Yarn Shop Tale # 3

Jacki  Cardillino was a nurse at the Peaks ville Community Hospital.  Her usual shift was through the night, ending as most people were starting their day.  The last shift had been an eventful night.  A record for the small hospital, with three new babies in one night.  She was exhausted beyond words.  This, she realized as she pulled into the one car garage, attached to her moderate, sized cottage-style house. Now, if she could actually sleep a couple hours before having to face the evening shift.

Jacki loved her job.  She'd tried to explain to her friend Claire the conflict she felt in-be-tween hours.  The hours that required her to have a social life, to buy groceries, and do mundane house chores. She'd tried switching her work schedule around to accommodate normal hours needed for dating and forming relationships.  Dating was something she wasn't going to do again.  With natural good  looks, dark wavy hair, and smoky gray eyes, she had a lot of willing participates for dates. It had made her weary. There was more to her than good looks. She wanted someone that could see her personality and value that above the physical. Lonely? Yes, she admitted she was from time to time, but at least she wasn't suffering from a broken, bleeding heart.  Unless, you counted the pain she felt in her heart each time she held one of those precious babies born in the night.

Loneliness, wasn't justifiable in her case, she knew; she was rich in family, friendships, and people of all ages. In her line of work, all the characters she dealt with, and situations she found herself in, had a way of keeping her thankful for things just as they were. From listening to her married friends, Jacki knew a person could feel very lonely, even in a marriage.  She recognized the loneliness she often felt was a God given longing to be wanted and desired as a wife and mom.  In those times, she went deeper into the Word and let the words of Jesus comfort her soul till she was able to rise up from the great smothering emotions of the moment and gulp in the fresh air of Christ.  It was like walking into the sunshine after hiking through fog on a mountain trail.

Now, it was seven am, and her day was ending.  Every morning, after working the night shift, Jacki walked through each room of her small cottage, flipping on lights and checking things thoroughly, before heading to the kitchen for a small breakfast; usually, consisting of a bagel with cream cheese and a cup of herbal tea.  From there, she would relax with a hot shower, pull all the blinds to darken the room, and sleep six or seven hours before being awakened by something from the outside world.

Today, it was the doorbell, but in her dream, it was her cell phone ringing deep within her purse. She fumbled around trying to figure out which pocket it was in.  She awoke when the ringing stopped.  By the time she got to the door, the person was gone.  After a look out the window and seeing two, well-dressed ladies getting into a car, she was relieved to have missed them.  Nothing was more wearisome than two, Bible toting women, with placid, serene smiles, trying to share what they believed to be truth.

Jacki spent the next couple hours baking a batch of lemon bars for Claire's Yarn Shop and catching up on laundry. At three in the afternoon she strapped the treats into a basket on her bike and rode to the Yarn Shop for a chat and coffee with Claire.

As Jacki folded her tall frame into one of the wing-back chairs in Claire Hamilton's shop with a steaming cup of coffee warming her hands, she sighed with contentment.  Watching Claire, in her quiet way, wiping down the counter and preparing her french press for the next person that would pop in for a little comfort, filled in all the remaining corners of loneliness in Jacki's heart.

Jacki and Claire had been friends for all of life.  Both, having grown up in Peaks ville, graduating the same year, and surviving the years through college, they still saw life the same way.  The only difference they had to deal with, was the fact that Jacki was single and Claire married with children.  This difference had served more as a benefit through out their friendship.  What one was lacking in perspective, the other provided by sharing the other side.

Claire's face held a slightly amused grin as she started her own cup of coffee and joined Jacki in the opposite chair. " I find it pretty funny that some people thinks I am the authority on knitting and crocheting since I own this shop."  She continued, "Do you think I should post a sign or something?  I had a customer this morning that was asking for help in reading a pattern.  It was one of those cable knit sweater patterns.  When I told her I only knew how to do the basic knit and purl stitch, and that I had never attempted anything with a beautiful cable pattern, she got a little irate. She said,'Why would you own a yarn shop if you don't know much about knitting?'  Then, she started quizzing me on my knowledge of the knitting tools and different kinds of needles.  I've been thinking about it."  Claire mused thoughtfully as she took a sip of coffee. "Should a person know all they can about a subject before promoting it?"

"Do I know all there is to know about nursing? asked Jacki.  " And did you know all about marriage before you got married?" Jacki wrinkled her nose and continued.  "I suppose that is the logic some people use but I haven't found it to work in my life.  As for posting a sign, what good would it do?  You'll have the odd person here and there that will be disgruntled no matter what you do.

" I know you're right ," Claire agreed.  "I keep thinking about it though,  I have met a lot of people through this store, that are well versed and have unlimited knowledge stored up in their heads.   But they haven't a stitch of common sense and little kindness for the unlearned person.  They have a sort of snobbery about the everyday parts of life.  These kinds of people can't seem to have manners and knowledge.  They feel they have a kind of authority on particular subjects since they've a college degree or some such nonsense.  I'm not promoting ignorance, just trying to figure out why a person has a hard time being balanced when they have a career and a good education."

Conversation such as this, could continue for hours when Jacki and Claire were together.  More times than not a customer would pop in and interrupt just as they were getting into a deep discussion. As Jacki peddled her bike back up the hill, she breathed a prayer of thanks for friends like Claire.  She usually left her times with Claire feeling encouraged, more balanced, and inspired to keep going with whatever challenge she was facing.  Loneliness was fleeting, but friendships were lasting.  Focusing on the lasting, was what pulled her through each day.

Meanwhile, Claire concentrated on putting things away and closing the store for the evening.  Her daughters, Chloe, who was thirteen, and Olivia, who was ten, were probably home from school and started on their homework.  At least, she hoped they were.  More accurately, they were probably bickering about something and in need of a mother.

The late afternoon felt brisk as Claire closed the shop door and locked it. The sun was dipping over the mountains and daylight was fading fast.  She hoped Jon would be home in good time tonight.  She was in need of his calming demeanor and stable mind.  She treasured that about her marriage.  Hanging out with Jacki always made her aware of this blessing.  Often her heart ached for her friend in her single state but she realized, that wasn't a fair burden.  Jacki was happy.  Settled even, and joyful.  God had different plans in mind for all people.  Not all were called to live the life she led.  Goodness, half the time, she wasn't sure she was doing everything she was called to do either.

The house was lit up as Claire pulled into the driveway.  The front porch light was on, displaying the fall arrangement she and the girls had arranged.  Pumpkins and lanterns of various sizes sat in front of an,old, wood door, with glass panes. One of the pumpkins, along with a tin of fall grasses, reined regally on the antique rocker in front of the weathered door.  Someone had thrown an old comfort top over the back of the rocker.  Home.  How good it was to be here.  Joy flooded her weary mind as she opened the front door.  "I'm home, girls!"