Love's Abiding Joy (Love Comes Softly #4)(53)

"Well, thet's the foot thet's gone. Thet rascal has kept me awake more'n one night--'specially when the weather's 'bout to change."

"You never mentioned thet before."

"Weren't no reason to. Guess it won't keep me awake again though."

Clark chuckled again. Marty couldn't quite bring herself to join him, but she smiled at this strong, patient man of hers who saw God's hand in all the circumstances of his life.

Clark had a visit from Juan. It had been three weeks since they had seen the De la Rosas. They had been informed that Juan and Maria had gone away and assumed that Juan was still gathering equipment and supplies for his medical practice. He greeted Clark now with a firm handshake and clear



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eyes. Marty sensed that he wanted to talk to Clark in private and left the two of them alone over steaming cups of coffee.

"Well, after much prayer and struggle," began Juan immediately, "I did as you recommended."

"You have been home?"

"I have been home," Juan said with deep feeling.

"I'm glad," said Clark. "An' how did yer pa receive you?" Juan's eyes clouded for a moment. "My father, I am sorry to say, was not there to greet me. He died seven months ago." "I'm sorry," Clark said with sincerity.

"I am sorry, too. I should have gone sooner. I should not have let stubborn pride keep me away."

"An' yer mother?"

"My mother welcomed me with outstretched arms." Clark smiled. "I'm sure she did."

"My father had died and left my mother all alone. Daily she prayed that if her son Juan was still living he would come back to her. Because of my foolishness, it took a long time for my mother's prayers to be answered."

"We are all foolish at times," Clark reminded him.

Juan went on. "My mother could scarcely believe her eyes when I walked into her room. She had failed much. She did not eat well or care for herself since my father died. When she saw me, she wept long for joy. Then she told me how my father had pined after sending me away. He tried for many months to find me--to ask for my forgiveness--but there was no trace of where I had gone. Before he died, he had my mother promise that she would keep trying. She did. She sent out men and offered rewards, but she could not find me."

Juan stopped to wipe a hand across his eyes. "I caused them much hurt," he murmured.

"Ya didn't know."

"No, I didn't know. I was too busy nursing hurts of my own. . . . My mother was so happy to hear that I am a doctor again. I would like you to meet her."

"I'd love to meet her. Maybe someday--"

"Not someday. Now."

"Ya mean--?"



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"She's here. I left her up at the house having tea with Missie and Maria. She wants very much to meet the man who sent her son home to her."

"But I . . . didn't do thet. Ya went on yer own. It was yer decision."

"Yes, you let me make the decision. You left me my dignity. But you knew when you talked to me how I would have to decide." Juan smiled.

"I'd love to meet yer mama," said Clark, picking up his crude crutch.

"An' I have something for you," said Juan, returning to the door and reaching outside for a carefully fashioned crutch with a padded arm bar. "They can make very good crutches in the city," he added.

Clark took the new crutch and handled it carefully, looking over every angle and the total length of it.

"It's a dandy," he grinned. "An' I thank ya."

Clark, with his new "store-bought" crutch, and Juan went to the house together. Juan explained as they walked, "My mother had no desire to live alone on the rancho. As I did not wish to return to ranching in that area, we decided to sell the ranch to the man who has run it for my father. Mother is insisting on using much of the money from the sale for my medical practice. She wants us to have good equipment for those who need help. She is going to live with us. We are all so happy. Maria can't remember having a mother. Hers died when she was a very young girl. We are all very happy, Mr. Clark, and we thank you."

Senora De la Rosa was a delicate, dark woman with flashing eyes and a quick smile. In spite of her years and the intense sorrow in her past, she still had a youthful spirit and vibrant outlook on life. Clark and Marty liked her immediately.

"Mama has said that we shall all come to service together," said Maria. "When God works to answer her prayers through people who worship--even though they worship in a different way than she is used to--they must have the approval of God, she says. And so God would also surely approve of us worshiping together with them. So we shall be here next



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Sunday--and all the Sundays--and we will be glad to help in the building of the new church."

The prayer time together before the De la Rosas left for home was full of fervent thanksgiving to God.



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Chapter Twenty-four




Winter



Nathan celebrated his sixth birthday--a big event for him at any time, but even more important on this occasion because his grandparents were there to help in the merrymaking. The Kleins and De la Rosas also came for the event, and the house rang with laughter and chatter.