The Quaker Café by Remmes Brenda Bevan

Author:Remmes, Brenda Bevan [Remmes, Brenda Bevan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: InkWell Publishing
Published: 2014-03-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-one

Chase dropped Liz off at The Quaker Café. The Sunday noon buffet of country ham, turkey, dressing and a wide assortment of overcooked vegetables had been cleared. A couple of small bowls of banana pudding still sat on the dessert cart. Miss Ellie picked up one and brought it over to Liz, sitting at the table in the far corner.

“Would you like some tea, Liz?” she asked graciously.

“No, thanks, we just had lunch with Chase’s folks.”

“How are they?”

“They’re fine.”

Miss Ellie looked tired. Two large floor fans rotated in opposite corners of the room and despite the rattle of the window air-conditioning unit, Liz could still feel the heat from the vacated crowd and the food warmers. Miss Ellie brushed back a stray lock that had slipped out of the rose barrette in her hair and picked up a cloth napkin and wiped her forehead. A large smear of moist powder left its mark. Annoyed, she looked down at it. “I don’t know why I do that. I know they’ve got to be cleaned. I just don’t remember to use a paper napkin.”

“Big crowd?”

She nodded and wiped her forehead a second time. “I hope you’ve come to tell me about Maggie. I understand so little about what’s happening to her. I want to see her, but they tell me she can’t have visitors.”

“She’s not really up to visitors right now.” Both looked down at the pudding that Liz hadn’t touched.

“Just doesn’t seem fair.”

“No, it doesn’t. Miss Ellie….” Liz started in, trying to work up the nerve to ask the question she’d promised Maggie she would. “I’m embarrassed to ask this,” she finally said, “but I promised Maggie.”

Miss Ellie tilted her head attentively.

“Maggie grew up eating almost every meal she had with her father and you. She adores you.”

“I love her, too.” Tears began to pool in Miss Ellie eyes and she wiped her nose with the smudged napkin.

“She believes you knew her father better than anyone else in town.” Cautiously, Liz tried to measure her words by the expression on Miss Ellie’s face. “Is there any chance that Maggie has a half-brother or sister?”

Miss Ellie seemed startled, her mouth slightly open, but said nothing.

“Did the Judge have another child by someone else?” Liz rephrased the question.

“What are you asking, Liz?” Miss Ellie straightened up and sat back in her chair. Her expression had changed. Her lips firmly set. The tears disappearing.

“Maggie wants to know if she has any half-brothers or sisters.”

“Why?”

“I think she hopes to find a match as a donor for a bone marrow transplant.” Liz repeated the explanation she’d given to Grandma about Maggie’s disease. Miss Ellie seemed to wander in and out. When she finished, Liz felt her explanation had probably made things worse, not better.

“Oh, my…” Miss Ellie let out a long sigh. “She really should have asked her father that question, don’t you think? If he’d wanted her to know, he would have told her.”

“I promised her I’d ask. She made me promise to ask you,” Liz said in defense.

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