Sophie's Heart (69 page)

Sophie had been holding some flowers, and she now placed them on the nightstand. Mrs. Kent thanked her and watched as Sophie took a seat near the side of the bed.

“I have not been as closely in touch as I would have liked, Mrs. Kent, and so I hope you will not want me to leave. I have come to talk to you.”

The old woman looked at her. “Is it about your religion?”

Sophie nodded. “It is about my relationship to Jesus Christ. I have never preached to you, but I would like to tell you a story. Will you listen?”

The old woman nodded, with great interest in her eyes.

“I grew up in Czechoslovakia. I think you knew this. My mother died when I was a very little girl, and my father died when I was only seven. I lived with my grandmother after that. Soviet countries have great oppression, Mrs. Kent, but this is not all bad. Oppression leads people to God. America is a very comfortable place. I know that people are homeless and hungry here, but there is not the suffering I have seen elsewhere.

“Cancer, like you are going through now, or any upset, has a way of making us look at ourselves. You say the prognosis is not good, but do you have hope? Maybe you say that you are old and it is too late, but I will tell you a story about a man. He was a thief. He lived his whole life for himself. I do not know about his life, but I do know details about his death. And that is why I know he was dying a lost man. He was headed into eternal punishment, far greater than any pain or discomfort he had known on earth. He did not have to wonder if the end was near. He knew it was because he was hanging on a cross next to Jesus Christ.

“There was another thief on the other side of Christ. He, too, had lived a life of sin and selfishness, but he mocked God. He said, ‘If you are God, save yourself and get us down from here, ’ but the thief on the other side rebuked him and said that they, the robbers, deserved this punishment, but that Jesus was innocent. He then asked God to remember him, and Jesus, the Son of God, said, ‘Today you will be with me in paradise.’

“It was the end of his life, Mrs. Kent—a life lived for himself. But God’s grace and salvation are so big that even a sinful, dying man can know forgiveness and eternal hope.”

Sophie always cried when she thought or talked about the magnitude of God’s love and sacrifice, but when she wiped her own tears away, she saw Mrs. Kent’s.

“Have I crushed you, Mrs. Kent, or given you hope?” The question was whispered.

“I need your Savior,” she told Sophie, the tears still coming. “I’m not going to get over this one, and death is like a black hole for me.”

Sophie took the old hand and held it gently. “I will tell you how, Mrs. Kent, if you would like me to.”

Mrs. Kent nodded, but before Sophie could speak, they were interrupted. Mr. Kent came in quietly, stopping short when he saw his wife’s tears. He looked in confusion at Sophie and then back at his wife.

“I have to do this, Walt,” she told her husband. “I can’t keep pretending that I’ll have more time, and Sophie knows the way home.”

Walter Kent looked thoughtfully at his wife before he put his hat aside and came to stand on the other side of the bed. Without really knowing what she was talking about, he said, “You go ahead, Vi, if you want to.”

Mrs. Kent looked back to Sophie and nodded.

“The Bible says we must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. We must confess with our mouth and believe with our heart that God raised His Son from the dead, and that we have sinned and need the Savior. God’s Son became a man, a perfect man, so that He could die for our sin, yours and mine. But His gift of salvation is no good unless we accept it. Is that clear for you, Mrs. Kent?”

There was a nod, and Sophie prayed that she would get the words correct.

“Pray with me, Mrs. Kent,” Sophie invited her and began. She said a phrase and waited for Mrs. Kent to repeat it before going on.

“Father in heaven. I know I am a sinner who is lost. I believe You sent Your Son to die for my sin. I deserved the punishment. But Jesus paid the price. I do not want to go from this place without You, Lord Jesus. Please save me from a lost forever, um, eternity. Please become my Savior and Lord from this moment forth. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray, Amen.”

Sophie looked up. Violet Kent was squeezing Sophie’s hand with surprising strength.

“I prayed, Sophie. I didn’t just say the words. I don’t know how you knew I needed this, but I did it, Sophie, I did it.”

“God knew, Mrs. Kent. You now belong to Him for all eternity.”

Mrs. Kent nodded and turned to her husband. “I have to tell you a story, Walt. I have to tell you.”

The old man nodded and Sophie stood.

“I will leave you.”

“All right.”

“You are going home tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll come in a few days. I’ll call first.”

“No,” the old woman was adamant. “Just come. If I’m asleep, have Walt wake me.”

Sophie agreed, and with a gentle smile at Mr. Kent, slipped away. She was headed past the other bed, when that woman gestured to her. Sophie approached cautiously, and the woman beckoned her close with a bony hand. Sophie could already hear Mrs. Kent speaking. As she leaned way over, the woman whispered faintly.

“I’ve been praying since she came in here a week ago. Thanks for telling her, honey.”

Sophie smiled into those wise old eyes as she reached up to tenderly stroke the woman’s weathered cheek. Out in the hall, Sophie was already breaking down. She looked up to see the word
chapel
above a door and swiftly slipped inside. It was blessedly silent and empty, and Sophie sat in the back, her eyes going to the large crucifix at the front. Tears pouring down her face, she prayed very briefly, but with great triumph.

You’re not on that cross anymore, Lord. You are alive forevermore. Praise Your holy name!

Sixty

T
wo weeks later, Mrs. Kent actually felt well enough to come to dinner at the Rileys’, but just a week after that, she was headed downhill fast. Her husband fretted terribly about not being able to take care of her at home, so she agreed to return to the hospital. Sophie had visited twice, but the older woman was failing almost hourly. After one such visit, Sophie came home and talked to her family. Craig asked several questions, but Tory was very quiet until the end.

“I don’t understand,” Tory admitted.

“What’s that, Tory?” her father asked.

“Why would God bring Mrs. Kent into our lives, just to take her out again?”

“Well, Tory,” Alec continued, “some pretty miraculous things have occurred. Mrs. Kent is dying right now, but because God brought her into His family, she knows where she’s headed. Her body is dying, but her spirit is alive in Christ.”

“It’s just so hard to see her suffer and die,” Tory confided.

“I know, honey, but in some ways God is doing us a favor. We need to be reminded that this is a sinful place and not to get too comfortable here. Mrs. Kent is telling everyone where she’s going and how much God loves her. You know that Sophie took a Bible to them, and Mr. Kent is reading it to Mrs. Kent every day. And Mr. Kent told Sophie that he wants to attend church with us, but he needs to stay with his wife right now.”

“Your feelings of loss are normal, my Tory,” Sophie now added. “We would be hard in our hearts if we did not hate to see her suffer, or wish she could be with us. But God understands your feelings.”

“Can I go with you the next time you go?”

“Of course, Tory, but I must warn you that the call could come at any time.”

“Why don’t I take you tonight?” Alec offered, even though it was a school night. He looked at his watch. “How much time do you think we have, Sophie?”

“I think visiting hours are until 8:00.”

“Well, it’s 7:20, Tory. Let’s go right now.”

And with that, they were off. Craig joined them as well, but Sophie stayed put. She was tired, and each time she left Mrs. Kent she made a point of leaving with no regrets. It was something she did deliberately, in case she did not see her again.

When they arrived home, Tory reported that Mrs. Kent had been very glad to see them and had even talked a bit. Mr. Kent had been in attendance as well and thanked them several times for stopping. Sophie did make it back in to see Mrs. Kent later that week, but it was to be the last time. Violet Kent slipped away in the middle of the night, just about five weeks after she’d committed her heart to God. Although upset, Tory was handling things well, and both she and Craig requested to stay home from school in order to attend the funeral service.

Mr. Kent asked Alec to say a few words at the funeral, and Sophie fought tears as he briefly shared the decision Mrs. Kent had made and what it meant. God was glorified by his words, and a few people approached them afterward to thank and encourage them. Mr. Kent said he would see them all on Sunday, and at supper that night they all prayed he would follow through.

“Is that you, Dad?” Tory called from the family room as he and Sophie came in the kitchen door.

“It’s us. What are you doing up?”

Tory came to the kitchen, but Sophie passed her on her way to a soft seat in the family room. The babies were due in eight weeks, and they had just started Lamaze classes. Sophie dropped into the pillows with a sigh.

“How was it?” Tory asked as she sat on the sofa next to Sophie.

Sophie giggled. “They made me lie on the floor. I did not think I would ever get up.”

“What did you have to do?”

“Breathe. You should have seen me, Tory,” Sophie was laughing again. “All the other women, their stomachs got a little flat as they lay down, but mine stuck out more.” She turned to Alec who had joined them. “Is it like that in bed?”

“Oh yeah,” he said nonchalantly. “It’s a little like sleeping with a camel.”

Sophie’s mouth dropped open, and an incredulous laugh escaped her lips. “I like camels,” Alec swiftly assured her. He never knew what would make her cry.

Tory was laughing, but she said sympathetically, “Don’t listen to him, Sophie. By the way, what is this doing to your stomach?”

“Oh, Tory,” Sophie wailed. “You should see it. It looks like a map of the moon.”

Both Alec and Tory found this highly amusing, but as much as Alec hated to break up the fun, he then reminded Tory that she had school in the morning. She went off to bed, Alec on her heels to kiss her good night. Once again joining his wife in the family room, he observed, “Maybe you should go up to bed as well.” She looked so sleepy.

“Maybe I will just sleep right here.” Sophie’s hand was on her stomach. “They wrestle all the time.”

Alec chuckled. “Who’s winning?”

“They are.”

“Are they boys or girls this week?” Alec asked with a smile, since Sophie changed her mind constantly.

“One of each, I think. Petra and Nicolai.”

“Not Jane and John?”

“Well,” she conceded. “Petra Jane and Nicolai John.” Sophie looked triumphant and then serious. “What if we cannot decide before the babies are born?”

“Well, we’ll just keep working on it. They like to know before you leave the hospital, but it’s not necessary. We had a terrible time with Tory’s name,” Alec suddenly remembered. “I wanted Stephanie.”

“Stephanie. That is a lovely name, but it is a full mouth with Riley.”

“Mouthful,” Alec corrected. “And that’s exactly what Vanessa said.”

“We have to have two of each, Alec. Why don’t you just pick?”

He thought for a moment and then shook his head. “I don’t know right now. These babies are half Czech and I think that’s special, but I don’t want them to have names so unusual that they feel like they can’t even live in America.” Sophie agreed wholeheartedly, and they were still discussing the possibilities when the phone rang.

“Hello.”

“Hi, Dad.”

“Rita! What’s up?”

“I’m just calling to let you know when I’ll be in.”

“Okay.”

“Our driver has a class until 5:00, so we’ll be late, probably way after midnight.”

“All right. Just be safe.”

“We will. How’s Sophie?”

“Pregnant.”

“Will I recognize her?”

“Yes, but she sleeps a lot and says the babies wrestle all the time.” Alec took a peek around the corner now at Sophie, but she appeared to be asleep.