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Remembrance (Volume 1)

By Suzie Waltner

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ONE

Who would have thought a little drive would turn into this fiasco? Leah mentally kicked herself for ignoring the noises her car had been making over the past couple of weeks instead of taking it in to the mechanic. Money for car repairs was not in the budget, so she had been putting it off.

She had been out for only a couple of hours, but a few wrong turns had her lost on some back roads. After living in Perry for three years, she knew her away around town, but other than a few trips to Raleigh, she rarely left the city limits. She didn’t think she was too far from town, maybe twenty or thirty miles. Still, it was too far to walk back.

She turned the key in the ignition again. Nothing. No noise emanated from the car. It was most definitely dead. Even the lights on the dashboard refused to come on.

Leah pulled out her cell phone to call one of her roommates and groaned. “Come on,” she said to the dead phone. Well, what did she expect when she had forgotten to charge it last night?

I guess I’m walking. Taking a deep breath, Leah climbed out of the car. She reached back in, grabbed her bag and jacket and then locked the doors. Thankfully she had been able to pull over onto a narrow shoulder when her car had started to shake and sputter.

Well, I can’t sit out here all night. Maybe I can find someone who will let me use their phone.

Pulling on her jacket and tucking her wavy long brown hair behind her left ear, she began to walk. The loafers she wore weren’t the most comfortable footwear. She hoped she wouldn’t have to walk far.

After forty minutes, worry settled over her. She hadn’t seen any houses, and no cars had driven by. She checked her watch again. It was almost nine. She needed to find help and find it soon. She picked up her pace.

As she rounded a bend in the road, relief washed over her. In the darkness ahead, against a backdrop of pine trees, she spotted light shining through the window of a small house. Hope welled within her. The cheery glow invited her like her daddy’s open arms when she had fallen down as a little girl. She jogged toward the refuge ahead.

As she drew closer, Leah kept her sight focused on the glow spilling from the picture window at the front of the house. The light meant warmth. North Carolina springs were temperamental, and a cold front was moving in.

Shivering from the evening’s chill and a touch of anticipation, she rapped on the door, praying silently that the person on the other side would be kind and willing to help her. When the door opened a crack, a small woman with gray hair wearing a robe peered at her and asked, “May I help you?”

Relief fought with exhaustion and Leah couldn’t hold back the tears that began to fall down her face. “I’m so sorry to bother you this late,” she said, sniffling. “My car died on me a few miles away and my cell is dead. I was hoping I could use your phone and call a friend to come get me.”

I shouldn’t be doing this. I don’t know this woman, and she doesn’t know me. How stupid can I be?

“You poor dear,” cooed the older woman. She opened the door to let Leah in. “Come in and get out of the cold. You can use the phone but its’ hard to find this place at night. Why don’t you call your friends and let them know you are okay? I have a spare room you are welcome to use tonight. Your friends can come pick you up in the morning.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t impose on you like that.”

“Why don’t you come in and warm up? You can decide after you’ve had a chance to warm up and maybe had a little something to eat.”

Leah nodded numbly; the rest of her body had given in to the weariness that had dogged her for the past few hours. Picking up her feet, she walked through the open door.

“You’re shivering. How long have you been out here?” The kind woman led Leah to a chair near the fireplace and wrapped a red-and-blue quilt around her shoulders.

“I’ve been walking for almost an hour,” Leah answered.

“I just put the stew away from dinner. I’ll heat some up for you.” As her hostess bustled around in the kitchen, humming to herself, Leah leaned her head back with a sigh and closed her eyes. The song was familiar and soothing. She felt welcome and safe.

A few minutes later, the woman reappeared with a tray topped with a steaming bowl of homemade stew, two muffins, and a cup of hot tea. She set the tray down on a side table, smiled at Leah, and removed the quilt from around her shoulders. She fussed over her, making sure she had everything she needed.

“I suppose I should introduce myself,” the woman said. “My name is Anna Graham. I’ve lived in this house for a little over thirty-five years but can’t say we get many visitors. My husband built this place when we were first married. He passed away fourteen years ago, God rest his soul,” Anna rambled. “What’s your name dear?”

“Oh, how rude of me! I’m Leah, Leah Waters.”

“Leah. That’s a beautiful name.” Anna continued to steer the conversation, doing most of the talking so Leah could rest and eat. When she had finished eating, Leah asked about the phone.

“It’s in the kitchen,” Anna said. “Please call your friends and let them know you’re safe. You are welcome to stay here, and I’m sure one of the boys can drive you back to your house tomorrow when they wake up.”

She gave Anna a grateful smile and followed her into the kitchen. She tried both Kari’s and Melissa’s phones and left a voicemail on each. It was Friday night and Kari had mentioned a party. Leah had no idea when they would even check their phones.

She was exhausted. “If you’re sure it’s not an inconvenience, I think I’ll take you up on that offer to stay the night,” she told Anna.

“Of course. It’s no trouble at all, dear. Follow me.” She led Leah down the hallway toward the back of the house. It was much cooler back there than it had been in the living room and kitchen. Leah longed for the warmth of the fire at her feet.

“I apologize this room isn’t warmer. I’ve had the door closed all week. But we’ll put this quilt on the bed and you should be just fine,” Anna reasoned and held up the blue-and-red quilt she had folded over her arms.

When she opened the door, Leah saw the love that had been put into decorating the comfortable room. A small, handmade desk sat under the window. The large bed was covered with another handmade quilt, which looked like an heirloom. There was a lamp and a large book on a nightstand next to the bed. That bed drew Leah’s attention. She was ready to crawl under the covers and forget all about her horrible day.

“I’ll try and warn the boys to be quiet in the morning,” Anna promised as she tucked Leah into the bed. “They tend to make a lot of noise in the mornings. I hope you’ll be able to sleep in a little bit.”

Thinking of teenage boys fighting over whose turn it was to do the dishes, Leah fell asleep before Anna had returned to the kitchen.

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