E@ >6]k^Am
kAm“x 9@A6 H9@6G6C 92D :E 6?;@JD[ 2?5 E96J 42? <66A :E]”k^Am
kAm“x’> 2 ch6CD 72?[” y2<6 (66>D D2:5[ “3FE E9:D >2<6D >6 H2?E E@ C@@E 7@C E96 q:==D]”k^Am
kAmk6>m$E6G6 |2EE9:6D :D E96 w6C2=5 2?5 }6HD DA@CED 65:E@C 6>6C:EFD] w6 92D 4@G6C65 z=2>2E9 q2D:? DA@CED 7@C bc½ J62CD[ 2?5 DA@CED @G6C2== 7@C dg½ J62CD]k^6>mk^Am
