Wild Heart on the Prairie (A Prairie Heritage, Book 2)

by Vikki Kestell

  ~~**~~

  Chapter 16

  In April the ground thawed and every farmer focused on plowing and planting his fields for the next harvest. Jan and Karl began the grueling task of breaking sod on Karl’s land to the north.

  “We need more feed corn now that we have our hogs, three steers and ten cows—and their calves too—to feed in the fall, eh?” Karl was exhilarated by the growth of their livestock, and this mild rejoicing was as exuberantly as ever Karl expressed himself.

  Two months later Jan and Karl mailed their proof papers to the land office in Fremont. They laid their hands on the letters before they sent them, thanking God for his grace and favor.

  Elli smiled for her husband’s joy . . . and for a secret joy of her own.

  Despite a drought that had begun the year before and had worsened over the winter, the Thoresens had done better than many of their neighbors, mainly because of their well-established herd of hogs. Even so, they had barely afforded the lumber and hardware to build Karl and Amalie’s house. They needed a good harvest this year and prayed for rain, as did their neighbors.

  On a crisp morning a few days after sending the proof papers, Karl and Jan hosted the raising of Karl and Amalie’s house. Karl and Jan had laid the foundation even with Jan’s house, not far across the property line, and about the same distance from the barn as Jan and Elli’s house.

  The Andersons brought along another family new to the neighborhood—Brian and Fiona McKennie and their little brood. Brian had claimed land to the west of the Andersons, a few miles closer to the growing town of RiverBend.

  As if the ethnic mix of the community was not diverse enough, the McKennies were newly emigrated from Ireland. Fortunately, they knew some English; unfortunately, they spoke it with a heavily accented brogue. Of course they knew no German, Swedish, or Norwegian.

  In spite of the language barrier, Brian and Fiona were a smiling, happy couple. Brian set to work with the men, whistling a quick, merry tune as he did. Fiona, pregnant with her third child, bustled about with the other women, easily making new acquaintances.

  Brian was a ruddy redhead; his oldest child, Meg, at age six, took after him with a bright complexion and deep auburn braids that hung down her slender back. Meg’s makeup could not have been more different from her mother’s curling black hair and black eyes, but the McKennie’s two-year-old son was the spit and image of Fiona.

  The Thoresens, even reserved Karl, took to the McKennies and their cheerful ways. “I like them, Karl. These are Christian people,” Jan said with appreciation. “It is good to have another Christian family in the neighborhood.”

  Karl nodded his agreement but pursed his lips. “Likely they are Catholic, Jan,” he answered quietly.

  “Ja, likely they are,” Jan said, shrugging his shoulders. “But there is no Catholic church anywhere near. Maybe they would like to come to our church, eh?”

  Karl shot his eyes to where Adolphe stood, carefully watching the work going on around him. “I would not mention it to Minister Veicht, Jan.”

  “So, Adolphe would not welcome the McKennies, is that it?” Jan muttered darkly. “Is that now how we treat our neighbors? Is that how we show the love of God?”

  “Jan, keep your tongue,” Karl shot back. “You are speaking of our minister!”

  “Ja, and I will ask again—how did he get to be our minister? I would like to know! Was it ever put to a vote of the people?” Jan’s voice had risen and several men had stopped working to listen.

  “Shush, Jan!” Karl hissed. “People are listening!” Before he turned aside he muttered, “You should be more careful of your words lest someone hear you!”

  “Maybe they should hear me, Karl! And I tell you—Tomas would not have stood around telling everyone what to do while never dirtying his hands.”

  Jan curbed his tongue after his last outburst even though his heart was still hot in his breast. He knew most of the men within earshot would not have understood what he’d said; nevertheless, they surely would have recognized his ire.

  He glanced around. Norvald caught his eye. “Ja, Norvald knows what I said,” Jan muttered.

  His Swedish friend nodded once in his direction and then went back to work. Jan, however, as hard as he tried, could not find his peace again.

  Lord, this man Adolphe has taken over our church and preaches only rules and regulations as ‘holiness,’ never encouragement or your love and grace, Jan fretted. I am having a hard time accepting his leadership.

  He sighed as the Lord convicted him again regarding his temper. All right, Lord. I put it in your hands again, ja? I will let you deal with it in your time.

  After the raising, Karl and Jan busied themselves framing the bedrooms and other interior rooms. Karl and Amalie’s house was the mirror of Jan and Elli’s—two stories, tall and narrow, with four small bedrooms upstairs and a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and pantry downstairs. Jan worked side-by-side with Karl to get the house to a place where Karl and his family could move in.

  I am being selfish in this, I know, Lord, Jan confessed, but still, it will be a good thing for both our families when we have our own houses, ja?

  Karl and Amalie had ordered Amalie her own cookstove and a larger stove for the living room. Money was tight, but by economizing elsewhere, Jan and Karl found what was needed. They set the stoves in place and plumbed their pipes.

  Jan labored tirelessly, building the kitchen cabinets and doors in his carpentry shop out in the barn. Even with the house not quite complete, Karl was certain that they could move into the new house in another week or two.

  The two Thoresen families went to bed one evening to the tumult of a much-needed spring rainstorm. Lightning flashed repeatedly and thunder shook the kitchen as they finished dinner.

  “Ah, we thank you, God, for the rain!” Jan rejoiced. Thunder rumbled overhead and rain slapped the sides of the house. Then he added, speaking to Karl, “But I am glad we had your house raising three weeks ago!”

  “I am glad we already did the milking, eh?” Karl chuckled. “And that all our livestock is under a good roof. I would rather sit in front of this warm fire than go out in such weather!”

  Jan grinned. He was pleased to hear Karl joke about the storm. Since the raising, Jan had seen his brother happier and more relaxed.

  I am glad to see my bror happy, Lord! Jan rejoiced.

  Elli woke in the night, not understanding why, but she was immediately wide awake. Their bedroom, with its windows shuttered against the night’s rain and cold, should have been quite dark.

  She sat up and looked around, wondering if it was truly morning. Not that she saw daylight, but she could faintly make out their simple bedroom furnishings. Perhaps a full moon had risen?

  Still confused, Elli climbed from their bed, went to the window, and slid it up. She loosened the shutters’ latch and opened them out a crack.

  Across the field a great fire blazed. Karl and Amalie’s house, engulfed in flames, lit up the night sky.

  Jan, Karl, and Søren battled the blaze into the morning hours. There never had been a chance of saving the house; it had been fully aflame when Elli’s screams had wakened them. They battled the fire so hot cinders would not jump to any of the sheds attached to the barn.

  Karl hoped they could recover the heating and cookstoves. The coals from the fire would take hours to cool, but Karl could make out the shapes of the stoves through the rubble.

  “We cannot afford to buy more lumber this year, not enough anyway,” Karl muttered. He hadn’t needed to say it; he and Jan had worked the numbers together and had already scrimped on other necessities to buy the materials for Karl’s house.

  Jan put his hand on Karl’s shoulder. “I am sorry, Karl.”

  They both were. It meant another year, at least, of Karl’s family sharing Jan and Elli’s house with them.

  “To tell you the truth,” Karl said softly, “I didn’t know how Amalie would cope with the three little ones without Elli and K
risten. Sigrün is a big help. But still . . .”

  Jan nodded. It was time to readjust expectations and attitudes, beginning with his own. It is all right, Lord. It is all right, he prayed over and over. I trust you.

  “Lightning likely struck your house . . .” he speculated softly. Then the import of what he said dawned on him. As it did, he gasped and prayed aloud, “Lord! We are grateful! So grateful that Karl and Amalie and their barn were not in their house last night!”

  Karl stared at Jan, struck dumb by the revelation. “My God!” He staggered and Jan caught him, lowered him to his knees.

  Karl choked on his sobs, hiding his eyes behind his hands. “Thank you, my God! Ach! I thank you for your mercy!”

  The two men knelt in the soot and ash together, praying and thanking God.

  That evening when the children were abed, the adults gathered around the table. They were still sober—shocked and stunned from the loss of the house, but grateful for God’s mercy.

  “I wish to say something to us all, something important,” Jan said softly. Elli, Amalie, and Karl turned their attention to him.

  “I have been . . .” Jan’s throat closed up on him and he had to swallow before more words would come out. “I have been . . . too mindful of what is mine and Elli’s and what is yours, Karl and Amalie. I have been . . . too concerned about my own needs and wants. I—”

  Again Jan’s tongue seemed to stick in his mouth, and tears were close to the surface. “I want you to know, Karl and Amalie, that I am sorry I have insisted on my own way, my ‘rights’. If I have made you feel unwelcome in this house, I ask your forgiveness.”

  Karl and Amalie were silent but their eyes were bright with moisture. Jan continued, “I ask you to consider this house as much yours as it is ours—in every way. I—”

  Karl’s hand touched Jan’s arm. “Bror, we thank you. From our hearts, we thank you. But it is not necessary. The things you and I quarreled over in the past needed to be fixed, ja? And haven’t we been better friends, better brothers for it?”

  Karl swallowed, moved by emotion. “Our great God knows our needs. If it takes another year to build another house, we will patiently wait for it. While we wait . . . we are thankful for you sharing your home with us.”

  Elli wiped her eyes with her apron and Amalie sniffled. Jan and Karl studied each other, a new understanding blooming between them.

  ~~**~~

  Chapter 17

  At church services Sunday word of the fire spread. All of Karl and Jan’s money and all of the community’s work that went into the house—gone. Every woman commiserated with Amalie; every man expressed his condolences to Karl.

  Heidi Veicht had led the way with the women of the church to hug Amalie and pray with her. Then she had turned her attention to Jan and Elli. She brought Norvald with her to translate.

  “Everyone is sorry for Karl and Amalie,” she said softly to Jan. “But no one considers that you worked on that house as much as Karl.” She put her hand on both of theirs. “The Lord will repay you for your work and love.”

  She smiled at Elli, that incredibly happy, gap-toothed smile, and hugged her wordlessly. Elli melted into Heidi’s embrace, even letting a few needed tears fall. Just knowing someone cared meant so much.

  Heidi held Elli until someone near Elli’s elbow spoke. “Großmutter. We have the meal to prepare now. Come along.”

  Elli felt Heidi’s arm tighten convulsively. Although Elli did not know what was said, she saw Heidi’s face as she looked up into Rakel’s cool gaze. Elli saw a flash, just an instant, of anger.

  “I have asked you not to call me großmutter, Rakel,” Heidi said quietly, her eyes not leaving her daughter-in-law’s face. “It is for my grandchildren to call me that.”

  Rakel’s eyes narrowed. “Shall I repeat this conversation to your son?”

  Again, Elli did not know what Rakel said, but she saw Heidi’s eyes shutter, saw her become compliant. Without a word of goodbye, Heidi, her head held high, followed Rakel into the kitchen.

  Elli and Jan stared at each other and Elli clasped Jan’s hand. Jan shook his head.

  Just then Jan saw Adolphe gesture Søren’s friend, Ivan Bruntrüllsen, to his side. Ivan actually spoke better German than his father, Norvald, did—just as Jan and Karl had seen how quickly their children had picked up German.

  Karl stood next to Adolphe. Adolphe talked with Karl for quite a while with Ivan translating. Jan wasn’t worried. He knew Karl would not whine or complain about the loss of his house or the difficult year ahead; that was not what Thoresen men did. And Jan was utterly at peace with his brother, perhaps more than at any time in their lives.

  He was curious, though, about the many questions Ivan put to Karl at Adolphe’s request. He was curious—and a bit uneasy.

  His uneasiness did not abate until they were on their way home. “What did Minister Veicht wish of you, Karl?” he asked as nonchalantly as possible.

  Karl frowned. “I have to say, he asked many questions of me. I am wondering what he is thinking.” He shrugged as if to say, “Who knows?”

  Jan said nothing more, but he continued to sense something in his spirit during the week. He prayed about it, giving it to God to carry until he was peaceful again.

  Whatever it is, Lord, you already know about it, eh? I can trust you with it.

  His uneasiness resurfaced two Sundays later after service as he was conversing with Norvald. Rikkert approached them, nodding at Norvald before saying, “Jan, Adolphe and the elders would have words with you.”

  Adolphe had again appropriated Ivan to translate for him. After Jan went to tell Elli, Karl, and Amalie that he would be delayed, he was gratified to see Norvald waiting for him. Jan shot him a questioning look.

  “I do not like this,” Norvald said under his breath. “If he wishes my son to translate for him, he will have my presence also.”

  “I am glad of it, friend,” Jan replied, and he meant it. He felt on his guard, but could not think why.

  Jan followed Minister Veicht, the three elders, and Ivan into the family’s kitchen. Norvald entered right behind him.

  “Herr Bruntrüllsen, this is a private matter with Herr Thoresen, if you please,” Adolphe Veicht said, surprised to see Norvald following Jan.

  “Ja, I understand; however, if my son is to be privy to this matter, I will be also.” He frowned. “I will also say that I am not comfortable with you asking my son to be involved in Herr Thoresen’s private matter without first consulting me.” Norvald sent Adolphe a look that did not invite argument.

  “I see,” Adolphe said, considering Norvald.

  Gunnar spoke up. “Norvald, we do not know what this matter is either; I apologize—I did not know Minister Veicht had not your consent for Ivan’s assistance.”

  Adolphe glared at Gunnar who shrugged as if to say, “I am just speaking the truth.”

  Adolphe turned back to Norvald. “Very well. You may stay, if Herr Thoresen agrees.” He indicated that Ivan should translate his words for Jan.

  “Norvald Bruntrüllsen is a good friend of mine,” Jan answered. “However, I am as unaware of this matter as he is. What is it you wish to discuss with me?”

  “Why don’t we all sit down?” Adolphe seated himself and indicated the other chairs in Tomas and Heidi Veicht’s kitchen. When everyone had been seated, he leaned forward, steepling his fingers.

  “We are most saddened to hear of the loss of your brother Karl’s house, Herr Thoresen. A terrible thing to happen after all the time and effort put into it.”

  Jan nodded. “Ja, we thank you for your concern.” Ivan diligently translated for both of them.

  Adolphe, looking over his fingers, asked, “Herr Thoresen, you are the younger son, are you not?”

  Jan was surprised. “Younger son? You mean of Karl’s and my parents?”

  “Yes; that is what I mean, of course,” Adolphe replied, as though Jan were thick-headed.

  “Ja, I am the younger son,” Ja
n answered.

  “Do you know that the Bible teaches that the elder son has preference over the younger?”

  Jan’s jaw tightened. “I was not aware this was to be a Bible lesson, Herr Veicht. I would prefer that you say what you wish to say to me plainly.”

  “Very well. It is truly sad that your brother’s—your elder brother’s—house burned. He was telling me last week that he will not be able to rebuild his house this year. That is, he happened to mention, unless he builds a much smaller house.” Veicht placed emphasis on the words a much smaller house.

  “Of course,” Adolphe said casually, “Karl has a growing family and a smaller house would be a hardship. You, on the other hand, do not need the large house you have at present as much as your brother surely does.”

  Jan’s mouth fell open and he was not the only one looking at Adolphe with open-mouthed astonishment. But Adolphe was not finished.

  He smiled and spread his hands as if to be gracious. “I believe, after spending a week thinking and praying on this, that God has told me it would be your Christian duty to give your elder brother and his family your house. After all, you have a small family, not likely to grow any further—”

  “Stop!” Ivan had been studiously translating what Adolphe said from German to Swedish. Jan cut him off. He stared at Adolphe for several moments. For some reason, he no longer felt uneasy. No, he knew he was standing on firm ground.

  Jan deliberately turned to Norvald, who was shaking his head. “What do you think of Adolphe’s proposal, Norvald?” Jan asked. He raised his eyebrows at his friend.

  Norvald looked at the other men in the room. “Did any of you know this was what Adolphe was going to say?”

  The three elders slowly shook their heads.

  “That is all right,” Adolphe said smoothly. “My elders trust my spiritual leadership. I have prayed on this and God has spoken to me. And Biblically, because Karl is the elder son, you should give the larger house to him, and you should build a smaller, less expensive home.”