Nikanatedanniell

Chapter 5 This is for my good?

Idaho Falls LDS Hospital was a busy place when they arrived.  Andrea and Debby remained in the main lobby while Nikki went upstairs to the Medical Ward.  She intended to ask Minnie immediately what she knew of the Angel’s Eye, but changed her mind when she reached her mother’s room.  Representatives from Morgan Funeral Home were talking to Minnie.  So, on the way home Minnie, Andrea and Nikki talked funeral arrangements. 

Word travels fast in a small town.  Other than the telephone calls to her home and the funeral home, Minnie had made one more call to Sarah Simmons.  Six cars, lined up on their driveway, welcomed Minnie home.  Andrea maneuvered into the garage.  Mr. and Mrs. Simmons, three other neighbors, and two leaders from their LDS Congregation, the Bishop and the Relief Society President followed them into the house.  For the rest of the day, Nikki was either on the telephone with friends and family members or receiving visitors with food and offers to help with farm work.  She came in from the evening chores to find her mother had already gone to bed and didn’t have the heart to bother her. 

I’ll talk to her tomorrow, she thought as she knelt for her nightly prayer.  Tomorrow they went to the funeral home and the Relief Society President’s house working out details of the next day’s funeral.  Then she helped Andrea get the house ready for out of town family arriving that evening.  Then she visited with family.  Then it was over.

Saturday morning arrived.  Nikki climbed over the cousins in sleeping bags on her bedroom floor and headed out to do the morning chores.  Minnie and Andrea were in the kitchen making breakfast.  The cows can wait, Nikki thought.  I may never get a better time.

Minnie, dressed in her best housedress and apron with her salt and pepper hair neatly twisted in a bun, was at a counter with oranges.  Nikki wrapped her arms around her mother’s waist and placed her chin on Minnie’s shoulder, her smooth cheek against Minnie’s wrinkle lined one.  “Morning Mom,” she said.”

“Good morning sweetheart,” Minnie peeled as she spoke.  “Is Matthew awake?  He wanted to help do the chores.”

“Matthew and the chores can wait.  This can’t.”  Nikki released her hold and leaned on the counter.  “Maybe I’m being impatient again, but there was no good time yesterday and there probably won’t be one today.  What do you know about the Angel’s Eye and why haven’t you told me about Casároni?”

Minnie’s thumb jerked into the orange she was peeling.  She carefully placed it down and wiped off her hands.  Without looking at Nikki, she asked, “where did you hear about that?”

Andrea turned off the stove burner and set aside the frying pan of scrambled eggs.  She walked to Minnie’s other side and gently laid her hand on the woman’s arm. 

“From me,” she almost whispered.  “Debby and I are from Casároni.  We have the Angel’s Eye.”  She quickly rehearsed Wednesday’s event. 

Minnie stared at her, dumbfounded.  “You and Debby?  Are you Páji?  How do you have the Angel’s Eye?”

Andrea shook her head, “no, we are human.  Debby inherited the Eye from her father, Emperor Loboth.  He wanted to use her to control the Eye because he could not.  He is evil and God led us here.”

The sound of people in the hall brought Minnie out of her reverie.  “Nikki,” she said in her usual no-nonsense way, “Dad and I were going to tell you during Christmas break.  There is a box in the basement you need to look in.  After everyone leaves we will get it.  Right now, we have work to do.” 

     Nikki passed through the funeral and luncheon in a daze partly from the unacceptable idea that her father was stiff in a coffin, not walking around, greeting people and cracking jokes, but mostly because she felt betrayed.  Her life was a lie, a cruel joke someone she would never know decided to play on her almost nineteen years ago.  She loved her extended family and had a lot of fun when she was with them, but that afternoon when the last automobile pulled onto the road she sighed in relief.  She found Minnie in the basement.