Patchwork Connections

by Carol Dean Jones

  “Exciting!” Martha exclaimed. “It was exhilarating! I had no idea selling fabric could be such fun!”

  Sarah wondered if Martha had any idea why she had found the afternoon so rewarding. Earlier, Sarah had watched her laughing with customers and basking in the comradery that develops as quilters excitedly plan their creations. This is a whole new world for her, Sarah told herself with a smile.

  “I enjoyed it too. Ruth’s customers are such fun, creative people; they are a joy to be around!”

  Once the bolts were returned to their proper shelves and the accessory wall organized, the two women began preparing to close. “I’m exhausted,” Martha said as she pulled on her boots.

  “Are you still having dinner with me tonight?”

  “Of course!” Martha responded. “I wouldn’t miss it! That’ll be a relaxing end to a very busy day. Is Charles coming to dinner?”

  “No. I wanted tonight to be just you and me. I was hoping we could talk.” Martha smiled a nervous smile and dropped her eyes. She knew her mother wanted to talk about the past years. Martha had been distant from the whole family, and she knew she owed them an explanation. She just wasn’t ready to talk about it. Not yet anyway. Sarah interrupted her daughter’s thoughts just then by adding, “If you get home before I do, would you let Barney out? He’s been alone since nine this morning.”

  The two women got into their respective cars. Martha turned and waved as she drove off. Sarah sat for a few minutes thinking about her daughter. It had been an incredible day, working closely with her on a shared activity. It was the kind of day she had always wanted to experience with her daughter, but Martha had always been too busy with her studies or too busy with her work. Always too busy.

  When Sarah got home, Martha wasn’t there but neither was Barney. The leash was gone, and Sarah figured they took off for the park? They both seemed to enjoy time spent together there. When Martha returned, Sarah was surprised to see a change in her demeanor. She seemed troubled.

  “Martha, are you okay? Did something happen?”

  “No, mother. I just had such a good time today, and it made me think of all the years I’ve been away from the family and all that I’ve missed.”

  “I know. It’s bothered me too. Is it something I’ve done?”

  Martha slumped down in a chair at the kitchen table and, much to her mother’s surprise, tears began to form in her daughter’s eyes. Sarah reached for the tissues and sat the box in front of Martha. Martha didn’t move to blot the tears and, as she looked down, a tear slowly slid down her cheek. Martha shook her head slowly and removed a tissue from the box.

  “It’s not you, Mother. It was never you.” They sat in silence for a while, Sarah hoping her daughter would continue.

  Martha had been a quiet child. She never seemed to enjoy family functions and had very few friends. She would rather curl up in the sunroom with a book than to do most anything else. She didn’t date much during her high school years, despite being a very pretty girl who was pursued by several young boys. Her weekends were often spent in the library, researching subjects that caught her eye.

  In 1987 at the age of sixteen, Martha went away to college and graduated summa cum laude. Sarah and Martha’s father, Jonathan, flew to California for her graduation but returned the next day as Martha had interviews scheduled for the rest of the week, and her parents felt they would be in the way.

  Martha remained in California, accepting a job at the science department of the university and continuing with her graduate studies, ultimately obtaining her PhD. After graduation, she decided to take a road trip alone to “clear the cobwebs,” as she said. She drove to northern Utah and then south through Utah’s national parks. She called Sarah occasionally to describe the miraculous views and promised to send pictures as soon as she returned home.

  While in Bryce Canyon, she met Greyson. Greyson, reportedly, was attending graduate school in Seattle. Martha called Sarah and was brimming over with excitement. She was in love! One month later, the couple was married. Sarah was worried about her. “So little experience in the real world,” she had said to Jonathan.

  No one was invited to the wedding, and the new couple moved immediately to Montana where Greyson reported having family. He never returned to Seattle or to his studies. Martha’s calls became less frequent. Sarah continued to call, but Martha rarely had much to say. She was working and was too busy to talk or take time off to visit. When they did talk, Martha’s voice was stilted.

  In 1994 Jonathan died. Martha flew to Middletown for the funeral but was very withdrawn and uncommunicative. Sarah was so devastated by her own loss she wasn’t able to see Martha’s pain. Martha returned to Billings for a short time but immediately accepted a job in New York. Sarah asked about Greyson and Martha simply said, “That didn’t work out.” Sarah attempted to learn more, but Martha closed down and offered no more explanation.

  For the next fifteen years, Martha and her mother shared hurried conversations on the phone. Her daughter was totally immersed in her work; “I’ve got to return to the lab, Mom. Sorry,” she said so often when Sarah called.

  Martha visited Middletown once and returned a second time when her brother’s son was killed in an automobile accident.

  It came as a tremendous surprise to Sarah when Martha called a couple of years ago to say her firm was opening a branch in Middletown. Martha would be returning to manage the grants and perform research for pharmaceutical companies in the Midwest. As it turned out, Martha had been instrumental in determining that Middletown would be the location of this new branch. Does she want to reconnect with her family? Sarah wondered at the time.

  Martha had been home now for over two years, and there hadn’t been much in the way of reconnecting. One of Martha’s few family-oriented activities was to convince Sarah to move out of the family home and into Cunningham Village. Sarah had been very reluctant to move into a retirement community and fought Martha but, in the end, she moved and never regretted it! Martha visited a time or two, met Charles, and visited with her brother and his new wife a few times. And yet, she remained emotionally removed from the family.

  When Sarah thought of asking her to come into the shop to help her, she had an ulterior motive. She hoped to reach out to her daughter and begin to build that relationship she felt they both needed.

  The two women continued to sit at Sarah’s kitchen table without speaking. Finally, Martha raised her head and simply said, “I know we need to talk, Mom. I have so much to explain to you.” Tears again welled up in her eyes. “I just can’t do it now. If I promise to tell you the whole story soon, will you be patient with me just a little longer?” She looked at her mother pleadingly with both pain and hope in her eyes. For the first time in years, Sarah saw behind the mask.

  “Of course, I can be patient. I love you,” her mother said with a smile. She stood and walked behind her daughter’s chair and kissed her gently on the cheek. Martha began to sob softly and hurried into the guest room, gently closing the door behind her. Sarah began preparing dinner while feeling hopeful about their relationship for the first time in many years.

  Martha left around ten and drove home slowly, thinking about the day and wondering if she could ever explain why she had created distance between herself and her family. When did it start? she wondered. The face of Greyson materialized in her mind. Greyson, she thought. That’s when it all began.

  She loved Greyson from the day they met. She had set all her own hopes and aspirations aside to be with him and follow his dream. He spoke of Montana and nature and family and created a picture of their life together which was enticing. He described the mountains and the snow piled high around a cozy log cabin complete with a roaring fire. He planned to write, and he would talk about the children they would have. His words seduced her into an illusion that took the place of reality.

  Unfortunately, her illusion collapsed when she allowed herself to see the real Greyson. She felt trapped and frightened. And then i
t got worse.

  Chapter 6

  It was Friday night and the group of ten or so women was sitting around the table in the workroom. “This is our third meeting without Ruth. When do you think your sister will be back with us?” Christina asked, looking toward Anna.

  “Sarah has spoken with her more recently than I have. Sarah?” Anna said turning the question over to her.

  “I think it could be another month,” Sarah responded. “Her mother has rallied somewhat since Ruth’s been there.”

  Kimberly spoke up saying, “Even though this must be a very sad time for her, it’s really special that Ruth can spend some time with her mother and in her childhood home.”

  “It is,” Sarah responded as she hemmed her Sunbonnet Sue baby quilt. She started the quilt for Jason and Jennifer’s baby, and it was beginning to look as if she would have it finished in time. “She’s also getting to know her brother, Jacob. He was a toddler when Ruth left home.”

  Anna stopped knitting for a moment and looked up. “My sister missed our family for all those years when Papa wouldn’t let her visit. It broke Mama’s heart, but she never defied him. I’m just glad she is willing to allow Ruth to be there now. It’s probably pretty crowded though,” she added as she resumed working on the sweater she was knitting for her little Annabelle. “Rebecca and Jacob have two little girls and another on the way.”

  Allison, looking a little confused, said, “I thought the Amish have a separate house for their grandparents.” Allison was new to the group. She was in her early twenties but had been quilting since she was young. She did primarily appliqué and was working on a Baltimore Album quilt as she talked.

  “They do,” Anna responded, “and we have one as well. It’s called a dawdyhaus, and it’s built just behind the main house. When Jacob and Rebecca were first married, my folks moved into the dawdyhaus, but after Mama had her stroke and Papa died, Jacob moved Mama back into her old room.”

  “Well, tell her we’re all praying for her and your mother,” Christina responded. “Do you think there’s anything we can do for Ruth?”

  “I’m glad you brought that up, Christina,” Anna responded. “I’ve been wondering if we could make a quilt for her in honor of our mother.”

  “What an excellent idea!” Sarah cried. “With all of us working on it, we could probably finish it before Ruth returns. Oh, wait …” turning to Anna and interrupting herself she added, “I’m sorry, Anna. She’s your mother too. …” Sarah felt awkward and didn’t know how to finish the sentence.

  “Mama and I were able to see each other after Papa died and, because I was living in the next community, I was able to visit with the rest of the family even before that. Ruth’s the one that went for years with no family connections, and she’s the one helping our mother leave this world. A quilt would be very special to her. I was even wondering if we could make something using Amish colors, something that would truly remind Ruth of her home and her family.”

  “Oh, wonderful!” Sarah exclaimed. “Would you help us design it?”

  “I’d be happy to,” Anna responded with a joyful smile.

  While the others worked on their projects and talked, Anna slipped into the shop and pulled two pattern books off the shelf, both featuring Amish quilts. She looked for ones with repetitive blocks that would be easy for her friends to make at home.

  Going back into the workroom later, she showed the group a picture of a nine-patch quilt made with the Amish solids that were popular in her community.

  “Don’t they use prints?”

  “No, just solid colors,” Anna responded. “Each community has its own rules about color, but in our community, as long as we use solids and include black, we can use pastels and even bright, vibrant colors in our quilts.”

  “Why black?” Kimberly asked curiously.

  “Black is seen as an emblem of the plain and simple life. You’ll see Amish men and women dressed in black, but many Amish communities are more liberal and allow color in women’s blouses and men’s shirts.”

  “Amish quilts don’t seem very ‘plain and simple’ to me!” Allison commented.

  “But they’re warm, and it’s a ‘plain and simple’ truth that homes need blankets, especially homes without electricity!” Anna said with a smile. “Actually,” she added with a chuckle, “we Amish women keep it to ourselves that we really love getting together for our quilting bees!” Everyone laughed with her, acknowledging the age-old truth that women know how to get around the most oppressive of rules.

  “Let’s go pick out our colors and,” Anna said turning to Sarah, “would it be okay if we go ahead and cut our two-inch strips directly from the bolts so we can start making our nine-patches right away?”

  “Sure,” Sarah responded. “There’s money in the kitty for things like this. Start cutting!” She knew she was going to pick up the bill herself with her inheritance from her Aunt Rose. It wouldn’t be right for the fabric to come out of Ruth’s profit!

  “Everyone pick out two fabrics for your nine patches,” Anna called above the confusion and watched as the quilters picked up solid bolts, comparing them in sets of two. “I’ll cut you each enough to make some nine-patch blocks this week. Next week we’ll see how many we have and, if we need more, we can make them at the next meeting. If you have solids at home and want to make more, go ahead.”

  “I think I’ll do mine in black and purple. I love that combination,” Christina said.

  “I can take some black too. I’ll use mine with green,” Sarah asked.

  “Should I get black too?” a woman called from across the room.

  “I think that’s probably enough black for now. We’ll use a black border, and if it looks like we need more black in our blocks, we’ll add it next week. Sarah, could you cover the cutting table for a few minutes?”

  “Sure,” Sarah responded taking Anna’s place and picking up the rotary cutter. Anna ran to the back room and quickly sketched out the instructions for the block and made copies. She returned to the main room and passed out the instructions, although most of the members already knew how to make a simple two-color nine-patch. “Make as many as you can with the fabric you have and we’ll see how many more we need at our next meeting.”

  Anna was excited about the project. Her sister was going to love the quilt, and she would understand what it meant to her friends to be able to give her this gift from their hands and their hearts.

  It was nearly 9:00 p.m. as Charles drove by the shop slowly, trying to see what was going on without being seen. He didn’t want Sarah to know he was checking on her safety. Looking toward the front window, he at first thought something was wrong. Women were milling around in what appeared to be a state of confusion. Before he began to panic, however, he noticed they were all carrying bolts of fabric and seemed to be lining up at what he knew was the cutting table.

  Poor Sarah, he chuckled to himself, wishing he could go in and help. Instead, he parked up the street waiting for the lights to go off in the shop and for Sarah to be safely in her car heading home.

  * * * * *

  Saturday morning Martha met Sarah as she was unlocking the door to the shop. “Well, you’re sure here early,” Sarah said with a smile. “I didn’t expect you until this afternoon.”

  “I thought I should come in early in case the weather gets bad later.” Martha took off her coat and boots and carried them to the back room in her sock feet. She sat down and removed her indoor shoes from her tote bag. Sarah kept an extra pair of shoes at the shop, and she also traded her boots for her shop slippers.

  It had started snowing around ten the previous night. Sarah had just arrived home when she turned to take Barney out and was surprised to see the large flakes slowly floating to the ground. There was no more than an inch on the ground that morning when she left the house, but the sky was gray and more snow was in the forecast.

  “Where’s Barney,” Martha asked suddenly realizing Sarah had arrived alone.

  “
I didn’t want him tracking snow in and out and leaving puddles that might cause someone to fall. He’ll enjoy a day at home on his own. I’ll ask Caitlyn to run down this afternoon and take him for a walk.”

  Caitlyn was Andy’s fifteen-year-old daughter and lived with him up the street from Sarah. Residents were required to be over fifty-five, but this was a special circumstance. Caitlyn had come to live with her father after losing her mother and her stepfather. She and Andy had never met, and their year together had been one of getting to know one another. Andy was a kind, gentle man and Caitlyn a very bright, competent young woman, and that made the transition an easy one for both of them. When the management balked about having a youngster in the community, the two were able to convince them that she was there as her elderly father’s caregiver. Actually, Andy was one of the youngest residents in the community; but he was well liked by everyone, and the management decided to look the other way.

  Caitlyn had become like a granddaughter to Sarah and had been learning to quilt under Sarah’s competent tutelage. “I think I’m also going to invite Caitlyn to the Friday Night Quilters,” Sarah said. “I think she would fit in nicely. She’s very interested in quilting and seems to have a knack for it. We have a young woman in the group that’s actually only a few years older than Caitlyn.” Sarah was thinking about Allison who was in her early twenties. Of course, those few years can make a big difference. Caitlyn was still in high school, but she had a difficult life before she came to live with Andy and was mature for her age.

  “I would like to meet more of your friends,” Martha commented, surprising Sarah.

  Turning to look at her, Sarah responded, “I would love that, Martha. Maybe we should plan a holiday party after Ruth gets back.” Martha heard the gentleness in her mother’s voice and felt her love. She wanted to feel excited about planning a party but could feel her past standing in the way.

  “I’ll talk to Mama tomorrow,” Martha said aloud as she drove home. She knew that her mother deserved to know why she had excluded the family from her life.