The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club - 02 - The Tattered Quilt (43 page)

“That’s all fine, well, and good,” he said, leaning on the desk, “but an article like this isn’t sensational enough. I was hoping for something juicy and shocking, like the things we’ve heard on the news, where some Amish have gone bad.”

Carmen’s jaw clenched. “So what you’re saying is, if one person, no matter what his nationality or faith, does something wrong, that makes all people of that group bad?”

He shifted his stance. “Well, no, but—”

“But you’re unhappy with me because I made this a positive article and not a negative one, is that right?”

He nodded.

Carmen took another deep breath. “I know a lot of readers out there want nothing more than to read about bad things happening to people. But with the way the world is these days, I believe many more people want to read about the good things that happen.”

He opened his mouth, but Carmen rushed on. “Everyone has things going on in their own lives, and I know, at least for me, that I’d rather hear about pleasant things and noble situations. You know—something noteworthy. There are a lot of decent folks in the world, but for some reason, the majority of things we see on TV and read about in the paper dwell on the bad stuff that happens. If that’s what sells, then I’m not sure I want to be a part of it anymore.”

“This newspaper is about selling papers, Carmen,” Mr. Lawrence reminded. “And my reporters will do whatever it takes to get good stories.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way.” She rose from her desk. “As of this moment, I’m turning in my resignation.”

“Well, that’s good, because if you hadn’t quit, I would have fired you.”

Breathing deeply to calm her nerves, Carmen forced a smile and said, “I’ll clean out my desk and be gone before the end of the day.”

C
HAPTER
38

Portland

A
lump formed in Cheryl’s throat as she and her mother stood next to Grandma’s bed. Grandma’s eyes were closed, and she seemed unaware of their presence. It was quite warm in the room, but Grandma was covered with a blanket. Even so, Cheryl could see the outline of her body, which looked small and fragile. It was upsetting to see how frail Grandma had gotten since the last time they’d been together. Was it only a few years ago that she’d been so perky?

“Mom, wake up,” Cheryl’s mother said, gently shaking Grandma’s shoulder.

Grandma’s eyes opened, and she blinked a couple of times. “Katherine?

“Yes, Mom. I’m here with Cheryl, and we’ve brought some guests along.” Cheryl’s mother motioned to Emma and Rachel, who stood off to one side.

Grandma gave no indication that she saw them, as she stared at Cheryl with a blank expression.

“Grandma, do you know how I am?” Cheryl asked, leaning in close to be sure Grandma could see her face.

Grandma studied Cheryl a few more seconds, then gave a slow nod. “You’re my granddaughter.”

Cheryl breathed a sigh of relief. She glanced at Mom and saw tears in her eyes. Did she feel guilty for being too busy to spend time with her own mother?

“Grandma, I want to introduce you to some very special people,” Cheryl said, motioning for Emma and Rachel to move closer to the bed. “I think you might already know them. They’re sisters, and their names are Emma and Rachel.”

“When you were young, was your name Betty Bontrager?” Rachel asked, leaning close to Grandma’s bed.

Grandma’s eyelids fluttered.

“Did you grow up in Middlebury, Indiana? Were your parents named Homer and Doris?” Emma softly questioned, standing next to Rachel.

Grandma released a shuddering breath and coughed, while trying to sit up.

With Cheryl on one side, and her mother on the other, they eased two pillows behind Grandma’s back and helped her get into a sitting position.

“There, Grandma, is that better?” Cheryl asked, holding her grandmother’s hand.

Grandma nodded as tears filled her eyes. “Do I know you?” she asked, looking at Emma and then Rachel.

“Our parents were Homer and Doris Bontrager,” Rachel repeated. “Our oldest sister’s name was Betty.”

Grandma covered her mouth as a heart-wrenching sob tore from her throat. “I…I’m that Betty. I never thought I’d see any of my family again.” She looked at Cheryl and her mother. “I…I mean, the family I was born into,” she said, lifting a shaky hand to swipe at the tears dripping onto her weathered cheeks.

Concerned for her grandmother, Cheryl stepped between Emma and Rachel. “I think this might be a bit too much for her. Maybe we should slow down and let her process things.”

Cheryl was amazed that Grandma, whose memory was failing, seemed to remember these details now. Perhaps she’d longed to see her family so badly that it had been ever present on her mind.

Before Emma or Rachel could respond to Cheryl’s request to slow down, Grandma shook her head and said, “No, let them go on.”

“Whatever happened? Why’d you stay away all those years?” Rachel asked, tears dribbling down her own wrinkled cheeks. “Our mother’s heart was broken, you know.”

Even with Cheryl’s comforting touch, Grandma continued to sob as she rocked back and forth. “I didn’t want to stay away. I…I was scared. I prayed that we’d all be together someday, but Papa said he never wanted to see me again. I was afraid if I came back I wouldn’t be welcome, and I couldn’t handle the rejection.” Grandma drew in a shuddering breath. “Staying away and having no contact with my family seemed easier, but I never forgot them.”

Emma took Grandma’s other hand. “It’s too late to change the past, but we’ve been given a second chance. The Lord led us to you, and for that I’m so thankful.” She took a seat in one of the chairs near Grandma’s bed, and motioned for Rachel to do the same. “Now let’s not waste a minute. I want to get better acquainted with the sister I never knew.”

Cheryl placed the box with the quilt in it at the foot of Grandma’s bed. “I have something I’d like to give you.” She lifted the lid, removed the quilt, and gently covered Grandma with it. “Happy birthday, Grandma.”

“It’s my old quilt!” More tears fell as Grandma stroked the edge of her quilt with loving hands. “But it’s not tattered anymore. It’s even more beautiful than when my mother gave it to me. How did this happen?”

Cheryl explained that she’d taken the quilt to Emma to be repaired, and then told Grandma the details of how Rachel had recognized the quilt and they’d figured out that Grandma must be their long-lost sister.

Tears were shed all around, as two happy sisters, a mother, and her daughter, gathered around Grandma’s bed. Cheryl knew that for the rest of her life she would cherish this special moment and the story of how the once-tattered quilt had brought them all together.

Mishawaka

After fixing himself a microwave dinner of macaroni and cheese, Blaine decided to relax in his recliner the rest of the evening. This was the night he usually watched a program about fishing.

Tonight’s show featured rainbow trout and had been filmed in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Any other time, Blaine would have quickly become engrossed in a program like this, but unfortunately, all he could think about was the conversation he’d had with Lamar, concerning Sue.

Why did Sue call me like that?
he wondered for the umpteenth time.
And why did she want to know about me going out with Cheryl?

“Women,” Blaine muttered as he stared at the TV. “They sure can be hard to figure out.”

The phone rang, startling him out of his thoughts. Caller ID told him it was his brother Darin.

“Hello,” Blaine answered, wondering what his brother wanted.

“Hey, Blaine. How ya doing?” Darin’s voice sounded full of excitement. “It’s been awhile since we talked. Hope things are going good for you.”

“I’m doing fine. How about you?”

“I have some great news. I’m a dad!” Darin shouted.

Had nine months gone by already? Blaine wondered, holding the phone away from his ear.

“Michelle went into labor this morning, and at 4:35 this afternoon, our baby boy was born. Can you believe it? I’m officially a dad!”

“That’s great, Darin. How are Michelle and the baby doing? Oh, and what’d you name your son?”

“They’re both doing great. We named him Caleb Vickers, and he weighs a little under seven pounds.”

Blaine listened as his brother told how great it had been to be there when the baby was born. He was happy for Darin and Michelle but felt envious. He could almost foresee the next visit when his family got together. It would most likely be at Thanksgiving or Christmas, which wasn’t too far off. There would be more questions about him, of course. Had he met anyone yet? Did he ever plan to settle down and have a family of his own?

Blaine would love to have a family someday, but it didn’t just happen out of the blue—although at times he wished his soul mate would suddenly appear.

Blaine listened awhile longer as his brother nearly talked his ear off. Finally Darin said he’d better hang up because he had several other calls to make.

When Blaine hung up, he grabbed the remote and clicked off the TV.
Man, my life is the pits!

Elkhart

Carmen had been gone less than a week, but it felt much longer to Paul. He hadn’t said it out loud, but he really missed her.

Why did she have to betray my trust?
Paul fumed as he sat at his desk, prepared to boot up his computer. If only she hadn’t come here to write a negative story about the Amish. They got enough negative press coverage—much of it exaggerated or based on untruths. The majority of Amish people were humble, hardworking, and living their lives as their ancestors had done. As was so often the case, when one of their kind did something wrong and it made the news, many people began to think that all Amish were bad.

Think I’ll go online and see if I can find the story Carmen wrote for the newspaper she works for
, Paul decided.
I’d like to see how damaging it was
.

After finding the Los Angeles newspaper’s website, he did a search for Carmen’s story. Sure enough, there it was, in the News section: “Amish Values” by Carmen Lopez.

Oh boy, here it comes. She’s going to start bashing the Amish values
. Paul read the story out loud: “There are many myths about rumschpringe, which is a time for Amish young people to decide whether they want to join the Amish church. Most Amish youth don’t leave home during this time. Amish parents do not encourage their children to break the church rules, but to behave morally during their running-around years. Some stories about rumschpringe portray it as a time of wild parties and experimentation with drugs and alcohol. This kind of behavior is an exception rather than the norm. Some groups of Amish young people may meet in town and change into ‘English’ clothes. The girls may even wear makeup or try on jewelry, and Amish boys may buy a car during this time. But many own horses and buggies, which they use to court a young woman. Dating among the Amish typically involves attending Sunday night ‘singings,’ participating in games and activities with others their age, and having the young man visit in the young woman’s home. The key purpose for rumschpringe is for Amish young people to decide if they want to join the Amish church.”