Jenna's Quilt, by Carolyn
Overcash for a writing class
Jenna folded the quilt
and placed it carefully into her grandmother's trunk, wiping away a tear as she
thought about what she would say to Milton in the morning. Milton hadn't wanted
Jenna to come to her grandmother's funeral, much less clear out the home to
rent or sell.
The quilt is the last
item to be packed away; it is tangible proof of her grandmother's love. Jenna
was seven-years-old when she and grandmother started making the crazy quilt. It
took them three years to finish it. They used clothing from when she was a baby
and toddler, some of her mom and dad's, and some of grandma and grandpa's
clothes. As they sewed, grandmother talked to her about her mom and dad growing
up as next-door neighbors. She learned how they grew close while doing church
activities; how they fell in love and married. Grandmother helped her connect
with her parents as they sewed the quilt. The chest was the hope chest
grandmother had as a child; it had been her mother's, too; now, it is hers.
As she stroked the
stitches on the quilt, Jenna thought about her relationship with Milton.
Milton's demands have been increasing in the past few months. He is pressing
her to let him move in with her.
This past month, away
from him, has solidified her resistance to cohabitating with Milton. He's
calling her two or three times a day, wanting to know when she'll be back. He's
angry that she is not there to play hostess to dinner meetings for his
employer’s partners in her townhouse. He
has told her that her home is perfect for entertaining the partners. Milton
berates her telling her that she is selfish by staying away.
Staying in her last
childhood home has Jenna reevaluating what she wants in her life. She is
meeting old friends, enjoying working with her Christian friends on various
community projects, and finding joy in singing once again.
Jenna is thankful that
her grandmother kept her and raised her when her grandfather and parents died
in a head-on collision. They never had a chance when that drunk driver crossed
the road and met their car as they were coming home from the airport.
Grandmother and Jenna were alive because Jenna stayed home to get ready for the
church cantata in which she and grandmother were both singing.
Jenna was upset and
angry when her parents and grandpa were not in the church sanctuary, where they
usually sat before the cantata. Grandmother helped her deal with her regret and
survivor's guilt after the sheriff came to the church to let her and grandma
know what happened. Jenna found peace and acceptance with God's plan as they
sewed the quilt.
Jenna sobs as she
strokes various pieces of clothing, her mom's wedding dress, dad's wedding tux,
part of the christening gown her little brother would have worn if he hadn't
died in the crash too, never having a chance to be born. She pulls the quilt
back out of the trunk and wraps it around her, wraps the memories and love that
it represents around her. Her fingers touch the fancy embroidery that outlines
the pieces. Here is the first piece Jenna added to the quilt. The stitches are
uneven with her childish first attempts. The elegant piece of material next to
it is her grandmother's work, where she encompassed Jenna's piecing and made
Jenn's first attempts at sewing appear part of the quilt's design.
Jenna remembers what
her grandmother said that day, as she combined the two pieces, "Baby, we
must always do our best. Others will add to our efforts. The ending result will
glorify God. All of us have a purpose in this old world. We'll never know when
something small we do touches someones' life for His glory. This piece is
lovely, child, sewn with love, the very best sewing you could do. As you learn
more and add more scraps, your stitching will get better, but even then, it
will still be, just the best that you can do. And God will still use all of it
for His Glory!"
Jenna gulps, sighs,
wipes her eyes, blows her nose, and places the quilt to the side. She gets up
and goes into the bathroom. After washing her hands and splashing her face,
Jenna goes back to the trunk. She retrieves a scrap of cloth and adds it to the
quilt, finishing the stitching around it with a lovely design in gold thread.
Finally done, she pats the final piece, folds the quilt, and puts in back in
the trunk.
Right before Jenna
closes the lid, she once again touches the final piece, an angel made from a
section of the hem of the dress grandma was going to wear to Jenna's wedding.
Jenna wants to think of her grandma wearing that dress throughout eternity.
Jenna sighs as she pinches her nose between her eyes then rubs the back of her
neck at the base of her skull.
Jenna recalls Milton's
objections to her coming back home. As her grandmother's only living relative,
Jenna had to go home to clean and pack things up. Milton wanted her to skip the
funeral and pay someone to pack up the house. That just wasn't right. Tomorrow
Jenna meets with Lawyer Davis for the reading of the will. She has been using
the upcoming meeting as an excuse to hold off on going back to the city
immediately.
Her lips press
together in a firm line as she walks determinedly out of the room. She'll talk
to Milton in the morning. He won't like what she has to say. She cannot deal
with him right now. He and she are through; he just doesn't know it yet!
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