THE WOMAN IN THE WHEELCHAIR

by Linda Cravens

Melody busied herself with arranging chairs in a semi-circle. The Young Adults class had been thrust upon her. She preferred teaching children, but Pastor Davis insisted she take this class.

Pastor Davis opened the door. "Got a couple here for you, Melody."

Melody had heard of love at first sight, but she never thought it would happen to her. Her heart pounded as she drank in his features. "Tall, dark and handsome" played in her mind. She moved forward to greet him, but stopped quicker than she started.

How could she have missed the woman in the wheelchair? Had love blinded her completely? She blinked as Pastor Davis introduced them.

"This tall drink of water is Matt Waterton," he began. He touched the woman on the shoulder and continued, "And this pretty lady is Carol."

Something in Melody’s chest wrenched, but she smiled as she shook each of their hands. Matt took a seat at the end. Carol maneuvered her electric wheelchair beside him.

Everyone asked questions of the new couple. The newcomers hailed from the Chicago area. Matt had received a promotion with his company that included a move to the Tulsa area. Both agreed that they liked the move. Everyone carefully avoided the question of how Carol came to be in a wheelchair. As they left the classroom, a small girl ran up to Carol.

"Look, Mommy." She waved a coloring sheet in front of Carol’s face. "The teacher said my picture was the best. I told her I was going to be an artist like you."

Matt leaned down to take a look at the picture. "Very nice, Amy." He smiled at the child.

Observing this scene Melody groaned. Not only was he married to a woman in a wheelchair, he had a child as well. What was wrong with her? How could she be so attracted to a man already taken?

Each summer Melody created new teaching games for her first grade class. She glanced up from one of these projects as the phone rang. Before she knew what was happening Pastor Davis talked her into paying a visit to the woman in the wheelchair.

"Great," she muttered after she hung up. "I’ve just agreed to go visit a woman whose husband has stolen my thoughts for the last few days."

She thought about Matt Wharton far more than she should. His hair, his eyes, his smile, even the way he treated Carol kindled an attraction Melody seemed powerless to resist.

Melody rang the doorbell at the address Pastor Davis had given her. The child she knew as Amy opened the door. Her mother wheeled up behind her. "Melody," Carol said. "How nice of you to come by."

Melody smiled. She could not help liking the woman in the wheelchair who didn’t seem to let her circumstance get her down.

After a discussion of children, conversation seemed to lag. Melody took a deep breath and asked the question that had been on her mind almost as much as Matt Wharton. "Carol, if you don’t mind telling me, how did you come to be in a wheelchair?"

"I don’t mind," Carol sighed. "I just don’t volunteer the information. It’s rather painful. I not only lost the use of my legs in the car accident, but I lost my husband as well."

Melody gasped. "Oh I’m so sorry."

"I don’t know what Amy and I would have done if it hadn’t been for Matt. He’s been such a help. He even insisted we move here with him when he got the promotion. Although I’d gotten used to maneuvering around Chicago. he didn’t want to leave us there on our own. I couldn’t ask for a better brother."

"Brother?" Melody stammered. "Matt is your brother?"

Melody stared at Carol realizing for the first time the similarity of her features and Matt’s. How could she have missed it? Carol’s face depicted the feminine version of her brother. Melody’s heart raced at the thought of Matt’s bachelor status. Perhaps "love at first sight" really did exist.

"I’m home," called a masculine voice. "Where are you, Carol?"

Matt walked into the room loosening the collar of his shirt with one hand his tie in the other. "Whose car in the drive? Oh, hello Melody."

Melody acknowledged his greeting surprised the she found the breath. Knowing he was single had set her heart singing. He paid little attention to her as he walked over to his sister and planted a kiss on her cheek. He swung Amy up in arms and gave her a kiss as well.

"What are you doing home so soon?" Carol wanted to know.

"Things are going so well at the office I decided to take some time off with my girls. I thought we could see that movie Amy’s been wanting to see and maybe get some dinner. I’ll just go shower and put on something more casual"

Melody felt intrusive. "Well, I guess I’ll be going."

"Why don’t you join us?" Carol invited. "We’d love to have you. Wouldn’t we, Matt?"

"Oh," Matt looked at Melody as if he just remembered she was in the world. "Sure we’d be glad to have you."

Melody thought of the project she’d left on her kitchen table. She really desired a chance to get to know Matt Wharton. She’d always believed seeing a person with their family spoke volumes about their character.

Shortly Matt returned wearing a blue polo shirt, khaki shorts, and sneakers. His hair glistened from the shower. He flashed them a smile that caused Melody’s heart to constrict. How would it be to have that smile directed at her exclusively?

Thus began a series of outings together. Movies, the church picnic, dinners, the family entertainment center—all things in which Carol could easily participate. Melody appreciated Matt’s concern for his sister and niece, but she wanted some time alone with Matt. She wanted him to express a personal, perhaps romantic, interest in her.

Melody felt like a silly schoolgirl when she called Tom Haskins. The very idea of going out with someone just to make someone else jealous humiliated her. She had to know if Matt Wharton ever looked at her as some one he could love. Besides Tom wouldn’t mind.

Melody took Tom’s arm as they walked into the family entertainment center. She directed him to a table where Matt, Carol and Amy sat. She made the introductions.

"Melody told me you were in a wheelchair," Tom said taking Carol’s hand. "But she didn’t tell me you were beautiful."

The evening went downhill from there. Matt didn’t appear the least bit jealous that Melody had come with Tom. In fact both men vied for Carol’s attention. Melody slipped away from the pool table where the men were proving their prowess with a cue stick. Buying a mocha latte at the concession stand, she sat at a nearby table. Absently she blew on the cup thinking how foolish she felt. Tomorrow she would be leaving to help at youth camp. A week away from Matt should take care of this silly notion that she was in love with him.

Melody sighed as she dropped the last of her bags on her living room. It had been a week of work and yet she felt refreshed. After much thought and prayer, she had decided that life would go on even if Matt Wharton never saw her as anything but a friend. Then the phone rang.

"Hello," the masculine voice on the other end greeted. "You’re finally home. I have a bone to pick with you, lady."

Irritated at how her heart raced at the sound of his voice, Melody snapped. "Look I just got home, I’m tired, and I’m not in the mood to talk. I’ll talk to you later." She slammed the phone back into its cradle. She enjoyed the satisfaction of imagining the look of surprise on his face.

The phone rang again. Suddenly feeling foolish for hanging up on him she answered it. " I really would like to talk to you about something important," he said. "How about we talk about it over dinner?"

"Look, Matt, I like Carol and Amy a lot, but I’m just not in the mood for a family outing. Much as I like kids, I’ve just spent the last week, 24 hours a day with ten of them. I’d love to see Amy, but right now I need a couple of days away from kids."

"That’s fine." He didn’t sound offended. "I thought you and I could find some quiet place to have dinner."

"Just the two of us?"

Matt laughed. "Yes, just the two of us. How about it? Can I pick you up in about an hour?"

"Sure," Melody hung up the phone. Matt Wharton had just asked her out.

When she opened the door an hour later, Melody was glad she had decided to "dress" for dinner. "Wow," Matt exclaimed. "You look great."

Melody had chosen a simple white sleeveless sheath dress because it showed off her tan to perfection. She had swept her blonde curls atop her head in an elegant style.

During dinner Melody told him all the amusing anecdotes she remembered from the camp. Matt laughed, but seemed pre-occupied.

In an effort to help him say what was on his mind, Melody said, "You said you had a bone to pick with me?"

"I did say that didn’t I? It’s just this. What right did you have to bring Tom Haskins around Carol?"

Melody had expected anything but this. "What’s wrong with Tom being around Carol. What’s he done?

"He’s disrupted our lives, that’s what. Insisted on taking Carol out alone. Now they’re dating each other with the idea of getting married soon."

"Tom a real go-getter. You know he plans on being the district’s youngest principal."

"Yeah. Yeah. He told all me all that." Matt fumbled with the napkin by his plate.

"So what’s the problem?" Melody thought Tom and Carol would make a good match.

Matt sighed and looked at her. "It’s just that I thought our lives were settled. When the accident happened, I took care of Carol and Amy. I just figured we’d always be a family. I was so tired of looking for someone to share my life with. I never seemed to be able to find ‘Miss Right’."

"So this isn’t really about Tom. It’s about you, isn’t it?"

Matt sighed, "I just wasn’t ready for this."

Matt look of dejection broke Melody’s heart. She reached across the table and took one of his hands. "It will be all right."

Matt squeezed her hand. "You’re a wonderful woman, you know."

Melody withdrew her hand in embarrassment.

"It’s early yet," Matt said as he paid the check. "Would you like to go for a walk?"

"I guess." Something in her wanted to stay with Matt, wanted to hear him say words she dreamed he say, wanted him to hold more than just her hand.

They walked the path in silence. He reached for her hand. When they approached a secluded bench, he pulled her down beside him. "Carol said I could trust you. That you wouldn’t play games with me."

"No, I don’t play those kind of games." Melody whispered.

"We’ve pretty much spent the summer together, haven’t we." Matt stated.

"Pretty much," Melody agreed. She sensed he was going some where with this. She hoped he was going the direction she had dreamed about all summer.

"Carol told me that if I’d just get my eyes off her, I’d find ‘Miss Right’ standing right in front of me. When I made myself stop thinking of Carol, all I could think about was you. I love you."

"Oh, Matt." She threw her arms around his neck. He pulled her close and kissed her--long, sweet, and deep. When it finally ended, she whispered, "I love you, too."

As he kissed her once more, Melody thought, "Imagine, I owe it all to a woman in a wheelchair."