Closest to Your Heart- chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

May bustled about her farmhouse, getting things ready. Her oldest son and his family were stopping in to visit, and she wanted things to be nice. Not that it mattered. Will always enjoyed coming home.
May paused in the middle of the upstairs hall, mentally picturing where each member of the younger Richardson family would sleep. Will and his Adele would go in Will's old room. She figured they'd probably keep two-year-old Jeremy in the room with them. She could fix up a little trundle bed for him.
Seth and Peter would have to stay in Evelyn's room. May hoped the five-and-four-year-olds wouldn't mind the fact that it was a girl's room, but she couldn't do anything to change that. Evelyn had never dressed her room up with girly frills anyway.She'd always been such a tomboy.
As May prepared the beds for Will's family, she let out a sigh. Only one night and day, she thought. That's all the time she would have for this visit. Will had another meeting planned but he had squeezed in time to visit when he had heard about Abel.
With Will's family being on deputation, it seemed May never got to see her growing grandsons. When Will and Adele weren't visiting churches, they lived in Colorado. So whenever Will could manage to visit home, May tried to make it last as long as possible. She knew that soon the family would be on the mission field. Then it would be years before she saw them again.
May shook herself. She'd cross that bridge when she came to it. Will's family would be here for supper, so she needed to finish with the beds and get busy on the meal. She went to the kitchen and got busy. She prepared a chicken to roast and stuck it in the oven. She peeled and cut potatoes to boil, and tried to pick a vegetable to eat. True, it was simple fare, but then, they were simple folk.
When Will arrived, May was still cooking. She'd decided to make peanut butter cookies for her three lively grandsons. She barely  made it out of the kitchen before the front door few open and two little boys threw themselves at her.
"Gramma!" they cried, hugging her waist and legs.
"Hi, boys!" May said, returning their enthusiastic hugs. "Where's your parents?"
"Outside." Seth replied. "They're gettin' the 'cases outta the trunk."
"Well, boys, let's go help them." May took a hand of both boys and headed toward the door, which was hanging wide open. "If you do a good job, you can both have cookies and milk."
"All right!" the boys pulled eagerly. The sooner they helped, the sooner they'd get the cookies!
May went outside with the boys and greeted the rest of her son's family. There were hugs and laughter and teasing before the suitcases were finally brought inside and taken to the respective rooms.
May situated Seth, Peter, and Jeremy in the kitchen with glasses of milk and a plate of cookies, then sat down with Will, Adele, and Oliver in the family room. The adults chatted for awhile until the boys came into the family room and interrupted.
"Did you boys clean up after yourself?" Adele asked them.
"We put the dishes at the sink, Mama." Seth said.
"Looks like you forgot to clean your faces." Adele replied. She took the boys back to the kitchen to wipe them down.
When Adele returned with three clean-faced boys, Peter walked up to May and asked, "Where's Granpa?"
May pulled the little sandy-haired boy into her lap before answering him. "Well, Petey, your grandpa's in the hospital gettin' better from an accident."
Peter's eyes got big. " Wha's a 'spittle?"
"A hospital is a place where you go when you're real sick."
"Granpa's sick?"
"Mm-hmm. So I don't think you'll get to see him this time. He's very sick."May told Peter.
"Oh." Peter chewed on his bottom lip before asking, "Can I play wif the blocks?"
May chuckled. Oh, the carelessness of childhood. She slid Peter off her lap and told him he could. Seth and Peter were soon busy building towers out of blocks, then squealing with laughter as they fell down. Jeremy also joined in once he saw how much fun his brothers were having.
May turned from watching her grandsons play and spoke to Will. "So, how much longer do you reckon you'll be on deputation?"
"I don't know, Ma. It seems that people just don't have the vision for missions that I have. I've waited so long to get over to Africa. When I first felt burdened to go I was sixteen I had to finish school, then I went to college, then flight school in Colorado Springs. Now deputation seems to just be taking forever." Will sighed.
"I know you're anxious, but God's timing is always best, son." May comforted.
"Sometimes I have a hard time understanding that. Why does God have me wait while hundreds of Africans die in sin? Then I have to remember to just trust him and be content." Will leaned back in his seat on the sofa and put his arm around Adele.
"That's right. I remember when you first felt called to preach. It was at those revival services with Jeff Whittle. Your Pa and me were so proud when you told us you were gonna preach. We'd prayed ever since we had kids that each one would follow Christ's example. And ya'll have, in your own ways. I was worried about Evelyn for awhile there, but she got everything all took care of." May said.
"Anyway, you've all grown into fine adults, and I really don't think I could be happier. Well, I could if your pa was doing good. And if old Oliver here could find himself a gal." May nodded toward Oliver, whose neck was turning red.
"Yeah, Oliver, what's wrong with you? Ya must not shower enough." Will teased his little brother.
"Well, if that's the case, how'd you ever catch a girl like Adele?" Oliver said back.
"Good looks." Will winked and squeezed Adele closer.
"Right." Oliver snorted.
"If that was the case, I'd think Oliver stands a good chance at snaggin' a girl. I always thought he was better lookin' than you, though you're a good-lookin' man yourself." May said.
"Well, thanks, Ma. I always thought I took after you." Will's brown eyes laughed.
May chuckled and everyone else joined in. When the laughter subsided, May asked if they'd be visiting Abel before they left the next day.
"Yes, Ma. I wouldn't think of leaving without seeing Pa." Will said.
"Will you take the boys?"May asked.
"I don't know. Do you think I should?" Will asked.
"I think it may be hard for them to understand. How 'bout you leaving the boys with me? You two could go visit your Pa for awhile and then come back." May suggested.
Will looked to Adele. She nodded her head, then said, "I think that's a fine idea."
"All right, then. We'll plan on it." May said.
The rest of the evening flew by, and soon two sleepy little boys came over to their mother. "Where's Jeremy, Seth?" Adele asked.
"He's sleepin' on the rug over there." Seth pointed and yawned.
"Over here?" Adele walked in the direction Seth pointed and looked but didn't see Jeremy. "Where at?"
"Under the table."
Adele lifted a long table cover and found her youngest boy curled up asleep on the rug under the table. She scooped him up and motioned for Seth to follow. Peter, who looked about to fall over,  was picked up by May and carried to Evelyn's room. May helped Seth and Peter change into their pajamas and crawl into bed while Adele tucked Jeremy in in the other room.
After she was finished with Jeremy, she entered Evelyn's old room and got ready to pray with the two other boys.
"Can Gramma pray wif us?" Peter asked.
"Sure, Petey." Adele answered. "Do you mind?" she asked May.
"Not at all." May knelt beside Adele and listened as Seth and Peter prayed. Seth's prayer was nice, but it was Peter's that caught May's attention.
"Dear God, thanks for bringin' us to Gramma's house an' for the cookies. Please take care of Mama, Pa, Sef, Jer'my, and Hank, our dog at home. Oh, an' please help Gran'pa, God. He don't feel too good at all. I love you, God. Amen."