No Distance Too Far (22 page)

Ingeborg leaned down to return the hug. “Not sick, just tired.”

“Bad tired, huh? Grampa said be quiet, very quiet. So we went to Carl’s house.”

“Where is Grampa now?”

The little girl shrugged and looked around as if he would pop out from behind the tree trunk. “Don’t know. Freda gone to Inga’s.”

Ellie opened the gate, and Carl dashed through. “Gamma, you good now?”

“He thought you’d been sent to bed because you were naughty.” Ellie slung the baby off her back and held her on her hip in the age-old way of mothers everywhere.

Ingeborg hugged Carl, who now had her other side in a hug grip and held out her hands for baby May. The little one gave her a toothy grin while wiggling to get down and walk too. Already she tried to keep up with Carl, much as he did with Inga and Emmy.

“Tired as I was, I must have been naughty somehow. But that baby who didn’t want to come into the world after he’d started the trip finally gave up. It was a lusty boy, and he told us what he thought about all the indignities he’d been through.”

“Was this that young family, Englebret . . . ? Ellie’s brow wrinkled in trying to remember. “When I saw her in church, she was pooching out pretty far.”

“Her name is Ida, his Oslo, and yes, you were close. Engebretson. They named the baby Rufus, after his grandpa.”

“How long have they lived there now?”

“A couple of months. I’m going to mention him to Thorliff. He’s looking for a job. They have only a small parcel, enough pasture for a cow or two and a small hayfield. He said he doesn’t really want to raise wheat, not that they have room.”

“Did you invite her to quilting?”

“I most certainly did. And if she feels well enough to come to church on Sunday, I invited them to join us for dinner too. He’s hoping to talk his brother into moving here. Word is out that there are jobs to be had in Blessing.”

Ellie smiled at her mother-in-law. “I’m sure you enjoyed birthing that baby.”

“That I did. Been some time since I got to do that. I was more encourager than doctor. Interesting the things we can talk about in the dark hours of the night, in spite of her needing to scream once in a while.” She glanced over to see Carl and Emmy sharing cookies out of the tin pail. “Don’t you go spoiling your supper now, you two.”

“As if anything would keep Carl from eating.” Ellie reached for May and, settling her back on her hip, led the way into the house. “I have an idea you might have some strawberry syrup left. Doesn’t a swizzle sound good right now?”

“If we were in town, I would take you and our three here, and we would go visit Rebecca’s sweet shop. She’s getting impatient for the strawberries to ripen for her sundaes and sodas.” Ingeborg retrieved the strawberry syrup from the icebox. “You get the vinegar out while I chip off some ice.”

“Ice cream?” Emmy and Carl snapped their attention at her as if drawn by a magnet.

“No. Swizzles.”

“Oh.” Emmy stuck out her lower lip. “I like ice cream best.”

“Well, I do too, but there are no strong men here to crank the ice-cream maker, so we’ll make do.” In a few minutes they had mixed the ingredients and took their fizzing drinks out to the back porch, along with the tin pail of cookies and some more out of the cookie jar. Ellie sat in the rocking chair and snuggled a sleepy May against her chest.

“I should be home making supper.”

“Why don’t you and Andrew come here instead? There’s a pot of ham and beans ready. I think Freda baked bread this morning, and I know I saw a pie on the counter in the pantry.”

“She is such a hard worker. Reminds me of someone else I know.” Ellie took a sip from her glass, held the cool against her cheek, and rested against the chair back. “How are your peas doing?”

“Haakan put up the trellis yesterday. I need to get out there and convince all those shoots to hang on to the string. Some of them can be so contrary. And yours?”

“Carl helped me put up the strings. You should have seen him bent over talking to the plants, telling them to hurry up and grow strong so he could eat the peas.”

Ingeborg chuckled. “That must have been some sight. I remember the year that we had a violet growing out behind the barn. Thorliff came running to tell me, so Andrew and I wandered down there too. We tried to get Andrew to sniff the sweet smell, but all he did was blow on it. Thorliff thought that was the funniest thing. He started laughing, which set Andrew off. How could I not laugh along with them? Anyone seeing us would have thought we’d lost our minds.”

“Andrew always said he was going to marry up with me. Where do you think he got that phrase?”

Ingeborg shook her head. “Heaven only knows.” She sipped her drink. “I am so pleased that you thought of this. Guess I am just not ready for summer yet.”

They let the twittering birds and children sing on the rising afternoon breeze. A cow bellered, answered by another one.

“The cows are ready for milking.”

“I know. Goldy always announces the time. You’d think she carried a pocket watch.”

“If you carried an udder as big as hers, you might want to get milked too.”

“Point well taken. Did you leave Andrew a note?”

“Where else would I be with the horse and buggy there? Of course, I could have walked to town. I haven’t visited with Sophie in forever. Other than at church.”

“Andrew always comes by here on his way to the barn. You don’t need anything from home do you?”

“You still have diapers?”

“Of course.”

Ellie glanced down at the child sleeping on her lap. “She was fussy this afternoon and didn’t want a nap, but look now.”

“We can lay her on the bed if you want.”

“Maybe later. Oh.” She dug in her apron pocket and pulled out a letter. “Here. This came from Mor yesterday. It says she is coming to visit.”

“All of them?”

“No, just her. Arne and Rachel aren’t out of school yet, and Rachel can get the meals. I think Mor just wants to see her grandchildren. You’d think we lived on opposite sides of the state for the times we get on that train and go visit.”

Ingeborg unfolded the letter and read it through quickly. “That’s pretty much what she says, all right. Ah, Goodie, how wonderful it will be to see you.” They became such good friends when she and the children came to live with them, those many years ago, after Goodie’s husband died that terrible winter.

“You’re right. We need to visit more often, and I still think we should convince Uncle Olaf that he could have his furniture making right here in Blessing. After all, so many of his pieces live here, why not the maker too?”

“He got flooded out one too many times.”

“That’s a terrible excuse.”

The two women shared smiles, and Ingeborg passed the cookie plate so Ellie didn’t have to move and wake the little one.

“I am so glad you came. We haven’t had time like this for, well, it seems like years.”

“What do you hear from Astrid?”

“Other than she is enjoying the missionary school and still not sure if they will approve her, not a lot.” Ingeborg tipped her head back and set her rocker to creaking. “The thought of her being clear around the world in Africa . . .” She shook her head slowly. “No matter how much I pray for her and that situation, I have yet to find peace in it. I talked with Pastor about it, and I get the feeling he’s in the same boat. Wouldn’t you think that God would calm my mother heart?”

Ellie chewed on her bottom lip. “I’m glad Andrew has never wanted to be anywhere but here. I don’t know what I’d do if I were you. What does Elizabeth say?”

“She doesn’t talk about it.” That was another thing that bothered Ingeborg. Elizabeth was counting on Astrid to come home and help her with the surgery and their dream of a traveling clinic and a real hospital. While two years would go by fast, the possibility of a change in plans had been a terrible disappointment.
Lord, I’ve prayed for them
both. And I’ve prayed for me. You know all my prayers. Sometimes, in
this situation, I wonder if you are really listening.

“You sleeping, Gamma?” The little hand on her arm made her smile and open her eyes.

“Just thinking.”

“You praying.” Emmy nodded, her dark eyes intent.

“Ah, little one. You want to come on my lap?”

“Yes.” She scrambled up, using the rocker of the chair as a step, and snuggled close.

Carl came to her other side. “Me too?”

With one in each arm, Ingeborg smiled at Ellie. “This morning I was so tired, Haakan ordered me to bed.” Ellie arched an eyebrow, which made Ingeborg smile. “Yes, he did, and yes, I went. I had just woken when you all came across the field. I was trying to figure out where everyone was.”

“Andrew and Lars are seeding the south section, and Solem and Haakan are disking the west. They were all at our house for dinner, which worked out perfect. After I got things cleaned up, Carl and I went out and worked in the garden. The potatoes are up, and since he helped plant those, he watches them carefully.”

Carl nodded and looked up at Ingeborg. “My ’tatoes.”

“We used to have a hoe with a sawed-off handle for the children. We need to check down in the tool shed and see if it is still there. It used to be hanging on the wall.”

“I’ll have Andrew check.”

“Men coming,” Emmy said.

“Which men?”

“Grampa and Andrew. Milk cows.”

Ingeborg heard the telephone ringing, but before she counted the rings, Emmy said, “For us.” She slid off Ingeborg’s lap and headed into the house, Carl right after her. Ingeborg stood, stretched, and then followed them.

She lifted the earpiece from the base. “Hello.”

“Mor, you better come. I think Elizabeth is getting worse.” Thor-liff’s voice sounded tight with fear.

“I’ll be right there.”

“I’ll come for you. I have the horse all harnessed.”

I knew I should have gone in there, but here I am taking life easy
when Elizabeth needs me.
Ingeborg set the earpiece back and turned to see Ellie and Emmy starting to set the table.

“We’ll take care of things here. You go on, and our prayers will go too.”

“Takk. Mange takk.”
Lord, help me know what to do for Elizabeth
. Ingeborg brought her black bag out of the pantry, mentally skipping through her simples to see what might bring down the swelling and what might give Elizabeth strength. Beef broth and a mild tea might help. All the while she muttered to herself until she looked up and caught Emmy staring at her.

“Inga come here?”

“Perhaps.”

“Good.” She patted Ingeborg’s hand. “You make doctor better.”

“I pray that is so.” She glanced up to Ellie. “I’m going to call John and have him ask others to pray. I wish if there were new things that would help, I knew of them.”

“Maybe Astrid has learned some new things. You could telephone her and ask.”

“Interesting how I never think to use the telephone. I wonder how to get ahold of Dr. Morganstein. She would know, if anyone does.”

“Elizabeth will know how to reach her.”

“True.” What did Thorliff mean by “getting worse”? Ingeborg fretted as she went out to meet her son. Would she have enough strength to sustain her until they could know what to do?
Lord, we
need you.

17

B
y the time they arrived, Elizabeth was asleep and Ingeborg couldn’t see anything unusual, so she joined Thelma in the kitchen to finish making supper while Thorliff took Freda back home. Ingeborg checked on Elizabeth through the night but didn’t notice any changes. The next morning she sat waiting for Elizabeth to wake.

“He worries more than a wet hen,” Elizabeth muttered when she saw Ingeborg there.

“Only about you.” Ingeborg felt Elizabeth’s ankles and feet. There was some swelling but not any worse than the day before. “What made him think you were worse?”

“I got dizzy when I stood up and had to sit down real quick on the edge of the bed. He’d get dizzy too if he spent as much time in bed as I have.” Lines furrowed her brow. “He says I fainted, but I was just dizzy.”

“Of course he’d have to be pregnant to get the same feelings.” The two smiled at each other.
Are the circles under her eyes darker, her skin
more translucent, or am I, like Thorliff, imagining things?
Ingeborg held Elizabeth’s wrist and counted her pulse. At least with this she could check records. She glanced at the paper she kept on the nightstand. About the same.

“I listened to the baby’s heartbeat, and it is holding steady. Inge-borg, you know I know and understand what is going on. If I feel truly worse, I will tell you.”

“Is that a promise?”

Elizabeth paused for a moment before she nodded. “I promise.”

“Keep in mind that you might not always be objective. Your desire to take care of others is far stronger than your desire to take care of yourself.” Ingeborg plumped the pillows so Elizabeth could sit up more comfortably.

“I am not an invalid.”

“I know that, but you are a rather difficult patient.”

“Doctors are supposed to be so. It’s the law.”

Ingeborg chuckled. “How much have you been up?”

“Only to the bathroom.”