With Past Imperfect Part 4
*not mine. Author of this fanscript: Joni_Slade. Credit to her and characters from AIO*
[Musical transition to: RICHFIELD--RIVER FOREST COLLEGE CLASSROOM. Professor Cowal addresses the class. Whit and Captain Quinn sit in the back.]
COWAL:
Thank you all for your presentations. Congratulations for surviving CS442, and I look forward to seeing many of you next term in CS443. Have a pleasant break.
[Students stand and begin leaving the room, talking.]
WHIT:
Well, what did you think, Captain Quinn?
QUINN:
Okay, Whit, I saw what you wanted me to see. Dominic Spinnard's program was exactly like the one you watched Maxwell write last night, and Lyle Meeker's was exactly like the one you watched Kai write.
WHIT:
Watched them rewrite, you mean. They first finished their programs on Monday night.
QUINN:
I want to believe you. But where's the evidence?
COWAL:
I can help you there. Captain Quinn and Mister Whittaker, I presume?
WHIT:
Professor Cowal--I appreciate you letting us observe your class.
COWAL:
And I appreciate your phone call. Thanks to you, Richard and Kimiko will receive partial credit for the program descriptions they e-mailed me this morning, with an opportunity to make up their presentations at a later date. One moment please. Meeker, Spinnard--I'd like you to step over here, please.
DOMINIC:
What's up, Professor?
COWAL:
Sit down.
[They do.]
COWAL:
Your presentations were interesting. They showed polish, innovation, and above all style.
DOMINIC:
Well, thank you sir.
LYLE:
Yeah, thanks.
COWAL:
I’m impressed by the many hours of work that were no doubt put into them. However, owing to your inability to do your own work, you both fail the class.
LYLE:
(SPLUTTERS)
COWAL:
Copying other students' works will not be tolerated. I received the original work from the writers of these programs this morning. Would you like to see?
[Cowal gives Lyle a page of the e-mailed project.]
LYLE:
Kimiko . . . describing her program.
COWAL:
And Richard describing his.
DOMINIC:
With all due respect, sir, it looks to me like they copied these from us. I mean, didn’t they both just get arrested for theft?
COWAL:
Conveniently, they did. But, Mister Spinnard, like all good students, Kimiko and Richard both consulted me about their projects at the start of term and several times throughout. Their plans for their projects have never changed.
DOMINIC:
Well, how coincidental that Lyle and I had similar ideas to theirs’.
LYLE:
I--I didn't know they'd talked to you.
COWAL:
I might have believed that your programs were coincidentally similar in concept if not for the fact that the two of them knew their programs well enough to write such a good portion of them in a single night, and so many of the details matched up. All of the details, in fact. Detective, I can assure you that Richard and Kimiko's original work was stolen. I do hope this aids in your investigation of the Campbell College Fire.
QUINN:
Hmm. And I assume that whoever gained access to their programs could as easily have inserted whatever they wanted into Maxwell and Kai's computers. Anything you want to tell me, Spinnard? Meeker?
DOMINIC:
You can't just accuse us like this. We've never done anything wrong. Maxwell and Kai are known criminals, for crying out loud! Tell them, Lyle!
LYLE:
I . . . they . . . all I wanted was a passing grade.
QUINN:
And when Dominic promised to deliver one--
DOMINIC:
This is outrageous!
LYLE:
I said I’d help.
DOMINIC:
I don’t know what he’s talking about.
LYLE:
Yes, you do. Officer, sir, first he told me that someone was offering a lot of money for some programs at Campbell College.
DOMINIC:
I’ve never even heard of Campbell College!
LYLE:
I said I’d give all the money I have if I could just pass this class, and next thing I know, he’s asking if I ever have access to Richard and Kimiko’s computers. I said, sure, sometimes, but I didn’t want to mess with them . . .
[Lyle’s voice fades out.]
[Musical transition to: WHIT’S END. Richard, Kimiko, Tom and Whit are around the counter.]
RICHARD:
So we really have you to thank for getting us out of this mess, Whit.
KIMIKO:
Yeah, we can never thank you enough.
WHIT:
Oh, I was glad to do it.
RICHARD:
How come you didn’t you tell us why you were having us rewrite our programs?
WHIT:
Well, I didn’t want to distract you. I also couldn’t know for sure that Lyle had stolen your reports.
TOM:
What made you suspect him?
WHIT:
Oh, some little things. He said he’d never been to Odyssey, but knew the layout of Campbell College. He left his computer with Kimiko when he should have kept it for working on his project. And he clearly felt guilty about his desire to pass CS442.
RICHARD:
So what happened after he confessed?
WHIT:
Captain Quinn found exactly what he needed to arrest him.
KIMIKO:
What?
WHIT:
The stolen computer from Campbell College.
KIMIKO:
No! Lyle was dumb enough to keep it around?
WHIT:
I don’t think he did. Captain Quinn told me that Lyle seemed shocked to hear they’d found it in his dorm room. Quinn suspects that Dominic planted it there after sending the data to whoever hired him.
RICHARD:
That’s what he suspects--can he prove it?
WHIT:
He’ll try, but Dominic seems to have covered his tracks. They don’t even have enough evidence to arrest him.
[The bell rings as Quinn enters.]
KIMIKO:
I just can't believe Lyle would do this to us. Little Lyle Meeker.
RICHARD:
Yeah. We really misjudged him.
WHIT:
Hi, Captain Quinn.
QUINN:
Hello everyone. I thought I'd find you here. I came with some good news for Richard and Kimiko.
KIMIKO:
What, better news than our names being cleared? Christmas is coming early this year.
QUINN:
We found your computers.
RICHARD:
Our . . . computers?
KIMIKO:
Didn't you already have them?
QUINN:
Apparently, Meeker had switched your computers' hard drives at some point. Replaced them with ones that looked exactly the same, but contained the chat logs.
RICHARD:
That sounds more like Spinnard’s work than Lyle’s.
KIMIKO:
Wait, that’s impossible. I would have noticed if my computer had a different hard drive.
QUINN:
You may never have had the chance. He probably switched them just after Spinnard tipped us off. That’s, ah, assuming Spinnard was the one.
RICHARD:
That’s right! Lyle came early for dinner Tuesday night, so I let him stay at my apartment while I bought last minute groceries.
KIMIKO:
And I was letting him study my program at my place while I was out jogging Thursday morning.
QUINN:
Then that's when he did it. The hard drives acted enough like yours to avoid suspicion. They contained a chat log that Spinnard and Lyle had created to look like they came from your instant messenger accounts. Meeker or Spinnard must also have deleted Richard's backup files from his web site and corrupted Kimiko's backup disk so it couldn't act as evidence.
TOM:
Seems like a pretty elaborate scheme.
KIMIKO:
Dominic likes elaborate.
QUINN:
Both of them might have gotten away with it if they weren't too lazy to do their own homework. As far as Spinnard was concerned, taking your final projects was a bonus after blaming you for his crime. For Meeker, taking credit for your projects was the entire point.
KIMIKO:
And Dominic has gotten away with this?
QUINN:
We’re still investigating him, but I don’t know if we’ll find enough evidence for a trial. The only thing linking him to the crime is Meeker’s testimony.
WHIT:
Dominic is in trouble at River Forest, though. Professor Cowal is reporting that he and Lyle stole their final projects.
KIMIKO:
(DISAPPOINTED) Big deal. Dominic deserves to go to jail.
RICHARD:
So, when can we pick up our computers?
QUINN:
We'll get them to you as soon as we can. We’ll need them a little longer. Your testimony might also be useful.
KIMIKO:
Count me in.
RICHARD:
Well, er, yeah, just let me know when the trial is and I'll be here.
TOM:
Oh, you're not going to stay here for now?
RICHARD:
I don’t think so. I have some . . . things to take care of in Richfield.
KIMIKO:
(SNORTS) Come on, the term just ended.
RICHARD:
We still haven't done our final presentations.
WHIT:
That's all right, Richard. Professor Cowal told me he'd be out of town for the break. He can't watch your presentations for a couple of weeks anyway.
TOM:
At least come to the Timothy Center tonight. There's an event planned--there’ll be a lot of people over, and food, and games. You're invited, too, Kimiko.
KIMIKO:
Sounds fun. I'll be there.
RICHARD:
Yeah . . . sounds fun.
[Musical transition to: A remote part of the TIMOTHY CENTER where Richard sits. Happy people can be heard in the distance, plus nearer crickets. Tom approaches.]
TOM:
There you are.
RICHARD:
Hiya, Mr. Riley.
TOM:
It's Tom, Richard. Call me Tom, okay?
RICHARD:
Okay, Tom.
[Tom sits on the ground beside Richard.]
TOM:
Oh, its a nice night out here, isn't it?
RICHARD:
Sure is. Nice and quiet. Not like Richfield. Richfield is, you know, just too busy sometimes.
TOM:
Uh-huh. You going back tomorrow?
RICHARD:
(A BEAT) I probably should.
TOM:
Richard, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?
RICHARD:
Shoot.
TOM:
What exactly is it you're running away from?
RICHARD:
(A BEAT) I don't understand.
TOM:
Well, you seem to like it here, but you never stay. Why'd you leave the hospital so fast? How come it took getting arrested for you to find your way back?
RICHARD:
I left the hospital as soon as I could because . . . I’d finished what I'd come here to do. I'd helped you out, and you'd . . . forgiven me. I thought it was a good note to leave things at, before I could mess things up again.
TOM:
What makes you so sure you'd have messed things up?
RICHARD:
That's what I'm best at.
TOM:
Everyone makes mistakes, Richard. We make mistakes and forgive mistakes every single day.
[A pause.]
RICHARD:
That's why I couldn't stay--the forgiveness. The kind of forgiveness I got from Odyssey--it was too much. I felt . . . trapped here, by--by obligations, things I could never pay back. It was like being in jail all over again. When you finally gave in and forgave me, it . . . it terrified me.
TOM:
Well, now, that surprises me. Seems you went to a lot of trouble to help me. Seems you wanted my forgiveness then.
RICHARD:
I did. But once you offered it, I felt like I didn't deserve it. I felt like I owed you even more. I tried to balance it out by forgiving you in return, but I knew it wasn’t enough. And now that you and Whit have helped me again . . . I just don’t know how I can pay you back.
TOM:
Those were gifts, Richard. You know I’m no expert on forgiveness, but the way I see it, none of us can ever deserve it--that's the whole point. Forgiveness doesn't add to your debts, it erases them entirely.
RICHARD:
It's a nice thought, Mister Riley--
TOM:
Tom.
RICHARD:
Tom. But that's not the way the world works. This isn’t the first time I’ve been blamed for something I didn’t do. The reason Dominic singled me and Kimiko out to frame was because we had records with the police. They're not going to be getting rid of those records. That can be used against me for the rest of my life. And maybe I deserve it, but--I mean, do you know how hard it's been for me to find a job with this hanging over me? No one will hire me, no matter how good I am at what I do. And yet you and Mister Whittaker insist on helping me--I'm grateful, I really am, so grateful and I just don’t know how I can thank you. I can’t accept the idea that you and Whit want nothing from me in return.
TOM:
You know what your problem is, Richard? You think too much like a computer.
RICHARD:
How so?
TOM:
Seems to me that computers are all about plusses and minuses.
RICHARD:
Actually, it's ones and zeros.
TOM:
You know what I mean. A computer could add up what somebody owes, and what he's paid back. Computers are really good at that kind of thing. And like a computer, you’ve become preoccupied with keeping track of who owes what.
RICHARD:
All right, I’m with you so far.
TOM:
But that doesn't take into account the grace of God. Because of what Jesus did, we can be forgiven. And like Him we can erase--no, what's the word--delete our debts toward one another. You're right that the world doesn't see it that way. Maybe this world is always going to hold you accountable. And to the police, you'll always have a record. But as far as Whit and I are concerned, you don't, so there's nothing you need to pay us back for. Forgiveness automatically restores the balance. And we may never understand how it works--only that it does.
RICHARD:
I think that’s the problem. I can’t believe in something that I don’t understand.
TOM:
Well, that must be a tough way to live.
RICHARD:
. . . it is.
TOM:
Listen, Richard, when you go, I hope you’ll keep in touch this time.
RICHARD:
I will.
TOM:
And come visit. You’re always welcome--no debts involved.
RICHARD:
Thanks. And I appreciate your computer analogy.
TOM:
(PROUD) Yeah, I thought you'd like that. I tried to sort of speak your lingo there. How’d I do?
RICHARD:
A lot better than I’d do if I tried to talk about farming or horses.
TOM:
Well, if you ever want to learn about farming or horses, I can certainly teach you.
RICHARD:
Maybe I’ll take you up on that sometime.
[The conversation fades out.]
CHRIS:
Like Tom said, there are always consequences to our actions here on earth. The best way to live free from the consequences of sin is to do what's right and obey God's commandments. But throughout our life we all rely on God's love and forgiveness. We should extend that forgiveness toward others as much as we can, imitating God by loving those around us despite what they may have done. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:5 that love keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It's important not to judge anyone based entirely on what they did in the past, because people can change--for better, or for worse. Whit understood that even though Lyle had never broken the law before, he might not be as innocent as his history made him seem. And both Whit and Tom were willing to listen to Richard and Kimiko, showing trust that they had changed. I hope that someday Richard can joyfully accept Whit and Tom's forgiveness--and most importantly, the forgiveness of God.
[Musical transition to: RICHFIELD--RIVER FOREST COLLEGE CLASSROOM. Professor Cowal addresses the class. Whit and Captain Quinn sit in the back.]
COWAL:
Thank you all for your presentations. Congratulations for surviving CS442, and I look forward to seeing many of you next term in CS443. Have a pleasant break.
[Students stand and begin leaving the room, talking.]
WHIT:
Well, what did you think, Captain Quinn?
QUINN:
Okay, Whit, I saw what you wanted me to see. Dominic Spinnard's program was exactly like the one you watched Maxwell write last night, and Lyle Meeker's was exactly like the one you watched Kai write.
WHIT:
Watched them rewrite, you mean. They first finished their programs on Monday night.
QUINN:
I want to believe you. But where's the evidence?
COWAL:
I can help you there. Captain Quinn and Mister Whittaker, I presume?
WHIT:
Professor Cowal--I appreciate you letting us observe your class.
COWAL:
And I appreciate your phone call. Thanks to you, Richard and Kimiko will receive partial credit for the program descriptions they e-mailed me this morning, with an opportunity to make up their presentations at a later date. One moment please. Meeker, Spinnard--I'd like you to step over here, please.
DOMINIC:
What's up, Professor?
COWAL:
Sit down.
[They do.]
COWAL:
Your presentations were interesting. They showed polish, innovation, and above all style.
DOMINIC:
Well, thank you sir.
LYLE:
Yeah, thanks.
COWAL:
I’m impressed by the many hours of work that were no doubt put into them. However, owing to your inability to do your own work, you both fail the class.
LYLE:
(SPLUTTERS)
COWAL:
Copying other students' works will not be tolerated. I received the original work from the writers of these programs this morning. Would you like to see?
[Cowal gives Lyle a page of the e-mailed project.]
LYLE:
Kimiko . . . describing her program.
COWAL:
And Richard describing his.
DOMINIC:
With all due respect, sir, it looks to me like they copied these from us. I mean, didn’t they both just get arrested for theft?
COWAL:
Conveniently, they did. But, Mister Spinnard, like all good students, Kimiko and Richard both consulted me about their projects at the start of term and several times throughout. Their plans for their projects have never changed.
DOMINIC:
Well, how coincidental that Lyle and I had similar ideas to theirs’.
LYLE:
I--I didn't know they'd talked to you.
COWAL:
I might have believed that your programs were coincidentally similar in concept if not for the fact that the two of them knew their programs well enough to write such a good portion of them in a single night, and so many of the details matched up. All of the details, in fact. Detective, I can assure you that Richard and Kimiko's original work was stolen. I do hope this aids in your investigation of the Campbell College Fire.
QUINN:
Hmm. And I assume that whoever gained access to their programs could as easily have inserted whatever they wanted into Maxwell and Kai's computers. Anything you want to tell me, Spinnard? Meeker?
DOMINIC:
You can't just accuse us like this. We've never done anything wrong. Maxwell and Kai are known criminals, for crying out loud! Tell them, Lyle!
LYLE:
I . . . they . . . all I wanted was a passing grade.
QUINN:
And when Dominic promised to deliver one--
DOMINIC:
This is outrageous!
LYLE:
I said I’d help.
DOMINIC:
I don’t know what he’s talking about.
LYLE:
Yes, you do. Officer, sir, first he told me that someone was offering a lot of money for some programs at Campbell College.
DOMINIC:
I’ve never even heard of Campbell College!
LYLE:
I said I’d give all the money I have if I could just pass this class, and next thing I know, he’s asking if I ever have access to Richard and Kimiko’s computers. I said, sure, sometimes, but I didn’t want to mess with them . . .
[Lyle’s voice fades out.]
[Musical transition to: WHIT’S END. Richard, Kimiko, Tom and Whit are around the counter.]
RICHARD:
So we really have you to thank for getting us out of this mess, Whit.
KIMIKO:
Yeah, we can never thank you enough.
WHIT:
Oh, I was glad to do it.
RICHARD:
How come you didn’t you tell us why you were having us rewrite our programs?
WHIT:
Well, I didn’t want to distract you. I also couldn’t know for sure that Lyle had stolen your reports.
TOM:
What made you suspect him?
WHIT:
Oh, some little things. He said he’d never been to Odyssey, but knew the layout of Campbell College. He left his computer with Kimiko when he should have kept it for working on his project. And he clearly felt guilty about his desire to pass CS442.
RICHARD:
So what happened after he confessed?
WHIT:
Captain Quinn found exactly what he needed to arrest him.
KIMIKO:
What?
WHIT:
The stolen computer from Campbell College.
KIMIKO:
No! Lyle was dumb enough to keep it around?
WHIT:
I don’t think he did. Captain Quinn told me that Lyle seemed shocked to hear they’d found it in his dorm room. Quinn suspects that Dominic planted it there after sending the data to whoever hired him.
RICHARD:
That’s what he suspects--can he prove it?
WHIT:
He’ll try, but Dominic seems to have covered his tracks. They don’t even have enough evidence to arrest him.
[The bell rings as Quinn enters.]
KIMIKO:
I just can't believe Lyle would do this to us. Little Lyle Meeker.
RICHARD:
Yeah. We really misjudged him.
WHIT:
Hi, Captain Quinn.
QUINN:
Hello everyone. I thought I'd find you here. I came with some good news for Richard and Kimiko.
KIMIKO:
What, better news than our names being cleared? Christmas is coming early this year.
QUINN:
We found your computers.
RICHARD:
Our . . . computers?
KIMIKO:
Didn't you already have them?
QUINN:
Apparently, Meeker had switched your computers' hard drives at some point. Replaced them with ones that looked exactly the same, but contained the chat logs.
RICHARD:
That sounds more like Spinnard’s work than Lyle’s.
KIMIKO:
Wait, that’s impossible. I would have noticed if my computer had a different hard drive.
QUINN:
You may never have had the chance. He probably switched them just after Spinnard tipped us off. That’s, ah, assuming Spinnard was the one.
RICHARD:
That’s right! Lyle came early for dinner Tuesday night, so I let him stay at my apartment while I bought last minute groceries.
KIMIKO:
And I was letting him study my program at my place while I was out jogging Thursday morning.
QUINN:
Then that's when he did it. The hard drives acted enough like yours to avoid suspicion. They contained a chat log that Spinnard and Lyle had created to look like they came from your instant messenger accounts. Meeker or Spinnard must also have deleted Richard's backup files from his web site and corrupted Kimiko's backup disk so it couldn't act as evidence.
TOM:
Seems like a pretty elaborate scheme.
KIMIKO:
Dominic likes elaborate.
QUINN:
Both of them might have gotten away with it if they weren't too lazy to do their own homework. As far as Spinnard was concerned, taking your final projects was a bonus after blaming you for his crime. For Meeker, taking credit for your projects was the entire point.
KIMIKO:
And Dominic has gotten away with this?
QUINN:
We’re still investigating him, but I don’t know if we’ll find enough evidence for a trial. The only thing linking him to the crime is Meeker’s testimony.
WHIT:
Dominic is in trouble at River Forest, though. Professor Cowal is reporting that he and Lyle stole their final projects.
KIMIKO:
(DISAPPOINTED) Big deal. Dominic deserves to go to jail.
RICHARD:
So, when can we pick up our computers?
QUINN:
We'll get them to you as soon as we can. We’ll need them a little longer. Your testimony might also be useful.
KIMIKO:
Count me in.
RICHARD:
Well, er, yeah, just let me know when the trial is and I'll be here.
TOM:
Oh, you're not going to stay here for now?
RICHARD:
I don’t think so. I have some . . . things to take care of in Richfield.
KIMIKO:
(SNORTS) Come on, the term just ended.
RICHARD:
We still haven't done our final presentations.
WHIT:
That's all right, Richard. Professor Cowal told me he'd be out of town for the break. He can't watch your presentations for a couple of weeks anyway.
TOM:
At least come to the Timothy Center tonight. There's an event planned--there’ll be a lot of people over, and food, and games. You're invited, too, Kimiko.
KIMIKO:
Sounds fun. I'll be there.
RICHARD:
Yeah . . . sounds fun.
[Musical transition to: A remote part of the TIMOTHY CENTER where Richard sits. Happy people can be heard in the distance, plus nearer crickets. Tom approaches.]
TOM:
There you are.
RICHARD:
Hiya, Mr. Riley.
TOM:
It's Tom, Richard. Call me Tom, okay?
RICHARD:
Okay, Tom.
[Tom sits on the ground beside Richard.]
TOM:
Oh, its a nice night out here, isn't it?
RICHARD:
Sure is. Nice and quiet. Not like Richfield. Richfield is, you know, just too busy sometimes.
TOM:
Uh-huh. You going back tomorrow?
RICHARD:
(A BEAT) I probably should.
TOM:
Richard, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?
RICHARD:
Shoot.
TOM:
What exactly is it you're running away from?
RICHARD:
(A BEAT) I don't understand.
TOM:
Well, you seem to like it here, but you never stay. Why'd you leave the hospital so fast? How come it took getting arrested for you to find your way back?
RICHARD:
I left the hospital as soon as I could because . . . I’d finished what I'd come here to do. I'd helped you out, and you'd . . . forgiven me. I thought it was a good note to leave things at, before I could mess things up again.
TOM:
What makes you so sure you'd have messed things up?
RICHARD:
That's what I'm best at.
TOM:
Everyone makes mistakes, Richard. We make mistakes and forgive mistakes every single day.
[A pause.]
RICHARD:
That's why I couldn't stay--the forgiveness. The kind of forgiveness I got from Odyssey--it was too much. I felt . . . trapped here, by--by obligations, things I could never pay back. It was like being in jail all over again. When you finally gave in and forgave me, it . . . it terrified me.
TOM:
Well, now, that surprises me. Seems you went to a lot of trouble to help me. Seems you wanted my forgiveness then.
RICHARD:
I did. But once you offered it, I felt like I didn't deserve it. I felt like I owed you even more. I tried to balance it out by forgiving you in return, but I knew it wasn’t enough. And now that you and Whit have helped me again . . . I just don’t know how I can pay you back.
TOM:
Those were gifts, Richard. You know I’m no expert on forgiveness, but the way I see it, none of us can ever deserve it--that's the whole point. Forgiveness doesn't add to your debts, it erases them entirely.
RICHARD:
It's a nice thought, Mister Riley--
TOM:
Tom.
RICHARD:
Tom. But that's not the way the world works. This isn’t the first time I’ve been blamed for something I didn’t do. The reason Dominic singled me and Kimiko out to frame was because we had records with the police. They're not going to be getting rid of those records. That can be used against me for the rest of my life. And maybe I deserve it, but--I mean, do you know how hard it's been for me to find a job with this hanging over me? No one will hire me, no matter how good I am at what I do. And yet you and Mister Whittaker insist on helping me--I'm grateful, I really am, so grateful and I just don’t know how I can thank you. I can’t accept the idea that you and Whit want nothing from me in return.
TOM:
You know what your problem is, Richard? You think too much like a computer.
RICHARD:
How so?
TOM:
Seems to me that computers are all about plusses and minuses.
RICHARD:
Actually, it's ones and zeros.
TOM:
You know what I mean. A computer could add up what somebody owes, and what he's paid back. Computers are really good at that kind of thing. And like a computer, you’ve become preoccupied with keeping track of who owes what.
RICHARD:
All right, I’m with you so far.
TOM:
But that doesn't take into account the grace of God. Because of what Jesus did, we can be forgiven. And like Him we can erase--no, what's the word--delete our debts toward one another. You're right that the world doesn't see it that way. Maybe this world is always going to hold you accountable. And to the police, you'll always have a record. But as far as Whit and I are concerned, you don't, so there's nothing you need to pay us back for. Forgiveness automatically restores the balance. And we may never understand how it works--only that it does.
RICHARD:
I think that’s the problem. I can’t believe in something that I don’t understand.
TOM:
Well, that must be a tough way to live.
RICHARD:
. . . it is.
TOM:
Listen, Richard, when you go, I hope you’ll keep in touch this time.
RICHARD:
I will.
TOM:
And come visit. You’re always welcome--no debts involved.
RICHARD:
Thanks. And I appreciate your computer analogy.
TOM:
(PROUD) Yeah, I thought you'd like that. I tried to sort of speak your lingo there. How’d I do?
RICHARD:
A lot better than I’d do if I tried to talk about farming or horses.
TOM:
Well, if you ever want to learn about farming or horses, I can certainly teach you.
RICHARD:
Maybe I’ll take you up on that sometime.
[The conversation fades out.]
CHRIS:
Like Tom said, there are always consequences to our actions here on earth. The best way to live free from the consequences of sin is to do what's right and obey God's commandments. But throughout our life we all rely on God's love and forgiveness. We should extend that forgiveness toward others as much as we can, imitating God by loving those around us despite what they may have done. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:5 that love keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It's important not to judge anyone based entirely on what they did in the past, because people can change--for better, or for worse. Whit understood that even though Lyle had never broken the law before, he might not be as innocent as his history made him seem. And both Whit and Tom were willing to listen to Richard and Kimiko, showing trust that they had changed. I hope that someday Richard can joyfully accept Whit and Tom's forgiveness--and most importantly, the forgiveness of God.