The Resurrection Of Matthew

By Thomas Jerke

Matthew Delany is a thirty-something-year-old man who is enjoying the "good life." He relies on alcohol, drugs, and women to bring him happiness. That is until things start to take a turn for the worse. He begins to sense that he is losing his grip on life as his addictions take control. The problem is he does not know how to rid himself of his afflictions, or even if he wants to. The Resurrection of Matthew tells the story of this man's past and the demons which possess him. He lives in a world of denial as he travels the road of life, which is becoming darker and darker. It takes a powerful message of reality to awaken Matthew to the dangers he is facing. The question is, will he heed the warnings?

Matthew has never had God in his life. He has never wanted God to be a part of his life. Can a man who is in denial regarding his addictions and rejects the presence of God find a way to enlightenment? The Resurrection of Matthew shares one man's struggles to find his way to the light. First, he must come to realize that he cannot complete this journey on his own. He cannot overcome his demons without help from powers beyond himself. It may just take a miracle for Matthew to find peace in his life. But that does not mean that he will not continue to face trials and tribulations. But at least now, he will not face them alone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685705428

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The Resurrection Of Matthew

Thomas Jerke

ISBN 978-1-68570-541-1 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-68570-542-8 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Thomas Jerke

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

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About the Author

1

Matt sat in his recliner looking at the bare beige walls of his apartment living room, no color, no personality, but then he had not so much as hung a picture in the six years he had lived here. The dinginess of his surroundings was making him feel more depressed than he already felt. There wasn't even a plant to give some life to the place. Of course, that was because he possessed the blackest thumb anyone could have. He couldn't even keep a cactus alive. Feeling more and more despondent, Matt looked down with blurry eyes at the empty glass in his hand, which had, moments before, contained his third serving of Grey Goose vodka straight up. He could feel the warmth of the alcohol as it overtook his body and mind, but that feeling had not begun to squelch his extreme anger.

Matthew Delany stood up from his chair and staggered out to the balcony of his twelfth-floor apartment, which overlooked other multistory complexes in Gary, Indiana. The gray day fit perfectly with his mood; the anger continued to well up. Matt fumed over, finding out this afternoon, at the end of his workday that the health-care provider company he had been working for since moving to Gary was downsizing. As a result, his position was being eliminated. The SOBs were letting him go. They weren't even going to try to find another spot for him. They were giving him a small severance package, and now he had two lousy weeks to figure out what he was going to do with his life.

Matt didn't feel any particular loyalty to the company, but it was a good job, and he had been making decent money. He also got to travel a lot, which he liked. But the best benefit of all was that Matt got to meet a lot of lovely women, and that made his life truly worth living. He was the publicity manager for the company. As such, he met with hospital administrators, broadcast executives, nursing home VPs, and such in many locations throughout the state, and that had opened many doors for him. Now those doors were being slammed in his face.

Matt walked back inside, poured himself another large glass of vodka, and proceeded to ruminate some more concerning his loss. As he continued to seethe, he could feel his anger reaching increased intensity. Matt felt the tension growing in his body. He didn't know what he was going to do. He didn't even have a degree or formal training in a particular field. This job had just fallen into his lap because his friend Aaron had set up an interview for him. The fact that Aaron had been dating the VP of human resources at that time almost made it a sure thing. Of course, Matt's good looks and charm didn't hurt.

Matt felt the anger and frustration taking over, and after ranting and cursing and yelling, he threw his now empty glass against the wall, shattering it into a thousand pieces and putting a divot in the plaster. Oh well, he thought, he would likely be moving from this place anyhow. Gary, Indiana, was not somewhere he intended to stay if he didn't have to.

Matt sat back down in his drunken stupor, then decided there was only one thing he could do to get through this evening. He needed sex and a lot of it. Some would probably say that he was addicted to sex. If that was the case, it was just fine with him.

Standing in the hot shower, Matt could feel some of the body tension subside, but the anger remained. After a change of clothes and looks management, he grabbed his travel coffee container. Matt then poured another serving of vodka for his drive to the Watering Hole, one of his favorite partying establishments. As he headed for the parking garage, Matt chuckled as he reminded himself that this was Tuesday and lady's night. It was going to be like shooting fish in a barrel. He checked his phone; it was 9:00 p.m., perfect timing.

Matt innately knew he shouldn't be driving and certainly not with another drink in his hand, but he didn't give a damn. He knew what he wanted and needed, and he was going to get it. As Matt entered the parking garage, he saw his candy apple red Chevy Camaro sitting there waiting. God, I love my car, he said to himself. As he pushed the start button on his key fob, the 275-horsepower turbocharged engine rumbled to life; God, how he loved that sound. Matt thought, This car is the only true love in my life right now. He smiled as he reflected on how he got off when driving with the six-speed manual transmission.

Woe, Matt felt himself stagger but could right himself before he fell as he approached the Camaro. He got in, buckled up, and took a sip of vodka as he backed out of his slot, shifted into first gear, and took off out of the garage. When the Camaro entered the street, he could feel the power surging underneath him. Oh man, this baby could flat-out move. By the time he reached the intersection two blocks away, he was at least forty miles per hour above the speed limit. He heard other drivers honking at him as he passed and saw some making recognizable gestures. As he gestured back, Matt did not see that the light had turned red as he sped through the intersection nor did he see the FedEx delivery semi, which blocked his route.

2

Matt became aware of the pain in the inner region of his right elbow. His eyes remained closed as he began to gain consciousness to the realization that he was no longer in his Camaro. As his eyes fluttered open, he saw that the pain in the crux of his arm was the result of a nurse inserting an IV into his vein. As his awareness slowly expanded, Matt realized that the needle insertion's discomfort was nothing compared to the excruciating pain emanating from his head and left arm. The pain was sharp and searing with the sensation that his head and arm had been ripped open, and someone had rubbed salt into the exposed flesh. Then he was aware of another perception, that of tears running down his cheeks. He looked at his surroundings and surmised that he was in a hospital emergency room. As he continued in an attempt to orient himself, his alcohol-warped mind flashed on the image of a FedEx truck coming toward him as he raced through an intersection; then, he could remember nothing more.

As his mind struggled to find a mental footing, the nurse attending him spoke. Hello, Mr. Delany. You are at Gary Memorial Hospital. You were in a bad car accident and, as a result, are pretty badly cut up and have lost a lot of blood. I've inserted an IV for fluids and antibiotics as well as pain meds. The pain medication should relieve some of your discomfort in just a bit. The doctor will be in to talk to you in a few minutes. Just lie still. If Matt could have laughed, he would have; somehow, her choice of the word discomfort was about as far from what he was experiencing right now as he could imagine. With that, the nurse turned and walked out of the room. Matt closed his eyes and could feel the chemicals begin to travel through his body and into his brain. As he slipped away, he again had the vision of the FedEx truck racing toward him, and then it all went black.

The next thing Matt heard was a male voice calling to him. Mr. Delany, can you open your eyes? Look at me, Mr. Delany. He felt a hand gently shaking his shoulder. He slowly opened his eyes to see a middle-aged man in a white doctor's coat looking down at him with a sober expression.

Hello, Mr. Delany, I'm Dr. Thornbird. I'm head of emergency medicine here at Gary General. You have some serious injuries as a result of your accident. Fortunately, you have no broken bones. However, you have several significant lacerations to the head and your left arm, as well as the abdominal region. We did a CT scan, and your internal organs appear intact. There is no evidence of internal bleeding. You are very fortunate. It could have been a lot worse. Your survival may have been, in part, because you had an extremely high alcohol content. As a result, your body was relaxed at the time of impact. I am sending you to minor surgery clinic to suture up the major lacerations. I feel it is best to go ahead and knock you out as there will be a lot of pain, and I'm not sure that locals will be adequate. The nurse will be in to administer the initial relaxant through your IV. That will put you to sleep before you are taken to the surgery suite. With that, the doctor exited the room. His was definitely not a social visit.

Matt struggled to process the information he had just received and was also trying to remember when he had gone for a CT scan. Everything was surreal, and he couldn't make sense of the mosaic. It seemed the only thing he could remember was that crazy FedEx driver racing right toward him.

A few minutes later, the nurse returned with a syringe, injected a med into the IV port, and within short order, Matt was unconscious once again.

*****

He started feeling the pain even before regaining full consciousness. Somehow this pain was different from before. It was more concentrated in isolated regions, whereas before, it had felt like his entire head and arm lay exposed. Then somewhere in the Netherlands of his mind, Matt was seeing that damn FedEx truck coming toward him at an incredible speed once again, except this time, it was the broadside of the truck racing toward him; that made no sense. But suddenly, it was there, and somewhere in the distance, he heard a horrendous crash with the sound of metal and glass being broken and smashed and flying to the pavement. Matt hadn't even had time to scream. Then, once again, he was focused on the throbbing pain effusing from his head and left arm, but still, he could not open his eyes. He went unconscious once more.

As he awoke, the painful throbbing was still there. As Matt took in his surroundings, he recognized that he was in a different hospital room from where he had been before. He was hooked up to a cardiac monitor and still had the IV in his right arm. Though his mind was foggy, he recalled the doctor telling him that he would be going to minor surgery; well, it didn't feel very minor at that moment. He reached up with his right hand and felt the spot on his head where the pain was mostly focused and felt bandages and gauze wrapped around his head. As he gently touched the dressing, the pain increased tenfold, and he felt tears well up in his eyes. Matt tried to move his left arm but was not able to do so. He looked down to see his arm tethered to his body with a sling device designed to keep the arm immobile. With the attempt to move, he experienced excruciating pain radiating from his left arm. What had happened to him? Then he vaguely remembered both the nurse and the doctor saying that he had been in a serious accident—the FedEx truck. Was that what had done this to him?

As all this muddled through his mind, a nurse entered his room. She was a different nurse from the one he had seen before. This one was twenty or thirty years older and weighed a good one hundred pounds more. She approached his bedside. Well, Mr. Delany, you are finally awake. She was carrying a small paper cup containing three pills. How is your pain? On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad is it right now?

Matt thought a moment. He hadn't realized that he was going to have to take a test on his pain level. I guess it is around 8 or 9. It's pretty bad. He could hear slurring in his speech.

I have some Vicodin here for you and a pill to decrease nausea from the antibiotic and pain meds. She handed him the paper cup and the water container, which had been sitting on his bedside table.

After he swallowed the tablets, the nurse, whose name was Cynthia, unless her name tag lied, asked Matt, Do you remember anything about your accident?

Matt answered that he only remembered the FedEx truck coming at him sideways. It is so weird, but that is all I remember.

Cynthia explained, It's not unusual to be unable to remember. What generally happens is that the incident will begin to come back to you in bits and pieces. But on the other hand, you might never remember all of what happened. Mr. Delany, there is a police officer here who needs to talk to you about the accident. I will inform him that you don't recall much just yet. It is best to talk to him before those painkillers kick in. Is it all right if I send him in now?

Matt didn't feel too much like talking to a cop, or anyone else for that matter, but he might as well get it over. Yeah, I'll talk to him. Every time he spoke, the pain in his head pulsed. It was not at all pleasant.

Cynthia checked his pulse as she took his blood pressure, then left. In less than a minute, in walked his next visitor. The officer was in full uniform, including his sidearm and handcuffs. Matt saw that he was a tall fellow, well over six feet, and very muscular looking. For some strange reason, Matt thought that it would probably be best if he didn't challenge the man to a fight right now. Matt emitted a chuckle at the thought. The officer, who had a handsome black face, looked uncertain as to why Matt was laughing.

Hello, Mr. Delany, I'm Officer Johnson with Gary PD. I'd like to ask you a few questions regarding your accident yesterday evening. The nurse informed me that you don't recall much of what happened. Can you tell me what you do remember?

Matt immediately envisioned the truck and told the officer of his memory of the FedEx truck coming at him horizontally and then the sound of metal and glass. That was all he could recall.

Do you recall anything from earlier that evening or during the day before the accident occurred?

Matt reflected for a moment then said, Oh yeah, I remember a lot. I lost my job due to downsizing. It was not a good day, and it seems it got a whole lot worse.

What did you do after you found out about your job? Do you remember anything along those lines?

Well, I went home, and I guess I had a couple of drinks, then decided to go out and have something to eat and get my mind off of the whole thing for a while. I don't guess I ever made it to dinner. That's about all I remember. I still don't know what happened except I was in an accident and right now in a whole lot of pain.

Officer Johnson looked at him and said, Yeah, you got pretty banged up. He then informed Matt of what had happened as far as the officer had been able to determine. Well, Mr. Delany, it appears that you were driving over three times the speed limit when you ran a red light at the intersection of Weaver Boulevard and 27th street. Without slowing, you slammed broadside into a FedEx truck and totaled your Chevy Camaro. You did a lot of damage to the bed portion of the truck, but the cab was relatively unscathed, and fortunately for you, the driver didn't have any serious injuries. He was not admitted to the hospital. It is an absolute miracle that you came away alive. You are very fortunate in that respect. Do you have any questions so far?

Matt was having to concentrate very hard to follow what Johnson was saying. The pain meds were starting to kick in, but he thought he understood what had happened. I am glad the truck driver is okay. I don't think I have any questions right now. I'm starting to feel drowsy from my painkillers.

But officer Johnson was not finished. Well, Mr. Delany, before I go, I need to inform you that you are charged with reckless and endangered driving, speeding, running a red light, causing a serious accident, and most significantly, driving while under the influence with an open container in the car. You will need to appear in traffic court. The court will set a date for your presentation after your doctor clears you. I would strongly advise you, Mr. Delany, to procure legal counsel. Do you understand the charges I just cited to you?

Matt's mind was swaying heavily at this point, but he had definitely understood what Officer Johnson had relayed. He slurred, Yes, I understand the charges.

Officer Johnson left his card, which had his contact information. On the back, he wrote the phone number of the traffic violation court. The officer left Matt with the hope that he would recover soon. Matt wasn't so sure he agreed with that sentiment. He closed his eyes and soon found himself in a dream world of FedEx trucks, police officers, doctors and nurses, and people telling him they didn't need him anymore. Not exactly a restful sleep.

3

Matt was relieved to be home and out of the hospital. Now maybe he would be able to get some sleep. Having never been hospitalized before, Matt had learned very quickly that you do not go to the hospital to catch up on sleep. They released Matt from the hospital after four days. As it turned out, he had to return to minor surgery for a debridement. That is a process of cleaning out the wounds to decrease the chance of infection. The doctors also had to make some alterations to the wound repair on his left arm. It wasn't as painful as the first repair, but it wasn't fun. Matt was still hurting, but it was only a 4 to 5 on the pain Richter scale now.

Matt walked into the bathroom and took a look in the mirror. All the bandages were removed before he left the hospital. This was his first opportunity to see what damage had been done by the accident. His initial response was that he didn't recognize the man across from him. There were sutures in a wound on his left cheek, which was about two inches long, but that was nothing compared to the repaired gash along the left temporal side of his head. His hair had been shaved, and there was an angry-looking four-inch wound that ran from his temple above his left ear and then back down toward his mastoid. The upper part of his earlobe had several stitches as well. The whole left side of his face was a nasty black, blue, and gray color from extreme bruising. Matt's good looks were always his most proud feature. Now he looked like he had lost a fight with the heavyweight boxing champ of the world. Amazingly, the right side of his face had some minor cuts and abrasions but nothing needing stitching. Equally surprising, no broken bones. As everyone in the hospital kept reminding him, he was lucky to be alive.

As Matt lumbered over to sit in his recliner, he thought, yeah, it was good to be alive and home again, except this didn't feel like home anymore, and now he faced some serious decisions, like what now? What the heck was he going to do? Where was he going to go? As these thoughts ran through his mind, his cell phone began chirping. Matt looked at the number. It was not one he recognized; it was not on his call list. He wasn't going to answer at first, but then he thought it might be a doctor or someone from the hospital. He pressed the answer icon.

Hello, this is Matt. The voice on the other end was not one that Matt could identify, yet sounded vaguely familiar.

Mr. Delany?

He replied, Yeah, this is Matt Delany.

Mr. Delany, this is Officer Johnson. I don't know if you remember me. You were under heavy pain medication at the time. I came up to talk to you in the hospital, about your accident.

Matt could now picture the officer. Oh yes, Officer Johnson, I remember you. How are you doing?

"I'm doing well, thanks, and I guess you must be doing better than the last time we talked. Listen, I am calling as your doctor informed me that you had been discharged home. I don't know if you recall, but during my hospital visit, I mentioned that a court date would be set when you were well enough to attend. Well, I want to let you know that it is scheduled for three weeks from today at 10:30 a.m. at the Lake County courthouse. As I suggested before, I would advise you to have legal counsel as you will be facing some serious charges. Also, I don't know if you have gotten your mail yet, but you should have received a letter from the court listing the specific allegations. You will want to share that with your attorney. Do you have any questions, Mr. Delany?

Boy, you guys don't waste any time, do you? I guess I will see you in court. I assume you will be there.

Well, I am not sure if I will or not. You have to understand this is just the initial court hearing. I'm usually not required to attend those. If you should opt to go to trial, I will be called to report for sure. You take care, Mr. Delany. I hope you have a full recovery.

Yeah, thanks. Goodbye.

Officer Johnson hung up, and Matt sat, staring at the face of his cellphone as reality came crashing down hard. So much for peaceful recuperation. How in the heck was he going to find a lawyer, and what was it going to cost him? At least the hospital had informed him that his health insurance coverage from his ex-job still applied; apparently, there is a thirty-day grace period after your employment is terminated. That at least was some good news in all of this. So how to find a good attorney. Matt started to Google attorneys on his phone when he remembered that a while back, his buddy Aaron had needed to go to traffic court for some reason and had found a good lawyer who got him off with just court fees and a small fine. He found Aaron's number on his phone and called before realizing it was the middle of a workday and ended up leaving a message.

Despite the pain and discomfort, Matt hobbled down to the lobby and got his mail. As Officer Johnson had promised, there was a love letter from the county court. When he got back to his apartment, he threw the mail on the kitchen counter; he didn't have the energy or the will to open the letter. Matt was starting to feel more discomfort, and his equilibrium was getting shaky. He checked the time and realized he was past due for his next antibiotic and pain pill. He took his pills and decided to crash while he waited for a call back from Aaron. Oh, just to have a peaceful sleep without a nurse coming to take his vitals and bug the heck out of him.

4

Angus Hawthorne was not what Matt would call a formidable-looking man; as a matter of fact, he was anything but formidable. As he studied him, Matt figured Hawthorne to be around five-foot-seven and probably weighed in at near two hundred pounds. He was rather unkempt, and his hair could have used a proper brushing or combing, and his suit coat was so tight it looked ready to pop the button across the room. He wore a goatee, which, in Matt's opinion, did not fit his face. Because his face was so round and plump, it looked like he had a blotch on his chin he had failed to wash off. As Hawthorne sat behind this desk reading the list of charges Matt had given him, he made a sort of sucking tsk sound Matt had heard his father make after eating a meal. He always figured his dad was attempting to clear food from between his teeth. Matt had no idea why Hawthorne was doing it.

After reading over the letter, Hawthorne laid it on top of his desk, sat back in his chair, looked at Matt with a sly smile, and said, Boy, you did it up good, didn't you? It's a good thing you came to see me. If you went into that courtroom cold, they could throw the book at you. When we spoke on the phone, you said you didn't remember much about what happened. I would like you to tell me what you do remember. What you can and cannot remember may be important to your case. Hawthorne formed a finger tent under his chin, right below the blob, and waited.

Matt recounted the FedEx truck vision and the sound of breaking glass and crashing metal. He still was unable to recall more than that.

Do you remember driving to the location of the accident, you know, do you recall getting into your car and leaving to go to your destination? Angus asked.

I remember being in my apartment. I recall having a couple of drinks because I was upset, extremely upset. Matt told the attorney about unexpectedly losing his job. That I can remember, but I don't remember getting into my car and driving to where it all happened.

Hawthorne thought for a moment, then asked, Do you remember your intended destination?

Strangely, I do. I had decided to go to the Watering Hole to get something to eat and, I suppose, to have a few more drinks. I don't know why I remember that, but I do.

Angus said, Well, you had a significant head injury, and that can result in some strange memory patterns. Thinking back on everything now, do you think it was wise to drive your car that evening?

Matt pondered and then answered, Well, I think the obvious answer is no, given what happened, but I can't imagine that at that time. I didn't feel like I could drive safely. I wonder if my rage over the job wasn't more of a factor than the alcohol.

Probably a factor of both, was Hawthorne's reply. Another important question, have you ever had a DUI before, or have you faced any of the other charges on this list?

For the first time, Matt could answer a question with certainty. No, absolutely not. I have had one speeding ticket, and that was back in high school. I was involved in only one other accident. In that one, I was stopped at a red light and got rear-ended by another driver. It turns out to be rather ironic as the other driver was drunk as a skunk at that time. But that is it, never been arrested for anything.

Well, that is good. It gives us more with which to work. A lot will depend upon which judge you draw. There are five traffic court judges, and three of them are hard-nosed sticklers, by the book, regardless. The other two tend to be a little more lenient. Now don't get me wrong, they follow the law, but they often have a little more wiggle room. I've seen that be the case if there is no prior record. However, you committed multiple sins here, Matthew, and it will take some serious negotiating to decrease the charges.

Matt was beginning to feel more comfortable with Angus Hawthorne. He obviously knew what he was doing and was very professional. One trait which surprised Matt was that Angus had a deep, resonant voice that didn't seem to fit his physical appearance, but Matt could see how Hawthorne would present well in the courtroom. He felt that Aaron had directed him well.

Hawthorne continued, Now, Matthew, I want you to understand where all this stands at this moment in time. Several scenarios could play out. One possibility is that you could see some jail time. However, the truck driver did not sustain serious injuries, so I don't feel that will happen. But again, the judge. You will likely be looking at some hefty fines, and there are always the court costs. Another possibility is community service time. Hawthorne paused to see if Matt had anything he wanted to say. When Matt remained silent, he continued, Finally, your driver's license will most definitely be revoked for a period. I assume you do not have your driver's license now, do you?

Matt looked somewhat surprised. As a matter of fact, I have not been able to find my license since I've been home from the hospital, and I am sure I had it with me that evening. I mean, I never go anywhere without my license, my ID.

Hawthorne nodded his head and said, I would imagine the investigating officer took it at the time of the accident. That is usually the case when there is a suspected DUI. It's standard operating procedure.

Matt was not expecting this possibility. Losing his license would have a significant impact on his ability to move. Well, if it is suspended, how long does that usually last? Matt asked.

Typically, it is for one year, but sometimes that can be negotiated for first-time offenders. Multiple-time offenders can have up to a lifetime suspension. Now your court appearance on the twenty-forth is the initial hearing. At that time, all the charges will be read to you along with their subsequent range of penalties. You will be asked if you wish to plead guilty or not guilty to each charge. As your legal counsel, I advise you to plead guilty, primarily because you are. If you were to plead not guilty, you would go to trial, and quite honestly, that would likely not go well for you. I rarely advise a DUI case to plead not guilty. Jurors generally don't look favorably at people who drive drunk. Judges don't like them either. By pleading guilty, you open some doors for positive negotiation. Do you have any questions on any of this?

Not really, not now. I guess we won't know much more until we get into court.

Yeah, that is pretty much the situation. In the meantime, I will be checking on the docket, and by next week, we should know who the judge will be. That will play a huge part in all of this. But know that you will be spending some money and likely will not be able to drive again for some time. Between now and then, keep your nose clean. Don't go out and get into any barroom brawls. Don't hold up any liquor stores. Be a good boy. You don't want anything else showing up on your record. I will be in touch as I glean more information. If you come up with questions, don't hesitate to call. I'm usually not able to take the incoming call, but don't worry, I will get back to you ASAP.

After writing a sizeable check, Matt called for an Uber and headed home with a splitting headache and the dreadful thought that he wouldn't need to go car shopping anytime soon. Man, how his life had taken an adverse turn in the blink of an eye, and he couldn't even remember much of it.

*****

Angus Hawthorne had sounded excited when he called six days later to inform Matt that they had lucked out; they had been assigned to one of the more lenient judges, one that Angus had presented to several times before with good results. But as Matt now sat in the courtroom, looking at the sour-faced Asian judge, he couldn't help but feel less than hopeful.

Judge Hirimoto would read over another section of the paperwork in