He was silent for a long moment as the memory of that poignant scene consumed him. “Jesus, Mary and Joseph help me. Ach mein lieber Gott” He took a couple of steps forward, and then a few more until he was but three feet in front of a scene that captured the love he and Anna had shared even in death. It was a moment frozen on canvas and now melting in Father’s heart.
It was just as Henry had burned it into his memory and then sketched it in his room the morning after Anna had died. Henry knew it would not be a reminder to Father of Anna’s death, but rather of the life they shared, and the eternal life Anna was enjoying with her Lord. In the centre of it all was the holy cross – the Giver of life, the One in the centre of their life and their marriage.
Only now as Father wiped away the tears blurring his vision did he see his guardian angel faintly superimposed against the background behind him. And on the other side of the room in the painting was Anna’s protector, as well, welcoming her.
“Henry, you have captured it all. You are a Rembrandt!”
Father turned towards the master painter and they stepped into each other’s arms and wept.
“Words fail to express my gratitude, Henry.”
“If only my heart could speak.”
Angela tapped lightly on the door not sure if she should interrupt Father and Henry. They parted and looked through tear-filled eyes at their lovely young host.
“I was just admiring the painting Henry has done for me—”
“Yes, we all saw it the other day when Mr. Pederson brought it in. It is truly so beautiful. You must have loved your wife so dearly, Father. It still brings tears to my eyes seeing you hold her hand.”
“Yes, she is and always will be my first and only love.”
“And the angels!” Angela blurted out, “Makes it perfect. I pray to mine every night.” Her eyes, when she said that, brightened so much Henry thought they would pop out of their sockets.
“Do you want me to show you the rest of the place before dinner, Father?”
“That’s not necessary, Angela, I was already given the tour.”
“Well, Father, if you want to unpack…” Henry caught himself. What was there to unpack – his Bible and the cross? That would take all of two minutes.
Father smiled.
“Oh, I can do that later, Henry. Come, let me show you the rest of the place. I will give you the tour the owner gave me the other day.” Father said, as he briskly walked past Henry and out the door of his new home.
They retraced their steps of fifteen minutes or so ago, but this time instead of turning left at the end of the hallway, he went straight ahead into what could be considered a family room.
“This is where we all hang out,” Father quipped as they entered. “This is where you can relax, watch television, play cards and all that.”
The television at the far end of the room was turned on, surrounded by several chairs and two couches. Every spot in the room was occupied by a sleeping resident, but one. The resident watching TV turned towards them and smiled as they walked in.
“Hello, I am Father Engelmann, or David.” He extended his arm to her. She hesitated then extended her hand to Father’s.
A look of consternation gradually turned into a smile. “I’m Frances.”
“I’m very pleased to meet you, Frances. I just moved in and I am showing my good friend Henry, around.”
Henry stepped forward and shook Frances’ hand, as well.
She nodded and smiled without saying a word then turned her gaze back to the television. Father and Henry looked at one another.
“Come, let me show you the Chapel.”
Father walked past Henry and led him down the hallway to a closed door at the end. He opened the door, stepped inside, and disappeared. Henry jogged to catch the door before it closed. Father was already in a state of prayer before a lifelike crucifix hanging just behind the altar. It made Henry happy to see something Father loved and was familiar with. He loved the Church. This would make him feel truly at home.
Stations of the Cross lined the walls on either side and moveable chairs were neatly placed in rows facing the altar. Henry tried to visualize the nuns praying there every day and a priest coming from the parish down the street to say mass for them. There probably hadn’t been a mass in the chapel for a long time. But there soon would be one with Father living there.
It was going to be quite an adjustment for him. He could have stayed at the parish longer, but he felt called to this, to enter a care home. What on earth would he do here? The people were all so old. But, then again, so was Father. He just didn’t seem old. He was so active and alert. He didn’t really belong here. But Father and his Lord knew best.
“This is a very beautiful chapel,” whispered Henry, finally breaking the long silence.
“Yes, very nice, Henry. I feel comfortable, here. This is precisely where the Lord wants me. Soon you will see and understand. To me it’s like watching a show. The Lord is the producer and director. It’s always so exciting to see the movies unfold and play before my eyes. I simply listen to what he instructs me to do and then play out the scene. I give him an Oscar award for every performance, every movie he creates and I am always in awe of how creative He is in dealing with life’s challenges. You will soon see!”
“I have seen it many times, myself. I am as anxious as you are to see what the Lord has planned for this care home now that you are here. I think I will leave now, Father. I have things I need to do at the farm and Coco and Ginger need some attention.”
“Has Coco settled down a bit? She gets so excited when I come out there.”
“No, it takes years for chocolate labs to stop jumping up and down. The Golden Retriever on the other hand is the complete opposite, very calm. Yet, I must say that Ginger too gets very excited when I take them for a run. I love to see them run full stride beside the quad… Actually, Father, would you like to come out and spend the evening, I can drive you back in the morning?”
“No, thank you, Henry, I think I would like to spend the day here and have dinner with my new family.”
“Yes, of course.”
“I would like to spend a few days in your Poustinia before winter sets in, if I could. Three days there beside the still water, nature, and only God’s word for sustenance, and I feel renewed and ready again to do the Lord’s work.”
“Of course, Father, I’m so happy someone is using the prayer house. One of these days I will have to start using it myself. I know the Lord has an important lesson to teach me.”
“Take the time then, to learn it, my son. The day will come all too soon when school is out and we are accountable to the Teacher.”
Henry looked at Father knowing full well what he meant then walked towards him and hugged him.
“Thank you, Henry, for bringing me here and for that wonderful painting. I know how busy you are.” Father shook his head in appreciation.
“You’re welcome, Father, each brush stroke was a prayer of thanks to you and Anna.”
Father walked Henry to the front door.
“See, if I had taken up driving a car, I would have brought myself here and we wouldn’t have had this time, together. It’s a good thing I’m always dependent on someone,” said Father.
“Yes, Father, and I so look forward to driving you wherever you wish or want to go. The pleasure is always mine. May God bless your new home, Father.”
“Thank you, Henry.” Father patted Henry’s shoulder.
“I’ll see you this week sometime, Father.”
Father held the heavy oak door open and watched Henry walk out to his SUV.
“Thank you, Lord,” Father murmured, “For blessing Anna and my life with such a wonderful son.”
Chapter Fifty-Two
In less than twenty minutes Henry entered his acreage. The dogs had heard him and charged
towards the SUV. As he drove down the lane by the barn, his two quarter horses were grazing in the pasture beside. He honked the horn and Valley Seeker looked up for a moment, but quickly resumed her munching.
Henry slowed his vehicle as the dogs playfully nipped at each other near the front tires. Just before a large group of trees and shrubs, the lane took a sharp turn to the left and opened up to the view of the cedar log home and the sprawling valley all around. It was for that reason Henry named his acreage, Sudden Valley Ranch. For the flat prairie to suddenly give way to such an incredibly beautiful view of the valley was totally unexpected and always a shock to visitors seeing it for the first time.
It was a gorgeous, late fall day and Henry decided to follow through on his plan to give the dogs a run and head down into the valley. He quickly changed into jeans and a sweatshirt then hurried outside. The dogs heard him coming and sensed an impending run. They barked and jumped up like two overexcited children as they followed him to the garage.
As soon as the vehicle fired up, the dogs’ excitement escalated into pandemonium. Henry burst out of the garage and watched as the dogs’ uncontrolled pent up energy transformed into long graceful strides, going full out just to keep up with the speeding quad. Very quickly their tongues were hanging out and white saliva began to form. It was beauty in motion and Henry never tired of watching them run. When he slowed down a bit, the retriever caught up to Coco and tried to bump her and slow her down to get into the lead, but Coco just darted forwards always staying just enough ahead not to be thwarted by her mate.
When Henry and his family first moved to the acreage, he had a contractor cut a road around one of the hills near the home which led down to the valley bottom. As the road descended, the shoulder dropped sharply into a deep gorge. On this trip, Henry drove precariously close to the edge, heightening the sensation of danger. The air cooled as he followed the winding road to the valley floor. The dogs anxious to cool off, reached the bottom long before he did and were already swimming in the creek like two beavers.
Henry pulled up beside the water and turned off the engine. Even though his home sat on the side of the hill and had an incredible panoramic view of the valley, the view, atmosphere, and perspective of the valley from this vantage point nestled amongst the lush green grass and hills was one of peace and serenity. It always reminded him of the 23rd Psalm and many times Father made the same comment:
Yahweh is my shepherd,
I lack nothing.
In meadows of green grass he lets me lie.
To the waters of repose he leads me;
There he revives my soul.
Perhaps it was this ethereal setting which led him to build the Poustinia. The creek that meandered through and divided the valley, led both into and out of a naturally occurring pond. It was on the edge of this large body of calm water where Henry’s prayer house was situated. He gazed at the cabin’s mirror reflection in the still water. Occasionally, a dying ripple from the dogs swimming nearby brought a sense of life to its reposeful state.
Henry alighted from the quad and walked around the pond to the Poustinia. Unfortunately, neither Henry nor his family had used the house once completed. Only Father Engelmann had used it. Henry, much to his chagrin, was always caught between two magnetic poles: the attraction of his Lord and the strong pull and lure to the ways of the world. He couldn’t believe that at his age and stage in life he still hadn’t come to terms with the most important decision of his life.
He stepped onto the deck and drank in the magnificent view before him. Most of the trees and shrubs covering the hills had lost their late summer olive green shade and turned into the bright yellow, ochre, vermillion and red colours of fall. It was how the deep purple and crimson chroma of the leafless brush and thickets harmonized in between in a spectacular array of colour that took his breath away.
Henry staggered, drunk by the beauty of nature’s profusion of brilliant pigments across the valley, and as his eyes lowered to the reflection in the placid pond, only to see those dazzling hues repeated once more. Complete intoxication overtook him. If only the prairie wind could be quieted for a spell and allow these autumn leaves to peek through the white snow of winter, what a rich warm season it would be.
The dogs were out of the water on the other side of the creek chasing some scent until Coco saw her master sit on a wooden chair and launched herself towards him; Ginger followed. Within moments, the dogs were on the deck showering Henry as they shook the water from their fur.
“Enough,” Henry cried. “Lay down!” It took several more commands before the dogs finally settled on the deck and basked in the sun.
Henry rested his head against the reclining back of the chair and watched swallows swoop down on the water and scoop up insects from the surface. It was fascinating how the graceful birds slipped through the wind barely touching the water, and when they did the sun danced off the tiny splash like a diamond. It was all so beautiful, but his eyes grew heavy and fluttered. Before they closed he captured the serenity of the scene on the inner screen of his mind.
The word tranquility became a temporary mantra that captured the moment; unhurriedly, almost sluggishly he rolled this most beautiful and melodic word over and over, spreading a soothing balm throughout his being, filling him with an indescribable peace. His thoughts thinned, slowed, quieted; becoming ever more in harmony with the stillness.
“Yes,” murmured Henry, “to the waters of repose He leads me.”
Having attained that quiescent state, he drew from the unlimited source of energy found in the essence of silence and heard the deeper sounds of harmony and beauty that are of God. He was in perfect peace by keeping his mind on his Lord. At once he saw the truth: God alone is sufficient.
Immersed in quietude, Henry fell into a trance-like state. He was at one with what is. The scripture he so often spouted took on new meaning: Be still and know that I am God.
“Oh, there you are, Father, we were looking all over for you. I saw Henry leave over an hour and a half ago and I thought you went back to your room.”
“Yes, yes,” said Father Engelmann, “I thought I would talk to the Lord for awhile, I never realized it was so close to dinner time.”
“Everyone is already seated and some have started to eat. Please come, I would like to introduce you to everyone.”
“I will be there momentarily.”
“Good, we are having pot roast, tonight, and Agnes makes a terrific gravy.”
“I can smell the roast, now that you mention it.”
Angela looked at Father and smiled then turned and walked away. Father turned back to the cross behind the altar. He had been so deep in prayer he hadn’t realized how quickly the time had gone.
He made the sign of the cross, genuflected. “Help me to relate to these people, Lord. Bless this house and watch over Henry as he drives home. Or, should I say, thank you for watching over Henry as he drove home.”
Father left the chapel and hurried towards the dining room just off the kitchen. When he got there, everyone was seated and the cook was just setting out the plates.
“Oh look,” said Angela, “here is Father Engelmann. You can sit over there.” Angela pointed to the empty chair between Mr. Lure and Mrs. Lawson.
“Yes, thank you,” said Father. After Father was seated, Angela introduced him to all the residents.
“Well, everyone, this is Father Engelmann. Father said you can call him Father Engelmann or David, whatever you wish. He was the priest at St. Mary’s Church and has decided to retire and live here. Father, this is Helen.”
Angela stood behind Helen and put her hands on Helen’s shoulders then moved to next person. “This is Elizabeth. She moved in here about a month ago. She is settling in very nicely.” The next person was Johnny Louis. He was in a wheelchair and wasn’t sitting on a wooden chair like everyone else.
“Hi, Father,�
� said Mr. Louis, “welcome to our home.”
“Thank you, Mr. Louis.”
Angela moved entirely around the table. As the people were being introduced, some greeted Father while others were already eating, and didn’t even bother to look up. Finally, Angela stood behind Father and patted his shoulders, “Welcome again, Father. Enjoy your first home-cooked meal at Nunnery Place.”
“Thank you, Angela.”
Without further ado, Father bowed his head and then said, “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Dear Father, we thank you…”
A fork clattered onto a plate, as Millie, so shocked by hearing someone say grace, just looked up and stared at Father. Mr. Louis hadn’t started eating, yet, and most everyone else stopped eating as well, their food and forks somewhat suspended in different positions, all except Margaret, who just kept on eating, not out of disrespect, but because she was a little hard of hearing.
“…Lord for this food. Bless our conversation, and all the wonderful people at this table. And bless Angela and the cook who prepared this meal. We ask this blessing in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
“Amen,” said Mr. Louis, as he looked up at Father and smiled.
Father picked up his fork and knife and cut into the roast beef. Everyone was busy eating, so no one spoke. All focus was on eating as if this was the only pleasure they had left. There were eleven residents seated at the table including Father. There was one empty chair near the end of the table. Father was later to learn that that was Norma’s. She was out for dinner at her son’s home and would be back before bed.
Father felt a little uncomfortable just sitting there and eating without the accompaniment of conversation and sharing. After several mouthfuls, and still no one speaking, Father finally said, “Well, Mrs. Lawson, have you children in Regina?”
Once again, everyone stopped eating except for Margaret. It was unusual for someone to speak at the table.
“Why, yes, Father, I have two children, a son and daughter. My son lives in Calgary, but my daughter lives here in Regina.”
The Angelic Occurrence Page 49
