The Waltons 3 - The Easter Story by Robert Weverka Read Free Book Online Page A

She smiled and gave him a questioning look. “Do you think I’m bein’ foolish?”
    “No, I don’t.”
    Whether his mother’s encouragement was foolish or not, it had a dramatic effect on everyone in the family. Jason began practicing his guitar every spare minute he could find. There was going to be an amateur talent contest in Charlottesville, and Olivia convinced him he had a good chance of winning it. Ben sent off a letter to a magazine distributing company asking to be their salesman in the area—something he’d been talking about for almost a year. And Mary Ellen, who had turned down half a dozen invitations to school dances—mostly from G. W. Haines—because she didn’t have any party dresses, was suddenly studying dress patterns and following Grandma all over the house with questions about sewing.
    The biggest change came in Erin. Instead of shrinking from Olivia’s illness and its possible consequences, she plunged headlong into the task of being the chief nurse of the household. Without being asked she took over the responsibilities of bed changing, giving Olivia baths, and propping her up in bed for visitors.
    But for all Olivia’s efforts, it was still impossible for her to disguise the pain she was suffering. In midsentence she might catch her breath and clamp her mouth shut for an instant. As quickly as the pain passed she would smile and brush it off. “No, no, it’s nothing. I’m all right,” she would respond to alarmed inquiries.
    John was more aware of it than the others. Almost every night he was awakened by her gasping and painful efforts to turn herself over in the bed. And in the mornings it took her half an hour to gather enough strength to present a cheerful face to the children.
    John protested only mildly when she began making efforts to sit up by herself. Dr. Vance had warned against it. But Olivia claimed she felt far worse, and experienced more pain when she lay flat on her back all day.
    The first of what she called her exercises consisted only of getting an elbow and then a hand behind her to give her enough leverage to lift her head and shoulders. Then, with this accomplished, she began the task of swinging her head and rocking her upper body enough to get herself into an upright position. As often as not it would result in her falling to the side, or suddenly collapsing back to the pillow in pain.
    When Dr. Vance arrived with the splints for her legs, Olivia lay in glum silence while he adjusted and secured them in place.
    “You must realize, Mrs. Walton, that these are not supports for walking or moving around. They’re simply protective devices. You still must not make any effort to move your legs or exert yourself in any way. Now, how do they feel? They don’t hurt, do they?”
    “No,” she said, “I can’t even feel them.”
    “That’s fine.”
    Olivia twisted her head to look at them. “I just hope they don’t interfere with my exercises.”
    The doctor smiled. “Well, it’ll be a long time before you start doing any exercises. In the future we’ll think about fitting you for braces. Then maybe we can work out some exercises to strengthen your arms.”
    “I’ve already been doin’ it. I can almost sit up by myself.”
    Dr. Vance glanced sharply at John, but turned quickly back as Olivia suddenly rocked to the side and got an elbow beneath her. She tried to get the other arm behind and swing up in one movement, but her hand slipped and she fell back. She laughed. “Well, I can almost get halfway up.”
    Dr. Vance was shocked. “Mrs. Walton, you really shouldn’t do that.”
    “Why not?”
    “Well, you may not be aware of it, but even in trying to sit up like that you tend to use your leg muscles. That’s exactly what I’m cautioning you against doing.”
    “But I can’t just lie here all day doin’ nothin’.”
    Dr. Vance sighed with frustration and looked over at John. But John could only shake his head. Olivia had decided to exercise, and once