Adi stood gazing out the window, the one that faced the road and the schoolyard with the swing - that swing that always reminded her of her abrupt landing into adulthood. Never had she returned to that swing, and never would she. So much had happened in her life since that day eight months ago, the day her mother - the day they'd buried her mother, the day she became an adult.
A smile spread over her face as she thought about her Heavenly Day Care centre. It had given a purpose to her life and had brought her so much joy; she thought about the happiness on Annie's face each day when she returned to the house after doing her neighbourhood chores; she thought of the contentment that spilled over from her dad as he came in from his workshop and garage for his meals. Her smile broadened when she thought about Granny. How she had changed in the past few months, since she'd come to live on the ranch permanently. It was just like she was a new person. She was coming now into the Daycare centre every day, offering her help with the feeding of the children. Granny had taken a special interest in quiet, backward Clara. She had managed to coax a smile from her face from time to time. Oh, life was good!
With tears beginning to form in Adi's eyes, she thought back to when the change had begun in her granny - or was it in her? Thinking back to that day, Boxing Day when at Chuckie's, after the meal, the neighbours had shared their Christmas joy. As was expected, Annie got the ball rolling. With her usual exuberance, she shared how she had enjoyed getting to know her neighbours, and how happy she was to have her Granny with her.
Adi wiped a tear from her eye just now. She remembered glancing over at Granny and seeing her wipe her eyes. Then it was Adi who spoke next. She barely recalled what she said, but she did remember going over to Granny and putting her arms around her and telling her that she also was glad she had joined the family. Next it was Ed's turn. He had gone to each of his family and embraced them. It was then that Granny did a remarkable thing. She went over to Lily's chair, and lifting her out, she embraced her - for the first time ever. And then she set Lily on her lap, where she stayed the rest of the evening. It was as if heaven had opened, spilling light on the whole room. By the end of the evening, every person at Chuckie's had shared some sunshine. There wasn't a dry eye in the place. It was as if the whole neighbourhood had come INTO THE LIGHT.
***
Now it was the first Monday in March, and the early spring thaw had turned the country roads into gooey gumbo. The children were having their morning nap, and as Adi stood at the window, sipping a cup of coffee, she noticed a pickup truck slipping and sliding, then coming to a sudden stop. It was just beyond the front gate. A man slithered out from the driver's seat and stood beside the truck. He removed his cap and swiped at his forehead. His truck was obviously stuck...But what could Adi do? She couldn't leave the children to go talk to him. So she went to the door and called as loud as she could.
"I'll call my dad to help you. I'll just be a minute." She ran to the intercom and called Ed.
"Dad'll be here in a jiff," she called back.
The man walked a few steps toward the house. "I have a problem," he said, wiping his forehead again with his cap. "I have my little girl with me. She's... handicapped. I can't... leave her by herself."
"Well, you've come to the right place," said Adi. "I run a daycare for handicapped children. Bring your daughter in. Dad's on his way."
The man, whose age Adi hadn't determined, walked carefully toward the house carrying his daughter.
"Put her here for now," said Adi, pointing to the couch. "My, my name is Adi. My Dad's name is Ed."
Just then Annie, her face as bright as the sunshine, burst into the house. She had heard the call on the intercom and had run ahead of her dad. "And I'm Annie. What's your name?" she asked. "I'm sure my introverted big sister has forgotten to ask."
"I WAS getting around to that!" Adi, slightly embarrassed, smiled self-consciously.
"I'm John...ah... John Cooper."
"And I'm Ed, the girls' dad." Ed, having just come in the door, smiled and gave John a firm handshake. You stay here and Adi will give you a cup of hot coffee, or tea, if you prefer. I'm sure you could use one." Ed could see that his oldest, somewhat-shy-daughter was a bit flustered. "I'll be back before you know it - with my tractor."
"Adi, you stay here and look after our guests. I'll go fix a tray," always-helpful-Annie quipped.
John paced the floor, looking nervously toward his little girl, and then back at Adi.
"Oh! I'm so sorry. I forgot to ask. What's your daughter's name?" Adi walked toward the sofa where the child was. She smiled at her and took her hand. "My name is Adi. Can you tell me your name?"
Drool running from the child's mouth, she stared at Adi, a blank look on her face.
"Oh. Sorry. It's Linda. Her name is Linda. She... she can't talk. She's--"
Feeling John's nervousness, and feeling her own shyness, she stammered, "I'll look after Linda. How about you go to the kitchen and have that cup of coffee my sister's made."
Adi studied the girl while she changed her wet clothes, relieved to see that Lily's clothes fit her perfectly. She was puzzled. She couldn't put a handle on Linda's condition. She could see that she wasn't spastic, as were Lily and Geordie, so what ever could her handicap be? Settling Linda comfortably in a bed, and seeing that she fell asleep immediately, she went to the kitchen to help Annie prepare lunch.
In the half hour or so that it took the men to get the pickup out of the mud and hauled to Ed's garage, the girls had lunch on the table. There was a gentle knock on the kitchen door, and John came timidly in, explaining that their dad would be in, in a few minutes.
Just as Adi was about to excuse herself from the kitchen, to go and check on the children--they would be awake now, waiting for their meal--Fiona arrived, having finished her day of cleaning jobs. Annie quickly explained the situation, about the pickup being stuck on the back road, and about his handicapped daughter. "We haven't found out yet why the man was on that farm road, instead of coming the way you did, the asphalt highway, but I am sure in time he'll tell us," said Annie.
"I'll take care of the feeding and caring for the children," Fiona gently pushed Adi aside. "You stay and join the gang for lunch."
Oh what would Adi have done without Fiona for the past - how long had it been? Adi left the question dangling in her mind, as she touched Fiona's arm and headed for the kitchen.
Granny, having just come in from her quarters to join the family for lunch, smiled at Adi. Taking her by the arm, she escorted her to the vacant place at the table by John. "Fiona is perfectly capable of looking after John's little girl," she said. "Just as capable as she is at looking after her own little Geordie."
Adi reached over and gave her granny a kiss on the cheek, again amazed at the change in her.
"Sorry, John," Ed said, returning from the garage. He took off his cap and wiped his brow with it. "Sorry," he repeated. "I'm afraid I can't get your pick up going today. The axle's broken. I'll have to go to town for a part."
John put his head down, a worried look on his face. "But what am I going to do? I have the rest of the mail to deliver. I still have three farms to get to."
"Don't worry about that. Soon as lunch is over you and I will go with the tractor to deliver your mail." Ed looked over at Adi and winked. "My very capable and beautiful daughter will take good care of your little girl, and we can easily put you up for the night. We have a recently vacated suite in the basement." Ed smiled at his mother.
During their very bumpy ride to deliver the remaining mail by tractor to Thornton's, Strange's and Thompson's mail boxes, Ed heard a little of John's story.
Reluctant to talk at first, John told Ed that ten months ago he had lost his wife in a car accident. "That's when my life came to a dead stop." John's voice broke and he buried his head in his hands.
"Look John. Don't talk about it now if you don't want to. I can relate to your pain. I lost my wife eight months ago. And my life came to a dead stop too. If it hadn't been for my wonderful daughters, I would still be in a--" Ed stopped for a minute, then continued. "You know John, your getting stuck right in front of our house was no accident. God doesn't bring sadness and pain into a person's life without also bringing balm, comfort. I'm truly sorry you lost your wife, leaving you by yourself to care for your little daughter. But God also knew exactly where to cause your truck to get stuck." Ed stopped talking. Seeing his new friend's emotional turmoil, he decided that he would just commit John to the Lord, asking Him for some guidance as to how to help him.
ADELAIDE SERIES:
Story 1 - An Abrupt Landing
Story 2 - Out of the Shadows
Story 3 - Heavenly Sunshine
Story 4 - Reflections
Story 5 - Mists From The Past -I
Story 6 - Mists From The Past -II
Story 7 - The Birthday Surprise
Story 8 - Dad's Big Surprise
Story 9 - Further Surprises
Story 10 - Into The Light
Watch for further stories in the ADELAIDE SERIES at a later date. hmd