Puzzle House

by Duncan, Lillian;

  “A lot of good you are, country boy.” She wheeled to her own puzzle table, grateful she didn’t have to walk.

  Rachel and Brandon whispered to each other.

  “Hey, city girl. Still want to ride that horse?”

  She was too tired to do anything.

  Brandon was smiling at her.

  “Sure.”

  “OK, I’ll be back later. We’ll go after lunch.” He left.

  Rachel came to her table.

  “What do you think Brandon’s puzzle means?” Nia asked.

  A sad expression crossed Rachel’s face.

  “Yea, that’s what I thought, too. It almost looked as if God was getting ready to yank country boy up. Is…is Brandon sick? I thought he was just here to help you and your sick guests. He looks healthy enough. Seems to be all right to me.”

  “Only on the outside. He has some heart issues. That’s one of the reasons he keeps leaving. It’s important for him to rest frequently.”

  “Is he getting better?”

  Rachel met her gaze with unshed tears in her eyes.

  “But…” Nia had no idea how to finish her sentence.

  Rachel patted her hand. “It’s OK. Brandon is at peace with God. And himself.”

  “He seems so happy. Not sad or angry like me.”

  “He’s had a lot of time to get used to the idea. He’s been sick for a long time.”

  Shame filled her. Brandon had been nice to her since the moment she got here. And he was just as sick as her. “I guess he was talking about himself when he said no pity parties allowed.”

  “Most assuredly, he was.”

  They both worked on the puzzle for a few minutes. “I see you aren’t feeling any better today.”

  “Pretty tired.”

  “That’s not surprising since you had a busy day yesterday, but it was probably a big disappointment for you.”

  “Sorta. But I did like you told me. I talked to God and told him I was still believing I was getting healthier by the minute. And that I’m waiting for His miracle.”

  “Good for you.”

  Nia stared out the window, and then looked back at Rachel. “Even this city girl can admit that’s a pretty awesome view. No wonder you like living here. You get to see that every morning.”

  “I’m very blessed. But it’s even more special today because you’re here to share it with me.”

  “Yeah you keep telling me how special I am.”

  “Do you believe me?”

  Nia grinned. “I’m starting to. But I don’t understand why.”

  Rachel grinned. “Are you sure you don’t have even a little inkling of why that is?”

  “Not a clue.”

  “Well, think back to when your aunt dropped you off, and you might just figure it out.”

  “Why don’t you just tell me?”

  “It’s more fun this way. There’s nothing like a good mystery in books, and sometimes, in life.”

  “I know it’s up to God and everything, but do you think I got healed last night, Rachel? I kind of thought that happened when we prayed. I didn’t think I’d need the wheelchair today.”

  “Sometimes people get healed in a miraculously instant way, but not very often.” Rachel adjusted so she was facing Nia. “And remember there are different kinds of healing. Physical healing is one, but it’s not the most important kind.”

  “Like what Janet said.”

  “Exactly. I can’t tell you about the physical healing part even though I know that’s the kind we prayed for last night. But the spiritual healing? I can give you a pretty definite yes on that one.”

  “Why?”

  Rachel reached up and touched Nia’s cheek. “Because of the beautiful smile on your face this morning. That wasn’t there yesterday or the day you came here.”

  Nia laughed. “Yeah, I guess I was sort of mad and unhappy. I’m sorry I wasn’t nicer to you.”

  “And how do you feel now?”

  “Hopeful and loved. By God and by you and Auntie and all my friends.”

  “And let’s not forget about faith.”

  “Let’s not.”

  “Faith is so important, Nia. Our faith allows God to work in our life. The important thing to know in the coming days is that your faith and hope and even the love might be tested. You need to pass the test.”

  “How?”

  “By not giving up. By believing God loves you no matter what is happening to you. And that happens by studying the Bible. An attitude of gratitude works for me. Praising God for what I do have. Focusing on the good in my life, not the bad.”

  “That don’t sound all that easy to do.”

  “So true. It can be downright difficult. But that’s when it’s the most important. Faith isn’t about a moment. It’s about a lifetime of moments. Especially when you don’t see or get what you want. That’s when the devil tries to take advantage. He tries to tell you God isn’t there. That He’s not real. That He doesn’t love you.”

  “Like me having to use my wheelchair this morning?”

  “Exactly. And every time that devils whispers in your ear that God doesn’t love you, that God can’t heal you; that’s when you’ve got to yell right back at him that God does love you and that God’s way is the best way. Even when we don’t understand it.”

  “And I sure don’t understand it. It’s so confusing. Sort of like my puzzle was at first.”

  “And then it wasn’t as confusing as the week went on.”

  Cooper walked in carrying a plate. “Cookies for my two favorite cookies.”

  “That’s so lame, Cooper,” Nia said.

  “Really? Because I thought it was quite clever.” He sighed theatrically as he set the plate on the puzzle table. “Oh, well, I’ll let you have a cookie anyway even if you don’t appreciate my humor.”

  “Wow. I hope it tastes as good as it smells.” Nia grinned at him.

  “Try it.”

  She broke the cookie in half and popped it in her mouth. Her thumbs up was her answer.

  “Cooper’s cookies are spectacular,” Rachel said as she picked one up. “I will leave you to your puzzle, but when Brandon’s ready to take you for the horse ride, come get me. I’ll be in my room.”

  “Will do.”

  Cooper and Rachel walked out of the room, holding hands.

  *

  Brandon gave Nia’s wheelchair a shove, and then she was in the barn.

  “Eww. It’s smelly in here.”

  “What do you expect, city girl? It’s a barn.”

  Rachel walked in right behind them, laughing as she went over to Mindy’s stall. The horse put her head against Rachel’s. “Hi, girl. Sorry I haven’t been down to see you in a while.”

  The horse whinnied and rubbed her head against Rachel’s palm.

  “Yes, I have what you’re looking for.” She reached into her pocket and held out a slice of apple.

  The horse whinnied again, bared her teeth, and moved closer to Rachel’s hand.

  “She’s gonna bite you,” Nia squealed.

  “You really are such a city girl,” Brandon said.

  “And I do not take that as an insult, country boy. I love being a city girl. Nothing wrong with it. So there.”

  “You ready to get on the horse?” Rachel asked.

  Nia looked at the huge animal. “I guess. If you say it’s safe, then I trust you.”

  “It’s safe.” Rachel smiled. “You’re my special girl, so I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”

  Cooper walked in. “I thought you could use a little help getting Nia up there.”

  “Oh, sure. You just wanted to see me make a fool of myself too.”

  “No comment.”

  “Everyone wanting to watch the city girl fall off the horse.”

  Brandon led the horse out its stall, and put on the saddle and other gear.

  Cooper carried over a foot stool. “OK, Nia. You get on the stool, and then I’ll hoist you on the horse. He might move
a little but he’ll not bolt away. I promise.”

  “And then I’ll lead the horse for you. So all you have to do is hold on and enjoy the ride.” Brandon played with the reins.

  “You aren’t riding?”

  “Not this time. I want you to enjoy your first horse experience. To not be afraid that you’ll do something wrong. So I’m going to take care of you.”

  All of them were going out of their way for her. And she hadn’t done anything for any of them. Overcome with emotion, she looked down at the floor of the stable to get her feelings under control. She lifted her head with a smile. “Let’s do this.”

  Brandon guided her out of the barn.

  Rachel and Cooper walked in front of them.

  Rachel waved at them as she and Cooper veered back toward the house. “Have fun.”

  They walked away holding hands.

  “They sure seem to love each other, don’t they?”

  Brandon patted the horses shoulder. “They do. That’s the kind of marriage I’d want. If I had one. Which I probably won’t.”

  She decided to act as if she didn’t know. “Why not? Don’t you want to get married?”

  “Sure, I’d love to, but even if I lived long enough to get married, it wouldn’t be fair to my wife. Sooner or later, she’d be alone.”

  “I wonder if Rachel ever felt that way. With Cooper. She’s had brain tumors for a long time now. And it doesn’t seem to have made a difference to them. They still love each other.”

  “That’s true.”

  “What do you mean if you live long enough?” Nia’s courage almost failed her.

  He grinned. “It’s OK. Rachel told me that she’d told you about my heart condition.”

  “Oh.”

  His hand was still on the horse’s shoulder so she leaned down and put her hand over his. “I’m really sorry.”

  “It’s OK. I actually thought I’d die a long time ago. So anything after that is bonus time. And I’ve got to do a lot more than I ever thought I would.”

  “Like what?”

  “My parents have taken me to Alaska and Europe. I got to see the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. And lots more. But more important than my trips was getting to know God. That’s why I’m not afraid.”

  “Oh.”

  “Well, I’m a little afraid but…” He shrugged. “But no pity parties allowed.”

  She straightened up and took her hand away. “You don’t seem afraid. You seem so brave.”

  He laughed. “’Course there is one thing I still need to do.”

  “What’s that?”

  “My secret.”

  “Come on, country boy. Tell me.”

  “Nah, you’ll just make fun of me, city girl.”

  “I won’t. I promise. Now tell me.”

  “I was hoping to fall in love. At least a little.”

  “Yeah me too, country boy, me too.”

  They went around the pond and then made their way back to the barn.

  Brandon walked to the side of the horse and held up his arms. “OK, slide off. I won’t let you fall.”

  “I trust you.” She wasn’t sure that was true, but she said it anyway. His smile told her it had been the right thing to say. She swung a leg over and then moved closer. His arms held her steady as she slid off the horse. And then they were face to face, his arms still around her. Neither of them moved.

  His hand reached up and brushed her cheek.

  She smiled.

  “I’m thinking I’d like to kiss you.”

  “I’m thinking that’s a good idea.”

  He leaned in and their lips met.

  When they parted, they both had silly smiles.

  Nia felt shy, almost embarrassed. “I…I…that was my first kiss.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.” She bumped her shoulder into his. “It was nice.”

  “Nice? That’s all you’ve got to say. Nice.”

  She laughed. “Really nice.”

  “That’s better.” He moved in and kissed her again.

  “OK, country boy. We better get to the house.”

  “Sounds like a good idea. Of course staying here with you might be a better idea.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  He held her hand as they walked out of the barn. “I can’t believe how lucky I am. I got to kiss the most beautiful girl in the world.”

  “Beautiful? You better get your eyes checked, country boy. There ain’t nothing beautiful about this bald head or this skinny body.”

  “You’re so wrong about that. You’re very beautiful.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek again.

  13

  Nia opened her eyes and smiled as she thought about Brandon. He really was so nice. Maybe God would heal him. Even if Rachel didn’t think so. She’d already said God didn’t always keep her in the loop.

  She closed her eyes and prayed that Brandon would be healed. They probably wouldn’t ever see each other again after they left here, but she still wanted him to live a long and happy life and to fall in love. Or maybe they would see each other again?

  She grinned as fantasies played out in her head. Going to the prom. Together. College. Together. And a wedding with Cooper escorting her down the aisle. With her handsome groom waiting for her. Brandon.

  Silly, she knew. They were both way too young for such a commitment. But that didn’t mean it couldn’t happen. Later. For now their friendship was enough. Her finger outlined her lips. And maybe a few kisses now and then.

  “Earth to Nia,” she muttered. Enough daydreaming. Time to face the day. She only had a few more days left at The Puzzle House and she was determined to finish her puzzle.

  After showering and dressing, she walked to her door. A piece of paper lay in front of it. She picked it up and then smiled. A note from Brandon.

  Hey City Girl, here’s the words to my song. See if you can fix it up and put a new melody with it. Make it your own. I know it will be awesome! Your Country Boy.

  She’d do that later. With a smile she left her room. The quiet was noticeable. Usually, people were up and moving. No one was in the Puzzle Room so she went to the kitchen. No Cooper. She shivered. It was way too quiet.

  Where was everyone?

  After eating a simple breakfast of toast and juice, she sat down and worked on her puzzle. An hour went by and still no one. It was an unspoken rule that everyone was allowed to sleep as long as they wanted but the quiet was creeping her out.

  Rachel and Cooper wouldn’t mind if she knocked on their door. At the bottom of the steps, she stared at the lift. Nah, she could walk the steps. It was quicker anyway.

  When she was at the top, she took a few deep breaths. And felt a sense of accomplishment. It was the first time she’d walked them. When she knocked on Rachel and Cooper’s door, no one answered.

  She moved to Brandon’s door with the same results. Maybe they all went out for an early horseback ride.

  Without the newbie to slow them down.

  Oh, well. Might as well do something. She picked up Brandon’s lyrics and made her way back to the Puzzle Room, and her guitar. Another hour went by as she strummed and changed the words around and strummed again.

  A car drove in.

  Rachel and Cooper were walking up the steps just as she opened the door. Cooper held on to Rachel’s elbow as they both looked at her with puffy, red eyes.

  Her mind wouldn’t work and she couldn’t breathe.

  Rachel put her arms around Nia. “I’m sorry, my sweet Nia.”

  “What? What’s wrong?”

  “Brandon’s gone.”

  “He wouldn’t leave without saying good-bye to me. He said his Dad was picking him up later. Not this early. He wouldn’t just leave.” She could hear the begging in her voice.

  Rachel stepped back. Her voice was soft. “That’s not what I meant, Nia. He didn’t go home with his parents. He went home to God.”

  Nia backed away. “That’s not true. You’re lying. H
e was fine yesterday.”

  Cooper put his hand on her shoulder. “It was a shock to us, as well.”

  She didn’t want to hear this. Not any of it. “It’s not fair. Why would God do that to him?” To her. She ran up the steps, but stumbled half-way up. Sprawled on the steps, she cried.

  A moment later Rachel’s arm touched her back. “It’s OK, sweetie. Be as sad and angry as you want. For us. But don’t be sad for Brandon. He’s with God. And that’s a wonderful thing.”

  Nia sobbed while Rachel rubbed her back. Finally the tears stopped. She rolled on her back and sat up. “I…I can’t believe this. I knew you said he was sick but I didn’t know he was that sick.”

  “That’s because Brandon didn’t want you to know. He simply enjoyed each day that God chose to give him. Without the pity party.”

  Nia wiped at her eyes. “He did hate the pity parties.”

  Rachel’s arms went around her and Nia leaned closer. They sat that way for a long time.

  Finally, Nia asked, “What happened?”

  “He slept with an oxygen mask and a monitor. The monitor receiver was in our room. In the middle of the night, its alarm woke us. When we checked on him, he was already…at peace.”

  Nia put her head on her knees and sobbed some more. “I wish you could have healed him.”

  “God had other plans. And Brandon knew that. I know this is hard. But you know what Brandon would say, right?”

  Through her tears, she looked at Rachel. “No pity party.”

  “Exactly. Uh, I happened to notice you ran up the steps.”

  “and…and I walked up a while ago when I was looking for you. I didn’t even think about that when I did it. And…nothing’s hurting on me either.”

  Rachel patted her hand. “God is so good.”

  “But—”

  “His ways are not our ways, my dear sweet Nia.”

  Nia nodded then stood up. “You’re right. God is so good.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I have a song to finish.”

  14

  It was a picture perfect day.

  Just the kind of day Brandon would love. Chairs had been set up so that the mourners had a view of the pond as they looked at each speaker. The pond that Brandon loved so much.

  Nia never did get around to going fishing with him. So much they wouldn’t get to do together, now. But he had taken her on her first horse ride. And he’d been the first to kiss her.