Moon Over the Mountain

by Carol Dean Jones

  Sarah immediately brightened up. “I taught Addie May how to sew the squares into four-patches before I left yesterday. That child must have stayed up half the night. They were mostly done when I got there this morning. We laid them out on the bed and the kids arranged them the way they wanted them. Addie May was putting rows together when I left. She’s quite a little quilter. I wish we had time to do more.”

  “Does that mean you’re coming home soon?”

  “I don’t know, Sophie. Charles is sounding discouraged. At some point, we’ll have to give this up and admit the man is gone.”

  “What about the children?”

  “That would mean they’d be moving to Portland, I guess. I can’t really picture these adorable mountain children living in the big city. I think they’d be overwhelmed by it all.”

  “Kids adjust,” Sophie responded.

  “That’s not really the kind of adjustment I’d like to see them make. You should see these mountains. It’s beautiful and serene. A wonderful place to live.” Sarah became quiet.

  “You aren’t thinking about moving out there, are you?”

  “Oh no, Sophie. Absolutely not. But I know the children would miss it.”

  “One thing to think about Sarah, they won’t miss having to fend for themselves. They’ll have a warm, safe home and they’ll get an education.”

  “That’s true. I just so hoped … Sophie, someone’s trying to get through on this phone. Maybe it’s Charles. I’ll call you back.”

  Pushing the call-waiting button, she said, “Hello?”

  “Mrs. Parker?”

  “Yes?”

  “This is Doctor Graham from Johnson City Memorial Hospital. We have your husband here and …”

  “What?” Sarah responded, instantly in a state of shock. “What do you mean?”

  “Mrs. Parker. Your husband had a stroke this afternoon. He was traveling near Johnson City and was brought to our hospital here.” He could only hear gasps on the other end of the line. “Mrs. Parker, are you okay?”

  “Is he …?” she wanted to ask if he was alive, but didn’t want to hear the answer. Has my own heart stopped beating?

  “Mrs. Parker, Your husband is going to be just fine,” the doctor said, attempting to get her attention. She was obviously in shock and not understanding.

  “Was there an accident? What happened?”

  “Your husband had a stroke. It was a mild stroke and there’s evidence that he may have experienced a few other incidents over the last few days but nothing serious, I assure you.”

  “Incidents?” she repeated. “What kind of incidents?”

  “Transient ischemic attacks or TIAs. These are small strokes with no lasting damage. We see this pattern as a warning and your doctor will talk to you about medication and life style changes when you get home. For now, your husband is fine.”

  “He had a serious stroke a few years ago. …”

  “I know. He told me, and I’ve talked with his doctor in Middletown. We’ve increased his medications, and I’d like to keep him here for a day or two just to watch his vitals. He’s fighting me on that one. …”

  “Tell him I said for him to stay and that I’m coming as soon as I can get there,” she responded, sounding more coherent. “When can I talk to him?”

  “You can call him in about a half hour. He’s being admitted to a room right now. He’ll be in room 228B.” He gave her the phone number for the hospital.

  “Where are you?” she asked.

  “We’re in Johnson City, about two hours from you.” The doctor gave her the address of the hospital and waited patiently while she wrote it down.

  “Mrs. Parker, Do you have someone to bring you? You shouldn’t drive those winding roads at night.”

  “I’ll get a ride,” she responded.

  Sarah thanked the doctor, sat down on the bed and wept. “I can’t lose this man,” she muttered. “I can never lose this man.”

  Before calling Charles, she put a call in to the downstairs desk to see what sort of transportation the lodge might be able to arrange for her. She was reluctant to ask Coby to make a four-hour round trip during the night when he had to work the next day. It was already past 10:00.

  The desk clerk put her on hold and a few moments later, Jack Slocum came to the phone. “Mrs. Parker, how can I help you?”

  “I didn’t mean for them to disturb you, Mr. Slocum. I was just asking if there might be some form of transportation available. My husband …” Her voice cracked as she told him the story.

  “I can send Coby …” he started to say, but Sarah interrupted him.

  “I don’t want to pull Coby out this late. Maybe I should just wait until morning, but …”

  “Mrs. Parker, remember, Coby is more than an employee here; he’s my son. Of course, I’ll send him right over. You might even need him to come get you later tomorrow. Coby will be at your disposal until your husband is back with us. Now, what else can we do to help you right now?”

  “I’m going to call Charles and tell him I’m on my way. Just send Coby over whenever he’s ready. And Mr. Slocum, thank you.”

  “You are very welcome, Mrs. Parker. Whatever we can do.”

  Sarah splashed water on her face and freshened her makeup, as if Charles could see her when she called.

  * * * * *

  “Good morning, my love,” Charles said softly as he looked at his bride sleeping in the chair.

  Sarah opened her eyes and saw that Charles was awake and smiling at her from his bed. She had been sleeping in a recliner pulled close to him. When she arrived during the night, Charles had opened his eyes and smiled at her but had drifted right back into medicated slumber.

  Standing, she realized that she was stiff in places she didn’t know she had. I guess I’m a bit too old to be sleeping in a chair, she admonished herself. They had offered her a cot but she had refused, thinking she would stay awake and make sure Charles was okay. “I guess I fell asleep,” she responded as she straightening her clothes and fluffing up her hair. “How are you feeling this morning?”

  “Like a million dollars now that you’re here. How about springing me and we go get sausage and pancakes.”

  “We’ll talk to the doctor about having that meal some other time; right now your breakfast is arriving.” She watched as the orderly raised the head of his bed and arranged the tray for him.

  “Yum,” Sarah said with pretend enthusiasm. “Oatmeal and dry toast.”

  Turning to the orderly, Charles said, “Well, my wife seems to like this meal. How about we give it to her, and you bring me sausage and pancakes.”

  Not sure how to react, the orderly responded. “Can’t do that sir, but I can get her a tray like this one.”

  “Great idea. Would you do that please?” He smiled at Sarah in his usual mischievous way, and it brought tears to her eyes.

  “I see you’re back,” she said kissing his forehead.

  As they ate, the nurse came into the room and took his vitals. She asked him about a bed bath and he told her he was perfectly capable of taking a shower. Later Doctor Graham came in and formally introduced himself to Sarah. He was glad to see that she had overcome her initial response to her husband’s illness and was now asking all the right questions about his care.

  “Just see your doctor when you get home,” he responded, turning to Charles. “He’s expecting you.”

  “He will,” Sarah spoke up in a take-charge tone. “He will.”

  Later that morning, after convincing Charles he would be staying one more night, Sarah asked him to tell her exactly what had happened.

  “Darned if I know. The road just got fuzzy and I got very weak. I pulled over and I think I might have gone to sleep. I don’t know for sure, but the next thing I knew some guy was helping me out of the car and into an ambulance. I kept telling them I was fine, but no one was listening. Then I was hooked up to all these monitors. … How did you find out?”

  “The doctor called me
,” Sarah responded, “and said you had a mild stroke, and that you’d probably been having smaller ones over the past few days.”

  Charles looked thoughtful. “That’s possible. There were some periods. …” but he stopped talking, not wanting to admit that he had simply ignored them. Next time, if there is a next time, I’ll know better, he assured himself.

  “What about the car?” he asked.

  “It’s been towed into Johnson City. Coby said he’d arrange to have it brought to the hospital. By the way, I think we should do something nice for Coby before we leave.”

  “I agree. We’ll talk. …” and Charles drifted off again. Sarah took advantage of the time to read through the papers the doctor had left for her. She became more concerned as she read. He already does get exercise, she thought. We eat a pretty healthy diet. He doesn’t smoke. The article went on to say stress could be a major factor. He does put himself in stressful situations. She knew that would be a hard one to do anything about since he regularly checked with his old lieutenant, looking for cases to get involved in.

  When she looked up, she saw that Charles had opened his eyes and was looking at her. “I’m sorry,” he said gently.

  “You can’t help being sick, Charles. There’s no need to be sorry.”

  “No. Not that. I’m sorry about the children. I didn’t find their father. I really tried, but …”

  “Charles. You did all you could. I think it’s time to call their aunt and have her come take over. We need to get home.”

  “I guess you’re right. I just hate to give up on him. I can’t believe …”

  “Let it go for now, Charles. We’ll deal with this later. Right now, just rest and get better.”

  “I feel fine now. It’s just these pills they keep giving me … can’t keep my eyes open …” and he drifted off to sleep again.

  Sarah moved down to the lounge and called Coby to tell him she was staying over another night and would be driving their rental car home the next day. “You don’t need me today?” Coby asked.

  “Not here, but could you stop by and tell Addie May why I’m not there. We’re working on a quilt together, and she’ll wonder why I didn’t come today.”

  “Sure thing, Mrs. Parker. I’ll head over there right now. How’s your husband?”

  “He’s going to be fine. They’ll be discharging him in the morning.”

  “Good. Dad gave me the day off so I think I’ll head on over to the Abernathys and play ball with the boys for a while. They always seem to enjoy that, and I know I do!”

  Sarah smiled knowing that would make Addie May happy too. She had noticed the blush that crept up the girl’s face whenever Coby came through the door. Sarah had never mentioned it, remembering the embarrassment of a teenage crush.

  * * * * *

  As Sarah was driving them home the next day, Charles sat next to her fidgeting. “I don’t know why you have to drive,” he was saying. “It’s not like I’m incapacitated. You and that doctor both assured me it was a mild stroke and that I’m fine. So why aren’t I driving?”

  Sarah, tired of defending her decision, said jovially, “I wish they’d given you a big dose of that sleeping medication before we left. You’re a real pain in the neck when you’re awake.”

  “Is that any way to treat a sick man?” he responded.

  “Look, you can’t have it both ways,” and they both laughed.

  Jack Slocum and his daughter Mary Beth met them at the car when they pulled up. “Welcome home, officer,” Mr. Slocum announced as he helped Charles out of the car.

  “I’m just fine now. All this fuss …”

  “We have your lunch ready in the dining room.” Reaching for Charles’ bags, he said, “Our desk clerk will see to these.” Turning to Charles, he added with a smile, “You may well be fine, sir, but you’re still our guest.”

  Charles shook his head and smiled. “Well, thank you, and we’d love some lunch. I’ve been deprived of real food for the past two days.”

  A few minutes later, the waitress placed a dish in front of him containing a piece of poached fish and several steamed vegetables. “Enjoy,” she said with a smile. “Will there be anything else?”

  “A hamburger and fries would be good about now,” he replied.

  The waitress looked at him and then at Sarah. “Isn’t this …?”

  “Just kidding. This is perfect,” he replied, glancing at his wife with a look that said he knew she was behind this conspiracy. “We’ll be discussing this later,” he said with a fake snarl.

  Once upstairs, Sarah unpacked his duffle bag and sent all their dirty clothes down to the laundry. “Why don’t you take a nap while I drive over to see the children. I want to see how Addie May is coming along with the quilt.”

  “Shouldn’t we talk about calling the aunt in Portland and making some firm plans with her?” Charles asked as he sprawled out across the bed.

  “Not just now, Charles. Before we start making plans for the children, I think we need to consider whether we’ve covered all the bases here. You rest while I’m gone. We can talk about all this tomorrow when we’re fresh.”

  “Okay,” he muttered, as he turned onto his side and adjusted his pillow. “I think I must still have some of those hospital meds in my system; I’m feeling drowsy. Or maybe it was that heavy meal I just had?”

  Sarah looked over and saw his eyes twinkling. How can that man make my heart flutter at my age?

  * * * * *

  “Hi, kids,” Sarah said as she opened the door.

  “Oh good. You’re here,” Addie May responded, looking excited. “We have something to show you,” she added as she took Sarah’s jacket and put it on a hook. “But first, how’s Mr. Parker? Is he still in the hospital?” Baby Girl ran over to her and tugged on her blouse saying, “Read me. Read me.”

  “Leave her alone for a minute, Baby Girl. Sarah and I need to talk; then we’ll read. Go get your book and sit quietly.”

  “Okay,” she responded as she ran into the back room.

  “Does she ever walk?” Sarah asked laughing.

  “Rarely. Come see what I did.” Addie May led her into the father’s bedroom where a completed four-patch quilt top was spread out on the bed.

  “Oh, Addie May! It’s beautiful. How did you ever get it finished so quickly?”

  “It went pretty fast, but I didn’t know how to finish it off. What do we do next?”

  Sarah had brought the sheets, pins, and some tape on her last visit. “Let’s spread it all out and start pinning.” They carried the quilt top into the kitchen but decided the table was too small.

  “Let’s just do it on the floor,” Addie May suggested.

  Since there was no carpet, Sarah realized that would work, but she wasn’t sure how well she could get up and down. She actually hadn’t tried it lately. “That will work, but you may have to be the one who gets on the floor.”

  “No problem,” and Addie May quickly knelt down and spread out the quilt top.

  “Hold on. We need to put the back down first, pull it nice and tight, and tape it. Together they did that part. “Then the batting and next the top.” They carefully pulled out all the wrinkles and taped the edges to the floor.

  “Now what?”

  “We start pinning.” She got down on the floor with Addie May, but the hard floor was hurting her knees.

  “I’ll get you a pillow, Miss Sarah.” Addie May ran out of the room and returned with a pillow from the bed.

  “This works. Thank you.” She looked at the young girl and realized how much she had grown to care for her. I’ll miss these children, she thought with a sigh. Together they got the quilt pinned and began attaching pieces of yarn at the intersections.

  “Are the boys around?” she asked. “We could use them for this next step.”

  Addie May went to the door and called. Both boys came in, panting and looking happy to see Sarah. “Nice car you got,” Ricky said. Not wanting to explain about a rental car, she
simply thanked him and smiled.

  “Remember those square knots I taught you boys how to make?”

  “Yep,” Tommy responded. “I know how,” he added proudly.

  “Well, once Addie May and I pull these pieces of yarn through, we need for you boys to come along and make square knots, okay?” They experimented with a couple of strands and the boys did them perfectly. “Beautiful!” she said.

  They were both dirty from playing in the woods, so Sarah spread an extra flannel sheet down on the finished portions so the boys could crawl across to reach all the ties. Once they were finished, they all three worked to remove the pins and placed it over the father’s bed. They all stood around looking proud of their accomplishment. “Daddy will love this,” Addie May said and the other three chimed in with their own excitement. Sarah slipped into the bathroom and closed the door so the children didn’t see her face. Their father may never know what these children did for him.

  “How about hamburgers?” she asked when she joined the children in the kitchen. Baby Girl jumped up and down crying, “Me burgers, me burgers!” As she cooked the hamburger patties and the French fries browned in the oven, Sarah thought about Charles and his vegetable plate at lunch. I’ll make sure they give him a hearty meal tonight, she told herself.

  “Miss Sarah,” Addie May began as they were doing the dishes, “did Mr. Parker find our papa?”

  “No, Addie May. He didn’t.” She couldn’t lie to this girl and continue to give her false hope, but she wasn’t ready to tell these children that it was conceivable that their father might never return. “Mr. Parker and I haven’t had a chance to talk about the next steps, but we’ll make sure you kids are cared for no matter what.”

  “You don’t think he’ll be back, do you?” she said softly, with her eyes lowered.

  “I’m not ready to say that, dear. Mr. Parker and I are going to be talking about this tomorrow when he’s feeling better, and we’ll see if there’s anything else we can think of to do. I just don’t want you worrying. Like I told you the other day, your Aunt Rosie loves you and will make sure you have a home. You’ll never be alone with all this responsibility again.”