“I’m sure he would be honored, Grandma,” Michelle replied.
“Then it’s settled. No need for everyone up there to fly here for this service. Maybe Tim would like to come to the one in Sandy Cove, too,” she suggested. “That would give him some time with your family,” she added to Michelle. “Phil always loved going to visit up there, and I know he’d be pleased to have Ben speak on his behalf at a memorial. But, of course, there are some people around here who will very much want to remember him as well.”
Sheila and Michelle agreed. “Just give us a list, Mom, and we will contact everyone.”
Michelle called Steve to tell him the news.
“Really? I know Ben will be honored to preside over the memorial here,” he said.
“That’s exactly what I told Grandma. Will you talk to him and figure out a day and time? Then we’ll contact Tim. And maybe you can call Jim and LouEllen. Grandpa was very fond of them.”
“Of course. I’ll take care of everything at this end. Are you sure you don’t want me down there for the funeral, too?” he asked. “I could probably leave the kids with Ben and Kelly.”
“Thanks, honey, but I’ll be okay. If you get everything arranged up there, Mom and I can focus on helping with the details here and get Grandma packed to come back with us. I think she’ll be staying with Mom for a while. We’ll be bringing Thumper, too,” she added.
“That’s right. I forgot about their dog. Do you want me to make the arrangements with the airlines for that?”
“Yeah. That would really help. And three tickets for next Sunday afternoon.”
“You got it, babe. Let me know anything else you think of.”
“I will,” she replied. “How are the kids? You haven’t told them, have you?”
“No. They’re fine. Whenever they ask about your grandfather, I just tell them you’ll fill us in when you get home.”
“Perfect. Thanks, honey,” she replied, love and gratitude spilling from her heart.
After they hung up, she looked at the photo albums stacked on the desk. Better start working on the slide show for the memorials, she thought. Flipping open the cover of one, she began perusing photos of her grandparents that went all the way back to their wedding. So many memories to capture and share! She’d be very busy for the next couple of days.
While Michelle poured herself into the slide presentation and all the necessary preparations for their trip back to Sandy Cove, her mother made arrangements for the ceremony, flowers, and reception. Joan’s pastor promised to send an all-church email inviting the congregation as well as announcing the funeral service at church.
When Sheila mentioned that Joan would be going to back to Sandy Cove with them, Pastor Lawrence asked if she’d be interested in having a missionary couple housesit for her. The pair was returning from Africa that week for a two-week furlough and needed a place to stay.
It seemed like the perfect interim solution while Joan decided where she wanted to live. “Phil would have been so pleased,” Sheila’s mother said. “He’d dreamed of being a missionary when he was young, but God had a different plan.”
Their pastor also offered to take them to the airport in the church’s oversized van, which would allow for transport of all their luggage as well as Thumper’s kennel and paraphernalia. They’d give him the house keys and important phone numbers at that time.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Nothing could have prepared the three ladies for what awaited them at church that Saturday afternoon. Even though they arrived an hour early, the parking lot was already filling up. By the time the service was about to begin, the sanctuary was completely packed and dozens of people were standing in the back.
Many of the residents of Tranquil Living Alzheimer’s Home were sitting off to the side in front. Sadie was perched on the end of the row, keeping an eye on her charges.
Stopping for a moment, Joan gave her a hug. “Thanks for being here. Phil would be so pleased.”
“We will really miss your sweet husband,” Sadie said with a sad smile. “The folks ask about him everyday,” she added, tilting her head toward the residents. “We’ve framed a big picture of him with the whole group. It was taken at his farewell party.”
“I’ll drop by and see it sometime,” Joan replied.
Just then the music began to play one of Phil’s favorite hymns. “We’d better be seated, Mom,” Sheila said, taking her arm. They encouraged Sadie to drop by after the service for a reception in the fellowship hall, and then moved to their reserved spot in the front pew.
Lawrence Taylor, senior pastor of the Good Shepherd Church, rose and walked to the pulpit. He looked over the immense crowd in the sanctuary and smiled warmly. “Let’s pray,” he began. The congregation bowed their heads while he led them in an opening prayer, dedicating the service to the memory of a wonderful man they’d all come to love and cherish.
“I remember the first time I met Phil Walker,” the pastor said after their amens. “I’d come to observe him preach in anticipation of my interview to become a high school pastor for this church.” He paused, nodding his head, as if replaying the day in his mind. “Although I honestly can’t remember much about the actual message from that Sunday morning, I’ll never forget the genuine warmth and compassion that radiated from the pulpit as Phil occasionally paused and smiled at the congregation.
“He shepherded this body of believers for over fifty years before he retired. Some of you spent many of those years sitting under his teaching and guidance. In spite of his measureless impact on so very many lives, I’ll always remember how humble and down to earth he was as a pastor, mentor, and friend.
“His gentle spirit and love of laughter made him such a warm and approachable guy. Even when he was correcting or redirecting me in my ministry to the teens, he never made me feel like an underling. Instead, his confidence in God’s work in my life was the motivating factor that propelled me forward, even when I’d become discouraged or was feeling defeated.
“Many of you have asked to say a few words about his impact in your life, and we want to allow time for that. But first, his granddaughter, Michelle has asked to speak.”
Sheila looked at her daughter with surprise. Michelle squeezed her hand, stood, and walked to the pulpit.
Gazing over the sea of faces, her heart pounded in her chest and her throat threatened to close tightly.
Please help me, Lord. I need to do this.
She cleared her throat, unfolded her notes, and spread the papers on the podium. “Please excuse my nervousness,” she said. “Some of you know that I’m a middle school teacher. Believe it or not, I’m fine in front of a bunch of eighth graders. But you folks scare me,” she added with an anxious smile.
Chuckles filtered through the room, and she relaxed a little.
“Grandpa Phil was the best grandfather a kid could hope to have,” she began. “I’ll never forget his silly limericks or the way he always greeted us with that special smile of his and a joke. He loved to pull coins magically out of our ears or pretend to steal our noses. When we could sneak away from Grandma, he’d take us for donuts at the local donut shop.” She looked over at her grandmother and smiled.
“He was a man of adventure and could transport his yard into an imaginary jungle or a hiding place for buried treasure. But he was also one who loved to just take us in his lap and tell us stories from his childhood or the Bible. Either way, those stories became very real to my brother and me when we were little.”
She glanced back at her notes and continued. “When I got older, I lost my way for a while and dabbled in some spiritual beliefs and practices that were foreign to Grandpa. But he remained steadfast in his love — always available to me and never ridiculing or manipulating me.”
Her eyes began to blur as she thought about her father’s suicide attempt, and how her grandfather had helped her find her way back to faith. With a shaking voice, she relayed the scene in the hospital chapel where he had finally challen
ged her New Age beliefs and brought her back to the cross.
“I owe my grandfather so much. My faith, the ministry that God has given me as a middle school teacher, and the godly home in which my husband and I raise our two children. Without Grandpa Phil, I don’t honestly know where I would be today.” As she stepped down, she looked around the church, noticing heads nodding as if to confirm his impact on their lives as well.
When she sat back down, her mother wrapped her arm around her and gave her a squeeze. “Your grandfather loved you very much, honey.”
Michelle nodded and smiled, her knees still knocking together as she tried to calm herself.
Pastor Lawrence was back at the podium, inviting others to come forward. A line formed across the front of the sanctuary and one person after another shared their love and admiration for Phil, many mentioning his lifelong impact on them spiritually as well as the treasure of his friendship.
As the line finally ended, a soloist from the choir came forward with the worship leader and sang another one of Phil’s favorite selections—Amazing Grace. The worship leader invited the congregation to join in the final chorus.
Then the lights dimmed. “And now, the family has prepared a slideshow of Phil’s life,” the pastor said.
Background songs played as the screen lit with images of Phil and Joan at their wedding, their years raising Sheila, and then fun times with the grandkids. Phil’s playful antics, his gentle spirit, and his enduring love and faithfulness captivated the congregation. Sounds of laughter and tears revealed the deep impact of a life well lived.
When the slideshow was over, the pastor invited everyone to transition to the fellowship hall for a reception and refreshments.
It was nearly an hour before Michelle, Sheila, and Joan could free themselves from the hugs and deep sentiments of those who gathered around them in the sanctuary. They made their way to the reception, and Michelle put together some food for each of them, allowing her mother and grandmother to remain at a table to visit with guests who wanted to speak to them.
By the time they got home, they were all spent. Turning into the driveway, they could see Thumper sitting faithfully watching for their return. As they got out of the car, he greeted them eagerly, then turned and resumed his watch down the driveway. “He’s waiting for Dad, isn’t he?” Sheila asked her mother.
Joan nodded. “It’s as if he expects him to appear around the bend any minute.”
Michelle felt a lump in her throat and tried to hold back her tears as she walked over and patted Thumper’s head. “Come on, boy,” she said. “Let’s go get your dinner.”
Thumper looked at her, glanced back down the driveway, and reluctantly followed them into the house.
As soon as church was over the next day, Pastor Lawrence and his teenage son Matt brought the van over and helped them load it up. Thumper resisted as they tried to get him into the back, but Joan finally coaxed him inside with a dog bone, and they headed to the airport.
“Thank you so much for doing this,” Sheila said. “I can only imagine the three of us trying to do this on our own.”
Joan agreed. “And you, young man,” she added to Matt, “are very sweet to give up your afternoon to help.”
“No problem, Mrs. Walker,” he replied from the far back seat, where he sat with Thumper.
Joan watched the house disappear in the distance, thinking about Phil and all the years they shared together. A wave of sorrow threatened to overtake her.
Help me be strong, Lord. I don’t want to fall apart in front of Sheila and Michelle.
She glanced over her shoulder at Thumper and noticed him wagging his tail as Matt scratched behind his ear. We’ll be okay. I know we will.
Michelle and Sheila kept a conversation going with Pastor Lawrence throughout most of the drive, allowing Joan some space to reflect and pray. In what seemed like a very short time, they were pulling into the airport and parking.
Matt took responsibility for the dog, holding his leash in one hand and carrying the kennel in the other. Lawrence lifted the luggage out of the van and pulled the heaviest pieces, leaving the smaller rolling carry-on bags for Sheila, Michelle, and Joan to manage. He helped them check the luggage and Thumper, and then walked with them to the security line.
“Call me if you need anything,” he said to Joan. “I can meet you here when you come home. In the meantime, I’ll keep tabs on the house. Zeke and Lilly are wonderful people. They’ll take good care of the place.”
She nodded. “Thanks so much, Lawrence.”
He held open his arms and gave her a big hug. “We’ll miss you, Joan. But I’m glad you’ll be with your family.”
“Me, too,” she replied, smiling at Sheila and Michelle.
After they’d boarded the plane and were settled into their seats, Joan closed her eyes and prayed. Flying made her nervous and she’d never traveled this far from home without Phil.
Soon they were airborne. A new chapter of her life was about to begin.
Steve was waiting in baggage claim when they arrived. After retrieving their suitcases from the conveyor belt, he loaded them onto a rolling cart and led them to the special cargo area where they would pick up Thumper. They had to leave him in his kennel while in the terminal, but as soon as they were outside, Michelle opened the gate and took him by leash.
After Steve loaded everything into the family van, they climbed in for the drive back to Sandy Cove.
“Kelly fixed dinner for us,” Steve informed them as they neared home. “The kids are at their house for the night, and the casserole is in our fridge. She said we can heat it in the microwave. After dinner, I’ll run you two home,” he added to Sheila and Joan.
Thumper leapt out of the van, ecstatic to be free of his kennel and the car. He quickly explored the front yard, nearly panicking Joan as he ran near the street. “Thumper! Get over here!” Michelle called. Surprisingly, he obeyed. She took him by the collar and led him through the gate to the backyard. “You can run all you want back here.”
The house was surprisingly neat and clean. “Wow, Steve. Everything looks great,” Michelle said.
“Maddie helped me straighten up before they went over to Ben’s,” he replied.
“Why don’t you two relax while Steve and I heat up the dinner,” she suggested to her mother and grandmother.
“You won’t have to twist my arm on that one,” Sheila said. “Come on, Mom. Let’s go out back and sit on the glider. We can keep an eye on Thumper.”
As soon as Michelle and Steve were in the kitchen, she moved into his arms. “I’ve really missed you,” she said.
Holding her tight, he replied, “Me, too. It’s been a long week.” He pulled back and looked into her eyes. “How are you doing, babe? And how about your mom and grandmother?”
“We’re okay, I guess. It’s just so hard to try to imagine life without Grandpa.”
He nodded. “Yeah. He was quite a guy.”
“So we’ll tell the kids tomorrow?” she asked.
“I think Maddie’s already figured it out, honey. But yeah, we’ll sit down with them together tomorrow. I thought you might need a night to just unpack and get settled.”
“Anything going on here I need to know about?” she asked as she began portioning out the casserole and heating the individual servings.
“Not much. Caleb finally lost that tooth,” he said. “And Rick’s called a few times.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. He wanted to know what time you three would be home and if I needed any help picking you up at the airport.”
“He knew Grandma was coming back with us, right?”
“Yep.” Steve helped her carry plates to the table. “Should I have invited him to join us for dinner tonight?”
“No. I think it’s good for Mom and Grandma to just be with us. I’m sure Mom will probably call him after Grandma goes to bed tonight. She didn’t talk to him a lot while we were gone. There was just so much to do and so many emoti
ons and memories to sift through.”
When Michelle went out to get her mother and grandmother, she found them sitting peacefully together holding hands as they watched Thumper chewing on a bone. “Time for dinner,” she said. The dog jumped up and ran to her.
“Thumper thinks you’re talking to him,” Grandma Joan said. “We’d better get some food out of the van for him, too.”
“I’ll get it, Mom,” Sheila replied. “You go on in. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Joan followed Michelle back into the house, and a couple of minutes later, Sheila joined them at the table. “Mission accomplished,” she stated as she took her place.
Steve held his hands out in a gesture they’d learned from Grandpa Phil. “Shall we pray?” They joined hands around the table, and he led them in a prayer of thanksgiving for their meal and safe passage to Sandy Cove.
Then he added, “Lord, you know we will all miss Grandpa Phil. Please help us remember that this separation is temporary, and he’ll be waiting for us on the other side.”
“Amen,” Joan said with a sad smile. “Thanks, Steve,” she added, giving his hand a squeeze.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
“We’re home!” Steve called, as he and the kids came in the front door the next day.
Michelle took a deep breath and headed out of the kitchen to greet them. “Hi, guys!” she said, opening her arms. Caleb rushed into them and hugged her tightly, while Maddie simply raised her hand and smiled.
“Hi, Mom,” she said. “How are Grandpa Phil and Grandma Joan?” Shrugging her backpack off, she eased it to the floor.
“Sit down, kids,” Steve said. “Your mother and I need to talk to you.”
Just then Thumper barked in the backyard.
“What was that?” Caleb asked. “Did we get a dog?” His eyes lit with excitement.
Around the Bend (Sandy Cove Series Book 4) Page 25