sick—influenza, I believe. He’s much better now, however. Would you like to visit with him?”
Mary Beth nodded. “I feel like I need to talk to him. My mother . . . well . . . she wasn’t very nice to him the other day, and I feel like I should apologize for her.” She lowered her head. “I know a lot of folks aren’t very nice to Andy. I know why too.”
“Mary Beth, you’re such a sweet girl. I know it would doAndy a world of good to have you visit. You just come along with me.”
Estella led the way. Knocking on his bedroom door, she called out, “Are you ready for a visitor?” She knew he’d be stunned to hear who the visitor was, so she quickly added, “Mary Beth Iseman has come to see you.”
At first Andy said nothing, so Estella pushed open the door a tiny bit. “Andy?”
“Mary Beth is here?” he asked, the color once again drained from his face.
“She sure is. Do you want to see her?”
Andy looked down at the tray and then back to Estella. “I . . . uh . . . sure.”
Estella beamed him a smile, then turned to Mary Beth. “He’s just finishing breakfast. Come in.”
Estella watched Andy as Mary Beth went to his bedside. “I’m so sorry you were sick. Mrs. Nelson said you’re feeling better now.”
Andy nodded and looked away. His voice cracked a bit as he answered, “Y-yes. I’m better.”
Estella thought the young woman was remarkably pretty in her blue print dress. A black belt cinched her waist, accenting her petite figure. “Andy should be up and around in another couple of days.”
“I need to be back to work tomorrow,” he said softly. There was no enthusiasm in his voice, however.
“Nonsense. You aren’t recovered enough to go back to walking in this cold. They can spare you another day or two. I told your boss you’d be back when I decided you were well enough and not a moment sooner.”
Mary Beth pulled up the bedside chair and sat down. “I think Mrs. Nelson is right, Andy. You need to get your strength back. I didn’t even know you were sick, but now that I do, I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
Andy blushed. “Thanks.”
They were silent for several seconds, and then Mary Bethlaunched into her speech. “Andy, I came here because I wanted to apologize for the way my mother acted the other day. I didn’t realize until later that people were being so mean to you. My friend Anne told me that most folks avoid you because they’re afraid you might have a telegram for them. They treat all the delivery boys that way. Mama explained on the way home that with Sammy at war, we were just asking for trouble to have you over. I told her I thought it was superstitious nonsense.” She paused and grinned. “Well, I didn’t exactly say it that way, but that’s what I meant.”
“It is nonsense,” Estella encouraged. “God doesn’t work that way.”
“Exactly. That’s what I said. I told Mama that God knew exactly which person would live and which would die and that it wasn’t Andy’s job to determine that. She agreed but said being near Andy only served to remind her that Sammy could be next.”
“What complete hogwash,” Estella said. She saw the surprised expressions on the two young kids but stood her ground. “Well, it is. For people to alienate Andy solely because of fear or reminders of the war . . . well, they might as well get rid of their radios and stop eating. After all, ration coupons will remind them of the war as well.”
Mary Beth giggled. “They’d have to tear down their black-out curtains too.”
Estella nodded. “And sew cuffs back on their sleeves and pants. Oh, and we could stop saving fat and keep all our pots and pans to ourselves.”
“Exactly!”
The two women burst into a fit of laughter. Only Andy remained sober. Estella came around his bed and gently patted his head as she would a small child. “I find Andy a pleasant companion—not at all a reminder of the war.”
It was Mary Beth’s turn to
Mary Beth nodded. “I feel like I need to talk to him. My mother . . . well . . . she wasn’t very nice to him the other day, and I feel like I should apologize for her.” She lowered her head. “I know a lot of folks aren’t very nice to Andy. I know why too.”
“Mary Beth, you’re such a sweet girl. I know it would doAndy a world of good to have you visit. You just come along with me.”
Estella led the way. Knocking on his bedroom door, she called out, “Are you ready for a visitor?” She knew he’d be stunned to hear who the visitor was, so she quickly added, “Mary Beth Iseman has come to see you.”
At first Andy said nothing, so Estella pushed open the door a tiny bit. “Andy?”
“Mary Beth is here?” he asked, the color once again drained from his face.
“She sure is. Do you want to see her?”
Andy looked down at the tray and then back to Estella. “I . . . uh . . . sure.”
Estella beamed him a smile, then turned to Mary Beth. “He’s just finishing breakfast. Come in.”
Estella watched Andy as Mary Beth went to his bedside. “I’m so sorry you were sick. Mrs. Nelson said you’re feeling better now.”
Andy nodded and looked away. His voice cracked a bit as he answered, “Y-yes. I’m better.”
Estella thought the young woman was remarkably pretty in her blue print dress. A black belt cinched her waist, accenting her petite figure. “Andy should be up and around in another couple of days.”
“I need to be back to work tomorrow,” he said softly. There was no enthusiasm in his voice, however.
“Nonsense. You aren’t recovered enough to go back to walking in this cold. They can spare you another day or two. I told your boss you’d be back when I decided you were well enough and not a moment sooner.”
Mary Beth pulled up the bedside chair and sat down. “I think Mrs. Nelson is right, Andy. You need to get your strength back. I didn’t even know you were sick, but now that I do, I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
Andy blushed. “Thanks.”
They were silent for several seconds, and then Mary Bethlaunched into her speech. “Andy, I came here because I wanted to apologize for the way my mother acted the other day. I didn’t realize until later that people were being so mean to you. My friend Anne told me that most folks avoid you because they’re afraid you might have a telegram for them. They treat all the delivery boys that way. Mama explained on the way home that with Sammy at war, we were just asking for trouble to have you over. I told her I thought it was superstitious nonsense.” She paused and grinned. “Well, I didn’t exactly say it that way, but that’s what I meant.”
“It is nonsense,” Estella encouraged. “God doesn’t work that way.”
“Exactly. That’s what I said. I told Mama that God knew exactly which person would live and which would die and that it wasn’t Andy’s job to determine that. She agreed but said being near Andy only served to remind her that Sammy could be next.”
“What complete hogwash,” Estella said. She saw the surprised expressions on the two young kids but stood her ground. “Well, it is. For people to alienate Andy solely because of fear or reminders of the war . . . well, they might as well get rid of their radios and stop eating. After all, ration coupons will remind them of the war as well.”
Mary Beth giggled. “They’d have to tear down their black-out curtains too.”
Estella nodded. “And sew cuffs back on their sleeves and pants. Oh, and we could stop saving fat and keep all our pots and pans to ourselves.”
“Exactly!”
The two women burst into a fit of laughter. Only Andy remained sober. Estella came around his bed and gently patted his head as she would a small child. “I find Andy a pleasant companion—not at all a reminder of the war.”
It was Mary Beth’s turn to
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