Season of Blessing Page 19

  Maybe he did, indeed, know what Sylvia needed. But if he got her a horse, would she be strong enough to ride? Maybe if he found a gentle mare, she’d be able to do it. It would certainly give her something else to think about.

  Boxing up the leftover decorations, Harry went into the house to search the classifieds for a horse.

  CHAPTER

  Forty-Four

  Full-time job openings were sparse this time of year, and Brenda wondered if she’d have to wait until January to find work. That would make Christmas awfully tight, and she dreaded that next trip to get Joseph’s refills. She sat poring over the want ads at the kitchen table, when Daniel came in.

  “Mama, I’ve got a plan,” he said. “I want to see what you think.”

  David, coming in from his workshop, went to the sink to wash his hands.

  “Dad, you need to be here, too. I was telling Mama about my plan.”

  David gave Daniel a look over his shoulder. “Shoot,” he said. “We’re listening.”

  “Okay, here’s the thing.”

  Whenever Daniel started anything with “here’s the thing” they knew that it was going to be good. Brenda closed the paper and put her pen down.

  Daniel’s eyes danced with excitement. “You know how Mark is taking the GED course? He’ll be literally out of high school soon, and then he can go to college or get a job or do whatever he wants to, right?”

  Brenda looked at David. “Well, something like that.”

  “Well, I was thinking that since Mama plans to go back to work, and she doesn’t have so much time for home schooling, that I could take the GED test, too. Then I’d be finished.”

  “Why do you want to do that?” Brenda asked. “Why don’t you just want to finish school and get your diploma?”

  “Well, what difference does it make? I’m home schooled. It’s not like I’m going to put on a cap and gown and walk through the high school.”

  “We do have a home schooling graduation, Daniel. You know that.”

  “Yeah, but that would be another whole year and a half, and I don’t want to do it. I could be finished now.”

  David chuckled. “Daniel, is this about Mark getting out of school before you? Are you jealous or something?”

  “No, I’m not jealous.” Daniel’s ears pinkened. “But it’s not fair. I’m a better student than he is. It’s like he’s getting rewarded and I’m not.”

  “You’ll be rewarded when you finish school the way you’re supposed to,” Brenda said. “Lots of people get GEDs and it works out fine, but you don’t have to do that. You’re too close to graduating.”

  Daniel turned his pleading eyes to his father.

  “No,” David said. “I agree a hundred percent with your mother. You are not going to finish early.”

  “Great.” Daniel threw himself back into his chair. “It’s like I’m being punished because I never went to jail.”

  “What?” Brenda’s mouth fell open. “How can you say such a thing?”

  “Well, look what’s going on with him. I mean, he spends a year in jail. He gets out and they throw this great big party for him. You’ve never thrown a party for me. And then he doesn’t have to go back to school. He gets his GED. And they hand him a car on a silver platter when I have to work like a dog to pay for mine.”

  David bristled. “Son, I paid for part of yours.”

  “I know, and I’m glad, Dad, but sometimes it just seems like he’s getting a better deal.”

  “You think it was a good deal when he had to spend a year locked up?” Brenda asked. “Come on, Daniel. You’re not thinking clearly.”

  He drew in a deep breath and let out a sigh. “It’s not fair, that’s all. He gets out of school before I do, and he didn’t even apply himself. He didn’t even try.”

  “He’s trying now,” Brenda said.

  “Not very hard,” Daniel threw back. “And if he’d come back to home schooling with us, we’d have more money and you wouldn’t have to go to work.”

  Brenda met her husband’s eyes. “That’s not true. I’m going to work for the insurance benefits.” David’s expression was somber, and she knew his pride ached that his wife was joining the work world.

  “We need more money than I could have made with Mark, anyway, Daniel. Don’t you understand that?”

  He propped his chin on his hand, sulking. “Yeah, I guess. Joseph has all that expensive medicine to take.”

  “Well, that’s right,” she said, “and it’s a small price to pay to keep him alive. I’m willing to go to work to do that.”

  “Well, I’m just saying if I got a GED then I could go to work and get some insurance and I could pay for it.”

  “It doesn’t work that way, Daniel. They don’t let you put your brother on your insurance. Or your parents. It’s a sweet thought, but we’d rather have you at home studying so you can get scholarships to college.”

  David patted his shoulder. “You’re going to be fine, Daniel. You’ll go at the normal pace, and you’ll be in good shape for college entrance exams. You’ll probably qualify for all sorts of scholarships. College is going to be a breeze for you.”

  “Well, maybe I don’t want to go to college,” Daniel said.

  Brenda gasped, and David sprang up from his chair. “Young man, I don’t want to hear that again. You are going to college.”

  “But you didn’t, Dad.”

  David gritted his teeth. “Son, that’s the worst mistake I ever made.”

  “But you’ve made a good living as a carpenter.”

  “I love being a carpenter, and I probably would have been had I gotten a degree or not, but I don’t have the options that I would have had if I had gone to college. And I want you to have better.”

  “But Mark isn’t going to get better.”

  “That’s up to Mark,” Brenda said. “We have a different plan for you.”

  “Well, what if it’s not the plan I have for myself?” Daniel asked.

  Brenda could tell he’d been talking this over with Mark. She rubbed her temples. “Daniel, quitting school and skipping college is not a plan.”

  David shook his head. “Daniel, when you become an adult you can make up your own mind about what you’re going to do, but for right now we’re going with our plan. You will finish school. Do you understand?”

  Daniel scraped his chair back and got up. “Yes, sir.”

  “And you will go to college. Is that clear?”

  He hesitated, then muttered, “Yes, sir.”

  “Fine. I’m going back to work.” David headed out of the room, ending the conversation.

  Daniel turned his eyes to Brenda. She took his hand. “Your father is right, Daniel. Do you understand why?”

  “No, ma’am, but I’ll do it.”

  “Good,” she said. “You’re a very wise boy.”

  CHAPTER

  Forty-Five

  The snow that covered the ground infused Sylvia with a burst of energy the week of Christmas. The kids would be home Thursday, the day before Christmas Eve, and she needed to get ready for them. Harry had gone to run some errands. Left to her own resources, she went up into the attic and found Jeff and Sarah’s old crib. Knowing she couldn’t get it down herself, and unwilling to wait until Harry got home, she called Cathy’s house.

  “Hello?” Mark’s voice was soft across the line.

  “Mark, this is Sylvia. How are you?”

  “Hey, Miss Sylvia. I guess I’m okay. How are you?”

  “I’m great. Nothing like the last time you saw me. By the way, thanks for the Popsicles.”

  “Sure. Did they help?”

  “They sure did. In my book, you’re a downright hero.”

  “Cool,” he said. “Too bad I can’t put that in my resumé.”

  “Still no job, huh?”

  “Not yet. Man, you’d think I was a convicted killer or something. I’m never gonna get away from my record.”

  “Yes, you will, Mark. You’ll see. As a matter o
f fact, that’s why I’m calling. I want to hire you myself, just for the afternoon. I need someone to come get some things out of the attic for me.”

  “Sure, I can do that,” Mark said. “Only, I can’t take money for it.”

  “Then I’ll have to find someone else. Maybe Daniel’s available.”

  “No, I can do it.” Mark laughed. “Man, you drive a hard bargain.”

  “Is Annie there?” Sylvia asked. “I could use her help, too.”

  “Yes, ma’am. She just got home from school. Do you need us now?”

  “As soon as you can get here.”

  “Okay,” he said. “We’ll be right over.”

  In moments, Mark and Annie stood at her door. She welcomed them in with hugs. “Mark, I think you’ve grown a few inches since you’ve been home.”

  He stood straighter. “I think I have, too. I’m five-eight now.”

  “You are not,” Annie quipped. “I’m five-five, and you’re not that much taller than me.”

  Sylvia turned to the girl who was so special to her. “Annie, you just grow more beautiful every day. Look at you.” She took her face in her hands and kissed her cheek. “So tell me about that boy Josh. Has he called you?”

  Annie cocked her head and crossed her arms. “Miss Sylvia, you were trying to fix me up with him, weren’t you?”

  “Of course I was,” Sylvia said. She led them through the house, to the attic stairs. “Why wouldn’t I? When I meet a wonderful boy, wouldn’t I want him to meet the most precious girl I know?”

  Annie grinned and shot a look at Mark. “I told you.”

  “You should listen to her,” Mark said. “I’m getting to know Josh at church. He helps out with the youth group. He’s pretty cool.”

  Sylvia started up the ladder. “So has he called you or not?”

  “Not.” Annie followed her up. “Big bummer. I thought we hit it off, too.”

  Sylvia waited until Mark was up, then led them to the crib. “Well, maybe I need to get creative. Have another party or something.”

  Annie laughed. “No, Miss Sylvia. It’s okay. If he doesn’t like me, he doesn’t like me. I’m okay with it. There are other fish in the sea.”

  “Sharks, you mean.” Mark snickered. “The guys you pick are more like great whites.”

  “I’m only nineteen,” Annie said, ignoring him. “I’m in my first year of college. I’m not looking for a husband, okay?”

  “Okay,” Sylvia said. “But you should know that I met Harry in my first year of college. We didn’t get married until four years later, but I knew.”

  “I like Josh, but not that much, Miss Sylvia. I didn’t go out shopping for a wedding dress the day after we met.”

  Sylvia shook her head and grinned at Mark. “They’re not cooperating with me, Mark. What’s a woman to do?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. “But if you see any cute girls and want to fix me up, I promise to cooperate.”

  When they had gotten the crib down, she had them bring down the boxes of baby things that she had put up so many years ago. When it was all down, she paid Mark and sent him back home. Annie stayed behind to help her decorate one of the bedrooms for the baby.

  As they sat on the floor digging out motherhood memorabilia, Sylvia got misty-eyed. She pulled out a threadbare homemade doll and gazed down at it. Sarah had carried it around until it had fallen apart. Sylvia had completely reconstructed it three times.

  She reached into the box and pulled out a tiny baseball cap. Jeff had never wanted to take it off. Most nights, he’d fallen asleep in it, and they’d slipped it off without waking him. It seemed like so long ago.

  “Don’t rush your life, Annie,” she whispered. “It goes by so fast. You just have to hang on to every single moment.”

  Annie smirked. “Hey, you’re the one trying to marry me off. I’m not in any hurry.”

  She set the doll down and pulled out a worn-out blanket that had covered both her babies. “When your kids are young, you’re tired and busy, and you just think they’ll be that way forever. And then one day, you find yourself sitting on the floor looking through all the stuff that had so little meaning before…”

  She looked up at Annie and saw the tears in her eyes. “Miss Sylvia, are you sure you want to do this?”

  She tried to rally. “Yes, I’m sure. I want to fix this room up for little Bree. Last time she was here, she had to sleep in a playpen. This time I want her to have the crib. They’re coming for Christmas, you know.”

  Annie looked around at the decorations she’d already arranged. Small Christmas trees in every room, real garland strung all over the house…

  “Miss Sylvia, how did you get the energy to do all this? It would make Martha Stewart proud.”

  Sylvia knew she was right. She had done a good job this year. “My kids are really worried about me,” she said. “I don’t want them coming home to a sick house. I want them to be excited here, happy, like they were so many other Christmases. I want them to forget about my cancer.”

  Annie’s soft eyes fell on her. “How long are they staying?”

  “Until the day before my next treatment on the 27th. I’m so blessed that the doctor let me postpone my next treatment until after Christmas. I’m at my best this week. Isn’t God good?”

  Annie’s face sobered. She pulled some blocks out of the box, stacked them up on the floor. “Yes, he’s good.” But her face belied the statement.

  Sylvia pulled the crib bumper pads out of the box. They were wrapped in a garbage bag, carefully preserved so they wouldn’t yellow and collect dirt. “Look at these. They look as fresh as they did the day I packed them up.”

  Annie wasn’t listening. She hugged her knees. “Miss Sylvia, do you ever just get mad at God and ask him why?”

  Sylvia set the pads down and looked fully at her young friend. “Why would I be mad?”

  “The cancer.” Tears filled the girl’s eyes. “Because sometimes I do. It just seems like you’re supposed to be blessed when you’re serving God. Not cursed.”

  “So you think my cancer is a curse?”

  “Don’t you?”

  She smiled and recalled her declaration to her children on Thanksgiving. She had meant it then…and she meant it even more now. “No, I don’t think it’s a curse, Annie,” she said. “I think my cancer is a gift.”

  “A gift?” Annie wiped a tear as it rolled down her cheek. “How?”

  “It’s a gift that gives me new opportunities. Think about it. If I’m healed, then I’ll have a testimony about how God brought me through a fatal disease. I’ll be able to help others with terminal illness. I’ll know how to relate to them, in a way that others can’t possibly know.”

  “And if you’re not healed?”

  The question was blunt, but Sylvia knew that Annie didn’t mean it maliciously. She had grown so close to her over the year she’d spent with her on the mission field. And Annie wasn’t one to hold much in.

  “If I’m not healed, if this disease takes me, then I can guarantee you one thing. I’m not going to go without taking a lot of people with me.”

  Annie frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that if I’m going to leave people behind, I’m going to make sure they’ll be coming to join me someday. I’ll make up my mind to win every single soul I can to Christ before the Lord takes me home. A woman who’s ill is taken a little more seriously when she talks about matters of the soul, don’t you think?”

  Annie nodded. “So you really think it’s a gift?”

  “Yes, Annie, I do. It is a gift. And I need to be thankful for it.”

  Later, when the crib was up and the baby’s room was decorated, and Annie had gone home, Sylvia sat out on the swing on her back porch, watching the sun set over the Smokies. Yes, she thought. Her afternoon with Annie had given her clarity. While she planned to fight her cancer with everything she had in her, she also planned to use it. She had always said that the Lord doesn’t give gifts that he doe
sn’t equip one to use.

  That meant that the Lord would turn her cancer into a tool. A tool for winning souls.

  She heard Harry’s car pulling into the garage and suddenly realized how very tired she was. But it was a good kind of tired. She had accomplished much today. And there was much more to do.

  CHAPTER

  Forty-Six

  Sylvia managed to pull off the Christmas she’d planned for her family. Within a couple of days of being home, both Sarah and Jeff seemed to forget their mother was ill. They stopped walking around with somber faces, trying to keep the baby quiet, and watching every word they said to her.

  By Christmas Day, the family had relaxed completely, and it felt like old times. Sarah helped her in the kitchen while Harry played with Breanna, and Jeff and Gary watched a ball game in the den.

  By the time the dinner was served and eaten, chemo exhaustion was pulling at her. Harry insisted on cleaning the dishes so that Sylvia could lie down for a nap, while the kids went to visit high school friends from town.

  That night, as her children continued to visit with friends, Sylvia joined the neighbors at Tory’s house for her annual Christmas night celebration. The Christmas paper had all been thrown away and the presents were no longer new. It was the perfect time to gather and relax from the harried pace of the season.

  They sipped eggnog and munched on Chex mix and watched Tory’s Christmas morning video of Spencer and Brittany and baby Hannah tearing into their presents. Harry read the Christmas story from the Bible, while David sat quietly, tolerant of the observation. Sylvia sat with baby Hannah on her lap, and Joseph leaned next to her on the couch, patting her arm in a quiet affirmation that he knew what she was going through.

  All seemed right with the world. Her abundant blessings were too many to count.

  That night as Brenda and David and the kids headed back to their house, David put his arm around Brenda and kissed her on the cheek. “I love you,” he whispered.