Englisch on Purpose (Prequel to Amish by Accident) Read online

  Chapter 19

  “Would you like something to drink?” Richard offered.

  “White Zin?” she said, half teasing, just to get a reaction out of him.

  He frowned. “You know I don’t do alcohol. How about a sparkling water?”

  “Strawberry?”

  He handed her a plastic bottle and smiled.

  Mattie stared at the artwork on the wall in Richard’s office. It seemed they hung out there quite a bit after hours because it provided privacy and quietness from the bustling outside.

  “Will you ever consider becoming a Christian?”

  Leave it to Richard to ask the difficult questions. Why is it that every conversation lately seemed to end up in a discussion of religion?

  “Who says that what you believe is right? There are hundreds of denominations and religions out there. What makes you think the way you believe is right?”

  “I admit that everything I believe might not be right. I’m fallible. I don’t claim to have all the answers. Total trust in God does require a small amount of faith. I do, however, think that God makes it pretty easy to believe. There is proof of His existence everywhere. I just look up at the sky at night and stand in awe. Or, how about the ocean? Isn’t it amazing how it just stays in its place and doesn’t flood the rest of the world? That’s something that the Bible talks about. Just look at the abundance and diversity of plant life and the way all of life sustains itself. I think a person would have to try awfully hard to convince himself that God doesn’t exist.

  “You know, Mattie. What you believe or what I believe doesn’t really matter. When life is all said and done, the only thing that will matter is the Truth. We have a choice to believe it or not. God won’t ever force it on anyone.

  “I do wonder, though, Mattie. What would it take for you to believe?”

  “Please, Richard.”

  “Are you not even going to consider it?”

  “I told you already that I’m done with religion.”

  “Well, if that’s what you want.”

  “It is.”

  He nodded and stood up from the sofa. His Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed. “I guess this is goodbye, then.”

  “Goodbye? What do you mean?”

  “I’d thought that maybe you were the woman that God had planned for me. I was wrong.”

  “So, that’s it? You’re just going to end our relationship because I disagree with you?”

  “No, Mattie. It’s much more than that. God is everything to me. I’d hoped that I could convince you to put your trust in Him. That’s why I’ve been holding out on asking you to marry me. And, even though I truly love you, I can’t risk marrying an unbeliever. It would spell misery for both of us, and I think you know it.”

  Marry? Mattie’s jaw dropped.

  “You have a key to my office. Let yourself out when you’re ready, and give the key to Jackie tonight, please.” Richard leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Goodbye, Mattie.”

  He walked slowly to the door and hesitated, as though he would say something else. Instead, his shoulders slumped and he left.

  <><><>

  As though in a trance, Mattie watched Richard walk out the door. She didn’t speak a word. She didn’t get up from the couch. She simply stared at the now-closed door. There was nothing to do now. She’d blown it.

  The only man she’d ever loved was gone.

  Chapter 20

  Mattie heard the phone ring in the living room. She never answered the phone because she knew Jackie would answer it. Besides, the only person who’d ever called for her on that phone was Richard, and that was when he couldn’t get a hold of her on her cell phone. But she knew that wouldn’t be happening any time soon. The phone rang again and she heard Jackie holler something about giving the kids a bath.

  Mattie rushed into the living room and quickly picked up the receiver. “Hello.”

  “May I speak with Jackie Windsor, please?” a professional-sounding woman on the other line asked.

  “Jackie’s not available right now. May I take a message?”

  “Yes. Please inform her that Richard Greene has been admitted to St. Luke’s Hospital. Have her call as soon as possible, please.”

  “Richard? What’s wrong with him? Why is he in the hospital?”

  “Who’s asking?”

  “My name is Mattie. I’m a friend of the family.”

  “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’m not permitted to divulge personal patient information over the phone. I’ll need to speak with an immediate family member.” The lady proceeded to give Mattie the phone number to the hospital and urged Jackie to call as soon as possible.

  As soon as she’d hung up the receiver, Jackie walked into the room, followed by two freshly bathed children, as evidenced by their wet hair.

  “Who was that?”

  “That was the hos–” Mattie glanced at the children. “Uh, St. Luke’s. Richard’s there.”

  Jackie frowned. “Children, go dry your hair now.”

  The children’s faces demonstrated their protest, but they promptly obeyed anyhow.

  As soon as the children disappeared from the room, Jackie turned back to Mattie. “What’s wrong with Richard?”

  “I don’t know. The lady wouldn’t tell me anything. She left a number for you to call.” Mattie handed Jackie the paper she’d written on.

  Jackie was already dialing the number before she’d taken the note from Mattie’s hand. “I’m calling about my brother, Richard Greene. He’s a patient there.” Jackie waited in silence for nearly thirty seconds. “Yes, Richard Greene. I’m Jackie Windsor, his sister.”

  Mattie swallowed, anxious to hear the outcome.

  “He did? When? Is he okay?” Jackie frowned. “Unconscious.” She glanced at Mattie. “Okay. Thank you.” She quickly scribbled down a number.

  “What happened?”

  “They’re not sure. Richard collapsed in his home. Fortunately, he wasn’t home alone. If he had been, he wouldn’t have gotten treatment.” Jackie bit her mail. “I need to go see him. Would you mind watching the kids for me? They should go to bed soon, anyway.”

  “Sure.” Mattie watched as Jackie quickly gathered her purse and explained to the children that Mattie would be watching them.

  Jackie whispered to Mattie, “I’ll call you as soon as I know anything.”

  Mattie nodded. “Thanks. I’ll try to wait patiently.”

  “And Mattie,” Jackie’s countenance turned sober, “it wouldn’t hurt to say a prayer for him.”

  “I will,” she promised.

  <><><>

  Mattie grabbed the phone the second she felt the vibration. “Jackie? How’s Richard? What’s going on?”

  “Mattie, take a deep breath and calm down.”

  “Okay, okay, I’m calm. Please, how’s Richard doing?” She clenched her fist, not realizing her nails were digging into her skin.

  “It’s his heart, Mattie. The doctors say the condition is something he was born with.”

  “Will he be all right?”

  “They think so. They want to keep him here for a couple of days so they can run tests. I okayed it. He’s still unconscious.”

  “May I come see him?”

  “As soon as I get home. How are the kids doing?”

  “They’re fine. They’re asleep.”

  “Would you mind staying here with Richard overnight?”

  “No, of course, not.”

  “All right. I’ll let the hospital staff know you’re coming. I should be home in a bit.”

  “Okay, thanks for calling me.”

  Chapter 21

  Mattie frowned when she walked into Richard’s hospital room.

  “Oh, you must be Mattie.”

  She stared blankly at the scantily-clad woman who held Richard’s hand.

  The woman rose from the chair at Richard’s bedside. “I’ll be leaving now. Do have Richard call me when he can.”

  Mattie awoke from her stupefied
slumber. “And you are?”

  “I was with Richard when he collapsed. I’m Amber. Amber Sexton.”

  Figures. “Okay, I’ll tell him,” she lied.

  When the woman bent over to kiss Richard’s cheek, Mattie was thankful he was still unconscious.

  Mattie sighed in relief after Amber left the room. She moved to Richard’s hospital bed and sat in the chair beside him. Richard’s strong body seemed so weak, lying helpless in this place. She watched his chest rise and fall, and she quickly closed her eyes to prevent a tear from cascading down her cheek.

  What if Richard had drawn his last breath? What if his heart did indeed stop its beating? Now that she’d met Richard, she couldn’t imagine a life without him. She didn’t want to imagine a life without him. He was the best man she’d ever met.

  God, please don’t take him. Please let him live. Let him be okay. He needs You. I need You. And I need him.

  It wasn’t much of a prayer, but it was sincere.

  Mattie reached down and took Richard’s hand. It had been too long since these hands had caressed her face, since she’d felt his strong arms around her. She wasn’t certain of too many things in life, but she knew that a life without Richard would be a lonely one.

  <><><>

  “Mattie?”

  She was in a field of wildflowers, wearing a flowing white cotton dress. Richard stood off in the distance, his arms stretched toward her, holding a bouquet of the wildflowers that surrounded them. He was handsome, as usual, wearing a charcoal grey suit. His eyes glimmered and Mattie felt love within their depths.

  Mattie attempted to walk toward him, but something invisible blocked her way. Richard called out to her, beckoning her to come to him. But no matter how passionately she tried, she failed to make progress. If she could only break free from this invisible force that held her back. If she could only make it to the safety of Richard’s arms.

  “Mattie.”

  She awakened with a start. “Richard?” She looked around to find she was in a hospital room. Mattie suddenly remembered the circumstances surrounding her presence there.

  Richard grinned.

  “Richard, you’re awake!” Mattie smiled in relief and engulfed Richard in an embrace.

  “And so are you.” He lightly brushed the hair from her face with his fingers.

  “I was dreaming. But I couldn’t figure out if it was a dream or a nightmare.”

  “Was I in it?” He smiled.

  “Yes.”

  “Then it was probably a nightmare,” he teased.

  Mattie shook her head. “How are you feeling?”

  “Okay, I think. What happened?”

  “You collapsed. They said it had something to do with a heart condition?” Her brow lowered. “What heart condition?”

  He shrugged. “It was something I was born with, I guess. I have an enlarged heart.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “For some people, it means very little. They go through life and it doesn’t affect them. For others, well, let’s just say they could experience an early death.”

  Mattie frowned. “Maybe that was the invisible wall I couldn’t get through.”

  “What?”

  “My dream. You were calling to me, but I couldn’t get to you no matter how hard I tried. It was as though something, some invisible force, was holding me back.”

  “Mattie, I think that was God calling to you, not me.”

  “No, it was you.”

  “There is only one thing keeping you and me apart. It’s the devil. He doesn’t want you to have life and peace and love. He comes to kill, steal, and destroy. I chose Jesus. I chose life. You must choose who you will serve. We all must choose.”

  “Can we talk about this later?”

  “When? Mattie, I might not have a ‘later’. If I do die early, I’d like to know that I’ll see you again someday.”

  Tears welled in Mattie’s eyes. “Richard, don’t talk that way.”

  “This is reality, Mattie. Not everyone lives forever in a fairy tale world, at least, not on this side of eternity.”

  “I don’t want to live without you, Richard.”

  “You can live without me, but you can’t live without God. Mattie, I’m nothing without Jesus in my heart. You wouldn’t even like me if you knew how I was before God stepped in and cleaned up the mess I’d made of my life. The man you see now would not exist without Him.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying that God can do things in your life that you’ve never dreamed of. He doesn’t want to drag you down. He wants to lift you up and mold you into who He created you to be. He wants to give you a light so bright that it reaches the whole world and extinguishes the darkness. He can do the impossible in your life if you allow Him.

  “Mattie, God will be there for you when no one else is. He will walk with you on every mountain. He will carry you through every valley. He will never leave you or forsake you. You don’t need me; you need Him. I cannot be all those things for you. Only God can.”

  “I just don’t know about all this – this religious stuff.”

  “It’s not about religion at all. It’s about having a relationship with our Creator. Mattie, when you heard I was in the hospital, did you pray for me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “I felt so helpless. I didn’t know what else to do. You were beyond my power.”

  “That’s exactly right. We have nothing, we are nothing, without God. Mattie, God loves you more than I ever could. He wants you to know Him. He wants you to trust Him.”

  “I’m scared.”

  Richard grasped both of her hands and searched the depths of her eyes. “I know you are. And so does God. But you don’t have to be scared, Mattie. Nothing surprises God. He sees every bend and bump in the road.”

  “Will you pray with me, Richard?”

  “I feared you’d never ask.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Tell God what’s on your heart. Ask Him to be your Saviour. He’s the only one who can fulfill all your needs. Mattie, do you believe in Jesus?”

  “Yes. He came to earth as God’s Son, and He died and was resurrected to give us everlasting life.”

  “That’s right. Eternal life is available for everyone, but only those who receive Him as their Saviour will become children of God. Mattie, if you want to receive Jesus, all you have to do is ask.”

  Mattie nodded, bowed her head, and poured out her soul to the only One who had the power to change her life.

  Chapter 22

  Mattie quickly shoveled cereal into her mouth to prevent her stomach from rumbling during church. If Richard was on time, he would be arriving in about ten minutes. She took a sip of her coffee then looked up at Jackie.

  “Who was that woman in Richard’s hospital room?” She frowned.

  Jackie lifted a half-smile. “Amber? She’s one of Richard’s old flames.”

  “I didn’t think he’d be interested in someone like that.”

  “I hadn’t seen her since before Richard got saved. I don’t know why he was with her.” She eyed Mattie curiously. “Why does it matter to you? I thought you and Richard were through.”

  “Yeah, but…never mind. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

  “What doesn’t?”

  “Well, Richard left because I wasn’t interested in his religion.”

  “I think you mean because you weren’t interested in God. There’s a big difference.”

  Mattie shrugged. “Whatever. Do you think what’s-her-face is interested in God?”

  “Probably not.”

  “Well, then why–”

  “Mattie, you’ll have to ask Richard. Frankly, what he does is none of my business. If you want to know about Richard’s life, ask him.”

  Indeed, she would ask.

  <><><>

  Richard pushed the doorbell and heard its result through the apartment door. A small thrill danc
ed in his belly at the thought of Mattie finally joining him for church this morning. How many times had he prayed for this day?

  “Richard!” Mattie’s smile warmed his soul.

  “You ready?”

  “Uh, yeah. Let me just get my purse.” She disappeared momentarily.

  Richard stepped into the apartment. “Hey, sis. Don’t wait up for Mattie. I plan on keeping her for as long as possible.”

  Jackie’s knowing smile told him she was glad to see him happy and healthy. “You know, Ryan will be coming home next month.” Her countenance lit up at the mention of her husband.

  “I bet you and the kids are ready for that.”

  “We are.”

  Richard nodded in understanding. Mattie would need to find another place to stay. “I’ll find something.”

  Mattie emerged from the bedroom. “Sorry, I needed to brush my teeth.”

  “Not a problem. Let’s go?” Richard offered his elbow.

  Mattie seemed unusually quiet as they drove to church.

  “Penny for your thoughts.”

  She looked at Richard. “I’ve been thinking about something. Or someone, rather.”

  “Oh, do I know this someone?”

  She frowned. “Yes.”

  His quizzical look must’ve given him away.

  “The woman at the hospital – the one who was with you when you collapsed.”

  He nodded. “Ah…Amber.”

  “Amber Sexton. Is that her real name?”

  He shrugged. “Don’t know. Guess I never thought to ask.”

  “Who is she?”