"Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone..."
The jangling of the phone interrupted his thoughts and immediately silenced his tribute to her. He rushed over and forcefully grabbed the receiver from its cradle and tucked it into the crook of his neck.
"Did you find her?" he asked the unknown caller. He picked up a small silver picture frame from the table and continued to listen. "I see. Okay. Please call me the moment you know something."
He slammed the phone down and lowered himself into the overstuffed chair, once his favorite, now unwelcoming to his large frame. He shifted his weight and adjusted the pillow under the small of his back. If only he could get comfortable, maybe sleep would come. He was running on empty. Three days without a solid night's sleep would crush anyone's spirits, but Steve wanted something much more than sleep, he wanted his wife to come home to him-unharmed.
He studied the image in his hands. Taken on their wedding day, he smiled at the memories it evoked. She looked beautiful in her wedding gown. Her skin tone-a mixture of mud and honey-as she liked to say, her smile, and her shapely body were the first things he noticed about her when they met, however, those assets were painful to look at now. He sighed and tucked the frame under the pillow. He missed her so much.
Three days. They had been married for six years and he had never been away from her for this length of time. What would he do without her? His mind refused to think of the worst, but it was hard not to. The phone rang again. He sat motionless for a moment and appeared unsure as to whether he should answer. Good news or bad, one or the other, and the harsh sound didn't offer a clue.
"Hello. No, the police don't have any more information." Steve paused and listened. "Noora, I can't join you for Thanksgiving tomorrow. I'm sorry, but I just can't. What if she comes home and I'm not here?"
He once again hung up the phone and walked into the kitchen.
Thanksgiving was one of Aiesha's favorite holidays. She called it, "Family Day," and although he had never attempted it before, he decided he was going to prepare the meal by himself. Complete with all the "fixin's" as his granddad used to say. It would be his gift to her, his silent plea for her to come home. He pulled out several cookbooks, and spread them across the kitchen table. He poured over them for the next three hours, jotting notes to himself anytime a particular recipe caught his eye.
When he finished, he carefully looked over his chicken scratch:
Roasted turkey
Grandpa Joe's sausage stuffing (We HAVE to have this! Aiesha and her mom make it every year. Find this recipe!)
Mashed potatoes with gravy
Sweet potatoes with cranberry relish
String beans with toasted almonds
And.pumpkin pie, of course!
Satisfied with his list, he picked up the phone and dialed quickly.
"Hi, Noora. No, nothing. I haven't heard a thing. I have a favor to ask. Could you come over here so I can go to the store? Oh yeah, and do you think you could bring a copy of Grandpa Joe's stuffing recipe?" Steve laughed. "I know it's a strange request, and I promise to explain it to you when you get here."
Twenty minutes later the doorbell rang and Steve ushered his mother-in-law through the front foyer and straight into the kitchen.
"Did you bring it?"
"Yes, of course, but what in the world do you want with my grandfather's stuffing recipe? Steve, what's going on?"
"I just have a feeling. A gut feeling-"
"What are you saying?" Noora leaned forward and whispered, "You think she's dead?"
"No, no. Nothing like that." He shifted in his chair and pushed his menu across the table. "I think I should make Thanksgiving dinner for her. You know it's her favorite holiday. Family..."
"I know, Family Day," Noora finished his sentence with a smile. "I'm not sure this is such a good idea. You might be setting yourself up for heartache. Are you expecting her to be home in time for dinner?"
"I don't know what I expect. I just feel like I should do it. I asked you to come over here so I can go to the grocery store. I didn't
want to leave without someone being here."
"Of course I'll
stay," she answered somberly. "I'll keep myself busy while you're gone."
A promise kept indeed. Noora went straight to work. She pulled out the ironing board and pressed the saffron colored linen tablecloth and napkins. She then went in search of the holiday china that used to belong to her mother. She had given it to Aiesha, as a wedding gift, which had thrilled her daughter. Family was important to Aiesha and the gift held deep meaning. Her daughter's emotions were not lost on her as she carefully laid out two place settings. She looked over the table with a critical eye. Something was missing. Of course, a centerpiece. There wasn't time for flowers so she would have to improvise. She searched the yard for pinecones and leaves, which she artfully arranged in a silver bowl. She placed two candlesticks with cranberry colored candles on either side of her arrangement for the crowning touch.
When Steve returned home, he found Noora working in the kitchen. She had one of Aiesha's aprons tied around her middle and she was busy making what appeared to be rolls.
"Aiesha loves them. I hope you don't mind." Noora smiled warmly at him. "They weren't on the menu but I wanted to do something. I also set the table for you."
"I saw. Thanks. And thanks for staying," he mumbled as he tied an apron around his neck and then turned to wash his hands.
The two stood side by side for hours and prepared a meal for the woman they both loved.
"I'm doing pretty good for a white boy'," Steve finally said with a smile. He quickly glanced over at her and waited for a reaction. "Don't you think?"
"I guess you two are never going to let me forget that, are you?" She replied with a sigh. "I just wanted the best for my daughter and yes, I admit it, I did call you that white boy.' I'm sorry Steve. I don't know what else to say."
She bent her head and started to cry.
"Hey, it's okay. I never took it personally. We actually thought it was funny. Aiesha and I laughed about it all the time." He wiped his hands on a towel and pulled Noora close to him. "I love that girl of yours."
"I know you do. See what you did," she scolded, "You made me cry. Come on.Let's keep working."
"Do you think its okay that I didn't get one of those big turkeys? The woman at the store told me that I would never be able to thaw it in time. She told me to buy this wimpy thing." Steve held up the small turkey breast for Noora's inspection. "I'm not sure it will be the same."
"It will be fine," Noora said with a smile. "Don't worry. Everything will be okay"
* * * * *
The sunlight streamed through the curtains gently coaxing Steve to wake up. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the empty spot next to him. She was still gone. It was real. He rolled over and looked at the clock. 10:00a.m.-Thanksgiving Day.
"Oh no, how did I manage to sleep so long," he scolded himself as he jumped out of bed. "I only have two more hours to get everything ready."
He showered, got dressed, and headed straight for the kitchen. He worked for about an hour when the incessant ringing of the doorbell interrupted him.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," he yelled to the person on the other side. "Give me a break." He wiped his hands on a towel and opened the door.
Noora stood on door mat-her emotions impossible to read.
"Noora?"
"They found her." She stepped toward him and hugged him tight.
"They found her."
"Oh, my God." Steve pulled back sharply and sank to his knees.
"Steve. She's alive. She went over an embankment and has been trapped in her car for days."
"Alive?" He looked up at his mother-in-law. "When I saw you standing there, I imagined the worse. Is she going to be okay?"
"She's in pretty bad shape, but she's going to make it. Do you want to hear the best part?" she asked with a smile while pulling him to his feet. "She told her doctor that she was hungry."
"Hungry?" Steve laughed. "That's the best news a guy could hear on Thanksgiving. Happy Family Day, Noora."