Untitled

Chapter Thirty

Lisa's morning slumber was abruptly interrupted by the cranky ring of Mama's black, ancient, dial-type, telephone. 'God, I hate that phone,' she mumbled under her breath as she tumbled out of bed. Mama heard her coming because she noisily bumped the door while making her way into the living room. Mama facetiously barked out from the kitchen. "Lisa, would you get that, honey? I got my hands full in here." Lisa impatiently flopped on the couch and picked up the phone.
"Hello," she said.
"Lisa, this is Bernice."
"Hi Bernie," she said excitedly. "I bet you're calling to tell me you're finally coming out here to see us."
"You must be a mind reader because that's right. It's OK, isn't it? Something tells me that this would be a good time to visit you."
"Oh yes," replied Lisa. "Don't be silly, I'm dying to see you."
"Good then, I've got plane reservations to fly out there tomorrow morning. I know I can find your town but I might have trouble finding your house. I'll call when I get to town, OK?"
"Oh no you won't," said Lisa, thrilled at the prospect of seeing her good friend again. "I'm gonna come and pick you up at the airport. I can't wait to see you, we have so much to talk about. And besides, I'm paying good money to lease this car."
"Tell me dear, does it have a top on it?"
"You should know, it's just like you ordered."
Bernice laughed. "Just put it up for me, I don't want to mess up my hair. I've got some really exciting news for you, but I'm not going to tell you anything until I get there."
"Now that ain't fair," whined Lisa. "You can't leave me hanging up in the air like that."
"OK then, I can't wait either. It has something to do with acquiring a facility for our homeless girls."
"That's marvelous" Lisa exclaimed ecstatically.
They talked for awhile and Lisa hung up the phone elated and energized to get started with their project. She had completely set aside her situation with Tim. 'Somehow the situation will resolve itself; and maybe I can bring Mama to California,' she said to herself.
Lisa jumped to her feet and scampered into the kitchen to announce the good news. "Guess what, Mama? Bernice is coming to visit us. She's coming tomorrow."
"Why, that's wonderful dear, that's just wonderful." Mama's words were followed by an easy smile of approval.
"I'm so excited Mama, you're gonna just love her."
Mama smiled again, and while lovingly patting the back of her daughter's hand she replied. "I'm sure I will, and you know that any friend of yours is welcome in this house."

Lisa stood anxiously near the tunnel exit watching the people deplane flight 224 from Orange County to Atlanta. She witnessed an emotional greeting between an elderly couple and their grandchildren. When they embraced these two little ones it was apparent that they hadn't seen them for a long time. Observing this family and other loved ones greeting each other was a heart-warming experience for Lisa. 'Scenes like this are being played out every minute of every day in airports throughout the world,' she thought to herself. 'Despite the negativity we are constantly bombarded with through the media, a truer picture would be that there is, indeed, a whole lot more love in this world than is advertised.'
Finally, Bernice appeared. The taller woman was easy to spot in the crowd. She was eloquently dressed as usual. Lisa rushed forward and gave her a hugging embrace.
During the drive back to Pattersville, Bernice dominated the conversation.
"Lisa, you're just going to love this place we're getting. Right now it serves as a convalescent home and houses up to forty people. It has a kitchen, laundry room, recreation room, office area, and all the amenities you would typically find in a nursing home."
"What's going to happen to the folks that are living there now, Bernie?"
"I don't know. I never thought of that. I suppose they will relocate someplace." Suddenly, Bernice was struck with an acute sense of awareness, and she solemnly settled back into her yellow leather covered bucket seat and looked up at a graying sky. She became painfully aware of her indifference to the people now residing in the home. She shut her eyes and received a mental picture of occupied wheel chairs lined up against the wall in the recreation room. The sight of useless limbs dangling and blank stares indicating Alzheimer's or perhaps some other neurological dysfunction, flashed across her mind. The old tune "Don't Fence Me In" echoed from an ancient upright piano while some of those who were still able to walk marched to line dancing steps. Others sat in neatly rowed chairs tapping their feet to the beat of the music.
Bernice opened her eyes allowing the vision and its accompanying guilt to fade in favor of justifying thoughts for her own plans.

"Here we are Bernie," announced Lisa when they entered town. Driving through town, Lisa pointed out the old candy store and Jake's gas station.
Mama was sitting in the swing on the porch awaiting their arrival. Given their age difference she thought her daughter's close sustaining relationship with the older woman to be rather odd. She didn't realize that, in addition to being supportive as a friend, Bernice had been fulfilling the mother role that Lisa so desperately needed. And Lisa was helping to fill an emptiness that had lain in Bernice's heart since the passing of her husband.
The yellow convertible slowly bumped its way down the driveway and soon the three ladies were sitting around the kitchen table drinking fresh coffee and eating homemade sweetbread while they chatted.
After an early dinner the three of them continued their visit. Mainly for the benefit of Bernice, Lisa started to talk about Daddy's diary. Upon noticing a yearning look come over Mama's face, she quickly changed the subject.
The conversation then centered around Sissy and her family, and they decided to drive out there the next day.

The following morning, Bernice was early to rise after spending a comfortable night in Sissy's old bed. "Morning Mama," she said, entering the kitchen.
"Coffee's done, ya want some?" Bernice nodded, and Mama poured two cups. Coffee aroma and the smell of bacon cooking finally drew Lisa from her slumber and into the kitchen. They all enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before setting out for Sissy's house.

"Grama, Grama," screamed the children scampering down the steps, the tattered screen door slamming behind them. Sissy followed close behind. Three generations, Mama, Lisa, Sissy, little Lisa, and Jake Jr. embraced in a small circle. Bernice, touched with emotion by the scene, looked on, smiling.
With the temperature already approaching the mid-eighties and the humidity factor likewise, it was appropriate weather for Sissy's homemade lemonade and cookies. They sat around an old fashioned formica-top, chrome-legged kitchen table.
"How you and Tim doing Les?" inquired Sissy.
"We're not!" Lisa curtly replied, wishing the subject hadn't come up. "I don't understand, why do I always end up with lousy men? I mean Tim's not really bad; he hasn't abused me or anything like that. And I think he cares about me, but he's got some kind of hang-up that's preventing him from getting close to me. It's like he's afraid of something. He rejected me in the worst way and it really hurt.
"The girls at the clinic complain that he's bossy and doesn't always treat his patients as nice as he should. They say he has a big ego, which I guess is true," said Lisa in a voice that still reflected a reluctance to accept the fact.
"What do you know about his background?" inquired Bernice.
"Not much really," sighed Lisa.
Sissy spoke up. "I think if you did it might answer some of your questions." Mama and Bernice nodded in agreement.
Sissy continued, "Les, one of the biggest problems we have in this town is men who abuse their wives and kids. Most of them don't really know why they do it and they're sorry for it afterward. Especially if they're a drinker. But getting these guys to admit they have a problem and look at themselves is difficult, let alone convincing them they need to do something about it.
"The church works hard at educating the community and counseling families and individuals on the problem. Pastor Beacon and Doc Summers work together in doing this.
"Doc Summers always has a simple way of putting things so that most anyone can understand. For example, he recently gave a Sunday night talk on this very subject. He started off by saying that no one is to blame when it comes to an abusive person. He says it all started long ago and involves two words-EGO and POWER. The ego is simply a false sense of importance or perceiving yourself as you would like to be instead of who you really are. Power is the potential for a person to exercise influence or dominance over others."
"Nobody's perfect so we all have a certain amount of ego and exercise power over other people," interjected Lisa.
"Doc Summers says it's usually acceptable because we communicate, cooperate and reason with each other, Sissy explained. "This is the average case, he says, and refers to it as soft ego and soft power.
"And then he says we have what he describes as hard ego and hard power. The use of hard power is characterized by violence and abuse in all kinds of different ways. He said Hitler and Napoleon, who were responsible for great human suffering and millions of deaths, are two extreme examples.
"Then you come down the line to the everyday violent criminal and down to the wife and child abuser. Then on a little smaller scale of hard power, you have situations like the boss who picks on subordinates and stuff like that." Sissy nodded in agreement, then anxiously continued her train of thought
"So, getting to the bottom of a family or an individual's problem can get complicated. Pastor Bacon chimed in once by explaining that we got one thing going against us right off the bat. It's a cultural thing. I mean, he said that men are supposed to be masculine by nature. You know, all over the world since cave man days, men have been considered the stronger sex. They fight the wars, support the family and so forth.
"It's not as much now, but since they were little boys, society has taught them that boys were tough and that women were weaker and subordinate to men.
"Now, women are demanding to be treated equally, which I say is only right even though it sometimes causes conflicts at the work place and at home.
"Pastor Bacon always reminds us that God created everyone equal and we have to love one another. A lot of kids just don't get good upbringing and are treated badly by their parents. I tell you the truth, you show me a man who abuses his family or hurts other people and I'll show you a person who was probably abused or neglected as a child in one way or another."

Bernice looked seriously at her two companions and commented. "I recently read that up to eighty percent of the people in prison today have a history of family neglect or abuse. And they're the lucky ones, because it is estimated that as many as two thousand kids die every year as a result of neglect and abuse. I believe that the dysfunctional family is the worst scourge on the face of the earth. And, that it is at the root of the problem, and probably, most of the world's problems."
Mama, who until now had been sitting quietly, spoke up. "I know that's why Willy was the way he was. And taken to drinking did make him even worse."
"That's true Mama," added Sissy. And when a man has taken to drinking there's less chance he'll change. Me and Lisa talked about that before and that's exactly what happened to Willy."
Lisa thought for a moment before speaking. "At least Tim's not an alcoholic. But maybe I should realize that there may be something like that going on with him."
"Les, the Doc and Pastor Bacon ain't no psychiatrists but between the Doc's background and the Pastor's ability to bring people closer to God, they have helped a lot of people. You know Doc real well and he thinks the world of you. Why don't you go have a talk with him?" Bernice and Mama nodded in agreement.
"You're probably right little sister, but I think I'll leave it alone for awhile."
Lisa stood up, walked around the table and bent over to give her sister a hug. "Thanks Sissy," she said as she lightly kissed her on the cheek. The afternoon went by fast.

With a loud bang, the back screen door came flying open and little Lisa and Jake Jr. bounded in, bringing with them a dozen flies.
"You're just in time to say goodbye you little rag muffins." Lisa stooped and kissed them both. They kissed Mama and went directly to the cookie jar sitting on the sink counter.
"Get those hands washed first," scolded their mother.

Bernice's two week planned visit went by fast. Lisa, Mama, and Bernice were together most of the time. Highlights included a walk through the woods following the path Lisa and Daddy used to take on their Saturday morning walks, visits to Sissy's, and a full day at Doc Summers' ranch. After leaving the ranch they visited the clinic where Bernice had the opportunity to meet Ellie, Leona and Tim.
The evening before Bernice's scheduled flight home, Mama went to bed early. Lisa and Bernice sat in the front porch swing enjoying a last cup of coffee and the warm night air, which was sweetened from the fragrance of honeysuckle.
Lisa put her hand on Bernice's and turned to face her. "Bernie, I sure wish you could stay a little longer."
"I can't though," she replied with an air of hesitation in her voice. "There's too much going on at home that needs my attention. Mainly, I have to get this deal on the convalescent home sewed up.
"Remember now, we're in this thing together. So I hope you get back to California soon."
In the soft glow of the moonlight, Bernice could see the facial features of distress forming on Lisa's face so she softened her statement. "Lisa dear, like I said before, you come when you can. And if you decide not to, that's OK, too."
"Oh Bernie," she said with a slight whimper to her voice. "One way or another I'll get there. I'm just not sure when. Mama's been feeling so good lately that maybe I don't have to worry about her so much. As far as Tim goes, he hasn't even called me. I will confront him next week. But maybe I'll talk to Doc Summers first like Sissy suggested."
"I think that's a good idea dear."
The thought of talking to Doc Summers and receiving his counsel left her feeling reassured and she changed the subject.
"Last night I finished reading the first half of my Daddy's diary. I wanted to tell you about it before you left."
"I would like that," replied Bernice. She sipped her coffee and smiled inwardly, pleased that her relationship with this beloved friend was on firm ground. She nodded, signaling Lisa to begin.

"I have come to the conclusion that my Daddy was a perfect example of a miracle. When he came back from the war he was paralyzed from the neck down. He was trying to protect some guys who were under his command when a bomb went off and pieces of metal hit him in the back and lodged in his spine." She summarized the whole story, including how her father attributed his healing to two people who came into his life at the right time; Laura, a physical therapist and Dr. Bernstein, an MD and surgeon.
"It is evident throughout his diary that he had a strong will and a great deal of faith. He worked hard both physically and mentally and was in considerable pain most of the time. He came to believe deeply in prayer and meditation with creative visualization. He said it helped alleviate the pain and further the healing process."
Lisa described the process and how shrapnel finally moved out of harm's way, allowing Dr. Bernstein to operate. He said toward the end that he believed if his faith and trust in God were as strong in the beginning as when he left the hospital he would have recuperated much faster.
"After the operation, Daddy spent most of his waking hours in agonizing physical therapy. The pain and frustration cannot be described, he would say. He spent as much time as his strength would allow squeezing a tennis ball and then repetitiously practicing touching the end of his thumb to the tips off his fingers. In addition to gathering strength in this way, gaining dexterity and coordination of the fingers was actually coming through retraining his mind. He had to get both hands working pretty good in order to do standing and walking therapy exercises. Laura, and later, Mama were with him all the way.

"After he got well he took frequent trips to the hospital to help the other guys out. Some of them followed in his footsteps and got better.
"Dr. Bernstein and Laura disappeared as mysteriously and fast as they showed up in the first place.
"In his diary, Daddy talked a lot about miracles. He said the sudden appearance of Dr. Bernstein and Laura was, indeed, a miracle. I wanna read this part to you; I'll go get the book." Lisa retrieved that section of the diary and commenced flipping through pages. She began to read from one of his last hospital entries.

At about the same time I was at the end of my rope and was praying for help with all my heart, Dr. Bernstein had just missed his train from Washington, D.C. to California where he was supposed to take a position in a VA hospital. He was set on taking the train so he could see some of the country. When he told the VA administration that he would be delayed they asked him if he would be willing to go to Atlanta instead. He wanted to be where the need was greatest so, reluctantly, he accepted.
Because of Dr. Humphery's absence that day, Dr. Bernstein landed in my ward. He stayed there. Right away he made me one of his paramount patients, as he put it.
Laura's story was equally bizarre. She came to the hospital one day with a friend who had come to visit her brother. The following day she lost her job as a physical therapist in a private institution. She tried to enroll in nursing school to fulfill her eventual goal of obtaining her registered nurse credentials. All classes were full.
With the plight of the boys in the VA hospital fresh in her mind from the previous day's visit, she decided to apply for a job there. Conditions of employment were that some of her time had to be on a volunteer basis and she had to be willing to work with the more difficult, or so-called hopeless, cases. She declined the VA hospital's proposition because she wanted to work with boys who had the best chance of recovery.
Two nights later she experienced an unusual dream. She saw Jesus preaching 'The Parable Of The Lost Sheep' to his disciples. Jesus said "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? When he finds it he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home."
Somehow this came across to Laura as a message to refrain from denying those in great need regardless of how hopeless the situation may appear. She returned to the hospital the next day and accepted the position.
I don't believe that all this happened by chance. It was more than a string of synchronous casual occurrences that culminated in one big coincidence that brought the help I needed, when I asked for it.
Look at all the things that had to happen in sequence. Dr. Bernstein had to miss his train; the VA, because of a paperwork foul-up, recognized a desperate need for a doctor in Atlanta; they had to ask Dr. Bernstein to go there and he had to accept; and finally, Dr. Humphery had to be absent that day allowing Dr. Bernstein to take his place in my ward.
A similar scenario occurred with Laura except that she also had that dream, which was, perhaps, divine intervention to keep things on track?
It is harder for me to believe that it all happened by accident or chance than it is to believe that everything on this earth, in fact the whole universe of stars, planets and galaxies is designed to work in concert in accordance with a grand cosmic plan.
Consider how heavenly bodies move through space in perfect synchronicity; the perfect way the human body works; the perfect evolution of all nature. Everything is in perfect order. We see it on a smaller scale right before our eyes, every moment of every day. We are immersed in, surrounded by, and a part of the creative life force.
A simple example is a seed we plant in the ground. It has within it, everything it needs to grow into a big tree or whatever. Scientists have discovered a great deal, yet they still can't make a simple seed and they remain in awe of the universe.
Dr. Bernstein also believes that it was no accident that he and Laura showed up when they did. He said that I put out mental energy through my intense thoughts and prayer and by the esoteric divine order of God, [grace of God] or universal order, received a positive response. Somehow, in an invisible, ethereal way we are connected and guided. And as we choose, we participate in complementing harmony and love and creation which is the essence of the underlying universal pattern of God. That's the miracle. Life is a miracle; the part we can see and the part we can't see as well.

"Whata ya think, Bernie?" Lisa was gleaming with pride.
Bernice, like most people could not comprehend this scenario from a logical standpoint, and yet, also like many, she intuitively knew it was true.
"I basically believe the things your father says. And I think that most of us can relate to sequences of unlikely coincidences that profoundly affected our lives when we were in need. Particularly when we asked for help. I do, however, believe it works both ways.
"I mean, I think we have the power through choice to block these phenomena of coincidental sequences of events. For instance, had Dr. Bernstein reacted angrily to missing his train, maybe he would have directed himself, in a negative state of mind, to take the later train or perhaps even to fly to LA. Had Laura been in a negative frame of mind she may have reacted similarly.
"But, by reason of their gracious nature and by the grace of God, your father's prayers, amplified by the prayers of his supporters, were answered. How all this works remains a matter of faith and only one of countless universal secrets.
"And to add to what your father said, I also believe they were both in a frame of mind to be open to guidance. I call it following your feelings or intuitions.
"I only know that when I am quiet, balanced, and at peace in the moment I am more apt to be receptive to right ideas and make better choices. Sometimes, from a logical standpoint it may not make good sense but I do it anyway, and it usually works out for the best."
Bernice looked at Lisa with a tired smile. "Dear, my head is starting to hurt from all this thinking. How about we turn in? Your father is well deserving of the pride I see in your eyes."
"Thanks for listening Bernie, it meant a lot to me."
Bernice stood and held out her hand to assist Lisa. They finished their coffee in the kitchen and retired for the evening.