It was almost time to start supper, but there were still a few items on the clothesline, so Eleanor left the house, carrying the wicker basket to get them. She’d just gotten to the line and set the basket on the ground when she heard the phone ringing from the shed. Thinking it might be Vic calling to say he was going to be late, she hurried into the building, picked up the phone, and said, “Hello.”
“Oh, Eleanor, I’m so glad it’s you. Your letter came today, and I just had to call.”
Eleanor’s shoulders curled forward. She wished time would speed up and she could end this call right now. Eleanor could only imagine what Mom would say concerning the thing she’d written about in the letter she had sent to her and Dad. They were probably shocked to learn about Vic’s drinking issue and the problems it had caused with Eleanor and Vic’s marriage.
“I … um … figured you would have probably received my letter by now.” Eleanor spoke quietly, as she fought to keep her composure.
“The things you said were quite shocking. How long has this all been going on with Vic drinking beer and becoming intoxicated?”
“It started after his brother drowned, but then it got better for a while.” Eleanor bent down and picked up the stick Checkers had brought into the shed when he’d found his way in through the open door. She tossed it outside and waited until the dog ran after it before resuming her conversation. “After Vic found out I was expecting a baby, things got worse. As you know, he’s blamed himself for Eddie’s death, and he is convinced that he won’t make a good father.”
“Why didn’t you let us know sooner about what’s been going on?”
Eleanor sighed deeply. She’d figured this question was coming. She moistened her dry lips and drew in a quick breath. “I kept hoping the problem would be resolved.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to stay in that house. I’d like you to pack your suitcase and come here to live with us.”
“Are you suggesting that I should divorce my husband?”
“Certainly not. I just don’t think it would be good for you to stay there when your husband’s been drinking. People do strange things when they’re under the influence of alcohol.”
“Mom, like I mentioned in the letter I wrote, I’ve been going to regular Al-Anon meetings, which is helping me to cope.”
“Is Vic going to AA meetings or getting some other kind of professional help for his problem?”
“No, not yet, but I’m sure he will see the need to go soon.”
Silence. Then Mom spoke again. “Please give some thought to my invitation. It isn’t good for you to be living with the stress of Vic’s problem. And how are you feeling, by the way?”
“I’m tired, but not so nauseous these days. And as I said, Al-Anon is helping me cope, and it’s reduced my stress.” Eleanor hoped the positive tone she had used would ease her mother’s mind.
“What about when the baby comes? How’s it going to be for your child, living under the same roof with an alcoholic father?”
“Hopefully, by then, Vic will be doing better.”
“And if he’s not?”
“Then I’ll figure out what to do when the time comes.” Eleanor glanced at the battery-operated clock sitting on the wooden bench next to the phone. “I need to hang up now, Mom. Vic will be home from work soon, and I need to get my laundry off the line and start supper.”
“All right, but please think about what I said. If things get to be more than you can handle, please don’t hesitate to come here. We only want what is best for you and the baby.”
“I know, Mom. Danki.”
“Before we hang up, though, I have one more quick question.”
“What is it?”
“Does your friend Doretta know about the situation with Vic?”
Eleanor shifted on the unyielding wooden stool she sat upon. She wouldn’t lie to her mother, but at the same time, Eleanor saw no reason to tell Mom that Doretta had known for some time and had offered advice regarding Vic’s addiction.
“Jah, Mom,” she replied. “I’ve let Doretta know as well.”
“That’s good. Maybe she will also suggest that you come back to Grabill.”
“We’ll see, Mom. Now I really do need to go.”
“Okay, I understand, and I’ll be in touch with you again soon. Take care, Daughter, and please know that your daed and I, as well as others in our family, will be praying for you.”
“You’ll pray for my husband too, right?”
“Jah, of course.”
Eleanor said goodbye to her mother and hung up the phone. It was good to have that conversation over with. She couldn’t help feeling sad that the relationship with her mother felt strained because of what Mom thought of Vic. Although her parents had been disappointed when Eleanor married Vic and moved away, at least they had accepted Eleanor’s decision to marry a man from Pennsylvania—a man she truly loved. Now, however, if Vic didn’t get help for his drinking, Eleanor figured her folks would not want anything to do with him. And the idea of Eleanor moving back home to live with them would no doubt come up again. Eleanor would have to deal with that issue when the time came.
When Ethan and Stephen came in from his shop that evening, Susie followed Ethan down the hall to the bathroom where he’d gone to clean up. “As soon as you’re done, could you meet me in our bedroom? There’s something I need to talk to you about, and I don’t want any of our kinner to hear what I have to say.”
Ethan nodded. “Is there something seriously wrong?”
Her voice lowered to a whisper. “It’s about Victor and Eleanor.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll meet you there shortly.”
Ethan stepped into the bathroom, and Susie went straight to their room. After closing the door, she took a seat on the bed. In less than five minutes, Ethan showed up with a clean face and hands and his hair combed neatly. “If this is about Vic’s drinking problem, we’ve already discussed it, and I thought we’d decided that we are going to do what Eleanor is doing and not try to force him to get help. If and when he reaches rock bottom, his eyes will hopefully be opened to the truth that he needs to seek professional help.” He sat down beside Susie and took hold of her hand. “We’re also going to continue praying for Vic and Eleanor, right?”
“Definitely, but I believe we can do more.”
“Such as?”
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I would like to invite Eleanor to come here to stay with us. She’s due to have the baby in a month, and she does not need the ongoing stress of never knowing when Victor will come home drunk or what his response to her will be.”
“That’s not a good idea, Susie.”
“How come?”
Ethan let go of her hand and reached up to massage his damp forehead. “Our son wouldn’t be happy if you asked his wife to move in with us. It could cause even more problems between him and Eleanor. It might also be another excuse for Vic to keep drinking.”
She tipped her head. “You think so?”
“Jah. Vic’s pretty unstable right now, and his emotions are up and down like a yo-yo. I don’t want us to be the cause of setting him off.”
Susie pulled her bottom lip inward. “I suppose you’re right, but I can’t help being worried about our daughter-in-law and the precious baby she’ll be giving birth to soon.”
Ethan rested his hand on her arm and gave it a few gentle pats. “Try not to worry. Just pray. I feel confident that God will work things out in His time and His way.”
Susie gave a deep, weighted sigh. She wished she could be so sure. Perhaps her faith wasn’t as strong as Ethan’s, but she would pray and try to leave the situation in God’s hands. She would also continue to check on Eleanor often by dropping by and leaving phone messages.
Lancaster
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Tom asked when he pulled his vehicle into the parking lot of the tavern on Prince Street.
Vic bobbed his head. “Sure am. I’m not going home till I’ve had a chance to calm down and come up with something to tell Eleanor when I get there.”
“How about telling her the truth—that you walked away from a perfectly good job because you didn’t like what the boss said.”
Vic winced, feeling as though he’d been slapped in the face. “All right, I did, but I couldn’t stand there and let Ned say all those things to me and make a threat to fire me on the spot.”
Tom looked straight at Vic. “Yeah, you could have. If you hadn’t mouthed off, you’d still have a job. What you should have done is promised our boss that you would do better from now on and asked him for another chance to prove yourself.”
Vic’s gaze flicked upward. “Yeah, right. I’m sure that’s what you would have done.”
“That’s correct. Ned’s gotten on my case a few times since I began working for him, and I’ve never argued with him or smarted off.” Tom shook his head. “I can’t believe you, Vic. You don’t act like any Amish man I’ve ever known.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? How’s an Amish man supposed to behave?”
Tom scratched his head. “I’ll admit, I don’t know many Amish men, but the ones I have met were hard workers and polite.”
Vic couldn’t think of a good enough response, so he opened the truck door and stepped out. “You coming or what?”
“All right, I’ll come in for a couple of beers, but then we need to go. Today’s my mom’s birthday, and I told my stepdad that I would stop by their place for cake and ice cream. I bought a plant to give her too, which is at my house. So after I drop you off at your place, I’ll need to stop at my house to change and get the gift.”
“Okay,” Vic agreed. “We’ll have a few quick drinks and be on our way.”
Paradise
Eleanor went to the front door, opened it, and peered out. It was almost eight o’clock, and there was still no sign of Tom’s truck. She’d gone out to the phone shed again, half an hour ago, but there’d been no message from Vic or anyone else. Eleanor hoped Vic and Tom hadn’t stopped off for a few drinks somewhere. She knew all too well that a couple of beers could easily lead to more, and the end result would be her husband coming home drunk. Even after so many times of him pulling this same stunt, she couldn’t get used to it. All Eleanor could see was that her husband wasn’t strong enough to handle adult life. At this point, she was trying to trust in the Lord, but it was hard not to fret, and she had to remind herself to think about her own needs right now.
She’d thought about fixing herself a healthy snack. There were some cut-up veggies in a plastic container inside the refrigerator that she could enjoy with some flavorful dip. She was hungry and needed to eat before nausea set in. She’d been better in that regard for the most part, but whenever Eleanor went too long without eating, her stomach still felt a bit queasy.
With a heavy sigh and the dog at her heels, Eleanor entered the kitchen and got out the veggies. She would heat up some leftover potato soup to eat after her fresh vegetable snack. And if Vic came home late or didn’t come home at all, she would find the strength from deep within to deal with it.
Lancaster
“We’ve gotta go, Vic. I need to be at my parents’ house in one hour, and you’ve had one too many beers.”
Holding tight to the glass of beer in his hand, Vic shook his head. “You go ahead. I’ll find a way home on my own.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I can’t just leave you here. It’s too far for you to walk to your house. Besides, you’re in no shape to be going anywhere by yourself.” Tom nudged Vic’s arm.
Vic shrugged it away and narrowed his eyes. “Just let me be. I’m not ready to go home and face my wife yet.”
“You’ll have to face her sometime and admit what happened at work today. There’s no point in putting it off.”
Vic picked up his glass and took another swig. A few seconds later, he moved away from Tom and plunked down on a different barstool.
“Come on, man. You can’t stay here by yourself.”
“I’m not alone.” Vic made a sweeping gesture of the room. “Look, there’s a whole room full of drinking buddies. I’m sure one of them might live out my way, and I can catch a ride home with that person whenever I’m ready to go.” Vic hunched over the bar. “I mean it, Tom. Just leave me alone.”
“Be reasonable, Vic. You don’t know any of these guys well enough to trust them—especially in the condition you’re in right now.”
Vic didn’t respond to his buddy’s comment. He just looked away and took another sip of his beer.
“You’re just being stubborn is all, and I can’t wait around here any longer, my friend.” Tom looked at his watch. “Okay, have it your way. You can stay here till the place closes if you want, but I think you’ll be sorry in the morning.” Tom walked away, paid his tab. and left the building.
What does he know about how I’m feeling? I just want to be free from all my troubles, and this beer is making that happen for me. Vic ordered another beer and ended up spilling part of it on his chicken strips. He didn’t care. He had no appetite for food, anyhow. All Vic wanted to do was numb the pain gnawing at the core of his being, and he hoped a few more beers might do the trick.
Vic had no idea what time it was. He weaved back and forth on rubbery legs, barely able to walk when he stepped outside, leaning on some guy he didn’t know, who’d said he would drive Vic home. He blinked rapidly, trying to focus on something familiar, but everything seemed kind of blurry. His body felt tingly, and he had a weird fuzzy feeling in his head. The fellow with him didn’t say anything as he led Vic along. Suddenly, with no warning whatsoever, Vic felt a blunt object hit the back of his head. Then everything started spinning and Vic blacked out.