Read The Heart Remembers for Free Online Page A
Authors: Al Lacy
then joined them, making it a four-way embrace.
Melinda caught her breath, and anxious to tell Tim and her parents all about her experiences, found her words tumbling on top of each other. She stopped, took a breath, and said, “I’m sorry. Let me start again.”
“Whoa, now, honey,” said George with a lilt in his voice, “let’s find a quiet place, and you can tell us where you’ve been, and all about what happened to you.”
“Oh Papa, of course. I’m sorry to run on so, but I’m so very eager to tell you all about it. Let’s go inside the doctor’s office. I’ll slow down and start at the beginning.”
“Good girl,” exclaimed George, giving his daughter another quick hug.
Taking Tim’s arm, Melinda retraced her steps back inside the office while her parents followed.
Ben and Clara were seated once again, but smiled as the group came in. Melinda introduced Tim and her parents to the McDonaldses, explaining that Dr. Logan and Tharyn were doing surgery on their ten-year-old daughter at the moment. She then said to Ben and Clara, “You can tell that we’re having a reunion here. You’ll understand it all when you hear me tell my story to Tim and my parents.”
Ben said, “Maybe we could go elsewhere, so—”
“Oh, no,” Melinda said. “You need to be right here when Dr. Logan comes out to tell you about Robin’s surgery. We’ll just go over here in the corner.”
The foursome sat down together with Melinda facing them, and George, Hattie, and Tim each touching her as she slowly related her story, starting with her fall into the South Platte River. Ben and Clara listened intently.
As Melinda told the story in detail, every eye was glued to her, and they hung on every word.
When Melinda finished the account, tears streamed down Hattie’s face and a small sob broke the silence. “Oh, Melinda,how courageous of Dr. Logan to tell Chief Tando he wanted to take you with him! And how grateful we are for our heavenly Father’s faithful care of you all of this time! We—we thought you had drowned … that the river had claimed your life. What a marvelous miracle to find you alive and well! I—I guess in one sense we owe Latawga a debt of gratitude. He did save you from drowning.”
Melinda drew a shuddering breath and wiped tears. “Yes, he did, Mama. And I thanked him for that. But I have no desire to ever see that village again.”
George wiped a palm over his mouth. “Well, those Indians made a servant of you, honey, but they did feed you, and they never harmed you. I’d at least like to tell them that I appreciate this. And I’m sure Tim does, too. Maybe Dr. Dane would accompany Tim and me to the village, and we could express our appreciation to them.”
Tim was holding Melinda’s hand. “I’d be happy to ride with you and Dr. Dane to the village, Mr. Kenyon. The chief’s son saved Melinda from drowning, and in that sense, also gave
me
my life back. Or if Dr. Dane would tell us that our going to the village would not be good … maybe next time he sees Chief Tando and his son, he could convey our appreciation for us.”
Just then the back room door came open, and Dr. Dane appeared with a smile on his face. He glanced toward Melinda and her small group, and his smile broadened as he nodded at them, then said to the anxious parents, “The surgery went well, and Robin will be fine. I found the source of the infection, and it’s taken care of.”
Clara’s eyes misted. “Oh, thank God!”
Dr. Dane looked at Clara. “I’ll give you some medicine to ease Robin’s pain for the next few days, and I’ll give you instructions on how to keep the incision from getting infected. She’s coming out from under the ether now. I suggest that you find a way to cushionthe ride home for her. I’ll come to Nederland in a couple of weeks and remove the stitches.”
Tharyn came from the back room carrying Robin, and soon the couple drove away with their drowsy daughter in Clara’s arms
Melinda caught her breath, and anxious to tell Tim and her parents all about her experiences, found her words tumbling on top of each other. She stopped, took a breath, and said, “I’m sorry. Let me start again.”
“Whoa, now, honey,” said George with a lilt in his voice, “let’s find a quiet place, and you can tell us where you’ve been, and all about what happened to you.”
“Oh Papa, of course. I’m sorry to run on so, but I’m so very eager to tell you all about it. Let’s go inside the doctor’s office. I’ll slow down and start at the beginning.”
“Good girl,” exclaimed George, giving his daughter another quick hug.
Taking Tim’s arm, Melinda retraced her steps back inside the office while her parents followed.
Ben and Clara were seated once again, but smiled as the group came in. Melinda introduced Tim and her parents to the McDonaldses, explaining that Dr. Logan and Tharyn were doing surgery on their ten-year-old daughter at the moment. She then said to Ben and Clara, “You can tell that we’re having a reunion here. You’ll understand it all when you hear me tell my story to Tim and my parents.”
Ben said, “Maybe we could go elsewhere, so—”
“Oh, no,” Melinda said. “You need to be right here when Dr. Logan comes out to tell you about Robin’s surgery. We’ll just go over here in the corner.”
The foursome sat down together with Melinda facing them, and George, Hattie, and Tim each touching her as she slowly related her story, starting with her fall into the South Platte River. Ben and Clara listened intently.
As Melinda told the story in detail, every eye was glued to her, and they hung on every word.
When Melinda finished the account, tears streamed down Hattie’s face and a small sob broke the silence. “Oh, Melinda,how courageous of Dr. Logan to tell Chief Tando he wanted to take you with him! And how grateful we are for our heavenly Father’s faithful care of you all of this time! We—we thought you had drowned … that the river had claimed your life. What a marvelous miracle to find you alive and well! I—I guess in one sense we owe Latawga a debt of gratitude. He did save you from drowning.”
Melinda drew a shuddering breath and wiped tears. “Yes, he did, Mama. And I thanked him for that. But I have no desire to ever see that village again.”
George wiped a palm over his mouth. “Well, those Indians made a servant of you, honey, but they did feed you, and they never harmed you. I’d at least like to tell them that I appreciate this. And I’m sure Tim does, too. Maybe Dr. Dane would accompany Tim and me to the village, and we could express our appreciation to them.”
Tim was holding Melinda’s hand. “I’d be happy to ride with you and Dr. Dane to the village, Mr. Kenyon. The chief’s son saved Melinda from drowning, and in that sense, also gave
me
my life back. Or if Dr. Dane would tell us that our going to the village would not be good … maybe next time he sees Chief Tando and his son, he could convey our appreciation for us.”
Just then the back room door came open, and Dr. Dane appeared with a smile on his face. He glanced toward Melinda and her small group, and his smile broadened as he nodded at them, then said to the anxious parents, “The surgery went well, and Robin will be fine. I found the source of the infection, and it’s taken care of.”
Clara’s eyes misted. “Oh, thank God!”
Dr. Dane looked at Clara. “I’ll give you some medicine to ease Robin’s pain for the next few days, and I’ll give you instructions on how to keep the incision from getting infected. She’s coming out from under the ether now. I suggest that you find a way to cushionthe ride home for her. I’ll come to Nederland in a couple of weeks and remove the stitches.”
Tharyn came from the back room carrying Robin, and soon the couple drove away with their drowsy daughter in Clara’s arms