It wasn’t the first time she’d heard that particular argument. Although Joe had been careful with money, it seemed his savings and investments didn’t produce enough of an income for her to afford extras. She wouldn’t be able to draw social security for another two years, so she had to live frugally. After Joe died, Paul had taken over her checkbook and gave her a monthly allowance. But lately, her allowance had gotten much smaller. Her son told her that the market was down, whatever that meant. Paul had looked for ways for her to cut back, and lately his idea involved her moving to a less expensive place.
They pulled into the lot at the high school, where Zutphen Community Church services were held while the church was being rebuilt. They had just enough time to go inside and hang up their coats, make their way to a seat, greet their neighbors, and settle in before the choir began the opening anthem.
Almost as soon as they sat, Jonathan, Helen’s second son, and his family arrived. Jonathan was the typical second child — much more casual and easy going than his brother. In contrast to Paul’s three-piece suit, he wore jeans and a cotton shirt with the tails hanging out. His wife Bonnie was dressed just as casually in jeans and a form-fitting sweater. Helen knew some of her friends disapproved of such dress in church, but she was just happy to have her children there with her. Sundays were her favorite day of the week. Church service, followed by dinner with her children. She settled back to enjoy the service. Life was good.
~~~~
Mike sat with his family in the front row. Mindful of his height, he sat on the outside edge. More than once he’d been tapped on the shoulder by people angry with him for blocking their view of the pulpit. He made sure his mother was comfortable and then sat back.
A light tap on his shoulder had him turning around. He smiled when he recognized his college roommate.
“Loren, good to see you.” The former football star had returned to his hometown to coach at the local high school after injuries had cut short his career in the pros. These days, Loren VanDoorn’s teams made the news every fall for their prowess on the field.
“Good to see you too, buddy. I didn’t know you were in town.” Both men kept their voices low, as Mabel Groendyke, the church organist, began the prelude.
“Just got in last night.”
“Will you have time to join us for dinner sometime?”
“Absolutely. I’ll be here a few weeks at least.” He tilted his head slightly toward his mother, and his friend nodded in understanding.
“We’ll talk later,” Loren whispered as he sat back.
As he settled into his own seat, he spied the woman from the grocery store. She sat between two younger men — her sons? There were several children with them, but no man her age. One of the men leaned toward her and spoke something that apparently didn’t sit well with her. She didn’t respond, but her expression clearly showed what she thought. What happened to Joe, or whoever it was she was talking to in the store?
The praise band led off with an introduction, and the worship leader invited the congregation to stand for the song service. Mike put away thoughts of the pretty woman and joined in the familiar melodies. How long had it been since he’d participated in a good old-fashioned hymn sing?
~~~~
Family dinners on Sunday afternoons. Another pleasant tradition he’d left behind when he’d moved away from West Michigan. He and his mother, brother, sister-in-law, and the children sat around the same oak table of his childhood. The food piled in the center was simple but tasty, and he’d enjoyed every bite.
“More roast beef, Mike?” Kathy held the serving platter out to him. The huge roast still covered half the platter, even after the six of them had helped themselves to several servings.
Mike held his hands in front of him. “No thanks. I couldn’t eat another bite. Your roast is the best—” Glancing at his mother, he added, “Next to Mom’s.”
Loretta sat back and laughed. “You dear, sweet boy. Trying to keep your mama from having her feelings hurt. I haven’t cooked a meal in years, and I don’t miss it a bit. I chop vegetables and stir or put things in the oven when Kathy’s busy, but she’s the cook here, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. So go ahead and praise the roast beef. You’re right, it is the best around.”
Kathy blushed and waved away the compliment. “If I’m a good cook, it’s because I learned from you, Mom.” She stood, gathering plates before heading to the kitchen. “And I used your recipe for shortcakes to go with some strawberries I found at Zylstra’s yesterday. Anyone want dessert?”
At the enthusiastic response, she turned toward the kitchen. Mike stood and gathered the rest of the plates. “I’ll help you, Kath. I need to stand up for a few minutes.”
He brought his pile of plates to the sink and turned back for more, but Kathy caught his arm. “It’s so good to see Mom laughing. I can’t remember the last time I saw her with a smile on her face.”
“Really? Matt said she’d been reclusive, but he didn’t mention that she was unhappy.”
“I think the unhappiness stems from not being with her friends. But she just won’t go anywhere. Today is the first time she’s been out of the house in weeks.”
Mike frowned. That wasn’t like his mother. Loretta had been a pastor’s wife, like Kathy, and had been one of the busiest women he’d ever known. She’d never neglected her children but had her hand in most of the committees in her husband’s church. To hear that she wasn’t leaving the house, not even for church services, was a red flag.
“What does she say is the problem?”
“She won’t say. Just says she’s not feeling up to it. We’ve tried to make appointments for her, but she won’t go to the doctor. Matt and I are at our wits’ end. Maybe she’ll open up to you. She respects you.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to disabuse her of that notion, but Kathy’s son Jamie burst into the kitchen.
“Grandma wants to know if she can have ice cream on her strawberry shortcake.”
Kathy opened the freezer and pulled out a container. “Coming right up.” She handed the carton to her son. “Take this into the dining room. Mike, you take the bowls and spoons and I’ll bring the biscuits and strawberries.” She gave Mike a look that said We’ll talk later. He nodded. Yes, they’d definitely talk.
Chapter Three
Helen looked over the list of work needed on her car and held back the string of curses running through her mind. She’d seen the light on her dashboard go on, so she’d brought her car to the gas station on the edge of town. Joe had always been meticulous about caring for their cars, and she knew if a light went on, something was wrong. Well, that something wrong was going to cost almost two thousand dollars to fix. Something the mechanic called a blown head gasket. She had no idea what a head gasket was or how it had managed to blow up, but it apparently was a major problem. Her options, according to him, were to get it fixed or replace the engine. Either option would put her out of a car for a few days. What to do?
In times like this, she missed Joe the most. She wasn’t one to waffle or wait for someone to rescue her, but sometimes it would be so nice to have someone else to help her make a decision.
But Joe was gone, and there was no use stewing about it. She needed to make up her mind. She nearly took her phone out of her purse to call Paul, but a voice inside her made her put it back.
“How soon can you get it fixed?” she asked the mechanic.
The guy looked too young to be out of school. First, he scratched his chin. Then he lifted his clipboard and checked through the stack of papers on it. Finally he shrugged. “Could be a week or more.”
Two weeks without a car? “Ah, can I get a loaner?”
“Yeah. I think so. Lemme check.” Helen expected him to walk over to the service counter, but instead the boy leaned forward and looked past her. “Hey, Lonnie,” he yelled across the garage. “Can you set this lady up with a loaner? I gotta fix her engine.”
Great. Now everyone in the shop knows.
By suppertime everyone in Zutphen will have heard about my transportation woes.
And Paul would be upset about her wasting money. She appreciated all he did, but sometimes she wished he would act more like a son and less like a parent toward her.
Lonnie yelled back. Apparently, anything said in this garage was for public ears. “I think we got something she can use. Send her over when you’re done.”
Half an hour and ten signatures later, Helen drove out of the station lot with a late model compact. It was smaller than her car, but newer. And since Lonnie didn’t loan cars, she’d paid extra to rent one from him.
She headed for the high school. Time for Wednesday night church activities, and tonight was the first meeting for the Christmas pageant. She’d already written the parts out and now she needed to find out who would be able to play them.
Pulling in to her usual spot on the side of the church, she parked and got out just as Nolan DeSmit pulled up with his twin nephews, Jordan and Josh Longton.
“Hey, Mrs. DeGroot. All ready to put on another great pageant?” The tall, lean police officer got out of his car and opened the back doors to let his charges out.
“I could always use more boys in the pageant. They’re not as quick to volunteer as the girls,” Helen moaned.
Nolan grinned. “Not unless there are some pretty girls in the pageant,” he teased.
Helen smiled back. Nolan had played the part of Joseph the year she started working on the pageant. He’d grown into a handsome man, and a respected member of the community.
Nolan had always been a caretaker. He looked out for his sister Peggy, and now he took care of the entire community as a member of the county sheriff’s department. Since he was dressed in casual clothing, he was apparently off duty as an officer and on duty as Uncle Nolan. He let the pair out of the back seat, but before they could dash into the church, he caught an arm of each boy and waited for them to look him in the eye.
“I’m not going to chase you all over the school. First, you’re going to the pageant practice with Mrs. Bennett and Miss Sophie. What are you going to remember tonight, boys?” he asked.
“Think before you do,” they chorused.
“And when Mrs. Bennett asks you to do something, what are you going to do?”
“Listen and do what she says,” said Jordan.
“And stay in my seat until she says to get up,” added Josh.
“Good. Now I’m going to check with Mrs. Bennett after the practice and if she says you two behaved yourselves, we’ll do something special this weekend while your mom goes to her counseling session. If she says you were bad, then you’re going to help me clean my garage.”
“We’ll be good!” the boys promised. They took off toward the door, but Nolan stopped them with a whistle.
“Slow down, you two.”
The boys nodded and continued at a slightly more sedate pace.
The scene reminded Helen of Joe with their boys. He’d also been patient but firm. They knew what was expected of them and understood what would happen if they failed to meet those expectations.
If only her boys could show some patience with their mother.
She knew her hopes had been in vain when Paul set his plate next to hers and sat beside her. Wednesday night dinner at church was another time she could count on seeing at least some of her children. As soon as he said grace, he started in on her.
“So Lonnie tells me you need some engine work done.”
She took her time answering, cutting her chicken into tiny pieces. “Apparently so.” She braced herself for the criticism she knew would come next.
“Why did you take the car to him for repair? You know his prices are high. And he told me he rented you a car to use while he’s fixing it.”
“I had no idea the car needed major surgery, or whatever you call it. The dash light went on and I went there to find out what it meant. Besides, I figured I should consult Lonnie first, since he’s a neighbor and a member of this church.”
“That’s true, but you have to watch your money. Once you found out what the problem was, you could have taken it somewhere else for the repairs. If you’d called me, I would have told you to take it to Holland or Hudsonville, someplace where they wouldn’t charge you extra for a loaner. You’re going to spend a lot more than you need to because of your loyalties.”
She counted to herself as she buttered her biscuit. Take deep breaths. Stay calm.
Paul apparently didn’t read that particular bit of wisdom. “Well, Mom? What do you have to say for yourself?”
Teeth clenched, she took a deep, slow breath. Then she turned to her son, her expression bland. “It’s a good thing I’ve got those thousands, isn’t it?
He rolled his eyes. “Mom—”
She held up her hand to stop the reprimand she’d heard over and over since Joe had died. “I know, I know. I have to live off the interest on that money, otherwise it won’t last. I get it. But unless you want to drive me around, I need a car. I needed to make a decision and I made it. I didn’t consult you because I’m a big girl, and once in awhile, I ought to do something on my own. I’ll have to tighten up even more to pay for the repairs. If the money dries up, I’ll come and live in your attic.”
“You could save yourself a lot of money if you’d downsize.”
“All in good time. Right now I’m happy where I am. I’m managing the maintenance on the house and all the stuff your father used to do. I’ll move when I’m good and ready.” Her appetite had disappeared, so she picked up her plate and took it to the window of the kitchen.
Molly Dekker took her tray with a frown. “Helen, you’ve hardly eaten anything! Aren’t you feeling well?”
“I’m fine. I guess I wasn’t as hungry as I thought. Guess I shouldn’t have had that snack this afternoon.” She stalked out of the room toward the junior department classroom. If she’d stayed with her son any longer, she might have said something she’d regret later.
Helen checked the names of the students signed up to participate in the Christmas pageant. Right now only a half dozen girls wanted parts. Every year it got harder and harder to convince the boys in the congregation to participate. More than once, she’d had to recruit adults to fill in with major speaking parts. Looked like she might have to resort to that again this year.
Not for the first time, the thought of putting on the pageant filled her with dread. Rather than excitement, the idea of coming up with a script, guiding young ones to speak and act onstage, dealing with costumes, lighting, sound, and everything else put a sour taste in her mouth. She’d continued with this responsibility for so long it had become her identity. She was known as Mrs. DeGroot, the Christmas pageant lady and not much else. Maybe it was time to find something else to fill her time. But what?
Randi James, the current Sunday School superintendent, passed her in the hallway, leading her toddler by the hand, and Helen stopped her. “Randi, I just want to remind you that I’m starting rehearsals for the pageant. I met with some of the students before dinner, and I’ll start writing the script tomorrow. Could I take the people with speaking parts at the beginning of the Sunday School hour, beginning this Sunday?”
“Of course, Helen. How many students will that involve?”
“Probably not more than a half dozen.”
“That’s fine,” Randi replied. “You’ll come and pick them up?”
“Yes. I’m not sure exactly where I’ll be able to rehearse with them right now. Oh, and one more thing.” Might as well get this over with before I lose my nerve.
“Yes?”
“This is going to be my last year directing the drama portion of the pageant.”
Silence. Randi stared as if Helen had grown an extra head.
“I’ve been doing the pageant for almost twenty years now, ever since my own children attended Sunday School at this church, and I feel it’s time for me to step down. This will give you time to find a replacement for next year. I’m sure you understan
d. I’ll see you on Sunday morning.” She walked away before she could change her mind.
There. She’d done it. She’d quit. Already she felt better. The only thing that would make her feel a whole lot better would be if she had quit for this year. But regrets wouldn’t change things.
Now then. She just needed to get through this pageant.
Chapter Four
Loretta fidgeted in the vinyl seats of the doctor’s office. “I don’t know why we’re here. It’s a waste of time and money, and the doctor is not going to tell me anything I don’t already know.”
Mike suppressed a sigh. Loretta had expressed similar sentiments at least a dozen times since learning of the appointment with the family doctor. But Matt and Kathy had confided in him. They were worried, and after watching her the past few days, he had to agree: Loretta was not the confident, outgoing woman he remembered.
After the welcoming, he’d watched, puzzled, as his mom became more and more withdrawn. She’d retreated to her room as soon as dessert was finished, saying she’d had a long day and needed to rest. She hadn’t emerged from that room until mid-morning the next day, and had only made brief appearances after that. She hadn’t gone anywhere and hadn’t worked on any of her hobbies. A brief visit to her rooms had revealed her usual stash of yarns and knitting patterns, but no completed projects. Something was amiss.
For now, though, he kept his concerns to himself. “You’re overdue for a checkup, Mother.”
“Nonsense. I just had a checkup a few years ago. I’m fit as a fiddle.”
He chose not to refute that.
“Mrs. Sikkema, the doctor will see you now.”
Mike recognized the statuesque blonde nurse calling his mother, but couldn’t come up with a name, and her name tag was too small for him to read across the room. He stood and helped Loretta up and started to follow her, but his mother turned and glared.
The Patricia Kiyono Christmas Collection Page 15