Changed Lives
Part Two
Eli Walker left his stand in the care of one of his farm hands, and walked steadfastly past the tempting treats on display at the market. There was a tractor show going on this week, and he was in the market for a new one. It needed to have all the attachments too, for he was getting ready to clear some of his land for a new barn. Unlike many other farmers in the area, Eli didn't grow fruit. Instead, he raised free range meat birds and laying hens. He kept goats too, as well as cows and a couple of horses. That's how he'd gotten to know Harvey Blakeway: the best farrier in the area. Or at least, he had been. Eli sighed as he remembered his good friend, gone for more than four years now. He missed stopping at the forge for coffee and a chat with the soft spoken man, who'd often had wise advice to give. Eli walked up and down the rows of shiny machines. He wondered which one Harvey would approve of. Harvey hadn't been an impulsive person. He'd been a steady, dependable church member, husband, and friend. As Eli perused a model that looked just right, he thought back to the last converstion he'd had with Harvey before the heart attack took him. They'd been talking about faith during a quiet moment at the forge. "You know, Eli, I'm beginning to realize: knowing God is about relationship, not about rule keeping and religion." He'd smiled a bit ruefully as he took a sip of coffee. "I've been focusing so much on religion, that I've been leading both myself and others astray. Not to mention, my dear Wren. But I am going to start setting things right with God's help."
Eli looked at the price tag on the machine and grunted. He wondered why that conversation was playing in his head today. He'd thought Harvey's words strange at the time. Harvey had been a good, upright man, yet he'd seemed remorseful about his choices. Now, though, Eli could understand where Harvey had been coming from better. When first Gretchen, then Wren had left the church, a real hornet's nest had been stirred up, with some members siding with the women, and others viciously deriding them. As for Eli, all he knew was that there was something wrong with a church that treated people the way his did. Deep in his heart, he knew that Harvey would have walked out of the door alongside his wife if he had been alive to do so.
***
"Wren, Jasper, it's good to see you." The couple was waiting in line at the pancake stall. Eli couldn't say no to pancakes. As a bachelor, he made his own meals, but he drew the line at baking.
"Good to see you too, Eli." Jasper shook his hand, and Wren smiled. Eli thought that she looked especially radiant and was glad that she'd found happiness again. Some small communication passed between the couple, then Wren spoke. "Eli, we'd love to have you round for supper soon. Say, next week Saturday?"
"Sounds good," Eli smiled. "What should I bring?"
"Just yourself." Jasper broke in as he stepped up to pay for his order. He and Wren said goodbye to Eli and found a bench to sit on. "I'm glad we saw Eli today. I've been meaning to invite him to dinner for a while now." Wren polished off her first pancake and realized how famished she was. Hopefully her nausea would soon become a thing of the past.
"When are we going to share our news?"Jasper pulled her close. He was still processing it himself, but part of him wanted to shout it from the rooftops.
"Soon." Smiled Wren. "I couldn't keep something so exciting a secret for long, and I feel like buying baby clothes already."
"I wonder if it's a boy or a girl." Mused Jasper. "Not that I mind, though."
"Me neither. It's in God's hands. It will be fun thinking of names, though."
"Maybe we should ask the kids at school." Jasper joked.
Wren surprised him with her answer. "That's a sweet idea. We could ask them all for suggestions."
They laughed as they wondered what names the children would come up with, then thought of several of their own, as they walked hand in hand to their car.
***
Author's note: The pancakes mentioned here are the ones that we eat in South Africa. They are thin like French crêpes, and they are sprinkled with lemon juice and cinnamon sugar before being rolled up.
Note: New Chapters of Changed Lives will be posted on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays through this week and the next, with the last chapter the following Monday.
Copyright: Alison Lawrence. 2023. All rights reserved.
Changed Lives is a work of fiction and no resemblance to any persons or places is intended.
Changed Lives, Part One:
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