Eyes on the Prize

by Sunni Jeffers

  “Maybe I should come with you when you talk to her, so I can reassure her and make sure this is her decision,” Olivia said.

  “Meet us at the center at nine o’clock, then.” Reggie stood. “I’ll see you ladies in the morning.”

  “Mr. Reggie turned into a fine man,” Olivia said as he walked out the door.

  Vera smiled. “Yes, he did. And I’m relieved that Aunt Agatha will be in such good hands with you and Reggie. She was so sure he wanted to put her in a nursing home. All he wants is for her to be safe and well cared for. She’ll be thrilled.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Have any of you entered the Harvest 10K Run that’s coming to Acorn Hill?” Jane asked the ANGELs in the Assembly Room at Grace Chapel on Wednesday night. Alice had led the preteen-aged group of girls for years. Jane had promised Alice she’d fill in for her while she was gone.

  “My whole family’s entered,” Bree Brubaker said. “My dad doesn’t have to travel that week. Mom and Clinton and I jog every day to get ready. I don’t think we can run the whole way, though, but Mom says that’s all right.”

  “My mom and I are helping at a water stop,” Sissy Matthews said. “My brother and my dad are running.”

  Several of the other girls were involved in some way.

  “Who wants to win the race?” Jane asked.

  Three girls raised their hands.

  “It sounds like the race will be lots of fun,” Jane said. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for from the girls, since she was trying to figure out her own motivations. She knew she wanted to beat Carrie. If she came in ahead of her former track teammate, she’d be happy. And surely that was a legitimate goal. “The Bible talks about racing. Does anyone know what it says?” she asked.

  “Yeah, it says we should run to win,” Sarah Roberts said. “My dad tells me something like that about my homework sometimes.”

  “That sounds like my dad,” Sissy said. “He watches football and basketball, and he’s always yelling about scoring and winning.”

  “I looked in Scripture and I found other verses about racing.” Jane lifted a slim stack of pages on which she’d run off a number of quotations, then passed out one page to each girl. “This is the one you’re referring to, Sarah. ‘Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.’ That’s 1 Corinthians 9:24. There’ll be prizes for the winners of this race. It would be fun to get a prize. What kind of a race is the Bible talking about, though?”

  “Does it mean we should work hard to do our best in everything?” Kate asked.

  “No, it means we should run to follow Jesus,” Sissy said.

  “The next verse says, ‘Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.’ So I think Sissy is closer to the truth, although we have to work hard to do our best. That’s why we train for a race. Has anyone ever won a prize for something?” Jane asked.

  “I won a prize for spelling the most words right,” Sissy said.

  “Do you still have the prize?” Jane asked.

  “No way! It was a candy bar. I ate it.”

  Everyone laughed at her answer.

  “That’s what the Bible verse means. In life, we compete to win prizes that don’t last. Like a candy bar. I won a trophy for bowling once. After a few years, it didn’t mean much sitting on my bookshelf, except that I had to dust it. I think a candy bar would have been a better prize.”

  “Yeah. Hey, I know. We could give everyone a prize after the race. We could give out candy bars,” Bree said. “Then everyone would be a winner.”

  “That’s a wonderful idea, except we might have over a hundred entrants. That’s a lot of candy.”

  “What if we gave out cookies with a Bible verse,” Linda Farr suggested. “I’m not entering the race, so I could hand them out at the finish line if my mom says it’s okay.”

  “I can help too,” Lisa Masur said. “I can’t run,” she said, lifting her leg. She had a soft boot cast on her foot, the result of a torn ligament.

  “Excellent idea. I knew you girls would come up with something fabulous. Miss Howard will be home by then. You could come over to the inn and make the cookies. We could put the cookies in plastic snack bags with the verse attached. Here’s a list of Bible verses I found about running and racing. Let’s look them over. Then you can decide which verse to use.”

  “‘… Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 3:13–14). That’s a good one,” Kate said.

  “Psalm 119:32 would be terrific,” Sissy said. “‘I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.’”

  “I like this one,” Bree said. “‘It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.’ That’s Psalm 18:32–33.”

  “Wait, this is one we should use,” Sarah said. “It’s my grandma’s favorite verse. She quotes it all the time. Isaiah 40:31, ‘But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.’”

  “I think we should use all of them and put them on different bags,” Jenny said.

  “Me too,” Kate agreed. “My mom can print them out in fancy letters. She does that with notes she puts in sacks when she takes food to people who are sick.”

  “All right. Kate, you take care of printing the verses—if your mother agrees. I’ll get the ingredients for your cookies. Maybe we could meet at our house next Wednesday night to prepare the cookies and the bags. So girls, not all of us are running the race, but how are we running a race by doing this?”

  They looked at her with blank expressions. Clearly, she hadn’t conveyed the point. “If we help others, are we doing what Jesus did?”

  “Yes, that’s why we do secret ANGEL projects,” Lisa said.

  “That’s exactly right. Why don’t you do it out in the open so everyone can see you?” Jane asked.

  “That wouldn’t be any fun. Then they’d know we did it and not why we do it,” Bree said.

  “We do it to make people feel good and to help them,” Jenny added.

  “We want them to know Jesus loves them,” Kate said. “Miss Howard said Jesus knows we’re doing it and He smiles when we help others.”

  Alice lived what she taught and she’d passed it on to the girls. “You’re all correct,” Jane said. “That’s the race Jesus gives us, to run after Him, to live and treat people the way He did, isn’t it?”

  All of the girls agreed.

  Jane served refreshments and afterward the girls helped her clean up. Then they went upstairs to find their parents, who’d been in the Wednesday night prayer service.

  “Good morning, Aunt Agatha. You’re looking chipper this morning,” Reggie said Thursday morning, giving Agatha a kiss on her cheek. She was sitting up, dressed in a bright-green muumuu and slippers. Her hair still needed attention. It looked like she’d tried to comb it. The front had been brushed, but the back was matted from lying on it. Her lipstick was crooked.

  Agatha frowned. “Are you here to talk me into moving into that old people’s home?” she asked, glaring at him suspiciously.

  Reggie held his hands over his heart. “You wound me, Aunt Agatha. I’m innocent.”

  The sight of the tall, broad-shouldered man becoming subdued under the gaze of the diminutive elderly woman impressed Alice. She’d seen Vera’s capable cousin in his club, captaining his yacht, leading his rugged crew of employees around Agatha’s mansion. She expected him to master any situation, but Agatha had the upper hand, even in her incapacitated condition. Vera might have been able to convince her, but even that was doubtful. Alice suddenly realized that Agatha would not have gone to an assisted
living residence without giving her consent and cooperation. So why had she called Vera with such desperation? She must have realized she needed help.

  Vera gave Agatha a kiss just as Olivia entered the room, smiling at those visiting the old woman.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Agatha. And a fine morning it is,” she said. “Have you talked to her yet?” she asked Reggie.

  “Not yet. We were waiting for you.” He sat on the edge of the bed, changing the dynamic. He still seemed an imposing figure next to his aunt, but he no longer appeared intimidating. “We have good news for you,” he said. He looked at Vera and nodded.

  Vera pulled up a chair in front of her aunt. She put her hands on Agatha’s withered hands and smiled. “You won’t be moving to Briarhurst. You’ll be returning to your own home.”

  “How can I go home? I can’t climb the stairs. I can’t cook my meals. I can’t even take a bath without help.”

  “That’s where I come in,” Olivia said. “If you don’t object, I’d like to work for you and take care of you in your home. That means you’ll have to have me for a housemate,” she said. “But it’s up to you. Mr. Reggie could find someone else, I’m sure.”

  Agatha gazed up at Olivia, searching her face. For a moment, Alice thought she might be disoriented. If that was the case, the plan might not work.

  “You’d give up your freedom to take care of an old lady like me?” Agatha asked. A tear broke free from her eye and trickled down the corner of her cheek. “What an angel you are.” Agatha reached up a shaky hand and touched Olivia’s arm. Then she looked from Vera to Reggie and back. “Do you mean it? How can that be?”

  “Reggie is installing an elevator, Auntie. You won’t have to use the stairs. The bathrooms will be equipped so you can use them. And Olivia is a great cook. As you get stronger, you can do as much as you want, but she’ll be there to help you.”

  Agatha stared at Vera for a moment. She pursed her lips. Then a deeply distressed look entered her eyes. “This is terrible. I can’t. I told Lillian I’d move to that home so she wouldn’t have to be alone. I can’t let her down.”

  Vera, Reggie and Olivia stared at Agatha in stunned silence. Agatha stared back, her expression filled with pain.

  “Olivia, you know Lillian. What’s wrong with her?” Alice asked.

  “She’s just been diagnosed with Essential Tremor and she has a few other things related to age. They’ve started her on medications to help control the tremors. There’s no cure. It’s not life-threatening, but it is debilitating.”

  “It’s embarrassing. She puts on a good front, but she’s mortified when she has those tremor attacks,” Agatha said. “She gets depressed and doesn’t want to be around people.”

  Alice glanced at Olivia. She could tell by the woman’s thoughtful expression that they were on the same wavelength.

  “Lillian’s an easy patient. She doesn’t demand attention and she has the sweetest disposition. Most of the time she can get around with a cane or walker, but she needs care. She’s a good friend of yours, isn’t she, Mrs. Agatha?”

  Agatha’s chin was firm and determined. “My closest friend.”

  “Do you suppose she’d want to come live with us? We’d have quite a time, the three of us,” Olivia said. She looked toward Reggie, who nodded.

  Agatha’s eyes lit with hope. “Do you think it could work?” She raised her hands to her cheeks. “Oh my, yes, we’d have a delightful time. Is it possible? Are you sure, Olivia? I don’t want to be a burden.”

  “I’m sure. This is a blessing for me, Mrs. Agatha.”

  Agatha’s face wrinkled into a thousand little lines as she grinned. “Oh, I do want to go home. I was so afraid. This is your doing, isn’t it Alvera? Thank you.”

  “Actually Alice saw the possibility first. Reggie figured out how to make it work. And I’m sure we all like the idea of Lillian’s joining you.”

  Agatha turned to Reggie. “Learning your father’s trade, building all those yachts taught you valuable skills. He’d be proud of you. But what about that rapscallion son of Lillian’s? What if he refuses to let her come.”

  “Does Lillian’s son have her power of attorney?” Reggie asked.

  “No. He has her signature on a real estate agreement to sell her house, but that’s all.”

  “Then I don’t see that he can stop her. I’ll be glad to talk to him and reassure him. I’ll mention cost-effectiveness. That should convince him to cooperate.”

  “Bless your heart, Reginald Jamison. Your mother would be proud of you too. If Lillian lives with me, she won’t need that house.” Agatha frowned. “We need to hurry. He’s going to sell all her possessions. We have to stop him. I have lots of room for her things.”

  “Let’s go talk to Lillian, Aunt Agatha.” Reggie clapped his hands together.

  “Get that metal contraption for me.” She pointed to the walker, then pushed to try to get up. “Well, don’t just stand there, Alvera. Give me a hand. You wait and see. In a couple of weeks, I won’t need that thing.”

  Vera got on one side and Olivia got on the other and helped Agatha to stand and grab the walker.

  “I’ll look forward to that day,” Reggie said. He looked at Vera and Olivia and winked.

  Jane parked in the high school lot and turned off her lights. At 6:30 Thursday morning, the sky had lightened to a steel gray. She shivered. A sweatshirt wouldn’t be enough cover in a week or two.

  She locked her purse in the trunk, slipped her keys in her pocket, picked up a small flashlight and headed around the school buildings to the football field and track. Eleanor had suggested that she run laps. The best way to use the track was to get there before school.

  As she’d expected, the track was deserted. Start at a moderate pace and increase speed with each set, Eleanor had said. Jane squatted down and stretched out her right leg, then her left. She went through a series of warm-up exercises, then started out jogging around the track, loping easily. The cold penetrated her sweatshirt. She held her arms crossed, rubbing them as she ran. One lap. A figure emerged from behind the bleachers and started running behind her. She glanced back. The figure was clad in a sweatshirt with the hood up and sweat pants. She couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman.

  She heard the thud, thud, thud of the runner’s feet, beating the ground twice to her once, running hard toward her. Her heart pounded. She felt the adrenaline pump through her veins. She considered running off the track to her car. She reached in her pocket and grabbed hold of her small flashlight. The feel of the small metal tube gave her a sense of security. Then reason returned to her mind. This is Acorn Hill, she thought.

  The footsteps caught up to her, came alongside her. The figure was a few inches taller and broader in the shoulders than she was. The figure glanced over at her and smiled.

  “Hey, Jane. Getting ready for the big race?” He fell into step next to her, matching her step for step. His legs were longer than hers.

  “Hank Young. Did you try to scare me on purpose?”

  “Scare you? Why would I do that? You didn’t think … Hey, I’m sorry. It never occurred to me that you didn’t recognize me when you looked back.”

  Jane gave him a withering look. Sometimes she thought Hank lived on a different planet from the rest of them, his head in the cyberclouds of the Internet. He was a whiz at anything technical, but naive when it came to life in general. He looked at her with wide-eyed innocence, and she couldn’t help laughing. “You have your hood on.”

  He looked up. “Oh.” He pulled the hood off. “Sorry. But there’s no one around here to worry about.”

  “I realized that. I wasn’t really scared. Well, maybe for a few seconds, but then I thought better of it.”

  “Good. How’s the Web site doing?”

  “Fine. We’re going to have to add a page for Louise’s giant pumpkin, though. It’s become a huge attraction.”

  “Huge, huh?” He laughed.

  “Yeah. So how’s the computer business?
Are you keeping busy?”

  “I’ve got contracts in Potterston and all over the state. It’s great. I can work and never leave Acorn Hill.”

  Jane realized she’d completed four laps. “I’ve got to walk now for a lap,” she said, slowing.

  “Okay. I’ll see you later.” He waved and sprinted off.

  Two women came onto the track, talking as fast as they walked. Behind them, a man in shorts and a T-shirt jogged on, wearing a headset. He quickly passed the women and Jane. By the time she rounded the track and started a faster set of laps, a handful of high school athletes had shown up for an early workout. Jane completed her sets, winded and overheated, but feeling like part of a community of exercise-conscious residents. Although she hadn’t carried on a conversation with anyone other than Hank, everyone had greeted her with a smile of camaraderie. She wondered if all of them were entering the Harvest 10K Run. The track had seemed congested enough. She couldn’t imagine running with a real crowd.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Vera stood at the foot of the steps to the Shelton Cove Yacht Club and silently stared up at the remarkable mansion, as if she’d been frozen in place. Alice wondered what she was thinking about the house where she grew up. Vera’s expression gave away nothing.

  Reggie stood on the other side of her, waiting patiently, as if he understood the emotions swirling through his cousin.

  The weathered, gray cedar siding, the towers and the red shingles of the roof made Alice think of mansions she’d seen above the beaches of Newport, Rhode Island.

  Finally, Vera took a deep breath and they climbed the steps to the entrance. The door opened and three people came out. They were dressed to go sailing in casual clothes, deck shoes and light sweaters. They smiled and greeted Reggie, said hello to Vera and Alice, then went on down the steps, except for one of the men, who held the door for them to enter.

  The encounter seemed to relax Vera, who’d been tense all morning. Inside the entry hall, arched doorways led in three directions. Laughter could be heard from the left.