The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club - 02 - The Tattered Quilt (18 page)

Cheryl sighed. “Where I grew up, outside of Portland, Oregon, my parents had a big backyard, and we were always watching some sort of animal or bird that ventured onto our property. We had squirrels and birds at the feeders my dad built, and occasionally we’d see some deer come out of the woods adjoining our place. They liked to nibble on the shrubbery and grass in the yard.”

“That sounds nice, Cheryl,” Ruby Lee said as they both went to the window. “Time stands still when I stop to watch the birds at our feeders. The activity there is ongoing.” She smiled at Cheryl. “Are there a lot of different birds in Oregon?”

“Oh yes. We have several species, much like you have here. Grandma used to make her own suet, and we’d hang it out during the winter months. The downy woodpeckers and northern flickers loved it.” Cheryl pointed to Ruby Lee’s backyard. “We have goldfinches, too, like those on your thistle feeders. Some of the birds that came into our yard stayed all year. Other birds came only at certain times of the year. Also, there’s a place called the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, which is about ten minutes from our home. When I was a girl, Grandma and I used to walk the trails there, and we often saw great blue herons and egrets in the small lake and wetlands there. Sometimes we’d even catch a glimpse of a bald eagle flying overhead.” Cheryl laughed. “I guess you can tell I could go on and on about the subject of birds and other wildlife.”

“I think you and I have a lot in common,” Ruby Lee said, lightly tapping Cheryl’s arm. “But I guess we’d better get to the reason for your visit this evening.” She motioned to the adjoining room. “Gene’s in his study. Should we go in there to talk, or would you prefer that he come out here?”

“We can go in there,” Cheryl said.

Ruby Lee led the way, and when they entered Gene’s study, he turned off his computer and motioned for them to sit down.

“It’s good to see you, Ms. Halverson. How are you doing?”

“Please, call me Cheryl.” She cleared her throat a couple of times. “To tell you the truth, Pastor Gene, I’m not doing so well.”

“What seems to be the problem?”

Cheryl explained her situation with Lance and April and ended by saying that she was still angry and hadn’t forgiven them. “I know as a Christian I shouldn’t feel this way, but with Lance calling me to ask questions about April, I’m having a hard time dealing with things. I feel like telling him to go jump in a lake. And if I never saw Lance or April again, it would be fine with me. I often find myself wishing I could do something to get even—make them pay for what they did to me.”

Gene reached for his Bible, and after thumbing through several pages, he read, “ ‘Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.’ That’s Ephesians 4:26.” He flipped back to the Old Testament. “Proverbs 15:1 says: ‘A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.’ ” He closed the Bible and looked directly at Cheryl. “It’s our human nature to feel angry sometimes. People hurt us, injustices are done, and sin runs rampant in our world. But it’s important to remember not to let our anger consume us or cause us to do something we’ll later regret.” He paused and laced his fingers together, leaning slightly forward with his elbows on his desk. “Would getting even bring you happiness or change what happened between you and Lance?”

Cheryl shook her head as she swiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks. “No, but I can’t forgive their betrayal.”

Ruby Lee, who had been sitting quietly beside Cheryl, patted Cheryl’s arm. “It’s important that we forgive those who have wronged us. Only then will your heart begin to heal.”

“My wife’s right,” Pastor Gene put in. “In Matthew 6:14 we are told: ‘If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.’ ”

Cheryl let Ruby Lee’s and the pastor’s words sink in. When she felt ready, she said, “You’re right, I do need to forgive Lance and April. I also need to ask God to forgive me for the anger and bitterness I’ve been harboring toward them. If I don’t, I know it will destroy my Christian testimony.”

“Remember one thing,” Ruby Lee said, clasping Cheryl’s hand. “You don’t have to condone what Lance and April did to you, and you certainly don’t have to accept Lance’s phone calls. But for complete healing, you may need to let them both know, perhaps through a letter or an e-mail, that you’ve forgiven them.”

“That won’t be easy,” Cheryl admitted, “but with God’s help, I think I can do it.”

“There’s one more thing I’d like to say before we pray with you,” Ruby Lee said.

“What’s that?”

“Don’t be afraid to begin dating again. Not all men will treat you the way Lance did. When you find the right one, you’ll know it. Just make sure he has the same moral values as you.”

Cheryl smiled, glad that she’d come here tonight. “Thanks, Ruby Lee, I’ll remember that. And thank you, Pastor Gene, for the scripture you shared.”

Elkhart

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had pizza,” Carmen said, smiling across the table at Paul and Sophia. “Thanks for inviting me to join you tonight.”

Paul’s eyes twinkled as he tucked a napkin under his daughter’s chin. “Once Sophia had her first taste of pizza, coming here to the pizza place became a weekly occurrence. Of course, the fact that her daddy would rather not cook every night played a small role in it, too,” he added with a grin.

Carmen laughed and reached for her glass of iced tea, watching Sophia in her high chair, wearing a flowered bib, as she picked the pepperoni off the pizza and ate it first. Her face was a mess, but she was obviously enjoying herself. It was great getting to know Paul, and spending time with his daughter made it that much sweeter. Carmen liked it here in northern Indiana, too. It was different from Los Angeles, with its endless traffic and people rushing about.

“Are you still enjoying the quilt classes you’re taking?” Paul asked.

Carmen nodded. “I’m anxious to see how my wall hanging turns out.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. With Emma and Lamar’s guidance, I don’t think anybody ever leaves one of their classes with a wall hanging they don’t like. You’ll never meet two nicer people than those good folks, not to mention having the opportunity of making new friends during the course of the six weeks.”

“I hope that’s the case for me.”

“So besides the quilt class last Saturday, what else have you done this week?” Paul asked.

“Oh, I drove around the area, took some pictures, checked out some of the Amish-run stores, and had lunch with Anna Lambright on Wednesday.” No way was Carmen going to admit her reason for doing those things.

“Isn’t Anna the young Amish woman who’s also in Emma’s quilt class?” Paul questioned.

Carmen nodded.

“It’s nice that you’re getting to know some of the others in your class, but I’m surprised it would be the Amish woman and not Cheryl, because it seems like she would have more in common with you than Anna.”

“Maybe so, but I’m fascinated with the Amish culture and have enjoyed spending time with Anna.” Carmen cringed. Could Paul be on to her? Had he somehow guessed that she planned to write an article about the Amish?

Paul nodded. “You’re right; the Amish way of life is fascinating. I think we could learn a lot from the Plain People, and I’m impressed by the way they put God first and care so much for their families.”

Carmen reached over and gave Sophia’s chubby little leg a gentle squeeze. “I think this little girl is pretty high on her daddy’s list.” She smiled at Paul. “You’re doing a good job raising her. I know Lorinda would be pleased.”

Paul sighed. “I hope so. I tend to worry about Sophia, and sometimes I’m a bit overprotective. I often wonder if Lorinda is looking down from heaven and shaking her head when she sees some of the blunders I’ve made.” He chuckled. “Once when I was in a hurry, I tossed Sophia’s disposable diaper in the bathroom sink, thinking I’d remember to throw it away after her bath, but I forgot and left it there. The first one to find it was my niece, Lila, who was seven at the time. She and her family had dropped by to visit, and Lila asked to use the bathroom.” Paul wrinkled his nose. “Needless to say, my sister, Maria, razzed me about that one.”

Carmen chuckled. “We all make silly mistakes.”

“True enough, and I’ve made more than my share.” Paul tweaked the end of his daughter’s nose. “Isn’t that right my little
niña?”

Sophia giggled and grabbed Paul’s thumb.

Carmen smiled. She’d never imagined spending time with Paul and Sophia could be so much fun. And to think, it wouldn’t have happened if her boss hadn’t sent her on an assignment.

A chill went up Carmen’s spine.
I can’t let Paul find out why I came
.
He’d never forgive me if he knew I planned to write a negative story about his Amish friends. Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing the right thing. How would I like it if someone were to write a not-so-nice article about my family and our way of life?

C
HAPTER
16

Middlebury

O
n Saturday morning, Anna was almost out the door, when she remembered that she planned to go shopping with Carmen after the quilting class. “Uh, Mom,” she said, poking her head through the kitchen doorway, “I wanted you to know that I’ll be a little late getting home this afternoon.”

“Why is that?” Mom asked, looking up from where she sat at the table, drinking a cup of tea.

“I want to do some shopping,” Ann replied.

“How come?”

Anna grimaced.
Why can’t Mom just say, “Oh, all right, have a good time,” instead of making me explain everything all the time? Now I have to give some kind of explanation
.

“Mom, will you please fix my hair? A piece of it’s sticking out the back of my head covering,” Anna’s sister Arie said, stepping into the room and rushing over to Mom.

Anna took advantage of the interruption and slipped quickly out the door, relieved that she didn’t have to offer her mother an explanation. She was anxious to see Carmen again, but they couldn’t go shopping in Shipshewana, where Anna could easily be seen by someone she knew.

Shipshewana