ELI
Eli’s lantern barely lit the dark tent as he rummaged through the chest full of clothes given to them as a wedding gift. It was early morning; he didn’t want to wake Ada, but somewhere in the chest was a wool sweater he needed. Jed was taking him fishing, and now that it was late September, the mornings were getting colder.
The caravan had arrived at their winter camp on the first day of the month. Eli had liked the West Woods and the camp immediately! The caravan’s winter home felt permanent, and that was why it appealed to him. The merchants continued to live in their vardos, but this place had a few amenities that couldn’t travel with them in the summer. Stretched out over the fire pit was an oversized canopy to protect the merchants from the damp weather. An ancient looking brick oven had been built near the large fire pit, and a simple wooden storage shed stood by a path that led to Badger Creek. A short distance away from where they parked their vardos, the merchants had constructed a small smokehouse out of stone. In it, they cured the meat and fish that was sold in the markets.
The winter camp had a fenced-in area for horses; it was attached to a stable that could house a dozen animals when the weather was cold. A hitch wagon with a bench seat was parked under a sturdy cover built against the stable. The merchants drove the wagon into town when they needed to buy supplies.
A short walk toward Badger Creek revealed a clearing of land where Goldie’s parents, Levi and Bea, planted a modest garden every spring. Surrounding the garden were small, well-pruned fruit trees: apples, pears, and plums. The merchants always gave some of their best produce to Mrs. Perry, the widow who owned the land.
The West Woods reminded Eli of the forest near his childhood home. He had explored those back woods with Ada or his father often, and he was itching to roam these as well. Soon after arriving at the winter camp, Rosa brought up the subject of school. Jed had talked to them about it earlier, but now she was insisting they make a decision. Even though Eli would have preferred to explore the woods all winter long, he understood that lessons were important. They agreed to start their schooling the following week, and Rosa and Ira began planning straightaway. Ira would teach arithmetic, grammar, and rhetoric, whereas Rosa would tackle their history and geography lessons.
School started early each weekday and lasted until noon. After lunch, Ira and Eli would join the other men, who were either working the land for Mrs. Perry or stocking up on their wares for the markets. They worked for the widow on the first three days of the week and then worked for themselves on the other three days, as needed. Sundays, of course, were set aside for worship and rest.
Tony showed Eli how to work with wood. Jed let him try out his grandpa’s carving tools, and he took to it extremely well. The men also took him fishing and hunting. They showed him how to prepare meat for the smoke house, and they taught him how to tan the animal hides using a different method than his father. Floyd and Levi used most of the leather to make pouches, belts, and toys for the markets. Hattie used the remainder to make her unique jewelry.
Eli was not the only one learning new skills. Rosa was teaching Ada how to crochet and weave bobbin lace, while Goldie and Bea picked up her sewing lessons where her mother had left off. All of the women—and especially Mae—taught her how to cook, bake, and can food.
Best of all was when Jed offered to help Eli build their very own vardo! Eli was too excited to concentrate on his lessons for three whole days. Jed pointed out that it would take several months to build, and it would be best for Eli to focus on his schoolwork. Later in the month they could take the hitch wagon to town and purchase some lumber.
At last, the day had come! Jed promised to take him to Bradford, which was a big town located a few miles past Oak Springs. They would leave as soon as they returned from fishing. Jed knew a wheelwright who lived in Bradford. He had worked with the tradesman before and hoped he would have some seasoned timber to sell, along with four well-made wagon wheels and their axles. Eli could hardly wait!
He could hear Jed collecting the fishing poles from the shed. Cobra panted loudly and tromped around in anticipation of their fishing trip. Eli pushed aside the clothes in the chest, still looking for the wool sweater. As his hand grazed canvas, his stomach clenched tight; it was the bag from the rock quarry! The morning after their wedding, the caravan had hastily packed in order to get back on the road to Clackton. In the hustle and bustle, Eli threw the bag into the chest, still fully packed, and there it stayed. He hadn’t thought about it in months.
Now he pulled it out of the chest and set it on the ground in front of him. As he wiped his hands nervously on his knees, he contemplated what was in the bag. He started to reach for the cinched cord but stopped. Under the bowl and cup, under the plates and utensils, under all those clothes, something else was in the bag. As he stared at it, a murky thought crept into the corner of his mind. Maybe he should burn what had been hidden in it for all these months. Could he do that? He wasn’t sure. He sat in the low light of his lantern, imagining different ways he could sneak it out to the fire without anyone noticing. Suddenly, a loud, stern voice rang in his ears.
“Eli!”
The boy jumped, feeling a hint of guilt. It must have been Jed, though it didn’t sound like him. Eli glanced at Ada, surprised that the voice hadn’t disturbed her sleep. “What?” he asked. The only answer he received was Ada moaning quietly as she rolled over.
He picked up the bag and threw it back in the chest, finally seeing the sweater. He grabbed the wooly garment, quickly put it on, and closed the lid. Snatching up his lantern, he climbed outside, irritated that Jed hadn’t answered him. He didn’t understand what had warranted the man’s angry tone. He walked over to him.
“What?” he repeated.
Jed turned around. “Hmm?” he asked, shaking his head.
“You called my name. What did you want?” Eli asked again, feeling impatient.
“I didn’t say anything. You ready to go?” Jed handed him a fishing pole. Eli narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips together. He did hear something, didn’t he? Jed raised his eyebrows at the long silence. “Are you ready?” he asked again.
Eli nodded. “Yeah,” he said slowly and followed Jed down the path toward the creek. As they walked past the corn stalks still waiting to be harvested, Eli was reminded of the plants from his dream.
ADA
Ada knocked for a third time on Mrs. Russell’s door. The woman was home; Ada wasn’t going to give up. She soon heard shuffling footsteps, and Evelyn peeked out her half-opened door.
“Oh… Why are you here?” she asked with a worn-down expression. Her hair was put together, and she was ready for the day, but her eyes were red and swollen.
“Mrs. Russell, I haven’t seen you in church recently. I want to make sure you’re feeling well,” Ada said.
Evelyn looked mildly surprised. “I’m all right, but I haven’t been sleeping.” She spied the dish in Ada’s hands and sighed. “You brought me a meal. You didn’t have to do that. Pastor and Mrs. Duncan checked on me earlier this week. I assured them I am fine and don’t need any help.”
“May I please come in anyway?” Ada asked.
“Yes, of course,” Evelyn said through another sigh. She opened the door the rest of the way and led Ada into her home. “I suppose I could make you some tea.”
“Why don’t you sit and rest,” Ada suggested. “I’ll make us both some tea, if you don’t mind me in your kitchen.”
Giving in to the idea, Evelyn showed her where the teapot and cups were. While Ada checked the fire in the woodstove, Evelyn fetched the tea caddy and some cheesecloth from the pantry. After handing them to Ada, she sank into a chair that sat by the table tucked into her kitchen nook. Ada filled the kettle and placed it on the stovetop. As the water was heating, she wrapped some leaves in the cheesecloth and put the bundle into the teapot. She placed two cups and saucers on the table, one set in front of Evelyn, the other across from her. Once the water had boiled, she poured it in
to the teapot, placed a cozy over it, and set it on the table to steep. She sat down and peered at the elderly woman. Evelyn glanced away first.
“You seem quite efficient in the kitchen, Ada,” she said with less spite than usual. “I didn’t expect to see that in someone so young.”
“I’m glad you’re feeling well, Mrs. Russell,” Ada replied, sidestepping the woman’s comment. “I was hoping to discuss something with you.”
“I suppose you’d like to ask about my son; that’s what everyone wants to talk about these days. Well, I don’t know much. Don’t worry, I’m sure he won’t be coming back here…after…” Evelyn’s voice cut out and her lip quivered.
“I did hear about your son, but that isn’t why I came over,” Ada said as she filled both cups. “I feel bad about what took place between us last month. I apologize for not talking to you about it sooner.” Evelyn shifted in her seat as she listened.
“Oh,” she said quietly. “Well, I suppose I came across a bit strong, especially since you can’t do anything about your tattoo. It’s no secret that I don’t like them. I never have. And I guess it’s no secret that I’m outspoken about my opinions as well. That’s just who I am; I can’t change it.”
Even as Evelyn defended herself, Ada noticed that the vitality behind the older woman’s argument was lacking, giving her courage to continue.
“The things you said hurt me, Mrs. Russell. I won’t pretend they didn’t, but I should have controlled my anger. When you spoke of my parents, it brought back the grief I still feel over their deaths.”
“I didn’t know they died,” Evelyn said. “I’m truly sorry about that.”
“Thank you,” Ada replied, appreciating the woman’s sincerity. “I don’t expect you to start liking my tattoo, but please respect the fact that I do, and I’ll never regret it. I didn’t get it on a whim. It has a purpose, and there was a lot of thought that went into it. It means something important to me.” While Ada spoke, Evelyn’s eyes lowered. She looked at her hands as she rubbed them together.
“My son has a tattoo,” she whispered. “He got it soon after he moved away. When he wrote to me about it, he also said it had a special meaning. I thought he only wanted to look tough. I thought he was just being defiant.” She looked up at Ada. “Is it common that someone’s tattoo has meaning attached to it?”
“I think so,” Ada said, nodding. “But I can only speak for myself. Did your son tell you what it meant?”
“He said it reminded him of me—of how I helped him cope with his father’s passing. I thought he only said that so I wouldn’t be angry.” She hesitated. “I told him I never wanted to see it. I guess he thought I never wanted to see him; he hasn’t been home since.” Tears formed in Evelyn’s eyes. “Oh, Ada, he’s not a bad man! I know people think the worst of him now that he’s been sent to prison. Even I thought little of him for so long. I thought he was being disrespectful when he wasn’t interested in what I thought he should do with his life.”
She picked up a letter from a small stack on the table. “I just received this from his lawyer. My son is not violent; he didn’t get into a pointless fight. He was defending a young girl, but she won’t come forward. She’s afraid for her reputation, and now he will spend two years in prison for it.” Evelyn pulled out a handkerchief that was tucked into her sleeve and wiped her eyes. “He refuses to write me and asks that I don’t come to see him. I didn’t realize he was so… Oh, Ada! I don’t think he will ever forgive me for rejecting him.” She covered her eyes and began to weep.
“I’m so sorry about your son,” Ada said placing her hand on Evelyn’s. “I wish there was something I could say to make you feel better, but I’m willing to sit with you. Being with someone when you cry is better than crying alone. I know this personally.”
Evelyn nodded as she continued to weep. “Thank you, Ada,” she said. After a pause, she sniffed and began to compose herself. “Well, now!” She chuckled through her sniffles. “Enough of that. Thank you for the meal; it looks delicious. And to be honest, I could use a break from cooking tonight.” Evelyn sipped her tea properly. Ada could tell it was hard for her to let down her guard.
“Eli wanted me to ask you something,” she said to lighten the mood. Evelyn nodded, jumping at the opportunity to change the subject. “He noticed the fence along the back of your property and said it could use some repair. He would be happy to do that for you. We have lumber in our shed, and it’s the same kind as your fence. There’s more than enough to repair it as well as build one along the back of our yard. Would you allow him to do that?”
A broad smile spread over the older woman’s face, adding some vigor to her tired eyes. “Oh, that would be such a blessing! I’ve worried about what to do with that fence for over a year. I never found the time to arrange for it to be fixed. What would he like as payment?” she asked.
“Oh, no, Mrs. Russell! He wouldn’t want you to pay him. You’re our neighbor, and he’ll already be working on our fence anyway.”
“That is very thoughtful. Please thank him for me, Ada.” The woman patted her on the hand. “You know,” she added with a grin, “I think I have some cookies in my pantry. We really should have some with our tea, don’t you think?”
“Definitely,” Ada agreed with a laugh as she watched Evelyn retrieve the treats.
JED
Jed and Eli sat in silence as they waited for the fish to bite. Fishing was Jed’s favorite activity, even on a cold fall morning. If they caught enough, they would not only have supper for this evening but could also begin stocking the smokehouse. Before the fish could be smoked, though, it needed to sit in brine for a few hours. Since the caravan was running low on supplies, he intended to pick up some salt and brown sugar when they went to Bradford later in the day. But the main reason for the trip into town was to buy lumber for the young couple’s vardo.
He glanced at Eli, who was wrapped in his wool sweater. The boy was quieter than usual. Jed looked forward to helping him build the small home and knew Eli was excited as well, but this morning the boy gazed at the river with a slight frown in the corners of his mouth.
“I was thinking about something,” Jed said, breaking the silence. Eli turned to him, still looking distracted. “I have a feeling your vardo won’t be finished by the time we need to leave for our next market season in May.”
Eli looked thoughtful for a moment. “So, we’ll need to bring the tent with us.”
“Maybe not,” Jed stated. “Rosa and I could stay here with you and Ada this summer, while Levi and Bea go with the others. We could finish the vardo, and you could start living in it by next fall—maybe sooner.”
“Would Goldie’s parents be okay with that?”
“They used to go to the markets with us all the time,” Jed explained, “and Bea was just saying how much she missed it. I could talk with them about it this evening. You’re getting pretty good at carving, but I doubt you’ll have enough merchandise to sell at your own table by then. You can always send a few things with Tony, or you can save it for next summer. What do you think? Do you want to stay here?” Jed was hoping Eli would perk up at this idea.
“Yeah… Sure. That sounds good,” he said, looking back toward the river.
“Are you okay?” Jed asked. “It seems like you have something on your mind.”
“I was thinking about what Ira said on Sunday,” Eli admitted. “Do you think all those bad things happened to us because God wanted them to, so He could use them somehow? God can do anything, right? Then why does He need the bad stuff?”
Jed sighed—that was a tough question. Where was Ira?
“I think you’re looking at it wrong,” he said. “Those bad things didn’t happen to you because God wanted or needed them to. Those things happened because some sinful men chose to hurt you. But God can take those bad things and use them to accomplish good things in and through you. Can you see the difference?”
“I guess. It’s just hard to believe anything good can
come from what happened to us.”
“I know,” Jed agreed. “But faith is a hope in things you can’t see. The trials God allows in our lives cause us to grow and mature. Trials reveal the genuineness of our faith. You have a choice in front of you, Eli. You can be angry and bitter about what happened, or you can choose to believe God will use it for good. You may not get to see how He uses it, and He may not use it the way you think He should, but God is bigger than our trials, and He sees things we can’t imagine.
“Our faith needs to be strong and patient. That’s what makes us complete, like it says in the Bible. That’s what James meant when he said to count it all joy. He didn’t mean our trials are good, but what they produce in us will be when we trust God with the things we don’t understand.” Eli was quiet as Jed continued. “I’m probably not saying this as well as Ira could, and I don’t have a Bible in front of me to get the words just right, but in the book of Romans it says all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. And in James we’re told that every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father who doesn’t ever change. That means we can always trust in God’s plan for our life, even when bad things happen.”
Eli nodded slowly. “So, God can use the bad things to do good things through me? But…what if I can’t let go of my anger?”
“Eli, if you trust God and let go of your bitterness, then that’s a good thing. But even in our anger, He can still work in our lives. Look at that logjam; it doesn’t stop the water, it only slows it. That’s what unforgiveness does in our lives. Forgiving others removes the logjam, and then God’s goodness can’t help but shine through us and touch others. Don’t you think that is a good and perfect gift?”
Eli remained silent as he peered over the water. After a while, he looked at Jed with an uneasy expression. “Jed, I need to tell you something,” he said. “I need your help. I have something I don’t think I should have.” The boy sounded worried and a little bit scared.
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