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awalkinavonlea
Ann without an E
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Re: A New Journey ~ Life After the War
"Well, hello Mrs. Dennis. Here to buy some more food for the table?" he asked as he noted the parcels that the shopkeeper was wrapping for her. "I imagine that you'll be putting the cost of them on your husband's tab."
"Thank you, but no, Mr. Perkins," was her curt response. "I'll be paying upfront." She hoped that it would be the end of the conversation. It wasn't.
"You know, Mrs. Dennis, speaking of store tabs, your husband already has quite a sizeable one here," he continued. Bridget acted nonchalant at his words and sent her nephew to pick a few pieces of penny candy. Michael knew that the point of his task was to get him out of earshot from Perkins’ discussion. Although he knew that eavesdropping was wrong, Michael’s ears were burning to hear what the man had to say.
“I guess that it’s a good thing for the company. He’s a fairly decent worker—though I’ve seen better, I must say—and it wouldn’t hurt to keep him around a little longer. The more he’s indebted to the company store, the more he’s indebted to the company.”
Bridget said nothing. Perkins knew how much she hated the thought of her husband being committed to the mine. None of the women wanted their men to be there. He knew that this would work in his interest.
“You know, Mrs. Dennis, that tab could get paid off that much faster if there were more Dennises at work.”
“Why, what a grand idea, Mr. Perkins, for the company to hire women to work the mines!” she answered. Her cherub face looked so innocent, and she was so careful to hide her sarcasm, that he did not know the woman was mocking him or just overall daft. He cleared his throat to get back to his subject.
“Ummph…no, Mrs. Dennis, the mines are not meant for women’s work. I was implying that perhaps the younger men of the family might want to roll up their sleeves and join in the labor. Take for example your boy over there.” He pointed to Michael and Bridget bristled. Not this again, she thought to herself. “He’s the right age. Why, we’ve got workers younger than him earning wages.”
“You know, Mr. Perkins, I must be going. I promised Mrs. Winston that I would help her with a dress for young Mae.” There would be no more discussion of this as far as she was concerned. She knew that she could not be rude to him but she was setting her foot down. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must be going. Good day Mr. Perkins, and please give my best regards to Mrs. Perkins. Come Michael,” she called as she turned her back to leave the store.
“I’m just saying that you should take it into consideration,” Perkins replied quickly as she walked out the door.” He realized that his words were falling on closed ears. “I’m just thinking about the best interest for your husband and family,” he shouted with a bit of desperation tinting his voice. Yet she was already headed out the door with the parcel of groceries carefully balanced against her waist. Michael dropped the penny candy and turned to follow her when Perkins reached out, grabbing his arm.
“Listen, Michael, your aunt is thinking like a woman who can’t bear to see that her children are turning into men. Now don’t you go thinking like a woman does. You’re the oldest, aren’t you? This is your chance to fulfill your responsibility and help your family. What do you say, Mike? Can your family count on you to do the manly thing? You’ll think about that, won’t you?” he hissed into Michael’s ear. The boy just looked at him, dumbstruck. Perkins released his grip on his arm. “That’s a smart fellow. You just let Mr. Perkins know what you decide, now won’t you?” he smiled a crocodile’s grin.
“Yessir,” Michael said quickly, an automatic response because this was, after all, an elder speaking to him.
“Atta boy,” Perkins said coolly. “Now go find your aunt before she begins to miss you.”
“Yessir,” Michael replied once more before moving towards the door, pacing himself. He wanted to show Perkins that he wasn’t afraid but each step was a little faster since he couldn’t wait to get away.
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5/27/2007, 11:08 pm
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awalkinavonlea
Ann without an E
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Location: Seeking House o' Dreams
Posts: 64
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Re: A New Journey ~ Life After the War
Bridget said very little when they came home about their surprise encounter with Perkins. She wanted to ask Michael if he had overheard their conversation but assumed that it would be better to leave it be. She did not know that the supervisor had detained her nephew to persuade him once again to come to work. Had she known, she would have made it clear in no uncertain terms that the Dennis children would have nothing to do with the mines. The news of the lengthy store tab remained her chief concern.
When Braden came home he found Bridget in less than happy spirits. He himself felt exhausted from the long day, too weary to ask what could be the matter. The reality was that, although he put on a relaxed face in front of his family, he felt overwhelmed. No matter how hard or long he worked it seemed that it was never enough. It was not enough to pay off their tab at the company store, let alone enough to save up so that the family could find a new farm. What had he promised Bridget? That it would just be for a year or so? He poured water into the wash basin and splashed water over his face. It would be much longer than that for them to even break even. The children were laughing in the next room. He wanted more for them than a life at the camp. They deserved more, Bridget and the children, than this. Some of the men bragged about their sons following in their footsteps. This was the last thing he wanted for his children. Sure, it was an honest job, an honorable thing to do to put food on the table. Of course one must work hard to earn a living. What he didn’t want for them was the dangerous conditions, the unjust pay, and the disregard for life that the company seemed to have towards its workers. The work animals were looked after better than the men. In disgust he roughly he wiped his face dry with a hand towel. Then he took a deep breath, trying to shake off his bad mood.
“Wow, now, doesn’t that supper smell good, children?” he asked as he sat at the table. “Let me guess now…” he took a loud sniff of air that made Jacob and Allanah break out in giggles. “Ah, corned beef and cabbage. I’m right now, aren’t I, Liam?” He winked at Liam, who clapped his hands at catching his father’s attention.
“Mhmm,” murmured Bridget as she placed the stew pot on the table. Michael noticed her give Braden a “we-have-something-important-to-speak-of” look. Immediately he thought back to what Perkins had said about the family’s balance at the store. His face warmed in worry as he turned his eyes away. Braden recognized the meaning of his wife’s glance but made no mention of it. Instead he turned his attention to the children.
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5/27/2007, 11:09 pm
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awalkinavonlea
Ann without an E
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Registered: 12-2006
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Re: A New Journey ~ Life After the War
“You know, back home in Ireland corned beef and cabbage wasn’t near as popular as it is here.”
“Why not, Da?” Jacob asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. Probably because your aunt hadn’t cooked it yet back home. If she had, there’d be a line down the lane waiting for a bite,” he answered good naturedly in hopes to soothe his wife’s nerves.
Allanah turned to her mother. “You hear that, Mama? Da said that you’re a good cook.”
“I heard,” Bridget replied as she fed small spoonfuls of cabbage to Liam.
“Aren’t you going to say ‘thank you?’” her daughter suggested.
“Thank you.” Bridget said, not looking away from what she was doing. Then she silently reprimanded herself. She took a deep breath and looked at her husband. “Thank you.”
“Do you feel poorly, Mama?” Allanah asked. Her little mouth turned into a worried pout.
“No, my dearest. Mama’s just a little tired, that’s all. Now finish your supper, because soon it will be bedtime.”
“But it’s too early for bed,” Thom protested. Michael gave him a slight kick in the shin. “Ow!” shouted younger boy. He glowered at his cousin, who gave him a look that clearly meant ‘shush.’
“Is there a problem, boys?” Braden asked.
“No sir,” they answered with their heads down. Thom sulked. His cousin had better have a good explanation.
The meal ended quietly and Bridget prepared the smaller children for bed. “What did you kick me for?” Thom whispered to Michael as they finished their lessons for the next day.
“I’ll tell you later,” Michael whispered back, hoping that his cousin would forget because he had no intention of telling him.
His aunt and uncle appeared to be more relaxed after dinner. Braden recited a few limericks to them:
“There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, 'It is just as I feared!
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!'”
The children laughed at his rendition of the old man, with a spool of white yarn wrapped around his chin for a beard. Even Bridget smiled up from her needlework. “Mr. Dennis, please take care not to get the young ones stirred up,” she gently cautioned in a sing-song voice. “They must simmer down for bed.”
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5/27/2007, 11:10 pm
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awalkinavonlea
Ann without an E
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Re: A New Journey ~ Life After the War
“Well, it’s off to the land of Nod for you now,” Braden told the little ones. He walked hand-in-hand with each of the twins to their bed. Their parents kissed them on their little foreheads as they snuggled happily under their blankets. “Dream with the stars,” Braden whispered into their ears. Then the couple checked on Liam who was sound asleep in his crib. The older boys piled their school books and slates for the next day before heading off to their room for the night. Thom, who had initially resented being sent to bed early for no good apparent reason, fell sound asleep practically the moment his head touched the pillow. Soon Peter did the same and finally Michael himself dozed off. He had been asleep for about an hour before waking up again. He thought that he heard people talking in the parlor. Remembering all that had happened earlier, the boy quietly crept out of his room. Again, he knew better than to eavesdrop but he just had to see if everything was alright. What he really hoped was to hear his uncle say that the store tab was just some calculation error…that Perkins was mistaken…everything was alright. He silently closed the bedroom door behind him and strained to hear what was going on.
“Bridge, it’s not as bad as it seems,” Michael heard his uncle say. His voice sounded tired and worn in a worrisome way that his nephew had never noticed before. Michael’s ears pricked to pick up as much as he could.
“The way he made it sound Braden, it’s like they own you, both body and soul, here.”
Had Aunt Bridget been crying?
He could not tell very well from their hushed voices but it sounded like it. He squinted in the dim light from the parlor lantern. Braden was rubbing his wife’s arm with one hand and holding her close to him with the other. He kissed her lightly and Michael looked away, embarrassed.
“A hug and a kiss—not even from you—won’t make this problem go away,” he heard his aunt reply.
“Probably not, but it’s all I’ve got.”
“Listen to you, joking. I didn’t want to be so sharp with you, but I’m just so worried about this.”
“Well don’t be. What do you say we change the subject, Bridge.”
“But…”
“Please, Bridget.”
Bridget gave a defeated sigh. “Fine.”
“What do you think that we should do about McKenzie’s letter? I think that it’s a grand opportunity for Michael. The boy deserves a holiday.”
Michael had been prepared to slip back into bed but stopped when he heard Mac’s name mentioned. What letter? What opportunity? He leaned forward just an inch but the floorboard creaked beneath him, giving him away.
“Looks like we’ve got an audience. Who’s there?” Braden called out. Michael meekly stepped forward with his eyes down in guilt. “It’s just me Uncle.”
“You know better than to listen in on other people’s conversation,” his uncle scolded. “I know. I’m sorry Uncle Braden. I’m sorry Aunt Bridget,” he apologized
“Just how long have you been there?”
“I heard some voices when I was in there,” he pointed to his room, “and I thought that maybe I should check it out.”
Bridget put a hand under his chin, lifting his face so that his gaze met hers. “Does this have something to do with what you heard at the store today?” He nodded, hoping that she would not ask anymore because he really didn’t want to tell her what Perkins had told him. Braden patted Michael’s shoulder. “It’s not your concern to be carrying Mike. Just how much did you hear your aunt and me say, anyway?” Michael just shrugged. Why embarrass everyone by letting them know that he saw them kissing?
“So I figure that you heard us mention a letter from your old friend McKenzie?” Michael looked up at his aunt’s smiling face. “I don’t know, Bridget, if we should even tell him about it.” Braden sounded serious but was just teasing. “Serves the boy right for snooping.”
“But I wasn’t snooping!” Michael protested. “At least, not on purpose.” He looked to Bridget for help. She shook her head and sighed. “Your uncle is right. You shouldn’t be eavesdropping but we understand. Still, I wonder if we should wait to talk about it in the morning. I don’t want you so excited that you can’t sleep.”
“Please Aunt Bridget,” he begged, “I wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway wondering about it.”
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5/27/2007, 11:11 pm
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awalkinavonlea
Ann without an E
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Re: A New Journey ~ Life After the War
She looked at Braden. “What do you think?”
“Aw, let’s tell him now. Better for him if the reason that he can’t sleep is that he’s happy rather than in suspense. I’ll let you do the honors.” He handed her the envelope. “This came in to the post office today from Mr. McKenzie,” she explained as she pulled out the letter, “addressed to us but concerning you. Here, why don’t you read it?” Michael took the letter, dying to see what it said. He read quietly to himself, speeding through to the last page.
‘So, if you and your wife approve, Mr. Dennis, a round-trip train ticket will be arranged for Michael to visit New York for two weeks as a birthday present. He can stay in the guest room at McKenzie Manor and I will hire a governess to care for him while I am at work. A tutor can even be arranged to ensure that he does not fall behind on his lessons. Please let me know at your convenience if you both approve and if Michael would like to go.
Sincerely,
Derrick McKenzie’
Michael wanted to leap in the air. New York! “Can I go?” he asked, holding his breath for their answer. Braden smiled, shrugged, and motioned for him to ask Bridget. She nodded and Michael whirled around in a circle. He wanted to shout out in joy but remembered his little cousins sleeping nearby.
“Thank you! Thank you!” he hugged the pair. Then he thought of something. “What will Peter and the others say? Won’t they feel bad that they can’t come?” His spirit quieted down. He’d have to turn down Mac’s invitation to be fair to his cousins.
“Now you let your uncle and I take care of that,” Bridget said. “They’ll have their chance for fun. This is your opportunity if you want to take it.”
“Because if you don’t take it,” Braden added, “I just might.”
“Ho no, I’m going.” Michael answered with clear resolve. “Wow, New York. And I promise that I’ll write to you all everyday, Aunt Bridget, and let you know all about it.”
“I’m sure you will,” laughed his aunt. She was glad to see him so happy. “Don’t say a word of this to your cousins until I say so. Now scoot, it’s much too far past your bedtime. Don’t make us regret not waiting until the morning to share this with you.”
“Now I’ll dream all about New York tonight!” he said as he scampered back to bed, forgetting to hug his relatives ‘goodnight.’ They didn’t mind, though. They just watched him happily as he quietly shut the bedroom door behind him.
“Are we doing the right thing, in letting him travel so far Braden?” Bridget asked with concern. “Tell me that we’re doing the right thing.”
“He’s traveled ten times farther than that and fared well. He’ll be fine. Alec would have let him go, so I figured why shouldn’t I? He’ll have the time of his life. Besides, it’s just for two weeks.”
“I hope the other children don’t mind him getting a holiday. I’ll have to think about how to tell them.”
“You’ll find a way, don’t worry. One day our ship will come in and we’ll make it up to them, you’ll see.” He was going to say something else but a yawn overtook him. “Well, I’m beat. Let’s call it a day.” Bridget blew out the lantern as her husband settled into bed. She snuggled next to him as he began to snore in his sleep. Everything would fall into place; she was sure of it.
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5/27/2007, 11:12 pm
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awalkinavonlea
Ann without an E
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Re: A New Journey ~ Life After the War
*
Michael awoke the next morning with a bright smile. He was going to New York! Quickly he dressed for school and joined his cousins at the breakfast table. Peter, who was himself in a nervous mood, noticed his good humor.
“What are you so happy about?” he asked between bites of corn grits. Michael wanted to tell him but he remembered Bridget’s instructions. “Nothing. Say, what are so looking so worried about?”
“Lucy Talbot wants him to sit with her at recess,” Thom explained matter-of-factly.
Peter’s face flushed with embarrassment. “That’s enough Thomas Quinn! You don’t know what you’re talking about! I’m not sitting with her and that’s that!” His brother gave him a look of doubt. “Sure you’re going to sit with her. You’ve had a fancy for her all term.”
Michael had to hold back his laughter. Now Peter was past embarrassment. “Shut your mouth, both of you!”
“Boys!” scolded Bridget from the other room. “Stop fooling around and get ready for school.”
“Peter and Lucy sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g,” Thom sang as he waltzed off of his chair to the kitchen sink with his empty breakfast bowl. The twins laughed and Allanah gave a little sneeze.
“Enough Thom!” Peter clenched his teeth as he grew more and more annoyed. This only seemed to encourage the boy as he continued to sing.
“First comes love…”
“I’m warning you!”
“Then comes marriage…”
Thom didn’t get the chance to finish his song. “That’s it!” Peter yelled as he dashed after his brother. “Ma! Ma!” Thom yelped as he dodged his brother, who appeared to be set on beating the pulp out of his little brother. Bridget emerged from her room and grabbed Peter by the back of his shirt right before he was ready to punch Thom.
“What’s this now?” she asked bewilderedly. “He started it!” Peter said as he pointed to his brother. Thom gave the best innocent puppy-eyed expression that he could muster. “What did I do?” He was almost too adorable for Bridget to be upset with. “All I said was the truth.”
“And what’s that?” Bridget asked. “He’s going to sit with Lucy Talbot at recess,” Thom explained innocuously. At this a very surprised Bridget turned to her oldest son. “What’s this I hear?”
Peter quickly shook his head. “He’s batty Ma. I’m not sitting with any girl, especially not Lucy Talbot.”
“They’ve been liking each other all term, Mama,” Thom mentioned. “Sometimes I see them making googly eyes at one another.”
For a second time Peter wanted to clobber Thom. “That’s not true, Ma! We have not! I wouldn’t make any googly eyes to any dumb girl ever!”
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5/27/2007, 11:12 pm
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awalkinavonlea
Ann without an E
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Registered: 12-2006
Location: Seeking House o' Dreams
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Re: A New Journey ~ Life After the War
Bridget just stared at him with a perplexed look. Her child was making googly eyes? “How old are you again?” Could her firstborn, who was still her baby, already have a sweetheart?
“Ma…”
“It’s written on the ‘Take Notice’ span on the outside privy wall,” Thom said to prove his case.
“Well, is it my fault if somebody else writes it up there?” an indignant Peter argued. He looked at his mother, who still had that perplexed look on her face.
Still, he would not win no matter how much he tried. “Lucy put it up there.” Thom rebutted. “So?” Peter challenged back.
“She wrote it up there with your slate chalk.”
The twins broke out in laughter once again, not understanding exactly what the others were making such a fuss about but finding the looks on their faces hilarious. Michael had to fight back his own laughter because it appeared that Peter was outnumbered and outdone. Yet he was saved by the bell, which was ringing to call the children to class. Bridget saw each of the three boys off. “Hurry home after school, Michael,” she said as calmly as possible. “I have a letter for you to take to the post office.” He knew that she meant the letter to Mac about his trip.
Then she turned to Thom. “And you, little man, don’t tease your brother. One day the shoe will be on the other foot and then you’ll learn what it means when they say ‘he who laughs last laughs best.” Thom just looked at her funny. What was that supposed to mean? “Eh?” he asked her. Bridget laughed and gave his little face a quick peck. “Never mind, just get on to school.” Peter was walking past her with his head down, mortified, feeling that he could never walk with dignity again. “Bye Ma,” he murmured as he hoped to leave without any more said of the issue. “Not so fast,” she told him as she started to fix his shirt collar. “First of all, we girls aren’t dumb. Second of all, one day you’ll be more than happy to make sheep--or what you children call ‘googly’-- eyes to a special young lady.”
“Yeck!” gagged Peter, trying to feign disgust. His mother saw right through his act. “Mmhmm…never mind that,” she said with a smirk. “You just make sure that that day doesn’t come too soon. I don’t need you growing up any faster than you have to. You’re still my little baby boy for a few more years yet.”
“Boy, will Lucy be disappointed,” Thom teased from where he stood at the porch steps.
“That’s it! You’re a goner!” Peter hollered as he dashed after his brother. Thom yelped and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Bridget shook her head as she watched the three running to the schoolyard. She remembered when her brothers used to tease her and Braden much the same way when they were small schoolchildren. After all of their stubborn denials, who would have guessed that the two little playmates would one day grow up to be very much in love and married with a brood of their own? She turned from the door and smiled down at the twins still sitting at the table. "Life has a way of taking curious little turns, doesn't it Allannah?" The little girl sneezed in reply.
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5/27/2007, 11:13 pm
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awalkinavonlea
Ann without an E
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Re: A New Journey ~ Life After the War
The day stretched out unnaturally long in Michael’s opinion. He could barely pay attention to what the teacher said as he explained arithmetic problems up on the blackboard. Even recess could not pass fast enough. Peter begged him to sit between him and Lucy Talbot so that the other children wouldn’t talk. For a boy who did not want any attention from Lucy, though, Peter acted rather oddly. Whenever it seemed that Lucy was talking far too much to Michael or him to her, Michael would get a quick jab in the ribs from Peter’s elbow. It would not be too long before Peter would have to find another chaperone.
Finally the daily lessons were done and Mr. Orwell announced the class dismissed. Michael challenged his cousins to a race home. That way he could run home without the boys suspecting anything. Michael leapt up the porch steps, ready to deliver Aunt Bridget’s letter in a cloud of dust. When he opened the door, though, he found the room dimly lit with the curtains drawn. Jacob was tucked soundly into his bed while Allannah pushed away at her blanked. “I’m too warm, Mama,” she complained even though she was shivering. “It’s too hot, too hot.” Bridget was by her side trying to comfort her. She looked up and saw Michael. “Michael. Good you boys are back. Quick, run to the store and tell the shopkeeper that we need a bottle of Elderberry extract.”
“There’s some Elderberry growing out in the field. Do you want the leaves or the roots? I can bring you a bushel of them if you’d like,” he offered.
“No,” she said hastily, “No, the roots and leaves are poisonous. It has to be apothecary grade, made by a doctor so that there’s no mistake or else it could be deadly.” After feeling her daughter’s forehead for fever, she changed her mind.
“Never mind the store. Go fetch the doctor.”
“What’s wrong?” Michael asked as he backed up towards the door. The desperate urgency of her voice frightened him. Jacob awoke with a coughing fit while Allannah began crying.
“Please Michael, don’t ask questions. Just hurry and go!”
He sped away like a bullet down the dusty street. “Ma, what should we do?” Peter asked with Thom standing quietly by. With six children in the family there was often someone sick with a cold or tummy ache. Their mother never seemed as unnerved as she did now.
“Don’t come too close. Peter, go take Aonsu down the road and see if you can’t meet up with your father. You get him home as fast as you can. Thom, go check on Liam in your room but don’t bring him out. ” The boys did as they were told. Michael returned but without the doctor.
“Where’s Doctor Mullins?” she asked with dismay.
“There’s a sign on his door. He’s at a conference and won’t be back until tomorrow at the earliest.” Bridget’s knees nearly gave out from under her. “Go to the store then and get the Elderberry extract.” Without any further delay Michael left again. Bridget sat in a chair between her children’s beds, trying to console them as they complained of sore throats and headaches. Of all times for the doctor to be away!
Michael came back from the store in record time with the bottle of extract. Bridget carefully read the directions on the bottle and brewed a kettle of tea with it. After letting it cool a bit she attempted to give it to the twins. Jacob managed to drink half a cup but poor Allannah could not keep a sip of it down. Bridget thought that perhaps the little girl could better manage spoonfuls of the tea yet that did not work either. Then she heard Braden’s footsteps as he came up the porch steps. He took one look at his children sick in bed and looked at his wife’s blanched face.
“Man alive, Bridge,” he began, “what’s this?”
“Oh Braden, I think that it might be the influenza. Go fetch Nell. I need to know if she could care for Liam.”
Mrs. Spiers, a middle aged widow and the preacher’s mother, had been paying the Winstons a visit when Braden asked for Nell to respond to the alarm. She followed right behind the pair. “What’s the trouble?” Nell asked as she entered the room. Bridget looked at her friend with tears of concern in her eyes. “Nell, I think that the twins have the influenza. Is there anyway that you could please watch the baby for me?”
Nell wanted to help her friends; however she was worried about the risk to her children. Mrs. Spiers immediately recognized the dilemma and stepped in before Nell could answer. “If you’d like, Bridget dear, I can watch little Liam for you. There’d be enough space for the boys to stay too.” This sounded like the best thing to do to protect the other children from getting sick.
“Braden and I would be grateful beyond words Mrs. Spiers,” thanked Bridget. “Peter, go get your brothers please.” Peter obeyed, grabbing their few items with them in preparation for the stay. “Michael, you need to get your things too,” advised Bridget.
How could the boys leave with Mrs. Spiers, not knowing what was happening with their kin? They knew what influenza was and how dangerous it could be. Last winter there had been an outbreak in the neighboring county that left fifteen people dead. Would Jacob and Allannah die too? As he looked at their feverish faces, Michael suddenly realized how small the children really were. How peculiar it was that he had never noticed it before. Perhaps it was because their spirits were so lit of life with the energy and joy that little ones possess with bright eyes of hope and wonder. Now that light had been dimmed and it was frightful to think that it could be lost.
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5/27/2007, 11:13 pm
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awalkinavonlea
Ann without an E
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Re: A New Journey ~ Life After the War
Michael once read a philosopher's musings that there are different types of partings in life. Some are casual see-you-soons because the time away should be brief. Others are more difficult fare-thee-wells as the distance between the friends is longer. Then there is the hardest goodbye of all, when one is called away where the other cannot follow onto a different type of journey from this life and another. Peter and Michael looked at each other as they stood near the door. Which case would this be? They felt that they should do something, but what? Peter searched his father's face for some type of form of answer. "Just go, boys," Braden told them somberly. "One of us will come by to check on you." Michael knew that this meant that someone would let them know if there was any change.
Liam became fussy when he realized that he was leaving his mother. He pushed away from Mrs. Spiers' arms to reach out towards Bridget. It took all that she could to fight her motherly instinct to hold him. In one ear rang the frightened hollering of her toddler while in the other rang the pained cries of her ill children. Bridget could feel the older children watching her for reassurance that she could not offer. She felt so helpless in it all that she could not bring herself to look at any of them.
"Come on boys," Nell gently guided them out the door with Mrs. Spiers. "Its time to go." Michael took one final look behind him as his neighbor softly closed the door. Braden stood by Bridget as she sat between the children with their tiny hands in hers.
The boys walked silently to Mrs. Spiers' home. Liam had cried himself to sleep and his blond little head now rested softly on her shoulder. Her house was right outside of the coal camp. It had three bedrooms upstairs and one bedroom downstairs. Her late husband, who had been successful in the timber business, had built the house large enough to accomodate them and their five children. Michael had never met any of the Spiers other than Pastor Spiers and his mother. A family portrait hung in the parlor room, a well-kept painting of seven smiling faces. Michael figured that he probably would have liked the other Spiers had he known them.
Mrs. Spiers always kept her house ready for company. It was a place that welcomed nieces and nephews and grandchildren every summer. Thom was grateful that the home felt so lived-in. He studied their hostess as she prepared their room for them, imagining what kind of mother she must have been. Little wrinkles peeked from around her eyes and mouth, giving the impression that laughter was never far from her. Streaks of silver shimmered in her dark black hair as it was common in other townswomen about her age. The most remarkable thing about her, though, was that she had one blue eye and one green eye. It was just the most amazing thing to behold. Thom just could not stop noticing this.
They sat down for a dinner of mashed potatoes and ham. It was good food but the boys could barely bring themselves to eat. Each spoonful was like a handful of sawdust to them as they somberly finished their meal. Mrs. Spiers helped them with their lessons until the parlor clock struck bedtime. She sat with them as they said their prayers before going to sleep. As she dimmed the bedroom lamp she heard Thom ask in a meek little voice, “Mrs. Spiers, God will hear our prayers for Jacob and Allannah, won’t he?” He wasn’t sure but the preacher’s mother would have to know, wouldn’t she?
The kind lady could not help but smile at that sweet, freckled face. “I’m sure that he was listening loud and clear, my boy. The Lord loves everyone, and it’s the children who he holds especially close to His heart. You know, there’s a place in the Good Book when children wanted to see Jesus but the grownups tried to keep them away. Then Jesus told the grownups to stop and to let the children come to Him. So as far as I’m concerned,” she whispered to him, “you’ve gotten a royal invitation to talk with the Almighty whenever you need to.” Softly she closed the door behind her as she left the room. Her words brought some comfort to the boys, even though they would still have trouble sleeping that night.
That next morning Mrs. Spiers was surprised to see the boys return back to the house after having just left for school. “School is out,” Peter explained, “Mr. Orwell put up a sign that classes have been cancelled indefinitely on account. Is it alright if we visit our house this morning since we don’t have lessons today?”
“Not yet, Peter. Remember that your father said that they’ll come to check on you. Now I know that classes are cancelled but I need you boys to please do your lessons upstairs while I’m ring a quick telephone call to Mr. Orwell.” The three were obviously not happy with the fact that their hope to see their parents and siblings had been squashed. Quietly in an air of disappointment they went to their room with their composition books in hand.
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5/27/2007, 11:14 pm
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awalkinavonlea
Ann without an E
Global user
Registered: 12-2006
Location: Seeking House o' Dreams
Posts: 64
Kindredness: 1 (+1/-0)
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Re: A New Journey ~ Life After the War
They had just closed the bedroom door when Peter grabbed an empty glass vase from a nearby night stand. “What are you doing?” hissed Thom in a tight whisper. “Shush!” Peter whispered back as he placed the glass over a small hole in the floorboard. He pressed his ear to the glass. “I’m trying to hear what she’s saying with Mr. Orwell.” However, his plan did not work as well as he had expected. Finally he pushed away the vase to listen directly through the floorboard.
Thom hovered impatiently near his brother. “Well?” Peter just shushed him again. Honestly he couldn’t hear a thing. Suddenly he gasped. “What is it?” Michael asked. “She’s coming! Act like you’ve been studying!” Peter ran to put the vase back in place while Michael made it look like he was helping Thom with his multiplication tables.
Mrs. Spiers believed that children should know the truth, even if the truth had to be presented to them in an easier to understand way. She knocked on the bedroom door. “Boys, I spoke with Mr. Orwell.” Michael threw open the door. “What did he say?”
“Your father went and traveled six hours last night to fetch Dr. Mullins back from the conference,” she began to explain. “They should be back by this afternoon. A few of the children showed up at the schoolhouse with watery eyes and scratchy throats, so Mr. Orwell felt it best to send them home and keep the school closed for awhile.”
“Is it really influenza, Mrs. Spiers?” Michael asked gravely.
She shook her head. “We won’t know until the doctor arrives. Until then, let’s take one moment at a time and say our prayers.”
“I’m too worried to pray,” murmured Peter.
“God can read hearts Peter,” she wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulder. “He understands how you feel right now.” The four sat quietly in the room, each one silently praying for the safety of the twins and the other children. “Will we get sick too?” Thom asked as he looked up at her with big green eyes. “Not on my care you won’t,” she replied determinedly. She honestly hoped that they would remain healthy. Dr. Mullins was a good doctor, but his supplies was so very limited that she worried about whether or not he was prepared to fight an outbreak of influenza.
The afternoon passed without any word about Jacob or Allannah. “Maybe no news is good news,” Thom suggested. Although the older boys did not agree they went along with the possibility for his sake. A knock at the door would have brought an odd mix of hope and dread. Mrs. Spiers attempted to get distract them by assigning them chores around the house. She surprised each of them with a half dollar each for their work. Even with the chores, though, the day passed frustratingly slow until night fell.
After his cousins had already fallen asleep, Michael crept down the stairs as quiet as a mouse. Mrs. Spiers sat immersed in a book at the armchair in the parlor with a plate of milk and cookies. She looked up from her reading when she heard him walk into the parlor. Her forehead wrinkled in concern. “Do you feel alright Michael?” she asked, prepared to fetch the thermometer. “Are you feeling poorly?”
He shook his head. “It’s alright Mrs. Spiers, I don’t feel sick. I wanted to ask you if I could talk with you for awhile.”
“That would be fine. Is there something in particular that you’d wish to discuss?” It was obvious that there was. For a split second he hesitated. Was this really a good idea? Well, there was only one way to find out. “Mrs. Spiers, I need you to promise me something.” He cleared his throat, hoping to sound as grown up as possible. “Please promise me that you won’t hide anything about Jacob or Allannah from the rest of us.” A sorrowful expression crossed her face and he hurried to finish .
“I need to know that you’ll let us know what is going on. Please, its a thousand time worse not knowing, I think. No one has come by to keep us posted as Uncle Braden had said. Do you know if they are doing better or if…if…?” He could not bring himself to ask ‘if they’ve gone.’ In desperation he recklessly risked being impudent. “We know that things are bad so you might as well tell us.”
Sympathetic eyes met his as she answered in a warm, quiet voice. “Michael, there is only so much that I can promise; only so much that is under my control. I have to respect your aunt and uncle’s wishes.”
Michael jumped in his chair. “So you do know something?” Mrs. Spiers closed her eyes, annoyed at her bad choice of words. She had not yet heard any word from the Dennises but she believed that they would have sent word by now if they thought it best. “No, Michael, I know only as much as you know.”
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5/27/2007, 11:14 pm
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