The Edge of Hope: Wrak-Ayya: The Age of Shadows Book Eleven

by Roberts, Leigh

  “Quickly, please, Grace, you come with me; let’s prepare a room for them. Is Miss Vivian well enough to go upstairs?”

  “I believe so,” Oh’Dar answered.

  “To be safe, we’ll give her what has always been your room, Grayson,” Mrs. Webb suggested. “Her husband can have Grace’s room. Grace can bunk in with her father and me without a problem. Ned can sleep in the loft in the barn, where he sleeps most of the time anyway. Seems he’d rather be with animals than people any day.”

  Oh’Dar suppressed the urge to ask what was going on, knowing that the most important thing was to get his grandmother inside and that all the rest could be discussed later. Before long, introductions dispensed with, Mrs. Webb and Grace had Miss Vivian into a nice warm bed. She sighed with pleasure as she sank into the thick, soft mattress. Grace had gathered their warmest featherbeds and had her well tucked in before much time had passed.

  Oh’Dar and Ben finally relaxed when, within moments, Miss Vivian was sound asleep. They sat around the kitchen table that was so familiar to Oh’Dar, and Mrs. Webb put dinner on the stove before joining them.

  “A lot has happened since last you were here, Grayson,” she said. “My husband took a fall a while ago and injured his back. It didn’t heal properly, and he’s often in a lot of pain. He’s in town with Ned, seeing Dr. Miller and picking up some supplies. And as you can see, we haven’t been able to keep the place up. Ned and Grace and I all do our best to get by.”

  Oh’Dar frowned as he listened to her woes, his heart heavy.

  “You let us take care of your stables while we’re here, ma’am,” said Ben. “It’s no trouble for us to do it, and I can see you need a rest. You look like you’re at your wits' end, pardon my saying.”

  Mrs. Webb turned to hide her expression.

  Oh’Dar reached across the table to get her attention. “Look at me, Mrs. Webb, please look at me,” he said. “You aren’t alone anymore. We’ll help you. We will figure out how to help you,” he said gently.

  She broke down and sobbed, and Grace ran around the table to hug her mother. Little Buster sat quietly in the corner, watching, wagging his tail furiously each time anyone looked in his direction.

  “Don’t cry, Mama. You said help would come, and it did. Grayson and Mr. Jenkins will help us! It will get better, you’ll see.”

  About that time, Mrs. Webb’s husband and their son Ned came home.

  “I didn’t recognize the wagon out front nor the horses in the barn,” Mr. Webb said as he pulled up a chair. “But by their quality, I should have known. I’m pleased to see you both.” Oh’Dar averted his graze as the man lumbered into his seat, very obviously hobbled by his injury. Ned stood protectively behind his father.

  “I guess my wife has told you about my accident,” he said. “God bless her; she’s doing the best she can around here. A bad stroke of luck, to be sure. But enough of me. Something smells good,” he added, changing the subject.

  Before long, Mrs. Webb served up a meager stew, supplemented with lots of bread and biscuits. There was no honey and very little butter, and later, as Mrs. Webb and Grace cleaned up and put things away, it was painfully apparent how barren the cupboards were.

  After checking in on Miss Vivian, who was still sleeping soundly, Oh’Dar and Ben changed clothes and went off to finish mucking out the Webbs’ barn. Oh’Dar insisted it was the least they could do to help pay for their keep.

  As they worked, they talked quietly. “Things have really gone downhill here, Ben,” said Oh’Dar. “This place was always pristine. I’m not glad for the accident that brought us here, but I am glad that I know they’re in trouble. There must be something we can do to help the Webbs even though we can’t stay here and take care of the manual labor. If they don’t finish getting the crops in, they will starve for sure, and with barely enough for themselves, they won’t have any extra with which to trade.”

  Suddenly, Oh’Dar’s attention was caught by Grace standing in the doorway. “I came to tell you that your grandmother woke up and we gave her some food. She’s resting again.” Grace seized a pitchfork and joined them, but Oh’Dar leaned his against the wall and took it out of her hands.

  “Hey!” she said, “I may be a girl, but I can help!”

  “It has nothing to do with being a girl. This is backbreaking work, and you don’t yet have the height or the strength for it. The last thing your mother needs is for you to get hurt.”

  “I have to find a way to help Mama some more,” she hung her head. “I overheard them talking. The bank is going to take the house if we can’t catch up on the mortgage.”

  “Mortgage?” asked Oh’Dar. “I didn’t think your place was mortgaged?”

  “Papa had to do it after he got hurt. The money lasted for a while, but now it’s almost gone, and we can’t pay the bank. I don’t know what’s going to happen to us.”

  Oh’Dar put down the pitchfork. “It’s going to be alright, Grace. Ben and I will try to make sure you don’t lose your home, I promise.”

  Then he rose back up and turned to Ben. “I’ll be taking a trip into town tomorrow; if you want to come with me, you’re welcome.”

  “Good for you, son. I might be more helpful around here, though. These horses look like they need a good grooming, and I noticed the gate was hanging on one hinge.”

  Oh’Dar returned to working on the stalls while Grace practically ran back into the house to tell her mother the good news.

  “I probably should have said something to Mr. Webb before saying that to Grace,” Oh’Dar admitted.

  “Hard for a man to take another man’s charity,” said Ben.

  “They helped me first—when I needed it the most. I should go and talk to him if you don’t mind.” Ben nodded, and Oh’Dar went into the house to find Mr. Webb.

  When he walked in, Grace was sitting down at the table with both her parents.

  “I see Grace has told you that I want to help. I apologize, Mr. Webb. I should have talked to you first before running my mouth off like that.

  “I appreciate the offer Grayson,” said Mr. Webb. “But it’s my problem to solve.”

  “Before you go any further, remember that you and your family extended yourselves to me first. You took me in at a time when I desperately needed a helping hand. I was a stranger in a foreign world with no friends and no idea what to do. If it weren’t for your help, I’d never have found my grandmother. There’s really nothing I can do that will repay you the kindnesses you showed me, so please at least let me do something. That’s what family does.”

  Mr. Webb looked at Oh’Dar silently. Then he looked over at his wife.

  “Just until you get on your feet again,” Oh’Dar added.

  Finally, Mr. Webb struggled to his feet and put out his hand, “I can’t let the cost of my pride be my family’s starvation, or my wife and children workin’ themselves to death.”

  The two men shook on it.

  “That’s settled then. I’ll be going into town with our wagon. Is there anything you need me to pick up?” Oh’Dar asked.

  When no one answered, he added, “If you don’t make a list, I’ll just buy what I feel like.”

  Even the Webbs couldn't help but smile.

  Grace looked at her mother, “May I go with Grayson? Please?”

  “Alright, if he’s taking the wagon, but then Ned must also go,” said Mrs. Webb, to which Grace’s face lit up.

  Oh’Dar nodded, and Grace jumped up from her chair. He smiled, and together they went out to the barn to find Ned.

  On the ride in, Oh’Dar asked Ned and Grace, “Does your mother let you go into the general store?

  “Yes,” Grace answered.

  Oh’Dar reached into his pocket and handed them each some coins.

  “Here. Go in and buy whatever you need. I saw your cupboards, and I want you to get everything you can think of. Now isn’t the time to be frugal. And get some of those sugar sticks, if you would, for my grandmother. And also whateve
r treats your mother and father like. When we get there, I’m going to pull up and let you out, then I’ll swing back around and pick you up again. If you need help when I return, ask the store owner to help you bring out whatever you’ve bought.”

  Grace tucked her coins into a little pocket on the front of her dress. Ned tucked his into his pants pocket.

  Before long, Oh’Dar pulled up in front of the general store, and Ned and Grace dismounted and hurried inside. Then he snapped the reins and went on to make his other rounds, the wagon wheels leaving little trails in the dusty road that ran through the center of town.

  The next morning, Oh’Dar went in to check on his grandmother. She turned her head and opened her eyes.

  He smoothed her beautiful auburn hair away from her forehead. “You’re burning up,” he said. “When did this start?”

  “I don’t know. I just woke up cold. Can’t seem to get warm enough.”

  Oh’Dar pulled the covers up and tucked them tightly under her. “I’ll be back in a little while,” he said.

  He went back into the kitchen. “My grandmother has a fever. I’m going into town now, to fetch Dr. Brooks.”

  Oh’Dar, Ben, and the Webb family waited nervously for Dr. Brooks to come out of Miss Vivian’s room. When he did, the solemn look on the doctor’s face made Oh’Dar’s heart sink.

  “It isn’t good, Mr. Jenkins. Your wife has quite a fever. It’s a good thing you got her here when you did. She’s where she needs to be, in bed with lots of care.” He turned to Mrs. Webb. “Above all, keep her warm. If she tries to throw the covers off, don’t let her. If the fever doesn’t break, we could lose her.”

  Trying to maintain control, Oh’Dar tightened his jaw and clenched his fists while Ben nodded and thanked the doctor.

  “I’ll come back in the morning to check on her again,” Dr. Brooks added.

  “We’ll do everything we can to take care of her, I promise,” said Mrs. Webb, seeing Oh’Dar’s tension.

  “I know you will,” Oh’Dar replied.

  She then opened the wooden cupboard doors for Oh’Dar to see inside. “I can’t thank you enough. I don’t remember them ever being this full.”

  He nodded. “If you can think of anything else you need, I can pick it up tomorrow when I go into town again. I’ll probably go early as I’ve some other business to take care of and want to be back in time to see Dr. Brooks.”

  That night, Oh’Dar lay in an upstairs room with little Buster curled up behind his knees as usual. He tried to hold back his fears about his grandmother. To keep his mind occupied, he made a mental list of all the things he wanted to take care of. Since the doctor had said it might be weeks before his grandmother recovered, he knew he had more than enough time to put in place everything to make sure the Webbs had all the help they could possibly need.

  The next morning found Oh’Dar, Ben, and Ned up early working in the barn. Between the three of them, they made some headway in getting things back in order. The Shadow Ridge horses seemed to enjoy being back in the familiar surroundings of a stall. While they were working, Ned explained that his father had fallen off a barn roof while helping some neighbors with their barn raising. It had taken him a long time to recover, during which they’d had no choice but to mortgage the property. Dr. Brooks said it was a miracle it didn’t kill him.

  Oh’Dar watched the young man work with the horses. “I hear you want to learn to doctor animals?”

  “Yes. More than anything,” Ned answered, continuing to work while he was talking. “Mr. Clement in town said he’d train me. But I can’t start yet because of everything going on here. I have to be here to help Ma.”

  “When Mr. Clement retires, if I’m ready, he said I could take over his practice. I ‘spect he probably has another ten or so years to work,” Ned continued.

  “Ned, do you know of any families around here who have sons who could use some work and have the time to do it?” Ben asked.

  “What kind of work, sir?”

  “Like we’re doing here. The usual chores that go with keeping a homestead running.”

  “The Baxters at the next farm, they have seven sons. They might have the extra hands to help out. Should I tell you how to get there?” he asked.

  “That would be very helpful, son,” said Ben as he winked at Oh’Dar, who nodded back and mouthed thank you.

  After they were done and cleaned up, Oh’Dar went to check on his grandmother. When he came in, she was awake and sitting up, having just eaten what Grace had brought her.

  “Your wife must be worried that you’ve been gone so long,” she said.

  “How are you feeling?” Oh’Dar asked, pulling up a chair next to her bedside. He reached for her plate, and without thinking, set it on the floor. Buster came running over and made quick work of the egg and biscuit crumbs still on it.

  “I’m tired, Grayson. It even tires me out to talk.”

  * * *

  Oh’Dar took her hand in his. “You’ll get better, and we’ll be on our way before you know it. Just shut your eyes, and if you want, I’ll tell you more about where we’re going,” he offered.

  Miss Vivian nodded, so Oh’Dar told her more about his assignment to teach the children to speak and write English. He told her about the different ages and how many males and females they’d be working with. He explained how he used slate and chalk and taught them in the same way Miss Blain had taught him. He added that it would go better now he had the materials she’d used.

  Oh’Dar thought she’d drifted off to sleep and got up to leave, but Miss Vivian opened her eyes and asked, “Do you not have paper? Ink and quills?”

  Oh’Dar sat back down. “No. We don’t have anything like that.”

  “They’d make it a lot easier,” she said.

  Oh’Dar was quiet for a moment. “I’m supposed to write down a history of the past. It was the other task my former Leader asked me to do. Having a written record that our people can access will preserve our history accurately from generation to generation. Having paper would make it a lot easier,” he said.

  “Do they have goats?” she asked, weakly lifting her head just a bit.

  Oh’Dar chuckled. I know where that’s coming from. She’s been enjoying the butter and cheese after being without it for so long. I hate to disappoint her, but—

  “No, and there’s certainly enough brush and land for them to graze on, but the Brothers don’t keep goats so I’m afraid it might draw undue attention.” He looked at her with concern. “I can see you’re tired; why don’t you rest, and I’ll check in on you later.”

  “Hmmm,” Miss Vivian answered and rolled over onto her side. Oh’Dar tucked her in before quietly picking up the plate and leaving, Buster following alongside.

  Oh’Dar washed the plate and put it up, all the while reflecting on what his grandmother had said. Paper and quills. And ink, of course. No reason why we couldn’t use that. It is a little expensive, but what other use do I have for all this money. And goats. I’d have to make a trip back for them and would probably have to order the paper, ink, and quills anyway. I don’t think I want to add to this trip the trouble of transporting goats.

  Mrs. Webb came in just as he was finishing. “Grandmother is asleep again,” he told her. “In the meantime, do you know anyone who has goats they might sell?”

  “Goats? Well, probably. What do you need goats for?”

  “Oh, just an idea Grandmother had, that’s all,” he answered. Mrs. Webb shrugged and started to set out what she needed to bake bread for the day. Oh’Dar didn’t ask what had happened to the cow and goats they used to have, assuming they’d perhaps had to sell them, but their absence explained why they no longer had a good supply of milk and butter.

  After letting Ben know what he was doing, Oh’Dar hooked the horses up to the wagon and set out for town. On the way, his mind was working over his grandmother’s idea. I wonder what else she might think of that would help everyone at the High Rocks. And the Brothers. Looks as i
f I might be making more trips back here than I’d expected.

  Oh’Dar pulled the team up to the bank and hopped out. He went inside and asked for the bank manager. A middle-aged man with round spectacles stepped out of a back office and beckoned Oh’Dar in. After they introduced themselves, Oh’Dar explained what he needed.

  “I can take care of that for you, Mr. Morgan. I’d be happy to.”

  “Once my lawyer sends the paperwork, please make sure it gets to Mr. Webb and is signed properly. I have to put an order in at the general store, so I’ll return sometime and fetch it from you. But it could be several weeks.” Oh’Dar said.

  “That won’t be a problem. I’ll get in touch with the right people, and we’ll get everything taken care of. It’s very generous of you, Mr. Morgan. The Webbs are fine people, and I can’t tell you how it pains me to think of having to take their home and livelihood. You’re an answer to prayer, that’s for sure.”

  “Just doing what any decent person with the means would do. Thank you, sir, and good day,” Oh’Dar got up, shook hands, and left the bank.

  Next, he walked over to the general store. The storekeeper grinned widely on seeing him back so soon.

  “What can I get for you today, Mr. Morgan?” he asked, wiping his hands on his apron.

  “Nothing at the moment, though I’d like to place an order for some materials if you don’t mind. Can you write down a list of what I need and see where you can get it from?”

  “Sure can, but it might take a while, depending on what you need.”

  “It’s not a problem. I’ll pay for it all now and be back in a few months to get it. That is, if you have room to store what I need,” Oh’Dar added.

  “No matter, we’ll make room, I assure you,” said the storekeeper.

  With business in town taken care of, Oh’Dar followed Ned's directions and went to visit the Baxters at the next farm over. Before too long, he’d made arrangements for three of the Baxter boys to help indefinitely with the Webbs’ chores. After he left, he could tell the arrangement was mutually beneficial as the family looked as if they could use a little financial help themselves.