Sophie's Heart (5 page)

“Sophie, what did I do?”

“It is nothing.” A tear slid down her cheek.

“Please tell me.”

Sophie hesitated, her face reddening slightly. She drew in a shuddering breath. “I have not had touch in many months—not since coming to America.”

“Oh, Sophie,” said Janet as she reached for her once again. She felt Sophie tremble, and wondered if her own heart would break. Sophie, thinking of Janet’s drive home, broke the embrace.

“You will want to go now, Janet. The traffic will be worst.”

Janet nodded, tears standing in her own eyes. “I’ll see you later.”

Sophie waved and used the key to her door. Janet was still shaking when she pulled into her driveway.

That night in bed, Janet shared with David. With his arm around her, he listened quietly to her account of seeing Sophie’s home. Again, it passed through his mind that she might be the one to go and help Al with the kids, but he kept this to himself. As he fell asleep, he prayed that if God wanted this very thing that He would burden Janet’s heart with it as well.

“You didn’t have to leave today,” Janet commented to Sophie after the Bible study just two weeks later.

“No,” she answered with a smile. “My schedule has changed, and I now have Tuesdays off.”

Janet hugged her.

“I’ve been thinking so much about you, Sophie. How are things at work?”

“They are well. Mr. Markham is giving me good things now, and I was even asked to teach new girl.”

“That’s a compliment to you.”

Sophie was not sure how this could be a compliment, but since another woman had joined them, she was not able to ask. Sophie listened quietly to the question the woman asked about Bible study and was impressed with Janet’s answer. That Janet had given this subject much thought was obvious. Sophie listened closely until she realized the other woman’s daughter was with her.

Sophie guessed the little girl to be around four, and she stood very quietly while her mother talked. She didn’t look up at all, but when Sophie noticed that the lace on the child’s tennis shoe was untied, she knelt down.

“Your shoe,” Sophie pointed and waited for the little girl’s eyes to drop. “It is untied. Would you like me to tie it?”

The darling little blond girl did not answer, but slid her foot slightly forward. With dexterous fingers, Sophie made a perfect bow and then smiled at the child. From Janet’s vantage point she could not see Sophie’s face, but that of Sandra, the little girl, was wreathed in smiles over something Sophie was saying. Janet was suddenly so struck with something that she could barely attend to the woman who was talking to her.

Other women came over just then, and Janet was occupied with them for the next half hour. She lost track of Sophie and, by the time she had a moment to look for her, she was gone. Janet debated going to Sophie’s apartment right on the spot, but made herself stay calm. She could not talk to Sophie first. However, she did drive straight to her husband’s office. She
had
to talk to him about what she was thinking.

“Hi, Janet,” Alec spoke into the phone. “I was just thinking about you.”

“You were?”

“Yeah. Does David still have my tree trimmer?”

“I think so.”

“Good. I’m not actually sure I’ll get to the yard this fall, but I wanted to make sure it’s still around.”

“I’m almost positive we have it, but I’ll make a note to check.”

“All right. How are Dave and the kids?”

“Great. How about yourself?”

“I’m doing fairly well. I get the impression from your voice that you’ve called about something specific.”

Janet took a deep breath. “You’re right. I have. Will you hear me out?”

“That bad, huh?”

“I’m afraid you’ll think so.”

Alec was silent for a moment. “I’ll listen, Jan. You know that.”

“All right. I’ve met someone who would really like to get out of Chicago. She’s single and probably in her mid to late 20s and, from what I can see, very capable. Both David and I think she would be just right for you and the kids.”

“What exactly are you suggesting, Jan?”

“I’m suggesting that she come up and take care of you guys.”

“You mean a live-in housekeeper?”

He sounded so horrified that Janet swiftly jumped in.

“Not exactly live-in. She could take the apartment over the garage. It isn’t right, Alec, that the kids are fixing their own meals, or that they’re alone so much while you work. I really believe Sophie is perfect for the job.”

“So you’ve already discussed this with her?”

“Good heavens, no! I wouldn’t do that without talking to you. I can’t be sure she’ll even agree. If she’s willing, will you at least meet and interview her?”

Janet heard Alec sigh on the other end. “What in the world does that type of thing cost?” Alec knew the question was an excuse, but he asked it anyway.

“I’m not sure, but don’t forget the insurance. This is the very reason you and David took out those policies on Van and me. I know it sounds like I’m telling you what to do, Alec, but I’m simply dying to help and I’m just too far away.” Janet paused to control sudden tears. She took a deep breath and said, “I think Sophie might be a godsend.”

There was more silence on the other end. In truth, Alec had completely forgotten about Vanessa’s insurance policy. He had received the check at a time when he was still overcome with grief and had simply put it into their savings account and not given it another thought. His business was almost more than he could handle, so there had been no reason to dip into that fund.

“Are you still there?”

“Yes,” Alec said quietly. Janet couldn’t know that Alec was watching Rita, his oldest, walk by with a laundry basket. When other 16-year-old girls were helping their mothers, his daughter was responsible for the household chores.

“Just let us ask her, Al. Then if you have any doubts after you meet her, we’ll drop the whole thing.”

“So you’ll bring her all the way up here, and if I say no she’ll just calmly go back with you?”

“That’s right. I’ll make sure she understands before we come.”

It didn’t sound very kind to Alec’s way of thinking, but he knew his sister would be very tactful.

“Please, Alec.” Janet’s voice came softly to his ears.

“All right,” he said with a good deal of reluctance. “You can talk to her, but be sure she understands and that you let me know before you come.”

“I will, Alec, and please try to trust me with this.”

“All right, Jan.”

They finished the conversation quickly. After Janet told David they had one down and one to go, she picked up the phone to call Sophie.

Just a week later Janet picked up Sophie to bring her to their home for dinner. Janet’s two youngest children were with her in the van, and she prayed that Sophie would not be nervous. To her surprise, Sophie immediately began to talk with them.

“You must be Bethany, and you are Jeremy.”

Bethany nodded and smiled. “My mom says you’re from Czechoslovakia.”

“Yes. It is not like Illinois.”

Bethany smiled and Jeremy asked, “What’s it like?”

“Well, I should have said that it is not like Chicago. We have more open land, and I think Illinois does as well, but I have not seen fields.”

“We have a lot of farms,” Jeremy told her. “But if you work and live right here in the city, you never see’em.”

Sophie nodded and smiled at him.

“Where do you work, Sophie?” This came from Bethany.

“I do bus work at Tony’s Restaurant.”

“Oh, that’s pretty cool. Dad and Mom like their food. Is that what you did in Czechoslovakia—work at a restaurant?”

“No,” Sophie told her with a smile, but did not elaborate.

“Do you eat the same things in Czechoslovakia as we do here?” Bethany suddenly asked, having just thought of it.

“Some same, some different.”

Jeremy, who was very much a “people person,” asked, “Can you tell us one thing that you miss?”

“To eat?”

“Yeah. Something you guys eat a lot and we’ve never heard of.”

“That would be bela-ruza,” Sophie said.

“Bela-ruza? What’s that?”

“It means ‘white rose.’ That is what my grandmother and I call a pastry she makes with special white cream and berries.”

“Sounds good,” Jeremy remarked before Sophie heard another “cool” from Bethany. Moments later they were at the Ring home.

Four

M
y biggest fear, Sophie, is that you will think we’ve plotted against you,” Janet said to their guest when dinner was over and the adults were alone in the living room.

Sophie, who was still working on the word
plotted,
said, “I do not think I will.”

“What Janet is trying to say is that we wanted to have you over, but we also wanted to talk to you about something. It’s an idea we have, but it comes without strings.”

“Strings?” Sophie’s face told them she was completely out of her league.

“If you say no to our idea,” David went on, “we will still care for you and not be upset with you in any way.”

Sophie stared at them for a moment. “I wish I understood,” she admitted quietly, and David saw that he shouldn’t have begun this way.

“It’s my fault that it’s not clear. Let me try to explain. About ten months ago Janet’s brother, Alec Riley, lost his wife in a car accident. He has three children. Even after all this time, Alec and the kids still seem to be at loose ends, especially concerning the housework and the cooking.

“You’ve never complained, Sophie, but Janet and I get the impression that your job is not what you’d really love to be doing. You’ve also mentioned you would enjoy a quieter place to live. Alec and the kids live in Middleton, Wisconsin. It’s a quieter place and may be what you’re looking for.

“Janet and I were wondering if you would consider going to work for Janet’s brother. I would think that they need someone to wash clothes, cook, clean, and keep track of the kids, but until you talk with Alec, I couldn’t definitely say.”

“So you have not talked to your brother?”

“Not about the specifics,” Janet put in. “I called him and he’s agreed to meet and interview you. Of course, if either of you doesn’t think it will suit, there is no obligation.”