What Dreams May Fall

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4

Ruby woke up the next morning, her headache just as fierce as before. When Connie asked her to quit her job at County to take care of Grandma Lucy, it took time to warm up to the idea. Ruby had never done in-home nursing before, and she wasn’t sure how much she loved the idea of living where she worked. There were financial considerations too. Connie agreed to pay her out of pocket for the first two months while they waited for all the insurance paperwork to get filed, but if the state came back and decided Grandma Lucy wasn’t sick enough to require round-the-clock care, Connie couldn’t afford to pay her indefinitely. If Ruby had been searching for financial security, she would have never left County.

On the other hand, she had grown to love Grandma Lucy, the eccentric old woman who had led her to Christ. On her good days, Ruby was basically paid to sit and learn more about Jesus, and when Grandma Lucy wasn’t as lucid, Ruby was happy to repay the favor by watching over her.

She’d had a hard time making up her mind back then, but once she and Mace broke up, there wasn’t much choice unless she wanted to bunk up with Jessi. Close as the two girls were and had always been, they’d tried the roommate thing their first semester of college and vowed to never put their friendship through such a strain again.

Fortunately, after moving into the small attic room at Safe Anchorage’s bright red farmhouse, she realized how much she appreciated the convenience of getting out of bed and being ready for work by the time she made her way downstairs.

Of course, living with her employer also made it more difficult to separate work from pleasure, which is why she appreciated her nights out with Jessi. Until Jessi spent the entire ride both to and from Wenatchee lecturing her about her new faith in Jesus.

Oh, well. At least they were still talking. Ruby had been afraid when she and Mace broke up that she might lose Jessi too. She was thankful that her fears were unfounded, but she still longed for simpler times when it was her and Mace and Jessi all together, staying up until two or three in the morning drinking coffee and playing stupid board games or driving around Orchard Grove like they were high schoolers again, looking for parties to crash.

On her way to the bathroom, Ruby stopped at the sound of a familiar voice coming from the greenhouse attachment that had long ago been converted into Grandma Lucy’s personal prayer room. Ruby lost count of how many nights Grandma Lucy had tried to make it to her prayer room, risking broken bones and fractured hips just to sit in her rocking chair. Sometimes Ruby wondered why Connie didn’t let her just sleep there. Wouldn’t it make things that much easier?

The lights were on, so Ruby poked her head inside. Grandma Lucy was rocking so hard it was a miracle momentum didn’t throw her out of the chair. She was covered with her favorite prayer quilt, her hands raised toward heaven.

“Lord, you are the God of the ages, the Lord of hosts, the King of the universe. There isn’t a single sparrow that falls to the ground apart from your will, not a single word on our tongues that you do not know. You have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise. You raise me up to soar with eagle’s wings so that my youth is renewed like the dew of heaven. You feed me your holy manna, you fill me with your sacred Word, you anoint me with your Holy Spirit.

“My mind is yours, gracious Father, and even though the devil wants to keep me in confusion, you are a God of order and discipline. I declare that I am not a slave again to fear, but you have given me a sound mind so that I may know and testify to what you have done. Even the darkness will not be dark to me. The night will shine like the day, for dark is light to you, and I am convinced that no weapon forged against me will prevail.” She balled her hand into a fist.

“You hear that, old devil you? This old mind of mine belongs to the Lord, and you can’t take away my clarity. Not today. For greater is he who is in me than he who is in the world, and even the demons shudder at the powerful and holy name of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. And did you sleep well last night? You’re certainly up early, aren’t you?”

It took Ruby far longer than it should have to realize Grandma Lucy was staring straight at her.

She stepped into the room. “Hi, Grandma Lucy. Are you having a good morning today?”

She chuckled. “Any morning spent in prayer is a good morning.”

Ruby glanced at the clock. “How long have you been here?”

“Not long. Just a few hours, I’d guess. I’d normally go out to the goats. That’s where I used to pray at night so I wouldn’t bother anyone else, but you know, Connie’s put that contraption on the doorknob, and I can’t for the life of me figure out how it works. I know four foreign languages, but I can’t figure out a simple baby lock.” She laughed softly. “Guess Connie wants to keep me from freezing my tail off outside, is that it?”

“We just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Grandma Lucy’s eyes twinkled. “Well, that’s sweet of you, I’m sure, but what would have happened if I hadn’t taken that fall and needed stitches in my forehead? What then? You wouldn’t have sewn me up so good, I would have never had the chance to share such joyous news as the gospel with you, and you’d probably still be working at that hospital, doing your night shifts, going home to that atheist boyfriend you were with …”

“Are you hungry?” Ruby interrupted. “I think Connie’s making some cinnamon rolls.”

“I know. I’ve been smelling them rise for the past hour or two. Makes my mouth water so much I’m just about to die of thirst.”

“Well, let me get your wheelchair, and then we’ll find you a glass of something to drink.”

Grandma Lucy shook her head. “Nope. I won’t be needing that chair today. Not after God’s touched my body and made me strong.”

Ruby took a step forward. “Your walker then. You stay there, and I’ll go get it.”

Grandma Lucy scowled. “Now, what have we been talking about when we pray together each afternoon? If the Son has set you free, he’ll make you free indeed, right? So what kind of witness would I be to you if I allowed you to get me some contraption to help me walk even after Jesus Christ himself has ministered to my spirit and made me strong?”

“I know you’re strong. I just think you should get your …” Ruby jumped forward as Grandma Lucy stood up, holding onto the unsteady arm of her rocker for support. Her knee buckled, and Ruby reached her hand out to guide her gently back into the chair, bracing her foot against it to keep it from sliding.

Grandma Lucy looked up sheepishly. “Did I ever tell you the verse that says pride cometh before the fall?”

Ruby tried to offer a comforting smile, and Grandma Lucy whispered in a voice half her usual volume, “Maybe that wheelchair isn’t a bad idea after all.”