He always felt Father’s quiet presence as he sat among a congregation of the righteous and joined in the singing of the hymns and the recitation of the prayers. And while he was not by instinct a social creature, he enjoyed the fellowship with the church members and circulated congenially before and after lunch. But later the vulture carrying the black mood would descend upon him, and he would become anxious and agitated, especially when he was embarked on an important mission of vengeance. Upon entering the house he headed directly for the rocking chair and was soon lost in his obsessive, rhythmic rocking, his mind wandering and finally finding its way to the day Father had returned and ultimately led him to his first rendering of vengeance and the beginning of a purposeful life. Yes, he remembered it clearly now, as events unfolded before his eyes. It was the third anniversary of Father’s death, and the boy, at age seventeen and on the verge of manhood, had entered the barn, as he always did on that date.
