by Jodi Woody
“Is it hard working for Daffyd with his bitterness about all things Christian?” Samantha asked.
“Sometimes, but we do really love Daffyd. Leal and I believe that God has called us here to be with Daffyd. We are praying that he turns his heart to God. So until God tells us different, we stay,” answered Trisha.
“The money and the perks aren’t bad either,” Leal joked. Just then Trisha’s pager buzzed.
“It’s Daffyd, he must be up now. I’ll go see how he is. He put in a long day yesterday and I know he was feeling rough by the time he went to bed.”
“I better go too, in case he needs some help,” said Leal.
Samantha was left to herself. She had mixed feelings about leaving. She knew she had to get on with her life, but somehow being here was like a vacation from reality. Knowing that the vacation was over also meant that she would have to get back to that reality and face the issues that she was struggling with. She certainly wasn’t looking forward to going back to her old life and all of the expectations that went with it. All those years of pretending all was well, pretending to be the perfect wife, that they had the perfect marriage. She wasn’t exactly sure if she even knew who she was anymore.
God, is this just part of the grieving process of losing my husband? Or am I really facing a drastic change of life? I know you are the God of second chances, is it really possible to start all over again. I guess I haven’t been too sensitive to your voice or I wouldn’t have gotten things so messed up to begin with. Help me to let go and let you lead. Help me to be who you really want me to be. She prayed.
It wasn’t long before she had the opportunity to test that prayer. About forty-five minutes later Trisha came down and let her know that Daffyd was too tired to come downstairs, but that he wanted to talk to her. She followed Trisha to his room where he was propped in bed and drinking some tea. He indeed looked pale and tired. The past few days of company and celebration had taken a toll on him. Samantha sat in a chair close to his bed and Trisha excused herself.
“Thanks for meeting me here. I’m afraid I overdid it yesterday,” said Daffyd.
“It probably hasn’t helped to have the extra burden of unexpected company either,” ventured Samantha.
“Actually, other than this morning, I think it has helped. This is the best I have felt in a long time, especially during a treatment week. I just should have taken a longer nap yesterday to make up for the late fireworks show. The two of you haven’t been any trouble and like I said before, it’s been nice for all of us to have some company…That is really the reason I asked you up here. I am afraid that I haven’t been completely honest with you. That first night when we had our pajama and comedy night, I decided that Trish and Leal were enjoying having some extra guests, so the next day when I talked to the mechanic…well…I sort of told him there was no hurry. He actually had the part and could have had it done on Saturday. I should have told you, but I knew you wouldn’t stay. You were so worried about taking advantage of us…” Daffyd didn’t know what else to say and was looking at his tea cup.
“So you lied,” Samantha stated.
“Yes, I lied,” said Daffyd, finally raising his eyes to hers. “But it was for a good cause and I guess I wanted to let you both have some fun and rest after all you had been through. Will you forgive me?” he asked.
“Well, I have to admit I hate lies, but I also have to admit it has been a nice little vacation to spend the long weekend here. We have been quite spoiled and I know Seanna has had so much fun the past few days. So, yes, you are forgiven. I assume the car is ready now?” she asked.
“Yes, I just got off the phone with the garage and it is ready to roll. I had him check out everything and make sure that is was road worthy. I also paid your bill…” He put his hand up to stop her from objecting, “It was the least I could do for the good it has done for Trisha and Leal. Even Bryce has had someone his own age to hang out with. So can you agree to let me do that for you?”
“You know I just prayed about that this morning. I know how you feel about prayer, but I have to say that part of my past was letting my pride stop me from doing what I should. So already I have the chance to swallow my pride and to allow myself to admit that I needed help. I also have to allow others to help me when they can. So…yes. I will let you pay my bill and I will thank you for not only your great hospitality, but for taking care of my whole car issue. Now, if you don’t mind, I am sure Seanna would like to thank you herself before we go. We are already packed and Trisha has even packed our little ice chest full of goodies for the trip. Thank you again Daffyd.” Samantha couldn’t think of anything else to say so she rose up to leave.
“Wait!” Daffyd reached up to grab her arm and almost spilled his tea, while Samantha quickly sat back down. “There is something else I wanted to talk to you about. I also have had to swallow my pride and learn to ask for help. When I got sick, it was hard at first to have to have someone take care of me like a child again. Well…now I need to ask you to help me. Would you be willing to do something for me if it were in your power to do it?”
“Of course. I’m not sure I could do much of anything for you, but I would be willing to try.”
“For the past couple of years Trisha and Leal have been my constant companions. They have worked and cared for me in a way that most family members wouldn’t and certainly above and beyond what any employees would. They haven’t been away since day one. No vacations, days off or even time away from me, both at the same time. One of them always stays behind, just in case. Since you and Seanna have been here, they have had a little more time to spend together with the two of you pitching in with all that has to be done around here. I was thinking about that after talking to the mechanic and had a pretty good idea. Just now, I mentioned it to Trisha and Leal and they agreed it was a good plan. First let me ask, are you in a hurry to get on the road?”
“There isn’t any big rush if there is something you need me to do here,” she answered.
“Here’s my plan. I was thinking that if you and Seanna could stay another week, that Trisha and Leal could take a little break and get away from here for a few days. Between the two of you and Bryce there wouldn’t be much that would need looking after. Granted there may be some days that I would need more help than others. Would you mind playing nurse maid to a big baby occasionally? I won’t be having another treatment for a few weeks, so that wouldn’t be an issue,” Daffyd explained.
“Wow…I don’t know what to say. Are you sure you trust us to take Leal and Trisha’s place?” she asked bewildered.
“No, not to take their place, just cover all the basics until they get back. I am not sure if anyone has the energy or the will to do all those two do for me. But I trust you and we all seem to get along well. So if you have the time, it would mean a lot for those two to get away. Of course I would have to pay you both for your help,” he said.
“No! You’ve done so much already and you just paid to have my car fixed!”
“But you just said that you would accept that as a gift of help, you know all that stuff about pride…” he reminded her.
“Ok…then you can give us room and board for our help…and you can pay Seanna. She could use the money for books this fall,” Samantha countered. “Deal?”
“Deal,” Daffyd agreed. “Do you need to ask Seanna first?”
“No, I could tell she really didn’t want to leave. She and Bryce have really hit it off, and not in a romantic way at all. They are treating each other like brother and sister. I guess it’s because they both were the only child in their families and they are enjoying having a ‘sibling’ if only for a while. She’ll be thrilled to be staying longer and happy about the book money,” said Samantha.
Daffyd buzzed Trisha and Leal and they went over all the plans. Seanna and Bryce were both pleased about the arrangements and started making plans for the week. Samantha and Trish spent the rest of the day going over everything that would need to be done while they wer
e gone. Daffyd stayed in bed and with everything settled he was able to drift off to sleep and catch up on some much needed rest. By late afternoon he felt well enough to join them all for dinner.
“I am glad to see you are feeling better. I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving tomorrow if you were taking a turn for the worst,” Trisha commented.
“I won’t let him stay up that late while you are gone,” said Samantha.
“And I thought I was going to get a break from smothering for a week,” said Daffyd as he rolled his eyes.
“And I thought you said that it was Trisha and Leal that need the break,” teased Samantha. Everyone laughed at that, including Daffyd.
“We sure are grateful that you two are staying. It’ll be nice to get away for a few days and enjoy each other’s company,” said Leal.
“Where are you going?” Bryce asked.
“We are going to drive over to Yellowstone and stay in one of their cabins for a few days. Just relax. If my wife remembers how to do that,” answered Leal.
“More than likely she’ll have you hiking all the trails, so I’d pack some hiking shoes if I were you,” said Seanna.
“I just hope that those of us left behind aren’t going to miss your cooking too much. I am afraid that I am not as talented in the kitchen as you are,” Samantha said.
“I am sure you’ll do a fine job. Daffyd can’t always enjoy my cooking and Bryce will eat anything. You and Seanna are used to your own cooking, so just make yourself at home and fix whatever you would in your own home,” replied Trisha.
“If you need us, we can be back in a couple of hours. We didn’t want to venture too far from home just in case. But we’re believing that all will be well,” said Leal.
“We’ll be fine. Uncle Daffyd won’t admit it, but God is setting everything up so that we all will have a great week,” said Bryce.
“Amen!” said three other voices.
Daffyd just shook his head. He knew when he was defeated.
Chapter 10
A Helping Hand
Leal and Trisha lost no time getting on the road for their get-a-way. By eight o’clock it was down to just the four of them at the Savage Compound. Daffyd was still in bed and at nine and Samantha was on her way to bring a tray of toast and tea to his room. Bryce had surprised the girls with his famous stuffed omelets for breakfast. Breakfast being the only thing he was good at cooking, he figured he would take the first kitchen duty shift for the week. Samantha, per Trisha’s directions made some dry toast and herbal tea for Daffyd. He still seemed to be recovering from the long weekend. She softly knocked on his door, not sure if he had gone back to sleep after letting her know he was awake. He called for her to come in and she found him sitting at a desk next to a big window with another great view of the mountains.
“Good morning, I see you are up and about. Would you like this over at your desk?” she asked.
“Sure…” he seemed a little preoccupied with something he was reading. But by the time she got to the desk he had stuffed the papers into one of the drawers on the side.
“Did you all eat?” he asked.
“Bryce had breakfast ready for us when we got up,” she answered.
“Let me guess…he made eggs of some type?”
“Yep, a great omelet. He said his specialty was breakfast but I think he might have been afraid of my cooking after all,” she laughed. “So how are you feeling today?”
Daffyd took a big bite of his toast and answered, “I finally feel like I caught up on my sleep. In fact Bryce’s omelet sounds pretty good right now.”
“I can go and see if he’ll whip one up for you,” offered Samantha.
“No, I better not push my luck. I’ll stick to the toast and tea for now,” he answered.
“Is there anything you need me to do this morning? I am not sure exactly what I am supposed to be doing other than house work and some cooking.”
“Not anything right now. If you could send Bryce up there are some things I need his advice on. He’s not a fully fledged lawyer yet, but he can help me make some business decisions,” said Daffyd.
“Then I think I will go do some work in the flower beds and garden. I have Trisha’s buzzer if you need me.” Samantha said standing to leave.
“Ok, and thanks again for staying,” Daffyd said with a smile.
Bryce and Seanna had the dishes done and the kitchen in ship shape by the time she got downstairs. She let him know that his Uncle wanted to see him and asked her daughter if she wanted to go out for some fresh air. Soon the girls were pulling weeds and chatting away. They had a wheelbarrow that was standing by for all the unwanted plants. Samantha had on Trisha’s straw cowboy hat, had her hair in a ponytail and hadn’t bothered with any makeup that morning. She looked younger than her thirty-five years in shorts and a tank top. This would have been one of the times that people would have mistaken the girls for sisters.
“So how come you look so young, Mom?” asked Seanna.
“I like to think that it’s something I have done, but honestly, you know I don’t get as much exercise as I should and I don’t eat that great. So, I guess I have just been blessed. My Mom looked pretty young. I also think that it’s because I am short and have a sort of ‘baby face’. When I was in my twenty’s I used to hate it that everyone thought I was a teenager. Now I just enjoy it. I think you’re going to be the same way. Even though people think we are sisters,” answered her mom.
“Bryce said he thought I was sixteen when he first saw me,” said Seanna. “I guessed him at exactly his own age, twenty-two. How old do you think Daffyd is?”
“I am not sure. It’s hard to tell when people are sick. But if Bryce is twenty-two, then his Uncle has to be at least forty,” said Samantha.
“I am pretty sure he’s not that old,” said Seanna, thinking of the information she had read about him on the internet.
“What makes you think so?”
“Well…Bryce told me that he was adopted when he was like seven or eight. So we can’t really use his age to gauge how old his Uncle is,” answered Seanna. “I bet he was kind of good looking before he got sick.”
“We’ll never know since he doesn’t have any pictures of himself anywhere. I am guessing he was probably skinny and geeky looking,” ventured Samantha. “You know, the nerdy kid with the tape on his glasses.”
“Why do you say that?” laughed her daughter.
“We still don’t know how he got rich, and I was thinking maybe he invented something, or started some internet company. Those guys were usually the nerdy kids in school. I should know… those were the ones I was friends with. That’s why I was so thrilled that your father was interested in me. He was super ‘hot’ as you say and one of the ‘in-crowd’ at school.”
“It all sounds like a made-for-TV drama to me. I’m glad he left us. He’s probably selling cars somewhere with a big boobed blonde wife and rowdy boys,” stated Seanna.
“You’re funny, but truthfully, you’re probably right. The girl he dated before me was blonde and well endowed,” remembered Samantha with a laugh.
“I think it is getting too hot to be out here! Let’s dump this load and head in,” said Seanna, standing and stretching her back.
“Sounds good to me. Daffyd hasn’t buzzed but maybe I should see if he needs anything. I feel like we aren’t earning our keep,” Samantha replied.
“I don’t think they expect us to slave away. We are just making it possible for Trisha and Leal to take a break. We are lending a helping hand to someone in need. So don’t get all stressed about it,” said Seanna.
“Me! Stressed?” Samantha jokingly said, but she knew Seanna was right, she did tend to let thinks worry her too easily. “I am turning a new leaf, no more stressing. God will take care of what I can’t. So, no need to worry. Right?”
“Right!”
Daffyd and Bryce were busy while the girls worked outside. Daffyd had come up with a plan and shared his ideas with Bryce. Though Bryce c
ould give advice, Daffyd would need his lawyer to get everything set up. Bryce completely agreed with his Uncle’s plan, especially because it would help his new friend. Soon they had the lawyer on speaker phone and were laying it all out for him.
“So can you get that all set up as soon as possible?” asked Daffyd.
“I’ll get right on it. Now what did you say the girls name was?” he asked.
“Her name is Seanna Sheppard. She starts school this fall at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Just remember that this has to be set up in a way that it won’t come back to me. Create an organization to help with college for children of teachers. Find a few more to help as well so that it will look legit. These people don’t like to ask for help and I want to keep it completely anonymous,” Daffyd explained.
“Got it. You just want to help a few less fortunate’s get a good education. Ok, I’ll give you a call when it is all set up. I will have the information come right from the financial aid office at the school. Take care Daffyd.”
“Thanks Mike, you too,” Daffyd replied.
“Well, that’s that,” said Bryce. “Man, I wish I could see her face when she gets the call from the school.”
“If Mike gets to it quickly enough you just might. We have a whole eight days left with them here,” said Daffyd with a smile.
Chapter 11
Tender Care
The first few days of Trisha and Leal’s vacation went smoothly for all those that were left behind. Samantha, Seanna and Bryce got into a routine. Bryce did breakfast, Seanna lunch and Samantha made dinner. They took turns doing dishes and they all pitched in with the house work. Daffyd even helped with a few small chores like folding laundry. He felt a little weird letting them fold his underclothes. The second afternoon Samantha was in the kitchen washing up some vegetables that she had just picked out of the garden. Daffyd came in and offered to help.
