“Why! I never.”
“In the army, it was considered the worst kind of cowardice to harm yourself just so you could get out of the war. And that’s what you’re doing here, Liv.”
“This isn’t some kind of battlefield, Harold.”
“Maybe you don’t think so, but it sure can be. The same evil I fought long ago is still around. Sin don’t go away. It’s still the same. There’s no difference in God’s eyes. Sin is still sin, whether it’s Hitler killing God’s people or you wanting to kill yourself. And the problem is, you’ll end up hurting a lot of other people if you do. Nothing is worth that, no matter where you end up living out your life. And here there are nice people, kind people helping you and loving you, like Neil and Debbie and even that head nurse there. So don’t be so selfish. Think about other people besides yourself for a change.”
Debbie could hardly believe this was the same Harold who spoke such words. It was like he had awakened from some kind of coma after all this time and now was speaking righteous words full of life-changing power.
Just then she felt a breeze and turned to see Trish rolling her linen cart along. “Playing matchmaker?” she asked with a teasing tilt to her voice.
Debbie picked up a pillowcase from her linen cart, pretending to fold it. “Hardly. But it’s nice to see the change in Harold.”
Trish paused to observe the two residents having a conversation with one another. “Wonder of wonders. And Harold doesn’t think Elvina is some enemy soldier either.”
“That’s because he knows her. Indirectly, that is. Harold knew a man who was close to Elvina before the war. His name was Sam. Harold and Sam fought side by side in Normandy. Harold was there when Sam got shot and took his last breath. Elvina never knew what happened to Sam—that is, until now, sixty years later.” Debbie drew in a breath.
Trish stared, her mouth forming a circle. “So you mean Elvina had another husband named Sam?”
“Sam was like her boyfriend, I guess you could say, before she got married. He was a widower with a small son when they met. I think his wife died in childbirth. Anyway he wanted Elvina to take care of his little boy while he was away in the army. He never came home. Elvina adopted the boy and made him a part of the family even after she married her husband, Joe. That adopted boy turned out to be Neil’s father. That’s why Neil calls her his grandmother to this day, even though there is no blood relation.”
Trish stood transfixed. “This is too weird.”
“Yes. It’s a miracle.”
She hesitated. “I know what it’s like to be adopted.”
The words came out so matter-of-factly that Debbie was taken aback. “What?”
“I’m adopted. I always wanted to know who my real parents were. My mom told me some young thing gave me away when she was a teenager. I was a teenage birth. It always kind of got to me, though, thinking about being adopted, wondering if my real parents thought about me or how I turned out.”
Debbie could hardly believe the words flowing out of Trish. It made her feel badly that she’d thought so little of her. She could have been more patient with Trish and more of a friend. Maybe it would have helped them both in the long run. “Wow, I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be. You have nothing to feel sorry for.”
“I know how Neil felt when he heard how his paternal grandparents weren’t his blood relatives, that his father was adopted into the family. It was hard. I don’t know the feeling myself.”
“I just wish my stepdad wasn’t so drunk all the time when I was growing up. Good thing my folks split when they did. And I know my adopted mom cared about me, until she died of breast cancer last year.” Trish took hold of the cart and rolled it away. Debbie stared after her, dumbfounded over the confession. What was the proverbial saying—Don’t judge a book by its cover? And here she had judged Trish big-time without asking God for wisdom and understanding.
Just then she heard a sound she didn’t think she would ever hear again. Laughter coming out of Elvina’s room. It jolted her like an electrical current passing through an outlet. Elvina and Harold were sharing stories of a bygone era and laughing away. It played like music to her ears. She couldn’t help but shed a tear before a smile came forth to match the merriment. She couldn’t wait to tell Neil. He needed a good laugh right now, almost as much as they did.
❧
He stared, his brown eyes fixed. She could’ve waved her hand over them, and he wouldn’t have blinked. “They laughed?”
“Yes, Neil. They laughed. Ho, ho, ho.”
He swiped his hand through his hair. “And then you saw her take the pills Mrs. Whitaker gave her?”
“With a big glass of juice. And she looked different. Peaceful. Calm.”
“Wow. I can’t believe it. I was hoping of course. Praying up a storm that there might be a change. I’m glad, Debbie. Really glad.” He took her hands in his. “How shall we celebrate? Dinner out?”
“Actually I need your help. Dinner’s at my place. Stir-fry.”
He smiled. “Sounds good. After all this, I could eat up a storm. Hope you make enough.”
She smiled a bit coyly. “Oh, there will be plenty.”
❧
Neil handed Debbie several peeled carrots and watched her slice them up. “That’s an interesting tale, I must say. But it doesn’t excuse past behavior, like how she treated both you and Gram.”
Debbie dumped sliced carrots into a bowl. She had just finished telling Neil about Trish, expecting him to react the way she had upon hearing of Trish’s past. He didn’t. She sighed. Neil hadn’t done anything she expected the past few weeks she had known him. She tried to keep her nerves in check, all the while wrestling with the idea of truly knowing the man standing beside her. “This isn’t just a tale, Neil. It’s a moving story. And it makes me understand Trish a bit better.”
“There is no way one can understand a woman like that. I mean, I had a tough life growing up in a single-parent home. But I don’t persecute insurance claimants just because I had no father.”
“So what should I do? Treat her like an outcast for her many sins?”
Neil opened his mouth to spout out a retort, then clamped his lips shut. Finally he said, “You should do whatever God tells you.”
“Good. Because I invited Trish to join us for dinner.”
“You did what?” His gaze swept the counter. “No wonder you’re cooking up enough to feed an army. And here I thought this was all for me.”
“I hope that isn’t a problem. Jesus ate with the outcasts, as I’m sure you know. And since you two have something in common, growing up in different family situations, I thought it would be good.”
Just then she felt the sweep of his hand on hers. “Debbie, I don’t care to eat with Trish.”
“Huh?” The statement both startled and puzzled her.
“Hello?” He tapped her gently on the head. “We’ve had encounters in the past, none of which were overly pleasant. Before that, she and all the rest of her crew were like vultures after a kill. I don’t care to give out any more mixed signals, especially since my signal is set.”
“What do you mean, your signal is set? Set to what?”
He pried the knife carefully from her fingers and laid it on the counter. His touch sent a tremor through her. “I’ll give you one guess.” He drew near, pulling her into his embrace.
She wiggled out of his arms. “I know you may think your light is green, Nathaniel J., but mine is yellow and rapidly turning red.” She grabbed a red Christmas hand towel and held it in front of her. “And if you don’t watch it, the police will give you a little ol’ ticket for running a red light.” He withdrew, a grin still on his face, even as she picked up the knife again to tackle the veggies. “I wouldn’t worry about Trish getting the wrong signal,” she added. “She
decided to also invite a friend. Her new boyfriend, I think. I told her you would be here and that you love computers. This guy does, too, it seems. So you two can chat.”
His cheeks turned rosy. “Now you tell me. Thanks a lot, missy.”
“You didn’t ask.” She felt like giggling the way his face contorted into a picture of discomfort. She continued to chop and dice, even as she sensed his gaze on her. The chemistry was so strong between them. She felt like a chemistry student, ready to watch her experiment in love boil over. Yes, this man was having a profound effect on her and growing by leaps and bounds as each day passed.
The feelings abruptly subsided when the doorbell rang. Neil went to answer it. Voices soon filled the living room. A sense of peace flowed through Debbie. God was good, even if things didn’t look quite right in her eyes. He was in control.
Trish came to dinner bearing some new records for Neil’s grandmother. “I thought maybe Elvina would like hearing some of these. They are left over from my stepmom. Guess I inherited them.”
Debbie thought Neil would keel over right there. He gave a sheepish thank-you, avoiding eye contact. Debbie thanked God for the change she’d seen in Trish and for bringing her here.
“I see the guys are already talking about the latest computer games,” Trish noted, moseying on into the tiny kitchen where Debbie was working. She helped herself to a carrot.
“Boys must have their toys. I took Neil shopping for his family the other day at the mall, and I could tell he only wanted to check out the computer store across the way from the bath boutique.”
Trish laughed. “It’s so typical, isn’t it? Stu only wants to talk computers, too. I didn’t even have a computer until he hooked me up. Now I love chatting with friends.” She stood still, watching, even as Debbie sensed her own nervousness. “You know, I wonder why you and I never got along.”
The comment took Debbie by surprise. “I’m not sure. I guess because we both do things differently.”
“Well, you might as well know, I’m quitting White Pines after the New Year. I’m going to work in the same computer store as Stu, handling the cash register. I’m just not cut out to work at the facility anymore.”
“You’ve been there a long time.”
“Too long. It’s time to move on. But I think you need to go on with nursing, Debbie. Go to college and get your degree. Become an RN like Mrs. Whitaker.”
“Huh?” Debbie’s knees turned to gelatin.
“Sure. You have what it takes. I mean, we all see it. Maybe that’s why we’ve had problems. You’re a natural at taking care of these people. Some of us, well, it’s just a job. But to you, this is your life. You pour everything into these people’s lives. You live for them really.”
Debbie never imagined anyone observing her in such fine detail, except when she made a blunder. Now Neil’s words of long ago came back—how her mission field was right where God had placed her, inside the White Pines Health Care Facility. She prayed she might make a difference. Come to find out, her life had been speaking loud and clear, more than mere words can say. “I do like it,” she admitted. “I don’t know, though, if I have the money and the stamina to become a full-fledged nurse. I see what Mrs. Whitaker has to do.”
“My sister, actually my stepsister, is a nurse. She works in the ER and loves it. I wouldn’t be caught dead handling gunshot wounds and all that. But you should really think about it.”
“Maybe I will. Thanks.” For the first time, Debbie could see going to the mall with Trish, or maybe a movie, as remarkable as that seemed a mere week ago. How rapidly things could change—and when she least expected it.
Dinner was a rousing success. While they ate dessert, Trish laid down her fork. “Hey, I want to make an announcement.”
“You’re engaged,” Debbie said with a sigh. She tried to avoid Neil’s eye as he turned to look at her.
“No way,” Stu said loudly.
Trish laughed. “That will take some convincing. Actually, Neil, I know that you were looking to hire a nurse to take care of Elvina over the holidays. Have you filled the post yet?”
“No,” he answered, a bit cautiously.
“I told Trish she must have New Year’s Eve off,” Stu added. “I’ve got it set for us to go to Times Square to watch the ball drop.”
“So since Neil needs a nurse for Christmas, do you want to switch with me, Debbie? I’ll work Christmas if you’ll work New Year’s Eve. And that leaves you free to take care of Elvina if you want to.”
Debbie could hardly believe it. And from the look on Neil’s face, neither could he.
“I don’t know what to say, Trish.”
“Merry Christmas.” She handed over her plate. “And another helping of that carrot cake, please. It’s simply divine.”
When the evening wrapped up and Trish and Stu said good night, Neil came to help Debbie with the dishes. She could only sing the praises of God for doing a great work. “Neil, I must admit, you were right again.”
He nearly dropped the red dish towel. “I don’t think I can handle all this praise, Debbie. It’s giving me a swelled head. What did I do this time?”
“When you talked about our unique mission work, giving our jobs to God and letting Him use us. . . Trish said some really wild things tonight. Not only, of course, about switching holidays and all. But she commented on my work with the residents and thinks I should become an RN like Mrs. Whitaker. She says I have what it takes.”
“I agree wholeheartedly. In fact, if you need a loan for school, I’d be happy to help out.”
“What? But I haven’t even decided if I’m going to be one or not.”
“I think it’s a great idea. And who would have thought your old nemesis would confirm it?”
No one. No one but God, that is. He had a knack for coming up with surprises in the most unexpected fashion. But becoming a nurse might mean jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Or it might mean the satisfaction of a dream fulfilled, to have a degree and a good job, like everyone else in her family. To feel a sense of accomplishment while doing something near and dear to her heart—caring for the injured, the aged, those in need. “Think I’ll be any good at it?”
“Is that a trick question?”
“It might be. I’m asking you if you think this is something I should do, or is everyone just trying to be nice.”
“I doubt Trish would say it just to be nice. She has nothing to lose or gain at this point. Maybe she’s seen the light for the first time. I didn’t tell you this, but when I was reading the Bible to Gram that day she refused to take her pills, I saw Trish standing outside in the hall. I wondered then if she had heard the words. Somehow I think this has really affected her.”
Debbie couldn’t help but agree.
“And as for me,” Neil said, “I’ve been trying to be nice for a very long time and wondering if I’d been failing at it miserably. Especially when you wanted to leave this area and never return. It made me wonder if we were on the right track or not.”
She didn’t blame him for thinking that. He had been nice. In every word and deed, a true friend. And maybe more. Working side-by-side, doing dishes, and chatting, she felt completely at home with him. They seemed right for each other. She had seen the light, and maybe now her very own Christmas wish stood poised to become a reality.
Fifteen
“This has been so wonderful; I don’t know what to say.”
Debbie watched from afar as Elvina sat with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren in Neil’s mother’s home, surrounded by gifts and love. The last two days had gone so well she could hardly believe it. Elvina was a different person—strong, determined, even able to take a few steps from her bed to the wheelchair. She acted younger. At times, she even seemed to see: She expounded on things that were happening all around her, such as when one
of the great-nieces snitched a Christmas cookie from the plate. It had made a world of difference in her life to be here with her loved ones. And Debbie had to admit, it made a difference in hers, too, just to be here with Neil’s family. At times, she caught members of his family looking at her strangely. Maybe he had mentioned their relationship to them in passing conversation. Or maybe they knew something she didn’t.
She chuckled in hindsight, recalling the day Neil asked her to come and help during Christmas. Though she expected to hear about it after Trish’s offer to exchange holidays, he hadn’t mentioned anything until one day when he came knocking on her apartment door. He told her in an excited voice how everything was arranged. “We’re set to have Gram come to my mom’s house for Christmas. I tiptoed in with the issue to Mom, and she agreed, as long as I took care of all the details. I’ve arranged for the bed and the necessary supplies. I lack only one tiny detail.”
“And what would that be, pray tell?”
He winked. “I need a certain nurse willing to help me out. The one who kissed me the other week at Christmastown, USA, would do nicely.”
He opened his arms to pull her into his embrace, and they kissed again, right after she said, “I will.” She half expected an engagement to follow on the heels of all this, but then again, Neil remained too absorbed with preparations for his grandmother’s Christmas visit for something that drastic. And rightly so. Though she did dream of the big night when he would whisk her away for a candlelight dinner and ask for her hand on bended knee. Maybe New Year’s—the perfect time for a new beginning.
Debbie glanced at her watch. After the gift exchange, Neil left to run an errand. Why he felt the need to escape somewhere on Christmas morning, she couldn’t imagine. No stores were open, as far as she knew. Ninety minutes had already passed. What could be keeping him?
She turned her attention to the Jenson family—Neil’s mother giving Elvina a cup of juice; his sister, Sandy, talking to Elvina about her job; the two great-granddaughters looking over some new jewelry; and Neil’s brother, Dick, immersing himself in the computer game Neil had given him. Both Neil’s mother and Sandy loved their bath products in the baskets.
Truly Yours Contemporary Collection December 2014 Page 62