The Healing Quilt (11 page)

“Does that mean you’re having a girl?” Noreen questioned.

“Yes. At least that’s what the ultrasound showed.” Jennifer’s shoulders drooped. “I just hope my husband finds a job before the baby comes.”

“What does he do for a living?” This question came from B.J.

“He’s a cook, and a mighty fine one, too.” Jennifer smiled. “The only good thing about Randy being out of work is that now he cooks most of our meals. I’d gladly take that responsibility over again, though, if he could only find a job.”

Kim was glad Jennifer was opening up, but she felt sorry for the young mother-to-be. Maybe there were some benefits in being single. At least she only had to worry about supporting herself and taking care of her dog.

“I’m thankful that someone gave me the gift of this class,” Jennifer went on to say. “I just wish I knew who it was so I could thank them for it.” She looked over at Emma with a hopeful expression. “Do you know who it was?”

Emma adjusted her head covering, which was slightly askew. “The person who paid for your class wishes to remain anonymous and said they felt it was more of a blessing to keep it that way.”

“Someone left a box of food on our front porch the other day, too, and there was no note attached,” Jennifer said. “I’m beginning to see that God is providing for Randy and me in many ways.”

“We’ll be praying for you, dear,” Emma said. “Try to keep a positive attitude while waiting for God to provide your husband a job.”

As Noreen worked at the sewing machine, she was glad that she had something to do. She’d felt a little foolish, making such a fuss about the lizard—especially after thinking about that big alligator in Emma and Lamar’s backyard. She would have had a conniption, seeing such a creature anywhere close to her home.

Noreen’s mind drifted to the envelope that had come in this morning’s mail. She’d been hoping to hear from her son, Todd, or his wife, Kara, but guessed they were busy with their lives in Texas, because the letter wasn’t from them. She understood that Todd and Kara had busy lives of their own, but she missed them and would have gone to visit more often but didn’t want to intrude.

Two years after Noreen married her husband, Ben, and they’d found out they couldn’t have children of their own, they’d been given the opportunity to adopt Todd. What a wonderful life they’d had raising their boy. All those years when Todd was growing up, they had been a threesome, doing so many things together—simple things like camping, fishing, and going on picnics. They’d also enjoyed going to some of the local festivals every year. Of all the fun things to do at festivals, Todd usually went for the pony rides. In fact, from a very young age, he’d been interested in horses. To follow his dreams, after graduating from high school, he’d gone to Texas to stay with a friend, where he’d learned about ranching. Eventually he’d married Kara, and they’d been living in Texas ever since, working on the ranch where they’d met. In addition to their ranch duties, they had Kara’s boys, Nolan, who was ten, and Garrett, age twelve, to raise.

After Ben died, Noreen had felt totally alone, especially given that they had been married for forty years, but she didn’t want to burden her son or make him feel obligated to her. She wanted Todd and his wife to pursue their dream of someday owning their own ranch. So Noreen decided to move forward, pushing herself to learn how to cope with living alone. It was hard at first, but she made it a point to get on with her life. She had been a teacher for all those years and used to give her students pep talks when they seemed fearful about their future. Now it was her turn to give herself a pep talk. After all, she wasn’t the only woman in the world who’d lost her husband.

Thinking back to the letter she’d received this morning, Noreen was glad it hadn’t been a piece of junk mail, like she so often found in her mailbox. Instead, the return address revealed it was from Monica Adams, a former student. Every now and then Noreen received notes from students letting her know what was happening in their lives. She’d put off opening Monica’s note until later today so she wouldn’t be late to class.

“Is everyone ready to take a break for some refreshments?” Emma’s question broke into Noreen’s thoughts. She glanced at her watch and realized it was already eleven o’clock.

“I made some coffee cake, and Lamar picked oranges from our tree in the backyard this morning,” Emma said, smiling at the class.

“Both sound good to me,” Noreen said, putting her sewing away, while several others bobbed their heads in agreement. Not Mike, though. He sat there, wrinkling his nose.

“I’m allergic to oranges,” Mike informed Emma. “So I’ll pass on those. Sure don’t want to break out with a case of hives.”

“No, that wouldn’t be good,” Emma said. “Would you like some of my coffee cake, though?”

Mike nodded eagerly. “That suits me just fine. I didn’t have much for breakfast this morning so I’m feelin’ kinda hungry right now.” He rose from his chair to follow Emma into the kitchen, thinking he might get to taste some of that cake before anyone else. But he’d only taken a few steps when he felt kind of shaky and broke out in a sweat.

“Oh, great, not this again,” Mike groaned, grabbing the back of B.J.’s chair as everything blurred before him. He’d felt this way when he’d first woken up this morning and figured he might be coming down with the flu. He’d felt better once he’d had a cup of coffee and a doughnut, however.

“Are you okay?” Lamar asked, taking hold of Mike’s arm. “Is it too hot in here? Should I open a window or door?”

“No, I’m fine. Just feeling a little woozy is all.”

Lamar quickly pulled out an empty chair and instructed Mike to sit down. “Try to relax and take some deep breaths. I’ll open a window to let in some fresh air. Hopefully, that will help you cool down.”

Mike did as Lamar suggested. As he sat, fanning his face with his hands, while blinking his eyes to clear them, he could only imagine what Phyllis would say if she knew what was happening to him right now.

What is happening to me?
Mike wondered.
I felt fine when I first got here, except for feeling a bit woozy when I got out of the car. Why do I feel so horrible now? Are these spells a warning of some kind?

S
hould we call 911?” Noreen asked, concerned about Mike’s strange behavior. “You might be having a heart attack.” She remembered too well how her husband had collapsed on the floor of their living room when his heart gave out. And even though she’d called for help, and they’d performed surgery at the hospital, it had been too late for Ben. She hated to think that might be the case with this man, too.

Mike shook his head determinedly. “There’s no need for that. I feel a little weak and shaky is all, but I’m sure I’ll be okay once I have something to eat.”

“It might be a case of low blood sugar,” Erika spoke up. “I’ve heard my dad talk about patients who’ve actually passed out when their blood sugar dropped, mostly because they hadn’t eaten. You oughta make an appointment with your doctor and have it checked out.”

Mike flapped his hand. “Don’t think there’s any need for that. I’m sure it’ll pass.”

Men can be so stubborn
, Noreen thought.
I’ll bet if Mike’s wife was here, she would insist that he see a doctor today
.

“Erika’s right,” Lamar said, “but in the meantime, I’ll get Emma, and we’ll see that you get something to eat.” He hurried into the kitchen, as Mike continued to breathe deeply, while keeping his head between his knees.

“We have a problem in the other room,” Lamar said when he entered the kitchen where Emma stood at the counter cutting the coffee cake.

Emma turned to face him. “What kind of problem? Is someone having trouble with one of the sewing machines?”

Lamar shook his head. “Mike isn’t feeling well. Said he felt shaky, and he’s sweating profusely. I was afraid he might pass out so I opened some windows and had him sit down to rest.”

“Oh dear! We’d better call for help right away.” Emma moved quickly across the room, where the telephone sat on the roll-top desk. At a time such as this, she was glad the Amish were allowed to have electricity and telephones in their homes here in Pinecraft.

Lamar stepped between Emma and the desk. “Mike doesn’t want us to call for help. He thinks he just needs to eat something, and Erika mentioned, too, that it could be a drop in his blood sugar.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then some cake might help.” Emma handed the platter to Lamar, then she grabbed some paper plates and forks and followed him into the other room. Immediately she cut a piece of cake and offered it to Mike.

“Thanks,” he said, quickly wolfing it down. “Boy, that sure tasted good. And you know what? Think I’m feelin’ better already. A little food was probably all I needed.”

“I’ll bet it’s your blood sugar, alright,” Erika said, nodding her head. “Eating something sweet brought it up real quick. If you find out you have hypoglycemia it could turn to diabetes, and of course, you’ll have to watch what you eat.”

“Well now, aren’t you just the little doctor?” Mike’s eyes narrowed. “I’m sure I don’t have that. I just needed to eat something, and I feel fine now, so you can quit badgering me.”

“I wasn’t.” Erika frowned. “Oh, never mind. I’ll keep my opinions to myself from now on. It’s your health anyway, not mine.”

Feeling the need to break the tension, Emma quickly said, “I’ll go to the kitchen and get the tray of orange slices now. Then we can sit around the table and eat our snack while we get better acquainted.” She rushed back to the kitchen and was surprised when Noreen followed.

“Men can be so pigheaded sometimes,” Noreen muttered. “If my husband hadn’t been too stubborn to see the doctor for annual checkups, he might still be alive.” Her lips compressed, as a frown etched her forehead. “One time I made Ben an appointment, and he got really mad. He even said I was treating him like a little boy.”

“That must have been upsetting,” Emma acknowledged. “But when a grown person doesn’t want to do something, there isn’t much anyone can do about it. Sometimes the more we say, the more they refuse to listen.”

“I guess that’s true. I just wish….” Noreen’s voice trailed off, and then she said, “Can I help you with anything, Emma?”

“Well, let’s see….” Emma glanced at the refrigerator. “There’s a pitcher of iced tea in there, so if you want to bring that in, along with the paper cups on the counter, that would be appreciated.”

“I’d be happy to.” Noreen smiled as she moved across the room.

Emma was glad Noreen seemed in better spirits. Sometimes rehashing the past, especially something that couldn’t be undone, brought a person down. If there was one thing Emma had learned in her sixty-seven years, it was the importance of focusing on the positive and making the most of each day. She hoped by their actions and words that she and Lamar would be able to share that with this group of quilters, just as they had done with all the other classes they’d taught.

When Emma returned to the dining room, she was relieved to see that Mike looked better and was visiting with B.J. as though nothing had happened. It upset her to think that someone in her class wasn’t feeling well. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be serious. But if it had been, she would have definitely called for help, despite any objections on Mike’s part.