Sophie's Heart

by Lori Wick

  His testimony was strong, and yet he did not turn people off. No one offered him anything to drink, and his coworkers seemed genuinely pleased that he had brought a date. To a person, they all guessed that Brad had met Sophie at church. Although Sophie told people that she and Brad did indeed go to the same church, they were utterly delighted when they learned that they met when Brad had taught her to drive. She relayed all of this to her date on the drive home, and Brad seemed very pleased and uplifted by her encouraging comments.

  "I know you are have impact, Brad, and I am excited for you."

  "Thank you, Sophie. For the most part they are a great group of people, and there are a few who have come to me when tragedy has struck their lives. I pray in time the Lord will open even more doors for my witness."

  The ground was icy by 11:00, so Brad saw Sophie all the way to her stairs before he said good night, but she was no more inside her door than she realized she had forgotten to do something in

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  the kitchen. She didn't bother with her coat this time, but carefully navigated the steps and then used her key to get inside.

  Going right to the light over the stove, Sophie then pulled the large roasting pan from the cupboard by the oven with a minimum of noise, but was still wrestling the 12-pound turkey from the freezer when her boss appeared.

  "Here, let me help you with that."

  Sophie moved back and let him place it in the pan. She made room in the refrigerator and then thanked him when he put it inside.

  "You're welcome."

  "I am sorry to come in late and wake you," Sophie said with real regret.

  "I was still up, and actually I'm glad I caught you." He pulled a chair from one end of the kitchen table, and Sophie understood that she was to sit down. Alec sat at the other end and said, "I need to ask you how the kids did with their Christmas shopping."

  "I think well. Tory found present for Beth, and Craig found present for Jeremy. Rita is still looking for gift for Brian, but she says she knows what she wants."

  "Good," he said softly and fell silent. Sophie had the impression that he was not done, but he only sat there.

  "Did you need me to shop for you, Mr. Riley?"

  Alec looked at her as if he had just realized she was there. "Vanessa always did it," he said, his voice contemplative. "Last year we didn't have anything. I mean, the kids and I didn't shop. It was still too painful. I wanted to do better this year, but I don't know what to buy. I mean, they always need clothes, but I don't know the sizes."

  Alec fell silent and Sophie said gently, "It still seems sudden to you. Like it was day before and not year before."

  "Yeah." Alec's voice held wonder that someone had guessed so correctly. He wasn't even looking at Sophie when he continued. "I never thought we would do anything but grow old together. We were health-conscious since heart problems run in both our families; car accidents simply didn't figure into the picture. I can still see Craig's face after he'd gone to the door. It was an officer and the county coroner; they'd come to tell me I was a widower. The numbness set in right away. It started in my heart and just spread outward until I couldn't even feel my fingers.

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  "All the kids wanted to do was stay home after that. Vanessa's very essence filled this house, and they wanted to be home more than ever. I just wanted to move away. I couldn't even go near the bed. I slept in the chair for weeks. And that first night," agony covered his features, but he didn't stop, "that first night I couldn't even breathe. God had to breathe for me. I swear He did, or I wouldn't have made it. Now I feel it all over again at the mall. I don't know what the kids want for Christmas, and I want to come through for them, but everywhere I look I see her face. One woman will have Van's hair and another will look like her from the back. And it's the twenty-first. The stores are so packed that you can barely get through, and I don't know what the kids will say if I don't have anything again this year."

  He fell silent at that point and remained that way. Sophie couldn't move or speak for long moments, and then she said softly, "Rita likes white radio she saw at Kohl's Department Store. Is square shape with large numbers and alarm with snooze."

  Again Alec looked at her as if just seeing she was there, but he recovered swiftly and reached to his front shirt pocket for a pen and paper. He wrote furiously, and Sophie continued.

  "Tory says her in-line skates pinch her toes, and she would like to have knee and wrist pads. She now wears size 5 shoe. Craig looked for long time at computer game at Best Buy. Is call Blaster Squad and has joy stick. Tory brought home paper from school that said Christmas stockings were good time to stock school supplies-pencils, glue, crayons, and paper. All children like candy with nuts from Fanny May in mall, and all children have holes in socks."

  Sophie stopped then and waited for Alec to finish writing. "Rita bought big thing of Christmas wrapping. If you hide presents and leave me note, I can wrap for you."

  "Thank you, Sophie," Alec said in a low voice, his emotions still very close to the surface.

  Sophie stood. "I am go home now."

  Alec stood as well, but didn't walk her to the door. They both said good night, and when the door closed, Alec sat back down. He realized then that he was trembling all over.

  "I was so afraid," he whispered to God, tears rushing to his eyes. "I was so afraid that I wouldn't find them anything, Lord, but You provided." The tears spilled over now. "Please help me get through this," he sobbed softly. "She's not here for them, Lord, so I have to be. Please help me to do this."

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  He had laid his head on his arms, and let the grief and hurt flow over him. Hoarse sobs racked his frame for some minutes until he remembered Sophie's list. He prayed for calm and praised God for this direction, asking for help to do his best with the task.

  He slept hard that night with little or no remembrance of what he had said to his housekeeper. But when the stores opened the next morning, Alec Riley was there, list in hand. The shopping was completed by noon when he rushed the packages home to Sophie. Dropping everything she was doing in order to wrap them, Sophie had them under the tree before the children arrived home from school.

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  "Sophie's not going to eat with us?"

  "No, Tory, she's not."

  "But why? Did you say something, Craig?" she accused.

  "No, Tory," he defended himself, looking upset as well.

  "That's enough now, Tory," Alec told her. "It has nothing to do with Craig. Sophie just doesn't feel comfortable doing that, and we have to respect her wishes."

  But none of them felt good about it. The Christmas Eve meal laid out before them was like something out of a magazine, and Sophie alone had seen to it. The plan had been that she would only help, but it hadn't worked that way. The fact that she had had to work on Sunday was bad enough, but to cook such a meal and then go home alone was almost more than the children could take. It was clear from the uncut turkey to the perfect Jello salad that she hadn't taken any for herself.

  "Maybe you should take her a plate right now, Tory," her father suggested, and the little girl's face cleared. She ran to the cupboard for another plate, and when she returned all hands joined in filling it from the table.

  "Will you be able to carry that?"

  "Yes," Tory told him, and Alec held the door as she left with hersteaminggift.

  Torywas not able to knock on Sophie's door, but kicked it softly with her foot. Sophie's eyes were huge when she saw who it was.

  "My Tory, where is your coat?"

  "I couldn't take time for it, Sophie. I had to bring this while it was hot."

  Sophie took the plate, set it on the table, and then took Tory into her arms. "Thank you, my Tory. Was it good?"

  "We haven't eaten yet."

  "Oh, no, Tory! You did not have to do this."

  "It's all right. We wanted to."

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  Sophie shook her head, but she was smiling. "You better get back."

&n
bsp; Tory nodded and started toward the door, but did not go out. "We're leaving tomorrow."

  "Your father told me."

  "Are you going to work?"

  "Not tomorrow, but during the week."

  "You know what, Sophie?"

  "What?"

  "If you'll watch 'The Price is Right' here, and I watch it in Chicago, it'll be like we're watching it together."

  Sophie'seyes grew very round. "This is wonderful idea. I will do it."

  Tory smiled.

  "Go now, Tory. Eat your meal."

  "All right."

  "Merry Christmas, my Tory."

  "Merry Christmas, Sophie."

  Sophie smiled at the closed door for long minutes after the little girl left. How thoughtful she had been. Even before the smell of the food assaulted Sophie's senses, she had decided that it was going to be a very merry Christmas indeed.

  Alec's satisfaction over his children's response to the gifts he had bought knew no bounds. He'd purchased exactly what Sophie had recommended, and right down to Tory, they were thrilled. They had shopped for him as well, and when he saw the shirt, socks, razor blades, and shampoo that were all the right sizes and brands, he knew Sophie must have had a hand in this as well.

  "Oh!" Rita cried, when the floor under the tree was emptying out fast. "There's a basket of gifts here from Sophie."

  "Who're they for?"

  "All of us."

  Rita began to hand them out, and in the next few seconds they opened them and all sat in silence as they beheld the gifts to which she had obviously given great thought. Alec had only received a card, and he now read it out loud.

  Dear Mr. Riley,

  Please accept this card with my thanks for the job you have given me. I hope that I am serving you well. I

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  also wish to say that I hope the gifts for the children are acceptable and not painful for them. If I have overstepped my place, I apologize. Merry Christmas to you and the children.

  Your servant because of Christ's love,

  Sophia Velikonja

  Alec noticed absently that there wasn't a single misspelled or misused word before he gave his attention to the gifts in his children's hands. Both Tory and Rita held beautiful gold lockets. The chains were delicate, and Tory was working on opening the tiny etched door. Tears rushed to her eyes when she opened it and saw a small picture of her mother inside. Rita's was identical in every way. Craig held a beautiful silver picture frame with the same picture. It was blown up, of course, but still just as lovely, capturing their mother's bright smile and shiny dark head of hair.

  Each of the gifts was passed into Alec's hands, who gave them great attention before sighing deeply.

  "This was very thoughtful," he said quietly, not wanting to have tears this night. "I want you guys to take time to thank Sophie before we leave tomorrow."

  "We have a gift for her," Craig offered.

  "Yeah," Rita added. "It's a picture we found at The Bread Shop. She doesn't have any on her walls."

  "I'm sure she'll enjoy it."

  "Rita picked it out," Craig felt he had to explain, "but she put all our names on it."

  "Good" was all Alec could manage. Lately the Lord had been showing His love in amazing ways, and oftentimes it was through the kind acts of their housekeeper.

  "I still wish she could have eaten with us," Tory said, and for the first time Craig genuinely wished she had as well.

  ***

  "Merry Christmas, my babushka."

  "Sophie, my darling," Kasmira cried. "How wonderful your voice. Where are you calling from?"

  "The Rileys. Mr. Riley gave me permission to pay him.It's too cold ina phone box, and talking to youIsbetter than any gift."

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  "I wish I could have sent you something."

  "All I need to hear is your voice. How are you?"

  "Doing well. Still very stiff, but up and moving some."

  "Good. I wish I could be there."

  "And I wish I could be there."

  "You can be." Excitement lit Sophie's voice.

  "Oh, my darling, I was not really serious. The doctors say things look good, but I am too old now. To come such a distance would probably put me in my grave."

  "I knew you would be difficult." Sophie sounded more resigned than she felt. "I have even checked into airfares. It's cheaper to buy a round trip and not use it, but that's not the biggest problem. The biggest problem is convincing you to come."

  "How is your weather?"

  Sophie sighed gently. Christmas was not the day for an argument, but she was so tempted.

  "It is very cold and snowy. The hills are beautiful. I'm going to Gladys' today, and I'll wear my tall boots and long coat. Did you and Eduard share a meal?"

  "Yes. He cooked and I played the invalid."

  Sophie laughed at this since Kasmira had never played the invalid in her life. It put a light note to the end of their conversation. When they hung up, Sophie was actually able to say goodbye without crying. However, tears did come to her eyes when she returned to her apartment and looked under the tree at her gift from the children. With her grandmother ill, it was the only one she received. Sophie knew she would treasure it forever.

  ***

  "My, Alec, but this Sophie person has certainly made an impression on Tory."

  "Oh?" Alec looked across the Rings' living room at his mother the very next night. "How's that?"

  "She talks about her all the time. She sounds almost too good to be true."

  "Well, she's very good at what she does," Alec told her sincerely.

  "So I understand, but if she's so fluent in all of those languages, why is she cleaning house for a living?"

  Alec exchanged a look with Janet who was at the other end of the sofa. Janet then exchanged a look with David, who had just come in with her father, Ben Riley.

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  "What's this?" Ben wanted to know, and Kay, Alec and Janet's mother, explained.

  "Maybe Tory misunderstood her" was all Ben could offer.

  "Hey, Mom!" Beth now came charging into the living room, Tory on her heels, a new Christmas video clutched in the older girl's hand. "Can Tory and I watch this in your room? Brian and Rita and those guys don't want to."

  "Sure, just don't horse around on the bed."

  "We won't. C'mon, Tory."

  Tory started away, but Alec called her name.

  "Yeah, Dad."

  "Come here a minute." He waited until she was directly in front of him. "Tell me about the languages Sophie speaks. You've never talked about that before."

  "Oh! Well, I know she speaks Czechoslovakia, or however you say it, and we heard her talk German at The Shoe Box. Then I think she might speak Italian, or maybe it's French. Why did you want to know?"

  "I did, dear," her grandmother explained. "It's just amazing that a woman with such an education is cleaning houses for a living."

  Tory looked at her grandmother and then back at her father.

  "Why did you want to know, Dad?"

  "I was just curious, honey."

  A look came over Tory's face that Alec couldn't read before she said, "You're not sending her away, are you, Dad?"

  "No, honey, of course not."

  Her little body went stiff and tears came to her eyes. "Because she says she wants to do her languages again someday, but she says we're important to her. And if you send her away I'll-"

  "Tory, Tory." Her father tried to stop this sudden panic. He was rubbing her stiff arms and speaking gently into her face. "I'm not, Tory. I think it's great that Sophie is so well learned, and I'm not sending her away. I wouldn't do that."

  She covered her face with her hands then and sobbed. Alec pulled her into his lap, and she hid her face against his chest. David, who had sat on the sofa between Alec and his wife, reached over and gently rubbed her back.

  "Are you going to go watch that video with Beth?" he asked quietly.

  Tory nodded her head yes and sniffed. T
hat she was embarrassed was obvious by the way she wouldn't look at anyone but her father.

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  "It's okay now. There's nothing to be upset about," Alec added.

  Tory slid from his lap and walked from the room. Beth was still standing at the doorway.

  "What's the matter, Tory?"

  "Nothing. I'm all right."

  "Did you get in trouble?"

  "No."

  When the girls' footsteps could be heard on the floor upstairs, Kay said, "I'm sorry, Alec. I had no idea it would upset her."

  "I can understand it," David put in. "She's taken to Sophie like a duck to water, and she thought you were draining the pond."

  "Well, I'm not," Alec assured them. "I could build 20 houses a year if all my workers were as dedicated and capable as Sophie."

  "You know," Janet said, her eyes on some distant spot, "David and I have thought all along that there was more to Sophie than she ever shared."

  "She's so open and warm when she listens," David now added, "but she doesn't talk about herself."

  "Except to the kids, it would seem." Alec made this comment, and for some reason no one wanted to respond. A moment later the conversation turned to more general topics.

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  ALEC AND THE KIDS DID NOT GET AWAY from Chicago until late on Thursday, the twenty-eighth, and Craig and Tory both fell asleep 30 miles down the road. Rita was in the front seat next to Alec, and they were talking in low voices. Rita had given more details on Sophie, and Alec was slightly abashed over what he was hearing. She spokefivedifferent languages outside of English-not only spoke them, but had actively worked with them when she was a translator.

  "I feel like I should apologize to her, Rita. I know there have been times when I treated her like she was a bit slow."

  "I did, Dad. When we talked that morning, I told her how sorry I was. She was very understanding, but I sure learned the hard way how not to judge people."

  "She helped me with the gifts I bought for you kids."

  "She went with you?"

  "No, but I actually sat at the kitchen table with her one night and rambled on like an idiot. She just sat there and listened. I'm not even sure what I said, but I know it was about your mother and you kids. Then she simply told me what you wanted, and I shopped the next day. But I remember that I cried like a baby after she left."