Irene Brand - Second Chance at Love

She was welcomed heartily by the representatives at the Red Cross office on Virginia Street. The secretary informed Amelia she couldn’t drive into the flood-ravaged area.

“Traffic is at a standstill in that part of the state,” the woman said. “Roads and bridges have been destroyed, and many communities are completely isolated by the floodwaters. The National Guard is sending helicopters to rescue stranded people. The next flight goes in an hour, and they’re taking a few volunteers. There’s room for you. Take only absolute necessities. As soon as the water recedes, you can come back for your car.”

Amelia wasn’t thrilled about a helicopter ride, but she accepted it as readily as if she flew to work every day. She gathered a few changes of clothing and her toiletries, dumped them in a duffel bag and headed for the airport, where she parked her car and boarded the waiting helicopter.

The mountainous region didn’t have enough flat land for an airport, and Yeager Airport was located on a wide expanse that had been formed by leveling several mountain peaks and filling in the valleys. The noise from the helicopter’s whirling blades discouraged talking with the ten other volunteers on board, so Amelia focused her attention on the scenery. She looked with interest at the tugboat traveling northward on the big river that divided the city of Charleston. The golden dome of the state’s Capitol gleamed in the midday sunlight.

The city was soon lost to view and the terrain became more rugged. Wooded mountain areas were bisected by narrow valleys, and to Amelia, who’d always lived in large cities, the scenery was breathtaking. At the higher altitudes, the trees were leafless, but dogwood and redbud trees decorated the landscape with a mist of white and fuchsia blossoms. Numerous towns had been built along the banks of mountain streams. Frequently, the barrenness of strip mines marred her enjoyment of the scenery.

As they approached the flooded area, Amelia noticed that the mountains had been timbered. Discarded branches, left behind after logging, had blocked many streams. The absence of vegetation had no doubt contributed to a swift runoff of melted snow and heavy rains.

Amelia couldn’t believe the havoc she saw when she looked down upon the flooded area as the helicopter neared the town of Williamson. The major business district was protected by a floodwall, but in the outlying districts, uprooted trees were coated with layers of mud and trash. Roads were washed away. Piles of rubble filled entire hollows where neighborhoods had once stood. Only the tops of automobiles and trucks protruded from the muddy water.

The helicopter landed on the pad at Williamson Memorial Hospital where a van waited to take them to Red Cross headquarters at Mountainview Church. As they rode toward the church in the van, Amelia sat beside a young woman, who was probably still in her teens.

“Hi, I’m Vicky Lanham,” the girl said. “I live in Ohio, near Columbus. Our church keeps a semitrailer outfitted for emergencies like this. Two of our members brought the truck to the area, but I took a plane into Charleston. I’ve never seen anything like the destruction we saw from the ‘copter.”

“I work for the American Red Cross in Philadelphia,” Amelia answered. “I usually stay in the office and handle the paperwork, but I volunteered to come onsite, and here I am.” She paused, wondering if her doubts were apparent to the young woman, but then continued. “I’m not sure what I’ve gotten myself into.”

“It’s gonna be a lot of hard work, but my parents prodded me into coming,” Vicky said. “I think God is calling me to be a missionary, and Dad said that some primitive living and hard work here will be a good introduction to what I can expect on the mission field. Why did you volunteer?”

“I’m not sure,” Amelia admitted. “I just had the overwhelming belief that I should take this assignment.”

“Maybe God was pushing you, just like my parents prodded me.”

Amelia laughed. “You might have a point there. It will be good for us to gain a new understanding of how God’s work is accomplished on the raw side of life.”

The van labored up the steep incline and stopped before a sprawling, two-story stone church building. “If this is our headquarters, life can’t be too bad. By the way, my name is Amelia Stone, and I’m looking forward to working with you.”

The church was built on a mountain above the floodplain, and the Red Cross had opened a service center in the building. After the volunteers had introduced themselves, the director of Red Cross operations in the region—a tall, gangly man in his fifties—assigned Vicky and Amelia to jobs immediately.

“I’m Rick Smith,” he said. “And you’re as welcome here as the flowers in May.” To Vicky, he said, “Your church’s truck has arrived, even though the men had to take a roundabout route to get here. We’ll start handing out the supplies they brought as soon as you get settled.”

“I have my laptop, so I can set up shop wherever you want me to,” Amelia said.

“Good,” Rick said. “Let’s go into the gymnasium. That’s where the men from Ohio are unloading their supplies. Three dozen flood victims stayed here last night. You can start processing their applications for help right away.”

Vicky and Amelia preceded him into the crowded gym, and tears of compassion stung Amelia’s eyes when she saw the bedraggled people staring at them. The elderly, the middle-aged and several children sat quietly in the room, no evidence of hope in their bleak eyes.

God, she prayed silently. These people have lost everything except You. Be very near them today. Use me as Your instrument to bring peace to their hearts.

Amelia sat at the folding table Rick Smith brought and started her computer. While she waited for her programs to appear on the screen, her fingers drummed idly on the table as she glanced around the large room. Two men were carrying buckets, mops, brooms, cartons of bottled water and cartons of cleaning supplies into the gym. Amelia surmised that they were the men from Vicky’s church.

A quick breath of astonishment burst from Amelia’s lips as she took a closer look at one of the men. Even his back looked familiar. He could be a Red Cross representative she’d met before, though she thought the recognition went beyond that.

As she watched, the man turned, and a shock of disbelief shattered her composure. Although his fair, wavy hair was silvering a bit at the temples, and the years had etched deeper lines on his face, there was no mistaking the classic features and clear gray eyes of Chase Ramsey. Imagine meeting him again after fifteen years!

Amelia’s stomach knotted and she shuddered inwardly. She lowered her eyes, hoping Chase wouldn’t recognize her.

God, I’m not ready for this. If Chase is the reason You brought me to West Virginia, I’m ready to go home now.

Amelia had thought she’d put the past behind her, but obviously, she needed more time to erase the grief Chase had caused her. And she was suddenly overcome with a sense of loss when she considered that, in all probability, Chase might be married.

Chase Ramsey straightened from placing a large carton of bottled water on the floor. He waved at Vicky, and his gaze rested on the woman beside her as he turned to bring in another load of supplies. He stopped in his tracks. Instantly aware of his scrutiny, Amelia looked up, and recognition dawned in his eyes. He walked quickly across the room.

“Of all places to meet you!” Chase said as he reached for Amelia’s hand. The surprise in his eyes was replaced by pleasure as he admired Amelia. Still as beautiful as ever, he thought, wondering if he should have been more discreet. Remembering her harsh words at their last encounter, he realized that Amelia might not share his joy in this meeting.