The PIECES of SUMMER (9 page)

George was a squirrel that for the last couple of years had become almost tame around
Norma and Henry. They’d noticed how every time they were in the backyard working or
eating at the picnic table, this curious little squirrel would appear and patiently
sit and watch until they went back inside. Norma and Henry had started talking to
the squirrel and tried not to pose a threat to it. Of course, it helped that Henry
always had some sort of a snack in his pocket that he used, hoping to entice the little
gray critter each time he went outside. One day the squirrel walked right up to Henry
and took the morsel gently out of his hand. From that time on, little George became
their outdoor pet.

“Yes, I’m sure George will be waiting nearby for a handout,” Norma said, smiling.
Then she motioned to the toaster. “If you’d like to toast the bread for the sandwiches,
I’ll start frying the bacon. Oh, would you also open that new loaf of bread? There’s
only a few slices left in the other package, and we’ll share those with George.”

“Sure, I can do that.” Henry reached around Norma, snatched a tomato slice, and popped
it into his mouth. “Mmm…my garden has been producing some delicious tomatoes this
year, don’t ya think? Look how meaty these are,” he said, pausing to wipe the juice
dripping down his chin. “And there are hardly any seeds in them, either.”

She nodded. “But if you keep eating the tomato slices, I’ll have to cut up some more.”

He chuckled. “That’s okay. There’s plenty more where these babies came from.”

“I know that.” Norma paused, using a napkin to dab at the spot where some tomato juice
had dribbled onto her husband’s shirt. “I’d just like to have everything ready when
the girls get home.”

“What else are we having besides BLTs?” he asked.

“I made a macaroni salad and added some shrimp and a little crabmeat.”

He smacked his lips. “Always did like a good seafood salad.”

As Henry took care of toasting the bread and Norma fried the bacon, they discussed
the garden, the weather, and their friends from church.

“I sure hope Susan and Anne will join us at the Hagens’ for dinner on Sunday,” Norma
said, turning off the stove after the bacon was nice and crispy.

“I’m sure they will if they haven’t made other plans,” Henry said.

Sponging up some of the bacon grease that had splattered on the stove, Norma was about
to bring up the topic of Susan meeting Brian, but she changed her mind. Henry would
probably accuse her of trying to play matchmaker again, and she didn’t want any lectures
from him. She’d just have to wait and see how things went. She’d like nothing more
than to see her granddaughters find someone special to spend the rest of their lives
with. Norma knew, deep down, that it wasn’t up to her, but she couldn’t help hoping
Susan and Anne would one day have a wonderful marriage like she and Henry had.
Well
, Norma reasoned,
it doesn’t hurt for me to hope
.

Anne and Susan arrived home just as Norma finished putting the sandwiches together.
“Oh, good, you’re right on time, because supper’s ready,” Norma said, turning to smile
at her granddaughters. “And we’re going to eat our meal in the backyard this evening.”

Susan grinned. “That’s good, ’cause I’m more than ready to eat.”

“Me, too,” Anne agreed as she and Susan washed up at the kitchen sink. “I’m really
glad we’re eating outside. After being cooped up in rehab all day, I’m in need of
some fresh air and sunshine. The only time I get to go outside is during my short
breaks or when I’m walking with Eddie for his therapy.”

“Well, let’s get started then,” Norma said. “If you two would like to carry the macaroni
salad and pitcher of lemonade out to the picnic table, I’ll bring the tray with paper
plates, silverware, and sandwiches.”

“I’ll grab a bag of chips and the pieces of bread for little George,” Henry said,
winking at the girls.

When they were all seated around the picnic table, Henry led in prayer. “Dear heavenly
Father,” he said, “we thankYou for the delicious meal set before us and for the hands
that prepared it. We also want to give thanks for the beautiful warm weather we’ve
had so far this summer, and for the many blessings You’ve bestowed upon us. Amen.”
He opened his eyes and smiled. Grabbing a sandwich, he announced with a twinkle in
his eyes, “Let’s dig in!”

As they ate in their pleasant backyard, a chorus of birds sang overhead, and several
butterflies flitted from one flower to another. The conversation was mostly centered
around Anne and Susan, and how things had gone for them at the hospital that day.

“It was even busier than usual in ICU,” Susan said. “A couple of new patients were
brought in this morning, and we were shorthanded besides, with one nurse out sick
and another on vacation.”

“Things were pretty crazy in rehab, too,” Anne interjected.

“How’s that Eddie fellow doing?” Henry asked.

“He’s making some headway with everything except his memory,” Anne replied, before
taking a drink of lemonade.

“Speaking of Eddie,” Susan quickly said, “if he keeps progressing, he should be well
enough to be released from the hospital in a few weeks. Only trouble is, he has no
place to go, so he’ll probably have to stay on, like so many other patients do when
they have no home or family.”

Henry slowly shook his head. “I read an article awhile back about that very thing.
Guess the hospitals can’t simply throw someone out in the street when they’re well
and have no place to go. So they often keep them there until some other arrangements
can be made. Of course, that means the hospital must absorb the cost of the patient’s
care.”

“That’s too bad,” Norma said. “It’s a shame to think about all the people right here
in our state who are homeless.”

“Susan and I were talking about Eddie on the way home.” Anne looked first at Henry
and then Norma. “We were wondering if you two might consider letting him stay here
in exchange for whatever work you might want to have done.”

Henry sat, rubbing his chin, but it wasn’t long before Norma tapped his arm and said,
“I think that’s an excellent idea. Maybe Eddie can help you paint the outside of the
house.”

“I don’t think he should do anything too strenuous,” Anne was quick to say. “At least
not until he’s a bit stronger.”

“Oh, you’re right, of course. Maybe at first he could just do some light chores—or
help with some yard work.” Norma nudged Henry’s arm again. “What do you think? Should
we let Eddie stay with us—at least until he gets his memory back and is able to move
out on his own?”

Henry sat quietly for several more seconds then finally nodded. “If it doesn’t work
out, though, we’ll have to find him a place at the homeless shelter.”

M
eredith shifted on the backless wooden bench where she’d taken a seat almost three
hours ago in Deacon Raber’s barn. Her back hurt something awful, and no matter how
hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to find a comfortable position. She glanced over
at Laurie, sitting straight on the bench beside her, with her hands clasped in her
lap. She didn’t look uncomfortable at all.

I wonder how many more times I’ll get to sit beside my sister like this in church?
Meredith wondered.
If Laurie marries Kevin Byler and they move to some foreign country, I may never see
her again
.

A cramping sensation gripped Meredith’s stomach, causing her thoughts to redirect.
Maybe I should have stayed home from church this morning
. Due to the back pain and a few stomach cramps that had finally gone away last night,
she hadn’t slept well. She’d had another dream about Luke, too, which had woken her
around four o’clock this morning. It was hard to believe he’d been gone nearly six
months already, yet there were times when it seemed like only yesterday that they’d
said their goodbyes on the porch.

Will the pain of losing Luke lessen or increase after the boppli is born?
Meredith asked herself as she reached around and placed her hands on the lower part
of her back. One thing for sure: she’d be glad when the baby arrived, for the heat
and humidity of summer was really getting to her. That, coupled with her top-heavy
stomach and inability to do many things, made her feel cross at times.

When Mom had dropped by for a visit the other day, she had told Meredith that she’d
felt irritable and unproductive with each of her pregnancies that had occurred during
the heat of summer. While Mom was there, she’d also lectured Meredith on the importance
of getting plenty of rest and staying hydrated. Meredith was drinking lots of water,
but it was hard to rest when she felt so miserable and couldn’t find a comfortable
position. If this unrelenting backache didn’t ease by evening, she might have to consider
sleeping in one of the recliners in her living room.

Meredith shifted on the bench once more and glanced across the room to where the men
and boys sat. She spotted Jonah and noticed that he seemed to be staring at her. Hoping
no one else had seen, she gave him a brief nod then quickly looked away. It was one
thing for Jonah to drop by her house on occasion, to do a few chores, but she didn’t
want anyone here to get the idea that she might be interested in him.

Am I interested?
she asked herself.
If Jonah were to ask me to marry him after my year of mourning is up, what would I
say? I enjoy his company, and I’m sure he’d be a good daed to my boppli, but is that
enough? Could I ever feel the kind of love in my heart for Jonah that I’ve felt for
Luke ever since we first became serious about each other and got engaged? Down the
road things might change, but right now
,
I’m thinking probably not
.

When their church service concluded, Jonah was tempted to seek Meredith out but thought
better of it. From the way she looked during the service, she didn’t feel very well.
She appeared to be tired and seemed fidgety, like she couldn’t find a comfortable
position on the bench. A couple of times he’d noticed Meredith placing her hands against
her lower back, as if to support it. He could only imagine how uncomfortable that
hard wooden bench must be for a woman so far along in her pregnancy—especially sitting
there for three whole hours.

If he saw a chance to speak to her when nobody else was around, he would take it.
Otherwise, to avoid scrutiny, visiting with Meredith would have to wait until he could
stop by her house again. It didn’t help that he still had his foot in the immobility
boot and couldn’t do much to help with any chores, but he would be getting the boot
off soon and would be glad to get back to doing things again.

Jonah was thankful he’d been blessed with loving, understanding parents. Not everyone,
Amish or English, could say the same.

After the noon meal, Jonah noticed Meredith and her sister head for their buggy. They
were obviously going home, and he resigned himself to the fact that he wouldn’t get
the chance to speak with her today.

Sure wish it was me taking Meredith home instead of Laurie
, he thought ruefully.
I wonder if I’ll ever be able to tell Meredith how I feel about her
.
If I did, what would she say?

As Susan headed down the hall toward Eddie’s room in the rehab wing of the hospital,
she thought about everything the poor man had been through over the past six months.
From what Anne had told her, Eddie worked hard in therapy, consistently striving to
improve his physical abilities. She credited his progress to a positive attitude and
persistence, whereas many patients would have given up by now.

Anxious to talk with Eddie on her day off about the possibility of moving to Grandma
and Grandpa’s, she’d decided to visit right after church. Besides, she’d learned that
Brian, the Hagens’ grandson, would be at lunch this afternoon, which made her suspect
that Grandma was up to her old matchmaking tricks.