by Nancy Mehl
“Oh Pat. That’s great news.” And I meant it.
“I’m assuming that means I’m also invited to the wedding?”
“You haven’t gotten an invitation?”
“Not yet.”
Mom told me the invitations were mailed out several days ago. Pat obviously hadn’t gotten one because he wasn’t on Sweetie’s list. She’d handled most of the local invitations while my mother worked mainly on the relatives that lived out of state. I was determined Pat would get an invitation if I had to mail it myself. “I’ll follow up on that,” I said. “But you’re definitely invited.”
“Good. I think Sam and I are starting to make progress. For the first time I’m beginning to feel like a real father.”
“Just remember that you’re also a real father-in-law. No matter how much I irritate you.”
He snorted. “I keep trying to remind myself of that. Frankly, it’s getting harder and harder.”
“Thanks.” I heard Mom and Dad getting ready to head upstairs for bed. “Hey, gotta go. Will you let me know what you find out?”
“Yes, Gracie. If I find out anything.”
I said good-bye and hung up the phone feeling a little better. Suddenly Ida’s dream popped back into my mind. Eyes to see and ears to hear. Maybe noticing C.J.’s bumper was what I was supposed to see. Perhaps we were finally getting close to finding Hannah. After hearing about Ida’s dream, I felt even more certain that Hannah wasn’t dead. My hope was high, and I had no intention of backing off the search for her.
“We’re going upstairs,” Mom said. “Will you be okay down here?”
“I’m fine. Might raid the fridge though. I’m a little hungry.”
“We gave Papa a pill about an hour ago,” my father said. “I think he’ll be quiet for a while. If he wakes up during the night again, don’t hesitate to give him another one.”
“Okay,” I said. “By the way, how’s your knee?”
“Dr. Keystone stopped by this morning on his way to Topeka,” Mom said. “He looked at your father’s leg and told him what I’ve been saying for months. He hasn’t been allowing his injury to heal properly. John wrapped it up and handed Daniel his cane with a warning that if he doesn’t start using it all the time, he’ll put your father back in a cast.”
“I just saw John in Topeka earlier today. When was he here?”
“About thirty minutes after you left,” Mom said. “He had a couple of emergencies earlier today. Then he stopped by to see Daniel. He told us he was on his way back to Topeka. He must have passed you.”
“He sure is putting miles on that SUV of his,” I said. “With what people around here pay him, I hope he doesn’t go broke.”
“I think his mind is on love,” Mom said smiling. “Not money.”
I laughed. “I’m sure you’re right about that.”
After they went upstairs, I checked on Papa. Sure enough, he was sound asleep and snoring. Smelling something good coming from the kitchen, I investigated and found that my mother had made peanut butter cookies. I grabbed several, made some hot chocolate, and went into the living room. It seemed silly to try to be quiet when talking to my parents hadn’t roused Papa, but I tiptoed to the rocking chair, put my food on a nearby table, picked up the phone, and called Sam. I kept my voice as low as I could but loud enough so Sam could hear me while I gave him a rundown of my day. As I’d expected, he scolded me for going back to Abigail’s.
“You might as well save your breath,” I said. “I’m glad I did it. We have to know if C.J. is involved. There’s no way I can simply ignore the situation. He’s probably innocent, but if that’s true, he has nothing to worry about.”
“Well, here’s something you might not have thought of, Grace,” Sam said, his tone a couple of notches higher than normal. “What if C.J. is the serial killer, and he saw you sneaking onto his property and spying on him? What do you think he would do?”
His words brought me up short. “I—I hadn’t thought of that.” And I hadn’t. I’d been so focused on Hannah that the whole idea of my own safety never occurred to me.
Sam exhaled loudly. First Pat and now Sam. I seemed to be making the men in my life breathless. “Did he see you?”
I shook my head before realizing Sam couldn’t actually pick that up through the phone. “No, I’m sure he didn’t. I was careful, and no one followed me when I left.”
“Did you leave anything behind that might tell him you were snooping around?”
“No. Nothing.” Except big, muddy footprints all around the area where his truck was parked. While Sam continued to reproach me, I tuned him out and thought about those footprints. But with relief I realized the ground had been really wet. It wouldn’t take long for mud to ooze back into my tracks. There shouldn’t be any sign of my visit by morning. I started to relax a bit.
“Did you hear me?” Sam said.
“Certainly. I agree completely.” It was the only thing I could come up with. Hopefully it fit.
“Thank goodness. I thought I’d have to fight with you about it.”
Uh-oh. “Um, could you just repeat that one more time for clarification?”
Silence. After a long pause, he said, “You weren’t listening, were you?”
“I’m sorry, Sam. My mind drifted. It’s been a long day. Tell me again?”
“Forget it. It wasn’t important.” His tone softened. “I know it’s been rough. We’ll talk more tomorrow. Any family plans?”
“Not yet. Problem is, Papa can’t go anywhere right now. Unless you guys come over here, there’s no way we can all get away together.”
“Maybe it’s better that way. I don’t think your father wants much to do with me.”
“I am going to talk to him, Sam. I just haven’t had much time. Trust me, everything will be all right.”
“And just how do you know that?”
“I know that because God put us together, and I’m fully confident He’ll take care of this situation. Besides, my father is a just man. Something’s bothering him, and it has nothing to do with you. Dad’s pretty introspective so I know he’s trying to figure out why he’s so upset. As soon as he deals with whatever’s on his mind, he’ll make things right with you. I guarantee it.”
“I hope you’re right. We need to get this straightened out before the wedding.”
I heard a noise behind me. Papa Joe was sitting up on the couch, staring at me. “Hey, Papa’s awake. I gotta go. Don’t worry, I mean it.”
“I love you, Grace.”
“I love you, too, Sam. Good night.”
I put the phone down, quickly downed the last of my chocolate, and went over to check on Papa.
“Why, Gracie girl,” he said when he saw me. “Has everyone else gone to bed?”
“Yes, Papa. It’s after ten.”
He swung his legs around and sat facing me. “All this sleeping during the day has made it hard to get any shut-eye at night. I’ve got to get on a better schedule.”
His shifts from normalcy to confusion were emotionally draining. How long would he be with me before retreating into that other world again? Although the good times made me happy at first, I’d actually begun to hate them. It was like being teased. First you soar and then you crash.
“I think I missed dinner, Gracie. How about a meat loaf sandwich?” he said with a smile.
“Sounds great, Papa.” I got up to go into the kitchen. Papa rose shakily to his feet, obviously intending to follow me.
“You wait here,” I said. “I’ll bring it to you.”
“I’ve been rotting on this couch all day. If you don’t mind, I’d love to sit in the kitchen with you for a while.”
I offered him my arm, and we made our way slowly to the kitchen.
“Are you still sore?” I asked.
“Just a smidgen. But those goofy pills they give me take away most of the pain. I feel pretty good right now.”
“I’m glad, Papa.” I helped him into a chair, and he watched me while I g
ot the meat loaf out of the refrigerator.
“Gracie, when was tennis mentioned in the Bible?”
I turned to stare at him, wondering if he was drifting away again. But his quick smile and the twinkle in his eye told me he was still there.
“I don’t know, Papa. When was tennis mentioned in the Bible?”
He winked at me. “When Moses served in Pharaoh’s court.”
I laughed. “Oh Papa. That’s awful.”
“I know.” He fell silent while I got out the mayonnaise and bread from the bread box.
“Gracie, it’s time for us to get your wedding present.”
The jar of mayonnaise almost slipped from my hand. “Oh Papa.” I set it down on the counter. I couldn’t stop my tears even though I knew I wasn’t supposed to let Papa see my pain.
He got up slowly and came over to me. Taking my hand, he led me to a chair. “Gracie,” he said, sitting across from me, “I know there’s something wrong with me, but this isn’t part of that. You need to trust me.”
I couldn’t speak, so I just looked at him.
“Your grandmother made a wedding present for you right after you were born. She loved you so much, and she wanted to create something special for the day you became a bride. When we left Harmony, it was left behind. It’s my fault, I took the wrong trunk. Your uncle Benjamin was given the task of protecting it. He knew it was to be yours, and he swore to get it to you someday. Of course he died before he could honor his word. Your grandmother never forgot that gift, and before she died, she made me promise I would get it to you. That’s the main reason I wanted to come with Daniel and Beverly. Of course, I wanted to see Harmony again, and more than anything else, my beloved granddaughter. But I also knew I had to fulfill that promise to Essie.” He shook his head slowly. “Sometimes I forget exactly where it is or how to find it. But tonight, my mind is clear.” He reached out and grabbed my hands. “We must retrieve it now, Gracie. I can’t trust my mind past my next thought. Do you understand?”
I nodded, picked up a napkin from the table, and wiped my face. “Where is this gift, Papa?”
“Unless someone has moved it, it’s in the basement.” He waved his hand toward the meat loaf sitting on the counter. “Let’s have our sandwiches after we find it. There is no time to waste.”
“But you’re not supposed to go down the stairs.”
“I understand. But I can tell you where to look, and you can find it yourself.”
Oh please, God. Don’t let this be his imagination. “All right, Papa. Where is it?” I knew every inch of that basement. There couldn’t be anything hidden down there that I hadn’t seen. Fear made my chest tighten, and I tried to shake it off.
“Is there still an old trunk in the basement made out of wood with a metal latch on the top? Do you know the one I mean?”
I nodded. “Papa, I’ve been through that trunk. There were some pieces of silver, some old papers, and a couple of quilts that I put on the beds upstairs.”
“Yes, that would be the right one.”
I frowned. “One of those items is my wedding present?”
He shook his head. “Remove them from the trunk. You’ll find a leather tab on one side of the piece of wood at the bottom of the trunk. It’s a false bottom, Gracie. Pull the tab up. The gift is under there. Essie put it in the trunk to keep it safe from air and from moths.”
“Okay, but you have to stay here, okay? Don’t leave this chair.”
“I promise, but please hurry.” He looked at me strangely. “Sometimes the lonely place comes for me, and I can’t fight it off.”
I nodded, not trusting my voice at that moment. I got up and opened the door that leads to the basement, being careful to shut it behind me. Fear that Papa would try to follow me made me hurry so quickly I caught my foot on one of the steps and almost tumbled the rest of the way down. Thankfully, I was able to grab the banister just in time. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, my heart pounded so hard it felt as if it might jump from my chest.
The basement was dark, so I switched on the light. The trunk Papa referred to was in the far corner, covered with drop cloths and supplies used when Sam and I painted the house. I quickly moved everything out of the way, praying that this wasn’t some kind of wild goose chase. Papa had been talking about a “gift” from Mama ever since he’d arrived in Harmony. Had he been right all along? Had this been more than a result of the disease that ravaged his brain?
I unlocked the trunk, opened the lid, and carefully removed the items inside. Two old quilts in worn condition that I’d taken from upstairs; some pieces of family silver, simple in design but treasured by my grandparents; a pair of Mama’s shoes wrapped in plastic, too precious for me to throw away; and an old album full of school papers belonging to my father and Uncle Benjamin. Once these had been removed, there was nothing left. No “tab” evident to my eyes, and the bottom of the trunk felt solid. I was just about to give up when I had an idea.
I jumped up and ran to a large closet full of old tools that had once been used by my grandfather. Inside one of the tool chests I found a thin piece of metal shaped almost like a fingernail file. I hurried back to the chest and tried to insert it between the bottom of the trunk and the side, figuring this was probably an exercise in futility because there wasn’t any space below the wood bottom. But surprisingly, the tool slid in several inches. I stopped and examined the outside. Sure enough, the bottom appeared to be higher than the edge of the trunk that sat on the floor. I tried to wiggle the tool out, but it was stuck. After several attempts, it finally released. The piece of metal slid out, but something was attached to it. I pulled it a little more and discovered a piece of leather. Could this be the tab Papa talked about?
I yanked on it. Nothing. I pulled again, and the bottom of the chest moved a bit. I kept tugging until the piece of wood was loose enough I could grab it with my fingers and remove it. After putting it on the floor next to me, I stared down at the trunk. There was definitely something there, covered with material. With trembling fingers, I peeled back the layers. Underneath, I found a quilt. I lifted it out, put it on the floor, and began to unfold it.
As the design started to emerge, I began to sob. It was the most beautiful quilt I’d ever laid eyes on. The middle was splashed with various hues of breathtaking purple irises. The gorgeous flowers were just as vibrant as the day Mama stitched them together with love. They were surrounded by reddish blocks, just like the bricks that encircle Mama’s garden. The quilt’s background was the color of a Harmony sky, and additional irises and colorful pinwheels added to the overall depth and beauty. A deep-purple border framed the entire quilt like a picture frame. I looked closer, and although it was difficult for me to see through my tears, I found the words Faith, Hope, Wisdom, and Royalty stitched into the corners of the incredible design. I could see the tiny pieces of thread around the purple border, and in my mind’s eye, I could envision Mama sewing each small stitch. How could Mama Essie have known almost twenty-five years ago that irises would be my very favorite flower just as they were hers? I’d chosen purple irises as my wedding flower, and now, as if she’d known it long ago, she’d sent this gorgeous quilt just in time for my marriage to Sam. I felt her gentle strength and overwhelming love in that room with me. This truly was a wedding present from my grandmother. And my grandfather had delivered it, just as he’d promised. I wept for a while, wiping my eyes on the hem of my shirt. Then I remembered Papa. I folded the quilt and carried it upstairs. He still sat in the chair where I’d left him.
“I found it, Papa,” I said, my voice shaky. “It was right where you said it would be.”
He let out a deep breath. “I kept my promise,” he said softly. “I kept my promise.”
I sank down on the floor in front of him, holding the quilt next to me. “Yes Papa, you kept your promise. It’s the most beautiful wedding present anyone could give me. Thank you.”
I laid my head against his legs, and he reached down and stroked my ha
ir. After a few minutes he said, “Gracie, why don’t cannibals eat clowns?”
“I don’t know, Papa. Why don’t cannibals eat clowns?”
He didn’t say anything for a moment. Then softly he said, “Because they taste funny.”
“Oh Papa,” I said laughing through my tears. “Now that joke is the best one yet.”
“Always end with your best material,” he said. “I’m tired, Gracie girl. I really need to lie down.”
“What about your meat loaf sandwich?”
“Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow.”
“That sounds good, Papa.” I got up, carefully put the folded quilt over a nearby chair, and helped Papa to his feet. He leaned into me as we walked back toward the living room. When we reached the couch, I quickly straightened his pillow and pulled back the covers. He sat down slowly.
“Thank you, Snicklefritz,” he said. “This was one of the best evenings of my life.” He sighed deeply and sank down on the couch. I pulled his covers up. “Sorry I didn’t get to tell Daniel and Beverly good night.” He reached out and grabbed my fingers. “If I’m asleep in the morning when they get up, will you tell them I love them?”
I patted his hand. “Of course Papa. But you can tell them yourself.”
He nodded. “That’s right.”
Suddenly he blinked several times. “Gracie, one other thing. You must stay away from … from …” He shook his head. “He’s evil. You know who I mean, right?”
“Yes, Papa. I know who you mean. I promise to stay away from him.” Papa’s revulsion of Jacob Glick had survived the years in fine shape. I thought about reminding him once again that Glick had been dead for thirty years, but I knew it didn’t really matter. Papa would only forget. Hearing him drift away once again made my heart ache, but I was grateful for the time we’d been given tonight. It meant more to me than I could say.
“That’s fine, Gracie. Think I’ll nod off for a while.” He brought my hand to his lips and lightly kissed my fingers. “I love you, you know.” Suddenly he sat up. “Why Essie, there you are. It’s about time.” He smiled at an empty corner of the room. “Gracie knows you love her, Essie.” He looked at me. “Isn’t that right, Snicklefritz? You know your grandmother loves you?”
