Read Online A Time for Peace by Barbara Cameron - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Cameron
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took her pills with a glass of water, tried a few spoons of soup, then confessed that she just wanted to sleep for a while.
Jenny leaned down and kissed her forehead and left the room. She closed the connecting door to the kitchen so that the noise of the family supper didn't disturb her grandmother and vowed to get her to eat more soup when she woke up.
Annie was the last to come to the table. " Grossmudder's not going to eat with us?"
"She's not feeling well enough. I'm going to take some more of Hannah's soup in to her when she wakes up."
"Maybe we can make her some Three Bear Soup tomorrow," Annie said, wrapping her arms around Jenny. "That always makes me feel better."
"We'll do that. Now let's sit down and eat supper."
The girls did the dishes after supper so Jenny went to see how her grandmother was feeling. Phoebe was still asleep and when Jenny lightly touched her forehead, it was burning hot.She thought about waking her and getting her to take some medicine for her fever but it was too early.
She pulled a rocking chair over and sat and watched her grandmother while the sunset lit up the simple curtains at the window. Phoebe stirred and pulled at the quilt on the bed.
"Cold," she muttered, half awake.
"I'll get another quilt," Jenny told her and she got up and went upstairs for a quilt. When she returned, she spread it over her grandmother and tucked it around her shoulders.
Phoebe woke again a little while later. Jenny had turned on a battery-operated lantern beside the bed and it cast a soft glow in the room. The older woman blinked as she looked around the room.
Then she glanced down at the quilt. "It's the one I sent you when you were in the hospital."
Jenny nodded and smiled. "The note you sent with it said, 'Come. Heal.' Now you've come to my home to heal."
"Thank goodness it's just pneumonia. I don't know how you got through all those surgeries. How you kept your spirits up." Her coughing started again and by the time it stopped she was breathless.
Jenny gave her a sip of water and patted her shoulder. "I'm going to get you some soup. Is there anything else you'd like?"
"Do you have any orange juice?"
"I do. I'll be right back."
Matthew came into the kitchen as Jenny was pouring the juice.
"The kinner are in bed. I told them you'd come up later and kiss them goodnight."
"I'd better go now. I don't know when I'll be able to later."She turned the flame lower under the pan of soup. "Can you watch this for a minute?"
Matthew looked at it dubiously. He had the typical Amish mann's aversion to cooking.
"It'll be fine for a few minutes. I just don't like to walk away and leave something unattended on the stove."
He nodded, poured himself a cup of coffee, and sat down at the kitchen table.
" Mamm?" Mary smiled up at her sleepily. "How is Urgrossmudder?"
Jenny stroked Mary's cheek. "She's very sick, sweetheart. But I'm hoping she'll feel better soon."
"Give her a kiss for me."
"I will. Goodnight. See you in the morning."
Annie was reading a book when Jenny peeked into her room. "Time to go to sleep now," she told her, leaning down to kiss her cheek.
"One more page?"
It was a familiar question. "One more page."
Luke was already asleep, one foot hanging off the bed, uncovered. Jenny tucked his foot under his quilt. He woke for a moment and grinned at her.
"Love-you-'night," he mumbled, giving her a silly grin, and then he turned over and fell asleep again.
"Love you too," she told him with a laugh. She tousled his hair, pulled the quilt up over his shoulders, and then left the room.
When she walked into the kitchen, Jenny smiled when she saw that Matthew was engrossed in the farming magazine spread open on the table.
Then she realized that something was sputtering in the pan on the stove.
"Oh no! You were supposed to watch the soup!" she cried as she rushed to turn the heat off.
Matthew looked up. "Huh?"
"The soup!" she said, holding out the pan to show him that only an inch or two was
Jenny leaned down and kissed her forehead and left the room. She closed the connecting door to the kitchen so that the noise of the family supper didn't disturb her grandmother and vowed to get her to eat more soup when she woke up.
Annie was the last to come to the table. " Grossmudder's not going to eat with us?"
"She's not feeling well enough. I'm going to take some more of Hannah's soup in to her when she wakes up."
"Maybe we can make her some Three Bear Soup tomorrow," Annie said, wrapping her arms around Jenny. "That always makes me feel better."
"We'll do that. Now let's sit down and eat supper."
The girls did the dishes after supper so Jenny went to see how her grandmother was feeling. Phoebe was still asleep and when Jenny lightly touched her forehead, it was burning hot.She thought about waking her and getting her to take some medicine for her fever but it was too early.
She pulled a rocking chair over and sat and watched her grandmother while the sunset lit up the simple curtains at the window. Phoebe stirred and pulled at the quilt on the bed.
"Cold," she muttered, half awake.
"I'll get another quilt," Jenny told her and she got up and went upstairs for a quilt. When she returned, she spread it over her grandmother and tucked it around her shoulders.
Phoebe woke again a little while later. Jenny had turned on a battery-operated lantern beside the bed and it cast a soft glow in the room. The older woman blinked as she looked around the room.
Then she glanced down at the quilt. "It's the one I sent you when you were in the hospital."
Jenny nodded and smiled. "The note you sent with it said, 'Come. Heal.' Now you've come to my home to heal."
"Thank goodness it's just pneumonia. I don't know how you got through all those surgeries. How you kept your spirits up." Her coughing started again and by the time it stopped she was breathless.
Jenny gave her a sip of water and patted her shoulder. "I'm going to get you some soup. Is there anything else you'd like?"
"Do you have any orange juice?"
"I do. I'll be right back."
Matthew came into the kitchen as Jenny was pouring the juice.
"The kinner are in bed. I told them you'd come up later and kiss them goodnight."
"I'd better go now. I don't know when I'll be able to later."She turned the flame lower under the pan of soup. "Can you watch this for a minute?"
Matthew looked at it dubiously. He had the typical Amish mann's aversion to cooking.
"It'll be fine for a few minutes. I just don't like to walk away and leave something unattended on the stove."
He nodded, poured himself a cup of coffee, and sat down at the kitchen table.
" Mamm?" Mary smiled up at her sleepily. "How is Urgrossmudder?"
Jenny stroked Mary's cheek. "She's very sick, sweetheart. But I'm hoping she'll feel better soon."
"Give her a kiss for me."
"I will. Goodnight. See you in the morning."
Annie was reading a book when Jenny peeked into her room. "Time to go to sleep now," she told her, leaning down to kiss her cheek.
"One more page?"
It was a familiar question. "One more page."
Luke was already asleep, one foot hanging off the bed, uncovered. Jenny tucked his foot under his quilt. He woke for a moment and grinned at her.
"Love-you-'night," he mumbled, giving her a silly grin, and then he turned over and fell asleep again.
"Love you too," she told him with a laugh. She tousled his hair, pulled the quilt up over his shoulders, and then left the room.
When she walked into the kitchen, Jenny smiled when she saw that Matthew was engrossed in the farming magazine spread open on the table.
Then she realized that something was sputtering in the pan on the stove.
"Oh no! You were supposed to watch the soup!" she cried as she rushed to turn the heat off.
Matthew looked up. "Huh?"
"The soup!" she said, holding out the pan to show him that only an inch or two was
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