Eli watched him for a moment, calculating his next words. “Jacob, what if someone could help you?” he asked. “Someone who could pay for the trip to White Falls and the doctor’s visit?”
“No. No charity, not again.” Jacob shook his head. “I know Laura told Ada about the money that was given to us so we could get married. Did she mention it to you?” Eli nodded and glanced down as Jacob continued. “It was supposed to be a secret—you know, anonymous. But I know who gave it to us.” Eli looked up in surprise and searched Jacob’s face. “Laura figured it out; she was pretty sure it was my Uncle Edgar. When she asked him, he finally admitted it.”
“Mr. Johnson…” Eli said slowly. “He said he gave it to you?”
“Yeah. I mean, I appreciated it at the time. We couldn’t have gotten married without it, so it really did help. But I want to be the one who takes care of my family. Everyone assumes I can’t provide for Laura now that I’ve lost my foot, but I can! I can still work.”
“Not everyone, Jacob,” Eli corrected him. “Maybe some people in Laura’s family think that, but not the rest of us. We see how hard you work; no one else doubts you. Right now, you’re overcoming things other people don’t have to deal with, and those things are coming at you, one right after another. I don’t think there’s any shame in accepting help when you need it. And your uncle didn’t…” He paused to rethink his words. “When you were given that money, it wasn’t meant to make you feel as though you weren’t providing. I’m sure it was given with compassion, not judgment. You were going through a lot back then. And now you’re going through tough times again, but this involves your child.”
“Well, I’m still going to take care of it myself,” Jacob said with firm resolve. “Angel isn’t sick. He can eat without too much trouble, so there isn’t a hurry to get him to White Falls. I can still put money aside while I am paying back my uncle, just like I’ve been doing for the last six months. Then, when I have enough—”
“Wait! You’ve been paying back your uncle?” Eli asked, cutting him off.
“Sure, I insisted. I calculated how long it would take,” Jacob explained. “If I work without pay for one day every week—”
“And he agreed to that?”
“It’s the same thing,” Jacob said. “Instead of paying me so I can turn around and give it right back to him, he just keeps it.”
Eli shook his head, trying to process what Jacob was saying. It was hard enough to hear that Edgar Johnson took credit for giving the money; even so, Eli might have been willing to let it go. But allowing Jacob to pay him back? That was too much! Edgar had crossed an inexcusable line into thievery.
“That was a gift, Jacob,” he said quietly. “You shouldn’t have to give it back. I wouldn’t have let you.” He swallowed down his anger as he chewed his lower lip.
“Gift or not, I’m paying him back anyway. I can always get a second job if I need to; I’ve done it before. I could put some of that income aside each week, and in a few months, I’ll take Angel to see the doctor in White Falls. I’m going to be the one who takes care of my family.”
Eli remained quiet. He looked out across the yard, wrestling with his thoughts. He wasn’t sure what to do. Jacob deserved to know that the gift wasn’t from his uncle, but Eli wasn’t willing to tell him who it was really from. He didn’t want anyone to know he had money. He chose not to tell Jacob or Isaac or Mrs. Evans because he didn’t want them to feel obligated to repay him. It wasn’t really from him anyway. The only reason he had money to give was because God had provided it. They sat on the steps for several minutes before Jacob finally spoke again.
“You know, I think I am starting to feel tired. You’re right; I should lay down while I have a chance.”
“Yeah, good idea,” Eli said quietly as Jacob walked into the house. Eli stayed outside for another hour, wondering what to do with this new information about Edgar Johnson. Eventually, Ada joined him, carrying Angel in a bundle of blankets. She sat next to him and leaned against his shoulder.
“You’ve been out here for a while,” she whispered. “I think all three of the Martins are finally asleep.”
“Ada,” he said. “Don’t go to the mercantile tomorrow.”
“Oh, okay. Why not?”
“I need to go to White Falls. If you go with me, we can do our shopping there. We could make a day of it.” Eli put his arm around her. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”
HAROLD
Harold Ross stood at the counter assisting one of his customers when Jed Gardner walked into the bank. He had been hoping Jed would come in soon; he needed to speak with him. Harold had often thought about Jed’s boy during the last two weeks. He made several inquiries about the banknotes, and just as he suspected, nothing had been reported missing. Two days ago, he filled out an account ledger in Eli’s name and started the transfer process with the other bank. Now, Harold looked forward to telling Jed about an idea he had.
As he finished logging his customer’s deposit into the book, Harold waved Jed over. He was fascinated by Eli’s situation; it reminded him of a book he had read recently, written by an author from across the ocean. It was about a boy of little means who ended up with a large amount of money unexpectedly. But that was fiction, whereas in Eli’s case—well, this was a real life rags-to-riches story playing out right in front of his eyes. Even better, Harold might get to have a hand in this story if God permitted it. Jed stepped up to the counter and nodded.
“Good morning, Mr. Gardner. I was hoping I’d see you,” Harold said. “I’ve got some good news for you.”
“Did you find the owner of the money?” Jed asked.
“No, I didn’t,” Harold replied.
Jed bobbed his head and sighed. “Well, at least we tried. Thank you, Mr. Ross. I appreciate the time you put into it.”
“Mr. Gardner, that money is being transferred into an account for Eli. You do understand that your son is considerably well-off now, don’t you?”
“I’m aware of it,” Jed replied with a straight face.
“Good, because he’s still young. He’s going to need your help managing his money. Here’s a pocket ledger for him. I took the liberty of filling in the first line. Eli can keep track of his deposits and withdrawals on this.” He handed the ledger to Jed.
“Thanks.” Jed glanced at it briefly before shoving it into his pocket. Harold thought the man would have been a little more excited for his boy than he appeared.
“Your son isn’t overly fond of this money, is he?”
Jed shook his head. “I can think of other attitudes that would be worse.”
“I agree,” Harold said. “But if the right attitude is fostered in him, I believe Eli could do great things. I’d like to assist you with that. You live in Oak Springs, don’t you? Is your son going to school there?”
“No, he’s schooled at home.”
“Well, that works out perfectly then. I have a proposal for you; I’d like to set up a weekly class with Eli. I could teach him how to handle his money wisely and show him some investment strategies. I can help him use those techniques in a practical way that will cause his money to grow. More importantly, I want to teach him how to have an attitude of stewardship. You’d be welcome to sit in on the classes—in fact, I would encourage it. What do you say?”
“It sounds like a good idea, but I’d say you have your work cut out for you. Eli can be stubborn.”
“Well, I like a good challenge,” Harold said. “I’ll pray God gives me the right words to get through to him. Let’s start next week, shall we? Which day works best for you?”
“I’ll need to convince Eli, but Thursday is probably a good choice,” Jed answered.
Harold nodded. “The bank closes at three. Have Eli here every Thursday at three o’clock sharp.”
“Okay, we’ll be here.”
The men shook hands again and Jed headed out the door. Harold smiled as he watched him leave. It looked as though he might have a small part in Eli’s sto
ry after all. He was going to enjoy this.
ADA
Ada was about to climb into bed, but at the last minute, she threw her shawl over her shoulders and walked to Evelyn’s house. At first, she had considered going to the Webers’, but their home was dark. It looked as though they had already gone to sleep. Evelyn’s window, on the other hand, had a faint light shining from it. Ada tapped on Evelyn’s door. Even though the early summer days were growing longer, she felt bad for disturbing the woman so late in the evening.
As she heard footsteps approaching, relief trickled into her heart. The door opened a slight crack and Evelyn’s face appeared. Her brows were furrowed; she pulled her door open the rest of the way.
“Ada, is everything all right?” She glanced toward the other houses.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Mrs. Russell. I saw a light in your window and hoped you might still be awake.”
“I was, my dear. It seems as though I need less sleep as I get older. I was reading, but you haven’t disturbed me. It’s too dark anyway; the lantern isn’t giving off enough light. I’m sure it isn’t good for my eyes. Are you okay, child?”
“I’m all right,” she said, but her face didn’t convince the woman, who continued to look concerned. “If it isn’t too much trouble, may I come in?”
“Of course. Come sit in my parlor and tell me what’s troubling you.” Evelyn ushered Ada inside, and they sat in the room together as the lantern cast a dim light between them.
“Eli left town this morning; he’ll be gone for a week. Perhaps I’m being silly, but I haven’t spent an evening without him since we were married. I’m feeling uneasy.”
“Oh, yes,” Evelyn said as sympathy replaced her worry. “I remember the first time my husband went away. It only happened once or twice a year. It was especially hard in the first few years, but it does get easier. I’ll tell you a secret,” she confided. “By the time we had been married for five years, I came to look forward to our times apart. Don’t misunderstand me. I loved my husband and preferred to have him home, but a short time away from each other can be a nice break.” Evelyn giggled. “And the homecoming makes the time apart worth it.”
Ada realized her neighbor still thought of them as newlyweds, but the truth was that they had been married for nine years. She chose not to correct Mrs. Russell. She didn’t want to explain the circumstances that led to their early marriage. Bringing up those memories while Eli was away didn’t seem like a good idea.
“I think it’s harder to be away from him now because tomorrow is our anniversary,” she explained instead.
“I see,” Evelyn said, nodding her head with compassion. “What was so important that it couldn’t wait?”
“We received a telegram this afternoon. A good friend of ours passed away, and Eli has gone to be with her son. We decided I should stay and continue to help Laura. It’s hard not to go, but she does need the help, and we’ll be visiting our family in September anyway.” Ada blinked as a tear slipped down her cheek. Evelyn reached over and patted her hand.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” she said. “It’s hard to lose someone close to you, especially when you couldn’t be with them at the end.”
“Mae was like a grandmother to us,” Ada said. “She was seventy-nine and lived a good life. But it won’t be the same without her when we go home.” She cried quietly while Evelyn continued to hold her hand.
“Ada, you told me once that it’s better to cry with someone else than to cry alone. You can sit here and cry for as long as you need to.”
Ada smiled and they sat together for several minutes. It felt good to be with a friend. Her tears slowed after a while, and she dabbed her eyes with a corner of her shawl.
“How’s your son doing?” she finally asked. “Has he decided when he will come home and stay with you?”
“Oh, no…he won’t be able to after all,” Evelyn said. “At least not any time soon. He feels bad about it, but he’s working on a project that could take longer than a year to get established. He promises to come home for a short visit afterwards.” The woman sighed and looked down at her lap.
“I’m sorry you won’t get to see him. That must be hard,” Ada said.
“It is,” she admitted. “But he writes often, so at least I have that to look forward to. In fact, he writes to me more than my daughters do!” She shook her head and huffed. “Well, don’t worry about me, Ada. I have many friends, and I’ll never be lonely as long as I have a thoughtful neighbor like you.” She smiled and patted Ada’s knee. “I think it’s too warm for tea tonight, but I could get us a treat to nibble on.”
After going to the pantry, Evelyn brought back a tray of goodies and the two kept each other company late into the evening. Outside, the crickets joined the conversation as they chirped at the stars in the sky.
ELI
“I’m glad you’re home,” Ada said as she and Eli walked down the road toward the Martins’ house. “I missed you.”
Eli was carrying a basket full of food. If his hands had been free, he would have grabbed onto hers. Instead, he smiled and winked. “I missed you too, but I’m glad I went. Tony appreciated the company.”
“How’s he doing?” she asked.
“He’s having a rough time; he misses his ma. He’s the only one left in his immediate family now that Mae is gone. But he has the caravan, so he’ll be okay.” Ada glanced at the ground and nodded. He knew she had wanted to go with him, but it wasn’t practical this time. “It was just Tony, Levi and Bea; the others were all at the markets. I didn’t get to see anyone else. I think this is the first summer he hasn’t gone with the rest of them. Levi and Bea have been a big support for him. They spent the entire time I was there sharing stories about Mae. They had known her the longest.”
“Oh, I miss them all so much!” she said. “I can’t wait to see everyone this fall. But you were right; Laura was glad I stayed. Between Grace, Hannah, Mrs. Russell, and myself, someone was with her every day. I know she’s grateful, especially when it’s time to make supper. It takes her so long to feed Angel.” The cheer in Ada’s voice increased as she continued. “Mrs. Russell suggested she hold him in an upright position while nursing, and it has made such a difference! He doesn’t swallow nearly as much air, which means his little tummy isn’t upset as often. You’ll see; he doesn’t cry much. I wish Jacob would accept help, though, and take him to the doctor soon. I don’t think waiting is a good idea.”
“Jacob is stubborn,” Eli said. “But so am I, so I can’t fault him for it.” A shadow darkened his eyes as he thought about Edgar Johnson. He knew he ought to tell Jacob about his uncle, but he still struggled with how.
Ada placed her hand on his elbow. “You mean like insisting we not go to Johnson’s Mercantile anymore?” she asked. “You still haven’t told me why.”
“I’m sorry. I know it’s hard to go to White Falls every time we need something, but I can’t go into that store until I figure things out.”
He was worried that talking with Jacob might expose more than just Edgar’s secrets. He had a few of his own. At least his secrets didn’t hurt anyone; however, his inaction did. The longer he waited, the more it hurt Jacob.
Ada moved her hand from his elbow and rubbed his lower back. “I don’t mind going to White Falls, but I’ll be praying for whatever you’re struggling with. I hope you’ll figure it out soon. I can tell it’s upsetting you.”
Eli smiled. He finally understood what Jed had meant all those years ago when he said he could never be as good a man as Rosa deserved. Eli felt the same about Ada. She kept her hand on his back as they walked down the street.
Once they arrived at the Martins’, Ada would help Laura with the baby, and he would help Jacob with anything his friend needed. They would prepare a delicious meal with the food they brought, and the four of them would spend an enjoyable evening together. And through all of this, Eli would try to convince himself that he was still a good friend, despite not telling Jacob the truth.
JOHN
John stepped through the mercantile door. The morning light glowed through the windows as he sauntered to the counter. He had planted a large crop of corn that spring—larger than normal—and it would be ready to harvest in a month. He would need to hire extra men this season; therefore, he needed more tools. The mercantile only had a few scythes and sickles, but he knew he ought to buy what Edgar had before heading over to White Falls. John was going to be bringing in more profit this fall than ever before, so it was only right to support the local store whenever possible.
“How’s business, Edgar?” he asked as he tapped the counter.
“Hey, John, I’m surprised to see you,” the store owner said. “Isaac Weber usually delivers your morning milk supply.” He called to his nephew: “Jacob! The milk is here. You need to get it into the icehouse.” As Jacob hobbled in from the back of the store, he smiled at the two men.
“Sure, Uncle,” he said. “How are you today, Mr. Miller?”
“Doing good, as usual, Jacob. How’s fatherhood treating you?”
“Well, I’m definitely not getting much sleep,” he said, “but I’m sure that will improve in a few months.”
“It will,” John promised. “Listen. Out in my wagon, along with all the milk, there’s a smaller container; it has about two gallons in it. It’s from the last half of my best cow’s milking this morning, so it’s nice and thick. I left all the cream in it. I want you to give that to your wife; she’ll benefit from the extra milk right now.”
“Thank you, Mr. Miller. That’s kind of you.”
Jacob limped toward the door. John shook his head as he watched him go, knowing the job would take Edgar’s nephew twice as long as anyone else. Having to use a cane meant that Jacob could only carry one container at a time.
Painted Vessels Page 20
