Closest to Your Heart- Chapter Four

CHAPTER 4

May looked over at Oliver as he drove the truck. She smiled at him and when he turned his head shortly with a puzzled expression, she laughed.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"Your face."
"What's wrong with it?" he asked, watching the road.
"Nothin'". She replied, still smiling. "How'd you like Audrienne?"
"Now, Ma-"
"I know, don't go match-making. I wasn't! I just wanted to know what you thought of her."
"She seemed nice." Oliver shrugged.
"Good. I think we'll be seein' quite a bit of her."
"Why's that?"
"Well, she works at the hospital where your Pa is, and she's friendly. I think we'll get to know each other pretty well by the time this whole thing is over." May said.
"She's a nice girl," she added as an after-thought.
Oliver sighed.
"What was that for?" his mother asked.
"You sound like you're suggestin' something."
"Look, son, I won't push either of you, I promise." she paused. " I'll just let things take their natural course."
"Ma!" Oliver cried, exasperated.
May laughed.
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The next day at the hospital, May sat alone with Abel. All the nurses were busy, Audrienne was working, and Ruthie hadn't even called to see how Abel was doing. May began to talk to her husband to ward off the lonely feeling she felt.
"I remember feeling this lonely before. When we were first married, the land was wonderful. We had good crops, and though we weren't rich, we had plenty.
"And then it was like the land just dried up and started blowing away. It was no use trying to farm it. I remember we sold or killed and butchered all the cows. There weren't any reason to keep them around. They had nothing to eat.
" You decided to go west and find work. I thought you were leaving me for good. I was carrying Evelyn at the time, and I had Will, so I was trying to figure some way to keep us alive while you were gone.
"I felt the greatest sense of loneliness. I wanted to believe that you were fine and working hard, but you hadn't even sent word fo where you might be. I was so worried. I'm sorry to say I doubted you.
"Then God spoke to my heart saying, 'I will never leave thee nor forsake thee' and I knew He would. I tried to have faith in your return and I waited so long for a letter from you.
"When I finally got a letter I bawled, unashamed. I couldn't help it. To read that you were safe, sound, and working was wonderful. I still wanted you home, but knowing that you were working hard to save money was enough for me to say 'Okay'.
"Still, I didn't expect you to come home for quite a while. I figured that as long as you could work, you'd stay put. I hoped it wouldn't be long, because I was getting pretty close to Evelyn's delivery date. I wanted you with me when it happened.
"Then, one night I was sitting in front of the fireplace knitting. It was October, and the wind was howling around the house. I thought I heard a door bang, but it was only the screen door on the back porch. I went back to the fireplace and eased myself down into my chair. I had just started knitting again when I felt the baby kick hard." May chuckled."It nearly took the wind outta me.
"'Little one,' I said, 'You're gonna have to settle down some.' I sighed.'I hope your Pa'll be here to welcome you into this world.' Then I heard a voice. 'Maybe he will be.' At first I was dazed, but then I got up and turned around and there you were.
"'Abel!' I cried before running into your arms. Once again I bawled, this time into your shirt. You just stood there and held me real gentle-like with you face in my hair.
"' Oh, May.' You whispered into my ear so softly. 'I've missed you so much.' I pulled back and looked at your face, and I saw tears runnin' down your cheeks. 'I promise I won't ever leave you again. I couldn't bear it, May. All I thought about was you and Will, and how I wasn't gonna be there to meet this new one.' I leaned on your shoulder as you said ' I just had to come home. I couldn't take it no longer.'"
May finished her story and wiped the tears away." I declare, this whole thing has made me cry more than I ever have before! I'm turnin' into a regular bawl-baby." she said.
"Oh, Lord," May prayed, "I thought I was strong, and now I'm realizing how weak I am. Help me not to give up. And Lord, could you help Abel to keep his promise that he'll never leave? I know we'll both die someday, but I can't bear to think of him going this way. Please, God, please give my husband back to me."