by Mary May
Catherine frowned. “That doesn’t make sense to me; does it to you, Evan?”
He shook his head. “No, it really doesn’t. Didn’t you say they seemed all for it until you told them it was going to be a Christian-based organization?”
She nodded. “Yes, even the rehabilitation part didn’t faze them at that point; they already had the paperwork started to issue the permits when they asked for the name. I told them and explained my idea about physical, emotional and spiritual healing. That’s when all of sudden I wasn’t zoned right! I was madder than a stepped-on rattlesnake! It took me a couple of days to get myself right!”
Evan leaned back on the couch with a deep look of concentration on his face.
“Uh oh, I know that look!” Catherine said. “You want to fight them on this, don’t you?”
Evan smiled and winked. “You know how I love a good challenge. I have a friend in Reno that’s a real estate lawyer. Let me call him and see what he knows about zoning laws. Something about this just doesn’t add up to me at all.”
Sherrilyn’s face lit up. “Do you think he would help us? I would pay him whatever he asked for if he could get the permits to make Lost Haven a reality!”
Evan chuckled and held up his hands. “Hang on. I don’t know anything yet. Let me talk to Eric and see what he knows first. But if he does know anything about this he would probably take it on for free. This is something he would love to sink his teeth into. I’ll give him a call tomorrow.”
Later that night Gideon found Sherrilyn sitting up in bed. When he came through the door, she smiled. “Hey, big guy, come talk to me a little.” She patted the side of her bed, so he sat down next to her. He didn’t waste any time; he got right to the heart of what he wanted to talk to her about.
“How are you, Sherrilyn? Please don’t tell me you’re fine. I can tell from the strength of your life force that you’re not.”
The smile faded from her face and she stopped all pretense of acting fine. She lay back against the pillows and sighed. “My kidneys are failing, Gideon. Without a transplant the doctors give me less than a year.” In typical Sherrilyn fashion she didn’t sugarcoat the truth.
“They can do a transplant, can’t they?” he asked.
“Yes, the surgery isn’t the problem; it,s finding a matching donor that’s the hard part. I only need one.”
Gideon frowned, trying to think of something he could do to help. She reached out and touched his hand. “Hey, big guy, it’s all good. This is in the Lord’s hands, remember? If this is the time he chooses to bring me home, I’m ready.”
Gideon folded his hand around hers, not liking how frail and cold they felt, so he rubbed them between his to generate some warmth. “I know all of that, but it doesn’t feel right to me, not yet. I feel like you still have much to do on this earth.”
She laughed. “Well, honey, if given a choice, I’m not ready to leave it just yet either, but I put all my faith and trust in the Almighty and I’m thinking He will do what He knows is best, and I’m ok with that.” She sat for moment. “That’s one of the reasons I asked Sabrina to come live with me. I don’t have any real family to speak of and I want to leave the estate to her and little Charlie. I wanted it to feel like home to them before I passed, if that’s what happens. I’ve already spoken to Catherine and Evan about this and we agreed not to tell Sabrina until my…outcome is more certain.”
Gideon sat there thinking over that package of information. “What were your other reasons?” he asked.
Sherrilyn frowned. “My other reasons for what?”
“For inviting Sabrina to come live with you. You said that was one of your reasons,” he replied.
“Oh, yes, it was just one. I like her, plain and simple. I just adore her and little Charlie. And this puts her closer to her mother and Carl. It just seemed the perfect solution all the way around. Quite honestly I was surprised she agreed so easily. I know it was a big decision for her to make.”
Gideon was quiet for so long that Sherrilyn poked a finger in his chest. “What are you thinking on so hard? I can practically smell the smoke, your gears are turning so fast!” He smiled “You have given me a headful of information and I was just sorting through it all. I do have a question. How do you find a donor? How do you know if they are a candidate?”
Sherrilyn thought for a moment. “I don’t quite understand all of the requirements myself, but certain things have to match in order for the kidney to be accepted by my body, and it’s not like a heart transplant -- the person donating doesn’t have to die. You can live with one kidney just fine.”
“So, it’s all about finding the perfect match? That’s the hard part?” he asked.
“That’s the hard part, yes. After that it’s doing the surgery and making sure my body doesn’t reject the kidney, but they have medicines that help with that.” She yawned so big he heard her jaw pop.
“I’ll go and let you rest. I’ll see you in the morning.” He bent down and kissed her forehead then turned to go.
“You were the other reason,” she said.
Gideon stopped at the door. “What?”
“I said you were my other reason for inviting Sabrina to come live with me; I feel so close to heaven when you’re here. It’s probably wrong of me, but I wanted more of that… do you think that’s a sin?”
He walked back over to the side of her bed and he looked down at the woman who had gone through so much. “No, Sherrilyn, I don’t think that’s a sin at all.” She smiled then shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep…
Gideon checked on the rest of the household. He smiled when he heard Sabrina still splashing in the large tub. He didn’t have to look very far to know where Charlie got her love of baths. Everyone else was sleeping, so he went out and walked the grounds of the estate, thinking over everything Sherrilyn had told him tonight. He knew her faith in the Lord was immense, and that she truly would be okay with passing on to the next life if that’s what God wanted. But that’s not what he wanted at all! He knew that was selfish… he couldn’t want her to stay here if she was going to be in poor health and he knew he couldn’t stand to see that spark in her fade to nothing if she was trapped in a failing body. So as much as he would miss her, he would let her go. He knew he would see her again when his assignment was over. She would still be Sherrilyn in heaven, just in a perfect body. That thought made him smile really big…Sherrilyn running all over the heavens able to see and run and spread her unique charm all over. He decided then and there if the Lord decided to call her home he was going to be happy for her…
Chapter 18
Sabrina splashed in the tub until she turned all pruney then got out and dried off. She slipped into the oversize t-shirt of Luke’s she always slept in and tiptoed into the room. Charlotte was sleeping soundly, her arm around the bunny she got for her first Easter. Sabrina fixed the blankets then crawled into her own bed. She lay there for a long time staring at the ceiling, wondering what in the world she had done. She left everything she knew behind her! Oh, she had grown up in an area not far from here but that was when she was younger. Since becoming an adult, she had lived in Nevada. What if she couldn’t find a teaching position? She knew that Sherrilyn wouldn’t mind taking care of her and Charlotte and she had some savings and the insurance check should be coming through any day, but still. She didn’t like having to depend upon anyone’s hospitality to ensure she had a roof over her head. She lay there a while longer letting her fears run rampant when she finally just sat up.
“Okay, that’s enough!” She whispered. “Lord, I cast all my cares and fears upon you. I know you led me here and you will provide everything that Charlotte and I will need. I refuse to let my fears overwhelm me and take away my peace of mind. Thank you for everything …” She gave a deep sigh then lay back down, pulling the covers up to her chin. She rolled over so she could watch Charlotte sleeping. The little girl wasn’t worried or concerned; she knew her mama would take care of her and provide whatever she
needed. Sabrina smiled and closed her eyes. She thought there might be a lesson somewhere in that…
The next morning the household gathered around the breakfast table. Catherine had cooked a feast of scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes and fresh fruit. Edgar hovered in a corner waiting to see if Sherrilyn needed anything. Gideon watched the old man and for all his stuffiness he admired his dedication to his mistress. He would have to ask her about him. He thought he remembered her saying he came with the house. What did that mean? Came with the house? Like a piece of furniture? That didn’t sound right, but he was almost positive that was what she said. Sherrilyn sat at the head of the table looking happy to have her table full of people she loved.
“So what are everyone’s plans for the day?” she asked.
Sabrina finished chewing her bite of pancake. “I’m going to finish unpacking and getting our suite arranged. Mom, what are you and Evan going to do?” she asked.
Catherine looked at Evan. “I don’t think we have anything in particular planned, do we, darling?”
Evan shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of.”
The guests turned their eyes to their hostess. “What are your plans for the day, Sherry?” Catherine asked.
“I was just thinking that Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I would like some help in setting out my pumpkins and my fall decorations if I had any volunteers?”
Sabrina’s eyes lit up; she loved holiday decorating. “Sure, I would love to! That sounds like a lot of fun! Just show me where the decorations are and where you want them.”
Sherrilyn waved her hand. “Oh, you can decide where to put them. I’ll leave that in your capable hands. The decorations are in the shed around back. Everything is marked, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding them.”
Catherine looked at Evan again. “We can help, too! I bet it takes an army to decorate a house this size!” she exclaimed.
Sherrilyn laughed. “I usually hire someone to do it, but this year since I have a house guest I thought Sabrina might enjoy doing it.”
Sabrina nodded. “Yes! I love to decorate! It’s one my favorite things about the holiday season.”
Sherrilyn smiled. “Well, consider the job yours for as long as you’re here!”
After the breakfast dishes were cleared, the group all headed around back to what Sherrilyn called the “shed.” Sabrina stopped short, causing her mother to run into the back of her.
“Sabrina, what on earth are you stopping for?” Catherine asked.
Sabrina just pointed ahead to the warehouse-sized building with a sign above the door that read “The Shed.” “You have got to be kidding me! That’s what she calls a shed, seriously?” The building looked like it would hold a NFL-sized football field and then some. She approached the door cautiously, fearing that an alarm might go off when she opened the door. Sabrina grabbed the handle to the massive door and hauled back on it. When the door opened, the lights came on automatically. Sabrina gasped at what she saw inside.
Row after row of decorations for every holiday imaginable were neatly lined up. The shelves went at least fifteen feet in the air and were forty feet long. Sabrina scanned her eyes down the rows and counted ten rows. Ten! Sabrina turned and looked at her mother and Evan with her mouth hanging open.
Catherine laughed. “Well, darling, you said you loved to decorate! I’m thinking you won’t have to run to the store for anything, do you?”
Sabrina was dumbfounded. She walked up and down the rows looking at more decorations than she had ever seen gathered in one spot. There were Thanksgiving and Christmas, of course, but also Easter and Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Fourth of July, Halloween and a few others she wasn’t sure about. It went on forever! Sabrina didn’t even know where to start. She saw the Thanksgiving row but the selection was just too overwhelming. “How?…Why?…Who?…” Sabrina tried to form a complete thought, but all she could do was point at the rows and wave her hands helplessly. She could hear the wheels of Sherrilyn’s chair crunching in the gravel outside. When she rolled into the “shed,” Sabrina turned her look of disbelief on her.
“Did you find what you needed?” she asked.
Sabrina barked out her laughter. “Oh, sure, I found everything I need to decorate the entire state of North Carolina! Please help me understand all of this, she said as she spun in a circle and pointed at the rows.
Sherrilyn laughed. “Well, in my defense, most of this came with the house and I do let the city use whatever they want and I use what’s left, if that makes you feel any better.
Actually that did make Sabrina feel better…a little. “So you do admit to adding to this collection?” she asked. Sherrilyn had the grace to look a little embarrassed.
“Yes, I’m afraid I am guilty of that, but I only added to the Christmas stuff! The life size nativity scene was my contribution. The rest was already here, I swear!”
Everyone laughed at Sabrina’s doubtful look she was shooting at Sherrilyn. “I may be blind but I can feel the weight of that stare! I promise nearly every piece was already here; all I added was the nativity scene.”
Sabrina kept her eyebrows raised. “Ok, if you say so…”
Catherine came to Sherrilyn’s rescue by clapping her hands and announcing, “Ok, let’s get to cracking -- these decorations are not going to move themselves! Sherry, is there anything in particular that you wanted us to use or to put somewhere special?”
The ladies went down the Thanksgiving row and were discussing where to put what when Sabrina noticed Edgar standing alone by the door. She smiled and went over to the elderly gentlemen. “So, what do you make of all this?” she whispered.
Edgar looked around and replied, “What do I think of what exactly, madam?”
Sabrina flung her arm out. “This! This warehouse of decorations! Did it really come with the house? Who owned the house before Sherrilyn?” she questioned.
Edgar paused a minute before responding, probably trying to decide what if anything he should tell her. Finally he answered her question. “Yes, most of the holiday decorations did come with the house; the former owners were very… enthusiastic about the holidays. The Laskers were the owners before Ms. Foster.”
Sabrina thought she might have discovered a treasure trove of information with dear old Edgar if he didn’t clam up. “Ok, what kind of people were they, the Laskers?”
Edgar turned an enquiring eye to Sabrina. “What kind of people?” he asked.
“Oh, you know. What were they like, and did they build the house?”
He nodded, “Yes, madam, they had the home designed and built. I was with the Laskers for many years, and they were a fine couple.”
A couple lived here, alone? “Did they have any children?” She asked.
He shook his head this time. “No, they tried for many years, but Mrs. Lasker never conceived.”
“Then why did they build such a large house? Did they have other family that stayed with them or did they rent out the rooms perhaps?”
Edgar was looking uncomfortable with her questions, so she just patted him on the shoulder. “It’s okay, Edgar. I’ll ask Sherrilyn.”
He looked relieved. “Very well, madam.” He made a little bow in her direction and then went looking for his mistress. Sabrina watched him hurry off and felt she had unearthed more questions than what she got answered…
Gideon spent the rest of the day watching them haul turkeys, pumpkins and scarecrows, along with ears of corn and bales of hay out of the “shed.” They had an inflatable turkey with a bow tie and a top hat that was swaying with the breeze sitting on the front lawn. They placed rows of pumpkins and stalks of corn alongside the house. The bales of hay were flanking the large double front doors, with fall leaves and flowers artfully arranged in old fashioned milk buckets.
Once Sabrina had gotten over her shock, she dove right into decorating, running back and forth giving out suggestions and looking at everything with her artistic eye. After taking a nap, Sherri
lyn came down to hear about their progress. Sabrina sat down on the top step and was describing the yard to her friend. Sherrilyn was smiling, but she looked pale and tired. This concerned Gideon greatly. He stood behind her and felt of her life force. It was growing weaker and weaker each day. He saw her nod in his direction but he would wait until later to speak to her. He wasn’t sure what to say; he knew her situation hadn’t changed. She needed a kidney, and until she got one she was going to get weaker.
The rest of the group joined Sabrina and Sherrilyn on the front steps. Charlie was almost asleep on her feet she had played so hard in the yard. Her favorite was the big Tom Turkey with the top hat. As it would sway with the wind, she would squeal and laugh then run and push on it to make it swayed the other way. Catherine had gotten out her camera and snapped several pictures of her playing with the turkey. One picture in particular turned out really nice. It was of Sabrina and Charlie sitting on a bale of hay. Charlie had pulled one of the flowers out of the pots and was offering it to her mother. It was a sweet moment that Catherine was fortunate enough to capture. As the sun began to set, the group was quiet, each one lost in their own thoughts as they watched the beauty of the setting sun as it sank behind the hills surrounding Sherrilyn’s estate.
That evening after dinner and after Charlie was put down for the night, they all sat in the den in front of another massive fire. Sabrina brought up the Laskers to Sherrilyn. “So, they never had children and they lived here alone?”
Sherrilyn nodded. “That’s right. They seemed like decent folks and all, but they did have real different ideas when it came to designing a house.” She laughed then pointed. “May I point out the massive fireplace that currently has hell’s fires raging in its hearth? Now I love a good fire as much as the next gal. I’m from Texas, so I grew up half my life sitting around a fire of some sort, but this is touching on absurd!” After the laughter died down she continued. “The neighbors all spoke fondly of the couple. They seemed to keep to themselves but were really generous with their money and would donate to different charities all the time. From what I understand, they were from another country.”
