Painted Vessels

by Gina Renee Freitag

  Sarah looked at the baby in her mama’s arms. “Okay,” she said, sniffling. She reached in and tickled his nose. “I can do that.”

  The little family laughed together, as two joyful grandparents stood in the doorway and watched.

  ELI

  Eli stood on the back porch with Jed and Marcus. The frigid December air felt good, despite its icy chill. Vardos were parked throughout his back yard, making it resemble—to a small extent—the winter camp. The difference, however, was that they were all dark and empty at the moment. From where the men leaned on the railings, they could look past the wagons and see the flickering lights coming from the Garden Home windows.

  When the Garden Home first opened in September, Charles and his mother rode out to the White Falls train station to meet a detective and a woman with two young girls. The woman had been temporarily caring for the children until they could be relocated to the Home. She relinquished them into Evelyn’s maternal care. The girls were quiet and cautious when they arrived at the Home, but they seemed to relax when they were greeted by Hattie’s good-natured smile. She and Floyd chose to live in the home, along with Tony and a female staff member named Rita. Floyd and Hattie’s room was located near the back of the building. Rita lived in the upstairs quarters that were designated for the female tenants; she would act as a sort of den mother to the girls. Tony stayed on the main floor in the section assigned to the boys. Rosa, Bea and Goldie alternated the nights they stayed in the girls’ ward to help Rita; while Jed, Levi, Ira, and Eli did likewise for Tony and the boys. Occasionally, other townsfolk would volunteer their nights to give the caravan a rest.

  A few weeks after the home opened, two boys and another girl arrived. Currently, there were five children living there. Some had been rescued recently; others had been rescued months earlier but had to wait until construction was finished. Either way, by December Eli noticed a great change in all of them as they adjusted to the feeling of safety the home provided.

  The parents of one of the girls had already been found. They visited several times but chose to have her stay at the home while they all went through the reintegration process together. They missed her dearly, but she had been stolen away two years ago. They were wise enough to know that it would take a long time for her to heal from the trauma she had suffered. While in town, they stayed in Eli’s vardo.

  Hoping more vardos would eventually be used for that purpose, Eli started working with Ira on a floor plan for a house. They would build it in the spring, and Ira’s family could move in by late-summer. Goldie was thrilled! She and her children had never lived in a house before, let alone one with a water closet and a copper to wash clothes. Their home would have enough room for Levi and Bea, and they would always keep a room available for Sam, even though he said he would prefer to stay in his vardo. Now that he was eighteen, he wanted to make his own way in the world. He started working for John in the fall, and his parents suspected Sam’s motivation had something to do with a pretty, young girl named Victoria Carlson.

  As Eli watched the lights shimmer in the windows of the children’s home, Marcus patted him on the shoulder. “You and Charles have created quite a remarkable ministry,” he said.

  Eli sighed. “We couldn’t have done it without God. His hand was in every circumstance that led us here. He was even in the things we couldn’t see.”

  The back door creaked as it opened, and the three men turned. Ada stood in the doorway, holding onto a plump four-month-old William. “You men are going to freeze out here,” she said. “Would you like me to make some coffee for when you come to your senses and realize how cold it is?”

  Eli winked at her. “That would be great.” He smiled and added, “We’ll be in soon.”

  They turned again and looked across the property. “You know, Marcus,” Eli said, “you’re the only person outside of my family who knows where the money for this project came from. When I finally told you about it, I was afraid you would disapprove. But you said what better way to fund a ministry that saves children from bondage than with the money God took away from the very criminals who were perpetrating the crime. You said it reminded you of how God used the evil intentions of the brothers to put Joseph in a position to save them. And, Jed, you once told me that God is bigger than our problems and sees things we can’t imagine.” He peered at the two men who had played such an important role in his life. “You’ve both tried to tell me that I was holding onto something I needed to let go of. I wish it hadn’t taken so long to figure out what it was.

  “Even though I knew God wanted me to use the money for His glory, I didn’t want to accept it in my heart. I hated having it, and I carried around a pointless guilt that kept me chained to a past I didn’t want others to know about. For years, I tried to distance myself from the shame I thought this money represented. Back then, if God had offered me a choice between keeping it or giving us our old lives back, I would have chosen one unknown future for another, and in the process, I would have lost all of this.”

  “And what would you do if He offered you a choice now?” Marcus asked.

  Eli looked over the railing at the ground below them. “If God handed me a choice like that now,” he said, “I would hand it right back and tell Him I could never be qualified to make a choice that was always—and only—His to make. I would ask Him to do His will, and I would praise Him for His wisdom, even when it hurt.” Eli shook his head as he continued. “I don’t know why those men chose to steal us away. I don’t know why our parents were killed or why our baby had to die. I don’t know why God allowed me to find that money, and I certainly don’t know why He chose me for all of this. I used to think I needed to know the ‘why’ before I could trust Him.

  “But now I understand that I don’t need to know why to know that His plan is perfect. I may not even like His plan, but it will always be better than mine. God is sovereign, and He promises that our trials are small in comparison to the work He is doing in us. ‘Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.’ Sometimes we do get to understand things in hindsight, and it’s always easy to acknowledge God after the work is done. But what God wants is our trust in the middle of the unseen. He wants our praises long before we ever know the ‘why’ of it all.”

  “Amen to that,” Marcus said. They stood in silence until Eli began to shiver.

  “Ada is right,” he said. “It’s too cold out here. I bet that coffee is ready!”

  The men walked back into the warmth of the house, but Eli glanced back at the children’s home one last time for the evening and praised God for all that had been—and all that was still to come.

  JAKE

  Jake climbed out of the wagon seat and looked at the large house in front of him. This was supposed to be some great place that was going to make everything better? The people at this Garden Home were going to help him find his father? He didn’t even know if his father was still alive! He tugged at his sleeve. How did he know he could trust these people? Some lawman said he would be safe here… So what? That didn’t mean anything! At best this was just some glorified orphan house with a bunch of sappy do-gooders, and at its worst…well, he didn’t want to think about that.

  As he and the detective entered the building, Jake glanced around the large entry, wondering if it would be better to hide out in the Garden Home for a while or run away that very night. Either way, he wasn’t going to stay for long! He tugged at his sleeve again. A rugged looking man walked up to him and held out his hand; Jake flinched back.

  “I’m Eli,” the man said. Instead of trying to shake his hand, he pointed at Jake’s arm. “Don’t worry; you can trust us here, even with that.”

  Jake put his arm behind his back and glared at the man. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

  The man smiled patiently and nodded. “Believe me, I know it’s hard, but I promise you’re safe with us. It’s Jake, right? Did the detective tell y
ou anything about us?”

  Jake shifted his eyes to the detective and shrugged. “Just that you might be able to find my father, and you claim you can keep me safe. But why should I trust you? I don’t know you! What makes you different?”

  “Because I know what’s on your arm. I know what it’s doing to you, and I know how to get rid of it.”

  “I said I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jake insisted, dropping his eyes. “…and there is no way to get rid of it. I already tried.”

  Eli rolled up one of his shirt sleeves. “This is where my marks were,” he said, showing Jake his arm. “I had mine covered by a man I didn’t know at the time, but he proved that he could be trusted, and now he’s like my father. What did you try?”

  Jake reached over and grabbed the man’s arm. He rubbed the dark vines that twisted into a cross and tried to imagine the marks that would have been there. He felt the smallest flicker of hope regarding the man in front of him. Maybe he could trust him. Maybe this would be a good place to stay after all. Deciding to take a chance, Jake slowly brought his arm forward and pushed up his sleeve…

  THE END

  Acknowledgements

  Writing this book has been an incredible journey of growth. God has continually revealed Himself throughout a process that started in September, 2018. He has faithfully carried me through my unknowns, and I am in awe of Him daily! One of the most important things He has taught me is that a project like this is not a one person job. Several amazing people joined in the completion of this book, and I would like to take a moment to thank them.

  My family has been a huge support and blessing. Many thanks to my husband Karl, my two beautiful daughters Emma and Rayna, my son-in-law Kaleb, and the three lovely young women I think of as my own: Megan, Grace, and Giana. They have all encouraged my writing and have willingly sacrificed some of their time with me. They have read several versions of my book and have given great input.

  I have a gracious and talented group of people in my critique circle. Without my husband Karl, and my good friends, Jill W. and Rachael J., I would not be the writer I am today. They have pushed me and often asked me to take a close, critical look at my writing. Because of them, I learned to stretch myself, even when I didn’t want to, and I am better for it. Thank you!

  Thank you to Karl for writing my author’s bio! What a relief it was to hand that over to the person who knows me best.

  Editing was one of the areas that I most dreaded. So, it is with a truly grateful heart that I mention my editorial team: Donna, Jill, and Erin. I hope you realize how much your help has meant to me!

  I am overjoyed with how professional-looking my book is, both inside and out. Ghislain Viau at Creative Publishing Book Design has done an outstanding job designing my cover and formatting the interior. Thank you for patiently sifting through my scattered ideas and interpreting them into such a beautiful look!

  Over the last two years, I have had some steadfast cheerleaders who have been with me through the highs and lows. I call them my biggest fans! Brandi and Anna, thank you for being close by to cheer me on!

  Many friends and family have read through various rough drafts of my manuscript as I honed in on my style. I want to shout out a special thank you to all of my alpha readers who helped convince me that I really could see this all the way to the finish line: (both of the) Christina(s), (all of the) Cindy(s), Jenelle, Elizabeth, Alison, Betsy, Debbie, Patricia, Marian, Paul, Judy, Miriam, Anna, Maggie, Tracy, Lianne, Victoria, Katie, Danielle, several aunts and cousins, my dad, and many others. Thank you!

  And finally, I have to mention an immense blessing that I did not expect: the many supportive and encouraging writers and book reviewers that I have met through social media. What an approachable and friendly group! I am so grateful for the people God has allowed me to meet. Thank you for your kindness!

  About the Author

  Gina Renee Freitag has been a professional seamstress in many capacities for over 30 years, from wedding dresses to outdoor clothing and gear repair and prototypes. She started in theatrical costume design and construction at Whitman College while earning her Bachelor of Arts in studio art, followed by a theater staff position at Pacific Lutheran University. She has also been a homeschool teacher for the last 17 years (and running). She was raised in the Seattle, Washington area, and her home remains there today with her husband and younger daughter (her older daughter and son-in-law live close by as well).

  Painted Vessels is her first novel, which started merely as an interesting story in her mind. As a class project, Gina encouraged her daughter to start writing down all of her stories and decided to take her own advice as well. Once she put the words to paper (and was encouraged by supportive friends), she felt lead to publish this narrative. And she hasn’t stopped! The stories surrounding these beloved characters continue to form in her mind and will hopefully appear in future books.