Sophie's Heart (16 page)

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Papa. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“Come here, Sophie,” he finally said, but she was too panicked to hear.

“I’m sorry, Papa, please, I’m sorry. Oh, Mama, please help me.”

Something happened in her father at that moment. At the time she was too young to recognize, but many years later she saw it was a turning point. Vladamir came forward and gently cleaned the milk from his trembling daughter and just as gently put her back on her chair. Pulling his own plate close, he sat next to her then and began to speak in a normal voice—a voice she had not heard in weeks.

“Have a little more cheese, Sophie. Here is a piece just your size. We don’t want to leave any for the mice, so you must eat this up. Would you like some more milk, or maybe water?”

“Water, please,” she said softly.

“We’ll find you a clean glass. Are you going to help me with the dishes tonight?”

Sophie nodded and took a large drink. She hadn’t realized until that moment just how thirsty she had become. She drank it all, and her father moved quietly to refill the cup. He didn’t say much as the meal progressed, but his manner with her was kind.

An hour later the dishes were washed and dried and Sophie was in her nightgown. Vladamir lifted her into his arms then and bore her to the large overstuffed chair in the living room. Sophie had expected to be sent to bed, so this was a surprise.

“What story shall we read tonight, my Sophie?”

“
Cheery, Cheery Baker Man,
” she said without a moment’s thought. “It was Mama’s favorite, and maybe if we read it she will hear.”

“Yes, my Sophie, maybe she will.”

It had been a turning point for them. Vladamir still struggled with his anger toward the system in which they lived and the death of his young wife, but it was never again directed at Sophie and rarely displayed while he was in her presence. In just a few short weeks the love and trust she had for her father was renewed. He was there for her as much as his work schedule would allow.

Mr. Riley did not display her father’s wrath, but the long hours he worked were a very real concern, clearly not a pattern that was healthy for any of them. Sophie wondered how long it would take for him to realize this. After studying Craig’s angry face, she wondered if he would be in time.

“Sophie.”

She heard the calling of her name and realized that someone had spoken several times.

“Yes, Tory.”

“You looked so far away.”

“I was,” she admitted quietly. “Across an ocean and many years past.”

Sophie’s cryptic answer and contemplative face, full of peace and fondness, did not invite questions. Rita, seeing it as such, suggested that they skate again. The others joined her, and the four of them were in the park for quite some time. However, it wasn’t long enough. When they returned to the house, there was still no sign of the young widower.

Thirteen

G
ladys was right on time the next morning when she picked Sophie up, but the church parking lot was already crowded, and they were a few minutes late getting into the service. They slipped quietly into the back in time to hear the end of the announcements.

An hour and 15 minutes later it was time to break for Sunday school. Gladys explained the process to Sophie.

“You see,” Gladys turned Sophie’s bulletin over, “listed here are the classes being offered right now. I’m in the class taught by our assistant pastor—The Fruit of the Spirit—but there are five others.”

Sophie read the list to herself.

“If you know where you want to go, I’ll give you directions before I go to class.” Gladys said this half expecting Sophie to simply attend class with her, but she was to be surprised.

“I think I will go to Life-style Evangelism. Is this a good class, Gladys?”

“I’m sure it is, Sophie. It’s taught by one of our elders, and he has a wonderful way with people.”

“I will do this. Life-style Evangelism.”

Gladys smiled at her careful pronunciation, and they both stood. It was a large church, and the older woman led Sophie through the foyer and downstairs to a carpeted room in the basement. They parted with plans to meet at the car, and Sophie slipped into the room and took a chair in the back. She noticed a man standing behind a small podium at the front and knew this would be the teacher. Sophie was reading her bulletin when he approached.

“Welcome to class.”

“Thank you,” Sophie said.

“I’m Jim Parman.”

“My name is Sophie.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Sophie.”

The two shook hands and then Jim introduced his wife, Marlyce, who was sitting in front of Sophie. The two women spoke for a moment, and then Marlyce introduced a couple on Sophie’s left. Jeff and Susan Crowe smiled their welcome, and Sophie was warmed by their kind interest in her.

“I knew Vanessa Riley,” Susan told Sophie after she found out where she worked. “We were in the same Bible-study class.”

“This was long ago?” Sophie asked.

“No,” Susan told her. “In fact she’d been to class that very morning. We were all pretty upset, as you can imagine. She told us that she hadn’t been in a Bible study class in years and was really looking forward to the whole year.”

“And now she is gone,” Sophie said quietly.

“Yes. Sometimes it’s hard not to know the reasons why.”

“Let’s review from last week,” Mr. Parman spoke from the front of the class, and Sophie had no time to reply. She didn’t share during the next hour, but listened intently. In no time at all she saw how many mistakes she had made while working at Tony’s.

“Paul was willing to be whatever he had to be in order to reach others for Christ,” Mr. Parman said. “Now, don’t think this didn’t bring criticism, but Christ was all that mattered. This is what he says in 1 Corinthians 9. I’ll just read some of this, starting at verse 19:

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law, though not being myself under the Law, that I might win those who are under the Law….To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

“This is what we’ve been talking about now for all these weeks. If we wait for unbelievers to come to us, we won’t reach anyone. We have to be willing to join them in their world, to show unbelievers love and acceptance before we talk to them about Christ. This was certainly Jesus’ method. Look at Luke 19. Jesus meets Zaccheus and wants to go and share a meal with him. The townspeople were scandalized. Look at verse 7. ‘And when they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” ’ But if we keep reading, we see that Zaccheus gave his life to Christ in the next verse.

“We can’t think that anyone is a lost cause or below our regard. We have a tendency to make judgments.
He smokes and works too much and she’s so angry all the time; they won’t want to know about Christ.
We can’t make that call. We need to be willing to be the light for these who are in darkness.”

The hour was over before Sophie was ready. What she had heard was so exciting to her. She had let some wonderful opportunities pass while in Chicago, but today was a new day, and tomorrow as well.

When the class was dismissed, she walked swiftly to the car, excited to tell Gladys of what she had learned. She had only a few minutes’ wait before she saw Gladys coming toward her.

“How did it go?” was Gladys’ first question.

“Oh, Gladys, I learn so much. I have been make mistakes, but I learn so much.”

“Well, good. I feel that same way about my own class.”

The women continued to talk as they got in the car and drove away, but Sophie was momentarily distracted by the sight of Alec driving their van in, the kids in tow. It meant that they hadn’t come to Sunday school this week.

I’m ready to go forth and save the world, Lord, but those closest to me need me more. Help me to help them.

“I’ve got lunch in the oven for us,” Gladys was saying, “so we can eat right away.”

“All right,” Sophie answered readily enough, but she was still praying in her heart for the Rileys.

“What did you do yesterday?” Gladys asked after the women had made themselves comfortable in the living room.

“I baked bread and went to the park with the children.”

“Oh, you worked yesterday.”

“Yes.”

“Well, it must be nice to have a day off after working for six days.”

“I did not work full week,” Sophie admitted. “Children’s grandparents were here, and Mrs. Frazier did work.”

Something in Sophie’s face made Gladys question her. “Was that your choice or hers?”

“It was hers. She was upset to see me, I think. I waited until they leave, then I go back and work.”

“Were you afraid you’d lost your job?”

“Yes, I am still afraid.”

“Why?”

“Because this is trial time. This is deciding time for Mr. Riley. You see, I am first they have, and they not sure if I work.” The idea of leaving was so upsetting to her that her English failed.

Gladys looked at her with compassion for several seconds before saying, “Will you come with me for a moment, Sophie?”

“Of course, Gladys.”

Gladys led the way back to the front hall and opened the door that led to the basement. Turning on the lights as she went, she walked down the stairs, Sophie close behind her. When she stopped at the bottom of the stairs, Sophie found herself in another house.

“There are three bedrooms and a full bath down here. The kitchen is not really separate from the dining room, but it’s all so spacious that it doesn’t seem to matter. In the back are two storerooms. Oh, and this is the furnace room, and, of course, the living area. As you can see, it has its own entrance.”

Sophie stared around her and then at her hostess.

“What I’m trying to say, Sophie, is that if you ever need a place, come here. I am a person who has to have time alone every day, but this setup allows someone to live down here and still give me complete privacy. There is even a lock on the basement door so I don’t have to worry about someone walking in on me. This outside entrance would let you come and go as you please. I hope your job works out for you, Sophie, but if not, please come and see me.”

“Thank you, Gladys. I will not forget this.”

“I’d like a cup of coffee. Will you join me?”

“Yes, please.”

Sophie stayed until the middle of the afternoon and then took a leisurely walk home. It was good to know that Gladys was there. Sophie had given much thought to what she would do if the job didn’t work. She didn’t think she could stay with Gladys permanently, but it was a comfort to know that if the need arose, she had a place to go.

Monday was fairly routine for Sophie with the exception of a planned trip to Woodman’s. They would be going as soon as the kids came home from school. Sophie was fairly certain that Tory would want to go and that Craig would decline. For this reason, she made him chocolate chip cookies. She was encouraged by the fact that he had joined them at the park on Saturday, but she still felt that he spent entirely too much time alone. Sophie yearned to show him that she cared and wanted to do this small gesture of kindness so that he would know she had thought of him during the day.