Ch. 14
Tues. July 10, 2008
Hope
I slept fitfully and awakened to the sound of ducks quacking softly. I smiled for the first time in days. The ducks I remembered from our travels when Grace was younger. They always woke us up quacking. The KOA has a pancake breakfast and coffee served every morning. I went to the little café and got myself a large coffee and pancake to go. I ate on my porch swing and fed the ducks my scraps. I returned to my porch and sat watching the other campers loading into vans and SUVs for a day of sightseeing. I wondered where they were going.
Bathhouse Row was very famous. The Mid America Science Museum was popular. I saw an advertisement for an exhibit on the human body. On an ordinary trip that might be interesting. Today, however all I wanted was a phone call telling me my daughter was safe and I could go home. Sighing, I went inside my small cabin to take stock of what I had and what I would need to buy if I was going to
be here several days. I made a list and headed out to Walmart. They were stocking lunch boxes and school supplies. I remembered Grace’s favorite lunch box was the Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo.
I moved slowly up and down the aisles in a fog trying to imagine staying here alone for maybe a week. What would I possibly do with myself? Maybe I could get a job, just temporarily, anything to
keep my mind off of things. I would consider it and talk to Phillip tonight. I had to do something more to help Grace than just sitting around.
I left Walmart and cruised around, familiarizing myself with the downtown area. The Hot Springs Park was beautiful and crowded with summer tourists. Bathhouse Row was the main street. Philip and I had taken a tour of the Ford House once. Quapaw Bathhouse was further down. I felt too restless to go back to the campground, so I went to see the Human Body Exhibit I saw advertised at the Mid America Science Museum. When Grace was younger she loved the robotic dinosaur exhibit.
I bought a ticket and strolled around slowly, knowing Phillip was not scheduled to call until after the funeral. I couldn’t believe Shirley was to be buried today and I wasn’t even there to bid my friend a farewell or to show my love to her children and husband. I prayed for her family and mine every few minutes. I comforted myself with the thought that one day we would be together in glory and I would again be able to praise the Lord with her. Entering the museum store, I noticed a Help Wanted sign in the snack bar. There was a woman about my age waiting on a long line of customers. I gave her a smile as I examined science kits and books that Grace would have enjoyed when she was younger. When the line went down I ordered some lunch and chatted with the attendant. Her name was Rosa.
When I inquired about the job, she encouraged me to apply even if it was only temporary. I explained to her that I had kitchen experience cooking for 100. She told me if I was interested to come back tomorrow and speak to the manager. I drove back to the downtown area, restless and looking for something to distract myself. I pulled into a parking place on Bathhouse Row and began to walk. When I reached the Ford Bathhouse I went in just for something to do. The woman at the desk must have been bored herself because she chatted happily with me for a long time and then led me on a private tour.
Her name was Janice. She told me about all the old celebrities that used the bathhouse. She also told me about her grandchildren. She was very kind and I enjoyed myself very much.
As we were nearing the end of the tour, we entered a small room that Janice described as an
office. It contained a beautiful roll top desk, a brass coat rack, and an antique typewriter. On a table in the corner I was amazed to see a telex machine on a stand. I almost gasped but I caught myself just in time. Casually, I inquired about it and she told me the telex was still in working order and had been donated by a charity organization who wanted it out of their storage unit.
“I guess there are a lot of these old machines around in someone’s garage or basement.” Janice said. I thanked her for the tour and told her I might be back sometime that week. She seemed excited, and bid me farewell. I could barely restrain myself from running back to the car. When I reached it, I jumped in and drove with haste to the campground and called Philip. Disappointed, I talked to the answering machine briefly, just asking him to call me back. I used the small workout room at the campground to burn off some energy. I was missing Grace and Philip badly and I needed something constructive to do. It seemed like hours until Philip called. I was trying to concentrate on a novel when my phone rang. I snatched it open and said hello. Phillip’s voice quavered when he told me about Shirley’s funeral and the Skype video of Grace.
“Don’t worry honey, she’s alive and apparently well for the moment. She looked like she was trying to be brave and I know she is persevering. She has strength. She’s going to make it through this,” he said. I could hear the fear in his voice and hot tears rolled down my cheeks.
“How can you be so certain? Why is this happening to us?” I cried into the phone and I felt
terrible for doing it because I knew it would make Phillip feel bad. He sounded so weary. I just
couldn’t help the feeling of despair that was falling around me.
“Ken is going to coordinate all the surveillence and we are going to make the drop tonight at 2 a.m. We expect to apprehend Daniel tonight. He’ll never make it out of the park. I promise honey. I will have Grace back tonight and we will come get you. Maybe make a vacation of it,” he said.
“I wish I could believe that,” I said.
“Pray for me. I need to go, Ken needs to make some calls and the doorbell is ringing,” Phillip said.
“Call me as soon as you have her! I love you both so much. I’ll be praying the whole time,” I said. As I hung up I dropped to my knees to pray by the bed. Surely this time the Lord will answer my prayers and I would have my daughter home.
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