The Second Half (22 page)

Mona squeezed both their hands. “I love you, Jakey and Mellie, and don't you ever forget it.”

“Me, too.” Ken's voice rasped, quite unlike his usual tone.

Jake looked at Ken. “I sure am hungry, Grampy.”

“You are always hungry, Jakey.”

Ken and Mona tried to keep straight faces. Ken rolled his eyes, and Mona shook her head—and gave up.
Ah, Lord, thank you for laughter.

“Pass your plates, please.”

“What are we having?” Mellie looked dubious.

“I forget what this said on the wrapping. I just grabbed a package out of the freezer and stuck it in the oven. Smells good.” He wiggled his eyebrows at Jake.

Jake studied the serving dish a moment and announced, “Tonight we are having meatball and bisketti.”

“Jakey, it's spaghetti,” Mellie said as if putting up with her little brother was a horrid chore.

“Oh, really?” Ken looked down at the plate. “Well, so it is. Grammy, you want to pass the lettuce wedges as I dish up the…” He looked at Mellie. “Spa-ghet-ti? Right?”

Ken managed to keep the dinner conversation light, getting both kids to fill Mona in on the
big
event at VBS.

“And Grammy, he bleeded all over his shirt, and…” Jakey sucked in a breath.

“Who had the nosebleed?” Mona asked, trying to sort through the story.

“I-I don't 'member his name, but two big boys smashed into each other playing dodgeball and…”

“Is he all right?”

Mellie took over and Jake nodded right along with her. “Aunty Marit brought an ice pack, and they took him to the clinic, and he came back before we left, and his nose was big, but it stopped bleeding.”

“So what did you do all afternoon?”

“We helped Grampy in the garden and had Popsicles, and he said we could not go wake you up, no matter what!”

“Can we go for a walk after supper? With Ambrose and Hyacinth, too?” Mellie asked.

“Not Hyacinth,” Jakey said firmly.

“Yes, Hyacinth,” Mona replied gently. “She's part of our family.”

“We sure can.” Ken looked at Mona. “We'll clean up in here while Grammy gets ready. And then we can go walk.”

Mona nodded. “Sounds good to me.”

How could everything seem so ordinary when their whole world turned upside down last night?

R
emember what the chaplain said. If we have questions to feel free to call him?”

Ken glanced up from his newspaper with a nod.

“I've been making a list.” She handed him a sheet of typed questions. “If you have more to add, do so. I am going to call him.”

“What about Pastor Oliver?”

“He's not in the military.” Mona watched as Ken read through the list. “What do you think?”

Ken nodded. “If we can meet with him while the kids are at Bible school.”

Mona found his business card and punched in the phone number. When he answered, she identified herself and nodded. “Thank you. Ken and I are wondering if you could answer some questions for us.” When she finished the call, she held the phone for an instant, sucked in and released a deep breath, and said, “He'll be right over. I'm going to text Marit and ask her to take the kids out to lunch or over to her house until I call her.” She took another deep breath and sniffed, fighting back the tears that seemed to wait right at the back of her eyes, ready to attack at the slightest break in her defense.

“Good idea.”

The doorbell rang as Mona finished fixing a tray with iced tea. That was fast.

The doorbell had sent Ambrose into full-scale announcement mode. She brought the tray into the living room as Ken shushed the dog and opened the door. He ushered Chaplain Bernov in, keeping one hand on Ambrose's collar. “Thank you for coming so quickly. We had assumed we would need to make an appointment. Ignore Ambrose. He's all bark and no bite.”

Chaplain Bernov smiled. “He's a Lab, what can you expect?” He reached out, palm down, and let Ambrose sniff his hand. “Yes, Ambrose, I have dogs, too, so you have lots of good stuff to sniff.”

Ambrose wagged and whimpered, welcome written all over him.

Ken waved a hand. “We thought we might sit out on the deck, if that's all right with you.”

“Sounds delightful.”

They followed Mona and her tray outside and within minutes were comfortably seated around the shaded table.

“What a lovely retreat you have out here. A view of the river and the trees. I'm sure this place gets plenty of use.” He nodded his thanks and helped himself to the cookies Mona pushed his way. “Now, you said you have a list of questions. I'll answer all I can.”

Mona burst out, “Is there any word on Steig?”

“None that I've heard, and I will be one of those notified immediately with any news.”

“But someone is looking for him?”

“I would assume so.”

Mona's face must have registered her consternation, because he added, “Understand it is not as easy as we might think. If someone gets lost hiking in the forest, the proper agencies launch a search. Because Steig is in Special Forces, where he went and why he went there is classified information.” He raised a hand. “But we have not found bodies, either, so that's good news.”

Ken had not touched the cookies. “I've been watching the papers closely, looking for military operations, hot spots—possibilities, you might say. Could he be a hostage or prisoner of war?”

“I suppose it's possible.” Chaplain Bernov smiled. “However, we've not heard any gloating. Usually if hostages are taken, someone brags to the media immediately. That someone may not be the actual party who took the hostage, but that doesn't stop the bragging. Two of their unit went missing, Steig and another Special Forces man. If these men are still alive, they know how to go under to survive. That's part of their training, and both of these men are known for their resiliency. They will not do anything stupid to hurry things along.”

He reached over and patted Mona's hand. “The waiting and staring at the unknown is the hardest part of being a military family.”

“God keeps asking, ‘Are you going to trust me?'”

“And your answer?”

“What are my choices?”

“I see.” His smile made her feel warm and known.

“Who or what else is there to trust? He alone knows what is going on, and I know He is in the answering prayers business. I know that whatever happens, God will not let us go and we will get through.”

“Well said. But the moment by moment is rough.”

“It is.” Ken's voice sounded bleak. “But we have to keep chins up for the kids.”

“True, but they need to know that you hurt like they do. The pain and fear are so real and so very human.”

Mona snagged a tissue; she'd come to keeping tissue boxes on every table. “Can I ask some procedure questions?”

“Of course. Ask away.”

“If he is severely wounded…”

“You will be notified, and he will be airlifted to the nearest hospital, given emergency treatment, although first aid would be done immediately. If he is able to speak, we will set it up so he can talk with you. If he is unconscious, one of the staff will tell you all they know.”

“No surprises?”

“Not if we can avoid it.”

“I assume then that he will be sent to base hospitals?”

“Right. All will depend on the severity of the injury.”

“And if they find his body?”

“The coffin will be shipped home with full military honors. I know that is not much of a comfort, but…”

“If he is too severely wounded to come home or at least stateside, will we be able to go to him?”

“That is a possibility.” His gentle smile made Mona blink again. Right now the load was so heavy, she felt like a huge hammer was driving her right into the ground.

“Is there anything we should be doing for the children while we wait for news?” Ken asked. “Everything happened so fast before Steig left, and we thought we'd be in touch. It's been a long time since our kids were so young.”

“Have you been over to the commissary yet or set up appointments with the doctor there for preschool exams?”

Mona and Ken both shook their heads. “I never thought to do that yet. I mean, August is not even near.”

“Sometimes it is hard to get in; I've learned to think way ahead. You have all their medical records?”

“Yes, Steig made sure all the paperwork is in order.”

“You have all their medical cards and such. And have you checked his bank to make sure his check was deposited?”

“No.”

“But your name is on all the banking? If I were you, I'd follow up on everything to make sure it is in place.”

“Thanks for the advice; we'll take care of all of that. Any other advice for now?”

“I know, school. I wouldn't wait; I'd go to the school where they'll be going and take in all their records and get them signed up. Summer is flying by, that's for sure.” He drained his glass. “Feel free to call me whenever you need me.”

“Thank you. Do you live here in Stoughton?”

“Yes, I pastor the First Methodist Church on the highway just east of town. I know your pastor well, fine man of God. I know you are in good hands with him.”

“Chaplain…”

“Please call me Len. What were you going to ask?”

“Thank you. Are there any support groups for grandparents who are now parenting their grandchildren?”

“Not that I know of, but I'll check around. That would be a good thing.” He pushed his chair back and stood, extending his hand first to Mona and then Ken. “I pray we hear something soon.”

After Ken showed him out, Mona refilled their glasses and moved over to the lounge. “I better call Marit. But I'd really like to sit here and enjoy the quiet.”

“I've been thinking.”

Why did such a simple statement destroy the peace of the moment?

“Okay.”

“You know we planned to do some traveling this summer.”

“Right.”

“Remember all those trips we took to help our kids experience as many different things as we could expose them to?”

“I am not going canoeing and fishing up at Lake of the Woods again. Sorry, but I have to draw the line somewhere.”

Ken snorted his laugh. “That was some trip all right.”

“And we were plenty younger. Up to the fishing cabin is as close as I want to be to camping.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of Chicago. The museums there, the zoo. We could spend a couple of days there. I don't know if they've ever been.”

She leaned back against the cushions. Right now it felt like getting smacked with a two-by-four. In the middle of her forehead. She knew it might be good for the kids to distract them. But how could she take time off if she was given the contract for the preschool? She would have to, that's all.

“We gave our kids the best education we could, and I think that now we need to do the same for our grandchildren.”

“I agree but…” She stared at her fingers that really needed a manicure. Prolong this, let him talk his idea through. And perhaps she'd be able to work around it all. “Have you thought of when?”

“I was thinking along the idea of July. I know they are registered for swimming lessons after Bible school. But we don't have to wait for weekends since I'm retired.”

But I'm not. I didn't plan any of this, and now I'm caught in a web not of my own making.

If you go ahead with the preschool project, that will be your own making.

Sometimes she wished she could strangle that bullying voice, even if it was correct. But God hadn't told her yet to quit, so perhaps this whole thing was His idea. She had sure felt that in the beginning. An answer to prayers for success, a business of her own, one that would use all her talents. She took hold with both hands and dragged her attention to what Ken was saying.

“You want me to go ahead and set this up?” he asked. “I know you used to do all the travel arrangements, but I'd like to do this one.”

More power to you.
“So let me get my calendar.” She dragged herself up the stairs. Yes, this was a great idea, but why right now? Of course, she hadn't been offered the project yet, and perhaps this would be taken out of her hands.
Lord, I do want what is best for all of us, but I hadn't planned on this many of us. I was hoping Ken would help me in my business.
She picked up her calendar and flipped to July. Only the one project to finish, so if she didn't take on anything new, she could do it.

Back downstairs, she showed him her calendar.

“So, I can go ahead?”

“Have at it. I need to let Marit know that we can pick up the kids or she can bring them home. Remember that the play is two days away. Hard to believe two weeks has gone this fast. Did you get the mail yet?”

“No, I was going to do that when I went for the kids.”

“We'll go get it. Come on, Ambrose.” She snapped his lead on at the door, and the two headed across the lawn. She stopped to check on the flower bed across the front of their property. The daisies were budding, as were the irises. She had planted mostly perennials in this bed just filling in with a few annuals, zinnias and marigolds being her favorites. She bent over and deadheaded a couple; then she and Ambrose crossed on the stone path to the mailbox. Ambrose whined and wagged his tail; the neighbor's dog was up at the fence.

“No, you don't need to go greet her.” She pulled the bundled mail out and slammed the door. The mailbox needed to be painted again. She hadn't painted for a long time; would she be able to do it again? Able, yes, but could she find time? Rather than flipping through the mail, they headed back to the house.

Ken met her at the door. “Come on, let's go get the kids.”

“I wasn't planning on going.”

“Oh, come along, you and Ambrose both.”

Ambrose perked up and turned to look at the door.

“Oh, all right.” Mona laid the mail on the center island. “But you know with all of us there, someone is going to suggest ice cream.”

Ambrose leaned toward the door. He loved ice cream, too.

Once they were in the car, Ken turned to her. “This is the way I pictured retirement. We could just jump in the car and go do something on the spur of the moment. My life has been so planned for so long, I am treasuring freedom.”

They dragged the two from cousin playing and stopped for Popsicles after at the little store to eat on the drive home.

“So, how was Bible school today?” Ken asked.

“I got all my verses just right,” Mellie said, catching a falling piece of Popsicle. “I get an award for memorizing all my verses.”

“How was yours, Jakey?” Mona asked. She and Jake had worked on his.

He heaved a sigh. “Okay. Teacher had to help me.”

“Jake has a hard time memorizing anything.” Big sister bit again.

“Was that a kind thing to say?” Mona asked.

Mellie stuck out her bottom lip. “It was true.”

“Maybe, but you have to remember he is only five and you just turned ten.”

“I got three right all by myself.” Jake's lower lip matched his sister's.

“Good for you,” Ken said as he pulled into their driveway and parked. He opened the rear for Ambrose to jump out.

In the house, Mona set her purse on the counter and picked up the mail. When she flipped to the third piece, she let out a shriek. “Oh, Ken, kids, come quick. Hurry!”

Ken burst through the door. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing's wrong.” She mopped her tears and waved a big envelope at all three of them. “It's from Steig!”

“Daddy wrote to us?” Mellie jumped up and down and even made Jake giggle as they danced together, spinning around.

“Daddy's coming home.”

“Come on, let's go sit on the sofa, and we'll read this together.”

“Hurry and open it.” They all plunked on the sofa, and Ken took out his knife to carefully slice open the top. Several letters fell out in Mona's lap. She picked them up. “Here's one for Jakey, one for Mellie, one for Grampy, and for me, and one for both of us.”