You Did It For Me

The swirling rhythms of the boiling water in the old saucepan caused the bobbing eggs to waltz around in manic motion, bumping into each other like blindfolded dancers. Twisting stray hairs around her finger, Madeline watched languidly. Closing her eyes, she leaned over and let the steam condense on her face. It tickled as the pores opened and she sighed contentedly, savoring the clean feeling.

Reluctantly, she stepped back from the stove, tore a paper towel off the roll, and blotted her face. This was the first time all day Madeline had had a couple minutes to herself, no one clamoring for attention. Tomorrow was Easter, and she was so far behind on her "to do" list, she thought she was ahead. Pete and the kids had just left for the Easter program rehearsal at church and it seemed the perfect chance for her to hurry and try to decorate the eggs for their baskets.

Madeline squatted and hummed as she searched through the cabinets for her egg dyeing supplies. She loved coloring Easter Eggs. It always brought back wonderful memories from her childhood.

She could remember sitting on a tall stool in a cozy kitchen watching her beloved Polish Grandmother carefully create exquisite eggs, or Pisanki, as she called them. As she worked, Grandma recounted the folk tales and traditions of her native Poland. Madeline would sit and listen spellbound, soaking up every word. Those were magical, warm times; reminiscing about them helped fill the empty ache caused by the loss of her Grandmother.

Now, immersed in nostalgia, she could hear her Grandma's soft voice explaining why Easter Eggs are brightly colored. It was Madeline's favorite legend. It seems Mary Magdalene went to the sepulchre to anoint the body of Jesus. She took along a basket off eggs for her lunch. Upon arriving at the tomb, and discovering it empty, she uncovered her eggs and was surprised to see that the shells had miraculously taken on a rainbow of colors in commemoration of Christ's triumph over death. Mary went to the tomb to minister to Christ by caring for his earthly remains. Because of that selfless action, she received a blessing by witnessing a miracle.

The rude sound of the timer buzzer gave Madeline a start. Grabbing a hot pad, she took the pan off the stove, drained the eggs into the sink, and ran cold water over them. Putting on the lid, she set the saucepan back on the stove, and went back to looking for her decorating supplies.

"Where is that yellow food coloring?" she murmured. Suddenly, sitting back on her heels she groaned and held up a dry plastic bottle to the light. Now she'd have to go to the store and buy food coloring, on the Saturday before Easter. "The crowds will be terrible," she thought. "I'll be lucky if I ever get home."

Twenty minutes later, Madeline guided her Jeep into an empty parking place at the far end of the grocery store parking lot. She shook her head in frustration. The lot was packed; this was going to take forever.

Just as she feared, the store was jammed with holiday shoppers. Madeline squeezed past two women chatting, their loaded carts blocking the aisle of the baking section, grabbed a package of food coloring, and headed at a trot for the check out line. Reaching the front of the store, she almost cried; even the express lane had a long queue. She put her hand up to her pounding head. Why didn't anything ever go right.

Finally, she escaped from the store and headed for the Jeep. She looked at her watch and walked faster. She'd be lucky to get the eggs done before the kids got home.

Madeline reached her vehicle and unlocked the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a young woman at the edge of the parking lot. The girl was leaning against an older model automobile with a flat tire, and crying profusely. Four small children sat inside the car, looking confused and miserable. She observed that the woman looked vulnerable, and tired, and that her car was loaded to the roof with what appeared to be all the little family's earthly possessions.

Madeline looked at her watch and whimpered aloud. Her heart told her to run right over to the broken down car and see if she could help. Her head said, "If you get involved, you’ll never be ready for Easter." She closed her eyes tight and took a deep breath. Her heart won the argument.

Walking over to the still sobbing young mother, she cleared her throat to get the girls attention without startling her. "Excuse me, is there something I can do to help," Madeline inquired when the woman looked up with tear filled eyes.

The girl stopped crying and wiped her face with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. She stuck her thin hand out for a handshake. "Hi, she sniffled, "my name is Joanna. I’m not sure anyone can help."

Madeline pointed to the McDonalds at the other end of the lot. "Come on. Let’s go have a cup of coffee and talk."

Later, over coffee, cheeseburgers, and Happy Meals for the kids, Joanna spilled her whole sad tale while the kids played on the indoor playground.

Her husband had recently died from a protracted illness that ate up every penny of the uninsured couple's savings. Between taking care of the children and a sick husband, Joanna was unable to work for the last couple of years, so had no job to fall back on. She had no relatives where they lived on the West Coast, no one to help baby-sit while she looked for work. The price of childcare put it entirely out of her reach. So, she decided to head home to the East Coast where she had family and friends to help her.

Joanna took a ragged breath. "Now, what am I going to do? I barely had enough money for gas to get home. We've been eating one meal a day to get by. I don't have a spare, and I don't have enough cash for unexpected disasters. My parents can't help financially. They're retired and on a fixed income. If I get home, they can offer baby-sitting, support, and a roof over our heads, but monetarily, I'm on my own." Tears welled up and ran down her cheeks.

Madeline reached across the table and took her hand. "Let me make a few phone calls. I have an old high school friend that runs a garage. Maybe he can help."

An hour later the two women were back in the grocery store parking lot exchanging hugs and addresses. Madeline's friend installed a new tire, which she had paid for, and he only charged for the actual cost to him. While he worked on the car, she went back into the store and bought Easter Baskets for the kids, and nutritious snacks to eat while they traveled.

Madeline handed Joanna some cash as she turned to leave.

"No, I can't take this," Joanna stammered. "You've done enough."

Madeline smiled. "I want you to use that if you get tired and need to spend the night somewhere. If you get hungry, stop and eat for goodness sake. You can pay me back later if it makes you feel better. Or, better yet, do something for someone else someday. That's all the payment I need. Just let me know when you arrive safely, O.K.?"

Joanna laughed, "You bet I will." "I'll always remember you," she shouted as she pulled away with everyone waving happily out the windows.

Madeline settled comfortably into the driver's seat of her Jeep, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew she'd never get all her Easter projects done, but it didn't seem so important anymore. Her tension melted away and she felt a sense of peace.

All the way home she thought about her Grandmother, and the Bible verses and morals she taught in her little kitchen, along with ethnic traditions. "You should help people whenever you get a chance Maddie," she used to say. "According to the Bible, you could be entertaining angels. Christ says when you do something for the neediest of your fellow man; you do it for Him. It's in there, look it up."

Holding up one of the elegant Pisanki, her Grandmother would continue. "We can't minister to Christ personally, like Mary was privileged to do, but we can care for other people. Never be selfish Maddie." Madeline's eyes misted up. She missed her Grandmother so much.

She pulled her Jeep into the garage. Pete and the kids weren't home yet, but she expected them any minute. There was no way to get the eggs done now. They would just have to wait until everyone went to bed.

Madeline tossed her purse on a bench and went into the kitchen to get the eggs and stick them in the refrigerator before her youngest child saw them. She still thought they came from the Easter Bunny.

Reaching the stove, she picked up the saucepan, opened the lid, and froze. The seconds crawled by in silence, and then suddenly Madeline laughed aloud with joy, as in her mind's eye she saw her precious Grandmother beaming down at her from heaven. The white shells of the freshly boiled eggs had taken on an ethereal rainbow of brilliance. No two eggs were alike; the old saucepan shone with a riot of color.