Anna's Story - Part 21

Part 21

 

A few months had passed.  Anna drove by the construction site a few times and saw that they were getting started.  She’d seen the artist’s rendition in the paper but the place was really huge.

 

Anna called the man who was going to be heading up the new center.  He was a jovial guy with a pleasant phone personality. 

 

“Well, I’m glad you called.  With construction just getting started, we’re about a year away from setting up the whole thing, but let me ask, what is your expertise?” Mr. Collins inquired.

 

“I have been working in Accounting since my college graduation and just recently passed the CPA exam,” Anna said.

 

“OOOh, well, that would be interesting.  The key to making this thing work is going to be the funding.  We have to be able to sustain its operation through donations and fundraisers.  I’d really like to talk to you in person within the next few months or so.  Would that be possible? Mr. Collins asked.

 

“Oh, yes, I’d like that.  I’ll give you a call in about two months and we can figure out a good time and place,” Anna said.

 

“Great, and thanks for calling,” Mr. Collins said.

 

Anna went to church on Sunday as she always did, same Mass, same side of the church.  People are such creatures of habit, she thought.  She was on the aisle seat and after Communion, she was just kneeling there in prayer as others walked past on their way to the altar.  At the very last Anna saw the back of a man carrying a little child about two years old.  He looked very familiar to her.  As he turned after getting Communion, she felt a shock when she recognized that it was John! 

 

She looked all around when she got outside of church, but she didn’t see John anywhere.  John wore a wedding ring; she had noticed that, but she didn’t know that he had a child. 

 

When she got home, curious Anna gave Mrs. Licci a call.  She was just on her way out the door to the grocery store, she said. 

 

“Well, I won’t keep you but I was wondering; do you know John Peters?  I saw him in church this morning,” Anna said.

 

“John, oh sure.  Why?” Mrs. Licci asked.

 

“Well, he’s the contractor who worked on my house,” Anna said.

 

“Oh, I didn’t realize that.  He’s a good worker, that’s for sure.  We were really praying for him, I think it’s been about a year and a half ago now, and it was really sad.  Someone said he’s doing better now though,” Mrs. LIcci said.

 

“What happened?” Anna asked.

 

“Oh, he and his wife had a little girl.  She was only about six months old when his wife was diagnosed with cancer and it had already spread.  She only lived about another two months and that was it.  His brother’s wife watches little Katie for him which is a Godsend for John.  He doesn’t have to worry about her at all,” Mrs. LIcci said.

 

“I feel bad.  All this time he’s been coming to the house and everything, and I had no idea that he’d been through so much.  I left him with the whole mess and went to Kentucky,” Anna said.

 

“Oh, he’d probably rather have it that way than the other,” Mrs. Licci said.  “He’s one of those self-starters.  You don’t have to worry about John finishing something.”