“Oh,” Ada said, too surprised to say more.
“It would be dreadfully embarrassing if a person who did not receive an invitation tried to come to the wedding anyway. That would be an extremely unpleasant scene.”
“I agree, Mrs. Taylor,” Ada said with forced politeness, having found her voice again. “It would be unfair to Laura if anyone were to make a scene that day. I would hope—”
“Furthermore,” Edith said, ignoring Ada’s insinuation, “despite Laura’s circumstances, I do not wish for her to associate with inferior society. She does not need to be influenced by people who make willing choices to lower themselves.” The woman glanced at Ada’s arm as she spoke. “So, please don’t be surprised when you are not extended an invitation to my daughter’s wedding.”
“I’m sure you think you’re doing the right thing—” Ada began.
“Good,” Edith said, cutting her off again. “I’m glad we understand each other.” She turned and walked away, leaving Ada alone in her dismay.
ELI
There was nothing between Eli and the cold, hard ground except his blanket and an oiled canvas tarp. He sat with Sammy, dealing a deck of cards, while the rest of the caravan waited quietly around the fire. Even though the two boys were wrapped in blankets, the icy February chill seeped through their layers, giving Sammy a noticeable shiver.
“We should sit by the fire,” Eli suggested to the seven-year-old. “Ada looks warm over there, doesn’t she? I bet she’ll let you sit on her lap.”
The boy nodded and jogged over to Ada. Eli was relieved; playing the same three games grew tedious after a while, but he had been trying to distract Sammy as much as possible.
The young boy climbed into Ada’s lap and leaned against her. He looked worried. He would have been too young to remember what it was like when Myra was born, but this time he was more aware of what was happening with his mother. Myra, on the other hand, stood next to her father, giggling. As she leaned against him, Ira focused her attention on little hand games and sing-song rhymes. It was easier to distract the little girl; she was only four.
Goldie had told the group about the baby back in July while traveling their summer market circuit. That summer had been the third since Eli and Ada joined the caravan. After staying at the winter camp to finish their vardo during their second summer, the young couple had at last been able to return to the markets. Eli enjoyed taking their vardo on the road. It pulled smoothly behind the horses, and he couldn’t help but feel proud of their little home. While visiting the eight towns in the circuit, Eli and Ada were finally able to experience the markets as merchants themselves. They set up their own table, and their toys and dolls sold well. The caravan visited the same towns as they had when they first joined them, with the exception of Ashbrook. They decided it would be safer to go to Newcrest instead, just in case the old man Rake was still there.
After having a summer off, Levi and Bea happily returned to their responsibilities of looking after the winter camp. They had enjoyed revisiting the nomadic market life, but as they got older, they preferred staying in one place all year. That meant, however, that they did not learn of their future grandchild until Goldie climbed down from her vardo with a slightly rounder belly than when she had left in May. Naturally, they were excited and doted on their expecting daughter until the winter due date arrived.
It had been several hours now since Goldie had announced it was time for the baby to come. Eli thought it should have been born already. No one else seemed concerned by how long it was taking, though, so he figured this must be normal. Rosa and Hattie were with Goldie in her vardo, while everyone else lingered anxiously by the fire. It was warmer inside, but the group wanted to be together, and none of the vardos were big enough to hold that many people.
Mae quietly hummed while knitting. Tony and Floyd worked on wood and leather, taking occasional breaks to breathe warm air onto their stiff fingers. Jed tapped his foot absently as he stared into the fire. Levi walked in irregular circles, and Bea played one solitary card game after another on the tray in her lap. Even Cobra was quiet, except for a concerned whimper now and then.
Ira pulled his daughter onto his lap and bounced her on his knee. He sang a little homespun song while she grinned:
Ira and Myra, dancing in the sun.
Father and daughter, having so much fun!
Myra and Ira, two peas in a pod.
We raise our hands high and, for our blessings, thank God!
As they bounced, Ira moved her hands through motions made to go along with the song.
Eli scooted his chair closer to the fire and held his hands over the flames. Hearing Goldie struggle through her birthing pains added to his nervousness; he was ready for this to be over. He chewed on his thumbnail and glanced at Ada as she calmly told a story close to Sammy’s ear. Eli could only make out a few of her words, but the story captivated the young boy, whose tense shoulders visibly relaxed. While she spoke the tale to Sammy, her eyes drifted to Eli’s and stayed there. He didn’t need to hear the story to be affected by her calming charm; just watching her was enough.
Suddenly, Goldie’s groans were joined by the baby’s cry, and everyone expelled a collective sigh accompanied by grateful smiles. Praises were offered up, and Ira’s relief was mingled with awe. Hattie stepped out of the vardo and beckoned him over. She gave him a quick hug before he disappeared into it. After a few minutes, Rosa came outside, drying her hands on a towel. She walked over to Jed, who stood and engulfed her in a supportive hug.
“It went well?” he whispered close to her ear.
“It went well,” she affirmed with a sigh.
Rosa sat down and relayed important details to the grandparents while the others listened. Goldie had a healthy baby girl, possessing the right amount of body parts. Both were doing well with no complications. Tense bodies relaxed as the earlier anxious quiet was replaced with animated laughter and happy tears. Soon everyone dispersed to their own vardos, knowing the baby would be presented after the family had rested and bonded. Sammy and Myra stayed with their grandparents that night, but not before a quick introduction to Lily, their new baby sister.
There was an unspoken understanding that each family would fend for themselves for supper. Once in their vardo, Ada made a simple meal of bread and cheese. After eating, Eli felt less tired as the concerns of the day melted away. He stoked the woodstove and slipped into their warm bed.
“I want to hear the story you were telling Sammy,” he said with a grin.
Ada smiled and snuggled in next to him. Gently laughing, she began to tell him the tale of brave Samuel, the bear tamer, while the night stretched out before them.
JOHN
There wasn’t a cloud to be seen, and a clear sky in May is exactly what a farmer liked to see. As soon as John Miller was certain there would be no rain for the next few days, he rushed his men through their morning chores. Even so, it was half past ten before he was able to order a majority of them onto his wagon. Knowing the minimum number of men needed to keep his farm from falling behind on the milking schedule, he left a small crew in charge of the livestock. The rest he took to Ray Larson’s land to work the first hay harvest of the season.
Ray grew several acres of hay, whereas John used his land for other more profitable crops such as oats, wheat, and corn. He kept aside a small portion of land for his cattle to graze on, but he still needed to store up enough hay to sustain his dairy cows throughout the cold weather. He got that winter feed from Ray.
Just as John suspected, his neighbor’s crew was already busy cutting and stacking the young hay. Spring produced the sweetest and most tender feed for his livestock, and since John was Ray’s biggest purchaser, he worked out a deal with the man. If his workers helped with the harvest, Ray would cut John’s price by sixty percent. The next few days would be long and grueling.
As his men piled out of the wagon, John waved at Ray, who was standing to the side talking intently with Eli. What a path
etic sight! Everyone else knew what to do; they didn’t need detailed instructions. While watching the two men engaged in such a focused conversation, he wondered what Eli couldn’t understand about the work at hand. Ray did not need Eli’s distractions. That boy just needed to get onto the hay field and figure it out for himself.
Soon Ray was nodding. They shook hands and Eli walked off the field and down the road, away from the work. You’ve got to be joking, John thought to himself. There were plenty of workers, even without Eli, but who would walk away from the wages a week like this could offer? He doubted anyone would see Eli again for the rest of the week. John walked over to Frank Stevens, one of Ray’s lead men.
“Does Eli leave like that often?” he asked.
“Oh, yeah. He keeps his own schedule. Sometimes he works a full day, sometimes only a half day. Other days he don’t come in at all. He and Mr. Larson figure it out, though, so I don’t much worry about it,” Frank said.
John shook his head as he watched Eli walk down the road. He didn’t know why he was so surprised. Of course, Eli would choose one of the busiest weeks to skip out. Why would Ray keep such a lazy, undisciplined person around his other workers? That kind of attitude spreads if left unchecked. He started to wish he had hired Eli, just so he could have the satisfaction of firing him.
“I sure hope Ray doesn’t pay him for a full day when he leaves early,” John said with a scoff.
“I don’t really know, Mr. Miller. Maybe he pays Eli per job,” Frank suggested.
As John continued to watched Eli walk away, he pictured that idler sitting slothfully in a group of other lazy gypsies, picking greedily at a greasy chicken bone. Why would someone want to live that kind of lifestyle? That boy didn’t appear to have any desire to change. So, why would he move his wife to hardworking East Haven? John might have understood Eli’s choice if he were trying to provide a better life for Ada, but he stuck her in that small, pokey house and seemed content to keep her there. As John’s loathing increased, he turned away and walked farther onto the field. He shook his head, hoping a hard day of work would purge that annoying gypsy from his thoughts, at least for the time being.
LOUISE
Louise Evans sat in one of her two faded rocking chairs, enjoying the clear view from her porch. On a warm May morning like this, the farmers would be busy bringing in the hay. If her husband George were still alive, he would be out on those fields working alongside the young men, trying to prove he was just as spry as they were. She placed her hand lovingly on the empty chair next to hers.
East Haven had three widows. Louise was the oldest, yet she was the most recently widowed. George had passed away two short years ago, only a few months before that young couple moved into town. She was more fortunate than many to have had him with her for so long. They had married when she was twenty-two, and they had a full forty-eight years together before his passing.
Though George wouldn’t admit it, he had been slowing down for a good decade before he died. The evidence of his slower pace could be found in the condition of their home. Floorboards squeaked, windows were stuck, walls were chipped, and porch steps sagged. Louise wasn’t always able to get herself to church anymore, but whenever a thoughtful couple came to pick her up, she never failed to offer a small bit of wages to the husband if he would help with some of her home repairs. Unfortunately, these young men were always too busy to come by that week and promised to come the next. But they must have forgotten, because no one ever took her up on her offer. She couldn’t pay much and had often suspected that this fact may have contributed to their lack of interest.
Not wanting to be a burden on the church, she kept the extent of her need hidden. But earlier that year, she had developed a strong suspicion that she shouldn’t lean too heavily on the railings leading down her porch steps. Louise would need to ask Pastor Duncan for help soon, but she wasn’t looking forward to it. She kept putting it off just one more day, and the weeks slipped by.
As she sat in the warm spring air, she noticed someone walking along the road. The figure drew closer, and she soon recognized him; it was that Gardner boy. He touched the brim of his hat.
“Good morning, Mrs. Evans.”
“Hello, young man,” she said, not sure if she was remembering his name correctly. She stood and moved to a spot on her porch that allowed her to converse easily, but she was careful not to lean on the railings.
“I’m Eli Gardner. I think you may be more familiar with my wife Ada,” he said.
Louise nodded. “Ah, yes. I spoke with her after church last month. I was disappointed when she wasn’t at the Martins’ wedding; I was hoping to visit with her again. You have a sweet wife, Mr. Gardner.” Her visitor smiled at the compliment.
“Thank you. Please call me Eli,” he insisted.
The young man seemed polite enough to Louise. Why did some people think poorly of him? Perhaps the dark lines on his arms made others nervous. Well, it wasn’t as though they spelled out bad words or twisted into inappropriate pictures. As he stood by her gate with a workbag slung over his shoulder, she wondered what brought him by her place.
“Well, Eli, I’d say you were arriving at work a bit late, if I hadn’t just seen you walking away from the fields.”
“I already met with Mr. Larson earlier this morning,” he explained. “I walked by your home as the sun was coming up. You have a beautiful view here.”
Louise smiled proudly. “Yes,” she agreed. “When my George was alive, we would wake early and sit out here to watch the sunrise.” She glanced at the two old rocking chairs placed close together. She could almost see George sitting there now.
“Mrs. Evans, I was wondering if I could check your porch railings,” Eli asked. “I know a loose handrail when I see one.”
“Oh, my. Why, yes. Yes! Please come in.”
Louise moved forward to better greet her thoughtful guest. Eli stepped through the gate and walked up to her steps. Grabbing hold of the handrail, he gave it a test shake.
“This isn’t safe, but I can fix it for you,” he said. Louise thanked him eagerly and offered to pay him some of the money she had tucked away in a jar on the top shelf of her pantry. “No thank you, Mrs. Evans. This is a small job; it won’t take long.”
While Eli worked, Louise went into her kitchen to see what sort of lunch she could scrape up. She brought him a plate as he was finishing up, which he graciously accepted. After he ate, he asked Louise if there was anything else he could take care of for her. She invited him in and pointed out all the disrepair her home was suffering. Eli fixed a few other things, and as the afternoon grew later, he promised to return the next day.
Louise poured him a glass of water and insisted he drink it all before leaving. They talked in length about her property, and he commented on some areas along the outside of the structure and around her yard that also needed attention. After finishing his water, he thanked her and placed his workbag back across his shoulder.
“Please,” she said, “you must let me pay you.” He shook his head and refused. An idea came to her. “I know the perfect solution! Come, follow me to the shed.” She led Eli to a crooked outbuilding, which he offered to repair as well. Inside the shed was an array of tools that had belonged to her husband. “You should have these, Eli. If you won’t let me pay you, then please take these instead.”
“No, that’s too generous. I couldn’t take them,” he argued.
“You must! What is an old woman like me going to do with all these tools? It would make me so happy to know they were being used again instead of collecting dust.”
He quietly contemplated the tools. “Thank you, Mrs. Evans,” he said, finally conceding. “But would you allow me to leave them here? That way, when I come to work on your house, I won’t have to carry this heavy bag with me.”
“Oh, yes,” she said as a grateful smile spread across her face. She took his hand in hers and gave it an affectionate pat before he left.
As Eli walked down the r
oad, she waved at him until he was too far away to see. Her heart felt lighter as the oppressive weight of worry lifted. She was so thankful that God had sent her this willing helper. Her home would soon be safe again!
ELI
Eli carefully shaped the doll head in his hand and thought about the child who would one day own it. The dolls sold well, and he enjoyed seeing the excitement of the little girls who were fortunate enough to have one placed in their arms. Two summers ago, the first year he and Ada were able to have a table at the markets, almost all of their dolls had sold by the end of the season. Last summer, their stock was depleted early, and the last town had to miss out on the popular toy altogether.
Glancing closely at Ada, Eli scraped away the wood around the doll’s chin, duplicating what he considered to be the perfect face. The sun had moved lower in the September sky, giving her a soft glow. His hand hovered over his project as he watched his wife plant soft little kisses on Lily’s chubby cheeks. Perhaps Ada’s glow came from cooing and cuddling the baby in her arms.
Lily had grown so much over the summer. She had only been three months old when the caravan left for the markets in May. As hard as it was to stay behind, Ira kept his family at the winter camp that season. The other merchants missed having his family along, but Ada especially missed the baby. When they returned last week, she practically leapt out of the vardo while it was still moving, just to get to Lily sooner. The baby loved to be held and snuggled, which suited Ada perfectly. She was always first to offer to hold Lily whenever Goldie needed a break.
Over the summer, Eli had finally purchased a thin gold wedding band for Ada. He admired how it looked on her finger as she caressed the baby’s cheeks and tickled her nose. Ada looked good with a baby in her arms; it would be nice to have their own someday. Now that he was nineteen, the thought of having children didn’t seem as daunting as it used to.
Painted Vessels Page 13
