by Meltem Y. K
CHAPTER 19
It was a beautiful September day in Waterloo, a balmy twenty-five degrees. Summer was short in south-western Ontario, but some days it was hot as hell and humid. People waited all winter for summer; when it finally arrived, air conditioners worked non-stop to cool the air. Hot was fine, but sticky was not.
Pavlina had completed her studies at Wilfred Laurier University earning herself a degree and a teacher’s license. Jayna had gone to University of Waterloo where she was now enrolled in a PhD program. Jayna’s schooling was not done yet, not for another few years. Pavlina had chosen to continue her Master’s degree part-time while she taught school. She was embarking on her career as a teacher in middle-school, teaching grades seven and eight. She didn’t want to teach the younger grades, she thought she would be far better at teaching older kids. Grades seven and eight were very important, in her opinion. Those were the transition years between the elementary grades and high school, and the best fit for her.
Life wasn’t fair. Children were expected to make decisions that would impact their lives at such an early age. The courses they took in grade nine set the stage whether they would be college or university bound. There was an incredible amount of pressure on children to make the right choices in school and work hard. Some were able to handle the pressure while others were not. The best thing I can do for my students is prepare them so that they can succeed in high school, Pavlina thought. As a newly minted teacher, she was enthusiastic and more than ready to tackle the job.
Hope was three years old and being cared for by Ayshen since her birth. Ayshen treated Hope as one of her own grandkids. Pavlina’s little girl was in good hands; she had nothing to worry about in that area.
Intellectually, Hope was very advanced. As an evolved being she had retained the memory of her Astral life before being born as Pavlina’s daughter – they were sisters in their previous incarnation in ancient Egypt. When Jayna broke the news to Pavlina, she took it well. She wasn’t even surprised that much. After everything they had experienced together, she understood that they were connected at a much deeper level than just being friends. They were souls who had made a pact to incarnate together, life after life, to support each other. Pavlina did not develop the ability to shift to the Astral dimension, but she was given the gift of vision, the ability to see dangerous events a few seconds before they took place. She suspected the gift was a defense mechanism for their protection. She, too, used her gift discretely.
The five of them - Jayna, Liam, Pavlina, Hope and Ayshen - had formed a tiny community of Lightworkers. Only they knew the extent of their respective gifts and abilities. Ayshen had taken on the role of mother hen to her little flock. They could go to her for comfort and advice when they couldn’t go to their own mothers.
Pavlina’s parents had since reconciled. They were back together, but had settled in the west coast. The physical distance gave Pavlina the space she needed to grow into an independent young woman. Pavlina had proven herself on all accounts; she was a dedicated mother and a successful student. Her parents were no longer remorseful that she had ruined her life. They loved Hope to bits, showered her with gifts, and provided financial support to Pavlina and the baby.
Life was great, and Pavlina was counting all her blessings.
She was playing in the back yard of her rented house with Hope when Jayna came by. Jayna was tired; she collapsed on the picnic table. Hope ran and gave Jayna a hug and went back to her game.
“Will you keep an eye on Hope while I get some lemonade,” Pavlina asked.
Jayna nodded, “Sure I will.”
Pavlina came back within a minute carrying a tray. She placed it on the table and sat down across from Jayna.
“Hope told me what happened last night,” she said.
Jayna nodded again.
“How is Liam doing?”
“Liam is taking it rather well. He knows that he will see Mia every night when he shifts, but seeing her lifeless body this morning was still hard on both of us. My parents had a total shock. Of course, the vet said Mia died in her sleep from heart failure. Since that’s the only logical explanation, they believed it. Everyone was in tears; there was no way to avoid that.”
“You look beat, Jay. How are you doing?” Pavlina asked.
“I need some rest. I apparently consumed some toxic substance yesterday, although I had no idea. I kept having little blackouts, next thing you know a demon is lashing at me. If Mia hadn’t jumped in front of me, I would have been the one they found dead in her sleep this morning.”
Pavlina’s face went dead white; a shiver ran through her body.
“Oh my God, Jay. How could that have happened? All your friends at the university know that you don’t drink. How could someone do this to you? Did they think they were being funny?”
Pavlina shrugged. “I shouldn’t blame anyone; the Master said it wasn’t done intentionally. Ethan took me to see a Master; he gave us techniques to identify and neutralize toxic substances. So from now on if I am not at home or a place I completely trust, I will scan my food and drink before I consume it. I won’t be lucky a second time.”
“You look like you could use a nap. Did you get any sleep last night?” Pavlina asked. She was worried about Jayna’s health; not that she was ever sick, but she had a close call last night, lost her dog, re-lived it a second time with her parents. This couldn’t be easy on her. As evolved as she was, she was still human.
“This is very relaxing here, Pav. Maybe I’ll sleep in that hammock while you play with Hope.
“That’s a great idea. Go on, get in the hammock and close your eyes. You look like you are ready to collapse.”
Jayna finished drinking her lemonade and climbed into the hammock. She closed her eyes for a few seconds let the gentle rocking motion of the hammock loll her to a near-sleep state. She could see Pavlina and Hope like a blur.
“Hey Pav,” she called out.
“Yes Jay.”
“Guess where I went last night, I mean this morning?
“Which dimension are we talking about?”
“This world, but the other dimension.”
“Oh, that’s rather interesting, this world but not in this dimension. How many guesses do I have?” Pavlina asked turning it into a game.
“Only one.” Jayna was making it tough.
“Only one?”
“Yep, you get only one guess.”
“What do I get if I guess correctly?”
“Oh, I will think of an appropriate prize for you.” Jayna’s words were slurring, she was almost asleep.
“Paris.” Pavlina guessed.
“Not fair, you shouldn’t be able to guess it that easily.”
“Oh, yes I can, especially when you narrow it down to only one guess. You are too tired Jay, go to sleep.”
Jayna drifted off while Pavlina laughed and played with Hope. It was a perfect weather to be napping in a hammock while a gentle breeze cooled her off. An hour later Jayna opened her eyes and tried to remember where she was.
“Ethan,” she said.
“Sorry, just Hope and I,” Pavlina said. “Earth calling Jayna. Wake up sleepy head.”
Jayna hopped down from the hammock and stretched like a lazy cat.
“I was out like a light bulb,” she said. I feel a lot better now, but I think I should go splash some water on my face.”
“How about some coffee?” Pavlina asked after her as Jayna walked into the house.
“Perfect,” Jayna said. “I could use some.”
Pavlina went to brew some coffee while Jayna freshened up. Hope came in and settled on the couch in her favorite spot, Lucky jumped on her lap. She stroked the cat’s head while Lucky purred with delight.
Pavlina gave Hope some fruit to eat while the adults indulged in a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
“So, are you going to tell me anymore about your trip to Paris?”
“Aha,” Jayna said looking for Pavlina’s laptop. “I have better idea.”
<
br /> Jayna’s fingers tapped on the keyboard for a few seconds, and then her face lit up.
“Viola. Come see where I was this morning.”
Both Pavlina and Hope huddled around the laptop looking at Le Petit Café de Marie. Jayna clicked on the photos to make them bigger and show them to Pavlina and Hope.
“So, did you get to eat any of these scrumptious desserts?” Pavlina wanted to know.
“I did.”
“They sure look yummy,” Hope said.
“Hmmm, looking at all this good food is making me hungry,” Jayna said.
“I can make you a sandwich,” Pavlina offered.
“I want to try an experiment,” Jayna said.
“What experiment?” Pavlina’s voice was a bit cautious.
“Nothing to worry about, Pav. I just need a few seconds, if it works it works, if it doesn’t it doesn’t; no harm done.”
Jayna sat on the couch in a comfortable position and closed her eyes. She kept her eyes closed maybe five seconds, and then she opened them. Pavlina’s gaze was fixed on Jayna’s face so she didn’t see much else.
Hope clapped her hands in childish delight and squealed, “Jayna, you are the best.”
It took Pavlina another second to see what all the commotion was about. Jayna was holding a selection of pastries in her hands.
“Oh my gosh! Did you just go to Paris and bring those pastries back for us?” Pavlina asked.
“Yep, that was the experiment. Let’s eat.”
They each took a piece of dessert and went about the business of sampling the goodies from Marie’s café, savoring every morsel.
“Now, listen Hope, I don’t want you trying anything like this, okay.”
Hope nodded her agreement.
“Jay, is this the first time you did this? I mean physically transport objects between….places?” Pavlina’s eyes were ready to pop out of her head. This was too amazing.
“Yes, it is. I never had a reason to try it before. Although I am sure there is a limit to how much I can carry from one place to another.”
“Jay, this opens up a whole new dimension to your Astral skills. I wonder if Ethan can do it?” Pavlina wondered.
“I don’t know, I will ask him. He never lies to me, but sometimes he does not talk about things if he deems them restricted. He knows everything about me, but I only know what he is allowed to tell me. His answer is always the same: “The Masters have their reason. It isn’t for us to question it. We must trust them completely – and we do.”
Pavlina and Hope were licking their fingers. “I can’t believe how tasty these things are. Do you think you could talk Marie into opening a café here?” Pavlina asked.
“I don’t think I can do that Pav, she lives in Paris; that’s a long ways away from Waterloo. Although I certainly hope that Ethan’s company will open a location here.”
Pavlina’s ears perked up. “Ethan told you things about his life on Earth? I thought that was off limits.”
Jayna nodded, “It is off limits, but last night he took me to his new office after making me promise I wouldn’t try to pinpoint the location. He has a new position: He is a CEO now,” Jayna said proudly.
Pavlina’s mouth opened in surprise. “Wow!”
“I am so proud of him, Pav. You should see his office. I love it.”
“How did all of this happen so suddenly?” Pavlina asked. “I thought the topic of your lives on Earth was off limits.”
Jayna shrugged. “Actually, he knows where I live and where I go to school, and everything. I am the one who is kept in the dark. Yesterday, I was so excited about getting my own office at the university I had to give him the grand tour. So when we shifted, I took him to my office, that’s when he decided that he would reciprocate and give me a tour of his office. He also saw the watercolors I made of our cabin in. He wants me to make one for his office too.” Jayna smiled dreamily. “I asked him if it would be okay for me to do our portraits.”
“And,” Pavlina asked holding her breath.
“He thought about it and said he didn’t think that would break any rules. I can’t wait to get started.”
“No kidding, a portrait of you together.”
“I want a portrait of me and mommy, Jay. Will you paint us too?” Hope asked.
Jayna looked at Hope’s beautiful face, touched her pink cheek. “Of course, I will sweetie. I will get started on it right away.”
Jayna pulled out her cell phone and snapped a photo of Hope sitting on her mother’s lap. Hope moved around, gave a few more poses for the camera.
“Hey, are you going to be a model?”
“Maybe,” Hope’s eyes sparkled mischievously.
“So, are you ready to be a teacher?” Jayna asked.
“I sure am. I can’t wait to start actually. I went to the school this morning and worked for a few hours. Hope came along too.” Pavlina said.
“I like mommy’s class, Jay. It’s awesome.”
“Do you want to go to school Hope?
“Yep, I will go next year, when I am four.”
“Aha, I bet you will be the smartest kid in your class.” Jayna said.
“Mommy says I shouldn’t show off,” Hope said.
“Right, that’s true. Showing off is not very nice. You just do what the teacher tells you and play with all the children in your class, Hope. And remember, they aren’t like you, so you don’t say anything about the stuff that we do.” Jayna reminded her.
“I know about that Jay. I am just happy that I will go to school and play with all the children.”
“I bet Ayshen will miss you.”
“No, she won’t. She will still see me before and after school.”
“Smarty pants.”
“Jayna, will you really paint all of our portraits,” Hope asked.
“I plan to; in fact I can’t wait to get started.”
Hope clapped her hands excitedly and ran off. She found her sandals, sat down and put them on.
“Going somewhere,” asked Pavlina.
“Yes, I want us all to go to the Blue Park. I want to play there.”
“Blue Park?” Jayna asked.
“Yeah, it’s Hope’s favorite playground. She dubbed it Blue Park as that seems to be the color they painted most of the things in the park.”
Jayna stood up. “Okay, let’s go to the Blue Park.”
Pavlina drove since it was simpler to go in one car and Hope had to sit in her car seat. It was only a few minutes ride. They found a lot of kids there, making the most of a beautiful summer day. There were a few moms as well, chatting while their kids played.
Jayna and Pavlina sat on one of the benches, Hope ran off to join the kids.
“I love this weather,” Jayna said.
“Who doesn’t?” Pavlina answered. “It is rare when we don’t have the heat or the AC turned on. It’s either too cold or too hot, today is perfect.”
“I can’t wait to go home and get started on my portraits,” Jayna said.
“I can’t wait to see the finished product.”
“Neither can I.”
“Looks like that minor in Fine Arts came in handy.”
“Yes, it did. I’ve always loved art. I find it very therapeutic.”
Hope came, running back and whispered in Pavlina’s ear. Pavlina looked back at her daughter questioningly. Hope nodded her head.
Jayna was trying to give them privacy, but she couldn’t help hearing “hungry kids” in Hope’s head.
“Is this a big secret or can you guys share?” Jayna asked.
“Hope says that the three children she was playing with are hungry,” Pavlina said.
“They are hungry, mommy, I heard their thoughts.”
Jayna and Pavlina were looking at each other wondering what to do.
“What do we do?” Pavlina asked.
“I don’t know; this is a delicate situation. I wonder if their mom is here.”
Just then one of the three children Hope was pl
aying with fell down and a woman ran to him. He was the youngest of the three. He looked about four years old, the other two were girls, probably around eight and ten respectively. The woman could be their mother; she bent down to look at the little boy, comforted him and kissed his head. She was looking sad and tired.
Jayna tuned into her thoughts, and said a silent sorry to the woman for intruding on her privacy.
The woman was desperate. She was shedding silent tears and calling someone named Joe: What am I going to do Joe? We slept in the car last night, we have nowhere to go, no money left. Kids had nothing to eat since yesterday. Why did you die and leave us? I wish I died with you. I can’t do this alone. Life is merciless.
That was all Jayna had to hear, it was enough to push her into action.
“Pav, Hope is right. Those kids and their mother had nothing to eat since yesterday and they spent the night in their car. I think her husband passed away, I heard her talk to him in her head. She is ready to have a nervous breakdown. We have to do something.”
“What can we do?” Pavlina asked. “How can we approach her without making her run?”
Jayna stood up, “I don’t know, but I gotta do something. I’ll just play it by ear.” She walked over to the woman and put the friendliest smile she could muster on her face.
“Hi there,” she said. “I saw the little one fall, is he okay?”
Hope was there too looking all sweet and trustworthy. She was following Jayna’s cue. Pavlina joined in, she came over too and held Hope’s hand to indicate that she was with them.
“Is your little guy okay?” she asked.
The woman looked at each one of them and nodded. “He’ll be fine, he was just scared.”
Jayna was using every ounce of energy she had to calm the woman down and subside her fears. If they were going to help her, they needed her calm and steady so they could talk. Hope was doing her part being in perfect sync with Jayna’s thoughts. She took the little boys hand and pulled him away.
“Let’s go play, you’re all better now.”
Hope and the little boy went back to playing. Thanks, Hope. Jayna called after her telepathically. Hope turned back and smiled sweetly, acknowledging Jayna’s message of thanks.
Jayna approached the mother. “I am Jayna; this is Pavlina, Hope’s mother.” Jayna said as a way of introducing themselves.
“Hi, I am Marley,” said the young woman.
“Isn’t this a gorgeous day,” Pavlina said sounding as friendly as she could.
“Why don’t you come sit with us over on this bench, Marley? We can watch the kids perfectly from there,” Jayna offered.
Marley smiled shyly and nodded. The three women walked over to the bench where Jayna and Pavlina were sitting earlier.
Oh spirit of the Woodpecker, please help me – Jayna petitioned the Totem in her heart. Help me say just the right things to her so she would open up to us and let us help.
“Do you live around here?” Jayna asked congenially.
“No, not really,” Marley answered.
“You seem a little down, Marley,” Jayna said keeping her fingers crossed and trusting the Totem to do his part. “What could possibly make you sad on such a lovely day?”
“My life,” Marley blurted out, “losing my husband, being homeless, not having any food for my children.” Realizing what she had just said Marley closed her mouth with both her hands, she couldn’t believe how her tongue had wagged with a mind of its own. “I am really sorry for blurting out like that, I don’t know what came over me,” she said. She was embarrassed; tears welled in her eyes.
Jayna reached over and patted Marley’s knee ever so gently and offered silent thanks to the Totem for its support.
“I am very sorry for your loss, Marley. When did your husband die?” she asked.
“Joe died very suddenly. He was healthy all his life. A few months ago he started having pains in his abdomen. Finally, I convinced him to go see a doctor. They did some tests and scans; then the doctor’s office called to tell him he had to go in immediately. He was in the advanced stages of pancreatic cancer. The doctor said he had a week to put his affairs in order.” Marley wiped the tears from her eyes. “A week isn’t really enough to put your affairs in order. He passed away as the doctor had said,” she swallowed back a sob and took a deep breath. “He didn’t have any insurance, what little money we had went to pay for the funeral. I couldn’t make the rent so we were evicted yesterday. The kids and I spent the night in our car. We don’t have any family around here. We moved here for work. Joe took dry walling contracts in construction.” Marley couldn’t continue.
Jayna took Marley’s hand in both of her own and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “Death and disasters happen, Marley. You have to learn to count your blessings. Your children are healthy. You will set up your home in another place. What happened to your furniture?”
“We didn’t have a lot. One of the neighbors felt sorry for us and told me she would keep the furniture in her garage, until I find another place. We were renting a townhouse not far from here.” Marley posed and looked at Jayna and Pavlina with pleading eyes. “Who will rent me a house? I have no money.”
“I have an idea. Why don’t we take the children and go over to my place for some milk and cookies?” Pavlina said. “We have a friend who knows a lot of people, has connections. I bet she can help. We’ll call her to come over. She has a heart of gold. She’ll know what to do.”
Marley had no idea why she trusted these two strangers she met in the playground, but her gut was telling her to go with them. She nodded her consent.
“Okay, we’ll do as you say. It’s not like I have a lot of options.”
The women stood up and called the children. Hope came running with a big smile on her face. She was tuned into their thoughts and understood where they were in their rescue efforts.
Marley introduced her children. “These are Sara, Bailey and Logan,” she said. “Children, we are going over to Pavlina’s house for some milk and cookies.” The kids’ eyes sparkled when they heard milk and cookies. Pavlina’s heart ached. She could not imagine Hope going hungry. These children had nothing to eat since yesterday. How could they even play on empty stomach? They were resilient, that was for sure.
They drove the short distance to Pavlina’s. The children were shy, but Hope was a great little hostess, she immediately brought out some toys to share with them. Marley was shy to come in.
Pavlina insisted, “Please, come in and make yourself comfortable. How about you tell me what the kids like to eat,” she said.
“I hate to put you to any trouble,” Marley said, but she knew her kids were hungry. She had to swallow her pride and accept Pavlina’s hospitality with grace. “Whatever you have is fine,” she said.
Jayna walked over to the kids. “Hey guys, why don’t you tell us what you’d like to eat?”
“Can we have burgers and fries?”
“I want chicken.”
“I want ice cream.”
Marley was embarrassed. “Hey, guys, what happened to your manners?”
Pavlina’s heart squeezed in her chest. Oh God, these children are starving, and they want burgers and chicken from a vegetarian. I can come up with the fries and ice cream, but what about the rest?
Hope had heard her mother’s anguished thoughts. She came running and pulled her mother’s hand. Pavlina looked at Hope’s excited face, not sure what she wanted. Hope pulled her mother down to her level so she could whisper in her ear.
“Look in the fridge, mommy.”
Pavlina knew her daughter’s ability to read people’s thoughts so she asked without speaking. Why?
Hope smiled sweetly, “You’ll see.”
Pavlina thought, Okay, I will look in the fridge if it makes you happy, Hope.
Hope nodded her head enthusiastically and went back to the children.
Jayna was busy trying to monitor everyone’s thoughts to make sure that they handled this rescue m
ission properly. Hope’s bizarre request didn’t escape her. She looked at Pavlina with questioning eyes as discreetly as she could.
Thankfully, Marley was too embarrassed to notice any of these subtle messages being exchanged.
Pavlina went to the fridge and opened the door wondering why Hope was insisting that she look in the fridge. When she did, she used every ounce of self-control she had not to exclaim in a manner that Marley would swear she was crazy. Piled high in the middle of the fridge were several trays of homemade burgers and marinated chicken breasts.
Oh my God! She screamed in her head knowing full well that both Jayna and Hope would hear her. There are trays of meat in the fridge. Where did they come from?
Jayna couldn’t believe what she was hearing. This was the first time that Hope had manifested anything out of thin air. This was pure, unquestionable proof that Hope was evolved to the degree of making miracles happen. Jayna couldn’t wait to tell Ethan about this.
Pavlina quickly recovered from her shock and called for help. “Hey, Jayna, how about you go start the barbeque. We’ll throw these burgers and chicken breasts on it. I’ll cut some potatoes for the fries.”
“Can I help? Please, let me do something to help,” Marley pleaded.
Pavlina opened a drawer and took out two paring knives. “You can help me with the potatoes,” she said.
The small kitchen came alive with all the cooking activity. Jayna turned on the barbeque can came to slice up some veggies. She cut up some zucchini, bell peppers and washed some mushrooms.
“Does anyone want a glass of milk or juice until the food is ready?” Pavlina asked since it would take a good half hour before the meal would be ready even if there were three women preparing it.
“May I have a glass of milk, please?” Bailey asked politely.
Sarah and Logan wanted some milk, too?”
Pavlina poured everyone a glass of milk and left the pitcher on the table for the children to help themselves.
Are these people for real or am I in a dream, God? Marley was asking herself. Do people like them still exist?
The phone rang interrupting the industrious activity of Pavlina’s kitchen.
“It’s Ayshen.” Hope called to her mother.
Pavlina gave her daughter a warning look. Hope smiled sweetly and went back to her playing with the children. Pavlina picked up the phone.
“Hello.”
“Hi Pavlina. How is everything going, honey?” Ayshen asked.
“We have company, Ayshen. We are in the middle of making a meal, but I was going to call you as soon as the kids were done eating.”
“The kids?”
“Yes. Do you think you could swing by?”
“Sure. Maybe you can’t talk; you have company. I had feeling something up, that’s why I called. When you want me to come?”
“Whenever you can, Ayshen.”
“Okay, honey. See you soon.”
Pavlina turned to Marley and thought it was just the right time to talk about Ayshen, since she was counting on her help.
“That was Ayshen, Hope’s babysitter. She is a wonderful woman who is like a second mother to us. She will be coming over soon. I am sure you’ll like her. You’ll see, she will know exactly where to find help for you.”
Jayna took the trays of meat and put them on the grill. She came back for the veggies and barbeque utensils. Pavlina put the potatoes in the deep fryer and got her plates from the cupboard.
“We’ll set up the picnic table outside, that way we can all sit together since my kitchen table is only for four.”
“That’s perfectly fine. I am sure you don’t have a car full of people dropping in on you like this all the time,” Marley said. She was feeling unusually comfortable at a stranger’s house. She was normally shy until she got to know people a little better. She didn’t know what came over her today to be telling her life story to perfect strangers, and then going to eat at their house. She decided it had to be desperation.
Jayna called Hope to come over. She skipped to Jayna’s side.
“Hope, do you think you could whip up some buns to go with those burgers?” she asked.
“Yep.”
“Awesome, just make sure they appear inside the breadbox, okay?”
Hope nodded.
“How long have you been doing this anyway?”
“Oh, I do it at Ayshen’s sometimes, when she runs out of stuff I pull it out of the ether for her.”
“Since when?” Jayna asked again.
“I don’t know, a while.”
Jayna nodded. Hope has been developing new skills. This is extremely important. I don’t recall Ethan saying that he could do anything like this. Wow, I am floored. And I thought it was a big deal for me to bring some pastries from Paris to Waterloo.
Marley helped Pavlina set up the picnic table. The children were milling around the barbeque waiting for the meat to cook.
“Guys, you should all go inside and wash your hands. Hope will show you where the bathroom is. Make sure you do a good job. We don’t want any germs on your hands when you are eating,” Pavlina said.
The kids cheered and ran inside. Jayna put the meat in a black roasting pan and closed the lid to keep it warm. She placed the grilled vegetables on a serving plate. Pavlina brought out a pitcher of pink lemonade, steaming home fries and a big bottle of ketchup. The children returned with clean hands.
Marley watched the happy scene without saying a word, but inside she was offering silent thanks to God for providing this meal for them. She tried not to worry where their next meal would come from. Seeing the goodwill and hospitality of these two young women, Marley’s faith in people was renewed. There were still some good people out there and she was lucky to run into these two.
“Welcome to our humble picnic table everyone,” Pavlina said in the most welcoming voice she could muster. “Please, help yourselves.”
Pavlina proceeded to fill up Hope’s plate with some home fries and grilled vegetables. She also put some ketchup on the fries for her and some on the side of her plate.
Marley followed Pavlina’s example and served her own children. She knew how everyone liked their burgers so she quickly put them together.
Jayna and Pavlina also filled up their plates and soon everyone was enjoying this outdoor meal.
“You guys don’t eat meat?” Sara asked.
Marley had also noticed that their hosts had no meat on their plates although there were plenty to go around.
“We are vegetarians,” Jayna explained.
“What’s that mean?” Logan asked.
“It means we don’t eat meat,” Hope answered.
Logan was amazed. “Wow, you mean you guys never eat hamburgers?”
“Nope.”
“I have a friend at school who is a vegetarian,” Bailey said proudly.
“Would you like to try some grilled veggies?” Pavlina asked. “They are very tasty.”
“They are yummy,” Hope piped in.
Being the eldest Bailey took it upon herself to volunteer on behalf of her siblings. She chose a piece a mushroom, took it gingerly and bit into it taking her time to chew it slowly as her younger siblings watched.
“Hmmm, this is yummy,” Bailey declared.
Marley’s face broke into a smile. She reached to the veggie platter and chose a grilled zucchini medallion. She bit into it and savored the taste.
“I can’t believe we never thought of grilling vegetables,” she said. “This zucchini is very good.” She helped herself to a piece of grilled onion and tried that as well. “And so is this onion.”
Having gained enough confidence that grilled veggies were not yucky Sara and Logan helped themselves to the veggie platter as well.
Soon everyone was stuffed. Logan burped loudly.
“Pig,” Sara called out.
“Excuse me,” Logan said. “Thank you for the burgers, the chicken and the veggies.”
“Yes, thank you for this
lovely meal,” Marley said. “You guys are awesome cooks.”
“You have company,” Bailey said.
All eyes went to Ayshen who was coming down the pathway. Hope got out of her seat and ran to her, hugging Ayshen around her legs. Ayshen bent down and picked her up and kissed her. To all intents and purposes, Ayshen was Hope’s grandmother and this was quite clearly on display for all to see.
“Hi Ayshen, come have some food,” Pavlina offered.
“Thank you honey, but I am not hungry; maybe some coffee.”
Pavlina went inside to put a pot of coffee on. Since everyone was done with their meal Marley asked the children to carry their plates to the sink.
Jayna introduced Ayshen to Marley and to the children. Ayshen said hello to everyone and got busy helping Jayna and Marley clear the picnic table. It was clear that she was the mother figure and these two young women looked up to her. Ayshen was immediately in charge of the little gathering, but in a very motherly way.
The children went to play in the yard while the women took their coffee in Pavlina’s sitting room inside.
“Ayshen, we were telling Marley how you know a lot of people and would probably come up with a plan to help,” Jayna said as a way of getting down to business.
“Sure, honey, what you need help with?”
“Marley is a young widow. She lost her husband recently and was evicted from her home yesterday. We need to find her a place to live. They don’t have any relatives in town.”
Marley nodded to confirm the story.
“You know about government housing, dear?” Ayshen asked.
Marley shook her head, “No.”
“No family or friends?”
“We are from Northern Ontario,” Marley explained. “We came here a couple of years ago. Joe had lost his job up North and couldn’t find anything for a while. He came here, found a job then brought us.”
Ayshen understood Marley’s dilemma. The young widow was in dire straits, but having great faith in miracles, Ayshen was not deterred.
“You work before?” she asked Marley.
“Only as a waitress, I have my high school diploma though. I finished school then worked in one of the local diners for a couple of years until we got married. I had the children and was a stay at home mom.”
Ayshen’s face was thoughtful. Jayna and Pavlina could see the wheels turning in her head. Marley was holding her breath waiting for this motherly woman’s verdict. Would she help her?
“Okay, I think I can get you a place from a friend. I call him, see if he has unit available. You go sign up with housing office, okay? We are doing backwards, but it’s okay. You go apply for Social Assistance, too. Say emergency.” Ayshen checked her watch. “Getting late, government offices close at five pm.”
Ayshen pulled out her cell phone. “I have to call my friend; I pray he can get you a house tonight.”
Ayshen called while Marley held her breath. She spoke fluently, but in her unique way - not the best grammar, but perfectly understandable.
Ayshen listened intently to Ricardo’s answer.
“Yes, she is young widow with three children. They need help.”
Ayshen listened again, all business.
“Okay, I tell her to meet you in the complex. Yes, I know your office. God bless you. See you soon.”
Ayshen looked at the three sets of eyes that were locked on her.
“It’s done; everything okay. You have a three-bedroom unit.” Ayshen’s gaze locked on Marley. “You, my dear, go to housing office and register now.”
Ayshen asked if Marley knew where the housing office was located.
“I am not sure,” Marley said, “but if you could tell me where it is, I am sure I can find it.”
Ayshen checked her watch. “No time to waste. I go with you,” she said. “Bring children too.”
“Thank you for a lovely meal, Pavlina,” Marley said. “I can’t believe what angels you are. You saved us from a certain disaster. God bless you all.”
Marley’s eyes were welling up. “No crying, honey,” Ayshen said. “Crying bring more crying. No more crying for you. You be strong. You have children. You be happy, children be happy.”
Ayshen ushered Marley and the children to their car and they drove away to go to the Housing Office.
“I better get going too,” Jayna said. “I can’t wait to go home and get started on my portrait. I want to surprise Ethan.”
“You do that,” Pavlina said. “I can’t wait to see it.”
“I am really excited about this,” Jayna said. “I don’t know why I never thought about doing it before. I guess all the restrictions about not seeing him in person took my creativity away. Maybe things have changed a bit, I don’t know. Only time will tell.”
Jayna sighed deeply; she was tired. It had been a rather active day with their rescue mission of the young widow and her children.
“I think I am going to take a nice, relaxing bubble bath. I am a bit tired,” Pavlina confessed.
“Inviting Marley and her children over and cooking them a delicious meal was a very nice thing to do, Pav.”
“It’s nothing compared to what you do every night, Jay. Besides, everyone helped.”
“Even I helped,” Hope said.
Pavlina picked up her daughter and kissed her head. “You sure did, sweetheart. You surprised me with your craftiness today. I am so proud of you.”
Hope beamed with pride. “I know what you are thinking. Don’t worry; I won’t do anything in public.”
“Good girl,” Jayna said and kissed Hope’s hand.