“In America you’d be sued for having such dangerous sanitary arrangements!” Dad yelled at the manager.

The doctor handed Mom the prescription and said, “Twicea a days and eef he ‘asa troubles in thee nights to sleepings takea twoa mores.”

Mom shook his hand and said, “Thank you so much. How will we pay you?”

The manager stepped forward and said, “We weel pays for the medicals treatments!”

Mom said, “Thank you so much.”

But Dad said, “What about the toilet?”

“Youa musta bear the costa of thees,” the manager said.

He bowed and left the room with the doctor just as a maid came in with a bucket to clear up the water from the broken tank.

“Oh my head,” Dad bellowed and leaned back on his pillow.

“Is it bad?” Mom said.

“What’s it look like to you, Sherlock? I had ten stitches. Why didn’t you walk home with me so this wouldn’t happen?”

Mom took his hand and held it and said, “I’m sorry, I should have.” Dad grunted, closed his eyes, and lay still. I tiptoed out and went to my room.

At supper it was just Rachael, Janet, and me there. Mom stayed in Dad’s room with him to feed him some minestrone.

Janet said, “I’m thankful this has happened.”

“Why?” Rachael asked.

Janet answered, “Because adversity has a way of drawing people together. This is God’s way of helping Mom and Dad come closer to each other again.”

“I don’t know. It doesn’t seem like Dad needed the toilet to fall on him to make him love Mom more,” Rachael said.

“Toilet tank, Rachael, not toilet. When you get a little older you’ll understand some things better,” said Janet.

176 Frank Schaeffer

I said, “Anyway ‘All things work together for the good of those that love Him/ don’t they?”

“I hope you mean that because if you’re just saying it flippantly, it’s blasphemy,” said Janet.

“Janet, why are you always so suspicious?” Rachael asked. “Of course he means it. Calvin wouldn’t joke about the sovereignty of God!” And she looked at me and I said, “Of course not.” Then Janet said, “I hope that’s true for your sake!”

Mom came out on the terrace when we were eating our dessert of stewed pears in chocolate sauce and Janet said, “How is he?”

“He’s asleep,” Mom answered. “Whatever the doctor prescribed sure is strong. It knocked him right out.”

Rachael asked, “Can we stay and finish our vacation or do we have to go home?”

“Of course we’ll finish the vacation,” Mom said. “Anyway the doctor said he’s got to rest quietly for a week in case he has a concussion.”

I said, “That toilet tank must have hit him pretty hard.”

“I bet it was a big shock,” added Rachael. Rachael tried not to but she started to giggle.