Bamboo & Lace

by Lori Wick

  "Gabe, may I ask you a question?"

  "Certainly."

  "How often does Bailey go to the grocery store?"

  "Like she is today, to the big market, only once a month."

  "So she'll buy a lot all at one time?"

  "Correct."

  "And the store will have enough?"

  "Yes," Gabe answered slowly, even as bells began to go off in his mind.

  "Is it a large store then?" Lily asked next.

  Gabe assured her that it was, even as he took a side street just a quarter mile up the road, one that would swing them back the way they had come without being too obvious.

  "And will the children be able to stay with her in the store?"

  "Yes. She'll get a basket that has wheels under it, and there will be a place for CeCe to ride. Pete will walk and help her with things on the shelves."

  "There are shelves?"

  "Many of them," Gabe said, now maneuvering through town. He waited for Lily to comment on the location, as it wasn't conducive to a golf course, but it didn't happen. A few minutes later he pulled into a parking space at the grocery store, cut the engine, and turned slightly to watch his passenger. For this reason Gabe saw the exact moment it all hit her.

  Lily took in the large store, the smattering of shopping carts in the parking lot, and signs in the windows proclaiming items on sale, and at the same moment she felt Gabe's eyes on her. With a hand to her face, she spoke.

  "Please don't make me look at you, Gabe, please."

  The plea tore at Gabe's soul, even as he answered.

  "That's fine, Lily, but I need to talk with you. I need to tell you how easy it can be."

  Lily wanted to shake her head, but she only sat and stared straight ahead, too mortified to move.

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  "All you needed to say to me was that you wanted to join Bailey when she went grocery shopping. We could have golfed another time."

  "I can't do that," she told him, panic clawing at her throat at the very thought. "Why not?"

  "It's not right. You made room in your schedule."

  "Why do you think I'm more important than you are?"

  Lily didn't know what to say. He had so neatly put his finger on the center of the matter that Lily had no reply.

  "You know what," Gabe cut in, "I don't want our discussion to ruin your first visit to a grocery store, so let's go in now and we'll talk about this some other time."

  Lily was still sitting stock-still when Gabe opened her door. She made herself get out, finding it very easy not to look at him, but knowing she had no choice except to accompany him inside.

  Do you have any idea how angry my father would be right now, Gabe? Do you know how ashamed of me he would be? You have your own life, yet you've set aside the day for me and I've rejected your efforts.

  "What you have to understand, Lily," Gabe continued, his voice playful as he put a plastic, handheld shopping basket into her hands, "is that a first-time trip to the grocery store is not to be missed. So take this basket and go to it."

  Lily's eyes became huge.

  "I didn't bring any money with me."

  "I'll cover it."

  "Oh, all right," Lily agreed, very uncomfortable with this but trying not to disdain his generosity again. "Should I tell Bailey I'm here?"

  "I'll find her and do that, and then I'll come back and track you down. Take all the time you need."

  lily wanted to stop him. She wanted to say this was all wrong, but she didn't. Instead, the reluctant shopper watched until Gabe

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  was out of sight and then glanced around, wondering what she was supposed to do next.

  A sign proclaiming crackers to be on sale caught her eye. She moved toward that aisle and a moment later stood in near stupefaction. Never in her life would she have dreamed of so many jars of peanut butter. She was still taking in the brands and varieties when Gabe rejoined her.

  "Gabe," she said immediately, "I can't believe how many containers of peanut butter there are."

  "There are a lot," he agreed, thinking she would faint when she encountered the cereal aisle.

  "Look at this one! It has jelly right in with the peanut butter."

  "Oh, yeah," Gabe agreed, plucking it off the shelf. "You'd better put one of these in your basket."

  "Oh, do you think so?"

  "Certainly. Give it a try."

  Gabe suddenly found himself being stared at. He was several inches taller than Lily, so it was impossible to miss the way her head tipped back to look into his eyes.

  "I want to apologize to you, Gabe, for the way I've been acting."

  "How have you been acting?"

  "Not thankful. You try to do things for me, and I show ingratitude."

  "I'll tell you something, Lily Walsh," Gabe admitted with a small shake of his head and wonder in his voice, "you take submission to a whole new level."

  Lily's head tipped to one side as she asked, "What do you mean?"

  "There are Christian men and women all over the world who do not understand the biblical view of submission. When it's done well when it's done God's way it doesn't look like threats or domination, nor does it look like a woman not having a say or being a complete doormat."

  Lily had to think about this. The word "doormat" perfectly described the way most of the women in the village lived their lives, but she had never seen it that way. She knew that some of

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  the women were loved, especially the ones in the church family. But if "doormat'' also meant second class-citizen, then Gabe had certainly hit the mark.

  "Okay," Gabe now said, his eyes bright and eager, "what are we going to look at next?"

  "Are you staying?"

  "I am, yes."

  "What do you need to look for?" "I don't. I'm just having fun watching you." Lily laughed at that and then blushed a little. "I did get pretty excited about peanut butter, didn't I?" "Wait until you see the cereal," he teased her. Lily was laughing about this when they were spotted. Barb Stringer was pushing a basket toward them, a smile on her face. "I just saw Bailey and the kids." "We're kind of together," Gabe explained. "And, Lily!" Barb went on. "You're shopping too." "It's my first time," the younger woman admitted. "So what do you think?"

  Lily shook her head. "There's so much. It's overwhelming."

  "What do you have at home for grocery needs?"

  "There are open-air markets in the large cites, but in Lhasa you just know who sells what product. My father and I grow wheat, flax, and beans, but we have no milk cow or goat, so for cheese we go elsewhere."

  "And you go anytime, or just at certain times?"

  "Friday mornings are when most people have their wares for sale, but meat and milk products are available more often."

  "Do you miss it?" she suddenly asked.

  "The people, yes."

  Barb smiled at her and not for the first time wondered at the younger woman's composure. She wasn't sure she could do the equivalent of what Lily had accomplished: leave behind everything familiar and go to Kashien for three months.

  "Well, have fun," Barb told them.

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  Gabe and Lily told her goodbye in unison before Gabe turned back to the new shopper. "Where were we?" "You said something about cereal." Gabe's brows rose expressively. "Come with me."

  It didn't take Gabe long to see that he was right. Lily could not speak when she saw the selection of cold cereal alone.

  "And over here," Gabe directed, "are hot cereals the ones for the stovetop or microwave."

  "What are all the dates?" Lily finally managed.

  "The dates indicate that the product is freshest if eaten by then."

  "Those dates seem like a long way off," Lily said as she eyed the boxes.

  "True, but most things have some type of preservative in them, and since cereal is not a perishable item, it naturally has more shelf life."

  "Shelf life." Lily tested the words and then moved on. Gabe smiled and wondered
what it would be like to have everything so delightful and new.

  "There's Peter," Lily suddenly said. "Hi, Peter."

  "Oh, hi, Lily. What have you got in your basket?"

  "This peanut butter with the jelly right in it."

  "Oh, wow! Grape jelly inside."

  "Doesn't that look fun?"

  "Yeah! Are you going to buy this, lily?"

  "Yes, Gabe is helping me."

  Peter looked to his uncle.

  "Can lily get gum?"

  "Lily can get anything she wants."

  "Come on, Lily," Peter took no time to say, his little face very sincere. "I'll show you."

  Lily didn't even glance at Gabe but, realizing this was turning into a whole lot of fun, followed closely in the little boys path.

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  "I think we need to eat out for lunch," Gabe announced to his sister and Lily as they ended their grocery-store adventure at the checkout counter.

  "What about the perishables?" Bailey mentioned.

  "Well, we'll run those home and then head out, or even go to the Little Bay."

  "Works for me," Bailey agreed, but no word came from Lily. She was too busy checking out the small booklets available near the checkout counter.

  Lose 30 Pounds in 30 Days!, Your Horoscope: What You Might Be Missing!, Birthdays of ike Stars! Lily read the titles with great interest before her eyes dropped to the large magazines below. "BABY BORN WITH TWO HEADS" leaped out at her, and Lily stared in horror at the composite drawing.

  "Are you going to put one of these into your basket?" Bailey teased her.

  "Do people actually buy these?"

  "All the time."

  Lily's eyes went back, this time to the batteries hanging on the rack. She took a package from the shelf and studied it, but long before she was done, it was her turn in line.

  A store employee helped Bailey out with her baskets, and Gabe hung back to give Lily a ten-dollar bill and directions if needed. She thanked him and would have said more, but the conveyor belt moved the food to the waiting clerk, and Lily was at once engrossed. The whole process with the bar codes and computer register prompted a new series of questions in the new shoppers mind, but with only five items in her basket, three of them gum, it didn't take long until she was paying, thanking the man, and moving on her way.

  "Do the items ever get so heavy that the belt can't move?"

  "I've never seen it happen, but it might. Maybe we can come back sometime, and you can ask your questions."

  "All right."

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  When they arrived at the car, they found that Bailey had brought the van up. Gabe went toward the car, but Lily went to Bailey's window.

  "Would you and the children like gum?"

  "Oh, thank you, Lily."

  "Which one?" she asked.

  "Here, Peter," his mother called to him. "Come and pick one for us."

  It didn't take long for Peter to select the watermelon flavor, and as soon as the pieces were shared, Lily scooted around to the car.

  "Don't even think about it," Gabe said flatly the moment she climbed in and began to open her mouth.

  Lily looked at him.

  Gabe looked back.

  I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I was certain you were going to apologize for holding me up, but I realize you might have been ready to offer me a piece of gum. I shouldn't have said that."

  "I was going to offer you gum," she admitted, "just as soon as I apologized for holding you up."

  Gabe smiled at her before asking, "What flavors do you have?"

  Lily couldn't contain her excitement. "This is original, then watermelon, and orange."

  "And they're all bubble gum?"

  "Yes."

  "What are you going to have?" Gabe asked as he pulled behind Bailey's van and waved at Peter, who had turned to see them. "I don't know! I don't know where to start." All Gabe could do was laugh.

  "I know! Why don't we each have a different flavor and then compare notes?"

  "Okay," Gabe agreed, but his mind had gone to a dangerous place. Thinking about chewing gum with Lily made her kissable for the first time.

  "Do you want orange or watermelon?" Lily made the decision to inspect those two.

  "Orange."

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  Both went to work on their gum. Gabe concentrated on driving while Lily examined the contents of the fifth item she had purchased.

  Gabe had to work to keep his eyes on the road as intelligent, well-educated Lily Walsh took neon-colored Band-Aids from a box and sorted them on her lap. She put the spot sizes together, regardless of color, and sorted the larger sizes in the same manner. She inspected the way the adhesive was exposed when the paper was folded back, and even went so far as to put a small strip on the back of her hand, all the while her mouth was going around the gum and even producing an occasional bubble. By the time they reached the house, she was as relaxed as a cat, her head back and eyes closed as she savored the wad in her mouth.

  "So, how is your flavor?"

  "It's wonderful. How's yours?"

  "Very good."

  "Do you want to try a watermelon?" "Not until after lunch." "Oh, is it lunchtime already?" "Yes. We're eating out." "At the cove?" "No, at a restaurant."

  Lily had all she could do not to swallow her gum. First a grocery store and then a restaurant! It was too good to be true. "Are you all right?" Gabe asked.

  "Yes," she told him, but he could see that she was flustered as she stuffed items into her shopping bag, dropping both gum and neon strips.

  "I'm going to go help Bailey with the bags."

  "I'll come too." Lily was only too glad for an excuse to do something. If she didn't calm down, she was going to ruin her outing in the restaurant as she had almost done in the store.

  On his end Gabe was praying for patience. He could see that something was on Lily's mind, and he wanted her to tell him.

  Well, Lord, I won't have to second-guess on this after all If lily ever decides to start talking to me, I'll know we've got something here.

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  Chapter 15

  "I was hoping you would see us come in." Bailey greeted her husband with a kiss and handed him a bag of groceries.

  "Of course you were. You just love me for my muscles."

  "Among other things," she teased him.

  "Lily bought gum," Peter said to his father as he started to walk toward the kitchen door. "And we're going out to eat for lunch."

  "We are?"

  "Yeah. It was Gabe's idea."

  "Is Gabe paying?" Evan asked with a wiggle of his brows, but Peter only laughed as the two trooped toward the house, groceries in tow.

  "All right, Miss Celia," Bailey instructed as she took her from her car seat and gave her a job, "you find Ash and tell him we're going out to lunch. Can you do that?"

  "To lunch."

  "That's right. Check in his room, and if he's not there, look all over the house, but don't come back outside without him. All right?" "Right," Celia agreed but continued to stand where she was. "Get going," Bailey instructed.

  "I has to carry," she told her mother, her little brow furrowed with worry.

  "Oh, right. Here," Bailey handed her a roll of paper towels. "You can take this to the kitchen and then find Ash."

  Bailey was still laughing at Celia when Gabe and Lily showed up. Lily's face was red, and for a moment Bailey was distracted.

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  Lily had taken some bags and started toward the house, but Gabe had climbed into the back of the van to pull things forward. Bailey suddenly realized they had a moment alone.

  "Lily looked a little flushed, Gabe. What have you been doing to the girl?" she teased.

  "Making a complete mess of things, I'm sure."

  Gabe's voice was so serious that Bailey dropped all teasing.

  "What happened?"

  "I don't know," he answered her, sounding frustrated. "She must think I'm waiting to pounce on everything she says, but I want he
r to see that she doesn't have to live like that with us."

  "Like what?"

  "Oh, you know, never saying what she wants, always going along with every idea. Did you know that she didn't feel she could tell me she wanted to go to the grocery store instead of golfing? She felt she was being disdainful of my taking the time to golf with her."

  At the same moment the couple heard the house door open, so the subject was dropped, but Bailey had heard enough. In just a matter of seconds she realized she could be doing her part too.

  Lying back on his bed, a smile on his face, Ashton read Deanne's latest letter. They talked on the phone every week, but it wasn't enough. Deanne wrote to him at least twice a week, and Ashton usually wrote just as often.

  This letter told about a Christian concert Deanne had attended and how it had taken her mind from wanting to be home. But then she recalled the verse about not grumbling and realized she hadn't been all that thankful about this opportunity to finish her college education.

  I've taken it all for granted, Ash, she continued.

  How often did I dream of being able to do this, and then when the Lord gives me the chance, I'm not thankful. Since

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  falling in love with you my future looks different than I originally planned, and at times I wonder why I'm even going for my degree. But whether or not I'll ever use it as I thought I would, I'll have accomplished my goal, and only because God afforded me this opportunity. I think that alone needs to be at the front of my mind. Does that make sense? Maybe we can talk about it next time you call

  Did my mom call you? Mic had two touchdowns in his last game. Isn't that great?

  The letter went on about general things but then ended with comforting news:

  Not long now, Ash 2 months, 24 days, and 13 hours until I'll be home.

  All my love, Deanne

  Ashton set the letter aside and just lay thinking about what she had said. He hadn't been as thankful these days, either. He naturally missed his fiancée, but that didn't excuse the way he had been moping around since she left.

  "Well, no more," he whispered to the Lord. I'm going to be thankful for every day, and not because of Deanne, but because You saved me."