Simple Choices (32 page)

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 hair. 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?”

“I know, Papa. I know.”

I got up and fetched the quilt from the kitchen. Then I pulled my rocking chair near the couch and watched Papa as he fell asleep, Mama Essie’s beautiful quilt on my lap. I woke up a couple of hours later when someone kissed me on the head. Startled, I turned around to see if Mom had come downstairs, but no one was there. I was alone.

I sat there for a while, running my hands over the beautiful quilt, remembering how Mama Essie used to wake me when I’d fallen asleep as a child—with a kiss on the head. I thought about the times we’d spent as a family—Papa telling his silly jokes and singing “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” while he swung me around with his strong arms. The way he used to tease Mama, and the funny way she wrinkled up her nose when she laughed, making her look like a little girl even when her hair was gray and the spring had left her step. Mama and Papa had built a strong family through faith in God, the love they had for each other, and the determination to always believe that with God, anything was possible. Like Papa fighting against the shadows that tried to overtake him because he’d made a promise to the woman he loved.

And like Mama Essie kissing me on the head to let me know everything was all right.

After a few more minutes, I gathered my courage and got up to check on Papa Joe, confirming what I already knew in my heart.

Papa and Mama were finally together again, and the darkness that had tried to defeat my grandfather had been conquered once and for all.

I
think we should postpone the wedding.” Dad shook his head. “Papa would be horrified by that idea, and you know it. He wouldn’t want to be the cause of disrupting your special day.”

“But it feels too soon. How can we celebrate my wedding so quickly after Papa’s funeral?”

My mother was making sandwiches while Dad and I sat at the table in my kitchen. We’d arranged for a funeral home in Sunrise to make the arrangements for Papa’s service. Papa had always made it clear that he only wanted a graveside service. “I don’t want people sitting around telling long-winded stories about me,” he’d say. “Just plant my body in the ground. As long as the good Lord knows where it is, that’s all I care about.”

“You’re sure about burying Papa here?” I asked. “I thought he’d want to be next to Mama.”

My father cleared his throat and stared at the tabletop for a moment before answering. “Actually, we’re probably going to have Mama moved here, too.”

His statement took me by surprise. “Wow. I—I don’t understand. Didn’t Papa and Mama buy a double plot in Nebraska? Isn’t that where they wanted to be buried?”

Mom stopped her lunch preparations and gazed at my father, a strange expression on her face. “I think you need to tell her, Daniel.”

I looked back and forth between them. “Tell me? Tell me what?”

“Your mother and I had a long talk on the way up and back from the funeral home,” Dad said. “It was clear we needed to face some feelings we’ve both been having. Papa’s death brought everything out into the open.”

I was tired and although the sadness I felt over losing Papa was overshadowed with the knowledge that he and Mama were finally together, I wasn’t in the mood for riddles. “I guess you need to explain what you mean. I’m not getting it.”

My father cleared his voice again. “Haven’t you noticed that your mother and I have been behaving a little … oddly since we’ve been in Harmony?”

I smiled for the first time since Papa died. “As opposed to?”

My father’s eyes narrowed. “Okay. Let’s say our behavior is a little stranger than normal, will that do?”

I nodded. “I can accept that.”

“Gee, thanks.” He shook his head, but I saw the corners of his mouth turn up.

Mom came up behind me, carrying our plates. She’d made us sandwiches with potato salad. “Your father has been concerned about my impromptu buying spree. Of course there’s nothing wrong with buying whatever I want, but you know me, Gracie. I’m usually …”

“Cheap?” my father interjected.

She frowned at him. “I was going to say
thrifty
, thank you.”

“I have to admit I was curious about all the purchases you made in town,” I said. “You could almost open your own store. So what was that all about?”

She got three glasses down from the cabinet. “Well, the explanation happens to be the same reason your father took a dislike to Sam.”

“Okay, now I’m confused. What do those two things have to do with each other?”

My father sighed. “Well your mother was trying her best to buy Harmony, and I’ve been jealous of Sam even before I met him. And it’s because …”

“You miss Harmony.” The light had finally come on, and I was surprised by the revelation. “I thought you two were thrilled to get away from here. What gives?”

My mother got a pitcher of tea out of the refrigerator. “We weren’t thrilled to go, Gracie. We hated leaving. We loved Harmony. But Bishop Angstadt’s hold over our church stood in the way of God’s will in our lives. In the end, we had no choice.”

As she filled our glasses, Dad picked up where she left off. “When we moved away, I think we tried to put Harmony out of our minds. It got easier when Papa and Mama followed us to Nebraska. And when Benjamin cut himself off from the rest of the family, the only thing that made sense was to turn our back on Harmony for good.” He shook his head. “But the truth is, we never really forgot this place. It’s always been home.” He reached over and took my hand. “When I met Sam, I disliked him because he had what I’d lost—a home in Harmony. It sounds so selfish, but in my defense, I didn’t realize why I reacted so strongly to him … until Papa died.”

“But what does Papa’s death have to do with anything?”

Mom brought us our drinks and sat down beside me. “Because when we thought about sending Papa’s body back to Nebraska, we both felt the same way. That we didn’t want his grave that far away from us.”