Closest to Your Heart- Chapter Three

CHAPTER 3

One day while May was visiting Abel, a nurse came into the room and began to talk with May.
"Hello, ma'am. I'm Nurse Wilke." the young woman said.
"Oh, yes. You're the one who called me about Abel." May smiled. "Come and sit awhile."
"Thank you." the nurse sat in a leather-covered chair. "I've been meaning to come and see you sooner, but I was sick and then I was working at night."
"Oh well, I'm glad you've finally come. It gets kind of lonely here every day." May said. "I'm not complaining, but it seems like I'm the only one who visits Abel."
" I suppose people don't see the need to visit a person who's in a coma." Nurse Wilke paused and added, " I'm glad you do."
"I know I'm not really alone. I know that God is always watching me."
"Yes, it is comforting."
"Are you a Christian?"May asked.
"Oh, yes, ma'am. I asked Jesus to be my Saviour when I was around twelve." She smiled pleasantly, showing a dimple in her right cheek. "It was the best thing that could have happened to me."
"I'm so glad." May reached out and squeezed Nurse Wilke's hand. "Do you go to church?"
"Yes. I go to a little Baptist church here in Elk City. We're small, but we're still trying to reach our community."
"That's good. What is your first name? I hope you don't think I'm being nosy, but I like knowing exactly who my friends are."
"I don't mind at all. It's Audrienne." the nurse said.
"Well, thank you, Audrienne. It's been a blessing meeting you today." May began packing up her knitting. "My son is coming to pick me up after work." she explained.
"Oh, all right." Audrienne got up as if to leave.
"Please, don't leave yet.  I've still got some time."
"Okay." Audrienne laughed.
" Oliver drops me off and picks me up on his way to and from work every day. He's a hard worker, my youngest is." May said.
"I'm blessed to have a son like him. Since Abel's been in the hospital, Oliver works all day, then comes home and takes care of the stock on our farm. I'm glad he's still home, or else I don't know what I'd do."
"How many children do you have?" the nurse asked.
"Only three. I had four, but my one baby didn't live long after birth."May said quietly." I remember that pregnancy. My two older children, Will and Evelyn, were babies still when I found out about the new one on the way. It didn't bother me in the least. I'd loved kids since I was young, and I figured the more the merrier.
"Abel was of a different mind. This was during the Depression, mind you, and he was worried about another mouth to feed. I told him not to fret, that the Lord would provide.
" My pregnancy seemed different than it had been with Will or Evelyn. I didn't know what was making me feel that way, but I knew that I wanted that child more than ever. I didn't tell Abel what I felt like, which was my big mistake. I needed him to help me through this.
"So when I did go into labor I told him 'Abel, I think somethin's wrong.' He asked me why, but I couldn't explain. 'It just don't feel right!' I told him. ' Go get Ruthie and the doctor.' Ruth is my friend, and she'd been at the births of both Will and Evelyn. 
" I was having sharp pains, worse than the normal contractions. I didn't know what, but something was wrong. When Ruthie arrived, I told her. She thought the baby might be breech, you know, backwards. I was so tired. I only hoped that whatever was wrong could be fixed so that I could have my baby.
" When the baby finally did come, he was weak. Ruthie was right, he had been breech, and coming into the world backwards was not an easy struggle for either him or me. I remember his first cry." May stopped and wiped at the tears that coursed down her cheeks.
"It was so weak. Like the cry of a newborn kitten. The doctor worked for hours in my kitchen trying to save him. How long and heavy those hours were! Hours of waiting and praying. But finally my baby boy's struggle for life was over. I knew as soon as the doctor came back in the room.
"The sorrow that pierced my heart was unlike any I'd ever felt before. It was so sharp that all I thought to do was just curl up in a ball in my bed and cry, trying to ease the pain I felt. I had wanted that baby so much!
" Of course, the doctor told us later that it was for the better. Our son wasn't fully developed right. There was something wrong with his heart. If he had lived, I don't know what we would've done. We wouldn't have had money for special doctors. So it really was a blessing.
"It took me quite a few months to realize that. And Abel was always there, quietly dealing with the pain, comforting me, and accepting that this was God's will. I got so riled when he tried to tell me that. How could he say that about our baby!?
" But I finally realized that it was for the better. The Lord knew that. And I know why his ways are not ours. Abel was so good, never getting frustrated with my mule-headed ways. he just calmly helped me see the truth.
"And several months after this happened, I found out that I was expecting again. I was so afraid that I would lose another baby and I didn't want to go through the pain again.
" This time I told my husband my fears. And he told me that it would be all right, no matter what, because it would be God's will.
"Everything was all right. Oliver was the picture of health when he was born. He was, actually, my best baby. He never fussed and he smiled all the time." May paused. "So, you see, God gave me Oliver as a reminder that if we trust Him, things will turn out just fine."
May ended her story and wiped the rest of her tears away. Audrienne dried her face as well before standing up. "I should go. But thanks for sharing your memories."she said.
Just then the door opened and in walked Oliver. He took of his hat and ran his fingers through his light brown hair.
"Sorry I'm late, Ma." he apologized. " I had to stop and get feed for the horses. "
"That's fine, son. I've been having a wonderful time with my friend, here. Oliver, this is Nurse Audrienne Wilke. And Audrienne, this is my son, Oliver. The one I was telling you about."
Oliver groaned. "Oh, no. What's she told you?"
"Nothing much." Audrienne laughed.
" I was telling her about before you were born." May explained.
"Oh." he moved to his mother. "Were you cryin', Ma? You look like it."
"You know I can't tell that story without crying, boy." May said with a smile.
"I should go." Audrienne said again.
"Oh, before we all go, could we pray for Abel together?" May asked.
"Sure."Audrienne waited.
May took one of Oliver's and Audrienne's hands in each of hers, nodded to Oliver, and bowed her head.
"Dear God," Oliver prayed, "We ask that You'd be with Pa. Bring him back around please. You know how important he is to all of us. But most importantly, we ask that You do Your will, and help us follow it. In Christ's name, Amen."