“Everyone knows about them, Pa,” said Becky. “They’re always together!”
“Okay, all of you get going with your messages. Tell everyone we’ll meet here at half past one.”
Two hours later, we were all back, and the house was full of the election committee and our closest friends—sixteen in all, probably the most people we’d ever had in the house at one time.
“We’re obliged to you all for coming,” Pa began. “What we’ve got to tell you isn’t exactly the best news we could have. But we talked and prayed the whole thing through and this is the way we figure things have to be. You all are family, and the best friends we’ve got, and we want you to hear how things stand from our own lips instead of just hearing it around town.
“Now in a minute Almeda’s got some things she wants you to know about how she’s been thinking. When she first unburdened all this to me, I didn’t see what the problem was with her being mayor. But I gotta tell you, we done some praying on this dilemma last night, and I went out myself for a couple hours this morning and was asking the Lord some mighty hard questions. And I’m coming to see that maybe what she’s doing is the right thing after all.
“You see, we’ve been thinking mighty hard about this here marriage of ours, and we’ve been asking God to show us how things are supposed to work between a man and a woman who say they want to live together and try to be one like the Book says they’re supposed to be. Almeda figures maybe she hasn’t been deferring to me like she ought to have been. At first when she said it, I didn’t see how that should prevent her from running for mayor. But I have to respect what she thinks is the right thing to do. And then something began to speak inside me too. I have to hope it was God’s voice, just the same as I have to think it’s him that’s speaking to Almeda’s heart.
“I began to see that maybe I had some changing to do too. Maybe I haven’t been quite the leader of this marriage that I’m supposed to be. I mean, I don’t have any complaint with what Almeda does or wants to do. And I don’t want her asking my permission to do things. She’s a grown woman, and she’s a heap sight more experienced than I am about trying to live the way a Christian should and listening for how to obey what God wants us to do. When it comes to that sort of thing, why she’s the one who ought to be leading me! If she comes and says, ‘I don’t know what to do about such-and-such, and you’re my husband and I want to do what you think is best,’ I’m more’n likely to answer her, ‘You’re a grown woman, and I trust you, so do what you think’s best.’ In other words, I don’t figure she needs me telling her what do all the time.
“Yet I can see that maybe I need to take more responsibility in the way of thinking of myself as head of this family and this marriage. I’m not really sure what that will mean because all this is mighty new to both of us. But I reckon that if you don’t start someplace, you’re likely never to get the thing done. So we’re aiming to start here and now, even though it means having to turn back from something we worked so hard get. If we got started with this election on the wrong foot, then it’s not gonna do nobody any good to keep pushing forward. The only way to make things come out right in the end is go back and start over, even if it means having to let go of something in the process.”
He stopped and let out a big sigh. The whole house was silent as Pa looked around the room. His eyes fell on Almeda last of all. “Well,” he said, “I reckon I had my say . . . now it’s your turn.”
“Drummond has really put his finger on what has been bothering me for the last week,” Almeda began. “This whole election thing, as he said, got off on the wrong foot. I am coming to see that perhaps I’m a more independent woman than I realized—more independent than I should be. I have been in the habit of doing and thinking for myself, of making up my own mind about things, of running my own life and never really asking how what I do affects anybody else. And I see that in certain ways I have been headstrong when things stand in my way.
“I suppose it all boils down to the simple question: Is this the way for a woman, a wife, to behave in a marriage? I can’t say as I even have the answer. As Drummond told you, neither does he. I don’t intend to suddenly start asking him about everything I do. And I know the last thing he would ever do is to start lording it over me like a king. He is the most tender, most thoughtful man I have ever known.
“Yet somehow, we need to make some changes about my being less independent, and maybe him being a little more forceful. Neither of us understands very much about what we’re trying to explain, because it’s new to both of us.”
Almeda then went on to tell how she had made the decision to run for mayor on her own. She shared some of what she and I had talked about, how she realized she had brought her independent streak into the marriage with Pa. And now, she said, she felt that the only way to make right what she had done was to go back and undo it, and then start anew.
“Drummond explained how I feel,” she said. “I should have paid more attention to his initial hesitations, but I was determined it was the right thing. You can’t make something come out right in the end if you got started with it in the wrong way. You have to go back and start over. The foundation has to be built right, or else everything that comes along and gets put on top of it will be shaky. It’s like the old parable of building a house on either rock or sand. And I fear my running for mayor of Miracle Springs was a decision built on sand. Nothing I can do now will change that, or change the sand into rock. I don’t know anything to do but go back and rethink the original decision in a new light.”
She stopped, drew in a deep breath, and then went on with the hardest part of what she had to say.
“This new light cast on my decision to run for mayor, shows me that it was an ill-advised decision—one made independently, maybe even with some pride mixed in, a determination not necessarily to do what was right or what God wanted, but rather to do something that pleased my ego—that is, prevent Franklin Royce from becoming mayor. I never stopped to ask whether running for mayor was right for my husband, for this wonderful family of mine—”
Her hand swept around the room as she spoke, and she glanced around at all of us.
“I just said to myself, ‘I can do this. I will do it!’ And so I did. I made the decision without consulting a soul. Of course I prayed about it. But even my prayers were so full of self that God’s voice could only speak to me through a heart that was still thinking independently.
“Well, the long and the short of it, as I’m sure all of you have guessed, is that we feel we must go back and undo that original decision I made.
“Now, no doubt you will all find yourselves full of reasons to try to convince us to reconsider. I know Franklin Royce is a dangerous man to let become mayor. I know every possible thing you could say to try to convince me to remain in the race. I’ve said them to myself. At first Drummond would not hear of my withdrawing, and he gave me every reason he could think of too. But as we talked and prayed, and as time settled our thoughts, we both became convinced that this is the right and proper course of action. Neither of us can give you every reason why—but we feel it is the right thing to do. So please, don’t try to change our minds, unless you truly feel we’ve missed something God might have wanted to say to us.
“So,” she concluded, in a quiet tone full of resolve, “I have decided—that is, we have decided . . . together, both of us—that it is best for the name Almeda Hollister to be withdrawn from consideration in the election for mayor of Miracle Springs. Since it is obviously too late for my name to be taken off the ballot, I would like to make a public announcement tomorrow at church, if that would meet with your approval, Avery, and simply tell people that I am no longer a candidate. If despite this, people still check my name on the ballot on Tuesday, I will not accept the position. In any case, Franklin Royce will become the next mayor of Miracle Springs.”
Chapter 24
What an Idea!
The room was silent.
Pa and Almeda both fel
t relieved, I think. I could tell a burden had been lifted from Almeda’s shoulders. The peace on her face was visible. And since I had been expecting it, the shock wasn’t as great for me.
But for everybody else, the news was awful!
I knew every single person wanted to start shouting out reasons to make them reconsider. But because Almeda had said not to, no one spoke.
The silence went on and on for a minute or two. Finally Rev. Rutledge broke it.
“Does this represent your decision too, Drummond?” he asked. “Is this what you want?”
“I reckon,” Pa answered. “At first I didn’t like it any better than the rest of you. And she’s right—I spent an hour trying to convince her that I did want her to be mayor. But then after a while I saw what she’d been driving at. And so I reckon I do agree that maybe a woman—at least a wife, who’s carrying my baby!—ought not be mayor. I’m not saying that no woman should do something like that. But we got ourselves a family here, and it’s gonna be an even bigger family in a few months. We got our hands full without her trying to manage a town’s business besides. So yeah, Reverend, I’m in agreement with this decision, even though I can’t abide the thought of Royce being mayor any more than the rest of you can.”
The silence fell again, and Rev. Rutledge seemed satisfied. A long time passed before anyone said anything.
“Well, I reckon there ain’t but one solution t’ this here fix,” cackled Mr. Jones at length.
Pa looked over at him with a blank expression. I know he was expecting one of his old friend’s wisecracks.
“And what’s that, Alkali?” he asked.
“Fer you t’ take the lady’s place. Hee, hee, hee!”
As his high-pitched laughter died down, silence again filled the house. We could all feel an unexpected energy of hope rising out of the disappointment of only seconds earlier.
Faces gradually started glancing around the room at each other. Eyes grew wider and wider.
Mr. Jones’ words were like a stick of dynamite exploding right in the middle of the room! For the first few seconds everyone wondered if they’d heard him right.
Then light began to dawn on face after face!
Uncle Nick was the first to say what everyone else had felt instantly. “If that ain’t the dad-blamedest best idea I’ve ever heard!” he exclaimed, jumping out of his seat. He walked over to Pa and stuck out his hand.
Dazed, Pa shook it, still hardly believing what he’d heard. The moment he took Uncle Nick’s hand, everyone in the room began letting out cheers and shouts of approval. The next instant we were all out of our seats and crowding around Pa, who still sat bewildered.
“Drummond,” said Rev. Rutledge somberly, “I think Mr. Jones has hit upon an absolutely wonderful idea.”
“The perfect answer!” chimed in Katie and Miss Stansberry almost in unison.
“Will you do it, Drummond?” asked the minister. “We’re all behind you one hundred percent.”
Almost in a stupor in the midst of the sudden excitement, Pa still didn’t seem to grasp what all the fuss was about.
“Do what?” he said.
“Take Almeda’s place, you old goat!” said Uncle Nick. “Just like Alkali said.”
Still Pa’s face looked confounded. The idea was just too unbelievable for him to fathom.
Finally Almeda turned from where she was sitting beside him. She took one of his hands in hers and looked him full in the face with a broad smile. “Drummond, what these friends of yours are saying is that they want you to run for mayor . . . yourself!”
“Me . . . run for mayor?” he exclaimed in disbelief. “The notion’s crazier than Alkali shaving his beard and taking a bath!”
“No crazier than me being hitched and having a family, Drum,” rejoined Uncle Nick.
“This here’s Californeee, don’t ya know! Things is done a mite looney out here. Hee, hee, hee!”
“Times are changing. You might as well change with them,” added Mr. Shaw.
“But I’m no politician,” objected Pa. “I don’t know anything about that kind of stuff.”
“Nobody else does either, Drummond,” said Almeda, growing in enthusiasm over the idea herself. “I’m no politician either, and Franklin is only running so that he can gain more power for himself and his bank. Surely you don’t want him to be elected?”
Her words sobered Pa and quieted everybody down.
For the first time the look on Pa’s face indicated that he was giving serious thought to the reality of the possibility—as outlandish as the whole thing still seemed to him.
“My name’s not even on the ballot,” he said at length.
“If enough people voted for me and I should happen to win,” suggested Almeda, “I could then step down and appoint you mayor.”
“Is that legal?” asked Miss Stansberry.
“Royce would probably challenge it and call for a new election,” said Katie. “Something similar happened in Virginia a few years back.”
“And then once that happened, he’d think we’d deceived him and would no doubt start in again with his shenanigans and financial pressure on everyone,” said Almeda, thinking aloud.
“There’s got to be some way to get Drum elected mayor,” said Mr. Shaw, “even if the election’s only three days off.”
The room got quiet for a minute. When Almeda spoke next, her voice was soft and earnest. It was almost as if the two of them were alone, continuing a conversation they’d been having in private.
“Drummond,” she said, “it seems to me that this could be exactly what the Lord has had in mind all along. Perhaps this is the reason things have worked out as they have, and why he unsettled my heart about my being out in public view trying to make something of myself. Maybe all along God wanted me, and perhaps the whole community, to be looking to my husband for leadership. I see God’s hand in the way events have unfolded. And I can’t think of a better way for me to defer to you, and for you to move up a step in taking hold of the firm hand God might want you to exert, than for me to step aside so that you can take the lead in this election.”
She paused, and her eyes were filling with tears of love as she went on. “I can’t tell you how pleased it would make me,” she said softly. “It would make me feel as though these past two months had not been in vain, that maybe God was even able to use my independence to accomplish his purposes. But of course,” she added, “it has to be your decision, and I will understand and stand by you whatever you think is best.”
She stopped, and now all eyes rested on Pa as he considered everything that had been said. A long time—probably two or three minutes—passed before he said a word.
“Well, you’re all mighty convincing,” he said finally. “And I have to say it’s flattering that you’d think I could even do the thing—that is, if I had a chance in the first place.”
He paused and took a breath.
“But it occurs to me,” he went on, “that one of the first things a mayor probably has to do is make decisions of one kind or another. And it occurs to me, too, that if I’m gonna start taking more of a lead in this marriage partnership Almeda and I are trying to figure out, then I have to get more practiced in finding out what the Almighty wants me do, instead of just taking things as they come, or figuring that Almeda’s supposed to handle most of the spiritual side of things, while I just go on without paying much attention.
“All that is my way of saying that I guess I do have to make the decision myself. I appreciate all your thoughts and advice. And I’d appreciate all of you praying for me, because I’m gonna need it. But first I have to get alone and ask God what decision he wants me to make, and then hope that he’ll put the thoughts into my heart and head plain enough that I can figure out what he’s saying.”
He let out a deep sigh, then hitched himself to his feet.
“So that’s what I’m going to do before I say anything else, and before you all try to do any more convincing.”
H
e went to the door, opened it, and walked outside.
Gradually those of us left in the house started talking a little. Katie had to entertain little Erich, and Becky and Tad had had enough sitting for one stretch and had to get themselves moving again. Almeda went into her and Pa’s bedroom and closed the door, to pray for Pa and the decision he was wrestling with.
About twenty minutes later Mr. Shaw was about to leave, and Rev. Rutledge was helping Miss Stansberry with her coat, when the door opened and Pa walked in.
From the look on his face, every one of us knew instantly that he’d made his decision.
Almeda had heard him return and emerged from the bedroom just as he spoke. “It’d be a shame to waste all those good ‘Hollister For Mayor’ signs and flyers,” he said with a big grin. “So if it’s not gonna be one Hollister, it might as well be the other! Move over, Royce—I’m in it now too!”
“Now the varmint’ll find himself in a real scrape!” cackled Alkali Jones. “Hee, hee, hee!”
More hollering and hand-shaking went around the room, while Mr. Shaw and the others took off their coats again. Over to one side of the room I could see the person more involved in this turn of events than anyone but Pa, and she wasn’t yelling or whooping it up.
Almeda closed her eyes briefly and softly whispered the words, “Thank you!” Then she opened them, and walked forward with a smile to join her husband in the midst of the commotion.
Chapter 25
Devising a Strategy
Well, I suppose you’ll still be wanting to make an announcement at church tomorrow,” said Rev. Rutledge at length. “Although it looks like it will be quite different than what you first had in mind, Almeda!” he added with a big smile.
“I don’t know, Reverend,” replied Pa hesitantly. “I don’t know if it strikes me as quite right to use your pulpit to further my own plans. Seems like it might have been okay to make a public announcement like Almeda was fixing to do. But without Royce having the same advantage, it hardly seems like it’d be fair for me to do it.”
A Place in the Sun Page 11
