Sara’s blood ran cold. “Has Kenny been hurt?” She suddenly felt as if she was reliving the past, when she’d received a call informing her that her stepfather, Dean, had been in an accident.
“Yes, but we don’t know the extent of his injuries yet.”
“Were you hurt too, Lynn?”
“No, just pretty shook up. The vehicle that hit us rammed into Kenny’s side of the car.”
“Where are you now?”
“We’re at the hospital in Philadelphia. My folks are here too.” Lynn gave Sara the name and address of the hospital.
“I’ll let my husband know, and we’ll be there as soon as we can.” Sara’s voice shook and tears pricked the back of her eyes. Kenny’s father had died from his injuries. She couldn’t stand the thought of losing Kenny too.
Sara leaned against the wall for support. Dear Lord, I’ve lost too many people I love. Please let my brother be okay.
Chapter 26
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sara sat in one of the hospital’s waiting rooms with Brad and Kenny’s girlfriend, waiting to see her brother and rubbing her clenched jaw. When she and Brad had arrived an hour ago, Lynn explained that Kenny had a concussion and some broken ribs, but the doctor was running a few more tests to be sure there were no internal injuries and that the trauma to his head was not severe.
Another half hour went by before a doctor came in and said Kenny had been admitted to a room and would remain at the hospital overnight for observation. He also gave the good news that there were no internal injuries.
Relieved, Sara inhaled deeply and blew out her breath. “Thank you for letting us know. Is it all right if we see him now?”
“They’re getting him settled into his room. Once that’s been done, a nurse will come out and get you.” The doctor offered a reassuring smile as he looked at each of them. “Try not to worry. Kenny’s going to be fine.”
Lynn sagged in her chair. “When that other vehicle came barreling toward us, I was so scared.” Her chin trembled. “Then after the impact, Kenny didn’t respond. I was afraid he might have died.”
Sara shuddered at the thought but found comfort when Brad put his arm around her. It was hard not to think of that day when her stepfather died.
“Everything’s going to be okay, Sara,” Brad said in a soothing tone. “Kenny will be out of commission for a few weeks while his head and ribs heal, but I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
“I want to stay till he’s released from the hospital, and then if Kenny is willing, I think we should take him home with us until he is fully recuperated and can return to classes at the music school.”
“I don’t think Kenny will want to leave Philly,” Lynn spoke up. “I’m pretty sure my folks will be okay with him staying with us.”
Sara didn’t want to upset Lynn any further, so she chose not to voice her objections. Her only response was, “It’s nice of you to offer. We’ll wait and see what Kenny wants to do.”
Brad clasped Sara’s hand and gave her fingers a comforting squeeze. “I’ll call Mom and Dad and tell them we won’t be coming back to Harrisburg and that hopefully we’ll see them at Christmas. It’s a good thing we put our luggage in the van before we left; I had a hunch we might not be going back to my parents’ house today.”
Sara managed a weak smile. “Thank you. I’m sure they’ll understand.” She felt grateful to be blessed with kind, caring in-laws.
“I should call and leave a message for Grandma, letting her know about Kenny’s accident, but I don’t want to worry her.”
“I’m sure once you explain that Kenny’s injuries are not life-threatening, she won’t worry.” Brad let go of Sara’s hand. “Is your phone battery holding a charge, or do you need to use mine?”
Sara pulled her cell phone out of her purse. “The battery is fine. I’ll call now and leave a message, even though Grandma may not go out to the phone shack till tomorrow morning.”
Strasburg
“How are you feeling?” Mary Ruth asked when she entered the guest room where Lenore lay the following morning.
Lenore groaned and sat up, pushing the pillows up behind her back. “I feel as though a horse and buggy ran over me. My right hip aches some, and my back feels like it’s out of whack. Don’t think I’ll be much help to you today, Grandma.”
“It’s all right. You need to rest, but I still believe you should have gotten your back x-rayed and checked over last evening.”
“If it’ll make you feel better, you can make me an appointment to see our chiropractor. If he thinks it’s necessary, he can take an X-ray there in his office.” Lenore shifted on the bed, trying to get comfortable. “Maybe all I need is an adjustment. That fall I took yesterday could have put my spine out of alignment, which might be the reason I’m in so much pain.”
“You may be right. I’ll go out now and call Dr. Clark before Jesse gets here with Cindy. If he’s in his office today, he might be able to squeeze you in. And if that’s the case, I’ll call one of our drivers to take you there.”
“Danki, Grandma.” Lenore grimaced as she shifted again. She couldn’t find a comfortable position. The ice pack and arnica lotion hadn’t helped much either. If she couldn’t get the pain under control by Monday, she’d have no choice but to stay home from school and let her helper take over. I wouldn’t want to stay away too many days, however, Lenore thought as Grandma left the room.
Mary Ruth shivered as she stepped inside the cold phone shack. She made the call to the chiropractor and was relieved to learn that he was in his office and could squeeze Lenore in at one thirty. Then she arranged for Stan, one of their drivers, to give Lenore a ride.
Mary Ruth was about to leave the phone shack when she remembered she hadn’t checked for phone messages. She clicked on the answering machine and found only one. It was from Sara, and the tone of her voice when she began speaking frightened Mary Ruth. Something was wrong; she just knew it.
“Grandma, I wanted to let you know that Brad and I are at the hospital in Philadelphia. Kenny and his girlfriend were involved in a car accident on their way home from her parents’ house, where they’d gone to celebrate Thanksgiving. Kenny is not seriously injured, but we would appreciate your prayers. I’ll call again and give you an update on things, and please try not to worry.”
Mary Ruth squeezed her eyes shut. Heavenly Father, please be with my grandson and heal his body of the wounds he received during the accident.
Hearing a horse and buggy come into the yard and knowing it must be Jesse, Mary Ruth stepped out of the phone shack. “Guder mariye, Jesse.”
“Good morning,” he responded as he hitched the horse to the rail and took Cindy out of the buggy. “How’s Lenore doing?”
“Still hurting, but I managed to get her an appointment with the chiropractor. One of my drivers will be by to get her this afternoon.” Mary Ruth reached in and grabbed Cindy’s diaper bag, and they made their way up to the house.
Once inside, Jesse took Cindy’s outer garments off, gave her a kiss, and set her on the blanket Mary Ruth had placed on the floor. “If there’s anything I can do to help, just say the word. I can do a few chores after work this evening, and I’d be glad to come by tomorrow to do whatever else needs to be done.”
She smiled. “Danki, Jesse. That’s very kind of you. And knowing I won’t have to do all the chores by myself will no doubt give Lenore a sense of relief.” Mary Ruth shook her head. “I sure wouldn’t want her trying to do much of anything right now. Not till her back is feeling better. Even then, she’ll have to be careful how she moves for a while.”
He glanced around the room. “Is she still in bed?”
“Jah.”
“Well, tell her I said hello and that I hope to see her later today.”
“I surely will.”
Jesse knelt on the floor and gave his daughter another kiss, then tickled her under the chin. “Be good for Mary Ruth.”
Cindy looked up at him and giggled.<
br />
Chuckling, he stood. “I’ll see you after work, Mary Ruth. I hope you have a good day and that my little one doesn’t give you any trouble.”
“I’m sure she won’t. Cindy’s always been a good girl for me.”
Jesse said goodbye, and after he went out the front door, Mary Ruth moved over to the baby. “All right, little one, what shall we do while we’re waiting for Lenore to get up?”
Cindy made some baby-talk sounds and stuck her thumb in her mouth.
Mary Ruth laughed. “I think we can find something more exciting for you to do than that.”
“How are you doing? What did the chiropractor say?” Grandma asked when Lenore limped through the front door later that afternoon.
“He took an X-ray, and there are no broken bones, so that’s a relief.” Lenore paused to take a breath. “He believes it’s just a pulled muscle, and I have a pretty nasty bruise.”
“What did he suggest you do for it?”
“Ice, alternating with heat. He also gave me a natural muscle relaxer and something for pain from the nutrition area of his clinic.” Lenore took off her outer garments and hung them on the clothes tree in the hall. “He suggested that I rest and return to the clinic sometime next week.”
Grandma tipped her head. “So no teaching for a while?”
“Not till the pain is better and I’m able to sit comfortably. My helper will have to be notified, and she may be on her own with the class if someone can’t step in as the main teacher.” Lenore grimaced. “This is not a good time for me to be away from school. The Christmas program the scholars will be putting on for their families is less than a month away. I would very much like to be at school so I can work with the children, helping them get their skits, recitations, and songs perfected.”
“I am sure whoever fills in for you will work with the kinner.”
“I suppose.” Lenore glanced toward the living room. “How is Cindy doing? Has she been good for you today?”
Grandma nodded. “That boppli is so siess.”
“I think all babies are sweet.” A pang of regret over not being a mother stabbed her heart. It was wrong to dwell on her desire to be married and raising a family, but she wasn’t getting any younger, and the idea of having to remain single was never far from her thoughts.
“Where is Cindy now?” Lenore asked as she worked her way slowly to the living-room couch.
“She’s taking a nap. I set up the playpen in my room so she could sleep undisturbed.”
“That’s good.” As Grandma took a seat in her rocking chair, Lenore lowered herself to the couch. It was time to get off her feet.
“Would you like an ice pack or a warm compress for your back?” Grandma questioned.
“No, I just need to lie down and rest for a bit.”
“Why don’t you go into the guest room and take a nap? I’ll call you when supper is ready.”
Lenore reached around with one hand and rubbed the muscle spasm in her back. “I feel bad leaving you with all the work. I should be helping with supper.”
“You need to rest your back, and I’m perfectly capable of fixing our evening meal by myself.”
Lenore would have liked to argue the point, but Grandma was right. For now, at least, she needed to rest so her back would heal and she could return to teaching, in addition to all her other normal activities, just as soon as possible.
Chapter 27
Would you mind if we stop by my grandma’s before going back to Lancaster?” Sara asked as she and Brad traveled home Saturday morning. “I want to give Grandma an update on Kenny and see how Lenore is doing.” Sara was glad her grandmother had told her about Lenore’s fall on the ice so she could be praying for her.
Brad glanced over at Sara and smiled. “Sure, hon. In fact, I was going to suggest the very same thing.”
They drove in silence awhile, until Sara asked another question. “Do you think I was too pushy, trying to convince Kenny he should come home with us to heal? He seemed kind of irritated when I brought it up again before we left the hospital.”
With his eyes still on the road, Brad reached over and patted Sara’s arm. “He’s not your kid brother anymore; Kenny is almost twenty years old and has become pretty independent since he moved to Philadelphia to attend the music institute.”
“I understand that, but how would staying with us for a few weeks hamper his independence?”
“He might feel as if you’d want to mother him.”
Sara folded her arms. “That’s ridiculous. I’ve never tried to do that to Kenny.”
“Now don’t get upset. I wasn’t insinuating that you were mothering him.” Brad spoke in a gentle tone. “I only mentioned it because sometimes when a person makes a suggestion, we take it the wrong way and assume they are trying to tell us what to do.”
Sara felt heat behind her eyelids. “I only want what’s best for him, but if he’d rather stay with Lynn’s parents, then I guess that’s okay. At least Kenny won’t be by himself while he’s recuperating from his injuries.”
“Right. And you can keep in touch by phone to find out how he’s doing.”
Sara leaned against her headrest and tried to relax. Maybe I’ll feel better about things when we get to Grandma’s and she’s given me the hug I need.
After breakfast, Mary Ruth headed to the basement to get some towels she’d hung on the inside line the night before. Lenore was resting on the living-room couch, so Mary Ruth figured it was also a good time to take a look inside the prayer jar that Sara, Michelle, and Lenore had found down there.
Going over to the step stool, she climbed up carefully and took down the jar. Taking a seat on a wooden stool, she opened the lid and pulled out a slip of paper near the top. A verse of scripture had been written on it. “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Psalm 34:18.”
Mary Ruth sighed. My poor daughter’s heart was broken, and that’s why she chose this verse to put in her prayer jar. Oh Rhoda, if only you had talked to your daed and me—told us about the baby—we would have offered our love and support, even if we didn’t approve of your actions. We loved you so much and would have worked things out if you’d let us.
So many regrets, but they wouldn’t change the past. Now don’t start wallowing in pity, she chided herself. Be thankful for the note Rhoda left in her Bible so you could get to know Sara.
Mary Ruth put the piece of paper back in the jar and returned it to the shelf. Reading Rhoda’s messages conjured up feelings of sadness, but at the same time Mary Ruth found comfort in learning what her daughter had written. For now, at least, she needed to concentrate on getting the towels off the clothesline, folding them, and taking them upstairs to put away.
Lenore had barely found a comfortable position on the couch when she heard a car pull into the yard. Thinking Grandma would see to whoever it was, she made no move to get up.
A short time later, a knock sounded on the front door. Lenore listened for Grandma’s footsteps, but when they didn’t come and the knock came again, she pulled herself off the couch. Limping across the room, she opened the door and was surprised to see Sara and Brad on the porch.
“How are you?” Sara asked.
“How’s your brother?” Lenore queried at the same time.
“Kenny’s still hurting but is out of the hospital now,” Sara said. “We came by to see how you’re doing and to give an update on his condition.”
“We’re anxious to hear. Grandma and I have been praying for him. Come on in.” Lenore led the way to the living room, where she took a seat on the couch, placing a pillow behind her back. “Grandma went to the basement to get some clean towels, but I thought she’d be back up here by now.”
“I should go check on her.” Sara’s brows drew together. “Those stairs are steep, and she might have fallen.”
“In that case, I’d better go down to the basement. If she’s hurt, I’ll let you both know. Sara, why don’t you st
ay here and visit with Lenore?” Brad suggested. He left before Sara could respond.
Sara lowered herself into Grandpa’s recliner. “We heard about your fall on the ice. How are you doing, Lenore?”
“My back’s still sore, but the X-ray at the chiropractor’s office didn’t show any broken bones. He thinks I just pulled a muscle, and of course my back and part of the hip area are bruised.”
“Will you be able to teach on Monday?”
“I want to, but with the pain I’m feeling now, it’s doubtful.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Slipping on ice can be so dangerous—same with stairs.” Sara turned her gaze in the direction of the basement stairway. “I hope Grandma’s okay. The last thing we need is someone else in the family getting hurt.”
Lenore bobbed her head. “That’s for sure.”
A few minutes later, Brad entered the room carrying a laundry basket full of towels. Grandma was behind him.
Sara got up and gave Grandma a hug. “I was worried about you, and I’m glad you let Brad carry the laundry basket up. You shouldn’t be going up and down those steps. An accident can happen when you least expect it—just ask Lenore.”
Grandma patted Sara’s arm. “I’ve been doing it for years, and I’m always careful on the stairs. Besides, the washing machine is down there, so how else am I supposed to get the laundry done?”
“True, but I often do the laundry,” Lenore interjected.
“With your back hurting right now, you shouldn’t try to do any chores.” Shaking her finger, Grandma peered at Lenore over the top of her glasses. “Please try not to worry about me.”
“Where should I put this?” Brad asked, nodding with his head toward the laundry basket he still held.
“You can set it in the hall by the bathroom door. The towels are folded. I just need to put them away.”
“Okay, sure.” When Brad left the room, Grandma took a seat in her rocker. “How is Kenny doing?” she asked, looking at Sara. “I’ve been concerned since I first heard about his accident.”
The Healing Jar Page 17