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Authors: Carol Marlene Smith
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receiver, her eyes filling with tears. “That brother of mine,” she spoke in exasperation. “I don’t know why I even bother with him. He acted like he didn’t even care. His own mother.”
“Sit down, Jessie.” Liz guided her to the sofa and sat beside her. “You’re upset. That’s understandable. And I’m sure he is too. He’ll probably call you right back and apologize as soon as he realizes how upset you are.”
“No he won’t. He’s too stubborn,” Jessie said, wishing with all her heart Alan would call and make up with her. But she seemed to be facing this alone except for her good and faithful friend, Liz.
“Liz, you don’t have to stay. I’m fine, really. I’ll call Sandra later and check on Mom, then I need to get ready for my visit on Tuesday. I’ve got to get rid of those boxes and wash clothes—”
“I’ll help,” Liz offered.
“No. I need to keep busy. But you can do one thing for me before you leave, and that is check my mail.”
Liz patted Jessie’s hand then rose to turn on the computer. “There’s no mail. What happened to that message?”
Jessie breathed a sigh of relief. “I erased it. I couldn’t look at it any longer. I hope you’re right, Liz. I hope it was a hoax. But who would do such a thing? Well, now with Mom sick I can’t think about that crazy thing. I don’t even want to dwell on it.”
Getting time off was pretty easy for Jessie. Three other instructors each offered to take a class on Tuesday, when they heard of Jessie’s mom’s illness. This freed Jessie up and by Tuesday morning she sat across from a young mother battling with three-year-old twins on a stifling hot bus. It was only a two-hour trip to Wakefield, but it seemed like an eternity. The boys were restless and the mother had little control. After one child stepped on her ankle and skinned off the flesh, Jessie was ready to walk. Then like a miracle the bus pulled into a gas station and the mother and her sons got off.
Jessie sighed with relief and settled back to view the scenery. There were long stretches of wooded countryside, and dark growths of spruce, pine and fir trees rolled by. Then scatterings of homes, an occasional school, a store now and then and several service stations.
As the bus drew nearer to Wakefield, the trees thinned and more fields appeared. Butterflies and daisies splashed their beauty in corner pastures. A family looked to be gathering some kind of wild berries on a hillside, and a woman in a wide- brimmed straw hat hoed gently in her garden. Jessie smiled when she saw three little woodchucks munching away in a clover patch. As the bus crossed a small, bubbling brook, Jessie’s eyes rested on a couple of swallows that swooped and darted across the water and raced off with their beaks filled with food, probably heading for their nest and their young ones.
In Wakefield, Jessie got a cab and went directly to the hospital. She found her mother resting, while Sandra sat at her bedside reading. Sandra smiled and for once didn’t belt out anything. She tiptoed to the hallway and outside the hospital room she whispered to Jessie.
“Your mom is doing better. They say now that she might have had a slight heart attack. They’re going to do an EKG and if all is okay she can go home on Friday. Isn’t that great?”
Jessie was taken aback. A heart attack! She hadn’t even considered what would happen if her mom needed home care. This now entered her mind. “I don’t know if it’s great. I mean, it is, but will she be able to look after herself? I don’t know if I can get extended time off. I’ll have to speak to her doctor.”
“There’s no need, Jessie.” Sandra’s voice rose back to its normal grit. “She’s going home with me. We’ve already discussed it.”
“But, your family. Earl—”
“Earl don’t care. He loves her just like I do. And we have no kids there anymore, ‘cept occasionally my grandgirl, and she’s a quiet thing, hardly know when
“Sit down, Jessie.” Liz guided her to the sofa and sat beside her. “You’re upset. That’s understandable. And I’m sure he is too. He’ll probably call you right back and apologize as soon as he realizes how upset you are.”
“No he won’t. He’s too stubborn,” Jessie said, wishing with all her heart Alan would call and make up with her. But she seemed to be facing this alone except for her good and faithful friend, Liz.
“Liz, you don’t have to stay. I’m fine, really. I’ll call Sandra later and check on Mom, then I need to get ready for my visit on Tuesday. I’ve got to get rid of those boxes and wash clothes—”
“I’ll help,” Liz offered.
“No. I need to keep busy. But you can do one thing for me before you leave, and that is check my mail.”
Liz patted Jessie’s hand then rose to turn on the computer. “There’s no mail. What happened to that message?”
Jessie breathed a sigh of relief. “I erased it. I couldn’t look at it any longer. I hope you’re right, Liz. I hope it was a hoax. But who would do such a thing? Well, now with Mom sick I can’t think about that crazy thing. I don’t even want to dwell on it.”
Getting time off was pretty easy for Jessie. Three other instructors each offered to take a class on Tuesday, when they heard of Jessie’s mom’s illness. This freed Jessie up and by Tuesday morning she sat across from a young mother battling with three-year-old twins on a stifling hot bus. It was only a two-hour trip to Wakefield, but it seemed like an eternity. The boys were restless and the mother had little control. After one child stepped on her ankle and skinned off the flesh, Jessie was ready to walk. Then like a miracle the bus pulled into a gas station and the mother and her sons got off.
Jessie sighed with relief and settled back to view the scenery. There were long stretches of wooded countryside, and dark growths of spruce, pine and fir trees rolled by. Then scatterings of homes, an occasional school, a store now and then and several service stations.
As the bus drew nearer to Wakefield, the trees thinned and more fields appeared. Butterflies and daisies splashed their beauty in corner pastures. A family looked to be gathering some kind of wild berries on a hillside, and a woman in a wide- brimmed straw hat hoed gently in her garden. Jessie smiled when she saw three little woodchucks munching away in a clover patch. As the bus crossed a small, bubbling brook, Jessie’s eyes rested on a couple of swallows that swooped and darted across the water and raced off with their beaks filled with food, probably heading for their nest and their young ones.
In Wakefield, Jessie got a cab and went directly to the hospital. She found her mother resting, while Sandra sat at her bedside reading. Sandra smiled and for once didn’t belt out anything. She tiptoed to the hallway and outside the hospital room she whispered to Jessie.
“Your mom is doing better. They say now that she might have had a slight heart attack. They’re going to do an EKG and if all is okay she can go home on Friday. Isn’t that great?”
Jessie was taken aback. A heart attack! She hadn’t even considered what would happen if her mom needed home care. This now entered her mind. “I don’t know if it’s great. I mean, it is, but will she be able to look after herself? I don’t know if I can get extended time off. I’ll have to speak to her doctor.”
“There’s no need, Jessie.” Sandra’s voice rose back to its normal grit. “She’s going home with me. We’ve already discussed it.”
“But, your family. Earl—”
“Earl don’t care. He loves her just like I do. And we have no kids there anymore, ‘cept occasionally my grandgirl, and she’s a quiet thing, hardly know when
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