Thank God for Irish Women Ch. 06

"Your mom brought her Bible when she came. We began studying it together while we waited for you to wake. We talked about God and life and why things happen. I realized Monday that she had a faith that I didn't. She knows that God controls the future. There was no doubt in her mind.

"Her faith won me over. I asked God during the night Monday to help me and give me the wisdom to understand and the faith to accept His will.

"Mom and Dad prayed with me that you would wake and be okay. I believe God made that happen."

I lay there with tears in my eyes. Her bitterness toward God had troubled me, but now I was ecstatic. The last impediment to our love was gone.

"Matt, I'm not sure why Mom died and why Patrick and others were killed but your mom convinced me that when bad things happen, we will eventually learn why and understand it. I now believe, like your mom, that God does have a plan for us. I think I was so focused on being a victim, angry and hurt, that I couldn't think about anything else."

I reached again for her hand and pulled her to me for a kiss. "You've made me the happiest man in the world."

"I didn't know that my lack of religious beliefs made that much difference to you!"

"You didn't know me very well."

"I suppose not." She kissed me again.

"Can you help me up to walk again before you leave? This time, I want to go in the hallway."

"Great! The more you walk, the quicker we can go home. Let me get that wheelchair for backup."

While I prepared the IV stand and monitors, Emily left to tell the nurse my plan. She came back shortly with the wheelchair.

Two laps up and down the two long hallways were perfect. I noticed how much better I felt. The headache didn't hurt nearly as much when I was up and moving. That pillow made the pain much worse.

After Emily left for the hotel, I watched TV for an hour or so. The nurses came in twice, and one helped adjust the bed and pillows to take pressure off my skull. The doctor began an analgesic medication soon after I woke from the coma, and I could tell it was helping.

Later that evening, Dad called. "Hey Matt, how you feeling?"

"I feel much better. I've been walking again and sent Emily to the hotel for the night."

"I know. Talked to your mom just now, and they were together in your suite. I think they're getting very close."

"Yeah, Emily told me how Mom helped her understand faith."

"You know how your mom is. She thinks it's her mission to bring everybody into the flock. I must say, Emily is a remarkable young woman. I'm very impressed with how mature she is at only 19. Some of the conversations we had this week surprised me. Her intelligence and knowledge of history and current events were astonishing. When she was questioning and challenging the doctor and nurses, I stayed out of her way. She had done her research. How did you two meet?"

"We met in Atlanta at a gas station."

"That's interesting. So bars and churches are out as meeting places and gas stations are in?"

"Don't know about that but you've got to be rich to buy gas these days. Maybe that's a good place to meet well-to-do people."

"Tell me about it. It cost almost $70,000 for fuel to plant the corn this year. The seed was another $430,000. Thank goodness we fertilized last fall; the price for the brand we use is up almost 30%."

I replied, "I guess everyone knows that corn prices are sky-high and they want their share."

"At least I've locked in the crop price and covered my exposure with insurance."

"What's the current futures price?"

"A little over $7.00. I also bought a new Deere tractor. Wait until you see it. Its cab is a man cave. Even has its own air conditioner with dust filtration, a Keurig coffeemaker, drink cooler, cameras and alarms to keep watch over the implements and a GPS system showing exactly where I am at all times. The sound system is amazing. There's just something about listening to the Beatles while planting a thousand acre field."

I laughed then asked, "How are the cattle?"

"You know, I'm not sure it's pinkeye. I looked at the ones they put up and there's something bothering them, but their eyes aren't cloudy yet. Tommy and Mark might have been overly concerned, but I'd rather them be that way than not."

"Dr. Robbins is coming out tomorrow?"

"Yeah, he said he'd be here early. If it's pinkeye, we'll need to vaccinate the entire herd."

"I hope it's something easily treated."

"Me too. Now getting back to Emily, are you two serious?"

"Yes, we are. We've only known each other a few weeks, but she's the one... no doubt in my mind. I've dated many women but never one like her. I'm probably going to propose soon."

"My goodness, you are serious!"

"Yes, and so is she, it seems."

"Does she know about your inheritance?"

"No. After she agrees to marry me, I'll tell her."

"Smart man. You should also do a prenup."

"I'll think about it, but doubt I need one."

"Many smart guys thought the same thing only to be devastated later. It doesn't have to be offensive, just an agreement that money earned by either party during the marriage is split evenly in case of a divorce. Kyle can work one up for you that won't make her angry."

"I haven't thought about him in a long time. How's he doing?"

"Fortunately, we don't need a lawyer too often but he seems to be doing well when I see him. He's driving a new Porsche anyway."

"Did you and Mom have a prenup?"

"Yes, we did. Since it was known that I'd inherit the farm, we agreed that only the income from it during our marriage would be split, not the initial value of the land itself. Now, fortunately, the income has become substantial. If anything did happen, which it won't, she'd be a very wealthy woman."

"It just seems to me that a prenup would be a slap in the face to Emily since she doesn't have anything to speak of, but I do. And it's like we're admitting before we marry that it might not work out. I don't want to insult her. But let me think about it."

"Yeah, it can be a sensitive subject but you'll make the right decision. Now get some rest and I'll call you tomorrow."

"Sounds good Dad. Thanks for calling. Love you."

"Love you too, Matt."

Thursday, May 20, 2010

As usual in a hospital, my efforts to sleep were often interrupted by nurses and their assistants coming in to make sure I was doing well. I don't know why patients couldn't be left alone to sleep for at least four or five hours at a time. It was almost like sleep was an illness that must be prevented in a hospital.

Breakfast consisted of oatmeal, orange juice, skim milk, and fresh fruit. It was actually good this time. The coffee, however, was awful, like the worst ever. It was as if they forgot to grind the beans.

My head was still throbbing, but not as bad as the day before. The pain medication was definitely helping. I had just brushed my teeth when the phone rang.

"Hello."

"Good morning, Mr. Anderson."

"Good morning, Miss Ryan. How did you sleep?"

"Just fine. I was going to ask you that."

"I did the best I could with the staff coming in every hour or so. It's impossible to sleep in a hospital."

"Your mom and I were up late talking. I know I've said this before, but she's wonderful. It's almost as if she senses what's on my mind. I've never felt so comfortable talking about things with an adult other than my mom."

"What did you talk about?"

"I decided to tell her everything... and I mean everything. I told her the story of how we met and about Patrick being killed. I told her about my stepdad and losing two friends. She cried with me.

"Matt, she's very proud of what you did for me. I also told her about going back to Stanford and going to the Grand Ole Opry and what happened there. We talked until about 2:00 this morning."

"Good, I'm glad you decided to tell her. We don't have to worry now about letting something slip."

"Yeah, I know. It's better this way. How are you feeling this morning?"

"I feel like I want to get out of here. My headache is much better."

"Can I bring you something to eat?"

"No, breakfast was good. But, I'd love a tall Starbucks blonde roast. The coffee here is almost tasteless."

"You got it. Let me round up Mom. She called a minute ago and is almost ready. We'll grab something quick and come on over."

"Great. I love you Emily."

"I love you too, Matthew."

I watched the national news until the next round of nurse visits. This time, the doctor was with her and they gave me a thorough exam for my reflexes, eyes, and all vital signs.

"Well, Mr. Anderson, you're doing much better than I expected at this point. You've been up walking, I understand."

"Yes sir. I feel better walking and sitting than I do in bed."

"I think you're ready to get out of here and make room for a sick person. What do you think?"

"I think that's the best opinion I've heard in a long time."

"You'll need to be very careful for a few weeks. Don't try to drive for at least four or five days; and if you have a dizzy spell, stop or sit down immediately. Another blow to your head could be extremely serious, maybe deadly. I think we can release you as soon as someone can pick you up."

"My mom and girlfriend are coming over in a few minutes."

The nurse replied, "Your girlfriend? She said she was your wife."

I thought quickly.

"Well, we're engaged." I lied and did so convincingly.

The nurse glared at me and said, "I guess that's close enough. We're not allowed to have non-family members stay overnight with our patients unless they're professional help."

"I understand and apologize if she bent the rules a little. She loves me so much that she had to stay."

"I could see that. She was very pleasant and obviously worried about you. Your mother was also very pleasant and a big help to your, uh, wife." She and the doctor smiled and walked out.

I called Emily as soon as they left.

"Hey Matt."

"Hey sweetheart, good news. The doctor was just in, and he will release me this morning."

"FANTASTIC! That's wonderful! Mom, they're going to release Matt this morning."

I could hear Mom cheer in the background.

"If you want to check out of the hotel, we can leave from here."

"That sounds perfect. We're finishing breakfast so we'll get busy and be there as soon as we can. You still want us to bring coffee?"

"No, we can stop after I escape. Please hurry and get me out of here before they change their minds."

"We'll come quickly. Love you a bunch."

****

They walked in a few minutes after 10:00 with clothes and, surprisingly, a cup of great coffee. I was sitting in the chair watching TV all unhooked and waiting to go, still in my hospital gown.

Mom said, "I see you're ready."

"Ready as can be, just waiting for you and some clothes."

Emily gave me a wonderful kiss and hug. So did Mom.

"Matt, I stopped by the accounting office and they said you're ready to go. They need you to sign a couple of papers so we'll stop by there on the way out. Emily, maybe you can bring the car up while we do that."

We were ready to go within a few minutes, but we stopped by the nurse's station to thank them. They had done their job, and I was grateful; but it surely felt good to be leaving. They had an assistant push me in a wheelchair to accounting.

After signing the final paperwork and getting the doctor's pain medicine prescription, we went to find the exit. Emily was outside with the car to pick us up. She had called Jodi to give her the good news. Within minutes, we were on the way up I-35 for the three-hour drive to Des Moines. Emily was driving and doing a great job of it. Mom was in the front seat, and I was behind her.

The car was filled with pleasant chatter about many different subjects. Emily frequently glanced in the mirror and smiled at me.

Dad called my cell phone and Mom answered. He was very glad to hear we were on the way home. She handed me the phone.

"Hey Dad, how are the cows?"

"Hey Matt; Mark and Tommy were right. It is the early stages of pinkeye. The vet is here, and they're treating the entire herd now. Will take all day, I'm sure."

"Glad it was caught early. I'll be up to help in a few hours." Mom gasped, and Emily frowned.

"Oh no you're not. You're going to rest for a few days. We have plenty of help."

"I feel good. Just a headache pestering me."

"Forget it; you're going to rest. What did the doctor tell you?"

"To rest," I admitted.

"There you are, but I'm glad you're out. Let me talk to your mom again."

"Hi honey.

"Probably about 1:30.

"Oh, that's very nice of them.

"Sure thing. Tell them about 2:00 would be perfect.

"Yes.

"No, that's fine.

"Sure.

"We will. Love you." Mom ended the call.

"James said that the ladies in our church are bringing over food this afternoon. Cheryl had put Matt on our prayer chain and has been keeping everyone up-to-date."

Emily asked, "What's a prayer chain?"

"In our church, it's a group of women who have volunteered to pray for those who are ill, having a tough time or just anything, really. When someone knows of a prayer need, that person calls her contact on the chain and then that person passes it on to their contact and so on. It's like a big circle. Soon, we have many people praying for that need. When you called me Monday morning, I called Cheryl, who's my contact, and she passed it on. I've been keeping Cheryl informed this week and called her again as soon as we knew Matt was coming home today."

Emily replied, "That means Matt has had the entire church praying for him."

"At least a 100 or more. And prayer works, Emily. We've seen many miracles with deadly illnesses and catastrophic injuries healed; and doctors often say it was the power of prayer at work."

"Why are they bringing food for us?"

"It's just a neighborly thing to do. Sometimes, like with a death, food is needed to help comfort the family who gather. In our case, they're being Christian friends and showing their love and concern for Matt and us."

We rode on in silence before I asked, "Mom, could you bake one of your great blueberry pies for us this weekend?"

Emily replied, "Mom, he's asking you to feel sorry for him a little longer."

"You're right Emily; I'll bake one for you and you can share it with him if you'd like."

"That'll work. Emily likes to pamper me."

"Don't count on it buster. Blueberry pie is one of my favorites. I might not share it unless you're very nice to me." She glanced again in the mirror and grinned.

I pretended to pout and talked again about my headache being so bad. Sympathy is good to get at any time.

We eventually turned onto the county road leading to our house. After ten minutes or so, Emily asked how much farther.

I replied, "We've been passing part of the farm for the last five minutes. It's another mile or so to the house."

"HOLY CRAP! OH! Excuse me, Mom. I shouldn't have said that." Mom laughed.

"Just how big is this farm?"

Mom replied, "I think the total is about 8,500 acres but we have only 4,500 planted in corn and another 2,500 in grass for hay and grazing. There's a large lake and some swampy marshland that's beautiful. Get Matt to take you there."

"What do you do with the rest?"

"It's forest and right-of-ways for power lines and a pipeline."

Arriving at the house, Emily was astonished. "Wow, this house is gorgeous. I wasn't expecting anything like this. It must be new."

Mom replied, "We built it five years ago. The original farmhouse is still down the road. Our foreman and his family live there now."

I added, "Our foreman, Tommy, began working for my granddad 35 years ago. He and Linda, his wife, are like another set of parents to me. They have a son who's challenged but is doing very well. Terry is about 30 now, isn't he Mom?"

"That's right. We gave Tommy and Linda the house and have done major repairs and modifications to it for Terry. He seems very happy there, and I know getting the house took a big financial load off their shoulders. I don't know whether we told you this or not, Matt, but we also set up a trust fund that'll start when Tommy and Linda need it for Terry."

"That's great. I'm sure they appreciate the help."

"James and I have been working with our CPA to set up retirement accounts for all the guys. We'll fund it every year with a percentage of the farm profit."

"I'd love to see Tommy and Linda while we're here."

"You will, they're coming Sunday after church for lunch."

"Good. You think he'll still pitch horseshoes with me?"

"Don't know why not. He's as fit and strong as ever. He'll probably kick your tail too if he thinks you're getting too uppity with your new degree."

"That's nothing new." We laughed.

Emily was taking all this in with a quizzical look. She finally got in a few words. "What do you mean 'pitch horseshoes'?"

"I'll show you later, sweetheart."

Mom said, "Emily, follow the drive around to the back of the house. We have a guesthouse that you and Matt will be using."

That shocked me. "Mom, you don't mind if Emily and I stay together?"

"Emily told us you were living together. I don't see why I should change something you've decided. You're adults."

Emily again glanced in the mirror and smiled. She pulled into the parking spot, and we began unloading the car. Despite their protests, I pitched in and took some of our luggage into the guesthouse while Emily helped Mom with her luggage. After I had hauled everything in that we needed for the weekend, Dad called from the dairy to see whether we were home yet. He said he would come over to clean up for the church ladies who were coming soon. The dairy was a mile away.

Emily met me outside and said, "This is an amazing guest home."

As we entered, she exclaimed, "Look, it has a sitting room and a full kitchen. The bedroom is huge. Just look at the details and furnishings. Matt, this is beautiful. We could live here."

She walked to the fridge and opened it to find a case of my favorite beer and many small bottles of juice and water. "I'm blown away. I had in my mind a typical rural farmhouse with shared baths. This house and guesthouse would fit in any upper crust neighborhood in California. The pool must be Olympic size."

"Not quite. Mom loves to swim. She was on the team at Iowa State and Dad had it built for her. She would love to have you enjoy it while you're here."

"I plan to. Will my bikinis be too revealing for her and your dad?"

"Do you have one that's not a thong?"

"Yes, I have a dark blue one that's more traditional."

"I'd say go with it. The black one you wore in Nashville was stopping traffic two blocks away!"

"Oh, it wasn't that risqué, was it?"

"Yes, it was. You know I used to think Mom and Dad were ultra-conservative; now, I don't know. Why don't you try it on and show it to Mom and see what she says. If she's in doubt, we can pick up a new one for you in town. I'm in shock that they aren't concerned about us being together out here."

"Maybe they are and decided not to say anything."

"Yeah, that's probably it."

Emily plopped down on the bed and bounced. "Come here lover," she demanded.

I sat beside her on the edge of the bed and said, "We need to meet and greet the church ladies."

"Oh, that's right. We'll have to be frisky tonight. Don't forget, you promised on Sunday to do me that night after dancing. You still owe me." There was that grin I couldn't help but love.

"You mean the shower doesn't count?"

"No, it doesn't. That was with Patrick. And Matt, this time it will be you doing me, not him." I knew exactly what she meant.

When we walked into the main house, Mom was talking with Mrs. Thomas, my old Sunday School teacher.

"Hi Mrs. Thomas. Great to see you!"

"Hi Matt, I'm very relieved to see you. How are you feeling?"