NUGGETS by Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (September 1, 2014) PATCHWORK MYSTERIES: FAMILY PATTERNS (published in 2010 by Guideposts: New York) Chapter Two. Those are my dads initials, Sarah explained. William James Harrison. Grandma Molly made the quilt for him when he was a baby and he slept with it all the time. Amy walked over for a closer look. This sure doesnt look like a baby blanket to me. They didnt have cartoon or Disney-style fabrics back then, and pastels didnt become popular until the mid-1920s. Most of the time, a childs quilt was made in a traditional quilt pattern, only small enough to fit in a crib. But its easy to tell this one was made for a young boy. How? Audrey asked. Most of the squares are cut from blue fabrics, for one thing. And see how Grandma Molly embroidered different animal shapes on the yellow squares? I didnt even notice that before, Amy said, leaning in for a closer look. Sarah began pointing them out, thrilled to see none of them had suffered much damage. On this side of the quilt are a rabbit, a fox, and a frog. Over there are a lamb, a duck, and a butterfly. Audrey kept staring at the initials on the monogrammed block. Wait a minute. I thought their last name was Drayton, not Harrison. Sarah sat down at the table to explain their family history. Grandma Molly gave birth to my dad when she was married to her first husband, Charles Harrison. They lived in Boston and he was killed in battle during World War I. Amy blinked. So Grandpa Noah wasnt his father? Not his biological father, Sarah said, but his father just the same. Grandpa Noah adopted William when he and Grandma Molly were married. Sarahs mind drifted back to a conversation shed had with Grandpa Noah when she was a teenager. Hed told her about the first time hed seen Molly walking down a Boston street. I fell in love at first sight, literally, hed said, chuckling. I took one look at her and tripped over a hitching post, scraping my hands and elbows. She tended to me and was so sweet I decided to hitch myself to her forever. Hed done just that, too, marrying Grandma Molly after a whirlwind courtship and bringing her and her five-year-old son home with him to Maple Hill. Sarah could remember the love shed heard in his voice whenever hed talk about his wife. After she disappeared, hed showered that same love on his stepson, protecting Sarahs father from the scandal as much as possible. Earth to Grandma, Audrey said, waving a hand in front of Sarahs face. Tell us the rest of the story. How old was Grandpa William when his mom disappeared? Sarah took a deep breath, surprised at how vivid those memories were after all these years. The quilt had brought them all back, the good and the bad. He was six. She placed one palm on the quilt. He told me once that this quilt was his security blanket. It had traveled with him from Boston to Maple Hill after Grandma Molly married Grandpa Noah. So its special to him? Audrey asked. Very special, Sarah replied. The last time he saw the quilt was also the last time he saw his mother. She laid him down on the parlor sofa one evening and covered him with the quilt. When he awoke the next day in his bed, both his mother and the quilt were gone. I cant believe they never found her, Audrey said. Amys eyes widened. Maybe she was up in the passage way too. Maybe she died there! Dont be silly, Audrey said before Sarah could say a word. There werent any bones up there. Not any theyd noticed, anyway. It wouldnt hurt to take another look, Sarah said. I was so excited to examine the quilt I rushed out of there before we came to the end of the passageway. Audrey shuddered. Im not going back in there. Suit yourself, Amy said, heading toward the doorway. Ill go with you, Grandma. Sarah followed Amy back upstairs Do you have any other flashlights? Amy shook her head. That was the only one I could find. As they passed an empty bedroom, Sarah saw a small, portable work light sitting on the floor. Thats just what we need. She walked inside and picked it. Do you have an extension cord?
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 09:49:51 +0000
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