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Show in my father's house/ 206 Chapter Seven Because my father was not farmer or tailor or landlord, he encouraged us to plan carefully so that in his absence we would be provided with the necessities of life. We prepared for famine by keeping an extra sack of flour and rows of bottle peaches in the cellar. We adjusted to poverty by accepting boxes of secondhand clothing from people who had more than us. When we had no money for rent, everyone fasted and prayed, and somehow the funds materialized. The one service my father could freely perform - that of doctoring us - usually wasn't available when necessary- Accidents and illnesses always seemed to strike when he was away. We never considered going to the hospital or calling another doctor without money for medical bills, and insurance had never been part of our lifestyle. So paradoxically, my father's valued skills - those healing powers that helped so many others -- |
