Mountain Homecoming

by Sandra Robbins

  She gasped. “You own an automobile?”

  He laughed and held up his hands. “Guilty. Do you still want to ride with me?”

  She threw back her head and laughed. “More than ever. I’ve never ridden in a car before.”

  Uncle Charles laughed and turned toward the door. “Then I’ll leave you two artists to your work. Thank you for bringing Rani home later, David, and we’ll expect you to stay for supper.”

  His gaze swept Rani. “I would be delighted, Doc.”

  When he had left, David turned to her. “My wheel is in the back room. I have another apron you can wear. I’d hate for you to get that pretty dress dirty.”

  She laughed. “Don’t worry about that, Mr. Brann. I’m used to having clay all over me.”

  He cocked an eyebrow and studied her for a moment. “It is a rather messy medium. Before we start, however, there’s one thing we need to get straight.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “I’m not an old man yet, just turned twenty-six. And you’re definitely not an old woman. So let’s not have any more of this Mr. Brann and Miss Martin stuff. I want you to call me David, and I’d like to call you Rani. Is that agreeable with you?”

  She smiled and stuck out her hand. “Hello, David. My name is Rani.”

  He took her hand in his and squeezed. “Hello, Rani. It’s good to meet you. I’m glad you came to my shop today.”

  Chapter 15

  Even though Simon had said the men planned to come help build his cabin, Matthew doubted they would show up this morning. After all, they had too much to do on their farms, and it cut into a farmer’s workday to put aside his chores. The fact that it was Luke Jackson’s son needing help would probably keep them away too.

  When Cecil Davis pulled his wagon to a stop at the cabin site, Matthew hurried to welcome the man who would lay the bricks Rani had made. Cecil climbed down from the wagon and nodded. “Morning, Matthew. Looks like a good day for workin’.”

  Matthew remembered how Cecil’s tall, muscular frame had always seemed at odds with the man’s soft-spoken words. Matthew stuck out his hand and nodded. “I appreciate your help, Mr. Davis. Simon said he and John would be here, but I’m really not expecting anybody else.”

  “No need to worry. They’ll be along in a while. I passed by Pete Ferguson’s place on my way here. It looked like he was loadin’ up to come.”

  “I told him he didn’t need to push himself. He’s still not over that accident.”

  Cecil nodded. “I reckon he’ll know how to pace himself. He’s not one to pass up somebody a-needin’ he’p.” Cecil paused and narrowed his eyes. “Just like you wasn’t when you he’ped him.”

  “I was glad to do it.”

  “Well, Pete’s been a-tellin’ ev’rybody ’bout how you done come over there ev’ry day. I always knowed you was a good man, Matthew. I’m right glad you came on back home where you belong.”

  Matthew realized Cecil had probably just made one of the longest speeches of his life, and the words felt like a soothing ointment applied to an open wound. Simon, Anna, Granny, and even Rani had told him he’d done the right thing in coming home, but he had thought them biased in their opinions. To have a member of the community voice those same words gave him hope that maybe he did have a place in the Cove.

  He stuck out his hand. “Thank you, Mr. Davis. I’m glad to be back.”

  Cecil shook his hand and nodded. “Cecil. Just call me Cecil.”

  Matthew smiled. “I will.”

  Two other wagons pulled into the yard and rumbled to the site. Simon and his brother John climbed down from one, and Howard Ledbetter and his son Edward from another. Within minutes Pete Ferguson had arrived as well as Joshua Whitson, William Carter, and his son Sam.

  Matthew could hardly believe how quickly the men set to work. Before he knew it, Pete had organized the men into teams with different jobs and had sent them off in all directions. Then he had taken his place in a chair underneath a tree at the edge of the cabin site.

  Matthew walked over to Pete and glanced down at him. “Are you making it all right?”

  He chuckled. “I feel fit as a fiddle. It’s good to be out ag’in.”

  Matthew stared after the men who were walking toward the tree line at the back of his property. “I’ve said it a hundred times this morning, but I’ll say it once more. I really appreciate what all of you are doing for me.”

  Pete leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “Just helping a neighbor out. That’s what we do in the Cove.”

  Matthew closed his eyes and inhaled the sweet mountain air. “I guess that’s right. We’ve always done that.”

  He turned, picked up the axe that he’d propped beside a tree, and headed after the men who were on their way to chop down trees and strip them into logs for the home he’d dreamed of having. This was developing into one of the best days of his life. Everything would be perfect if his mother, Eli, and Rani were here to share it with him.

  Rani studied the piece she’d just made on the potter’s wheel. After a minute she shook her head, grabbed the wet clay, and dumped it back into the tub at her feet. “I’m never going to get the hang of this,” she cried. “Why won’t it work for me?”

  Across the room David looked up from the glaze he was painstakingly applying to a large bowl. “You’re being too hard on yourself. Don’t expect perfection at first. Keep trying.”

  She jumped to her feet, grabbed a towel, and wiped the clay from her hands. “I’ve tried for three weeks, David, and it’s not getting any better.” She wadded the towel into a ball and hurled it at her chair. “I might as well give up. I’m never going to be any good at this.”

  David laid down the brush he held and wiped his hands on the front of his apron. He crossed his arms and leaned against the table beside him. “I’m beginning to think you may be right.”

  Her eyes grew wide, and her breath caught in her throat. Even though she had voiced the words, it surprised her that he agreed. “S-so you think I don’t have any talent for working with clay?”

  He shook his head, dropped his arms to his side, and straightened. “I didn’t say that. I said you may never be any good at it.”

  She frowned. “But…I don’t understand what you mean.”

  He walked over to her, and she almost flinched at the disappointment she saw in his eyes. “I was impressed the first time I saw one of your pieces at your uncle’s house. But you’ve been here for a month now, and I’ve begun to wonder if you have what it takes to be a successful artist.”

  His words stung like a slap in the face. She had worked so hard to impress David, but she had failed as she always did. “I’ve always doubted I had the talent for it. It just hurts a little to know you agree with me.”

  He frowned and shook his head. “I don’t agree that you lack the talent. You are very gifted, Rani, but you may never be successful because you don’t believe in yourself. Why would you doubt yourself when you are so blessed? Do you really believe perfection is the mark of a true artist? If you do, then you’re wrong. Nothing is perfect in this life. Not me, not you, and not one of the pieces either of us will ever make. We all have our imperfections, but we learn to adapt.”

  “I know that.”

  He frowned. “You don’t act like you do. I’ve watched you try over and over. You’ve destroyed pieces that were on their way to being beautiful works of art. I think for some reason you have it in your head that you’re not worthy of the gift God has given you, and you intend to show Him. Why is that?”

  Rani lifted her chin and glared at him. “You’re wrong, David.”

  “Am I?” He tilted his head to the side and stared at her. “You’re the daughter of a minister. I’m sure you know the parable Jesus told about the man who entrusted his servants with an amount of money. To one he gave five, to another two, and to another one. The first and second man went to work and increased their fortune. The third one hid his money and did nothing with it. When the mas
ter returned, he was angry with the third man. He took his money and gave it away.”

  “I know that story. I’ve heard it dozens of times.”

  “But have you ever thought about what it means, Rani? God has given each of us some special gift, and we’re accountable to Him for how we use it. He’s given you the ability to make beautiful pottery that could bring joy to people all over the country. Instead of working to improve that gift, you complain and feel sorry for yourself. Nothing in this life comes easy, Rani. If you want to learn from me, I’ll teach you. But you have to work hard, and you have to quit acting like a spoiled schoolgirl.”

  Willie’s face flashed into her mind, and she blinked back tears. She remembered how he had watched her dig her first fire pit and helped her gather the wood for it. Had her guilt over his death caused her to doubt the gift God had given her?

  Rani’s lips trembled, and she turned away from David. She wiped at the tears in her eyes and took a deep breath before she turned back to him. “You’re right, David. My family has always encouraged me to push myself more, but I’ve been afraid to do it.”

  He frowned. “But I don’t understand why. You have ability like few I’ve ever seen. If you would just trust yourself and open yourself up to the gift God wants you to share with others, you would find great pleasure in your work.”

  “I’ve always found pleasure in it, but I’ve told myself it was something I do for myself and my family. Someone told me once that he thought people would pay to buy my pieces, but I didn’t believe him. Do you think they would?”

  “I know they would. In fact if you’d agree, I’d like to include some of your pieces in my exhibit in Knoxville next spring.”

  She gasped and shook her head in surprise. “You’d really take some of my work with you?”

  “I would. I think it would be a great addition to the show. We’ve got eight months until then, and that’s enough time to do something really extraordinary. And you and your uncle can accompany me to Knoxville for the exhibit. Would you like to do that?”

  “Go to Knoxville? Oh, I would love that.” Before she realized what she was doing, Rani threw her arms around David’s neck and hugged him. “Thank you. Thank you for everything.” She pulled back and stared up into his eyes. “You’re a good man, David, and you’ve been so kind to me. I want to learn everything you can teach me. Will you help me?”

  “I will.” The muscle in his jaw twitched, and his gaze traveled over her face. “I only want you to be honest with yourself and with me.” He paused a moment and stared into her eyes. “Rani, why did you really come to Maryville?”

  She started to say that she had only come to visit her uncle, but he had asked her to be honest with him. She took a deep breath. “I came to get over a man.”

  “Is he the one who encouraged you with your pottery?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  His arms encircled her and drew her closer. “I’d like to help you forget him.”

  The desire to kiss her sparkled in his eyes, and Rani knew she only needed to give the slightest encouragement. Instead she laid her cheek against his chest, closed her eyes, and wished it were Matthew holding her instead.

  “Maybe you can,” she whispered. “Maybe you can.”

  To some people it might seem like little more than a room with log walls, but to Matthew it meant home. He stood in the middle of his one-room cabin and let his gaze drift over the rough wooden walls. Since he’d moved in a few weeks ago, he’d worked on finishing the inside walls and making sure the cabin was ready for the coming winter, but there was still a lot of work to do. At least he had a roof over his head. He hoped one day he’d be able to do something to help out the men who’d given their time to build his home.

  He walked over to the fireplace and lifted the lid on the black pot that hung over the glowing embers. His stomach growled at the smell that drifted up. Maybe by next year he’d be able to afford a wood stove and wouldn’t have to cook over an open fire any more.

  A knock sounded at the door, and he replaced the lid before heading across the floor. When he opened the door, he smiled at the sight of Simon, Anna, and Noah standing outside.

  “Come in. It’s good to have visitors.”

  Anna held up a basket. “And we’ve come bearing gifts. Granny sent an apple pie, and I’ve baked you two loaves of bread.”

  “I can’t think of anything I’d rather have than some of your and Granny’s cooking.”

  They stepped into the cabin and he closed the door behind them. Anna looked around for somewhere to set the basket and frowned. “Don’t you have a table?”

  He chuckled and ambled over to stand beside her. “Not yet. And no chairs either. I guess we’ll all have to stand, or sit on the floor.”

  Noah plopped down on the floor and grinned up at Matthew. “Suits me fine.”

  Matthew squatted beside the boy and chucked him under the chin. “How’ve you been, Noah? I thought you’d come help build my cabin, but you didn’t.”

  Noah frowned and glanced at Simon. “I wanted to come, but he said it was too dang’rous a place for a boy to be.”

  Matthew laughed and stood. “Then you’ll have to come visit me now that it’s finished. Maybe you can help me make some chairs.”

  Noah’s eyebrows arched. “You gonna whittle ’em?”

  Simon reached down and ruffled the boy’s hair. “No, he won’t whittle them, but we’ll come back to help.” He turned to Matthew. “And that reminds me, John and I are coming over next week to help you pick your corn. It looks like it’s ready to be harvested.”

  “Thanks, Simon. I just have that one field I planted for grain for my livestock. Next year I hope to have more land cleared and a bigger crop. I was lucky I could get that one field in before it got too hot.”

  “And I’m coming too,” Noah said. “I’ll bring Scout. He follows me ev’rywhere I go.”

  Matthew placed his hand on his heart and staggered backward. “Oh, no, you’ve taken Scout’s loyalty away from me. What am I going to do?”

  Noah jumped up. “I didn’t mean to, Matthew. I’ll tell him to like you ag’in.”

  Matthew laughed. “I’m teasing you, Noah. I’m glad Scout’s got somebody to play with. Since Rani and I are both gone, I guess he’s mighty glad you came to live with the Martins.”

  “I reckon I’m right glad too. I miss my ma, but I sure don’t miss seein’ my pa.” He sighed. “I just wish Miss Rani would come home. Sunday school ain’t the same without her.”

  Before Matthew could reply, Anna took Noah by the hand. “I’ve got some plates and forks in my basket. Why don’t you and I try to find something to cut Granny’s pie with? I know you were begging her for a piece before we left home.”

  Noah’s grin revealed the gap where his two front teeth had been days ago. “I’d like that.”

  Matthew watched Anna and Noah settle on the floor in front of the fireplace before he turned back to Simon. “I guess the rest of you are missing Rani as much as Noah is.”

  Simon sighed. “It’s just not the same with her gone. I’m like Noah. I sure wish she’d come home.”

  Matthew stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Have you heard anything from her since she left?”

  “We had a letter yesterday. She says she’s enjoying being with Doc, and she’s working with a potter there in Maryville.”

  “Is he the one Doc was telling us about when he was here in July?”

  “I think so. His name’s David Brann, and he has a studio there. She’s learning how to use a potter’s wheel, and she’s really enjoying working with all the glazes he uses. She’s all excited because he’s doing a showing of his work in Knoxville next spring, and he’s going to include some of her pieces.”

  Matthew smiled. “Rani’s pottery in a show. That’s wonderful. Maybe working with this man was just what she needed to help her believe she has a gift.”

  “Hey, you two,” Anna called out, “what
are you talking about over there? Come and join Noah and me for a piece of pie!”

  Matthew glanced in the direction of her voice and smiled. She had spread a cloth on the floor in front of the fireplace, and she and Noah had sat down on the floor. Simon chuckled and nudged Matthew in their direction. “It looks like we’re having a picnic in front of your fireplace.”

  “It sure does.”

  Simon walked over to them, dropped down beside Anna, and accepted a plate that held a piece of pie. Sitting here with Simon and Anna reminded Matthew of the day he and Rani had eaten under the oak tree and he had shared his dream with her.

  Now she was pursuing her dream somewhere else. From what Simon said, she must be enjoying her new life. There wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t wish things could have been different for them. But wishing didn’t make it happen, and he was glad she was moving on. He had no idea how he would do that.

  A pounding at the door jerked Matthew from a sound sleep. He bolted into a sitting position on the pallet he’d made in front of the fireplace and listened for another knock. Had Simon and Anna returned? No, they’d left hours ago. He strained to hear another knock, but none came.

  He eased into a standing position and reached for the rifle that lay on the floor beside him. He tiptoed toward the door but stopped when a floorboard creaked beneath his feet. He waited a moment before he took another step.

  He reached the door and pressed his ear against it, listening for movement outside. Hearing nothing, he cocked the rifle and reached for the door latch. He pulled the door open and stared into the black night before he stepped onto the front porch. The wind blew down from the mountains and ruffled the leaves on the trees.

  In the distance he heard a dog howl, but there was no one in sight around the cabin. “Must have been the wind knocking something up against the wall,” he muttered, and turned back toward the door.

  He’d only taken a step when he stopped. In the darkness he could just make out a piece of paper with a nail through the center of it hanging on his front door. The wind hadn’t left that unless it had used a hammer to pound the nail into the wood.