The Angelic Occurrence

by Henry K. Ripplinger

  Shortly after seven, Matti called.

  “Hi Jen, how you feeling this evening? Can we chat for a few minutes?”

  “Thank you so much for calling, Matti. I look forward to chatting with you. It’s always so uplifting.”

  “I be uplifted, too, when that disease lifts itself right out of you. In fact I see your angels taking it away. If I were in your backyard I would run first thin’ to the Angel of Thanksgiving and put in a beautiful bouquet for you in thanks.”

  “That’s beautiful, Matti.”

  “Yes, ma’am, we trust in the Lord’s promises, Jen. He came so that you might have life and have it abundantly. All things are possible through Him. Keep the faith strong in your dear angel heart!”

  “Oh, Matti, you sound just like a preacher.” Jenny chuckled.

  “It be my second calling, for sure. At times at our church services, I get so filled with the spirit, the preacher have to come to me and tell me to keep it to myself for a spell so he can finish the service!”

  “I can just picture you singing and dancing, raising your hands in praise, thanking the Lord for all your blessings!”

  “You got that right, honey child. It don’t take much to get me fired up. So you lift any little ache and pain up to the Lord, Jen and believe with all your heart that his sweet healing power is washing through you right this minute. Why I can see the Lord’s angels taking it away now just like I said before. Oh my, that must be Gabrielle, he looks so powerful…he’ll get the job done, for sure.”

  “I can just picture it, Matti.”

  “That’s the idea, Jen, see it leaving. This be the time for serious trust and faith, Jenny. You can’t be wishy washy. Remember, the Lord says if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, why you can move a mountain and throw it into the sea. And that’s what we be needing right now, Jen! Faith!… Believe!”

  “Oh, Matti, like I said, I find chatting with you so uplifting. I wish I could say the same thing when I talk to my son, and by the way how is James doing?”

  “He be fully recovered from his operation and have to say he be recovering from himself some, too.”

  What do you mean, Matti?”

  “Well, ever since moving back to the estate last summer he seem to be changing and thank the good Lord, for the better. For a while there we all thought we be moving out and then a while later he settled down. I think he be learning to enjoy the estate since being away from the business.”

  “It must have been such a shock for James to learn he had prostate cancer.”

  “At first he was treated for a bleeding ulcer and he did feel better after resting on the estate last June, but no sooner had he gone back to work than he learned he had the same disease as his father did. He sure does hope they got it in time.”

  “Yes, I do too. It must be so hard for him to slow down. I can’t believe that he has.”

  “The doctors tell him straight out he has to take time off or the Maker come calling real quick… I know I shouldn’t be gossiping, but maybe this cheer you up a bit. Apparently that girl Susan Mr. Hamilton be seeing double cross him. Heard him say to J.J. that she asking for three million dollars or else she tell about his Swiss bank accounts and I do believe he also mentioned my island, Jamaica of all places. Why he be stashing money here and there by the sounds of it. Don’t know what it’s really all about except it have something to do with not reporting money to the income tax department.”

  “Oh, Matti, poor James. That’s all he needs at this time.”

  “No, Jen, good for James. Having his nose in his business all the time and trying to make more and more money day and night just gives him one big headache after the other and an ulcer to boot. Just what he needs is to stop and smell the roses. The Almighty be zapping him in all the right places, that for sure…and you know something, Jen, I think the good Lord has. Last night when Mr. Hamilton was talking to J.J. just before he hung up he says to his boy that the only woman he would ever trust was Marjorie. And what he said next will make your day, honey child. Why Mr. Hamilton say to his son, you treat your mother right when you be visiting her. It sounds like he be there in Regina.”

  “Yes, they came in yesterday. I was so glad to see him and his wife, Nora and little Jimmy. Just before they left, my grandson reached out too me. Oh it gave me such joy to touch him. I hope he will come to me today.”

  “So, did Jimmy senior come to you, that be the million dollar question?”

  “I’m afraid not, Matti. He is so cold towards me. I don’t think he will ever forgive me for breaking up the marriage.”

  “You didn’t break up anything, Jen. That marriage was broken from the very start. That boy should open his eyes before it’s too late and see the angel he has for a mom.”

  “I just don’t know what to do, Matti? There’s that saying, you can lead a horse to the water but you can’t make him drink.”

  “My daddy had a remedy for that saying, Jen. When I did something stupid and wouldn’t drink from the trough of life, he would say, Matti let’s go out to the woodshed and have us a meeting, there is something we need to discuss. Only thing was a tree branch did all the talking. I can hear my daddy say to this day, ‘Matti, this hurts me more that it does you. But I love’s you so much I just have do it.’ I tell you, Jen, my behind remembered them there discussions better than any talkin’. Seems to me, J.J. had many meetings and discussions when he grew up, but most of them be of the wrong kind, know what I’m saying?”

  Jenny was chuckling again. She just loved it when Matti called. She was feeling so much better.

  “I have asked J.J. and Nora to go to my house and take what they want and put it up for sale. Looks like I won’t be going back home anymore—”

  “Now see, there you go again, Jen. Putting the cart before the horse. You are going to get better. You’ll be sorry when you walk out of there and have no place to go. Oh, Jen, do you have to sell that home? It be so beautiful and everything fixed up so nicely just the way you wants it.”

  “I think it’s for the best right now. There are other houses and furniture to buy if things turn out.”

  “I have to say it again, you be sorry when you walks out of there and have no place to go.”

  “You just may be right, Matti—”

  “I know I’m right, it’s getting you to think that, too!”

  “Well, I just hope J.J. looks after everything and for now I think that’s the best thing to do. I just hope when they come back in the morning things will go better than they did today.”

  “Well, if they don’t tell J.J. I would like to have a discussion with him when he gets back to Ottawa. The kind me and my daddy used to have.”

  Jenny laughed. “Thanks for calling, Matti. I hear the nurse coming with their trays filled with medicine.”

  “The kind of medicine you need honey child is large doses of the Lord’s faith. There is a scripture I’d like to share with you from Mark’s gospel:

  “‘What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them.’

  “See Jen, if you pray for healing but don’t believe it in your heart your words are idle. Like I said before, I see the Lord spreading his healing love all over you. Can’t you just picture his big powerful angels surrounding you and taking all your aches and pains from you on their wings and flying far away with it never to come back. Trust in Him, Jen, with all the beautiful goodness that is in your heart and don’t let these present circumstances affect your thinking, know what I’m saying?”

  And after a moment of silence Matti said, “I be calling tomorrow night, Jen, when we tune in to another sermon from Ottawa, the Hour of Power by pastor, Matilda Belafonte…I love you, Jen.”

  “I love you too, Matti, with all my heart.”

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Jenny waited all morning for J.J. and his family
to visit, but no one showed up except Dr. Kreake.

  “I heard you had another fainting spell, yesterday.”

  “Oh, those darn nurses, telling on me all the time. Nothing is private anymore.”

  “No, I have spies and guards keeping a close eye on you.” Dr. Kreake said, with a kindly smile on his face. “I also learned that your family came. How did that go?”

  “Not very well. J.J. still blames me for the divorce between his father and me and…he just doesn’t want to forgive me. He just won’t listen to reason or my side.”

  “Well, Jenny, kids will do that at times. We can be so cruel to each other. Sometimes we treat our own family worse than our enemies. Eventually, time will heal all, Jenny.”

  “But I am running out of time, I can’t wait too much longer.” Jenny tried to say it in a joking manner, but she knew Dr. Kreake knew not only the sad truth in what she said, but the deep hurt in her voice.

  “Do you want me to talk to him?”

  “Oh no, J.J. would resent that, but thanks anyway. Perhaps I will see if he and I can talk alone, if he comes back this afternoon.”

  “Well, don’t get too upset by all this, Jenny, you need your strength.” Dr. Kreake patted his favourite patient’s hands, and tenderly and fondly smiled. “I’ll see you in a few days.”

  “Thank you so much for coming.”

  Jenny finished her lunch shortly after 1:00 p.m. and had just picked up a book when she heard familiar footsteps tromping down the hall. Instantly, the energy her body was using to digest her meal turned into hypertension.

  “Oh, I hope J.J. will be more receptive, today.” Fully expecting J.J. to enter first, Jenny was pleasantly surprised to see Nora’s friendly face pop in.

  “Hi, Marj. Is it okay for us to come in?”

  “Of course, please come in. I’ve been waiting for you all morning.”

  Nora came and a few seconds later J.J. followed holding his son. It was obvious he felt awkward and uncomfortable in doing so.

  “Hello, Marjorie,” he said, his tone formal and cold.

  “Good afternoon, J.J.,” said Jenny, “Oh, it’s so nice to see you all back. Please come closer, J.J.. Jimmy, do you have a hug for grandma, today?”

  When J.J. made no move to bring neither himself nor James closer, Nora quickly lifted James from J.J. casting him a furtive glance that would have melted an iceberg, but not J.J..

  “Oh, men,” Nora remarked as she carried Jimmy over. She feigned a chuckle, trying to erase J.J.’s rudeness and the redness from her face. “Say ‘hi’ to grandma. Come on Jimmy. Wave.”

  Little Jimmy studied his grandma and much to J.J.’s chagrin held his hand out.

  Jenny immediately reached up. “Aah, come here.”

  Nora stood Jimmy on her bedside and as painful as it was, Jenny twisted her body and sat up a little more to support her grandson. Nora held on. She could see Jenny was uncomfortable, but wanted to help as much as possible as her son and his grandma bonded.

  “My, my you are such a handsome little boy, such nice dark brown eyes and light brown hair.” Little James looked a little more like Nora than J.J., but she didn’t comment on it.

  “Let’s sit you down beside me.”

  Nora helped adjust James to sit on the bed. Jenny raised her arm around him and pulled him in towards her in a sideways hug.

  “Oh, I just love you. I could eat you up, yes I could,” said Jenny, lovingly shaking the little bundle in her arm from side to side. “So, what were you up to this morning?”

  The sides of J.J.’s lips curled as if to smile then quickly evened out to his stiff abrupt businesslike manner. “We went to your house, yesterday, and found your Agreement to Purchase and other legal documents relating to the purchase of that property when you came to Regina. You bought it through Remax. I phoned them this morning and met with a Ben Walker at the house around 11:00 a.m., this morning. Apparently it’s the same salesperson who was involved with your initial purchase.”

  “He couldn’t get over how much you improved the property and especially the landscaping,” Nora said. “He said your yard work is so appealing it should easily fetch you an extra fifteen thousand to the value alone. J.J. and I still can’t get over how reasonably priced homes are here compared to down east. Your house would be valued at least twice as much in Ottawa.”

  “In any case,” J.J. spoke again, “We listed it at $225,000 and an additional $15-20,000 for all the contents.”

  “Oh, J.J., the furniture is worth much more.”

  “Maybe so, but I don’t have time to sell the furniture piece by piece. I called an antique dealer, who would take it on consignment, but it may take months to sell everything. This way, it’s quick, and it may be an enticement for the person or family interested in the house to purchase the property.”

  “Yes, that’s true, but are you sure there is nothing you would like? The curio cabinet is a real find and the Victorian chair in my bedroom is very rare—”

  “No, Marjorie, we are not interested in any of it. We have our home and furniture the way we like it.”

  “Oh, Marjorie, some of those pieces are very nice. It’s just that J.J. likes modern furniture.”

  Just like his father. Jenny could see Nora would have taken some of the antiques, but didn’t dare go against J.J.’s wishes.

  “Well, were there any pictures or any pieces of art that you might want?”

  Once again, J.J. blurted out, “No, we looked and there really wasn’t anything.”

  “What about my personal things, notes and so on.”

  “Well, we will go back later, today, and sort through all your things,” Nora said, trying to pacify Jenny’s obvious agitation over J.J.’s lack of consideration.

  As much as she wanted to go through the papers herself, she was too weak to carry out that chore and was now forced to leave it up to her son who didn’t seem to give a damn about anything of hers. Jenny hoped Nora would treat her possessions with more care and discretion.

  “There is one more thing you may want us to do and that is to hire a lawyer to draft up documents granting me power of attorney and executor of the estate in case you can’t look after the sale and so on.”

  J.J. was kind enough not to say if you’re too sickly or lose your mind.

  Jenny thought a brief moment. “Yes, perhaps we should do that, J.J.. You’re used to business and contracts and such. Yes, maybe you should look after it all.”

  “Well, as soon as we get back to the hotel, I will call around unless you have a lawyer?”

  “No, not really, just the one that did up the purchase of the house.”

  “Yes, it’s Peter Dalham, I remember seeing it with the other papers. I will phone him. I’m sure he is capable of drafting up the papers and we will bring them around in the morning for you to sign.”

  Jenny felt a little queasy about doing all this so quickly. She still felt that she was mentally capable of carrying this out, but physically she didn’t have the strength. She would have to go along with this, just until she got better.

  “Well, how is my boy doing?”

  Jimmy was playing with the book at Jenny’s bedside. One of the pages began to tear out, but Jenny didn’t mind.

  “Oh, you’re so good and patient listening to us grown ups talk about such boring things. I wish I were able to have done some shopping and get you a nice toy or two.”

  “He has more than enough, Marj,” said J.J..

  “Perhaps, but I would like to spoil him a little. Grandmas have that privilege, you know.”

  “Well, if we are going to get a lawyer for you and get this power of attorney matter straightened out we’d better go.”

  “But, J.J., you just got here—”

  “You also want us to sort things out at the house, too, we don’t have much time. Our flight leaves at 5:
20 p.m., tomorrow. By the time I return the rental car and get out to the airport, we may run out of time.”

  Jenny looked at J.J. and said absently, “Yes, we are running out of time. Is there any way you and I can talk in private for a few minutes, J.J.?”

  “Perhaps tomorrow, Marjorie, there is too much to get done.”

  Jenny looked so disappointed, her eyes pleading for some sense of reconciliation and understanding between them. J.J. stared at his mother unmoved.

  “I’m sure J.J. will have time, tomorrow, Marjorie. Oh, Jimmy, you mustn’t tear your grandma’s pocket book. I’m so sorry, Marjorie.”

  “Think nothing of it, a little tape and it will be good as new. I’m almost finished that book, anyway.”

  J.J. turned towards the door. “Well, let’s go, Nora.”

  Nora kissed Jenny’s cheek before picking up Jimmy. “Hope you are feeling better soon, Marj.”

  Jenny looked up at her and said, “Thank you.”

  “We will see you in the morning, Marjorie,” J.J. said, as he disappeared out the door.

  Nora smiled. “Say good-bye to grandma, Jimmy.”

  Jenny waved and threw him a kiss. “Bye, Jimmy.”

  Nora and her son disappeared out the door. She heard some impatient and angry remarks by J.J. and an ensuing altercation that faded as they walked down the hall.

  Jenny felt empty inside. She had so hoped to talk to J.J., but it was not to be. Not for today, anyway. Slowly, she got out of bed and limped over to the window that overlooked the parking lot. From the rear door of the nursing home J.J. emerged. The door slammed behind him. Then Nora came out, holding James. Their relationship seemed as distant and estranged as hers and James had been.

  “Oh, Nora, you may suffer the same fate as I did,” Jenny murmured. It was too bad she didn’t live closer. She might, in some subtle way, have been able to alert Nora, offer suggestions of what she might do, where she had failed to act in her own marriage. To make sure, their home and belongings are in both their names and not owned by some uncaring corporate third party.