5
Three vehicles were parked out front as Kameron approached Auntie’s Antiquities later than normal the next morning. He’d awakened with an odd sense of expectation. His face in the mirror even lacked its usual tension. Measuring out dog kibble, it hit him. One-on-one verbal exchanges with Hayley stimulated him.
It had been a long, long time since he’d looked forward to talking with anyone, let alone a woman of similar age. Her influence caused him to create a new lost child in his story. A girl.
Inside, the narrow space was crowded. Hayley acknowledged him with one of her heart-reaching smiles.
Ross nodded toward him with a half-grin.
An elderly woman sat at what Kameron now considered his marble-topped table. She stared down at an open book, her mouth bulging, lips painted in chocolate.
A couple discussed whether or not a cup and saucer matched others in “Mom’s” kitchen. For some unknown reason, their interaction called for him to inconspicuously eavesdrop. He didn’t want to stare, but they seemed so comfortable with one another.
Ross approached with the tiny white folded sack of fudge for Bette Jean.
When had Kameron become so familiar with the habits of these people?
“Morning. How’s the writing coming along?”
“Delayed. Had to clean up a dog mess.”
“That’s life. Glad to see you. My sweetheart wants to know if you have any special dietary needs and if tomorrow would work to come over for supper.”
“I eat anything. Sure. Tha—”
“My teeth!” The woman at his table shakily stood to slide aside her purse, pushed the closed book to the edge of the table, and looked under a plastic sack. “My teeth are gone.”
Hayley scurried to her side in an instant. “We’ll find them. Why aren’t they in your mouth?”
“Your heavenly fudge would have stuck like anything.”
He turned from the chocolate mouth.
“I took out my teeth and set them on my napkin. Where’s the napkin?”
If he were a laughing man, Kameron would be roaring.
A college-age woman in a gray knit cap sauntered over to join the melee at his table. “Ma’am, I picked a napkin off the floor and put it in the waste basket. Let’s see if your teeth are there.”
Kameron held an instant-long eye contact with the man who’d been discussing dishes. He’d clamped down on the inside of his cheek. His gaze now skittered all over the shop, never landing on the excited woman.
This was way too good to miss. He had to hand it to Hayley for not showing a hint of humor. The glint in her eye gave away how funny she found the whole scenario.
Since Kameron still wore his gloves, and was closest to the waste container, he slithered between a gold aluminum tree and antique riding horse to retrieve the only wadded napkin in the basket. Sure enough, it secreted the missing dentures.
Hayley mouthed a thank you to Kameron, and then turned her attention to the woman. “Let me show you to the rest room. There’s a small table and paper cups if you need one. Go ahead and take your time. I’m so glad it ended well. Please let me know if there’s anything else you need.”
The silver-haired woman shook her bent head, hooked her elbow through her purse strap and the sack handles, and clutched the napkin holding her teeth.
Silence followed her exit.
“Poor thing.” Hayley moved the cookbook from the table to a shelf. “She has to be embarrassed. That was kind of you, Kameron. Thank you for jumping in. Everything all right? You came in later than usual. So did Ross.”
How did women say so much in such a short amount of time?
“Had a mess to clean up. Summer can run all over the house without disturbing a thing. Winter is another story. I don’t know that much about dogs. Maybe he’s angry I’m in charge or I’m not paying him enough attention. Who knows?” He set his bag on the table and took off his gloves.
“What happened?”
He finished removing his coat. “The goofy dog chewed the crate blanket into shreds. The crate itself is mangled where the rod fits at the bottom so it won’t lock in place now. The crazy dog wasn’t even locked inside. Gregg will not be happy.”
She laughed. For some reason he felt it inside as much as it reached his ears. “Let’s hope Winter sleeps the next time you’re gone. Let me get your coffee.”
“That husky is way too smart for such a wish. I’ll pour my own, thanks. You have someone at the counter.”
He savored the aroma as well as the taste of the caramel-scented brew. Hayley chatted and smiled and glanced at him often while she attended to the couple and the other woman.
The elderly lady stealthily slipped behind Hayley and through the door without meeting anyone’s gaze.
For the first time ever, he was tempted to live in the moment instead of his make-believe world. Work called. Back at the marble-topped table, the fanciful words still haunted. He booted up. Live in the moment. He shook his head, sat, and stared at the few lines on the page. Nothing came.
Resigned to not write until later, he did a quick search of the word “hope,” wherever that notion came from. No doubt Gregg had written sermons to cover the subject, but for now Kameron’s laptop held most of what he needed. The commentary claimed hope as a powerful concept.
Sure, if you can dig deep and find hope. How does good come out of despair?
The verse quoted on screen came from Psalm 130:7-8. “Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.”
Hayley approached and read over his shoulder, “And faith means we’re putting our hope in something bigger than ourselves.” She jigged away, bopping to an inner cadence. “I’m a daughter of the King, not meant for the mundane. I’m meant to thrive.”
Kameron’s mind blanked. He shut down.
And bolted.
The next morning before daylight Hayley waited by the window. At first sight of Kameron and the dogs, she hustled out to meet them.
Winter set a brisk pace, and they jogged in silence for a quarter mile until the dogs stopped to sniff deer tracks.
“Think I’m awake now. I need your coffee. I’ve been wondering, how do you do that?”
She gestured with open hands. “Do what?”
“Be so happy and optimistic. You are sunny all the time.”
“I don’t. Jesus does it in me.”
“It kind of seems wrong with someone like me, who’s serious and not a smiley person. Can you see that?”
“It’s who I am, I guess. I checked you out online. I mean, I looked up your books. You write rather hopeless sounding stories. That’s who you are.”
“Guess you could say I do what I am.”
Winter jerked on the leash.
“To me, that’s sad. I’ve always had hope.”
“Where do you find hope? Dig down deep and pull it from your guts? I grew up without knowing my parents. You grew up without a dad.”
“Since knowing Christ as an adult, I haven’t needed the absent father from my childhood.” She picked up the dog’s pace. “Hope is everywhere. No matter how dark the world seems, or how despairing I’ve felt over the years. Such as how lost I was after Mom died. One morning I recognized signs of life, and each day I saw more to be thankful for.”
“How could there be good in your mother’s death?”
“She’s no longer in pain. I don’t know if it was the cancer itself or the treatment that weakened her to death, but I believe she’s in heaven. Heaven is a blessed hope.” She kicked a rock off the path. “The ultimate hope is found in Jesus. He redeemed me, died for my sins, and freed me from an eternity apart from His presence.” Moments later she huffed. “Man, they’re almost running. Did you go out for athletics in school?”
Kameron blew a vaporous breath. “I was born clumsy. You know in grade school when the class is divided in two and captains choose who each wants on the team? I was always the last one chosen when it came to anything physical. Just not my cup of tea. But if we teamed up to research book reports, I was in high demand.”
“You must do something to keep in shape.”
He nudged her shoulder. “Are you paying me a compliment in a roundabout way?”
“Are you fishing for one?”
The dogs slowed.
He stopped and faced her.
She couldn’t resist a little teasing. “Glad to know you’re used to walking. It eases my mind that you haven’t hurt yourself taking the dogs out here in the wilds.”
“Nope. As unmanly as it sounds, I often walk. The outdoor air clears my head, and especially among trees in the park, I can easily put myself in the fictitious woods where I set my stories. And just so you know, I have plenty of little scars from mishaps on mountain bikes and skateboards.”
“Athletic endeavors.”
“Not really. Anger drove me out of the house. I grabbed toys that moved fast. Thought I could outrun my troubles.” He gave Summer more lead line where she followed rabbit tracks in the snow. “What about you, scars from leaping hurdles in track or anything?”
“My outdoor adventures were solitary as well. I happen to be quite familiar with this trail we’re on right now. Back in the day before the rail tracks were removed, I stepped on a rock and it rolled. Fell on an iron spike and a rusty piece scraped my left ankle bone. I’d show it to you if I was in sandals instead of boots. The silly thing became infected and still lets me know it’s there.”
The dogs barked around a curve ahead.
Hayley and Kameron jogged to catch up.
“Too bad you two can’t turn into a walking stick.” A man’s voice came from down the embankment.
Kameron handed the leashes to Hayley and descended to extend a hand.
At the top, the elderly man planted himself in the middle of the trail. “Thanks for your aide. I was stumbling along like a side-hill dingbat.”
Hayley’s giggle burst forth. “A what?”
“That’s what old-timers call a guy with one leg shorter. Now that I have my breath, I’m headed back to my warm chair.” The old man walked away without any sign of a limp.
Hayley started laughing once he was out of earshot. “Oh, I’ve needed to do that ever since that woman yelled ‘My teeth’ yesterday.”
Kameron busied himself with the leashes.
She grabbed his arm for balance and laughed harder. Finally, she stood straight. “It doesn’t hurt to laugh. In fact, it feels really good to let go and relieve tension. I can’t imagine how tired your tense muscles and mind must be. I’ve made it my mission, as much as finding out about the jewelry, to get you to lighten up while you’re here in Edgewood.”
He tromped ahead, resuming their walk. After a time, he spoke. “I suppose life would be easier if I could let go and lighten up. But it’s not who I am.”
“I’m praying for you, Kameron. God had a hand in you coming to Edgewood. He has a plan for your life whether you can acknowledge that or not. I don’t know what it’d be like to live with what you’ve had to, but nothing is too hard for God. He’s bigger than anything either of us could dream of struggling with.”
“What’s so wonderful about being abandoned as a baby? Thrown away? I don’t know how I can ever get over that.”
“Throw it away. Don’t look back and see it as awful. God has done wonders for both of us that we know nothing about yet. The greatest thing He did was sending Jesus to save us from our sins. That’s what Christmas is about.”
He abruptly turned.
Shut me up, Lord. You’re in the life-changing business. And right now Kameron needs You more than anyone I can think of.