To Love and Honor (7 page)

“Now you're being ridiculous,” he said. “I'll pay
for my own room, but I'll compromise—you can buy my dinner.”

“With pleasure,” Violet said, “but I was serious about paying for the room, too.”

Violet's room was across the hall from the one assigned to Roger. He carried her bag into the room and snapped on the lights. “Let's take an hour to rest,” he said. “This has been a stressful day, Violet, and tomorrow won't be much better. But I think you'll rest tonight.”

“Yes, I'm finally at peace with my decision. I realize that I have a lot of hurdles to cross, but I know now that it's the right thing for me to do.”

Violet stood on tiptoes and kissed Roger's cheek. “And thanks so much. I've been thinking all day about a proverb that speaks of ‘a man who sticks closer than a brother.' Well, I've never had a brother, but you've been that kind of friend for the past week. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know.”

“You don't have to thank me.” Roger pulled her hair with a gentle tug. “I'm just happy I could be there for you. See you in an hour.”

I
t was ten o'clock Friday evening before Roger and Violet arrived home from Topeka, after having made arrangements to have her mother brought on Wednesday. Violet wanted to sleep late on Saturday morning, but she couldn't spare the time. She had many things to do before her mother came. She would have to make an appointment with Pastor Tom, and she certainly had to talk to Larry before the news circulated around the city. Right now, only she and Roger knew about her impending house guest, but once a few others knew, the news would travel as fast as wildfire among her acquaintances. Larry had to be told, but she didn't know whether he had returned from the conference in Florida. She decided that if she didn't hear from him tomorrow, she'd leave a message on his machine. Perhaps they could talk on Sunday, before school. She'd prefer the privacy.

As she washed up breakfast dishes, wondering how to explain the situation to him, Larry telephoned her.

“I was wondering if you had returned,” she said. “Did you have a pleasant time in Florida?”

“The weather was great, but we were kept so busy we didn't have much time to loaf around. I did take time for two afternoons of golf. Our plane was late yesterday, so I didn't get home until midnight—I thought that was too late to telephone.”

“I was sleeping by then.”

“I'm over at the school now, checking to see what had happened while I was gone. I notice you had two days of personal leave. That's unusual for you.”

“I had an emergency family problem that I had to take care of, and I really need to talk to you about it. Since you're at the school building, may I come over for a few minutes?”

“Of course.”

“I'll be there in fifteen minutes.”

When she entered the principal's office Larry's eyes brightened. He circled his desk and kissed her cheek.

“I've missed seeing you this week,” he said.

“It's nice to be missed.” He seemed a bit disappointed that she hadn't said she had missed him, too, but in truth, Violet was happy that he hadn't been in Maitland during the trying week she had just finished.

He drew her to the couch behind his desk and continued to hold her hand. “Now, what's your problem?” he said with a smile.

Violet had spent hours on the way home from Kansas debating how she could tell Larry about her mother, and she had finally decided that there was no easy way to lead up to it.

“My mother, who is serving a life sentence in a prison in Kansas, is dying with cancer. The authorities are paroling her into my care for the few months she
has left. She will be brought to my home on Wednesday.”

A look of shock and abhorrence swiftly spread across Larry's face, and she wished she had been more diplomatic in her revelation.

“You told me your mother was dead!”

“No, I didn't. When you asked about my parents, I chose my words very carefully, and I said, ‘My father died when I was two years old, and my mother is gone, too.'”

“You certainly gave the impression that she was dead.”

“It wasn't a lie—she has been gone for over twenty years. I never saw her while I growing up. Perhaps I should have told you the full story, but it's not pleasant to admit that your mother is in prison for murdering your father. Besides, I needed a job, and I didn't think anyone would hire me if they knew about my family background.”

The distress on Larry's face deepened, but Violet ignored it and continued, “Until Thursday, I don't remember ever seeing my mother but one time.” Briefly, Violet told him of her mother's conviction, her refusal to have any contact with her family, their move to Minnesota, the telephone message that Roger had received, and how, at first, she had been opposed to taking her mother.

“You've been disturbed that I've been seeing Roger so much lately…that's the reason. He's been helping me make decisions about how to handle this. In fact, he went with me to Topeka this week. It was helpful to have someone who had some firsthand knowledge about prisons.”

She saw Larry move away from her physically and
felt him move away from her emotionally. “I wish you had talked with me before you made your plans, Violet. I know you can't help what your mother did, but to have her here will cause problems in the school, as well as the town. No one will like having a murderess living in Maitland.”

Violet shuddered when he said the word,
murderess.

“Once they see her, it will be obvious that she isn't a threat to anyone. She's so weak she can't even walk without assistance. I doubt she will live two months.”

“Then she should have remained in prison and not disrupted your life. How will this affect your teaching?”

“Aunt Ruth is coming to stay with me, so that I can continue my work. We'll manage.” Violet stood up. “I'll leave you to your work now,” she said, motioning to the large stack of papers on his desk. “I wanted you to know this before anyone else, for I intend to have Pastor Tom mention my mother's arrival from the pulpit in the morning. The news will spread quickly then.”

“I don't see why you have to be so open with your private affairs. If you didn't say anything publicly, no one need know that she has been in prison.”

“I'll admit that I contemplated that option, but I doubt that we could have kept it secret. Her health records will be forwarded from the prison to the local hospital. The news media will probably have a heyday with the parole of a prisoner sentenced for life, without mercy. After I discussed it with Roger and Pastor Tom, we decided that the truth was the best path to follow.”

“A principle you might have employed with me,” Larry said caustically, “both as an applicant for a job
here and in our social life.” He might as well have said that if he had known about her cloudy past, he would never have dated her.

“I deserve that, Larry, so I won't take offense, but both my parents
were
dead to me. I couldn't remember either of them. That would have been difficult to explain on a résumé or during a job interview.”

Violet was almost home before she realized that Larry hadn't mentioned a date, although for months they'd had a standing date on Saturday nights. Well, she had given him a rough jolt, and right now, he was probably trying to figure out how to tell his mother. Violet felt upset by Larry's reaction, though in her heart, she'd expected it. Instead of stopping at her home, Violet continued down the street to the church. Her heart lifted at the sight of Pastor Tom's car, in its designated parking spot. She parked and found him in the sanctuary with the custodian checking out the lighting system. When he saw Violet, he came to her immediately.

“I've been thinking about you this morning, wondering if you had returned.”

“Last night, and my mother will arrive on Wednesday.”

“Come into the office,” he invited, and closed the door behind them. “How can I be of help?”

“Roger and I discussed many pros and cons on our drive back from Topeka, and we finally concluded that it would be well for you to make a brief statement about the situation at the end of the service tomorrow morning and tell the congregation that I need their prayers. Do you think that would be appropriate? I know that I should make the announcement, but I'm
too emotional about the situation to speak about it publicly.”

“It sounds like a good plan to me, and I'll be praying to find the best words. I'll also be praying for your strength to handle this. I admire you, Violet. It took a lot of courage to make the decision you did.”

Violet nodded and looked down at her hands. It was good to know she had the support of friends like Pastor Tom, but if Larry's reaction was any indication, many others in town weren't going to be as sympathetic. In fact, she expected many to be downright hostile.

 

Dreading to have her personal life aired to the community, Violet entered the sanctuary apprehensively the next morning. Usually she counted Sunday morning worship with her friends as the highlight of the week, so it seemed strange to dread today's service.

First Community Church had been established twenty years ago to minister to the needs of the underprivileged in the area, but through the ministry of the congregation, the majority of the disadvantaged had become viable citizens, and life in the community had improved as the local residents had become involved in the church fellowship.

Inside the redbrick building the high ceiling was arched with heavy walnut buttresses supporting the roof, and the sanctuary had always reminded Violet of a European cathedral. The stained glass windows, dedicated in memory of deceased church members, illustrated the seven sayings of Jesus when He hung on the cross. As she sat in her customary place, Violet fixed her eyes on the window that showed Jesus looking down at his grieving mother, bearing the inscrip
tion, “He said unto his mother, ‘Woman, Behold thy son!' Then saith He to the disciple, ‘Behold thy mother!'”

The artist had depicted Jesus with a compassionate half smile on his face, and Violet felt blessed in the presence of that smile. No matter what malignity she might suffer in the coming weeks, she could always bask in the assurance that Jesus approved of her compassion toward her mother. During his agony on the cross dying for the sins of all mankind, He didn't forget the needs of his mother. Could Violet Conley do any less?

 

The choir's singing always uplifted Violet's spirit, and today's musical message particularly soothed her troubled mind. The director had chosen the anthem “I Want to Be a Friend” by an unknown author.

The high sopranos sang in descant the words
Make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray
through most of the anthem, and the words filled a void in Violet's heart. “Lord, I do want to be a blessing to my mother. Show me the way,” she prayed.

When Pastor Tom read the text for his sermon from Matthew 25, Violet felt sure that the choice of the anthem was by design rather than a random choice by the director. The pastor read the words that had been ringing over and over in Violet's mind for a week.
The old English of the King James Version made the words especially beautiful.

The minister also referred to the book by Richard Cameron he had loaned to Violet, and which she realized was still in her coat pocket. Quoting from the book, Pastor Tom read, “Everyone lives in a prison of one kind or another, but true freedom can transcend the stone walls of any confinement, and one's spirit can soar like an eagle if the individual lays aside earthly problems to think on heavenly things.”

Those words were comforting to Violet, and she decided that she must take time to read Cameron's book during the coming weeks while she was learning to deal with her mother's illness and impending death.

“In his parable Jesus showed us the way to think on heavenly things,” the pastor continued. “To be involved in visiting and helping those in need can be inconvenient, costly, risky. Therefore, such service can be performed only through love…love of Christ and his children. Only through ministering to the needy can we give anything to him.”

Pastor Tom's sermons were usually short and succinct, and today was no exception. He talked for about
fifteen minutes, ending with, “Our individual sojourn on earth is not without a design. Our purpose is to evidence personal faith in God by responding to the needs of our neighbors and friends. God offers us numerous opportunities to become a blessing to others, and according to Jesus's words in the text scripture, only those who embrace these obligations will share eternally in God's presence.

“Often when we hear these words of Jesus, we leave the sanctuary inspired as the hymn writer said, ‘to be to the helpless a helper indeed,' but unless we stumble over an opportunity, we easily forget our resolve. Before we dismiss our service this morning, I want to present a specific need to you and challenge you to meet it.”

Sometimes at the end of the sermon, the congregation's interest waned as they thought of their afternoon's activities, but such was not the case today. Pastor Tom's words had caught and held their attention, and they were alert for what would follow.

“Our sister, Violet, has a great need.” Violet bowed her head, for she couldn't look at those beside her. No one moved, not a cough nor a twitter was heard—a hush fell over the congregation as Pastor Tom outlined in detail, the problem that Violet had lived with all of her life and, through no fault of her own, had now been laid at her doorstep.

“Violet has not asked for your help, but she does ask for your prayers. However, this is a situation where I challenge you to put prayer into action. I want Violet to stand by me as the organist plays the postlude, and any of you who will pledge to support her during this unexpected crisis, I invite to come forward and to assure her of your support. I don't know what
needs she will have, and neither does she, but it will put her mind at rest if she knows she can call on you if necessary.”

Violet was soon surrounded by her supporters, and she couldn't even remember all of those who came, but their outpouring of love overwhelmed her. She had known many other incidents when the membership had rallied around those who grieved, wept or were in want, but this was the first time she had firsthand knowledge of how it felt to be on the receiving end. She was drained emotionally as she left the church building and drove home.