by Lori Wick
"Okay Joey," Rigg instructed him, "wash your hands and-you-can help Sean set the table."
The adults in the room were quiet and tried not to stare as Joey solemnly assisted Sean. Kaitlin could see that he took his task very seriously and she kept her face averted so he couldn't see the way she was struggling with her emotions.
Rigg and Kaitlin made a nice team as they efficiently put supper together. Two whole chickens were fried-a job Kate tackled. Rigg mixed biscuits for the oven and Kate also made gravy and then sliced fruit for a salad.
"You're a better cook than Sean led me to believe," Rigg commented at one point, when Sean and Joey had gone into the other room.
Kaitlin chuckled. "It's been slow in coming. The only thing I cook well is fish. One of these weekends I'm going to send Sean to the creek and then I'll be able to cook for you and your family for a change."
"Gil and Nate love to fish. I think they'd probably bring back enough for an army."
"I'11 have to mention it to your mother when we go for Marc. I can pick up the things I'll need this week."
Rigg didn't answer; he couldn't right then. It felt so right having Katie here, working beside him. He didn't want to get his hopes up but he was sure she was looking at him these days with different eyes. At first her eyes had been almost hostile and then had gone to guarded. And now they were changing from friendly to tender.
At least that's what Rigg thought. But that was the problem, the difference between thinking and knowing. He knew he still needed to bide his time or take the chance of destroying everything they had built between them.
Sean and Joey came back in just as supper preparations were complete. As they began to eat, it became apparent that Joey did not use utensils. Kaitlin felt deep compassion watching him dip his fingers in the gravy when his biscuit was gone.
When he picked up his plate, intent on licking it, Kate paid close attention to her own food, as did Sean. Rigg leaned close to Joey to instruct him in a few table manners. Spoons and forks were clearly a new concept to him, but in his eagerness to please, he gave them a try.
When Sean found out there was nothing for dessert at Rigg's, he suggested they go get Marcail and raid Mrs. Taylor's baked goods. Joey was again treated as one of the family and was not even asked if he wanted to go. The little boy stood in obvious indecision next to the wagon. Kate ignored his look.
"Climb in, Joey. Mrs. Taylor is the best baker I know. You don't want to miss out on her cookies."
Rigg swung Kate onto the seat and was pulling himself aboard when Joey jumped in the back with Sean.
Marcail was thrilled to see her sister and talked nonstop for the first ten minutes. It seemed that she and May had done a great many things that day and Marcail had had so much fun that she was determined to tell her oldest sibling about it in one breath.
Joey was introduced to the Taylor family and then followed Sean's signal to help himself to the cookies. Sean and Nathan were used to walking away with as many as they could carry. Joey was more circumspect.
"You may have more than one Joey." May smiled and held another cookie out to the little boy. He was cautious as he reached for it; he captured May's heart in that moment. His hair was hanging in his eyes and his clothes were torn and filthy.
"Gilbert and Nathan were pretty hard on clothes when they were your size, Joey," May began, and Joey looked at her strangely. "But they had occasional growth spurts where they outgrew the clothes before they could ruin them. I have a pair of pants and a shirt just about your size, if you'd like to have them."
As Joey had been doing the entire evening, he looked to Miss Donovan for approval. She smiled and nodded at Joey as though she'd never heard a better idea. May asked Joey to go upstairs with her. When they came down Joey was aglow in his new clothes, his old tucked under his arm. His face flushed when Kate made over him and his eyes were shining under her approval.
"Now Joey, I think I'd better get you home. While we're there I can check with your father to make sure it's all right for you to keep the new clothes."
It was quite plain that Kate's plan to take Joey home was news to Rigg. He looked thunderstruck, but Kate was telling Marcail to gather her doll and tea set and get to the wagon. She grasped Joey's hand, thanked May and sailed out the back door.
Nearly everyone followed their progress to the barn, Rigg with his eyes on Kate alone. Joey and Marcail were close to Bill as he hitched up the horses and Rigg was able to get Kaitlin alone. Putting his arm around her waist, he led her just outside the barn door. When they stopped he stood face-to-face in front of her with his hands behind his back, his whole body bent to speak directly into her upturned, attentive face.
"You made a promise."
"I'm not breaking my promise," she told him. Her own hands were clasped behind her back and she cocked her head a bit to stare up into his gray eyes with honest candor. "I said I wouldn't go out there alone and I'm not. You're going with me."
'And if I refuse?"
"I'll ask Jeff." Her chin came up just a bit and Rigg brought one hand out to grasp that chin between his thumb and forefinger.
"I knew the first time I saw this chin, that you would be stubborn."
"I am not stubborn!" Kate denied, but made no move to step away from his touch. 'And further more, Mr. Riggs, I feel very strongly that we need to be involved in this little boy's life and not just once in a while. And that is going to involve our going to his house once in a while-"
Rigg had a very strange look on his face and Kate stopped.
"Are you finished?" he wanted to know.
"Yes," Kate answered tentatively.
"You can't say -I didn't warn you."
Kaitlin watched as Rigg's head lowered and his mouth brushed across her own. She was too stunned to move.
He smiled tenderly into her eyes when he raised his head. "I've changed my mind Katie," his voice was deep and soft. "You can call me Mr. Riggs anytime you want."
The entire family spilled out of the barn then, with the wagon ready to go. Rigg, Kate, Sean, Joey and Marcail were halfway to Joey's house before Kate realized she was no longer standing outside the Taylors' barn.
forty-four
Parker's dog Frank, bearing down on the wagon, was the needed element to bring Kate back to earth.
"Shut up, Frank!" a voice bellowed and everyone, including Parker standing by the house, stared at the young schoolteacher. The dog dropped to the ground as if by magic and looked up at Kaitlin with soulful eyes.
Kate climbed down from the seat, unassisted, patted the dog and moved toward the house. Knowing Rigg did not want her here, she took matters firmly into her own hands. Not unexpectedly, Rigg's feet had hit the ground as soon as Kate's did. All he could do, however, was watch her.
"Good evening, Mr. Parker. We were out at the Taylors'. I hope we didn't keep Joey out too long." Forging right ahead, Kate continued, "Mrs. Taylor gave Joey some old clothes that her boys have outgrown and I wanted to make sure you didn't have any objections."
Kate had walked closer as she talked and even though Rigg and Sean held their places by the wagon, they were watchful.
Kate stood about five feet from Parker now and waited. She noticed he looked a little better than he had before and wondered at the reason. When her statement went unanswered, she asked straight out.
"Mr. Parker, may Joey keep the clothes?"
The man's eyes moved over his son who stood next to Kate and then back to the men by the wagon. He looked at Kate a moment before speaking in a voice that sounded like it wasn't used much.
"How much did she want?"
"She wanted to give them to Joey because her boys can't wear them."
He shrugged after a moment-and- then spoke again.
"Sure." The answer, although brief, was enough. A smile broke across Joey's face.
"I need to get home now, Joey. I'll see you later. Good evening, Mr. Parker." Kate had all she could take for the moment. This family needed so much and r
ight now she was feeling too emotionally drained to deal with any more of it.
Kaitlin and Marcail waved from their seats in the wagon and Kaitlin was surprised when Sean and Rigg did too. Her heart felt like a heavy weight within her as she left Joey in that run-down home with no warmth or caring. And then the Lord reminded her that Parker had let him keep the clothes.
Kate praised God for this and thanked Him for May's tenderness and generosity. She then began to pray for Parker. Kaitlin was so intent on her thoughts that it took a moment for her to realize when the wagon had stopped in front of her little house.
It was growing late. Both Sean and Rigg got down to help the girls. Sean took Marcail inside and Rigg stood next to the wagon with Kate in front of him.
"You were a thousand miles away just then."
"Not a thousand, only about two."
"Joey," Rigg guessed correctly.
"And Mr. Parker," Kate said softly. Her gaze centered on nothing in particular in the gathering darkness.
Rigg's brows rose but he didn't question her. With Kate's mind on Joey he wondered if she'd even remembered his kiss. He couldn't get it out of his thoughts.
"Do you suppose that Joey has ever told his father that he loves him?"
"I don't suppose he's given the boy much to love," Rigg answered honestly. "He's too young to understand that the drinking his father does is not his fault, and yet, in a manner of speaking, he is the one who gets blamed when Parker is drunk and abusive."
'Are you sure that Mr. Parker is abusive? I mean, I've been to their house and I can see that they're poor. I could tell that just by his appearance at school and how little lunch he would bring. But I'm not sure I believe he's been abused. Neglected, possibly. Abused-I'm not too sure. Do you have firsthand knowledge that Mr. Parker abuses Joey?"
Rigg had never been asked that question before and he had to think a moment. He was a little ashamed to admit to Kate that he wasn't sure if what he'd heard was fact or town gossip.
"I feel rather ashamed."
"Oh, don't feel ashamed!" Kate said, her face wreathed in a smile. "I'm glad you don't know if it's true because it changes the way I feel about Joey and his father." Rigg looked confused by her logic and Kaitlin went on.
"I'll admit to you that I have a hard time with Mr. Parker when I think he might have hurt that woman or harmed Joey. But Rigg," both of Kate's hands came up to grasp Rigg's shirt front. "What I feel doesn't matter in the least. No matter what kind of a man Mr. Parker is, Christ died for him!" Kate pulled on his shirt a little more, her face and movements telling Rigg how badly she wanted to be understood.
"Please go home and read 1 Thessalonians chapters one and two. Please do that, Rigg, and tell me if we've reached out to him in the nurturing way those verses instruct. Does our love go out as God's does-unconditionally-or are we the type of people who only want to minister to the lovely, to the people who are easy to be near?"
The tears that flooded Kate's eyes were now flowing down her cheeks. "I want," she whispered tearfully, her voice breaking, "for Joey to come to Christ. But I also want Mr. Parker to know that someone loved him enough to die for him."
Kaitlin was utterly spent. Rigg watched her whole body sag before enfolding her in his arms and laying his cheek on the top of her head. He held her that way for a brief moment and then with a promise that he would read the chapters, called Sean to the wagon.
forty-five
The chapters Rigg read that night before going to sleep were familiar to him. But never before had he read them with a person's face so clear in his mind. Parker.
It would be very easy to answer Kate's question after reading 1 Thessalonians 2:7-"But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children." No, we haven't reached out as we're admonished to-"as a nurse cherisheth her children."
Rigg knew these chapters were describing Paul with Silas and Timothy, and the way they ministered to the people at Thessalonica. Paul stated in 1 Thessalonians 2:2 that a previous experience in Philippi did not keep them away, even though they were treated shamefully. But still they went to Thessalonica because God was leading them to the people there.
Rigg couldn't help but wonder how they'd been treated when they first arrived at Thessalonica. In 1 Thessalonians 1:5 Paul states that it wasn't just lip service on their part, but that they lived among them, in an effort to lead them to Christ, and lead them to Christ they did.
1 Thessalonians 1:6,7-'And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia."
Rigg went on, going to 1 Thessalonians 2:8, "So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us." If Rigg had any doubts about whether or not he was as burdened as Kate was for the Parkers, this verse cleared them immediately. At some point in Kaitlin's dealings with Joey, her heart had become very burdened for his soul. Now her heart was just as burdened for Parker.
Rigg read the chapters through one final time and fell asleep praying about how he could be involved in the Parkers' lives.
The remainder of the week was busy giving Kaitlin and Rigg little opportunity to discuss the Parkers. But when they did talk about it, they decided that the weekend would be the best time.
In the days leading up to the weekend, Joey came to Kate's house three times. She ministered to his physical needs-his elbow when he cut it, his stomach when it was empty, water for his thirst and shelter from the sun that shone down fiercely in the middle of the summer.
And unbeknownst to Joey, his emotional needs were being met as well. In a hundred little ways Kate made him feel special. Her hand on his shoulder, the way she smiled when he talked to her and the most special times of all, when she took Joey's chin in her hand, raised his head to look at her and told him he was so special to her and that she loved him very much.
During these visits Kate had done the majority of the talking. This trend changed on Saturday morning when Joey came to the house just as Kate was finishing with Sean's hair.
"I'm going to be late for work, Kate. Are you nearly through?"
"Yes, I am. Although Marshall will say your tardiness was worth it, now that you no longer look like a gypsy."
Marcail found this highly amusing and Sean made a smart remark to her in Hawaiian. Standing in the doorway unnoticed for a time, Joey listened to the heated discussion in a foreign tongue.
"Hi, Joey." Marcail said in a loud, surprised voice and all conversation stopped.
Kate could see that the little boy was ready to leave and spoke quickly, "Come in, Joey. I just cut Sean's hair. Would you like me to cut your hair?"
Joey's eyes went to Sean's head and Kate had a hard time holding her laughter. Sean let himself be inspected before flipping his cap onto his head. The cap was a brimless number with a visored front. Sean wore it rain or shine, giving him a jaunty look. It had been a gift from a Scottish missionary who'd been visiting Hawaii and Sean cherished it. He looked at Joey for a moment longer before winking at the younger boy, thanked his sister and headed out the door.
It took a little coaxing, but Kate persuaded Joey to sit down. She covered his clothing with a sheet and began to trim. Marcail was busy with her doll and for the first time Joey initiated a conversation.
"My Pa told me to thank you for the bread." Kate had ended up with an extra loaf of bread the day before and had sent it home with Joey.
"You're welcome Joey," she said simply and continued-to snip.
"I haven't been to the church lately."
"No, I guess you haven't." Kate tried to keep her voice neutral, even through the surprise she felt that he was talking at all, let alone mentioning the church.
"Is God really like a father?"
"Yes Joey, He is. The Bible describes Him that way many times, but you need to remember that there is a difference betw
een an earthly father and a heavenly Father. We love our fathers here on earth but they're not perfect. God is."
Joey was quiet for a time, as was Kaitlin. She wondered if, in the past, she had done too much talking or if it was because he was faced away from her as they spoke.
"Do you really think God hears when you pray?"
"Yes, I do. The Bible says God hears us and I know He's answered my prayers all my life."
"You always get what you ask for?"
"No I don't. Sometimes God's answer is no."
Again the little boy dwelt on this in silence. Kate was praying with all her heart and knew that she had to ask this child about eternity before he left her.
"I know all about Christmas," Joey shared softly. "I know that Jesus was born. But a little baby shouldn't die for a person's sins so I don't understand what Jesus it was that did that."
Kate was again surprised, this time at his knowledge. "Were you always the size you are now, Joey, or were you once a baby?"
"I was a baby."
"But you didn't stay a baby and neither did Jesus. He grew to be a man and it was that man who died on the cross to save the world. The baby and the man are the same Person, God's only Son."
"Does it say that in the Bible?"
"Yes, it does. Would you like me to show you?"
He nodded and Kate made a few more cuts with her scissors, removed the sheet, brushed him off and retrieved her Bible. She opened to the book of Luke and began to explain.
"In Luke 2, Joey, Christ's birth is told. Do you remember the story?"
"With the angels."
"That's right. In verse 11 it says, 'For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.' And if you keep reading it says that the shepherds came to see Him."
Joey nodded and Kate went on. "Well, if you read even farther down to verse 41 and 42, it says that when Jesus was 12 He went into Jerusalem with His mother Mary and her husband Joseph. So you see right there He's already 12 years old.
