Chapter 1
Leah opened her eyes to a strange and startling sensation with heat
beating on her face and body, yet beneath her was something cool and chilling.
She moved to sit upright and realized she had been floating on water. ’What
happened?′ she thought. Then a terrifying realization flooded her mind. Ian,
the man, the boat, the pain in her left arm. She must get to the bank of the lake.
Fighting against breathtaking pain in her chest and arm she found she
was in only four feet of water. She had floated all the way to the water’s edge.
‘Could it be that Angels were in charge?’ How had she come from the middle
of this huge lake to the edge unknowingly? Staggering from weakness and
shrieking from the pain of moving her arm, she emerged from the foul smelling
water.
Finally on the bank, with her good arm, she scooped enough water to
get the clinging algae from her body. Having rid herself of the slimy muck,
she examined her aching arm. Huge dark blue-green bruises covered the lower
part of her arm,where the man had grabbed her and thrown her to her death
arena. Her arm and shoulder was red and swollen to an enormous size. The
pain in her heart from knowing Ian wanted her dead, was more piercing than
the pain in her arm and shoulder. In weak trauma, she succumbed to the misery
she faced. In the silence of nowhere, she screamed and wailed to be heard by
no one, releasing her emotions to the airways that offered no comfort.
After a span of a tortuous mixture of physical and emotional hurt, Leah
mustered the strength to pull herself laboriously to her feet. “Aunt Nora, I
need you.” Her lips expelled the words as another cry unheard, but her escape
valve from reality was her retroactive memories reflecting her Aunt Nora’s love.
Her Aunt’s word’s echoed from some yesterday of the past, when she said while
hugging her at the funeral of her parents and brothers, Jonathan and Derek.
Numbed and shocked, she spoke the words between heartbreaking sobs. “Leah,
the Bible says that all things work together for good for those that love the Lord
and are called according to his purpose.”
“I know Aunt Nora but what good could possibly come from this?”
She looked sternly into her Aunt’s eyes, awaiting an answer from the grieving
soul who was also suffering the lose of her dear Sister, Leah’s Mother. “I don’t
know yet child but it will come to us someday.”
A few months later, they had walked, arm in arm, from the same cemetery,
also clothed in black, grieving the death of their dearly departed Jenny. They
had rode home in silence from the funeral almost all the way home, that day.
Leah had wished her Aunt would talk. She had said little since the tragic news
of Jenny’s death. Jenny’s death. Those two words didn’t seem to belong together.
Finally, Aunt Nora spoke, looking straight ahead through the rain spattered
windshield. “Don’t lose faith Leah, whatever you do, don’t lose faith.”
“I’ll try Aunt Nora, I’ll try.” She answered wheeling the car into the
driveway of what would someday be the home of her and Ian.
Coming back to reality, Leah looked up to see the sun high in the sky,
indicating noonday. If she could fight the pain and weakness, she wasn’t that
far from home. She could make it before Ian got home at six-thirty or seven
from the car lot where he exceeded all the other salesmen in sales, in the
area. ′ If only,′ she thought, ‘I can make it to Jenny’s apartment, I’ll be okay.’ A
walk through the field would bring her to the entrance to Jenny’s apartment
in the back of the house but she knew the trek would be risky and dangerous.
She would feel sheltered there. It was where Jenny would want her to be at a
time like this
With her ankles scratched and stinging from the saw briars, Leah
trudged through the unmowed meadow, despite the agonizing pain in her arm,
until forced by exhaustion and shortness of breath, she dropped to the ground,
clutching her chest as pain ripped through her. Suddenly, a startling sound
behind her diverted her attention. Quickly, she turned to see a coiled rattlesnake flickering it’s tongue in silent warning, a spiraled death threat, sending a rattling
message that it considered her an unwelcome intruder. Adversity knew many
directions, with all pathways leading to her. She shuffled quickly against pain
and arose to leave. There was no option or choice.
Fighting against weariness and breath in short gasps, Leah trudged on
until finally the house was in sight. An upward glance told her there was still
time before Ian would be getting home from work. The sun’s position seemed
to portray early afternoon. Surveying the distance, between her and the house,
she encouraged herself with the fact that there was only a few weary feet to go
and she would be safe inside Jenny’s apartment.
Standing at the front of the house, looking at the five steps that led up
to the porch and front door, the challenge for her was equivalent to climbing
Mount Everest, yet the greater challenge was at the back steps that led up to
the apartment. Once inside the downstairs, she could find food and eat and get
strength to enable her to climb to the upstairs apartment that Aunt Nora had
firmly ordered Uncle Clem to make in the third story for Jenny. Leah was
grateful that there was only an outside entrance and it was in the back. Uncle
Clem had reluctantly agreed, murmuring with every driven nail, but Aunt Nora
usually got her way. Uncle Clem just never seemed to realize just how many
times.
The hidden key Leah kept in a plastic bag in the geranium pot was still
there, ‘Thank goodness’ she thought nervously. With her heart thumping against
her chest, she fumbled with the key in the lock until finally at last, she was
standing inside. A quick glance at the mantle clock told her it was almost four
o’clock. Ian wouldn’t be home for two and a half or three hours. Even so, her
heart raced with fear at the thought of him finding her here. He wanted her dead,
that was for sure but what could be the motive? She pondered the thought for
a moment then quickly grabbed some plastic bags, dashing as fast as she could,
from room to room, gathering food, clothes and toiletries, whatever Ian wouldn’t
miss, throwing them carelessly in the bag. Quickly, she threw some non perish-
ables from the pantry, stopping only for a moment to give into the pain that
certainly hadn’t been going unnoticed. She raced to the bathroom to get
some pain relievers and hurriedly took them. Some meat loaf, chips, bread
and soda from the refrigerator would make a nice feast for tonight, after
days without food. She wondered what day it was. ’How long had she been
out there on the lake? How long since she had eaten?′
At the foot of the apartment steps, Leah rested and ate a meatloaf
sandwich and chips thinking how ironic life had become. Her own home
and she had to live in it like a fugitive.
Glancing to the top of the long stretch of steps, she knew she must
soon start upward. It would be hard with the groceries but there was no
ultimatum, she already felt she had gained some strength from the food
making it a much easier task. The pain in her arm had started to ease
somewhat from the pain medication she’d taken in the bathroom.
Finally, at the top of the steps Leah found the hidden key, no doubt
untouched by anyone since Jenny left the apartment the day of her death.
Safely inside, she felt secure, as if from the grave, Jenny had provided her
warmth and safety.
Rushing to the bathroom Leah turned the hot water on and watched
the welcomed gush of warm water flow into the tub. Quickly, she dumped in
loads of bubble bath she’d brought from downstairs watching the foaming
bubbles create a mound. The floral essence filled her nostrils overriding
the stench of the lake on her body. Sliding into the warm water, she soaked
her weary body for a length of time, as she began to feel some relief from the invigorating warmth of the water.
After a long soak, Leah quickly dried her hair with Jenny’s hair dryer
and rubbed analgestic cream on her arm and shoulder, hoping Ian wouldn’t
miss the tube she’d brought from downstairs. The thought plagued her that
he might miss her purse and become suspicious but she’d had to chance that
along with other important things she’d taken. Would he try to find her cell
phone? Was there a clue dangling anywhere that would lead to suspicion that
she existed somewhere.
Leah dressed in blue silk pajamas and robe, reveling in the pleasure of
being clean from the dried algae and fishy smell of the lake. She walked around
studying the apartment. It was the first time she’d been here since Jenny’s death.
It had almost become a shrine with her and Aunt Nora both. Everything re-
mained quite the same. The yellow checkered kitchen curtains, yellow canisters,
Pictures of lemons and yellow flowers graced the dining room walls, wall border
circled the wall with clusters of lemons. A bookshelf divider separated the kitchen
and dining area from the large living room, decorated in rich burgundy and navy.
A huge stone fireplace, another Aunt Nora request. “Now Clem,” She’d said,
“You know we have heavy ice storms her in Tennessee and the electricity goes
off sometimes. I want a fireplace on each floor. We don’t want Jenny’s pipes to
freeze, being upstairs it’s a surefire thing to happen, Aunt Nora in her flour dusted
apron exclaimed as she continued stirring her sausage gravy and peeking in the
oven to see if her biscuits had reached their golden brown peak. Uncle Clem
kept reading the newspaper and sipping his coffee as if he hadn’t heard. Both
Leah and Aunt Nora knew there would be a fireplace in all three stories of the
house. The rest of the apartment held two bedrooms, each with private baths
and a hallway between.
Leah stood before the living room window that faced the front of the
house. A window she would use quite frequently to watch for Ian’s car to come
up the drive. She looked wistfully at her red Saturn sitting next to Ian’s parking
place, being of no value to her now.
Leah seated herself by the window with strained emotions, wanting to
watch for Ian to come home, just to see him from a safe distance, and pretend
for a brief moment the past few days hadn’t happened. She sat musing, her
eyes fixed on the window, deciding the drapes would have to be changed to a
thickness that would prevent any light from being seen at night. So strange,
she thought, Aunt Nora had never had Jenny’s phone disconnected and neither
had she, since she had moved here. The electricity was all on one meter, the
television cable was connected to the ones downstairs, so the living here would
be cheap. That was a miracle in itself, this being a recession. “I guess you’re
right Aunt Nora about all things working together for good for them that love
the Lord and are called according to His purpose.” She spoke the words aloud
to herself, not exactly sure what the last ones meant but the first part was self explanatory. Sadly she longed to see her Aunt Nora but dared not because her
Aunt would call the Law Officers and have Ian arrested and she wanted to wait
this thing out and find out a few things. When the bruises and soreness were
gone, she would pay Aunt Nora a visit.
Darkness had fallen, Leah sat in the dark room until the headlights from
Ian’s car appeared. She watched as he slowly brought the car to a stop in front
of the house, activating the motion light. He got out of the car and walked brisk-
ly toward the house, seemingly unaffected by the evil deed he had done to her.
The lump in her throat ached, her heart ached. He was so handsome in his dark
blue suit with a white shirt and red tie. He showed no remorse that she could tell.
‘Oh, dear God,’ She thought,′ Let this be a dream, so I can wake up and find that
it’s really not true.′ Hot tears of agony streamed down her face as she sat think-
ing she should be downstairs spending the evening with her husband, instead of
weeping because he wanted her dead. The harsh grip of reality reached to the
core of her awareness and squeezed all hope from within her. With darkness
being her only companion, Leah sat frozen in the memories of yesteryear, her
only escape from tonight’s pain.
Daylight broke through the shadows of night and found Leah still sitting
by the window. The night had been a sleepless one. Hour after hour she had
longed for daylight, for what reason she wasn’t sure. It was six o’clock Ian would
be up now. She could hear no sounds downstairs because of the well insulated
second floor between them but his morning routine would be forever etched in her
memory. First he exercised, showered and shaved, emerging from the bathroom
in a perfectly matched suit, shirt and tie, smelling of a soft woodsy mas-
culine fragrance, making his way to the kitchen for two cups of heavy
creamed coffee and doughnuts. Between the two cups of coffee he would
go out and get the morning paper to read while drinking his second cup.
Leah sat visualizing each of his routine movements and realized
her visualization was almost accurate to the minute, when she saw him
leave for work, wearing a gray suit and navy tie, carrying his briefcase.
She watched as the hurt in her heart liquified and streamed down her
face and dampened her silk robe. After throwing the briefcase in the back
seat he returned to the house. A few minutes later he came out with a
garment bag thrown over his shoulder. This meant he would be gone
overnight. That would give her some time to check some things out down-
stairs.
In shock, Leah came to, lying face down on the living room floor.
The last thing she remembered was getting up to shower and get dressed.
Apparently she’s only taken a few steps and collapsed. Shrouded with fear
and weak with nausea, she struggled with all the strength she could mus-
ter, to pull herself up with the help of a nearby chair, falling into it in an
exhausted heap, lying lifeless until she at last regained enough strength to
sit up. Aware that her heart was racing she acknowledged that she must see
a doctor as soon as possible.
About an hour later Leah made her way to the kitchen, holding on to
chairs and the counter top to keep from losing her balance. Swaying at times,
she managed to make coffee and scramble some eggs and make toast. Seating
herself at the table, loading her toast with butter and a heavy overlay of straw-
berry jam, she thought of her day’s agenda. She must have been out about
two hours but the day was still young and she could accomplish a lot if she
just didn’t exceed her ability. First she would eat to try and regain some strength,
then she would lie down and try to reach a state of composure, then go down-
stairs and find some important papers, get some more food and clothes, check
messages on the answering machine and check the mail. Ian probably wouldn’t
be back until tomorrow night at least, that would assure her safety down there.
The heat from the steaming shower relaxed the hurting shoulder and arm
making her movements less painful. She stepped from the shower and dressed
slowly in a blue tee and jeans. A quick glance in the bathroom mirror reflected
red swollen eyes and a mask of sadness. She downplayed the look with makeup,
mascara and a little blush, hurrying to get downstairs while she still had strength.
It would be a long hard day, at best but there was no alternative. She would face
it with courage and boldness, drawing from an inner well of determination, that
lay pooled within her being.
‘How ironic’, Leah thought, as she slowly and cautiously turned the door-
knob on the house she had boldly entered for years. A house that held only her
name on the deed, yet she felt frightened as though Ian might be lurking some-
where. Before entering she peered inside, then entered quietly, closing the door
behind her softly. Her eyes trailed across all the visible area of the living
room and kitchen. The morning newspaper was scattered all over the din-
ing room table, indicating Ian had done a frantic search for a report on a
body being found in Creston lake. Usually, he looked at the front page
headlines and the sport page and folded the paper neatly and carried it to his
desk to read later when he came home at night.
Leah stared at the half cup of coffee and the partially eaten doughnut
that was unusual even though it was a minute detail. Having observed the
dining room, Leah then ventured to Ian’s desk to search for any information
she could find. The desk was covered with a mound of disheveled papers,
some torn from scrap paper with phone numbers written on them, some with
names, but none familiar to her. Her attention focused on the papers that had identification sources on them. Some were just scribbled identification phone
numbers, one that said drivers license with a phone number. Leah was quick
to grab a piece of paper and jot down all the phone numbers and any information
they had written on them and slid them in her jean’s pocket. Her attention was
diverted to a folded paper. She opened it quickly to find it was a bank note Ian
had borrowed eight hundred thousand dollars on monthly installment plans of
ten thousand dollars a month. ’How had he done that during a recession with
banks failing everyday with nothing in his name for collateral?′ Nervously
Leah opened the check book which held an account in both her and Ian’s names.
Her eyes glided quickly over every transaction. August seventeenth showed a
deposits made in the amount of fifty thousand dollars with a check written to a
Jim Merzonitzi on August eighteenth for the same amount of the deposit. Well,
she thought, that certainly is interesting, Jim was the name Ian called the strange
mystical man that had flung her from the boat the day of her intended murder.
Her hands trembled, her whole body shook with fright as she made a printed
copies of the checking account and the other papers with with any information
she may need.
Lingering at her desk, Leah double checked everything in her plastic bag
to see if she had got every possible shred of evidence she would need along with
other important papers she may need. Her savings account book, her deed to the
house, all insurance papers. In a very hurried manner she dived to her closet and
draped pantsuits, blouses, sweaters and jeans over her arms, and stuffed shoes in
a bag until she had all that she could carry. Being somewhat satisfied, knowing
that she had retrieved everything of value, she carefully locked the desk drawer
and very saddened, left her rightful home and returned to Jenny’s apartment.
Upstairs, Leah transferred the things she’d brought from her desk to Jenny’s
desk. Proud of her plunder, she went back downstairs for more food. The pantry
held food that Ian wasn’t even aware of because she did all the grocery shopping
Thrusting canned milk, powdered milk, soup, dried beans, canned corn, salmon, tuna, cereal, corn meal, canned peaches hurriedly in a bag, she went to the
freezer and filled the bag to the max with steak, pork chops, hamburger, shrimp,
frozen peas, corn and okra.
Leah’s next state of awareness found her lying face down in the downstairs
living room floor.
“Oh my heaven’s,” She exclaimed,”I’ve got to see a doctor.” Gathering the scattered groceries and clothes that surrounded her, she vowed she would make
an appointment soon for a checkup. Another blackout, this time in a dangerous
place. The thought brought panic that Ian could have found her. Her breathing
became laborious in short gasps. Perspiration broke out over her entire body as
she crawled on her hands and knees and gathered the rest of the groceries and
pulled herself up, using a nearby chair.
Staggering from weakness and exhausting fear, Leah rested on the apart-
ment steps every few minutes, until finally reaching the top. She hastened to put
the meat in the refrigerator before collapsing in the recliner. Agonizing pain
seared through her arm and shoulder, ‘How could Ian have hated her this much?’
Ripping the thought from her mind, she forced her way against the pain to the
medicine cabinet to get pain pills for relief.
The next day at noon Leah sat on the upstairs balcony sipping tomato
soup and watching the hummingbirds dart to the feeders she had cleaned and
filled with the sweet red liquid. She focused on her plans for the days ahead,
finding it hard to ascertain a new way of life without Ian. One thing for sure,
she wanted to stay here and find out what this plan of his was all about, even
if the risk should cost her her life and staying here was the only way that it
could be done. She looked down at Aunt Nora’s breathtaking perennials that
made a vivid array of color all around the house and thought how flowers always
made a comeback each year. Within her, lay the same potential. She would revive.
Leah leaned her head back and closed her eyes and escaped to her
euphoric paradise, thinking of Aunt Nora and Uncle Clem when they had built
this house and their cute little arguments, with Aunt Nora always winning and
Uncle Clem never realizing that she had. These little tiffs occurred with every
situation they encountered.
“Nora, you don’t built a balcony for the attic.” Uncle Clem had stated
pleadingly, dressed in his usual attire, a tee shirt and bibbed overalls, a strikingly handsome man with blue eyes and graying hair at the temples a contrast to his
black hair.
“You do if you’re going to make it into an apartment, besides it will also
make a good fire escape if you put a landing at each floor. Think how pretty that
will make the back of the house look.”
Uncle Clem’s silent response always meant yes. Leah breathed a deep
sigh and thought, ’All these things Aunt Nora had demanded had contributed to
her convenience.′ The thought that God had been looking out for her had become intriguing. ‘Was this apartment His plan or Aunt Nora’s?’ She questioned, watch-
ing the bright colored butterflies flitting among the lavender butterfly bushes.
How she wished she could be so carefree, thinking of the many things she
must take care of in the next few days. She would however relax and try to regain
more strength. Right now her agenda was mostly eating and sleeping and watch-
ing television but there were several phone calls she must make.
A sudden gentle breeze caressed her face as if knowing she needed a
soothing moment. ′ I need a close friend,′ she thought, remembering how Ian
had kept her so isolated, during their five years of marriage, that friends had
quit calling. He found fault with everyone she socialized with, causing her to
succumb to his demands and whims. Looking back over the past five years of
their marriage, she wondered, ’Was there any truth at all in his words of endear-
ment or was the whole thing just a farce, planning her death? Why not? These
things were making the headlines everyday, it just didn’t seem possible that it
would hit home. The one difference, in most cases, her body hadn’t been found.′
‘Oh well,’ she thought, reaching for her cell phone on the chair beside her,
she must put these thoughts aside and call Aunt Nora.
The phone rang for a lengthy time, still no answer. “Hi Aunt Nora, Leah,
I just wanted to touch base and see how you’re doing. Sorry I missed you, I’ll
get back with you soon. If you call me first, please call on my cell phone instead
of the number at the house. I’ll explain later. Love ya.” She folded the phone
with an uncomfortable twinge of guilt for not having called her Aunt sooner.
Determined to keep closer contact, she made a silent repentant vow.
Three days passed and Leah made calls to Aunt Nora to no avail, know-
ing something was wrong, early the next morning, she showered and dressed
in a pinstriped pantsuit, packed a bag and called a taxi, giving directions to the
paved road that led to the back of the house, giving Jenny a private drive.
Leah stood waiting at the end of the drive when the elderly driver arrived.
He spoke a polite “Good Morning.” and opened the door. “Beautiful morning
isn’t it ?” he added. “Yes Sir, it is.” She answered as she seated herself, wincing
from the pain from having to use her arm unexpectedly. He closed the door
gently and was seated in the driver’s seat in a flash. After buckling his seat belt
he turned with a quick glance.. “Where to, Miss?” She answered,”Silver
Retirement Center in Jonesville.”
They rode in silence, for which Leah was glad. The pain in her shoulder
and arm hadn’t let up.
Sooner than expected, the driver pulled into the parking lot of an elaborate looking building with a beautiful landscaped lawn, heavily laden with various
flowers, spotted with weeping willows, birch trees and flowering mimosas.
Leah thought, ‘This was Aunt Nora’s kind of place.’ A quick look at her watch
told her it was only a forty-five minute drive from home. She would have to
visit often now.
Leah quickly paid the driver, plus a pleasurable tip that left him smiling,
and wishing her a good day.
The young receptionist looked up from her paperwork and gave a brief
smile. “May I help You?” Her face was framed in bouncy blonde curls that complimented her navy sheath dress.
“Yes.” Leah replied. “I’m here to see my Aunt Nora. Nora Blakely.”
“Nora Blakely? I’m sorry ma’am, she was moved to the hospital last week.”
“Wh-Which hospital?” Leah asked anxiously. Her face paled, a tidal
wave of guilt swept over her for not having been in touch with her Aunt more
often.
“Beaumont Medical Center.” The girl replied sympathetically.
“I need to call a taxi.” Leah gave a weak whisper.
“I’ll do that for you.” The receptionist answered with a quizzical look.
She asked, “Are you sure you’re all right? I’m sorry the news about your Aunt
had to be so blunt.” She spoke apologetically, seeing Leah’s concerned ex-
pression.
“ I’m okay thank you.”
Once again, Leah boarded a taxi. This time the driver was short spoken
and curt. “Where to?” He asked, holding the door for her.
“Beaumont Medical Center.” Leah replied, relieved that this driver didn’t
seem to be talkative. A brief salutation was all that was needed at this time, with
this stabbing pain. Her mind was bombarded with too many things to engage in
useless conversation. He seemed to be on the same page as she, being stone silent
the whole trip.
Nervously, Leah approached the room where Aunt Nora lay with her
eyes closed. She walked to her Aunt’s bedside with leaded feet. Hesitantly she
touched the hand of her aunt. “Aunt Nora?” The paled form of life stirred
slightly, then slowly opened her eyes. “Leah! I’ve tried to call you so many
times. Why couldn’t I reach you during the past few days? I’ve been leaving
messages. How did you find me?”
“I’m so sorry Aunt Nora, I should have given you my cell phone number.”
Leah spoke the words apologetically as she pulled the chair close to
her Aunt’s bedside, taking her hand between her’s.
“Aunt Nora, why are you here?” She asked hoping against hope it wasn’t anything too serious.
She looked a t Leah in silence for a moment before answering. “It’s my
heart Leah. It’s not doing too well.” She looked so tired, Leah’s heart ached at
the thought of what this meant.
“You’re going to be fine Aunt Nora, just fine.” She lifted the frail hand
to her cheek. “I’m going to stay here in Jonesville with you for a while.”
“ Did Ian come with you Leah?”
It was the question Leah hoped wouldn’t be asked. “No Aunt Nora, he’s
not with me. He’s working.”
“Will you raise my bed, please Leah?” Glad the request had dissuaded
the subject, Leah jumped to her feet, raising the bed with her good arm. “Is that
okay? Are you comfortable ?”
“That’s fine, Dear.” Her aunt’s voice seemed to require energy she lacked.
Leah studied her Aunt. She looked pale in the navy bed jacket, so contrasting to
her paleness. Leah wanted to push time back and see her Aunt as she was in former
years. It was as though someone else were lying in that bed, using her name as
an alias. ’Could it be she would soon be losing her one and only relative?
Her one and only friend?′ If only she could play tug of war with death and
hold her Aunt in an invisible vice away from it’s snare. She looked closer to
see if she was breathing, she was so still and lifeless with hardly any bulk
under the snow white blanket.
Aunt Nora’s rousing caused a quick response from Leah. She turned from
the window from viewing the parking lot, six stories below where cars occupied
every space. People pulled in and out as if programed to keep parking spaces
from being empty like a huge remote controlled game.
“Leah?” Her Aunts voice sounded weak. “Yes Aunt Nora?” Leah
answered as she hurried to her bedside, and sat beside her, once again holding
her hand.
“I’m sure you still have the key to the safe deposit box at the bank.” She
spoke slowly with pauses between almost every word.
“Yes, Aunt Nora, I have it on my key chain.” She had carried it since
Jenny’s death but never knew what it contained, because of her Aunt’s request
for it not to be opened until her death.
“Everything’s in there, you’ll see. All of my arrangements are completed.”
Leah didn’t like where this conversation was heading. She knew.
She knew she was losing Aunt Nora, on top of everything else. Her Aunt’s
weakened voice broke the silence of the room, with an almost gasping sound.
“Op-Open the white envelope first.”
“Aunt Nora, what does the Doctor say? Can you have surgery?” Her
voice was toned with a deep plea.
“No Honey, I wouldn’t make it through. The Doctor’s told me that up
front, leaving no room for doubt. Don’t you worry Dear, I’m going home to
Jesus. I hate to leave you but you’ve got Ian. It’s not like I’m leaving you with
no one. I’d hoped you would have me some little nieces and nephews but I
suppose it wasn’t to be.”
She forced a half smile, patting Leah’s hand, then added, “You’re still
young , you can still start a family.”
“Are you sure about the surgery?” Leah asked trying to control the
trembling in her voice.
“I’m sure Honey. I’ve been through it with both Doctors. They won’t
consent because it’s risky.”
Leah found it harder to concede than her Aunt did. She stepped aside
as the nurse came with the food cart and sat the meal on the bed table and
rolled it to her, carefully lifting the stainless steel cover and placing every-
thing within easy reach. Her face held a friendly smile with perfect teeth adding
a much needed cheerful note to the room’s saddened atmosphere. “Here you are
Mrs. Blakely, I see you’ve got company. How nice.” She threw Leah a friendly
smile.
“This is my Niece, Leah.” Her voice was a low whisper
“Nice to meet you Leah.. You have a lovely Aunt. We’ve all fallen in love
with her.”
“That comes natural to all who know her. It’s nice to meet you too.”
Lead managed a forced smile.
The nurse busied herself making the elderly lady comfortable, arrang-
ing her pillows behind her and straightening out her bedding. “Now Mrs.
Blakely you should be comfortable now. “ She spoke making a cheerful
departure.
“Oh Aunt Nora doesn’t that look good? Your favorite food, meat loaf,
mashed potatoes, peas, a roll , ice cream and milk. Why don’t I go down to the
cafeteria and get something and bring it up here so we can have a meal together?”
“Okay Dear.” She answered as her eyes adoringly watched her niece
leave the room, blowing her a kiss. “Be right back.” Leah’s words trailed over
her shoulder as she vanished in the hallway.
