The Decision (16 page)

Elaine frowned, thinking back on the dinner they’d hosted soon after Grandpa’s death. After everything that happened that evening, it had been obvious to her that Grandma wasn’t up to cooking a big meal or serving guests. She’d had some time to rest, though, and since Grandma was taking her medicine and watching what she ate, maybe things would go better with this dinner. Elaine hoped so, because if Grandma kept making mistakes and forgetting things, they might have to give up the dinners and find some other way to supplement their income. But what could it be?

O
h, Grandma, what are you doing with that?” Elaine asked, watching in surprise as Grandma poured sugar into one of their saltshakers.

“I’m filling the saltshakers to set on the tables,” Grandma replied.

“But you’ve got
zucker
not
salse
.”

Grandma set the bag of sugar on the counter and stared at it with a peculiar expression. “Ach, my! You’re right about that. I think I may need to clean my glasses.” Grandma went to the sink and turned on the water. After she’d rinsed off her glasses and dried them with a soft towel, she put them back on. “There, that’s better. I can see everything more clearly now.”

“That’s good,” Elaine said, smiling with relief. Grandma had been so forgetful lately, and Elaine was worried that she may have confused the sugar for salt. Apparently it was just that she hadn’t seen the label clearly.

While Grandma poured the sugar back into the bag, Elaine glanced out the window, wondering what the noise was that had caught her attention. A woodpecker was making quite a racket as it worked to get insects out of the old maple tree in their yard. This particular tree had been struck by lightning last year, which ended up scorching the leaves. In the spring when no new growth emerged, it became evident that the tree had not survived. It had become quite the meeting place for woodpeckers, though. Even from inside the house, Elaine could hear the bird as it chiseled its way around the tree, leaving holes at each place it searched.

Seeing the bird gave Elaine an idea. The next time she went to town, she would check at the hardware store about purchasing a few bird feeders. Grandma would probably enjoy watching all the birds in their yard, and it might help her mind stay active, trying to identify each one. Elaine would find a good spot for the feeders so she and Grandma could see them while they were either porch-sitting or seated in the kitchen near the window. Actually, observing the birds’ antics would be fun for both of them.

Elaine thought more about the dead tree. It would probably be good to find someone to cut it down. Otherwise the tree would eventually become brittle, and as much as the birds enjoyed looking for insects inside the bark, Elaine wanted to make sure the tree was no threat to the house. She would add it to her ever-growing to-do list. But like Grandpa had told her one time, “It’s better to have a full in-bin instead of an empty one.”

Elaine smirked. Right now an empty bin would be just fine.

Physically, Grandma seemed to be feeling a little better since she’d been eating right and taking her medicine, but her emotions were up and down. One minute she’d be laughing and talking about the future, and the next minute she seemed sullen and almost out of touch with what was going on. Elaine felt sure it was part of the grieving process, but she would let the doctor know if things didn’t improve. In the meantime, she’d keep reminding Grandma to take her medicine, exercise, and eat the right foods.

“Shall we get busy cooking for our guests now?” Grandma asked. “It won’t be long and the evening will be upon us.”

Jonah had been working in the buggy shop with his apprentice all morning and was getting ready to take a break when the boy asked him a question.

“Say, Jonah, I’ve been meaning to ask. How long have ya been makin’ buggies?”

“I started working in my daed’s buggy shop when I graduated eighth grade.” Jonah chuckled. “But sometimes it seems like forever.”

“What makes ya say that?” Timothy asked, looking curiously at Jonah.

Jonah shrugged. “Guess it’s because I’ve had an interest in buggies since I was a boy. When I was a little guy, my daed made me a wooden buggy that I could sit inside and pretend I was driving a horse. I had more interest in thinking up things to do with that little buggy than I did in pretending there was a horse at the front of it.” Jonah rubbed his chin thoughtfully, thinking back on those carefree days, when all he had to worry about was doing the few chores his dad had assigned him and finding new things to do with his wooden buggy. One day, he’d removed all the dark blue material Dad had used on the buggy seat and replaced it with one of Mom’s good tablecloths. Mom had been none too pleased about that.

“Are you enjoying the work here?” Jonah asked, pulling his thoughts back to the present.

Timothy nodded enthusiastically. “It’s interesting to see how a buggy is put together, and I’m anxious to learn all I can.”

“Think you might want to own your own buggy shop someday?”

The boy shook his head. “There’s a lot of stress that comes with ownin’ your own business. I’ve seen how frustrated my daed gets sometimes when things don’t go right in his leather shop. Even my brothers Andy and Paul, who work with Dad, have mentioned how Dad gets upset about certain things.”

“There can be some stressful times when you have a business,” Jonah agreed, “but if you like something well enough and you want to be your own boss, then the stressful things don’t bother you quite so much. Of course, being your own boss is not all stress, and I do have to remember to treat all of my customers right and get their orders done in a timely manner. Another advantage of having my own business is that I can take a long lunch or run errands whenever I need to.”

Timothy scratched the side of his head. “Think I’ll just be happy workin’ for you right now and not think too hard about the future.”

Jonah smiled. “That’s probably a good idea.”
I’d better take Timothy’s advice, he thought. I need to quit worrying about my future with Elaine and leave it in God’s hands. When the time is right for Elaine to accept my marriage proposal, it’ll happen. I just need to be patient and keep offering her support as she helps Edna deal with Lloyd’s death and her health issues
.

As the six o’clock hour approached, Elaine checked everything twice to be sure they were ready for the tour group that would be arriving soon. Both tables had been set with their best dishes, and the food they’d be serving was keeping warm on the stove. Elaine had even checked the door on Millie’s cage to be sure it was latched. She’d also covered Millie’s cage so the bird would think it was nighttime and wouldn’t chatter away, like she often did. Elaine did not want the noisy little parakeet to swoop into the dining room, creating a stir, as she had done during the last dinner they’d hosted. What an embarrassment that had been for both her and Grandma.

An hour ago, Elaine had made a light supper for the two of them so that Grandma could take her medicine. That would be better than waiting to eat until after the tourists all left. By then Grandma could become weak and shaky.

“Is my head covering on straight?” Grandma asked, stepping out of the kitchen and joining Elaine in the dining room.

Elaine smiled and nodded. “Jah, Grandma. You look just fine.”

“That’s good, because the last time these people came, I don’t think I left a very good impression.”

Elaine’s eyebrows squeezed together. “No, Grandma, it won’t be the same people we served dinner to several weeks ago. It’ll be a new group of tourists coming here this evening.”

Grandma pulled back slightly but then gave a quick nod. “Of course. How silly of me. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Elaine didn’t know what Grandma had been thinking, either, but she chose not to make an issue of it. Perhaps it had just been a slip of the tongue. Maybe Grandma hadn’t really thought the people coming tonight were the same ones who’d been there before. At least, Elaine hoped that was the case.

“Oh, look, they’re here,” Grandma said, motioning out the window to a van.

As Elaine went to the door to greet their guests, she sent up a silent prayer.
Dear Lord, please help everything to go well this evening
.

“It’s so good to see you again,” a tall, dark-haired woman said when she entered the house and gave Edna a hug. “I couldn’t believe it when Sharon, our tour guide, told us your name and said you’d been hosting tourist dinners for several years.”

Confusion settled over Edna like a heavy quilt on the bed. She had absolutely no idea who this woman was and found it to be quite unsettling. If she were a previous dinner guest, she probably would have said so, not acted surprised that Edna was hosting meals for tourists.
Think, Edna. Think. Have I ever met this woman before, and if so, where? Maybe she has me confused with someone else
.

“Sorry, but I’m not sure… Have we met before?” Edna asked, looking beyond this lady as the rest of the tour group lined up to come in. She felt uneasy, making people wait while she tried to figure out who the woman standing in front of her actually was.

“I’m Cindy Hawthorne.” She gestured to the older, gray-haired woman beside her. “I’ve been visiting my friend Dawn, who lives in Chicago, and she signed us up for this tour, not realizing that I used to live in Arthur.”

Edna stared at Cindy, trying to recall her face. She felt foolish not being able to recognize someone she’d apparently known in the past.

“My husband, Rick, and I used to be your neighbors before we moved to Nevada.” Cindy’s dimples deepened when she smiled. “But then, that was twenty years ago, so I can understand why you might not have recognized me. Unfortunately, time has a way of changing how people look.” She touched her face, moving her fingers around. “A few wrinkles here, and several gray hairs there. Oh, and I’ve probably put on a couple of pounds from when you knew me, too.”

“Ah, yes,” Edna said, relieved that she now remembered Cindy. She just hadn’t recognized her at first. “And of course, I’ve changed a good deal since then, too.”

“Not that much.” Cindy shook her head. “You’ve still got that nice smile I remember so well.”

“Thank you,” Edna said. “Did your husband make the trip to Chicago with you?”

Cindy shook her head. “He’s working as a computer analyst and couldn’t get away from work.”

“Ah, I see.” Of course, Edna didn’t really see. She had no idea what a computer analyst did, and the truth was, she barely remembered Rick.

“So how is Lloyd?” Cindy asked. “Will I get to see him, too, or is he off doing something else this evening?”

Edna swallowed hard, hoping she wouldn’t give in to the tears that so often seemed near the surface. “Lloyd passed away a little over a month ago. He had a heart attack.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Cindy gave Edna another hug. “I’m sure it must be difficult for you to be without him.”

“Yes, it is. I miss Lloyd so much, but I’m thankful that I have my granddaughter living with me. She’s such a comfort.” Edna motioned to Elaine. “This is Elaine. She came to live with Lloyd and me after her parents were killed in a buggy accident. She was just a little girl then, and it was after you’d moved, so you never got the chance to meet her.”