The PIECES of SUMMER (5 page)

Thinking about fathers and their children caused Meredith to choke up. Her precious
baby would never know his father. But she would make sure the little one knew all
about Luke and what a wonderful husband he had been, and how she’d loved him so much.
Meredith tried not to dwell on the past or reflect too much about the future. She
didn’t even want to think about how she would make it through the days ahead. It was
best just to take one day at a time and trust the Lord to meet all of her needs.

Meredith’s thoughts shifted to her sister Laurie. She’d been back from Florida for
almost two months and still hadn’t told their parents about Kevin. Meredith kept reminding
Laurie that the longer she put it off, the harder it was going to be, and Laurie kept
promising she would say something soon.

What is she waiting for?
Meredith wondered.
It will be a lot worse if our folks hear the news from someone else
.

“Why don’t we go outside and enjoy the sunshine for a bit?” Alma asked, joining Meredith
at the screen door and interrupting her thoughts.

“I really should be at the sewing machine right now,” Meredith replied, “but I guess
I can do that after we’ve enjoyed the warmth of the sun for a while.”

As Susan made her rounds in ICU that morning, she felt a keen sense of disappointment.
Eddie, her John Doe patient, had been moved to rehab two weeks ago, and she missed
seeing him every day. As luck would have it, though, her sister, Anne, had been assigned
as Eddie’s physical therapist, so she saw him several times a week and always gave
Susan a full report on how he was progressing. During supper last night, she’d told
Susan that she’d been working with Eddie to regain the strength in his legs. He’d
been confined to his bed for so many months, and even though they’d exercised his
legs when he was in a coma, he’d been left unable to walk on his own.

Another therapist worked with Eddie vocally. Serious damage to his vocal cords had
left him unable to speak for a time, but he was now talking again—although his voice
sounded gravelly and hoarse and would probably always be that way. He was also receiving
memory-training therapy, but so far Eddie’s mind remained a blank.

I think I’ll stop by the rehab center when I get off work today
, Susan told herself.
I’d like to see for myself how Eddie is doing and let him know that I’m still praying
for him
.

Eddie groaned and clicked the button to change the channel on the TV above his bed.
One of the nurses had shown him how to work the remote, because he’d had a hard time
trying to figure it out. The programs seemed strange to him, too—like he’d never seen
them before.
Maybe I didn’t have a TV
, he thought.
Or is that just another thing I’ve forgotten about?

Susan, the nurse he’d had before they moved him for therapy, had said he’d been found
in the bathroom of the bus depot in Philadelphia, wearing nothing but a pair of dirty
blue jeans and a holeyT-shirt. She’d also told him that he’d been beaten up pretty
badly and might have died if he hadn’t been found in time.

Eddie. The nurses all call me that, but they say it’s not my real name. Who am I,
really, and how did I end up in the hospital in such bad condition?

Eddie didn’t remember anything at all about his life before waking up in the hospital.
It was frustrating to have so many unanswered questions swimming around in his head,
as if he’d just been born, knowing nothing at all.

What was I doing in the bus station? Was I traveling somewhere?
he wondered.
Who beat me up, and why?
There was so much to figure out, and he didn’t know how to piece any of it together.
His head hurt when he tried to think.
If I could just remember who I am and what my life was like before coming here. Did
I have a job in the city? If so, what did I do for a living? Was I married? Did I
have children? Or was I some poor man on the street with no home or family of my own?

“I’m hungry,” Eddie murmured, breaking free from his troubling thoughts. He pushed
his call button, but no one responded. He waited awhile and pushed it again. Still
no reply.

He frowned.
Guess I’ll get up and head down to the nurses’ station
.

Holding on to the side rail, Eddie crawled out of bed. As soon as his feet hit the
floor, a wave of dizziness and nausea washed over him. He’d been told that due to
the severe head injury he’d sustained, he might have trouble with headaches and wooziness
for quite some time. He stood still until his head quit swimming then took a step
forward. The room started spinning again, and everything visible whirled into one.
The TV blended in with the window, and then the window merged into the picture hanging
on the wall. He closed his eyes to try to regain his balance, but his legs felt like
rubber. Try as he might, Eddie couldn’t walk on his own. Instead, he wobbled and dropped
to the floor with a groan.

I’m glad Elam’s visiting his friend Joe today
, Sadie thought as she hitched her horse, Daisy, to the buggy.
If he knew I was going over to confront Jonah about seeing Meredith, he’d probably
tell me I shouldn’t go and that it’s none of my business what Jonah does
.

Sadie had wanted to pay a call on Jonah sooner but hadn’t had the chance until today.
The last week of April, she and Elam had gone to watch their granddaughter Mary Beth’s
end-of-the-year school program in Gratz. From there they’d made a trip to Wisconsin
to see Elam’s brother Sam, who had been in the hospital after suffering a stroke.
They’d stayed until he was out of the hospital and had returned home only two days
ago. After running into Meredith’s mother at the grocery store yesterday and hearing
that Jonah had continued going over to Meredith’s on a regular basis, Sadie decided
it was time to pay him a visit.

As Sadie headed down the road with her horse and buggy, she rehearsed what she would
say to Jonah. She wouldn’t beat around the bush or make light of the situation. She’d
get right to the point and tell him in no uncertain words how she felt about things.

When Sadie arrived at the Millers’ place, she stopped at the buggy shop, thinking
Jonah would be working there. But then seeing a C
LOSED
sign in the shop window, she headed straight for the house.

Jonah’s mother, Sarah, answered the door. “It’s nice to see you, Sadie. Can I help
you with something, or did you just drop by for a visit?” she asked.

“I came to see Jonah,” Sadie replied stiffly. “I need to speak with him about something.”

“Today is Jonah’s day off, and he’s out in the barn getting his horse ready because
he’ll be going fishing soon.”

“Oh, I see. I’ll go out there and speak to him then.” Without waiting for Sarah’s
response, Sadie turned and hurried off toward the barn. She found Jonah about to lead
his horse out of the stall.

“I need to speak with you,” Sadie said, boldly stepping up to Jonah.

“About what?” he asked with a curious expression.

“I don’t think it’s right for you to be going over to Meredith’s so much. It’s only
been a little over five months since our son Luke died, and Meredith is still quite
vulnerable.”

Jonah smiled, although it appeared to be forced. “I assure you, Sadie, Meredith and
I are only friends, and actually, I’d be there for anyone who needed my help, not
just your daughter-in-law.”

“It’s good to be helpful, but I think it would be best if you stop seeing Meredith.”

Jonah’s dark eyebrows pulled together. “Unless Meredith asks me to stop going over
to her place, I’ll continue to help out.”

Sadie frowned deeply. She was not the least bit happy about this, but she didn’t say
anything more. She knew it wasn’t right to hope that Meredith would continue struggling
financially, but maybe once the baby came and Meredith was too busy to make head coverings,
she’d be willing to move in with Sadie and Elam. She could either sell her house or
put it up for rent. If Meredith was living with them, Sadie could help out with the
baby, and then she’d be certain that Jonah wouldn’t be coming around any longer.

As Jonah meandered along the stream a few miles from his folks’ place, he thought
about his unexpected visit with Sadie Stoltzfus. He couldn’t figure out why she was
so upset that he’d been helping Meredith. Couldn’t she see that they were just friends?

But I wish it could be more
, he admitted to himself.
I wish I could make her my wife. When enough time has passed, I’ll tell Meredith how
I feel
.
Maybe she’ll come to care for me as much as I do her
.
I just don’t want to rush her, that’s all
.

Jonah hadn’t told anyone yet, not even Dad, that he loved Meredith. Truth was, he’d
fallen in love with her during the time they’d known each other in Florida. Maybe
if he hadn’t been too timid to tell her back then, she might not have married Luke.
Jonah had lived with his mistake for many years. Working hard and keeping busy had
helped, but it wasn’t like coming home each evening to someone he loved—a wife who
shared her life with him.

“Guess there’s no point in thinkin’ about the past,” Jonah mumbled as he stopped beside
a tall birch tree that was leaning slightly over the stream. He noticed half the roots
from the tree were suspended out over the water, as if reaching for something to cling
to. An empty space under the tree had washed out when the water was flowing high.

Jonah pushed against the tree, wondering how long it would stay upright. He figured
someday it would end up lying across the stream, creating a natural bridge.

Purdy…purdy…purdy…
Jonah looked up and spotted a cardinal sitting on a branch overhead. The music of
the bird’s singing blended with the gentle sound of green leaves blowing in the warm
summer breeze.

Jonah hadn’t felt like fishing, after all, so he’d left his pole in the buggy. He
had secured Socks to a tree some distance away, and before they headed home, he would
bring the horse down to the stream for a good long drink. For now, though, Jonah just
wanted to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. There was no doubt about it—God had
created a beautiful world for man to enjoy. It was a shame some people took it for
granted and never noticed what was right in front of them, free for their enjoyment.