{"chapter_no":"5","chapter_title":"A Cold Winter's Night","book_id":"2","book_name":"The Story of James","subchapter_no":"0","page_no":"224","page_number":"1","verses_count":0,"total_pages":6,"page_content":"

 <\/p>

Chapter 5<\/p>

A Cold Winter's Night<\/h1><\/p>

 <\/p>

A young <\/i>James Hancoc<\/i>k<\/i> helps in the move of Sa<\/i>rah<\/i> Francis’<\/i>s<\/i> piano to her<\/i> new apartment<\/i>—<\/i>An
accident occurs and Jame<\/i>s’<\/i>s left foot is trapped <\/i>be<\/i>neath the piano<\/i>—<\/i>Sarah’s face<\/i> is cut in her rush to free
him—S<\/i>he comforts James in his suffering<\/i>—<\/i>The consecration of the family piano is <\/i>humbly offered<\/i>—<\/i>
Charles White and Sarah are bound together in the tragedy.<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

 <\/p>

 <\/p>

Several miles away in North Ogden, James Hancock, age sixteen, was outside his house
shooting baskets in the driveway. It was cold, and there was a slight trace of snow falling, but
that didn’t deter him; he could practice for hours in both hot and cold temperatures. Not yet old
enough to be a member of the elders quorum, he nonetheless was one of the first responders
when things came up in the ward. And today was no different. He didn’t really mind helping out
the elders when needed, as long as he didn’t end up forgetting about the assignment entirely, as
had happened a couple times in the past. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Earlier that day, there had been a phone call––a single sister was moving into the ward
and needed assistance. Everyone was to meet at the church at 5:30 and drive together to her
house. At 5:20, James’s mother Carole, already somewhat annoyed with him, came outside to
remind James once again of the priesthood assignment. It was “time to get going.” <\/p>

 <\/p>

Not requiring a third or even a fourth reminder this time, James quickly threw the ball
over into the snow, grabbed his coat, and took off. It was just three blocks to the church. He
would take advantage of this for some quick sprints and other longer distance drills, getting all of
his running exercises out of the way for the day. The amazing spiritual experiences from the
summer basketball camp in Los Angeles were still fresh in his mind, but playing basketball was
still as enjoyable as ever. He figured to play through his junior season on his high school team
and then consider retirement at that point.<\/p>

 <\/p>

Arriving to the church, he met up with his good friend Charles White from the ward. The
two of them were often the only ones who showed up for service projects, and that would be
especially true on cold winter nights like this. They waited in the truck for ten minutes to see if
any others were coming, then they pulled out of the church parking lot and headed over to
Clearfield. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Looking out the front window of her Clearfield home, a worried Sarah Francis watched
for the elders from her new ward to arrive. Concerned about the type of handling her mother’s
antique piano would receive, she was relieved when a large, professional-style moving truck
arrived out front and was carefully backed up into her driveway. Her piano was in good hands! <\/p>

 <\/p>

Charles, as it turns out, had rented the truck using his personal funds, something he was
happy to do at every opportunity. Accordingly, Sarah greeted James and Charles with a warm
smile at the door and introduced her three children. The two men had helped move a piano once
before, so they knew what to expect. Walking up the half-floor of stairs on the split-level
entranceway inside the house, they sized up the job. The piano, already covered tightly with
several quilts, would fit through the front door with no problem. The trick to the job was to
carefully navigate the two small stairways inside and out. They would need to carry the piano
down the inside staircase first and then lift it up and through the front doorway. Also lending a
hand was a man named Jonathon, the husband of Sarah’s best friend who lived next door. One
other priesthood holder in her ward had volunteered to help, but an emergency had come up at
work and he wasn't able to make it. Thus, there were three able men available to do the job, with
Sarah herself planning to do the lifting on the fourth corner of the piano. <\/p>

 <\/p>

It was time to begin. <\/p>

 <\/p>

The most difficult part of the job was completed fairly quickly and without incident––
hoisting the piano down the main stairs onto the ground floor. Next, they lifted the piano halfway
through the front door and set it back down, positioned upon the dolly wheels inside on the floor
and outside on the cement porch. Resting for a minute, Charles and Jonathon surveyed the porch
stairs and walkway leading to the van. It was well lit by the house and garage exterior lighting.
All seemed to be in order, and they were soon ready to begin again.<\/p>

 <\/p>

Just inside the door, James and Sarah proceeded to lift the piano together from their side
until it was most of the way through the door, but in that same moment, Jonathon on the outside
slipped on ice as he navigated backward down the stairs, losing both his footing and firm grasp
of the piano. A temporary imbalance ensued, causing James to also lose his grip. The full weight
of the piano and dolly immediately crashed down onto his foot, making him stumble, and
breaking the left corner wheel of the dolly as it hit the ground.<\/p>

 <\/p>

James let out a yell, and his face became immediately pale. The pain was excruciating!<\/p>

 <\/p>

Sarah screamed and began to panic. She moved immediately into the doorway area closer
to James and began to lift wildly with all her strength. In so doing, the side of her head brushed
against the tightly bound quilts of the piano. But in the mad rush, her face also passed rapidly
across the exposed edge of a small, broken-off nail that stuck out near the door frame, opening a
painful, two-inch gash down her right cheek and starting a trickle of blood down her face. The
panic of the moment filled her with adrenaline, making her believe for a moment that she could
lift up that side of the piano all by herself. But it was too heavy. And if not for being so shaken
and panicky inside, she probably would have cried or screamed once again. Having been a
mother for some time, she had learned to keep herself calm and under control at such moments,
and to always be an example for the children, but the circumstances here were somewhat unusual
and had caught her by surprise. All she could think of now was the pain of the teenage boy
beside her. The piano was no longer part of the family, but an enemy, a terrible beast. Praying,
lifting, and crying all at once with a groan, she spoke to God in the best way that she could.<\/p>

“Ohhh... help me lift this thing!”<\/p>

 <\/p>

James, lying backward on the floor with his knees slightly bent, was almost completely
unaware of what was going on. His hands grasped his left ankle close to the pain, and he could
feel the presence and the motion of something or someone next to him. There was cold air
passing through the door and voices from outside calling in, but he was near faint with pain. <\/p>

 <\/p>

“Get this thing off my foot!” he cried.<\/p>

 <\/p>

Sarah, taken with hysteria, called to her daughters Melanie, age eight, and Tina, age six,
nearby.<\/p>

 <\/p>

“It’s too heavy for me! Melanie, Tina, come help!” <\/p>

 <\/p>

Flying down the stairs with rapid steps, even more panic-stricken and alarmed than their
mother, both girls arrived at her side and looked for a place to put their hands to help. Seeing
their mother struggling to lift, both started to cry as well. They were small; there wasn’t much
they could do. Melanie put her hands right alongside Sarah’s and was able to lift strongly, giving
some help. Tina not sure what to do, put her small hands on the far edge of the dolly outside the
right wheel. She, too, lifted with both hands from an awkward angle, but with little effect. A
family emergency and Tina was doing her part, that which can be done by a six-year old girl in
such circumstances. Her small hands doing little, but her tiny heart beating rapidly, faster than
all. <\/p>

 <\/p>

The weight to be borne was significant, too great for Sarah and her daughters alone.
Stronger hands were needed, but none were available. A change in strategy was needed. <\/p>

 <\/p>

“Shawna... run over and get mommy’s hymn book!” gasped Sarah. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Watching from the top of the stairs, Shawna, age two, ran over quickly to where her
mother's song books and other piano sheet music lay on the floor. She knew exactly what the
hymn book looked like. Grabbing the book off the floor with both hands, she quickly made her
way down the stairs.<\/p>

 <\/p>

“Tina, as we lift, push the hymn book flat underneath next to his foot... and please watch
your fingers!” <\/p>

 <\/p>

They lifted a little, Charles and Jonathon also helped the lift somewhat from just outside
the door. Tina pushed the book in flat, the hundreds of hymn pages within the book meshing
strongly together as the piano was sat down again. But the hymn book alone was not enough. <\/p>

 <\/p>

“Get mommy’s scriptures too!” <\/p>

 <\/p>

Rushing up the stairs again, Shawna picked up the two books of scriptures––the Bible
and the Triple Combination––and rushed down the stairs to give them to Tina. <\/p>

“Put the two books together, and then push them in flat on top of the hymn book when I
say go... and be careful of your fingers!” <\/p>

 <\/p>

Sarah and Melanie garnered their strength and lifted the piano slightly a second time,
Charles and Jonathon again helping on the outside. Tina was of great service, sliding in the two
books of scriptures on top of the hymn book already there. It was high enough! The hymn book
and scriptures together provided the perfect support wedge as the piano was sat down. Moving to
her left, Sarah gently guided James’s foot out from underneath the dolly frame. The movement
caused James to stir for a moment and reposition himself back a few feet on the floor. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Calmness soon descended upon the tragic scene near the door. Blankets and a pillow
were brought down to make James comfortable, protecting him from the cold draft of the
blocked doorway. An ambulance was called. Charles and Jonathon had since reentered the house
through the patio door in back and now experienced the shock of the tragedy firsthand. Not
wanting to risk further injury, all agreed it was wise not to try to remove James’s shoe. So, there
was little to be done at the moment other than to comfort him and wait for help to arrive. <\/p>

 <\/p>

The initial panic gone, Sarah sat on the floor with a warm washcloth, blotting it against
James's forehead like a mother caring for a sick child. Her eyes were fixed upon him almost in a
trance. She experienced the pain he was feeling, oblivious to everything else in the room. <\/p>

 <\/p>

“Mommy, your face is bleeding!”<\/p>

 <\/p>

Sarah’s gaze broke. She placed a second washcloth up to her cheek, holding it there for a
moment, and then setting it down again. Her focus was then back on James. <\/p>

 <\/p>

The home was sadly reverent, lacking the friendly smiles and light conversation that was
present just minutes before. Sarah and the girls had suffered much during the preceding months
because of the divorce, but now there was another tragedy to deal with––the suffering of
someone whose only purpose had been to serve them. Sarah felt responsible for what had
happened, feeling deathly ill inside. It had been her heavy piano and her request for help from
the Church that had led to this accident, and the injury appeared to be very serious. Perhaps he
would be partially disabled for life? She had only one wish now––that this young man could be
made whole again. <\/p>

 <\/p>

James, his head moving back and forth to escape the pain, shivered. Sarah tucked the
thick quilts in closer. Still pale, his face was ghostly in appearance. There was a convolution of
terrible pain, whispering voices in the room, and a strong winter wind blowing outside. Hearing
the commotion all around him, the circumstances for James seemed unreal. What was
happening? It seemed to him as if many hours had passed since their arrival in Clearfield.
Thoughts of a nice warm dinner cooked by his mom at home filled his mind: beef stew, corn,
salad, some celery with cream cheese, and maybe dinner rolls or homemade cookies for dessert.
If he could just get there, then everything would be okay. Moving his head to get up, he said, “I
need to get home soon to eat supper.” <\/p>

 <\/p>

Looking up, he saw Sarah watching over him. He relaxed his head and closed his eyes––
he was very tired. Sarah had heard his plea to return home. Her eyes became blurry; the tears <\/p>

mixed with the blood streaming down her cheek. Making another pass with the washcloth across
her eyes and cheek, she thought, He mustn’t see me cry<\/i>.<\/p>

 <\/p>

The ambulance arrived and James was taken away on a stretcher. The expression of the
paramedic was one of deep concern, not bringing much hope or optimism to those in the room.
But there was also a second emergency to deal with. Sarah herself needed immediate care. With
the help of other neighbors who had just arrived, the piano was moved back inside the house so
that the front door could be closed. Sarah’s friend next door had come over to watch the children
while she went to the hospital. The house secured, Charles helped Sarah up into the cab of the
truck. The two of them then took off towards the hospital, following behind the ambulance by
only a few minutes. <\/p>

 <\/p>

The drive through the snowy streets was quiet. Charles was devastated. Like Sarah, he
had experienced one of the most traumatic experiences of his life in the past hour.
Expressionless, he stared straight ahead into the lane as the truck powered along to their
destination.<\/p>

 <\/p>

“Are you in much pain?” asked Charles, looking over at Sarah.<\/p>

 <\/p>

“No, I’m doing fine,” answered Sarah graciously. <\/p>

 <\/p>

She sensed Charles's mood. One of his best friends had been seriously injured and it was
her fault... at least, that was her perception. She felt not only anguish, but embarrassment for
what had happened. <\/p>

 <\/p>

More minutes passed in silence, then Sarah looked over at Charles and spoke out
spontaneously.<\/p>

 <\/p>

“I will definitely sell my piano. I want to help pay for the care of this young man.” <\/p>

 <\/p>

Suddenly, she was overcome and started to cry uncontrollably. “I’m so very, very sorry!
It’s all my fault!” <\/p>

 <\/p>

Charles, a bit surprised, quickly looked to comfort her. His mind had been absorbed in
the tragedy. He hadn’t considered Sarah's feelings, other than his obvious concern over the cut to
her cheek. <\/p>

 <\/p>

He smiled at her.<\/p>

 <\/p>

“Don’t worry, everything will work out. I can assure you one thing. James will receive
the best care money can buy. There is absolutely no question about that! And that beautiful piano
of yours, we’ll get that moved into your new apartment tomorrow for you and your children to
enjoy. Don’t you dare sell that piano!” <\/p>

 <\/p>

Feeling a sense of calm in his words, Sarah returned a relaxed smile. <\/p>

“There is one thing you might do to help James though,” added Charles.<\/p>

 <\/p>

“What’s that? Anything! What can I do?” replied Sarah, the words tripping rapidly out of
her mouth. <\/p>

 <\/p>

“Ashley Hancock is a proud man. He is not one to accept financial help of any kind. Let’s
get your face treated first thing once we get there to the hospital, but then, let’s go over and meet
with Ashley and Carole when they arrive. Does that sound okay?” <\/p>

 <\/p>

“Yes! Thank you so much!” said Sarah, nodding happily.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"I think,\" responded Charles, \"that the two of us together can convince Ashley to accept
financial help from me so James gets the best treatment possible.\"<\/p>

 <\/p>

Suddenly, Charles and Sarah paused in their conversation. The use of the word “together”
in mid-sentence had caught them both off guard. They had been filled with grief, preoccupied
only with the immediate emergency, but now there was a sense of belonging to something.
Charles started to speak further, but paused again, glancing over towards her for a moment. On
her part, Sarah experienced a brief shock to her system that stopped her heart. It was such a sad
moment in time, and not one really suitable for romance, but something special seemed to be
happening to them amidst this tragedy. <\/p>

 <\/p>

In the weeks ahead, moments such as these would occur again and again. Charles would
soon take a deep and abiding interest in Sarah. And while their romance would be tempered by
an overriding concern for James, their common interest in helping him would strengthen the
bonds between them. <\/p>

 <\/p>

In the persons of Charles and Sarah, James now had two guardian angels to look after
him. They would be his friends for life, devoted to him and his care. <\/p>"}