The Quilt
Jaden Orton looked out the big front window. The maple trees were bare, the sky was a low ceiling of gray. A strong breeze couldn't move the rain-soaked leaves. Her Papa Randy knelt on the ground, his back to the house where she and her daddy John was at. His dark black jacket contrasted with drab surroundings, he lifted something above his head, the drove it into the earth and worked at the sod.
A fine, gentle rain slowly dotted the floor infront of Jaden's window. She ran to get her raincoat and boots. "Daddy, I am going to go help Papa, he looks sad." "Ok, baby he is sad, gramma died remember, she was papa's mommy." "Oh yeah." she said as she rubbed her eyes. She took her tiny umbrella onto the porch, her little hands working to open it, without help, like a big girl. It was spread out above her, protecting her.
When she got outside she asked Randy, "What are you doing Papa?" Randy looked at his 6 year old and replied, "Working." his voice sounded tired. He should have known better to just say a one answer, they will be more questions coming, which they were. "Digging a hole, Papa?" Randy sighed, "Not really, it's a garden."
Jaden looked at the flower beds along the front of the house. She peered in the backyard where her daddy's roses bloomed in the summer and her papa planted tomotoes and beans.
"We have lots of gardens, Papa." she said. "This one is special." Randy said sadly not looking up. "It's for gramma." Jaden stayed quiet for a minute, "Because she died." "Yes." "Did gramma's cancered make her die?" she asked. "Can-cer honey, and yes it did." She looked at the dark brown dirt. "Why does she need a garden?" Randy finally stopped digging. "She doesn't need a garden Jaden," he said smiling slightly. "But we'll think of gramma when we see it." He sunk his spade into the newly turned earth. "And we'll plant a mock orange in gramma's garden as a memorial to her." he anticipated her next question. "A memorial reminds us of someone who's gone."
Randy went on telling Jaden about gramma, that she'd say, "Mmm. smell the mock orange" every summer at her home when Randy was there. He told her about gramma's love of flowers and wrestling how she loved that. She had seen her baby boy make it in the wrestling business right before she got sick. She wasn't in her right mind when Randy and John married or when they adopted Jaden 6 years earlier, but loved them the same. Randy kept telling Jaden that her gramma loved animals of all sorts and she always spent time with each family member making them feel special or her happy smile and her wonderful laugh.
At last, Jaden asked, "Papa, do you miss gramma?" Randy begin to dig again, "More than I ever thought I could." he was quiet for a moment tring not to cry infront of her. "Even after I grew up gramma could always make me feel protected." Jaden couldn't remember a time when gramma wasn't sick, when she rest on the couch from her illness, Jaden would tuck her in with the living room quilt. She'd try on some of gramma's many hats and be rewarded with grandma's laugh. She'd sit on gramma's lap listening to her read in her slow warm voice. And when it was time for bedtime hugs gramma always told her, "I love you Jaden." she looked at the small raindrops in her papa's hair.
"Who will protect you now, Papa?" she asked. When Randy raised his head up that is when she saw that even in the rain her papa's face was dry except for the wet streak of tears running down each cheek. "Daddy will protect you I guess." Randy shut his eyes tightly as if sealing them would stop the tears. "And You Baby Girl" he sobbed. She held the little umbrella over her Papa. "Here papa, I don't want you to get cancerd and die like gramma." The rain stopped 3 mins after she held the umbrella over him, and Randy knew that his mom was around. Randy broke down crying and Jaden has never seen him cry like that so she went to tell John.
"Daddy, daddy, there is something wrong with Papa, he is crying and he won't stop." Jaden was on the verge of tears she didn't know what was happening. "Stay in here baby, I will go talk to papa." "Ok daddy." John went out and saw Randy. "Jaden seen me didn't she?" "Yes, babe, but don't be afraid to cry, just let it out you are going thru a rough time." "I j-just, I-I miss my mommy." "I know baby, I know." John picked Randy up and took him inside, Jaden was watching and said, "Is papa gonna die like gramma, I don't want him to die." Jaden sobbed at John's feet. "No baby, papa is just so sad please go to your room and color." "Ok daddy, Papa I love you so much." Randy couldn't say anything so John said, "Papa loves you too."
John put Randy on the couch and took out a box and was wrapped with a orange bow, it was Elane's favorite color. "Here babe I got you a present, it came in just this morning when you were out in the yard." Randy opened it and it was a quilt with his mom and him on it and Randy was speechless. "Babe it's ok it cry, I know how much she meant to you." Randy fell apart and John was there to comfort him and he just let Randy cry himself out. "Babe, how could she just die she was so young." Randy cried on John's chest." "Baby, Heaven was needing a special Angel and they picked your mom. She was a great lady, we will all miss her but I know you will miss her the most." "Yeah, I will but you know what, she will be here with us always. If it is ok with you I am going to sleep under this forever." "You got it babe." "John you are so great you know that, I don't know a man that would do this for me except you." "I love you baby so much." "I love you too."
20 years in the future
"Papa, please don't cry, you knew this day would come" "I know babe I just didn't know it was going to be this early. And you look so beautiful in that orange dress." Randy was giving his baby girl away to his best friend's son named Thedore. "Do you remember when we planted this garden Jaden?" "Yes Papa, it was for gramma and this was her favorite color dress."
"Yes it was Jaden, oh how I wish your daddy could be here today with us." "Papa, he is and so is gramma they are the beautiful sunshine in the sky and the beautiful flowers in this garden. Come on papa, it is time to let go." Randy nodded with tears in his eyes. "Before I let you go here is a present." Jaden opened it and it was a quilt with her gramma, papa, and daddy all on it. "Your daddy gave me this quilt the day we did this garden and I added to it. It has over 60 years in pictures." "Oh thank you Papa for this and for letting me get married in gramma's and daddy's garden." "Your welcome baby girl you know I will do anything for you, now go get married my Jaden Richelle Orton-Dibiasi, I love you."