Soon the entire house gathered around Father in the sun room, except for Johnny. After the prayer session that morning when Johnny discovered he was healed, he and all the others rejoiced and went outside with him to see him run up and down the block and then around it. At last count, he was running around the block for the fortieth time. Helen was waiting for him to come by the care home and call him in.
The late afternoon sun had travelled far to the west, flooding the room with warm light. It gave Father such a saintly aura and reminded the residents not only of the light he had talked about seeing for several days, but also the bright nimbus surrounding him during the prayer session that morning.
Much like they did when they had their sing-song in the chapel, the residents encircled Father and fell into prayerful silence. Suddenly, the front door slammed and in ran Johnny.
Sadness and shock covered his face over the news. His gaze never left Father as he entered the sun room. He slowly walked over to Father, knelt before him, laid his head on his knees and wept.
Dianne, still sitting beside Father, was deeply moved by the love these two men had shared. She reached over and stroked Johnny’s shoulder and was further prompted to take Father’s Bible. As she did so and laid it on her lap it fell open on Jeremiah 31:13. It was a reading that Dianne knew she had to share with the group, whose hearts were also weighing so heavy in the wake of Father’s passing. Dianne read the Scripture and then let the Words do their healing:
“I will turn their mourning to joy,
Will comfort them,
And make them rejoice rather than sorrow.”
The people knew instantly it was a message from Father and their hearts lightened. The silence was broken as someone spontaneously started to say the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven…” Soon the entire assembly joined in.
After the Lord’s Prayer, another resident started to sing “His peace is flowing like a river…flowing out of you and me…flowing out unto the desert, setting all his captives free. His peace is…”
After the six verses, someone started another song and then another one. On it went, for over an hour. By the end, everyone including Johnny was clapping and singing and crying; their sorrow had turned to joy. They all were hoping for some miracle, expecting Father to get up and join along like he usually did at the prayer meetings.
But, Father just sat there, still, his eyes closed with that smile on his face as if to say, “Thank you, my brothers and sisters, and farewell.”
Father may not have been there physically, but there was no doubt that he was there in spirit. They all felt his presence. Like during the prayer meeting they’d had for Henry and Jenny, the air was thick and heavy with the Holy Spirit, soothing and comforting them.
They streamed by him, one-by-one for the last time. Some touched him. Some kissed him on the forehead. Some whispered to him a private prayer or farewell and some just silently walked by.
Slowly the room emptied as each went to their rooms to be alone with their own thoughts and memories of Father, how he reached out to them and to their every need. He knew what was in their hearts and souls. He was considered their friend, confidant and spiritual mentor. He was their saint.
Finally, the sun room was empty except for Father and Dianne and Carey, the other nurse on duty. The bright sunlight that entered the room earlier was gone and Dianne sensed that Father had left too, to go to his heavenly home.
Finally, Dianne spoke. “Please call an ambulance, Carey. I’ll stay here until they arrive.”
Carey stood there momentarily, trying to soak in the reality of Father’s passing. Tears gathered in her eyes, and as she slowly backed out of the room, it was as if Father was speaking through her, “You’ll have to take Father’s place, Dianne. The residents may not make it without you.”
Carey’s comment struck Dianne’s heart and instantly she sat up recalling the parting advice Father offered to her that morning. “They need you, Dianne, more than you will ever know.”
Dianne got up and stood in front of Father and smiled through her tears, “Even in death you will guide us and let us know what we need to do.” She patted his shoulder, “I will miss you terribly, Father, and…I love you so much. Please help and guide me to carry your torch, your light and encourage all the others to do the same.”
Dianne remembered she needed to fill out some forms for the ambulance attendants. She stopped at the doorway, turning to look at Father one last time, then threw him a kiss with the tips of fingers. Father’s last words echoed through her mind as she walked spiritedly towards the work station with renewed faith and determination.
Chapter Fifteen
The next thing Henry knew, he was standing on the landing to the front door of Marjorie’s house…or should he say, Jenny’s home. Exactly how he got from the hospital to here was all a mystery to him. He was so overtaken with the events of the day that all the present moments since leaving Jenny at the hospital, were filled with thoughts of the past or anticipations of the future. There was simply nothing left for the present.
Henry reached into his pocket for the key and yet decided to simply walk in. Somehow, he sensed that keys and obstructions were easy obstacles to overcome. He turned the knob and the door he had locked yesterday afternoon when he left for the gallery, simply swung open. To make a hot pot of chamomile tea and relax was his top priority as he entered the foyer. The drawer to the round antique table where he had discovered Jenny’s diary was still open. Perhaps he might read some more of the diary when his tea was ready, but then he remembered the diary was still in his SUV.
I’ll get it later.
The kitchen was bright as it captured some of the afternoon sun now lavishing the backyard. The gazebo was probably flooded with sunlight like it had been the day before.
On his way to the kitchen window, he picked up the electric kettle at the end of the counter to fill it with fresh water. He turned on the tap and absently looked out the window to see if the bouquet he saw yesterday was still there. Not only were the flowers there, but more greenery seemed to have been added. Water overflowed from the kettle into the sink. He poured some of the excess out and turned off the tap.
Was the angel’s basket filled with more flowers? He set the kettle down and gazed out again. His attention shifted. There was someone sitting in the gazebo and… it looked like Jenny!
“That’s impossible!” Henry leaned forward and looked again. “It must be Camilla. Sure, she probably wants to talk to me about our relationship, if I really am her father.” The tea could wait.
He walked through the back patio doors, to the edge of the deck. It looked like she was writing in a book and she seemed a little old to be Camilla, but it must be her. It was just the way the light was hitting the gazebo and casting a shadow over her.
Henry followed the steps down at the end of the deck and slowly walked along the winding lane. Thyme strewn along the walkway filled the air with a strong wonderful fragrance. With each step, he became more confused. First it looked like Jenny and then Camilla. They looked so much alike. Perhaps the herb wafting up into the air was affecting his senses.
When Henry was about ten feet away, he expected his heart would explode through his chest, yet he was amazingly calm. The lady looked up and Henry was utterly stunned. It wasn’t his daughter-in-law basking in the sun and writing in a diary.
It was Jenny!
She looked beautiful, no longer frail and pallid. Rather, her complexion was robust and radiant. The warm breeze in the garden gently fluttered her golden hair. Instantly, Henry grew excited as he viewed his first sweet love with longing and desire.
“Could I still be living in the fantasy I created?” Henry wondered. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes… it must be a mirage… but then the beautiful vision spoke.
“Hello, Henry. I’ve been waiting for you.” Jenny said, her face full of loving compassion.
“But… but… you’re… dead, how can you possibly be
sitting here, when less than an hour ago I was in the hospital holding your hand… while you quietly slipped into eternity?”
I must be dreaming!
Everything looked so beautiful and the air smelled so… so, exhilaratingly intoxicating! When he left the hospital, he was so exhausted and now he felt like he could fly. No stress, no worry, just an incredibly unexplainable peace. Henry looked at Jenny again. She wore a beautiful smile, tilted her head and broadened her smile further. He couldn’t believe this. It seemed like Jenny and he hadn’t even been separated. Time seemed so different. Like there was no time. It was timeless!
Jenny wrote for another minute, then closed the cover.
“Is that your diary, Jenny?”
“Yes. And it is the one you discovered in my secret hiding place. I knew you would find it.”
“But—”
“How did I get it when you left it in your SUV?” Jenny said.
What was the point of answering or asking? How was this even happening? He just stood there dumbfounded.
Jenny smiled. “I took it from your truck if you have to know. I had to write in the diary about Camilla; that she is my daughter and married to your son Jeremy, and that she is part of our family tree and heritage. We are the only family and relatives left. J.J. needs to know of his step-sister and that Camilla is James Junior’s aunt. One of my dying requests to God was that my secret be known and not carried to the grave. J.J. and Camilla have a right and need to know one another to keep our heritage intact.
“I also wanted my son to know that I love him dearly and that it will be my eternal prayer that he forgives me, as I have him.”
Just as Henry was about to speak again, Jenny continued. “And, about the flowers in the angel’s basket and the fragrance in the air?”
Henry nodded and smiled.
“Well, the flowers are truly a miracle Henry, a gift from my dear guardian angel.”
“I knew it, Jenny. It just had to be a miracle and I knew our angels were involved!”
Jenny smiled, her teeth whiter than fresh fallen snow. “And the fragrance in the air, well, that’s down to earth if you’ll excuse the pun. You will find I took two pots of herbs from the window sill in the living room. I threw thyme all over the walk, even the bench I am sitting on. I’m in love with the smell of herbs. When you walk on the thyme, crushing it, it releases the fragrance you smell. That’s why I sit on it, too!” Jenny laughed.
Her laugh sent Henry into another world. He hadn’t heard her laugh for over fifty… flaps of an angel’s wings. He instantly recalled the day they met and he walked her home. She laughed then and he loved it. Even more so now!
Jenny knew what Henry was thinking and they both laughed again over his confusion with timelessness and memories of when they met.
Finally, Henry was able to get a word in edgewise before she read his thoughts. Or, was she just letting him say something?
“But, Jenny, I still don’t understand how you are here. Why are you not dead and how is it I can see you? What is going—?”
Jenny got up and walked towards Henry. First, she tenderly kissed him on the lips, sending his world spinning. Then, on flat feet again, she stood in front of the love of her life.
Before Henry returned to earth, buzzing with incessant questions, Jenny put her finger to his mouth and whispered, “Ssh. Before this day is over, you will understand everything. In the meantime, just trust me.”
Henry hardly heard a word his sweet Jenny said, he was drowning in her clear blue eyes. She looked so radiant, he yearned to hold her and never let her go.
Jenny smiled coyly and fluttered her eyelashes.
“Come, Henry, I want to show you something.” She extended her hand. “Quickly, hold my hand.”
Chapter Sixteen
Jeremy watched through the living room window as Camilla drove up the driveway. He strained to see her face as she got out of the vehicle.
She was crying.
She closed the car door and hurried to the house. Jeremy quickly went to the front door to greet her. He hoped and prayed his dear wife had been able to talk to her mother and find out some answers to questions about her birth that had been so troublesome to her. It would be devastating if she hadn’t.
Jeremy opened the door and Camilla immediately fell into his open arms.
“Oh, Jeremy, she’s gone…” was all Camilla could say before bursting into tears.
Jeremy held her tight and rubbed her back consolingly. Tears surfaced to his eyes in sympathy. “It’s okay, honey, it will all be okay.”
Slowly he turned her towards the stairs and together they walked up the small flight into the living room. Once there, Jeremy turned towards her again and drew her tenderly into his chest.
Slowly, Camilla’s weeping subsided and Jeremy gently asked, “Were you able to talk to her…?”
“Y…yes,” Camilla said between sobs. “She was in a coma when I got there. Two of her friends were in the room. I remember one from Father Engelmann’s anniversary party, Eddy’s bride’s sister. Her name is Matilda. The other was Jenny’s niece, Chloe. Oh, Jeremy, it was so painful to see my mother lay there waiting to die. I didn’t know if I would ever be able to speak to her or for her to see me. I prayed so hard for her to wake up…even if it were for but a moment. But she just lay there. We all were watching her chest slowly rise and fall. There were no monitors so it was the only way to tell if she was still alive from one second to the next.”
“It must have been so hard for you, Camilla…”
“But then your dad came in. I said hello to him but he was so transfixed on Jenny lying there he hardly knew I or anyone else was in the room. He immediately went to her side and held her hand. The love between them was so strong, Jeremy. I thought for sure he was my real father. Who else could it be? Then he got up and kissed her forehead. It was all so emotional…a light seemed to surround them; the love between them was so strong. And then her eyes flickered… we all held our breath. Even the nurse on duty gasped… I heard her mutter…’unbelievable’
“Jenny opened her eyes as if searching for the one who had kissed her and when her gaze locked with your father’s, the aura around them brightened even further.
“It was supernatural, Jeremy… I can’t explain it.”
“Geez…” Jeremy slowly shook his head.
“It made me think even more that Henry was my biological father. Only my real dad would love my mother that way.”
Camilla broke loose from Jeremy and took a tissue out of her sweater pocket and blew her nose.
“What happened next was unbelievable, honey. Jenny asked to be kissed… that was her constant prayer to her angel over the years. They both were wearing pewter angels around their necks. I think they were gifts that they had given to each other. It was all so beautiful how the angels sparkled and touched one another and when Henry and Jenny kissed each other, it was as if time stood still. We all were so swept up into that moment of love; as if we were all at one with these two lovers. It was so tender, so loving, so beautiful, Jeremy…” Camilla broke into tears again.
“You said she was gone…what did you mean? It sounds like she was alive and still is.”
“Just moments after they kissed, she talked about me and that I was a part of her daily prayer to her guardian angel to see me and be re-united with me. It was then I rushed to her side and told her that I was her daughter. We looked at each other for the longest moment. I could see myself in her. I knew I had found myself and where I came from. I knew she was feeling the same thing. I wanted to kiss her and hug her and be hugged by her. I wanted that for so many years…It was such a happy moment, but I knew it wouldn’t last…”
“What do you mean, honey?” Jeremy wanted to know.
“When I looked into her eyes there was such love, yet an unexplainable sorrow. She knew that she was being pulled away. Both your dad and I could immediately sense this power. It was greater than the both of us. Try as we might to keep
her with us we could feel her slipping away. I could feel your dad tighten his grip around her hand as I was holding it, too. I never prayed so hard at that moment… and then, she slipped away…”
Camilla looked up into her dear husband’s eyes. She shook her head from side to side and brought her hands up and formed them into fists and cried, “It was too much for me to bear. To see my biological mother for just a few minutes and the thought that Henry was my real father and that you were my bro…”
Camilla couldn’t finish. She buried her head into Jeremy’s chest and sobbed uncontrollably.
Jeremy was at a loss for words. He tenderly held her and rubbed her back as soothingly as he could, wondering if it was true: was Henry Camilla’s father?
Slowly Camilla regained some composure to go on. “I ran out of the room and was going to come home but Matilda, Eddy’s wife’s sister…” Camilla gazed into Jeremy’s eyes for confirmation that he knew who she was talking about.
He nodded and Camilla went on.
“She called out to me as I was running down the hallway and took me into the waiting room. She sensed what I was concerned about and wanted to explain what she knew about my birth. She thought Jenny would do that, but under the circumstances since Jenny had died, she felt obligated to inform me of my past.”
“Well…is it Dad…?”
“No, it’s not your dad… thank God…”
“Well, then who?”
“Matilda is almost one hundred percent sure that it is Peter, the man that also was at Father’s anniversary.”
“Yes, I remember him; he was Eddy’s best man, right?”
“Yes, but what seemed to confirm it for certain was when Jenny’s niece came out and sat with us. She explained it all. She told me that one evening when Jenny and your dad went out to a movie, they were confronted by a group of boys on their way home. The boys overpowered your father and took Jenny to the park…”
Angel Promises Fulfilled Page 8