by Sarah Thorn
They weren’t expected to do any chores around the house. Gabby’s family owned one of the largest general stores in town. Aeden and Donnie ran it. She narrowed her eyes, throwing yet another sheet up on the line to dry. She straightened it, stewing in her exasperation. They didn’t really do anything. They just told other people what to do. They never did anything around the house.
She heard a bell ringing from inside the house and peered in through one of the windows on the second floor. She saw a hand waving. Her grandmother needed something. She glanced over at her brothers, who had now stopped wrestling and were just sitting in the grass, talking. They didn’t move. She knew they heard that bell. But were they going to go help Nana? No. Of course they weren’t.
She sighed heavily and abandoned the remaining part of the wet laundry to attend to her grandmother. Both of her grandparents were elderly and frail. It seemed amazing that she had lost both her parents, who had been so strong and vibrant, in a tragic train accident and was left with grandparents who couldn’t even get out of bed by themselves most of the time.
She was disgusted that all her life was about was cleaning, caring for her grandparents – though she truly did love them – and doing menial chores like an old spinster. She didn’t go into town to do anything, she had only a handful of friends and they were marrying off faster than she could blink.
Gabby went up the stairs to the second floor with determined feet.
One foot after the other, she thought. This is the way it’s always going to be for me. Aeden and Donnie will never do anything but frolic with the ladies in town and take care of themselves.
She pushed open the door to her grandmother’s room and went in.
“You all right, Nana? What can I get for you?” She smiled as she went in the room, not wanting to give her grandma the impression she didn’t want to be there helping her. She cared for the old woman greatly, whether or not she wanted to be stuck in her life like this forever.
“Hello, little flower.” Her grandmother was tiny, sitting in a rolling chair near her window where she’d been looking out. “Little flower” was always what Nana called her and she didn’t mind. It was better than Gabby, a name she had despised from the first time it had come from her brother’s mouth. Her older brother, Aeden, had first called her that and the rest of them just followed along. As usual. Except for Nana. Nana always called her “little flower” no matter how big she got and gave her a sweet smile to go along with it. “Do you think you could make me a cup of hot tea?”
“I would love to.” She nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
Anxious to retrieve hot tea for her Nana as quickly as she could, she hurried down the stairs and into the kitchen. One glance out the window told Gabby her brothers had not bothered to help her out by finishing the laundry for her. But it was okay. The two sheets and cases she’d left in the basket where theirs. They would have to deal with wrinkled sheets.
She set a pot on the stove and waited for the water to heat up. She set the flame to the highest she could and waited. She took another smaller pot and set it on one of the other areas of the cooking-stove and dropped in three heaping spoonfuls of tea. When the water was boiling, she poured it over the tea, enough to make at least three cups worth.
When the tea was brewed to her satisfaction, she removed it from the heat and poured it into two mugs, one for her and one for her Nana.
She took the two steaming cups of liquid up the stairs carefully and pushed Nana’s door open with her backside. “Here we go, Nana. I thought I’d join you for a bit of tea, if you don’t mind.”
“Oh of course not, dearie.” The old woman replied. “I love to sit and have time with my garinίon! I love to talk to you.”
Gabby smiled at the sound of her mother’s Irish word. It was the only one she ever heard from the homeland. It meant “granddaughter”. It pleased Gabby to hear it. “Thank you, Gamma, you are so wise. I like talking to you, too.” She set the cup down next to her Nana on the table and then sat near her on a small cushioned chair that she dragged up close. She sipped her tea, which was still quite hot.
“Tell me,” The old woman leaned forward, her still red hair, though lightened over the years, fell forward, curling down to touch Gabby’s hand. Gabby was impressed with the quality of the old woman’s long locks. It seemed to her since she was like her grandmother, she would likely keep her own flaming red hair for quite a few years. Even her Nana’s green eyes flashed when she looked over at Gabby, catching the sun through the window for just a brief moment. It made Gabby wonder how a frail woman like Nana could have such fine hair and flashing young eyes. “Have you met a young man to marry yet?”
Gabby’s cheeks flushed. “No, Nana. I don’t have time for that. I have to care for you and Grampa.”
Nana leaned forward and retrieved the hand Gabby had taken back. “You will find your life changing soon enough, little flower. You need to think about your future. You need to be happy.”
Nana always made her feel better. She had the right words to say and always calmed Gabby’s heart when she was down.
“Have you been saying your prayers, little flower?”
“Yes, Nana. I really have.” And she had. She wasn’t sure God really wanted to hear her complaints, though. He was hearing them all the time, if He was listening to her. She took a sip, thinking maybe it would be better if He wasn’t listening. She looked at her Nana and thought about how long the old woman had lived and what she had gone through during troubled times in Ireland. Gabby had always been fed and clothed and safe, for the most part. She was just miserable and bored.
“I know He’s going to give you a good life, little flower. You are so young. My sweet little girl, you will be happy.”
“Nana, if you’re talking about when you and Grampa pass, I really don’t want to think about it.”
“Oh, but you don’t have to worry about us, dearie. We have both lived very long and are still living! You are very young and need to live! You won’t have to wait too long, I’m certain of it.”
Gabby shook her head. “I don’t see how, Nana. I don’t know any man I’m interested in and there have been no suitors.”
“You must have hope and faith. Both are things you can’t see. Since you believe in God, you must have believe in hope and faith. Try it out! You’ll see it will change your perspective.”
“Oh, Nana.” Gabby smiled at her. “I will try very hard to have hope for my future. I just…”
Nana cut her off, shaking her head. “Don’t you do that, dearie. You will be happy.”
She sounded so certain, Gabby couldn’t help but believe her. She nodded. “Okay, I will try to be positive.”
Nana nodded and looked out of the window again, sipping her tea. Her hand was shaking when she lifted it and Gabby reached out to help her steady it. “Thank you, dear.”
“I love you, Nana.” Gabby said. “I really do. I don’t want you do pass very soon.”
Nana looked at her, widening her eyes. “You mustn’t say such a thing. I have lived a long time, as I said. I am ready to see the Lord.”
Gabby felt tears rising to her eyes and fought them.
“I love you, too, little flower. My life now is not very active. I used to be very active and was for many years. But time has caught up with me and now I just wait for my final judgment. I love the Lord and I am ready for Him.”
“Oh, Nana.” Gabby couldn’t help letting her tears fill her eyes. She looked up and out at the sky when two of them escaped and rolled slowly down her cheeks. She hid them and her flushed cheeks by taking a sip of her tea. When she discovered it was just the right temperature for her, she took longer drinks of it. Soon, it was gone.
“I need to go finish hanging the sheets, Nana.” She stood up and leaned to kiss her Nana on the cheek. “I love you.”
A chill of delight ran through her when her Nana giggled. If she was ever to leave this place, she would miss her sweet grandmother the most.
She felt a lot better as she went down the stairs and out to hang up the sheets she’d left behind. Her brothers were nowhere in sight when she stepped out into the blazing sun. She was immediately hot again and her forehead was wet before she even got to the line. She wasn’t as frustrated now. When she got to the basket, she began singing an old hymn Nana had taught her when she was young.
“Lord, ‘tis a pleasant thing to stand, In gardens planted by thine hand; Let me within thy courts be seen, Like a young cedar, like a young cedar, Like a young cedar, fresh and green.”
She finished the sheets and cases fairly quickly, anxious to get back into the house, where it was cooler. It was uncommonly hot for this time of year. It was already November. She expected snow soon. But not if the heat remained where it was. Thanksgiving would be celebrated soon. She wondered if her brothers had plans. She had to assume they did. They usually did. Before she could begin to dwell, she resumed her singing.
“Laden with fruits of age, they show the Lord is holy, just and true; None who attend his gates shall find A God unfaithful or unkind.”
****
Chapter Two
The sun burned bright outside Edward’s window and he could feel the intense heat through the glass. He was dreading going out there, even though he was used to the heat in Arizona. His depressed state had only gotten worse and he was beginning to think he was going to lose his mind. Mark looked over the land, watching Jonathan play in the yard. He was pushing the pram quickly over the short grass, stopping short and then leaning over to make sure his baby sister had a smile on her face. When he saw that she did, he would take off again, only to stop once more and lean over.
Jonathan repeated the motion over and over. It was as if he would never stop. Edward didn’t stop him. He knew that Jon wouldn’t let anything happen to Emilia. She was precious to him, a reminder of the mother he had lost.
Edward’s heart squeezed when his dear wife, Beth, passed through his mind. He was glad Jon didn’t resent the baby when it was during her birth that they had lost his sweet Beth. In fact, the boy treated the little baby girl as if she was made of precious gold, a fine gem that would shatter if put under too much strain. He hadn’t expected it but it was a true blessing. He hadn’t taken it nearly as well.
It had been six months since then. Edward’s sister, Patricia, had been visiting every single day since, trying to get him to give the baby to her.
He couldn’t do it. He loved Emilia more than his sister or anyone else realized. His depressed mood didn’t come from having to care for a baby. It came from having the opportunity to live his life happy with the woman he loved ripped from his hands, crushing his heart. His spirit for life, the flame that keeps everyone going, was almost out.
He’d been in deep thought all morning. He had decided to miss work today, knowing that his job as the head groundskeeper for the vicarage in town was secure. He’d worked there since he was sixteen, ten years ago. They loved him there and he loved his job. The only other time off he’d ever asked for was when Beth died. He took a week and then went back to business as usual.
But it wasn’t business as usual in his heart. Nor his mind. He was finding it hard to concentrate. And his children needed him to pull it together. He wanted so much to care for them properly, to be a happy, playful father like he would have been, like he was before he lost Beth. Jon had seen the change and said nothing. For a nine year-old, he was extremely wise.
Edward didn’t want Jon to grow up so fast. He didn’t want the little boy to miss out on playing and having fun and enjoying his life because he needed to be a father and mother to a newborn.
He heard the door slam and turned in his seat to look behind him, leaning forward on the table. He grunted and nodded when Patricia came into the room.
“Hello, Eddie, how are you today?”
“I’m all right,” Edward said, his deep voice resonating naturally through the room. Patricia came over and stopped to stand next to him. He turned and looked back out at Jon, who was still playing the same game.
“You shouldn’t let him play out there in the heat like that,” Patricia said, her stern tone irritating him immediately. She acted like he didn’t know how to parent without Beth, that he hadn’t raised Jon to the age of nine, too. “He’ll turn red and fall over unconscious.”
“He’ll be fine, Patty. Did you need something today?”
“Why aren’t you at work?”
“I took the day off.”
“You never take days off. And do you think you should? You will never get your head back on straight if you aren’t working. You’ll just sit here and think about it day in and day out. How do you think that’s going to make the children feel? Well, Jonny anyway. If you don’t…”
She continued on until Edward thought she should be glad their father had taught him to respect the weaker sex. All he really wanted was for her to be quiet. He would have welcomed her help otherwise. If only she could have come over to help without criticizing every step he took.
“Did you suppose to leave the children here by themselves today?”
“Of course not, Patty. I take them to the vicarage with me on Saturdays. Always have. Why would it be different today?”
For the first time in a long time, Patty didn’t reply. He glanced up at her and saw the look on her face. It irritated him even more. She was gazing at his children as if they were hers. That wouldn’t have been so bad if the look wasn’t mixed with such jealousy and bitterness. She and her husband had not been able to conceive. She had always been upset that her little brother had a child first. When Beth became pregnant the second time, it was like Patricia’s pain doubled.
Her dark hair was pulled back from her face and pulled up in a tight bun. She had a long, thin face and a large pouty mouth. They had never been close. That wasn’t going to change.
“Patty, why are you here today? I don’t remember asking you to come by for anything.”
“You don’t have to ask, Eddie.” Patty looked down at him through narrow eyes. “You know those kids need someone to watch out for them and I’m just doing my part.”
Edward’s jaw clenched and he abruptly stood up, knocking Patty backwards slightly. She was the same height as he but much thinner, with less muscle power. She steadied herself on her feet, widening her eyes in shock and anger.
“Excuse me, Edward!”
He narrowed his eyes at her and leaned toward her. She took a step back.
“My children don’t need someone to watch out for them, Patricia! They have their father! That’s me! Don’t you forget that!”
Patricia stiffened her spine and huffed at him. “Well! I was just trying to help my brother!”
“Yes, to his children! But you can’t have them. They are not going with you. And yes, I understand you were only really interested in taking Emilia. But for the last time, woman, I am not turning them over to you, even for a night! I do appreciate all the help you’ve given me, especially when Emilia was first born! But I do not want your help any longer, do you understand me?”
Patricia was making small noises, unable to get a complete word out. Her face had drained of all color and she was staring at her brother, stunned.
“That means you do not need to come by whenever you wish any more. I will raise my children and I do not want your interference, criticism or bitterness in my house anymore!”
He began to walk toward her. She moved backward and was eventually at the threshold of the house. She turned quickly and was out on the porch in half a second. He followed her out on the porch to make sure she went back to her small wagon.
She turned back to spit out the words, “You’re going to regret pushing me away, Edward. You’ll never have anyone and you’ll be miserable all your life.”
He shook her off with one hand, gesturing wildly in the air. “Go on, Patricia! Go on out of here! You can’t have them! Just leave!”
“Oh!” Patricia stomped to her wagon and pulled herself up
. “Scoot! Go!” She slapped the reins and rode off, stiffening her back and looking as refined and dignified as possible.
“Good riddance to ya.” Edward mumbled as he watched her go. Soon the wagon was lost in the dust and he turned back to go inside.
He let the door slam behind him, went through the house and out the back door to the yard where his children were. His young son had carefully taken the baby from her pram and laid her on a blanket he’d prepared on the ground under the shade of a tree he’d planted ten years ago when Jon was born.
“Hey there, Jon. What are you and Emilia doing?”
“I was pointing out some shapes I see in the clouds.” Jon pushed himself up on his elbows, giving his father a large smile. “But it’s kind of hard to do that when we are under the tree. I thought maybe she needed to be in the shade for a bit because I don’t want her face to turn red.”
“You are one smart lad.” Edward nodded and dropped to sit cross-legged on the ground next to his children. Emilia turned her tiny head to look at her papa and gave him a large smile.
Edward’s heart lifted, feeling as if it was up in the clouds Jon was trying to look at. Both of his children were smiling at him. It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. He wanted to shed his mood and bring back the happiness to his home.
But how?
That evening as he perused the newspaper after his children were in bed, he had an idea. He’d heard that some men were sending for a woman from the East to travel to them to become their bride. He looked in the section where they usually had any advertisements but didn’t see anything like he was thinking about.
Edward realized that there wouldn’t be any in this newspaper because the wives were being sought from the East. He wondered if such a thing would be good for his children. He would be brutally honest with any woman who might answer such an ad. He had no plans of lying. He would let the woman know he had lost his Beth and was interested in rebuilding his family.
