Chapter Twenty Eight

After Matti shared the good news with Chloe, Matti’s prediction came true as the two women danced and jumped around in glee. Chloe was elated and took the longest time to let the truth sink in that Jenny had really come back to life.

Chloe phoned her dad. Robbie wasn’t surprised. He and his prayer group had been praying, as well. Both Chloe and her father were filled with praise and rejoicing.

No sooner had Matilda returned to her room when the phone rang.

“Hello, this be Matilda.”

“Matilda!” James hollered into the phone, “What’s going on? I just talked to the nurse and she said that Marjorie was miraculously healed and came back to life—”

“That be true, Mr. Hamilton. Ms. Johnson called me just ten to fifteen minutes ago and said the same. Ms. Hamilton be healed! Praise the Lord, Mr. Hamilton, Jesus has restored her life and healed her of all her ailments!”

“Matilda, for Pete’s sake, don’t carry on so… how can that be possible? She must not have been dead in the first place. Doctors and nurses are known to make mistakes.”

“No! Mr. Hamilton, I was in the room the whole time. Nurse Johnson checked her vital signs and confirmed that Ms. Hamilton had passed away. Now, I just knew that the good Lord was going to heal her and so I took it all that Ms. Hamilton just be taking a nap like you be thinking… that’s my personal assessment of the matter, know what I’m saying…?”

“No! No, Matilda I don’t know what you’re saying. This all doesn’t make any sense to me. I’ve already called my doctor and he can’t explain to me how this could happen either. I am going to fly him there tomorrow to check Marjorie out himself. I want her to have the best care possible. Is that understood?”

“Yes, I know what you be saying, Mr. Hamilton, but it won’t be necessary. When the good Lord heals, there ain’t a doctor in the world that can improve upon it.”

“Really, Matilda!”

After James let out a sigh that carried a tone of frustration mixed with disbelief, he went on. “Are you going to see her, Matilda?” James wanted to know.

“Chloe and me be waiting until after dinner. Nurse Johnson say the room be filled with doctors and nurses and no-one else can squeeze in until they leave.”

“Well, try to get there as soon as possible and call me. Make sure Marjorie is well and okay. I still find it hard to believe that she died and came back. The whole thing doesn’t make sense. As soon as you do in fact see her and talk to her and make an assessment as to her condition, you must call me straight away. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir, I understands what you be saying. I do as you ask, Mr. Hamilton.”

“Matilda! Are you still there?”

“Yes, I am…”

There was a long silence as if the phone had gone dead.

“Mr. Hamilton, are you still there…?”

“Yes, there is something I need to ask you…”

“Yes, I be listenin’…”

“When you were at the hospital, did a guy by the name of Pederson come up to see Marjorie?”

Once again there was a long silence…

“Yes, Mr. Hamilton, Henry Pederson did come up to see Ms. Hamilton.”

“Was she… you know, happy to see him?” James was hesitant to know.

“Yes, she was, Mr. Hamilton. She be more than happy as far as I could tell.”

“Did he kiss her, Matilda…?”

Matilda hesitated to answer. Her master could get very upset when things didn’t go his way. She was beginning to suspect where this was going. Mr. Hamilton was beginning to wake up after all these years and see the jewel he had.

“Yes, Mr. Hamilton, Henry did kiss his teenage girlfriend—”

“On the lips, Matilda?”

“Yes, that’s usually where two people who are fond of each other kiss—”

“I didn’t ask for an analysis, Matilda, just a yes or no will do.”

James was getting riled. Jealousy was surfacing. His mind immediately recalled that evening when Marjorie told him of the boy she spent the summer with when she lived in Regina. He sensed it then and he sensed it even more now how much Marjorie liked that man.

James also remembered that night when he called for Jenny. They were just leaving to see a movie in the city. It was a good thing he answered and they were just about out the door. He had made it clear in no uncertain terms that he didn’t want Henry Pedersen involved with his girl again. Fortunately, the farm boy didn’t bother him nor Jenny after that. And yet, after all those years, he’s back in our lives again!

He wondered what would have happened had Henry and Marjorie spoke to one another that night he had called for her. That’s beside the point; they were conversing with each other now and it concerned James. It concerned him a lot.

Well, he would take one step at a time…

“Mr. Hamilton, are you still on the telephone?”

“Yes, Matilda… call me after you see Marjorie. Note everything. I want to know exactly how she is doing. If there is anything she wants, let me know… flowers? Yes, she would want flowers. What kind does she like, Matilda?”

Without waiting for an answer, James blurted, “Wildflowers, yes, of course, she’d want that kind. Would florists carry wildflowers or just roses? S…surely they would have something like a wildflower in that small city, wouldn’t they? Matilda. For Pete’s sake, speak up!”

“I wants to, but you keep prattling on… yes, florists should have some wildflowers. I know she loves daisies. She likes the simplicity of the daisy, especially yellow ones… they remind her of the sun—”

“Yes, I’ll send her flowers. Ask her indirectly what kind she likes besides daisies and anything else she might need…Yes!…Books! She always had her nose in a book. Find out what she likes to read… go to her soon and phone me immediately when your visit is over, is that clear?”

“Yes, Mr. Hamilton, it’s all clear as a bell what you wants…!”

“And, Matilda…” James was getting desperate. He never thought he would ever see the day when he asked his staff for help. Yet, these past few months had changed his life… and he was sure it was for the better.

“Mr. Hamilton, our connection not working again…you still there?”

“Matilda, I need your help,” James finally blurted out. “Do everything you can to convince Marjorie to come back to the estate. She’ll listen to your advice. She’s my wife and I want her back on the estate where she belongs.”

“But Mr. Hamilton, you divorced Mrs. Hamilton, she no longer be your wife, did you forget?”

“For Pete’s sake, Matilda, of course I didn’t forget. I meant she was my wife but it’s the same thing, we need to get her back on the estate. I’m sure you would be much happier if she was and so would Thomas and everyone else. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Matilda could see her master be working himself up like he was after some big deal for his company. But this may be one business deal he will not be closing. Jenny was in love, really in love and I could see it the moment them two kissed this morning. Finally, Jenny would be free to marry the love of her life, and there was no way under the sun that Matilda would interfere with her precious friend’s heartfelt wish and dream for all those years.

“Yes, it would be nice to have Miss Jenny back, but its Jenny’s… I mean, Ms. Hamilton’s life, it be up to her if she wants to come back or not. And I wouldn’t be setting my hopes up too high, Mr. Hamilton… that boy she met a long time ago will have someting to say about all this; that be for sure…”

Click.

Matilda held onto the phone for a long time after James hung up. Matti slowly hung up the phone and muttered, “What one wants one can’t always be getting… even a man with all the money in the world has his limits…

“That be for sure!”