Painted Vessels

by Gina Renee Freitag

  “I hope you enjoy your stay,” he said, pressing a stamp on the bottom of the paper. “That should do it. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Gardner.” He stood and shook their hands. “Please wait here.” He walked to the open door of his office and summoned a woman who worked behind a desk in the foyer. He whispered a few words to her, and she disappeared down a hallway. Mr. Ackerman sat down again. “It will just be a moment,” he said, smiling.

  The couple turned their chairs and watched the door in anticipation. Eli’s foot tapped lightly as he squeezed Ada’s hand. She flashed a smile at him and squeezed back.

  SARAH

  Alice put her finger up to her lip and pressed the center of it toward her nose. She crossed her eyes at Sarah and stuck out her tongue. Alice was a big, scary twelve-year-old. She was one of the oldest children at the orphanage, but everyone knew she wouldn’t be around next year. The older children were usually “adopted” by someone who only required another worker they didn’t have to pay. It was the fate of the unwanted, but no one liked to speak of it.

  One day Sarah would be taken away also, but for now, she was safe. She was only seven, and she was small. But she wasn’t pretty. Families who adopted a little girl as their very own only wanted the pretty ones. Even though Dr. Keeler had fixed her lip, she knew she would never look as nice as the girls who were adopted for real.

  Sarah and the other orphans had just finished their morning lessons, and now they were required to spend an hour of quiet time at their desks. During that time, they could read, study, or practice their penmanship on their slates, but they were not allowed to talk! Sarah had intended to make it through the entire hour without saying a word until Alice decided to make faces at her, and she wouldn’t quit.

  “You stop that, Alice Becker!” she hissed at the girl. She tried to say it quietly, but all the others turned to stare at her. What made matters worse was that Miss Shelton walked into the room only one second before Sarah opened her mouth. She heard the outburst as well.

  “Sarah!” the woman said. “Come here at once.”

  Gleeful murmuring arose from the other children, which often happened when someone was being scolded. Sarah felt her face grow hot. She wanted to disappear as she put her book away and walked past the many gawking eyes.

  Miss Shelton always wore a serious expression and had a mean way of speaking. She used sharp words that aimed right at the point of the matter. She never decorated her comments with anything calming or comforting. Miss Shelton made her feel as though she were always in trouble.

  Sarah peered at her feet as she followed the woman down the hall, wondering if she would be led to the kitchen to work off her punishment. As they approached the director’s office, she glanced up. Her heart skipped a beat, and she grabbed the woman’s arm.

  “Miss Shelton!” she said. “That’s Mr. Gard-en-er! Can I say hello to him? He helped me get my shurjury. May I please go into Mr. Ackmun’s office to say hello?”

  “You mean your surgery,” the woman corrected. “And, yes. You may go into Mr. Ackerman’s office,” she said, correcting her again.

  Sarah ran into the office with a huge grin on her face. “Mr. Gardener!” She said, running toward the man. He stood up from his chair and stepped forward when he saw her. His smile was warm, and unlike Miss Shelton’s stern gaze, his eyes danced as though they had a secret to share. He knelt down to meet her, and she grabbed onto his arms. “Mr. Gardener,” she whispered, “did you find any more of your plants?”

  “A few of them,” he said. “I get to help take care of them in April. I’m still looking for the others, but I found a very special one right here in Stonewall. I’m going to take her home with me.”

  “Is it a pretty plant?” she asked. “With a flower?”

  He winked at his wife, who had moved closer to them. “I think my new plant is beautiful,” he said.

  “That’s good!” Sarah glanced around the office and noticed the papers in front of Mr. Ackerman. “Mr. Gardener, why are you here?” she asked. “Are you going to help one of the children again?”

  “We’re going to adopt one.”

  “Oh! That’s the best kind of help,” she said with a smile. “Are you getting a boy or a girl?”

  “It’s you, Sarah. We want to adopt you.”

  She took in a quick breath. Did she hear him right? She tried to ask, but her voice wouldn’t work. She felt a fuzzy, distant ache within her heart that she had never allowed herself to feel before. Her eyes began to blur, and her throat tightened as she fought against the sobs that threatened to push their way out of her.

  “Me?” she managed to say. “You want me?” Tears rolled down her face without her permission. “No one has ever wanted me before!” Sarah bit her lower lip and wiped at her eyes. She reached over and felt Mrs. Gardner’s arm to see if she was real. This woman was going to be her mother?

  “Well, we want you,” Mr. Gardner said as he blinked back his own tears. “And I’m so grateful God is allowing us to adopt you.”

  Sarah pressed her hand into her chest. She felt as though she might explode! Sobs finally burst out of her as she reached up and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. Was he really going to be her father? He returned her hug, and the answer was an undeniable yes!

  ADA

  As tired as she was, Ada could not pull her eyes away from the slumbering girl snuggled against her. Sarah lay in the sleeping car, tucked comfortably between her new parents while the train moved rhythmically over the tracks. The curtain was pulled closed, secluding the new family in a private envelope of bliss. Ada propped herself on her elbow and rested her cheek in her hand as she gazed at the little girl who was now her daughter.

  After the adoption had been finalized, they helped Sarah pack. She didn’t own much: a spare slip that was stiff and scratchy, a second pair of wool stockings, and a thin nightgown. Her most prized possession was a rag tied into something that might resemble a doll to someone with a good imagination. As they packed the girl’s meager belongings, Ada caught Eli’s eye.

  “Now I know why you want to go to the shops today,” she whispered. He smiled and winked. Once in town, they walked down the street, peeking into shop windows until they found a store selling children’s clothing. They bought Sarah some play clothes, a school outfit, a nice dress for church, and a few other personal essentials that Ada helped pick out while Eli waited at the store counter. He had their purchases packed into a crate, addressed to them, and sent to the back room with instructions to be delivered to the ten o’clock train heading for White Falls in the morning.

  After the shopping trip, the new parents took their wide-eyed little girl to the hotel, where they decided to have supper sent to their room. They spread a blanket on the floor and ate their supper picnic-style. Sarah said she had never done such a silly thing and giggled throughout the entire meal. Her twittering was infectious, and soon all three were holding their sides, laughing so hard that they had to stop eating for several minutes.

  After supper, it was time for bed, but Sarah was too excited to sleep. She asked question after question, trying to learn all she could about the new life awaiting her. Eventually, her inquiries were followed by long pauses until they stopped altogether. The young girl was finally asleep.

  The next morning, they woke early, got dressed, packed, and went into town to visit more shops before heading to the station. Once on board the train, they spent the long hours exploring the cars and playing games. Eli taught Sarah some of the hand clapping games Lily had shown him. She was a quick learner and was soon winning every round. As the sun fell behind the hills, they moved to the sleeping car and disappeared behind one of the curtains. Though still early, Sarah had no problem falling asleep, which was assisted by the rocking motion of the train. Because they didn’t need to change trains in Lambury, they were able to stay in the sleeping car during their layover.

  Ada reached over and gently pushed a strand of hair out of the girl’s face. She caressed
the small arm that rested against hers and looked at Eli as a tear slipped out of her eye.

  “Thank you,” she said quietly.

  “We should thank God; it was His plan for us to have her,” he said.

  “I have been,” she told him. “I’ve been thanking God for Sarah ever since you first told me He whispered this idea into your heart. And I’m thanking you now because you listened.”

  Eli smiled and reached over to wipe Ada’s cheek.

  JOHN

  John shifted his weight as he listened to the pastor’s closing prayer. He didn’t really hear it; he was just waiting for Marcus to say his final amen so he could duck out of the sanctuary as quickly as possible. Earlier, he had been sitting with his family, but he stood up at the first appropriate pause and walked to the back. He leaned against the wall closest to the door and prepared himself for a swift escape.

  For several months now, Sundays induced a certain amount of irritation for him; he had other things he could be doing. John was always busy with his farm work, even now in February, and that gave him an excuse to leave the church early when he had no good reason to stay. But lately, he felt resentment for having to be there at all. The service was just a bunch of feel-good sentiment, and he didn’t have time for it. He was more comfortable in his fields or with his livestock.

  He knew people didn’t understand why he needed to leave so quickly, and he kept expecting someone to say something about it. When that happened, he would let that overly opinionated person know exactly why he had to leave when he did. He was doing something important; he was important, and he would make sure they knew it.

  The prayer finally came to an end, and even before Pastor Duncan could finished saying amen, John turned, put on his hat, and walked out the door. He jogged down the steps and hurried over to where his horse was tied up. He hadn’t bothered with the wagon this morning, nor did he bother dressing in his best clothes. His casual state would help ensure a speedy get away. He paused long enough to put his gloves on; that was a mistake.

  “John!” He heard the pastor call, but he refused to look up. “Hey, John, hold up a minute!”

  Marcus had somehow managed to run out of the building before any of his flock could bleat and bray at him. Of course, it helped that the pastor’s favorite sheep wasn’t even in town. But who could ever figure out what Eli Gardner did with himself these days? John tried not to think about that boy; he was still angry with him.

  “Pastor, I need to get back to the farm,” he said, avoiding eye contact as he led his horse to the road.

  “Yeah,” Marcus said, “you’re a hard man to pin down. I’ve been out to your place a few times looking for you. You’ve been keeping busy! I saw how much of your land you’ve been preparing for the sowing season. It looks like a lot more than last year; you must be hoping for a big harvest.”

  “That’s the plan,” he said with a matter-of-fact tone. Whatever Marcus wanted to talk about, he didn’t want to hear it. “Look, Pastor, we can talk later.”

  “When, exactly, is later, John? You’ve been dodging me for weeks. We need to talk now. It’s been five months since you and Eli tried to take each other out, and you almost took the church building down with you.”

  “That was Eli,” John said, cutting him short. “And I saw how quickly you patched up that wall. We don’t want to leave any evidence of his quick temper, now do we?”

  “Well, the wall doesn’t run off before the service is over,” Marcus said bluntly. “John, I’ve watched you. You’ve never liked Eli, and I’ve seen you try to provoke him over and over again. I’d be hard-pressed to say he’s the one with the quick temper.” John snorted contempt at the pastor’s words, but Marcus continued to speak. “You’ve always been angry with him. You’ve been passing judgment for over four years now. Why is that?”

  John’s pulse quickened. This was exactly what he didn’t want to talk about. He glanced toward the church to see if anyone was walking out the door and then pressed his gloved finger into the pastor’s chest, keeping his voice low.

  “You don’t understand, Marcus! You’ve had it too easy. Your life has been soft, and that makes you see too much good in everyone and everything.” John lowered his hand and shook his head. “I guess that can be seen as a kind of quality in a pastor, but it’s just not practical. I used to think everyone was good too. It was a tough lesson when I found out how wrong I was. I figured out fairly young that my father wasn’t what I thought he was, and I worked hard to make up for his faults. My life was difficult, and it wasn’t fair, but I changed it for the better. I did that! I wasn’t going to be pulled into that same lazy, pathetic, drunken lifestyle my father fell into. And God help me, I was not going to let him ruin my mother’s life either.”

  John continued in a gruff voice. “I’m disgusted with people who won’t do the work it takes to provide for their families. I don’t understand how anyone can tolerate it!” He took off his hat and wiped his forehead roughly. “I can’t figure out why my ma was okay with it. I don’t get why she couldn’t see it! He was a bad father and a worse husband! And you know what? Here I am again! This town isn’t any smarter than she was. I’m the only one who can see how bad that gypsy boy is, and no one is willing to hear me. None of you will listen to me any more than she would!”

  John shoved his hat back onto his head and grabbed the horn of his saddle. He put his foot in the stirrup and was about to pull himself up, but Marcus put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

  “John, your bitterness has blinded you,” he said. “You think it’s bad that I always see things in a positive light, but you can’t see at all with the muck you’re trying to look through. You’ve put Eli in a box of your own making. Explain to me how he doesn’t provide for his family. They aren’t starving. They own their home and the land it’s on. They don’t rent it; they own it. They’ve never once asked me or anyone else for help. You’ve made all kinds of assumptions about him based on your own resentments.” As Marcus spoke, John looked away and yanked out of his grasp.

  “I know what I see, Pastor!” he insisted. “Eli might know how to make himself look good, but I’m not going to be pulled in by his hypocrisy. I won’t be fooled like that again.” John pulled himself into his saddle and took the reins in both hands.

  Marcus held onto the horse. “I’m going to challenge you, John. Let go of everything you think you know about Eli and try to see him through different eyes. Ask God to show you how to see him. You’re not too busy to talk with God, are you? Ask Him to show you, and then take time to get to know Eli. I bet you’ve never done that in all the years he’s lived here.”

  John looked down at the town’s peacekeeper; he just wouldn’t stop! “Fine. Have it your way, Pastor.” He looked into the sky and lifted an arm to heaven. “Oh, God!” he said, mockingly. “Show me the error of my ways! If I’ve misjudged Eli, then please give me a true understanding of who that gypsy boy really is, and I’ll humbly bow down and eat the dirt below my feet. But if I’m right, then justify me to this stupid, oblivious town.” He put his arm down and looked into the pastor’s disappointed face. “Marcus,” he said. “I would be willing to bet every inch of my land that I am not wrong about him. Eli is a lazy, good-for-nothing, selfish man, and I plan to prove it!” He shook the reins and left the pastor standing in the road.

  ELI

  Ada carried a tray into the sitting room and placed it on the small table in front of the sofa. There were three mugs of warm cocoa on it. She sat down next to Eli, and as he put his arm around her, she called to Sarah. The girl was engrossed in her evening playtime and hadn’t noticed Ada bringing in the treat. When she looked up from her toy, she smiled and rushed over to sit with her parents. Eli had been watching her play next to the fire with the doll that used to be on display in the hutch. He remembered carving the doll’s head. He had wondered about the little girl who would own it. At the time, he had no idea it would be his own child.

  Before he and Ada had left
for Stonewall, he placed the doll on the bed in the back room. The Gardners’ guest room would be Sarah’s room from now on. Ada bought some pink fabric and embroidered flowers on it before sewing it into a decorative pillow. She placed it on the bed with the doll. When Evelyn heard of their plans to adopt the little girl, she brought over some paintings for the child’s bedroom. They had once adorned the walls of one of her own daughter’s rooms but had been stored away in the attic for many years. One of the paintings was of a kitten and the other was a lamb. They added a sweet, childlike feel to the room.

  When Sarah first entered her new room, she gasped with delight as she took in every detail. She ran to the bed and swept the doll into her arms. Her eyes glistened with joy as she hugged it.

  “What’s her name? Is she mine?” Sarah asked as both parents laughed and nodded.

  “You get to name her whatever you’d like,” Ada said.

  “I think she looks like a Clara!” the girl mused.

  “Then your names will rhyme,” Ada pointed out.

  Sarah smiled and said it was perfect. “Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Gardener! I love her!” She gave the doll another big hug.

  “Sarah,” Eli said, kneeling down to look her in the eyes. “I don’t think you should call us Mr. and Mrs. anymore. We’re your parents now.”

  She brought her hand up to her face and pressed her cheek, as though her growing smile might start to ache. “What should I call you?”

  “What would you like to call us?” he asked. She glanced back and forth between them.

  “Would it be all right if I call you Mama and Papa?” she said, biting her lip.

  Eli smiled and looked at Ada who was already nodding. “That sounds very right,” he said, turning back to her. She beamed and gave them each a hug.

  They spent the next two days getting used to their new life and learning all they could about each other in the peaceful quiet of their home. During those days, a few visitors arrived to greet the newest member of the Gardner household. Evelyn came, as did the Webers and the Duncans. Sarah’s eyes sparkled with each introduction. She and Noah Weber got along quite well. Noah had just turned eight, and since Sarah wouldn’t turn eight for seven and a half more months, he offered to walk her to school and show her the best way to get there. Hannah reminded him that the best route to school was the one avoiding rain puddles. Both children pouted slightly in their disappointment. Eli told Noah that he could walk Sarah to school every day except for one; he flashed a proud grin at the boy and said “her papa” would take her to school on the first day.