Tracie Peterson (9 page)

Ruth smiled. “Natalie Bishop, this is David Cohen. David was indeed Kenny’s friend from the
Arizona
.”

The woman’s expression changed from curiosity to horror as she noticed his left arm hanging rather useless at his side. “Oh, I’m so sorry for what you had to go through. Terrible thing! Just terrible. Oh my.” She fidgeted with her coat and stammered on. “Well. . . I
think it’s . . . well, just fine that you can be here for the holidays. Kenny was so well liked. He . . . well . . .” her voice trailed off.

David could see the woman’s discomfort growing by the minute. He had no idea why she should suddenly be so upset, but Ruth appeared to understand.

“It’s all right, Natalie. David and I have been catching up on Kenny and old times. You needn’t worry that you’ve opened a can of worms.” This appeared to calm the younger woman, who at this point merely nodded.

“Oh,” Ruth continued, “I’ve been meaning to thank you and your mother for that wonderful grape jam you sent over. I don’t know when we’ve enjoyed anything more. Did you manage to get the rest of your apples put into sauce?”

“Yes,” Natalie said with a smile. “Mother has always had a way with putting up fruit. I was worried with the rationing and all, but she managed to convince the Ration Board to allow her enough sugar for home canning. It ought to help a great deal to see us through the winter, rationing or no rationing.”

“We were blessed as well,” Ruth replied. “The walls of the basement are lined and we feel very much as though God has smiled down on us.”

The sprinkles of rain gradually became a bit more heavy. Natalie looked heavenward and shook her head. “I’ve got to get these girls home and out of the cold, or next thing I know, they’ll have the measles too.”

Ruth nodded. “I’ll see you Wednesday night at church.”

David tipped his hat again and waited until the woman hurried off down the sidewalk before asking Ruth if she’d rather turn back for home. His arm hurt him something fierce, but he wasn’t about to let on.

“No, let’s go ahead and deliver these,” she replied. “The cemetery is just up the ways and we won’t stay long.”

The rain stopped, but the dampness remained. David had always thought of graveyards as rather cold and ominous, but with Ruth at his side it didn’t seem quite so bad. She spoke in a lighthearted tone of how glad she was that Marion had thought of putting up a stone and how it was nice to have some way to honor Kenny.

They walked a little ways past a black wrought iron gate that merely
stated the word CEMETERY. The wet dead grass soaked David’s shoes, but he tried not to notice. After all, they were here for Kenny.

“Here we are.” Ruth bent down and cleared away a few dried leaves. “We can put this one here on Grandma Bennett’s grave,” she said as she placed the potted plant atop the marker. “And we can put the other one on Kenny’s stone.” She stood back up and pointed.

David caught sight of the stone not three feet away. He stepped solemnly to the grave and placed the plant beside the marker, not willing to cover up his best and only friend’s name. He stood staring silently for several moments before Ruth joined him and spoke.

“Rachel told me she gave you her letters. I trust you read them,” she said. He nodded but refused to look at her. “Good,” she continued in her soft way. “I know she wanted you to see that we knew all about you, David. I hope you understand why. Kenny shared his feelings quite openly, and even when he was home on leave, he told us that he hoped one day you would understand his concern for you and that you would come here with him.”

David glanced up ever so slightly. “I can’t believe you still want to have me around when you know what I was like. What I’m still like.” He looked back down at the ground.

“But we do want you to stay. I love having you here because you were Kenny’s friend, but also because I’ve enjoyed your company. I care about you, David, and I know the others feel the same. Especially Rachel.”

“I don’t see how you can say that.”

“David, nobody is perfect. You’ve had more than your fair share of knocks in life, but only you can make a change for the better. You said that Jesus couldn’t possibly know about the things you’d done and still love you. Rachel gave you those letters to prove that it is possible.”

He lifted his head and looked into her face. Her eyes were brimming with tears, but she wouldn’t back down. “I’ve come to love you as a son, David. From the moment I saw you standing on our front porch, I could see what Kenny saw in you. The need, the sorrow, the longing, but also the potential, the spirit, the strength.”

“I’m not strong,” he said in a barely audible whisper.

“You’re here,” Ruth replied, “and I think that speaks for itself. The fact is, I knew all about what you had done to Kenny, the times
you had disappointed him. I knew you had a scandalous past and that you had a penchant for fighting your way in and out of trouble. But it doesn’t matter. You have to see that, and in seeing that, maybe you can realize that it doesn’t matter to Jesus either.”

“God can’t be too worried about a loser like me,” David declared. “Otherwise I would have died that day with my shipmates. Instead, I have to live with the guilt that I’m here and they’re gone.”

“I’d say you’ve just proven your own point,” Ruth said very gently. She put her hand on his arm and squeezed it ever so gently. “If God had been through with you, you wouldn’t be here.”

David looked hard at the woman for a moment. She firmly believed what she’d just said. Kenny had believed it, too, and frequently had said as much. Could they possibly be right? Could there even be the remotest chance that God could forgive David and wipe away his sins?

“I don’t know what to believe,” David finally said, looking away.

“I know,” Ruth said, patting his arm before turning to go. “Just know that I’m here for you. We all are. Flowers on a grave make us feel better, but we can honor Kenny most by helping each other. Just remember that.”

He watched her walk back down the path to the front gate. He wanted to stay behind and think of what she’d said, but at the same time he wanted to run after her. He wanted to run to her, calling her name—calling her Mother.

“Hurry up, Helen, or you’re going to be late,” Rachel called up the stairs. She knew her sister had an affinity for waiting until the last minute to make herself ready for any given event.

“I’m coming!” Helen yelled back down. “I’m trying to fix my hair.”

“Angels don’t need to worry about their hair,” Rachel replied in an exasperated tone.

She glanced over to where David stood by the door. He had agreed to go with them to the Christmas play at church. Secretly she was glad for a number of reasons. Folks at church had been hounding them since David’s arrival to bring him around for introductions. Then there was the whole situation of folks wanting to honor a war hero and feel like they were doing their part for the war effort. Besides this, however, Rachel wanted so much to pick up the conversation where her mother had left off. She wanted to help David in whatever way would bring him to real happiness, and she was finally ready to show him how she felt about him.

“Would you and David like to walk on up to the church?” Ruth asked, seeming to understand her daughter’s need.

Rachel looked to David hopefully. “Would that be all right? Or would the weather be too hard on your arm?”

“I wouldn’t want you to get too cold,” David offered. He opened the door and frowned. “Besides, it’s raining again.”

“I suppose we can wait for everyone in the car,” Rachel replied. “Helen may well take another half hour at this rate.”

“Well, she’d best not, or we’ll never get there on time,” Ruth stated. “You two go ahead to the car. I’ll rally up Grandpa and Marion and together we’ll drag Helen along, if necessary.” She smiled good-naturedly.

Rachel buttoned her coat and secured her black felt hat. “I’m taking an extra blanket for the car,” she commented, reaching back into the closet for an old wool blanket. She led the way to the Model A Ford and let David open the back door.

Sliding to the middle, Rachel waited until David climbed in to spread the blanket across their laps. “We need to talk,” she said without giving herself time to rethink the moment.

David closed the door and, in the soft glow of porch and street lights, offered Rachel a surprised look at her nearness. “We do?” he said in a tone that suggested she’d unnerved him.

“Yes,” she replied, shifting in the seat. “I have to say a few things before the others come.” He nodded very slowly but said nothing. “I know Mom talked to you about the letters, but I wanted to talk to you also. You see, I know all about you, and in spite of your past and the trouble you’ve had, I care about you.”

“I know,” David barely whispered.

“No, I don’t think you do,” Rachel replied. This caused him to raise his head and meet her eyes. “I’ve fallen in love with you, David.” Her voice softened and some of the boldness faded. “I don’t know how you feel about that, but it’s the truth.”

He reached up to touch her cheek, his eyes filled with wonder. “How can you just tell me something like that?”

“Because it’s how I feel and I’m afraid if I don’t tell you, you might leave before I get another chance.” She trembled at his touch and leaned forward ever so slightly. She knew he would kiss her and she wanted nothing more.

He stroked her cheek, then moved to touch her hair before putting his hand to the back of her neck. Pulling her to him, David kissed her slowly, gently. Rachel felt her heart beating so rapidly that it nearly took away her breath. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and when the kiss ended, she merely rested her head against his shoulder. She loved him. Pure and simple.

Except it wasn’t so simple. She pulled away and drew a deep breath. “My only problem is that you don’t walk with God. I can’t consider marriage to someone who isn’t a Christian.”

“Marriage?” he said, his voice cracking. “You’d marry me?”

She shook her head. “Not unless we felt the same way about God. I can deal with anything else—your anger at the Japanese, your past—
but your future has to be His or I can’t be a part of it. And,” she added, knowing that it must be said, “you can’t do it just to marry me. It has to be a choice from your heart. I’ll know the difference.”

He looked at her for a moment, then reached out to touch her face again. “You’d really want a life with a cripple like me?”

“You’re only as crippled as you want to be, David.”

There was no time for anything else to be said. Helen burst into the car, her long hair dancing in curls around her shoulders and down her back.

“We’re here!” Helen declared, sliding into the middle of the front seat. “Fear not!” she declared, spreading her arms wide. This had become her well-known opening line for the play.

The rest of the family piled into the old Model A Ford, laughing at the icy rain and the gaiety of the evening. No one, save perhaps Ruth, had any idea what had transpired between Rachel and David. Rachel wouldn’t have been at all surprised had her mother known her exact intentions, but if she did, she’d said nothing to Rachel on the matter. Rachel appreciated the fact that her mother trusted her judgment. And why shouldn’t she? It was Ruth and Marion’s good upbringing that had given Rachel a strong foundation of faith. She’d never let that go.

“The Christmas play is the event of the season,” Ruth told David. “We always have such fun. The kids put on the play and the church has refreshments. Oh, speaking of which,” Ruth said, glancing around her, “I forgot the cookies.”

“No, you didn’t,” Marion announced, pointing to Grandpa Bennett, who was wedging himself into the seat beside Rachel. “Pop has them.”

Ruth sighed and eased back into the seat. “Thanks, Pop.”

“Don’t tear my costume!” Helen declared to her father. She found herself snuggled in between her father and mother in the front, fighting hard to keep her white gown from being wrinkled and caught up as her father shifted gears.

The single wiper cleared away the icy rain while the engine chugged faithfully along, compliments of Marion and Bob’s ingenuity.

“We should sing!” Ruth declared, and before anyone could comment, she began a rousing chorus of “Jingle Bells.”

Helen joined in, as did Grandpa and Marion. Rachel sang quietly,
but it wasn’t heartfelt. She held a deep gladness for the season in spite of Kenny’s absence, but her mind continued with a preoccupation of David. Had she said too much? Would he turn away from her now? She prayed the evening might be pleasant for him in spite of her declaration.
Don’t let it be too tiring for him, Lord
.

He’d just gone to the doctor the day before, and while the doctor had prescribed more medication, she knew David dealt daily with pain. Pain could be quite exhausting—Rachel knew that very well.

“Here we are,” Marion said, pulling the Ford up to the front steps of the church. “You go ahead inside, and I’ll get parked and join you. Save me a seat!”

They scrambled from the car and up the steps of Faith Church just as the rain began to fall in earnest. Ruth paused long enough to take the cookies from Grandpa Bennett before ducking inside to greet her friends, while Rachel remained supportively at David’s side.