Nursing the Sick One
This is going to be the toughest one emotionally to write. Some of the other future topics won't be a picnic to come up with around 100 words to do write… but this one will be the toughest emotionally. I am hoping I can do justice to what I hope is a memorable 30 days of Gilward later on…
The door to the rectory was locked but Barbara knew where Tom hid the key. It came after watching him leave one early morning. She watched him place something above the door and then leave. Curiosity got the better of her and she discovered it was the door key. Asking him about it later, he told her he had lost it often when he had first moved there. So, he always hid his extra there. He didn't mind her knowing where it was since she was now his fiancee.
During the months of engagement, Tom caught a summer cold. He was absolutely miserable and finally forced himself to stay at home to try and fight off the cold. Barbara wasn't told about him taking the day off, but Phyllis mentioned him sounding rather rough at dinner last night. So, off Barbara set to the rectory with a pot of soup under her arm.
For the next two days, Barbara nursed her poor fiance back to health. He refused to let her come into his bedroom- it was an absolute mess- so he camped out on the sofa when she was over. She learned her way around the kitchen as she made tea and toast for him. Little did he know that she did venture toward their future marital bedroom when he was sound asleep. She took the time to change the sheets and straighten the room. Tom was in such a fuzz from the cold that he didn't remember cleaning his room, but it was done and for that he was thankful.
Tom wanted to do the same for his wife. He had watched her fight a cold after she had delivered the twins the night of the fire. She just wouldn't stop. He loved that about her, but he could see her health was suffering. He finally convinced her to stay home and let Phyllis stay with her. Little did he know that that was the last time Barbara would sleep in the rectory.
