It had belonged to his uncle.
Uncle Gabe had come to live with him and his mom the summer before Oliver started junior high. He rarely saw his dad. The man was divorcing wife #2 at that time. His mom was working long hours to make ends meet, and when Uncle Gabe moved in, Oliver had been starving for some adult attention.
He ran his hands over the Bible. It was Uncle Gabe who had first taken him to church, who made him go to confirmation classes and join the youth group. It was also Gabe who had taught him how to hit a baseball, throw a football, and had taken him running—laying the foundation for his success in track, success that had earned him a scholarship.
But, Gabe died five years ago, and even though his mom’s note said she’d only just found the bible during some spring cleaning, it was strange that she would send it now at the exact time Mrs. Parker had asked him to go to church when he hadn’t been in years.
There wasn’t any special reason that he hadn’t gone to church in so long. He was so busy in college, and in the years following that, he just hadn’t taken the time to find a church. Somehow it hadn’t seemed important then.
But now, Oliver felt like he wanted more stability in his life. He wanted a home that he could call his own and a community that he could be part of. Church represented a part of that community. He’d been telling the truth when he said he was glad Mrs. Parker had asked him to come.
But he still hadn’t opened the book. He hadn’t stopped missing his uncle in the years since his death. Opening the book, seeing Gabe’s handwriting and reading his notes, it would bring back the fact that Gabe was gone.
Oliver put down the book and decided to go running instead.
****
Hope’s brother, Joseph, was a very traditional person. He saw himself as head of the family since their parents had retired to Florida, and that meant a family dinner around his table on every Sunday. Everyone had a job for Sunday dinner. Hope’s job usually was to bring a salad. Joseph made the main course. His teenage kids, Noah, Abby and Peter took turns clearing the table and doing dishes as well as helping make side dishes.
Recently, their Sunday dinner crowd had expanded by three, Hope’s nieces Dorinda, Lucinda and Belinda. They were her sister’s six year old triplet daughters. Today, Hope was attempting to teach them how to set the table. It wasn’t going well.
“Why do we have to do this anyway?” whined Dori.
“Yeah,” Lucy chimed in. “Why can’t we just use paper plates? That’s what we always do at home.”
Hope tried not to think about what their home life had been like for the last few years. She should be glad Theresa had kept the children fed, and not worry about what they were eating from, but the constant ache of guilt in her heart increased every time she thought of her sister. She should have known Theresa wasn’t all right and should have gone to be with her. But she hadn’t, and now her sister, after years of using alcohol to numb her own grief over her husband’s death, was in a treatment facility as required by her sentence from one too many drunk driving charges.
Joseph, himself widowed, insisted on taking the girls. It was that head of the family thing again, Hope knew, although she thought she should have been the one to provide for them. Joseph already had three kids. Hope was alone. She’d be able to give more time to them. But Joseph had insisted, and she’d lost that battle.
“We use paper plates once in a while,” Hope explained to the girls. “But for Sundays especially, your Uncle Joseph likes to use the real dishes. OK?”
Dori gave a loud huff. “I guess so. Let’s put them on the table.”
“I think the dishes are pretty, Aunt Hope,” said Belle in a quiet voice.
“Once we have the plates on, we’ll put on napkins, silverware and glasses.”
“This would be a lot easier if Uncle Joseph would just get lunch at the drive through on the way home from church.” Dori was definitely a handful. Hope reminded herself—yet again—that the girls had been neglected for the past couple of years, and that moving to a strange town to live with relatives who were practically strangers had to be difficult for them.
“Uncle Joseph’s dinner will be way better than anything you could get from a fast food place,” Hope said firmly.
Dori shrugged. “Whatever.”
No less than five arguments later, the table was set and dinner was ready. The food was brought out and everyone took their places at the table. Joseph sat at the head, Hope at the foot. The triplets lined one side of the table and the teens the other. Noah, Joseph’s oldest, was seventeen, Abby was fifteen and Peter had just turned fourteen.
Hope caught Lucy’s hand as she grabbed for a roll. “Remember, we say grace first.”
“There are too many rules in this place,” Lucy grumbled. But she folded her hands and bowed her head with the rest of the family, so Hope let it slide.
Once the prayer was said, everyone filled their plates. While they ate, Hope debated about the best way to bring up her idea to Joseph. She found her opening when he asked, “How is your summer going?”
“So far so good. The summer rec’ programs have started.”
“Right. What did you say you were doing for that?”
“A story time for the younger kids and a reading group for the older ones. The older kids bring a lunch, and we read and discuss books while we eat. It’s a good way to keep the kids reading over the summer.”
“Do you think I could help with story time?” asked Abby.
“Sure, why not,” Hope replied. “I could always use an assistant.”
“You should enjoy your summers while you still can,” Noah broke in. He was working his first job this summer to save for college.
“I am enjoying it,” Abby told him, unruffled. “I like helping Hope.”
“Anyway,” Hope said, feeling the need to steer the conversation back on track, “the rec’ program doesn’t take up much of my time, so I was thinking…”
Joseph, as if he sensed what was coming, set his fork down with a sigh. “You were thinking what?”
“Maybe the triplets could stay with me over the summer.” She held her breath, hoping he would agree.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“They’ve had enough disruption in their short lives. I don’t want them moved again.”
“I want to live with Hope,” complained Dori, although Hope wasn’t sure if it was because she really wanted Hope or for the sake of starting an argument.
Lucy, forever following Dori’s lead, added, “Yeah, we wouldn’t have to share the bathroom with so many people there.”
Belle spoke so quietly that Hope almost missed her comment. “But I like being with Abby.”
Ignoring the comments from the peanut gallery, Hope said, “It’s not like they’re moving across country. I only live a few blocks away, for crying out loud.”
“I don’t care, Hope. That’s my decision. Kids, if you’re finished you can start clearing the table. We’ll have dessert later.”
Hope fumed as she started to stack plates. He hadn’t even considered her offer. She had the least responsibility of the two, why shouldn’t she take the triplets?
“Let the kids do that, Hope. It’s a beautiful day. Come and sit out on the deck with me.”
She put the plates down and followed her brother through the house and out onto his deck. He settled in a chair, but Hope leaned on the railing and stared off into space.
“I can certainly see where Dori gets her stubbornness from,” he said lightly.
Hope turned around. “What do you mean?”
“I wish you’d stop asking to take the girls.”
“I just don’t feel like I’m helping enough.”
“They spend the night with you at least once a week. You’re playing softball with Abby. All the kids adore you. You help out a lot.”
“I could do more.”
“I know how good you are with children, but you’ve never been a parent. It’s different. P
lus Abby and the boys are old enough to give me a hand with—what do they call them at school?—‘The Terrible Trio?’”
“Don’t call them that,” she snapped. “If they hear that enough, they’ll start trying to live up to that title.”
“I think they already have,” said Joseph with a sigh that attested to the storms he’d already weathered with them.
Hope began to pace back and forth on the deck. She was so frustrated with the situation. “Maybe I should move in with you.”
“What?”
“I’d be here, then, when the kids need me.”
“This house is bursting at the seams as it is. You’d have to sleep in the bathtub. And believe me, that wouldn’t help the bathroom situation any.”
“The house wouldn’t be so crowded if you let the triplets come and live with me.”
“Hope…”
There really wasn’t any more she could do about it. Officially, Theresa had left her daughters in Joseph’s care.
Joseph got up and crossed the deck to put his arm around her. “You have to stop feeling guilty about Theresa. She created her own problems.”
“I could have spent the whole summer with her after Jamie died…”
“You offered. She said ‘no.’ Hope, you can’t just steamroll people. Sometimes they need help, but they don’t want it.”
Hope turned into him, and he gave her a hug. “You’re the baby of the family. Aren’t you supposed to be the spoiled, irresponsible one?” he teased.
“My big brother would never let me get away with being spoiled or irresponsible,” she mumbled into his shoulder.
“No, I guess you turned out all right, thanks to me.”
Hope pulled away from him and punched him on the arm. “Just all right?”
“Better than all right. Let’s go see if those dishes are done. Maybe we can get a game of monopoly going.” Joseph steered her back into the house, and Hope had to admit she’d lost another battle.
Table of Contents
Orchard Hill: volume Two
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 2
Chapter 1
Orchard Hill Volume Two Page 27
