To Life
by Lamplighter
Part one of three
An old faded quilt was draped lazily over the back of the sofa where Charity lay. Absently, she fingered the soft patchwork as she thought about her day at work. Overall it had been a good day. The Eagle Mountain Retirement Community was a wonderful place, filled with so many seniors who wanted to live their lives without being a burden to their families. There were the women who gathered in front of the soaps in the meeting room and played bridge together after the soaps were over. There were the men who enjoyed sitting on the front porch, reminiscing about their tours of duty during the Great Wars. There were also several couples living at Eagle Mountain who wanted simply to be together. It didn't really matter to them what they did, as long as they could do it side by side. There was one woman, though, who just didn't seem to fit in. Mrs. Eberhardt was her name.
Whatever was she going to do about Mrs. Eberhardt? No matter what Charity had tried, that woman just would not come out of her shell. When asked if she would like to join the bridge circle, she shook her head and said she didn't know how to play and didn't want to be a nuisance. When the majority of residents went out for a picnic, Mrs. Eberhardt said she really didn't feel like going out in the sun. Truth be told, Charity didn't think she'd ever seen her leave the grounds of Eagle Mountain since she'd come to live there the year before. Nobody ever came to visit her, either. She led a very simple, solitary life, almost untouched. She generally wore a smile, but she really seemed to be lonely.
As Charity ran her fingers over the soft, faded patches of her quilt, her attention came to rest on an area of the quilt that was covered with beautiful stitching. Momentarily distracted from her concern for Mrs. Eberhardt, she pulled the quilt down over herself and began to study it. This quilter had obviously gone to great lengths to sew with tiny, evenly spaced stitches. The handiwork was impressive, even after thirty years of loving use. The once-bright triangles and squares were pieced perfectly, though now faded and worn. This quilt was made with love. Not only did it keep a body warm, it also warmed the soul. Charity's mother had made it after giving birth to her only child, and it had been with her ever since.
Dropping her hands down to her face, Charity's thoughts turned back to Mrs. Eberhardt. Wasn't there something that she could do to help her feel a part of the life at Eagle Mountain? Wasn't there some special interest that Mrs. Eberhardt had that Charity could draw out of her and use to ignite some passion within her? Something that could make her heart feel as warm as that quilt was making Charity feel? She would simply have to try. Nobody should be alone, especially in the autumn of their life.
Later that evening Ron came home from work and kissed his beautiful bride on the cheek. As he watched her putting together their dinner, he couldn't help but notice the furrow in her brow. "What's the matter, Charity? You look like you are searching for something," he said.
"Oh, I guess I just brought work home with me. One of the residents is worrying me."
"What's wrong?" Ron asked. "Are they okay? Is there something you can do?"
"Well," Charity began, "that's what I'm trying to figure out. Mrs. Eberhardt is one of our residents, and, Honey, I don't think she's very happy at all!" Charity frowned as she began chopping up some vegetables for their salad. She continued, "I mean, she never goes anywhere, never participates in any of our activities, and I don't think anyone ever comes to see her. She seems so terribly lonely and I just wish there was something I could do to help get her out of that. That's all." Charity stopped chopping and rested her hands on the counter as she contemplated various approaches she could take with Mrs. Eberhardt. After all, there must be something she could do...
After dinner, Ron and Charity snuggled on the sofa and watched a movie together. After a while, Ron reached up and pulled that old quilt down to cover Charity and himself, the one that Charity's mother had made to keep her warm. Charity snuggled closer to Ron in its warmth and thought that Mrs. Eberhardt ought to have a quilt like this - something to cuddle up with, something that would cause her to think fondly of someone else, something that could help her feel connected to another and not feel alone. After all, everybody could use that, couldn't they?
Lamplighter
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