The Healing Quilt (43 page)

“She wouldn't even let me stay with her.” Kit threw her bag down in the recliner.

“I'm assuming you mean Teza.” Sue looked up from threading her needle.

“Who else? Stubborn old Norwegian, sometimes I…”

“Takes one to know one.” Sue's grin made Kit want to shake her.

“You could show some sympathy for crying out loud.” Kit looked to each of the other quilters. “Like I told you, I planned on spending the day to make it easier for her, and she told me to go home and quilt where I'd be doing someone some good.”

“Leave it to Teza. Yes!” Beth pumped air with her fist. “My hero. And besides, we're here to help you.”

“So I guess you'd better just sit down here with the rest of us and put your fingers to work.” Sue rolled her eyes at the others. “Some people will go to any means to get out of work.”

“Did everyone get coffee and.

“And I brought lunch.” Elaine nodded toward the kitchen. “I put the things in the fridge, if that's all right with you.”

“Hey, didn't I hear about a fire out your way last night?” Sue looked toward Elaine.

“How'd you hear already?”

“Doug is on the volunteer fire crew. They got called out about ten. Seems some barking dogs woke the people in time to prevent any real damage.”

“It was next door, and you don't know the half of it.” Elaine huffed a breath and told them her wonderful scheme. “Why can I never get even? It's just not fair.”

Beth tried to hide a giggle and failed. She deepened her voice to announcer quality. “And thus goes the continuing saga of Elaine versus Bootsie. Tune in tomorrow for the next installment of
Life in Jefferson City.”

“You're too young to know about old radio shows.” Sue elbowed her neighbor.

“Not when your husband is addicted to
The Shadow
and other old stuff. Besides, you can hear some of those old programs on Public Radio. I love them.”

“Well, do any of you have any suggestions?” Elaine looked around the group.

Kit caught her eye. “Teza and Beth gave you good suggestions the other day.”
Is this really me saying such a thing?

“Thanks. Like I'm about to do the kill-her-with-kindness thing. She'd be too dense to figure it out anyway. I like the burning coals angle of it, though.”

Beth groaned. “I think that's God's part of it.”

“Oh, just my luck.”

“Hey, I've got a problem I could use some help on,” Beth said.

“Hope they do better for you than for me.”

“Mine's easier. Well, you all know about Garth and the court, and I've been thinking how I can help out, so I came up with starting a seamstress kind of business. I really do love to sew and.

“That's a good idea,” Kit broke in. “While there are a lot of women who sew in this town, there is no real seamstress business as such. You should do well. Get some business cards made up off your computer and printer. I found some really pretty card stock down at the office supply, and you can use a template from your word processing program, easy as pie.”

“I'd need a name before I could even do the business card bit.”

“How about Sewing by Beth?”

“Or, ‘You Rip, I Fix.’ ”

“Fit and Sew.”

“Or Sew and Fit.”

“Stitch in Time.”

“Time to Stitch.”

The titles came from all of them. Beth stopped stitching and reached down in her bag for a notebook. “Stop, I have to write them all down.” She did and looked at the list. “I like Sewing by Beth best.”

“Good, then you make your cards and hand them out to everyone you know,” Elaine offered. “In fact, you give them two, one for them to keep and one for them to give away. Then you post them at like the cleaners, the grocery stores on their bulletin boards, places where foot traffic is high.”

“But, well—I haven t mentioned this to my husband yet. I thought I'd just bring in a bit of money on the side, to help out, you know.”

“I'd tell him, dearie, right up front.” Elsie Mae leaned forward to make a point. “You shouldn't never try to keep secrets from your man. It'll just turn and bite you on the butt.”

“Elsie Mae.” Kit covered her surprise by rolling her lips together.

“Th-thank you, I think.”

Elaine studied the stricken look that quickly changed back to a smile on the younger woman's face.
Something is going on here. I wonder what it is she's hiding. He's really a gorgeous man too. Shame hés in trouble with the police. I bet he is too proud to have his wife working.

“Are you going to specialize in anything? Like alterations, home decor, wedding dresses?” Kit asked.

“Wedding dresses?” Beth's voice squeaked. “I… I hadn't thought that far. All those beads and lace, oh no, I couldn't do something like that.”

“So, alterations?”

Beth nodded.

“Hard to fit people?”

She winced. “I guess, but I've never done such a thing.” 1 hen no.

With each comment Beth melted closer to the back of her chair. “I… I just thought to be a Proverbs 31 wife.” At Elaine's blank look, Beth continued. “You know, she sells things, dresses her family and all the servants or slaves, however you want to interpret it.”

“I guess you don't have to worry about the slave part anyway.” Elaine leaned across the corner of the quilt frame and patted Beth's cold hand. “Dont mind me. I just love promoting these kinds of things, and the more we know about your business, in fact, the more
you
know about your business, the more we can help you.”

“That's for sure,” Kit added with a nod. “You never know what one of us will hear and be able to pass on to you.”

“So do you think you can bring in your business cards this week? Bring me a bunch, and I will hand them out at the hospital guild meeting next month. Several ladies there are always looking for people to hem slacks and skirts, that kind ofthing. What are you going to charge?”

Beth flopped back, arms falling at her sides. “I have no idea.”

“Call that cleaner downtown who advertises alterations. Tell them you need something done, like hem a skirt or put in a zipper and ask what they charge.” Sue tied a knot in her thread. “Then I'd check the Olympia or Tacoma paper, and if there are ads for sewing, do the same thing.”

“You are all so smart. Thank you.”

“Not smart, wise. Comes with age, hopefully.” Elsie Mae snipped her thread off. “Least ways, I been prayin for wisdom a long time, and God says he'll give it to all those who ask.” She raised her eyes to look heavenward. “And, Lord, I do need plenty. A bucketful would be just fine.”

Beth giggled and took up her stitching again.

“Now since Teza isn't here…”

“I know, we can talk about her.”

“No, we can talk about the hat party.” Elaine dug in the bag at her feet. “I brought some hat patterns I had at home in case some of you didn't have any. I'm making this turban, one in a dressy fabric, one in real casual. I've made others like it for cancer patients.”

Beth reached for one with a turned up brim. “This looks like fun.”

“I'm doing one similar to that out of denim.” Kit pointed to one of the hats on the pattern cover. “I made one before, and it turned out really nice. You know what?”

“Oh, oh, light bulb time. I saw it go off.” Sue touched her forehead.

“What if we all brought hats, and when she opens hers, we can all put them on. You know, make her feel—well, I don't know. Maybe it isn't such a good idea.”

“Yes, it is. She'll know we're all pulling for her.” Elsie Mae nodded. “I've got such a great crocheted hat. I'll see if I can get one done. If it were winter, I'd already have some in stock.”

“She'll be needing winter hats too.”

“You crochet hats?” Beth looked from Elsie Mae to around the group. “You all do so many different things. What an amazingly talented group.” Beth glanced at her watch. “Oh, my, I better get going. Garth should be done with his sermon by now, and then we're going up to the lake for a picnic. I'll see you all on Monday, unless you come to our church. We'd love to have you.” She smiled directly at Kit.

Kit shrugged. “We'll see how things go.”

“Bring your business cards.”

“I'll have them by Wednesday.” Beth's voice floated back through the open front door.

“Such a sweet child.” Elsie Mae stood and stretched. “These old bones need to move around.”

“I'm sure she would appreciate knowing you think of her as a child when she is trying so hard to be the kind of wife her husband needs.” Kit eyed the recliner. “Wonder howTeza is faring.”

“From the look in her eyes at times, I think that
child
has a dark secret that is tearing her up inside.” Sue rubbed her forehead. “I'm going to have to sit straighter or wear one of those braces that holds your shoulders back.” She leaned her head toward one shoulder and then the other. “Think I'll go out in the backyard to stretch a bit. Anyone want anything from the kitchen?”

Later, when they were gathering their things to leave, Kit looked back at the quilt. “You really think we are going to get this done by the end of September? We sure have a long way to go.”

“Maybe we should have a couple of all-nighters. Would your husband mind if the ladies came over and sat up all night laughing and quilting?” Elaine stopped on the front steps and looked back to Kit.

Kit shook her head. “No, he wouldn't mind.”
Not even if he were here.

“Do you mind, Garth, if I go over to Kits for a couple of hours?”

“No, not at all. I'm going to work in the garden, and then we can go out for pizza or something.” He touched her cheek with a gentle finger. “I'm just so glad to see you up and about and interested in something.”

“Umm. I don't know how we're going to finish this quilt unless all of us put in every hour we can find. See you later.” Beth reached up to give him a quick kiss. “Oh, and by the way, two different people stopped me today to say how excellent your sermon was. Just thought you should know.”

“Thank you.”

She waved as she picked up her bag and headed out the door to the garage. The sun had yet to win the daily battle with the gray cloud cover, but brief patches of golden light showed that the skirmish was turning. Beth opened the window on the passenger side so the fresh air could come in without tangling her hair. Her thoughts turned to the business venture. A patchwork sign to hang in their front window might look nice, if Garth didn't mind. After she told him, of course. But really, what was wrong with having a home business?

Beth parked in front of Kit's and waved when she saw her out working in her front roses. “I thought I'd come quilt for a while. You don't have to come in, you know.”

Kit snipped offa few more dead blossoms. “No, about time I went in. Can I cut you some to take home?”

“I would love that. Thank you.”

“Good, go get yourself that flat basket up on the porch, and I'll start cutting.”

Beth sniffed each blossom as Kit handed it to her. “Now, when you get home, you snip off the ends underwater, and then they'll keep a lot longer. Some say put an aspirin in the bottom of the vase. That helps longevity too.”

“Why cut underwater?”

“The stem is very porous and as soon as I cut it, a bubble of air blocks any more water absorption. So if you cut it again underwater, the stem sucks up water and will keep doing so.”

“I always wondered why they said to do that.” Beth held the basket end with all the blossoms up to her face. “Ah, the fragrance. The petals feel so soft and caressing, as if they were made to be felt and not just smelled.”

“True.” Kit stripped off her garden gloves and put them in her garden apron pocket.

“How's Teza doing?”

“I talked to the nurse first thing this morning. Teza's been vomiting but seemed in good spirits, tired, of course. They said we could come get her about five. She should be over most of it by then.”

Beth stopped at the top of the steps and turned to look back toward Mount Rainier, which had just pushed aside the cloud cover and reigned supreme. “So beautiful. I never dreamed I'd be living so near the base of a mountain like this. It's the first thing I look for in the morning and the last at night.”

“I know. I'm like that too.”

I will lift my eyes unto the hilh; from whence cometh my help?

Stop that! You aren't pkying fair again. Besides, I know the rest of the
verse, and my help does not come from the hills. But if you recall it did not come from you either.

You got through it, didn't you? I carried you when you werent even aware.

Kit shook her head. Such preposterous thoughts.
As if God really was there, is here.
She shook her head slightly again.

“Are you all right?” Beth leaned forward.

“Oh, I will be.” Kit leaned against a porch post. “Do you ever get the feeling God is trying to tell you something you don't want to hear?”

Beth laughed, the tinkling notes teasing the slender purple fuchsia blossoms dangling over her head. “All the time.”

“Strange, when I begged and pleaded for his help, he seemed silent and aloof, and now that I don't want anything to do with him, he won t leave me alone.”