Bamboo and Lace (26 page)

“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 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 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.

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 boy's path.

“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 the 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 shopper's 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.”

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.”

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.

Chapter Fifteen