Amazing Grace [my short story]

Amazing Grace

The knock on the back door startled her. She was busy fixing dinner for Eric and was singing praise songs as she cooked. She could not imagine who would be knocking, especially at 5:45 and at the back door. She wiped her hands on her apron, set the timer, and walked toward the door. She opened the door and before she could even say anything, the girl walked into the room. There stood a young girl of about 15. What struck Sally first were the girl’s clothes. The clothes had obviously been on her for quite some time and were beginning to wear.
“I’ve got a terrible problem ma’am” the girl began.
“Well dear” Sally replied, “Please come in. Take off your shoes, for our carpet is brand new. May I ask your name?”
“Clara Mae. I am Clara Mae. My momma and daddy died when I was a girl. But ma’am, I am going to have a baby soon. Real soon. In July!”
Something was unique about her. Her accent. Her naivety. At that moment, the timer went off in the kitchen. She got up without saying a word to Clara Mae, and went into the kitchen. Out of habit, she immediately began to hum praise songs as she took the casserole out of the oven.
“Ma’am, can I please help you with dinner? I would really like that! I know that song you are hummin’, too. It is Amazing Grace! Oh, how sweet the sound, ma’am! How sweet the sound!” Clara Mae had entered the kitchen. Sally was not sure what to do. She always wanted to be a mother, but recently the doctor told her it was not possible. They had tried medicine and procedures and nothing. Nothing but four miscarriages. She could not help but think about the girl’s unborn baby.
“You can set the table. Three plates and glasses is all we need. It’ll just be you, me, and Eric tonight.”
“Ma’am, please tell me all about your husband. I am sure he would make a fine daddy! Say, why don’t you have any children, anyway? How old are you, ma’am? You sure do seem like you’d have at least a couple children. Why don’t you, ma’am? Is there a reason?”
Sally was too busy thinking to respond. She had been busy cooking dinner when in walked a pregnant girl she knew nothing about, and now they were in the kitchen talking? What on earth was she going to tell Eric? She wondered about the girl. About the baby. The baby. All her thoughts kept going back to the baby.
An hour later, the three joined hands in prayer around the dinner table. Over the next hour, they just talked. Eric was impressed with Clara Mae’s joy. Her parents died in an accident when she was young, so she moved in with her Nana Mae. Nana Mae recently died of cancer. Now Clara Mae was left alone and had no one to care for her and her unborn baby. She knew that in order to keep her baby safe (Clara Mae had found out she was having a little girl) she had to get help. Since they lived in Valdosta, there were only four houses in the span of eight miles. Clara Mae couldn’t drive and didn’t have anyone to look after her, so she walked until she saw a house. She got caught in one of the worst storms of the year in the process, which explained the horrible condition of her hair and clothes. She got pregnant by the boy who tended to the cows. He was a handsome boy of 18. Billy was his name. Billy left town as soon as he found out about the baby. So that explained what brought Clara Mae to the Galloway’s back door that evening.

A couple weeks passed. Only 6 weeks to go before the baby would be born. Clara Mae was 16 now, and things had been going wonderfully. Eric and Sally enjoyed having a “daughter”. Eric was gone a lot. He worked in the city. It made quite a fortune for the family, so Sally didn’t complain much. Besides, she knew he loved her. He loved her “more than birds love the air,” he’d tell her. What struck Sally about Eric was his devotion. Clara Mae even noticed it. The two of them were working in the garden one day when Clara Mae began talking about it.
“Ma’am, it sure does show that that man loves you. Ma’am, I really wish you’d have a baby. He’d make a good daddy! That man of yours!”
A baby. If only Clara Mae understood. What seemed like a mistake on her part, was the one thing Sally dreamed of day and night.
“He really would, Clara Mae, he really would.”
It was 3 days before the baby was due.
Clara Mae got in the habit of humming Amazing Grace as she worked. It was one of the things about Clara Mae that always brought a smile to Sally’s face. And it wasn’t until today that Sally heard her singing the words. And it wasn’t until today that Sally believed the words she heard.
“…the Lord has promised good to me…”

That night, it began to rain. Just as it began to rain, Clara Mae knew it was time for the baby to be born. As the Galloways rushed her into the city to the hospital, it became clear that the baby would be born that night. A girl. Sally was almost more excited than Clara Mae.
They got to the hospital just in time. Two hours later the nurse walked out with a brand new baby girl! She was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Amazingly beautiful. But Eric noticed a worried look on the nurse’s face.
“Ma’am, what is it?”
“I’m sorry, but something has gone terribly wrong. Clara Mae developed hypothermia and it went untreated. Her body wasn’t strong enough to handle the pregnancy. I’m afraid we’ve lost her.” The nurse was trembling as she spoke.
“But you can’t be serious. She’s been with us for months. She woke up fine every morning and even worked in the fields. She can’t be gone! She just can’t.” Sally was hysterical.
“Ma’am, I’m afraid she is. She wanted you two to know she loved you. And she is sorry, but she stumbled across your notebook and she knew how much you wanted a baby and how you weren’t able to. She said Jesus is taking her home. She wanted me to recite this to you: ‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home’” The nurse was still holding the baby.
“But the baby, what are we going to do with the baby?”
“Things wouldn’t be all that difficult to work through. Some paper work and a few tests and everything would be fine” the nurse began to explain.
In that moment, Sally already began to feel a joy she had never felt before.
“Can I hold her please?” Sally asked.
The nurse handed the baby to her. At the same time, Eric had been praying that somehow the baby would be theirs. He too had longed for this so much. Three hours later, the baby was officially theirs.
“Darling, I know the perfect name for our daughter.” Eric said.
“What is it?” Sally asked.
“Grace. Let’s name her Grace.”




thoughts please!!