Edith and the Mysterious Stranger

by Linda Weaver Clarke

  “That’s not uncommon. Two or three weeks early isn’t bad. I’ll check on her.”

  Edith found Melinda in her rocking chair, dressed in just a robe and slippers, rocking peacefully and reading. The only sound that could be heard was the soft creaking sound of the rocker against the floor.

  “How are you feeling, Melinda?”

  Melinda looked up from her book and answered, “So, so.”

  “I’ve heard that you’ve been having some cramping.”

  “Yeah. Nothing to worry about, though. How are things with you?”

  Edith knelt beside Melinda and whispered soberly, “I’ve got to talk to you. I’ve received a couple letters from my friend. We’ve just got to meet.”

  “But you already have.”

  “No! I’m through with writing letters, Melinda. He has to court me in person. Not through letters anymore. It’s getting serious between us.”

  Melinda’s brow lifted. “Oh? What’s happened?”

  She shoved four letters into Melinda’s hands. “The last one is mine, he hasn’t answered it, as of yet. I’m just waiting.”

  Melinda unfolded the first letter and began to read:

  Hello, You little thief!

  What have you done with my heart? Where did you hide it? I need it. I can’t get along without it. I don’t know what has happened to it. All I remember is a wonderful perfect dream that goes through my mind like a marathon night and day.

  I dreamed I met a girl Halloween night, a perfect girl whom I had been thinking of, who far surpassed my imagination. As I took her in my arms, I was in love with her from that moment. I can’t tell you why. If I tried to explain, I would just make a mess of it. All I know is that everything that happened was just perfect, and I wonder if I can ever have another wonderful dream like that again. Do you think I can, Edith? Or would you be willing to bet it will be even better next time.

  By the way, did you know that I wait impatiently for each letter I get, wondering what my sweet friend will say next? It’s true. When I receive it, my heart thumps wildly as I sit anxiously reading what you have to say. As I sit reading your letter, I feel content and happy, and I realize that I’m grateful for our friendship and love.

  Truly Yours,

  A Most Devoted Friend

  Melinda sighed as she read the most romantic letter she had ever read. Then she unfolded the second letter and read:

  Hello Dream Girl,

  I can’t just sit here and tell you what you have done to me. This would just be idle chatter. I want to hear your heart beat and really know you are in my arms again. You’re so dog-on sweet.

  It seems like all I do is dream. All day long I get started on something I should keep my mind on and then here you come crashing through and I get you mixed up in everything I do.

  Wow, the moon is so big and bright tonight – I couldn’t help but think how nice it would be to hold you in my arms again and look at it. I know I said I didn’t want the moon to invade our privacy, but I have changed my mind.

  Yours Truly,

  A Most Devoted Friend

  Melinda was enamored by the words this mysterious man had written. She unfolded his next letter and read:

  Hello Dream Girl,

  Here I am again! Will you open your heart and let me in? I received your letter today and you’re so darned sweet. Remember when you were snuggled so close to me? I thought it wasn’t possible for you to love me.

  I never knew I could find someone to love that would mean so much to me, all done up so attractive and neat and beautiful in one lovely package.

  I dream of you all the time. It seems so real I wake up thinking you are in my arms kissing me and then I can’t go back to sleep. As badly as I needed sleep last night I couldn’t sleep the whole night through.

  Talking about dreams, do you believe in dreams? I do. I believe that if you work hard enough, dreams can come true. We first began writing as friends, but my affection for you has grown tremendously. Writing to you has been a dream fulfilled. And yes, I do love you with all my heart. I wish to see you and hold you in my arms once again.

  With Love and Affection,

  A Most Devoted Friend

  Melinda gasped as she eagerly opened Edith’s reply:

  My Dearest Friend,

  With each letter and the revealing of our thoughts, my fondness for you has grown, also. And yes, I think it’s time we meet. This time with no masks. My dearest friend, it’s difficult to tell you how I feel. Many times I struggle to tell you my true feelings in each letter. But every time I try, I can’t seem to do it justice because my heart is so full. I feel like Elizabeth Barrett Browning as she wrote to her beloved. She had piles of letters from him. Once she said: “My letters! All dead paper, mute and white! And yet they seem alive and quivering against my tremulous hands.” His letters were very dear to her, as are yours to me. She also wrote:

  Love me, sweet, with all thou art,

  Feeling, thinking, seeing, —

  Love me in the lightest part,

  Love me in full being.

  This is how I feel. Sweet Friend, I don’t know if I can write any longer. My heart aches to touch you and meet you in person once again.

  With Love,

  Edith

  After reading the letters, she handed them to Edith, amazed and touched by the tenderness of each letter, so romantic, so full of love, so sincere and genuine.

  “Well?” asked Edith.

  “Oh, my!”

  “Is that all you can say?”

  Melinda moaned.

  “Are you all right, Sweetie?” Edith said as she quickly dropped the letters in her bag.

  “No!” Then Melinda grabbed her belly. The anguish and discomfort were obvious as she groaned, “O-o-o-oh.”

  “Melinda, are you having more cramps?”

  “Ah-h-h-h-h-h-h!” She was in discomfort, and she did not care who heard. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

  The bedroom door swung open, and Gilbert burst in, his eyes wide, breathing heavily.

  “What’s the matter?” he demanded.

  He stared at Melinda as she held her belly and moaned. He strode to her and knelt on the floor beside her, placing his hand on her knee and looking up at her twisted face.

  Then he turned to Edith and said, “She’s ready, isn’t she!” His mouth was dry as he said, “She’s never had them this hard before. During the past week they’ve been quite bearable.”

  As he spoke, Jenny and Joseph entered the room. John had gone to bed early and was sound asleep.

  Joseph asked softly, “Can I help?”

  Edith nodded. “Yes. Gilbert, get her to bed. Joseph, I need clean sheets and sterilized water. Jenny, I need you to help me in the bedroom.”

  Gilbert tenderly helped Melinda to her feet and led her to the bed. After sitting her down, he knelt beside her and took off her slippers. He fluffed some pillows behind her back to give support. And then he sat beside her, holding her hand in his. His face was laced with concern, and his heart was thumping against his chest as he caressed her fingers.

  The tragedy sixteen years ago was etched deeply in his memory. His first wife had died during childbirth when Jenny was born. The memory of it returned as he squeezed Melinda’s hand, and tears began trickling down his cheeks. How he loved this woman!

  She was his life, and he felt he could not endure a life without her. She brought him greater happiness than he thought could ever exist. He felt so lucky…no, the word was blessed. He felt so blessed that she had chosen to marry him. She could have married anyone, but she fell in love with Gilbert, a rancher. It was as if God had had pity on him and gave him this most prized possession. He lifted her hand and pressed his lips lovingly against the soft flesh of her palm.

  With her free hand, Melinda lovingly pushed her fingers through his thick wavy hair and smiled, “It’ll be all right, Sweetheart. Don’t worry.”

  Before she could say another word, she grimaced and moaned once again, grabb
ing her stomach with her hand.

  “Sweetheart, lie down. Maybe it’ll help.”

  Edith saw his furrowed brow and knew he was worried. She watched Gilbert as he tenderly helped Melinda lie down.

  “Gilbert, I’ll let you stay just a little longer. But you have to leave when I tell you. Okay?”

  “Are you sure I can’t help?”

  Edith shook her head. “One time I gave in and let a man stay. I was telling his wife to breathe deeply so she could relax. That way the cramps wouldn’t be so painful. It didn’t take long before her husband started to encourage her, too. He kept saying over and over again, ‘Breathe deep, Honey. Breathe deep.’ After a while, she couldn’t’ stand it any longer. She scowled at him and yelled, ‘I am! Just shut up.’ Apparently she had never talked to him that way before, and he was shocked. And then, during her strongest cramp, she scowled and said, ‘You did this to me!’ That was the last time I allowed a husband to stay.”

  Gilbert chuckled. He needed a little humor at that moment to ward off the anxiety. He was worrying too much, and he knew it.

  “Yup! This was all my fault, if you really think about it.”

  Melinda touched his brow tenderly. He was trying so hard to joke around, but she could see the anxiety in his face.

  “Don’t worry so much, Sweetheart. Edith knows what she’s doing. We’re in good hands.”

  Before Melinda could utter another word, she gasped, and a gush of warm liquid soaked her thin robe and the bed around her. Gilbert’s mouth dropped open at the sight of the yellowish liquid. His heart was pounding furiously, and he began to stutter as he looked at his distraught wife.

  Melinda grabbed Gilbert’s arm and dug her fingers into his flesh as she groaned. A shooting pain gripped her abdomen, causing her belly to stiffen into a round solid lump. When the cramp subsided, she released her powerful grip, took a few deep breaths, and closed her eyes, hoping to be ready for the next one.

  When Edith saw the worry lines deepen on Gilbert’s forehead, she stepped forward and said, “There is one thing you can do, Gilbert.”

  She took his hand and led him out of the room to be with Joseph. There was no way she would allow him to stay any longer. He was fretting too much, and in his condition, anything could happen. She had seen bigger men than Gilbert faint, possibly from holding their breath too long. This was women’s work.

  When she entered the bedroom, Edith sat beside her cousin and rubbed the tension out of her back. She massaged her shoulders and gently reminded her to breathe deeply. She wiped the sweat from her brow, gave her sips of water, and continued to rub her lower back. After an hour, Edith could tell that it would not be much longer.

  Melinda’s cramping had increased in strength and was almost unbearable. They were coming more frequently, not allowing any time to rest. Just as she thought she could have a short breather, they started up again. Why couldn’t she just take a moment to catch her breath? But no, this baby was ready to come, and no one was going to stop his or her progress, not even for a moment. She had no choice in the matter. The excruciating pain would not cease. She realized that she needed to keep breathing to help relax. She closed her eyes to concentrate.

  Her cousin’s soothing voice reminded her, “Take deep breaths, Melinda. Breathe deep, breathe deep.”

  For some reason, Melinda felt so alone, as if no one understood the pain she was feeling. How could anyone comprehend it? She knew it was all up to her to get her baby into this new world, and she felt like she was not succeeding. As each contraction began to build, she became more irritated, and she knew that if anyone crossed her or said one word, they had better beware.

  Just as she thought the pain could never get worse, it did. Her abdomen tightened and held for several seconds, but in her mind, it felt more like several minutes. Melinda moaned with despair as she closed her eyes and prayed for help.

  Just then, Edith said, “It’s time, Melinda. You need to push now. Yes, that’s it. Push some more. I can see the baby’s head. Push again.”

  Melinda held her breath, clutched the sheet between her fingers, and pushed with all her strength. Before she realized what had happened, she heard the soft innocent cry of a newborn infant. Relief swept over her like a warm blanket. Melinda’s body was exhausted. Her breathing had slowed down as she listened to the soft cry of her newborn child. When she opened her eyes and looked at her baby, she smiled and tears of joy trickled down her face. She could not deny the hand of God in what had just happened.

  Edith quickly wrapped the infant and placed the bundle in Melinda’s arms. The little pink face had splotches of filmy white colostrum. Her baby’s hair was strawberry blond, about an inch long, and had big gray eyes and long eyelashes. The infant was beautiful, very beautiful indeed.

  The joy that swept over Melinda was indescribable. It was as if trying to describe a sunset to someone who was blind. How does one describe the ultimate joy of holding one’s child, of being in charge of raising such innocence? What a humbling responsibility!

  After cleaning Melinda up, putting a clean sheet on the bed, and helping her get comfortable, Edith walked out to the living room to announce the news.

  As she saw the expectant look on Gilbert’s face, she said, “Your wife and new daughter are waiting for you.”

  “Is Melinda all right?”

  “Yes. Everything went well.”

  Gilbert smiled. “A daughter?”

  Edith nodded.

  Down the hall Gilbert strode at a quick pace. When he entered, tears instantly welled up in his eyes as he asked, “Melinda, are you all right?”

  “Yes. Everything’s fine.”

  “I heard we have a daughter.”

  Melinda looked down at the bundle in her arms and smiled. “Yes, we do.”

  Gilbert strode toward her and knelt beside the bed. He took her hand in his and kissed it tenderly.

  “Do you want to meet your daughter?” Melinda asked.

  Gilbert smiled and nodded.

  She pulled the blanket down so he could see the baby’s face.

  “Oh, Melinda. She’s beautiful. She looks like you.”

  Melinda handed his daughter to him, and he carefully took her in his arms.

  Gilbert held her close to his chest and marveled at such a new creation as he said, “She’s so little.”

  Melinda watched his eyes as he gazed adoringly at his new daughter, not taking his eyes off her once. She smiled as she watched him. Nothing could be more wonderful. How could her happiness ever exceed what she was now feeling?

  “Gilbert?”

  His eyes strayed from his daughter’s to Melinda’s. “Yes?”

  “I named our son. What do you want to name our daughter?”

  Gilbert smiled. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and have come up with a name that describes her perfectly. It’s a Greek word, and it means ‘pure’. I think it fits her.”

  “What is it?”

  “Makayla. We can call her Kayla for short.”

  “Oh Gilbert, I love it.”

  Chapter 30

  Joseph’s Confession

  While the family was gathered together in the bedroom, Edith was washing the dirty dishes that had been used that evening, and Joseph was drying them. After a while, he stopped and watched her, enjoying being beside her and talking. She was so enchanting in her apron, tied neatly around her waist, and her hair was mussed from the busy evening. It was now eleven p.m. and she looked exhausted but was still going. What a trooper! How he admired her tenacity, her perseverance and determination!

  When Edith noticed that Joseph had stopped wiping, she turned and faced him with a grin, and chided him, “Get busy drying, you slacker!”

  “Me? A slacker?” Joseph laughed.

  “Yes. Here I am working my fingers to the bone like a slave, helping to bring a child into the world, and now I’m slaving over these dishes. And what do you do? You just stand there watching me work. Hmmm, I once heard there was no rest for
the wicked. Well, I must be a very wicked person.”

  Joseph chuckled. Without even thinking, he reached out and gently moved a loose curl from her cheek. Then he backed up a couple steps and his eyes swept over her, marveling at her beauty, as he said softly, “You look mighty fine for a wicked woman.”

  It was not so much what he said but the way he said it that warmed Edith’s soul. His eyes gave her the message that she was a very beautiful woman. Here she was with loose tendrils hanging in her face, and an apron tied around her waist. She knew that she looked tired and worn, but Joseph was making her feel like one of the most beautiful women on earth.

  When Joseph saw the coy look on her face, his heart picked up speed and he wondered if she was feeling the same way. On impulse, Joseph stepped toward her, slid his hands around her waist, and pulled her close to him.

  As he enfolded her in his arms, he whispered in her ear, “Oh, Edith. I love you so much.”

  Edith was taken aback. With surprise, she pushed him away and said, “But…we’re just friends, Joseph. I have never let you know differently, have I? If I have, I’m so sorry.”

  He gazed upon her, his heart filling with warmth and his pulse racing. As his eyes wandered to her luscious lips, he drew her close to him once again and placed a gentle kiss upon them. The message he communicated in that one simple kiss was one of exquisite love.

  Edith’s heart was beating rapidly, and she was not sure what was happening to her. His arms were strong and protective, and his kiss was so familiar. Feeling dazed from his warm kiss, she tried to come to her senses and pushed Joseph back.

  “Joseph, what has come over you?”

  He grinned, not saying a word.

  Seeing his expression, she stepped backwards against the sink to steady her wobbly legs. “Ooh, I’m so confused.”

  “Confused? Why?”

  Trying to get her breath back, she answered, “Oh, Joseph. I should have told you this a long time ago. I have to tell you something.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “Joseph, I’m in love with another man.”