A favor called in

It was mid afternoon when John called. Margie couldn’t believe the day had gotten away from her. It seemed like only moments before she had come in from her walk with the talking breeze. As she searched for the ringing phone, her gaze shifted to the window. Although it had been cool and breezy this morning, the weather had quickly shifted to a snow storm. She had not noticed the layer of snow that had built up outside the house. Hesitantly, she thought to not answer the phone and dress the boys for some snow playtime. The persistent rings forced her decision to answer the phone.

“Margie, I have a big favor to ask of you, and us?” the voice on the phone stated in a dire tone.

She couldn’t think of why John could sound so stressed. Unsure of what the favor could be she quietly asked, “What do you need John?”

“I can’t find a good way to ask this. I just got a call from a friend. The power is out at their place. The building doesn’t have a generator. I would hate for her baby to get sick staying in a cold building. Would it be ok for me to bring them home with me for dinner?”

The phone slipped from Margie’s hand and hit the floor. The thick piled carpet prevented it from breaking, but a loud thud was able to be heard on both ends. Muffled sounds came out of the receiver as John tried to encourage her to pick up the phone. It took just a moment, but she finally retrieved the phone and responded, “You mean you want her to stay in my house?”

“Margie, we need to discuss this. It will be easier to have the entire facts straight if Jennifer, you, and I all talk like adults. We can have dinner, and then after the kids are sleeping talk about what you think is going on.”

Margie yelled in her head, what I think is going on? Am I some imbecile? I know the wife was too dumb to catch me messing around on my marriage outside of the home I’ll just move the mistress in with us. My goodness what do I have to do?! I’m just supposed to welcome the woman with whom my husband had an affair into my home? God, to what end will you test my faith and marriage? After regaining herself from this internal rant she responded, “It is the right thing to do. We have a spare room down stairs with an empty bed. I can’t justify letting one of your children getting sick because the mother failed to provide for it. But there will be a lot of discussion after the children sleep.”

“I’m so relieved to hear you being the Margie I fell in love with. There could be no better Christian on this earth than you. That’s why I love you so much.”

“I loved you too.”

“Oh yeah, honey, the office is closing earlier because of bad weather. I’ll try to get home with Jenny and Ali as quickly as I can.”

“Ok. Bye, John,” She hung up before John could respond.

A quick glance outside revealed the snowfall was getting heavier. She looked at the clock to see it was well past nap time. She decided to put the boys down for a quick nap so she could quickly set up the guest room. She struggled mentally with her agreement. She felt this was so rushed. Yesterday she hadn’t even known this woman and child existed. Today they were coming to stay in her house. God, this plan you have me on, why must it be so hard? I never know what to expect next. I don’t even know if I can greet this woman civilly, yet alone allow her to stay in my home. What about my husband? I can’t share him. I never thought I would be in a position if I wondered if he would sleep with me on the comfort of another woman. Why must I face this idea with that woman sleeping in my guest room? Will John be joining her tonight, and then expect me to lovingly let him back into our bed?

The wind outside blew and the branch of an oak tree tapped on the window. The noise caught Margie off guard, so she looked up and saw a heart drawn into the light layer of snow that clung to the pane. Oh, so now you are going to given me signs that you love me? Couldn’t you have loved me enough to give me a faithful husband? Or is that heart meant for Jenny? Are you trying to say that although this woman intruded upon my marriage that you love her? Or worse yet you think I should love her?! I know Lord that you tell us to love others, but how would I be able to love and befriend a woman that slept with my husband? How, Lord, am I supposed to love that baby that forever will represent that at one point in time I wasn’t enough of a woman for my husband?

The wind blew harshly and the branch beat into the guest room windows. Sounding as if the branches would break through the panes, Margie could only imagine that what she was thinking enraged the Lord. She suddenly felt humbled, knowing that her bitterness wasn’t meant for the Lord, but John. Also at this point in time she knew that being bitter was not going to help her. She quickly realized that if she was going to preserve through this, it was going to take all of the strength she had, and a lot of guidance from God.

As she chose fresh linens for the bed she struggled between using her thick warm flannel sheets and some soft thin cool linen. Ultimately she chose the flannel, thinking if she was going to stay in a stranger’s home with a young baby she would want the comfort of those warm thick sheets. Her thoughts wandered to what the other woman was like, if she was like her or if they had little in common. Margie felt unsure which she would prefer more. A woman completely different from myself would mean that John was truly bored with me. Then again someone just like me would mean that he sought my love from another woman because I had withheld it myself. Why was I ever so stupid to hold out on loving the one person I couldn’t imagine life without?!

She left the guest room to look in the kitchen for what food she had in the pantry. The boys woke as Margie was browning ground beef for dinner. She had decided chili would be a good meal to feed everyone, not to mention the gas it would give John would discourage most people from being in the same room as him. While she was striving to still be a good Christian she found the challenge of it overwhelming. As she drained the fat from the cooked beef she wondered why John had taken more than two hours to get home. Another half an hour passed before the front door opened.

The boys had gone running, but came to a quick stop. A thin, young girl stood just inside the door with an infant carrier slipping from her hands. Margie stepped out of the kitchen to assess her competition. Jenny shifted out of the doorway as John carried in two large suitcases. Margie’s focus did not shift from the girl. She was young, twenty to be exact. Standing five feet nine inches tall, she towered over Margie. She had long straight blonde hair that dangled around her waist. She was wearing a violet turtleneck that seemed to be adhered to the full, perky breast. Her jeans looked as if they had been painted on, so tight Margie strained to see if the young girl’s panty type was revealed. After determining she couldn’t see a line she guessed the girl wasn’t wearing any at all. She had on rectangle plastic glasses that framed emerald green eyes. She smiled with bright white teeth that looked perfect from a distance. Margie sighed, knowing that there was no physical competition between the two. A man would have to be dead to not choose Jenny.

Finally, silence was broken. Jenny spoke, her voice sounded like one on a pay per minute sex line, “Thank you so much for giving us a warm room. We can’t afford much more than what we have.”

“You are young with a baby. The Lord wouldn’t want you to get sick. How would you be able to provide for her?” Margie quickly responded feeling as if she squawked like a bird. “Boys, go love on your dad, while I reheat dinner.”

“Dinner sounds great. Can I go make myself something?” Jenny said as she rubbed her hands together.

“I already have enough dinner made for us all.”

Jenny spoke up, “But I’m sure John didn’t tell you I’m a vegetarian. I should really make my own food so I don’t burden you any further.”

Margie retorted mentally, too good for the food I make, but not too good for my home or husband. That girl has some nerve! She ought to sing praises that she isn’t sleeping in that snow while I take her baby in. I hope to God this doesn’t last for more than one night.

Dinner was awkward. A time normally filled with chatter was almost silent. The routine was difficult to follow. The boys could sense their parents’ stress and were excited to have a visitor. As they got ready for bed, Margie decided to catch a weather report. She had hoped to hear that the weather was clearing and this beautiful pest would be able to leave in the morning. As she tuned in the weather forecast she heard, “Currently, there are areas with 3 feet of snow. Many areas are without power with no estimation of when it will be returned. There seems to be no end in sight as we pass the highest level of snow recorded for our area of two feet eleven inches.”

Dismayed she grabbed extra blankets from the closet. She herded the older boys into their room, tucked them into bed then placed the extra blanket over them to ensure they stayed warm. Adam started to cry. She picked up his nursing blanket and headed to her favorite place to feed her sons. As she walked into the room, she saw John cooing over Ali and Jenny looking on joyously. She fought back tears again, as she felt there was no way she could compete with Jenny for her husband’s affection.

As Adam drifted off to sleep, Jenny took out the stuff to make a formula bottle for Ali. The rage was brewing within Margie since the discovery of the photo. The events of the day seemed to pour it, her heart, and faith into a blender and slosh it around at high speed. Margie had no idea what was going to come of this. Her desire to lash out at both of them was wetting her mouth. She could see the whole discussion before it happened, or at least she thought she could.

Jenny set Ali into the infant carrier with the fresh bottle and said, “I guess we should start talking.”