Chapter Eighty Six

Jenny drove slowly home. At times she had to pull over, stop and let a fountain of tears fall. She never realized just how much she had cared for and loved James. It almost took an extra hour for her to make it home. Thomas was sitting in the kitchen, expecting her.

He got up when she entered the kitchen. He could see the sorrow and sadness in her eyes. She approached Thomas and fell onto his chest. He was hesitant but then wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tenderly, as if she was one of his own. He began to cry in sympathy with his dear Miss Jenny.

“Oh, Thomas, James was such a good man. I am so happy we all saw the real James.”

Thomas didn’t speak.

Slowly, Jenny gained some composure. “Where are Henry and his family?”

“Neela took them to church. They should be home in the next half hour. Matti went along, too.”

Thomas paused and then continued, “There is something James wanted me to show and give you, Miss Jenny.”

Jenny looked tenderly into Thomas’s eyes; her gaze was questioning enough without words.

“Come, it’s outside.”

Thomas put on his jacket. Jenny still hadn’t taken hers off.

The first thing Jenny noticed was that Thomas had cleared the snow off the walkway right down to the paving stone. They stepped out of the kitchen doors onto the patio and began to stroll down the path that Thomas had cleared. It was free of snow all the way to the gazebo, including the interior of the gazebo itself. It appeared as it would have on a summer day.

Thomas led Jenny to the gazebo and entered. He asked Jenny to sit down and once again after a brief hesitation, he decided to sit next to Mrs. Hamilton.

Softly, Thomas began, “James knew how much you loved this haven and the garden and the Angel of Thanksgiving and so it is only fitting that he would want to give you his final farewell here.”

Thomas paused to collect himself and went on. “I have to say, Miss Jenny, that James planned to die today. He wanted to give you a Christmas present that was meaningful in the only way he knew how. He wanted to give you his life in exchange for all you did for him. I have to say, I am deeply moved.”

Jenny didn’t look up at Thomas, she leaned into his side and rested her head on his shoulder.

“He asked me to buy you a bouquet and put them into the angel’s basket so that fresh flowers would be here for you. I placed them in the basket when I came home last evening after visiting with James. As you can see the flowers are still fresh, I knew somehow they would survive the night. But, Miss Jenny, after clearing the walk this morning I noticed that I didn’t need to buy any flowers.”

Thomas got up and walked a few feet to the wildflower patch that surrounded the Angel of Thanksgiving. He brushed away the snow over the wildflower patch and miraculously the flowers beneath were as fresh as if they had just bloomed!

“Isn’t that something, Miss Jenny? I have seen more miracles in this garden which just overwhelms me, time and time again. But this one, well…”

Thomas paused to compose himself and said, “I am going to leave you. When you are ready, you will see a letter I placed in between the bouquet of flowers. James had me write it as he dictated it to me yesterday when we visited for the last time. He signed it as best he could. When you are ready, you go ahead and read it… all I can say, Miss Jenny, is that in all the years of my life, I have never read a letter that was more from the heart.”

When thomas came back into the house, Henry and his family had returned from church. The kids for the most part were interested in the gifts they had received and were presently occupied, which was a good thing as it left Henry free. Matti was bustling around in the kitchen getting ready to prepare breakfast.

“Hi Thomas,” said Henry, when he saw Thomas enter from the kitchen. “Is Jenny up or did she go to the hospital?”

“I have some sad news for you, Henry, James passed on early this morning. Miss Jenny was already up to see him and she is now out in the garden sitting on the swing in the gazebo. If you don’t mind to put your jacket back on and go out there, I think Miss Jenny could use your support at this time.”

Henry walked slowly along the path, not sure if it was the right direction. He decided that the cleared walk of snow must be an indication of where to go.

He wasn’t sure how to feel about James’ death. He would have liked to have met James. He had thought about going up to the hospital but didn’t want to put undue stress on James to see him and Jenny there together. And yet, James had invited him to come…It was an odd situation Henry found himself in and also one that could have altered his life for the rest of his days.

Henry sensed that Jenny had grown fonder of her husband since returning to the estate…the Church is right…if both parties in a marriage really try, it’s surprising the obstacles that can be overcome.

Jenny had seen something in James that drew her love. Henry trusted that love. If Jenny had decided to go back to James, Henry would have understood. It may have broken his heart but he knew down deep he would have had to let her go. Their relationship had to be based upon freedom…

Henry would soon see that James felt the same way, too…

As soon as he turned the bend around a lilac bush covered heavily with snow, Henry saw Jenny sitting on the swing in the gazebo.

As he neared, he saw she was holding a letter and was crying. He walked into the gazebo and sat next to his dearly beloved. He raised his arm and Jenny fell into his chest and once again burst into a waterfall of tears. Her hand holding the letter rested on his lap.

He tenderly squeezed Jenny. Without looking at Henry, Jenny offered the letter she had been reading to him. Henry took the letter from her hand and began to read:

Dear Marjorie

Yesterday, for the first time in my life, I said a prayer to Jesus. Oh, I talked to Him before, but this time it came from the heart. I want you to know that I decided to choose to be like the thief that believed in Him.

I feel the end is near and so, I will soon know if I made the right choice. Deep in my heart, I know I did. How could I not? You often said that we are children of God and…it was in you that I saw the Father.

Marjorie, thank you, from the bottom of my heart for coming back to me in my last days. Thank you for wearing the wedding ring and being my wife. I know my days on earth were extended because of your love.

Truly, there are angels. There is no doubt in my mind that they are gifts from God. If only I could be sitting there with you now on the swing giving thanks. The angel’s basket could never be big enough to give thanks for all the blessings you have brought into my life. If there ever was an earthly angel, it has to be you.

Please accept my leaving as my last gift to you. Marjorie, you are now free to follow your heart. I always knew right from the start when we started to date there was somebody in your heart that kept you from loving me completely. If you recall, there were many times I asked you and once you shared your heart…it was Henry. He’s a lucky man. And I wish you both all the happiness in the world.

This may sound out of character for me, but this past summer when I strolled through the garden and sat on the swing in the gazebo, I often heard music from the radio that Thomas and Ramon carried around with them as they did their landscape work. One day, there was a song that a lady by the name of Dolly Parton sang. I think the name of the song was ‘I Will Always Love You.’

It caught my attention right away. I think the first verse was something like this:

If I should stay

I would only be in your way

So I’ll go but I know

I’ll think of you every step of the way.

That about sums it up, Marjorie, I will always love you as best I can and know how…let this be my last gift to you…

Fly, Marjorie, fly like an angel and a butterfly…you were born to be free.

With love,

James.