The mood of the group was solemn. Clearly, working this hard for several days had made some of the members’ dispositions a little cranky. Donna was glad when the bus rolled up to her home away from home. She opened the door to find Christopher and Daniel pacing in front of the woodstove. They both stopped and their expressions struck her hard.
CHAPTER FIVE
Donna rushed down the highway. Driving Sara’s old stick shift was no easy task. Following the directions the boys had written out, Donna was able to find the hospital in the dark. She parked close to the emergency room, hoping she would find Sara well and ready to return home.
Frantic, she rushed to the information desk.
“Mrs. Cagle has been admitted and moved up to the fourth floor.”
Filled with dread, Donna turned her head left and then right, looking for some direction.
“Just go down the hall and take the elevator.”
“Thank you.” Donna raced to catch the elevator before the door closed.
“Fourth, please.” The older gentleman pressed the button, saying nothing to Donna as they both waited for their prospective floors.
The doors slid open, not fast enough. Donna rushed into the nursing reception area.
“I am here about Sara Cagle.”
“Yes, she is in room 424.”
Wanting to run, Donna walked briskly down the hall to Sara’s room, not knowing what she would encounter. She slowly pushed open the door and found Sara hooked up to several machines and IV’s. The sweet woman smiled the best she could with the tube in her nose. Contrary to her rush to reach Sara, Donna eased into the room. With slow fingers, Sara tried to move the tubes so she could speak.
“Don’t try to talk. No worries. I’ll take care of everything at home. You just rest and get better.”
Assured, Sara closed her eyes and fell back asleep. Donna immediately headed to the nurse’s station.
“I am currently staying with Sara Cagle. We’re...friends. I need to find out why she is here and about how long to expect she’ll be staying.”
“I’ll page Dr. Anderson. He’s the one currently treating her.”
Donna waited at the nurse’s station until Dr. Anderson arrived.
“Yes, I was paged.”
“Dr. Anderson, this is—”
“Donna Dubois.” She reached to shake Dr. Anderson’s hand. “I am a friend of Sara Cagle and I wanted to find out about her condition.”
Dr. Anderson asked for her chart and flipped it opened. Glancing over the information, he looked at Donna with clear regret.
“I’m afraid it’s not good. She has been sick for a long time and has not sought treatment. She’s suffering from acute kidney failure. If we get to the disease early, we can perform a kidney transplant or put her on dialysis. But, she has been in failure for such a long time. Dialysis is not going to help at this point. I am afraid she needs to get her affairs in order and very soon.”
“Are you telling me she is dying?”
“Yes, Mrs. Dubois, that is exactly what I am telling you.”
CHAPTER SIX
Donna returned to Sara’s room and sat in the chair next to her bed. Thoughts and concerns ran rampant through her mind. She had never heard Sara mention having any family and the boy’s father had died some time ago.
“What are the children going to do without her?” Donna blurted out loud.
She reclined in the chair. Her head swelled from the terrible news she’d been dealt. She closed her eyes and fell asleep, only to be roused by a nurse coming in. Glimpsing at her watch, she realized she needed to leave and return to the kids, who would be waking soon. How on earth would she explain Sara’s illness?
Slowly, she stood, trying not to disturb Sara. She left her name and cell phone number at the nurse’s station in case she was needed or there was a change in Sara’s condition.
The drive back to the house was long and tedious. Finally arriving at the long road that lead to Sara’s cabin was a relief for Donna. As she pulled up to the rundown home, the sun peeked over the horizon and she mustered all her strength to face the children, especially the boys.
Donna opened the cabin door and found the two teenagers passed out on the couch. How they must have worried. She went into the kitchen and slowly started to straighten the mess from last night’s dinner. After fixing oatmeal, she woke the boys.
Christopher and Daniel followed Donna into the kitchen. Donna prayed silently for strength to deliver the awful news.
Each son handled the explanation of their mother’s illness differently. Christopher remained stoic, trying to soak in the blow that had just been delivered. Daniel shook his head, tears rolling down his face as he demanded to see the doctor.
Donna assured the boys that she would drive them both to see their mother as soon as Lexie and Jessie left for school. “I think it is best not to tell the girls right away. We’ll tell them this weekend, so we can help them deal with their feelings.”
The boys nodded in agreement. Donna walked into the girl’s room and gently shook Lexie and Jessie, telling them to dress.
Donna was scooping each girl a bowl of oatmeal when they entered the kitchen.
“Where’s Momma?” asked Lexie.
“Your mother was not feeling well and the doctor said she should take a break and rest for a while. She said to give you both a big hug.” With that, Donna grabbed both girls and squeezed. “Now both of you sit down and eat your oatmeal.”
Donna washed the dishes while the girls finished eating. After that, they all loaded into the car. Lexie and Jessie were dropped off at school, then Donna drove Christopher and Daniel to the hospital. Donna waited as the boys went in to visit their mother. Her cell phone rang.
“Where are you? We stopped at the cabin, but no one was there.”
“Oh, Ellie, you won’t believe what is going on. Sara is in the hospital, and it’s not good.”
“I’ll have someone drive me to the hospital as soon as possible.”
Ellie arrived within the hour. Donna filled her in with the details.
“Unbelievable. The doctor actually said for her to get her affairs in order?”
“Yes. She has not recovered enough to even talk with anyone yet.”
Ellie excused herself to go call the other members of the missionary group and request they pray for Sara and her family. Daniel came out of the room. Clearly distraught, he walked over to Donna and fell into her arms sobbing.
Shortly after, Christopher appeared. “Mom’s alert now. She wants to see you.”
Donna glanced at Ellie, and they both headed for Sara’s room. To Donna’s surprise, a woman from the business office was present.
Even though it had only been a few hours since her last visit, Sara looked paler and even older. The nurse propped her up with additional pillows, then removed the mask from her face. Sara reached toward Donna, stretching out to hold her hand. Donna took her fingers and squeezed.
“I want you to raise Lexie and Jessie,” Sara whispered with all the breath she could muster.
“Me? I have no experience raising children.”
“I’ve prayed. I know it is God’s will.”
Meanwhile, the woman from the business office was typing away Sara’s last wishes on her laptop. Donna motioned for Ellie, as if encouraging her to inform Sara she should choose someone else.
Ellie approached. “What about the boys?”
“They are going to stay with their uncle. He’ll make sure they are okay. The girls need a family. They need Donna.” Sara lost her breath, causing the nurse to place the oxygen mask over her face. Sara clawed at the restriction. The nurse reluctantly removed it once again.
Everything happened so quickly. The woman from the hospital business office left to print off Sara’s last will and testament and returned shortly with another lady to notarize the document. She handed the papers to Sara and read them aloud. With her last tendril of energy, Sara scribbled her name and made the matter officia
l. Donna had been appointed custody of the children. The nurse placed the mask over Sara’s face. Too late, she passed out.
“Is she—” Donna could not even say the word.
“No. She has lost consciousness again. But she is still with us.”
Stunned, Donna and Ellie slowly walked out of the room without saying a word. Side by side, they walked toward the elevator as if in a slumber, only to be jolted awake when they encountered Christopher and Daniel in the lobby.
“What did Mom want to talk with you about?” Christopher blurted.
“We will discuss it at home.”
“We don’t have a home without Mom,” Daniel mumbled as he charged through the sliding glass doors.
Ellie offered to accompany her to Sara’s house to help in any way needed and Donna gladly accepted. Her mind was inundated with a million thoughts.
She needed to think. Alone.
As they pulled up to the cabin, Donna turned to Ellie. “Do you think you could handle things here for a while?”
“I guess. Where are you going?”
“To do what I probably should have done to start with. Help my host family.”
Ellie looked puzzled, but didn’t push for an answer.
Ellie and the boys disappeared into the cabin as Donna turned the car around and headed to the nearest town.
As she arrived in Oak Springs, relentless tears clouded her eyes. The more she tried to control her emotions, the harder she sobbed. Finally incapacitated from driving, Donna pulled over into the nearest parking lot. She cried and cried. All the emotions she had kept bottled for so long poured out like a dam that had fractured into little bits and pieces, slowly deteriorating. Across the street, she noticed a small church that had taken over an empty store building.
In a blur, she found herself standing in front of the glass door. A young man was inside placing hymnal books onto the empty folding chairs that temporarily served as pews. He walked over to the door and pulled it open.
“May I help you?”
“I was just...”
“Would you like to come in?”
Donna entered, looking around at the rundown room staged as a church.
“I don’t know why I even came here. I was just walking.” Pausing, Donna looked at the kind face that was listening so compassionately. “That’s not true.” Tears started rolling once again.
“I’ll start by introducing myself. I’m Pastor Charles Wilkinson. My friends call me Charlie.” He held out his hand. “You are...?”
Donna smiled and felt more at ease.
“I’m Donna Dubois. My husband and I are Christian singers.”
“I’ve heard you both on the radio. I remember your first release—Amazing Grace.”
“Yes. That one seems to be a favorite of several people.”
Donna looked down at her hands.
“Everything is not all right, is it?”
“No, it’s not.” She opened up like a floodgate. She divulged the truth about her marriage. How she had gone on the missionary trip because Mark had jaunted off on a fishing trip without even discussing the matter. About Sara and the children and how much love she had developed for the family. And lastly, how Sara was now dying and wanted her to raise her girls.
“You have a lot of decisions to make, don’t you? I find when I have to face important decisions, I search out the answers in this.” He held up the Bible. “It’s a wealth of information.”
“Pastor, will you pray with me? I don’t think I’ve been where I need to be with God. I want to rededicate my life to our Heavenly Father. I want to be his child again.”
Donna bowed. Pastor Charlie placed his hands on her head and iterated a heartfelt prayer. As Donna asked God to forgive her of her sins and rededicated her life, it was as if the weight she had been carrying for months had lifted.
“It’s feels great.”
“That’s what people tell me. Seriously, rely on the Lord. He will never forsake you or leave you and he will help you make the right decisions in your life.”
“Thank you, Pastor.”
“You’re welcome. You know, if you’re looking for a church to visit, we are really friendly and desperately need someone who can carry a tune.”
“I promise to come one Sunday and sing for you.”
“I will look forward to it.”
Donna left and hurried back to her car. She picked up her cell phone, praying silently for God to give her the right words to say. With determination and focus for the first time in a long while, she dialed Mark’s cell phone and thankfully, he answered. She needed to make things right between them.
“Mark, I really need to talk with you.”
“Are you okay? You sound upset.”
“I have so much to tell you and I don’t know where to begin.”
“Start at the beginning. Wait a minute, I feel as if I need to be sitting down for this.”
“The first thing I need to say is that I love you. I love you with every fiber I have in my body.”
“Honey, I love you too.”
“Let me finish. I want our marriage to be what God intends. Are you still with me?”
“Yes. I want that too.”
“I also want children, if not biologically, then adopted. I anticipate this is what God has in store for us.”
“I am still with you,” Mark replied.
“Then what is our problem?”
“I’ve been wanting to know the same thing. I just figured you had some issues to deal with, so I decided to give you a little space to work through them. Maybe I was wrong, but that’s why I left on the fishing trip. I thought you needed time to yourself.”
“The only thing I need is to be with you.”
“I’ll leave right now and meet you at home. When can you get there?”
“There is a little more to the story than just you and I.”
“Is this the part I needed to be sitting down for?”
Donna told him about Sara, her children and how she wanted to help them. Most importantly, about her friend being diagnosed with kidney failure and how the doctors did not give her much time to live. Only a miracle from God could save her.
Donna slowly led into the fact that Sara wanted them to raise the girls.
Mark said nothing for a second. “I guess we need to look for a bigger house.”
“Do you mean it, Mark? You want the girls?”
“Of course I want the girls. I can’t wait to meet them.”
“As much as I want to see you, Mark, I think we need to hold off a little longer. The kids are trying to adjust to the damage in their lives, and I think I need a little more time with them before I move them away or bring someone new into the picture.”
The serenity of Donna’s voice incited Mark to admit she was probably right. They said ‘I love you’ to each other and promised to talk every night. After she hung up, Donna thanked God for her answered prayer. Singing and praising Him in her car, she could feel the Lord’s love all around her.
Turning the ignition key, Donna glanced at the time—the girls would already be home from school. Still reeling from joy, but recognizing the need to finish her errands, she composed herself and proceeded on with her task.
After her arrival at the local grocery store, Donna went on a food shopping spree.
“$243.84,” the store clerk informed her.
Donna raised her eyebrow at the amount, but she was determined to provide for this family. Besides, she had faith God would supply everything she needed. The groceries loaded, she headed back to the cabin, certain she would be able to cope with whatever was before her now.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Donna carried in as many sacks of groceries as she could manage on her first trip. When she came through the door, the boy’s faces lit up as if it were Christmas. They jumped to their feet, trying to take the bags like true gentlemen. Instead, she asked them to go retrieve the rest.
“You mean there’s more?” exclaimed Dan
iel. The boys raced to the car. Trudging to the kitchen, Donna observed Ellie washing out cabinets and the refrigerator. As she set the groceries on the kitchen table, Lexie and Jessie burst into the kitchen and surprised Donna with a big hug.
The two boys barged in with the rest of the bags. Gaping at all the food, Jessie asked, “Are we rich now?”
The remark provoked the two friends to glance toward one another. Retrieving two red delicious apples from the bag, Donna washed them, and then handed Lexie and Jessie each one.
The girls politely said, “Thank you,” and raced off to their room.
After she also handed Christopher and Daniel an apple, they returned to the living room couch. Ellie continued working to finish the last cabinet. Donna was so thankful for Ellie’s hard work. Everything smelled so clean, like white vinegar.
Donna started unloading groceries and placing the food items into the refrigerator and cabinets. Ellie whispered, “It actually looks like a kitchen now.”
Sighing, Donna eyes scanned the newly cleaned cabin. “It’s a shame that Sara was sick and hid it from her friends and especially the church. Everyone could have stepped in and helped. How she managed to accomplish working, four kids, and cooking in her condition is truly something to marvel.”
“I know.” Ellie paused. “How she managed just the basics is remarkable.”
As Donna started dinner, Ellie began cleaning the bathroom.
Donna put pork chops in to bake. She started some water for macaroni and cheese, as well as some for instant mashed potatoes. Not finished yet, she toasted some French bread and opened a jar of applesauce. The smell lured the boys to the kitchen door.
Donna set the table, placing the food in its center. She poured some milk for the kids, while she and Ellie would drink water. Finally, dinner was complete. She called everyone in to eat. Together, they said grace and feasted. The boys even went for two helpings. The girls ate until their stomachs hurt. Donna glowed with the knowledge that Ellie and the kids enjoyed the food.
The Christmas Answer (Christmas Holiday Extravaganza) Page 4