by Zina Abbott
Emeline had been comatose far more the past several days than before. Even when she did wake, she was often disoriented. Bessie had called up all her reserves of patience and inner fortitude each time her mother awoke in order to encourage her into the present and to eat some food. Her mother’s comments about seeing her deceased brother had disturbed Bessie.
Bessie recalled the scene. Two days earlier her mother had looked at her without really seeing her for long enough Bessie had grown uncomfortable at the stare. “Ma, can I get you something? Our landlady, Mrs. Johnson, brought up some broth for you not long ago.”
“I saw Wendell.”
Bessie had kept her words gentle. “Ma, Pa is dead, remember?”
“No. I mean my boy.”
“Junior?”
“Yes. He didn’t say anything, but I felt like he was waiting for me. It was so strange. They said he was killed in that big battle in Gettysburg. I would have thought after all the marching they had done, and all the fighting that took place, his uniform and face would have looked worn and dirty, maybe a bullet hole and blood where he was shot. He appeared as neat and handsome as the day he had that daguerreotype taken of him before he left.”
Bessie had felt chills run up and down her spine, but had chosen to not comment. She knew with her mother’s heart failure the doctor had advised against laudanum, so her mother’s dream had not been a result of a hallucination brought on by medication. If her dream brought her comfort, Bessie would not begrudge her mother.
“Ma, please try to take some broth and some tea.”
After a few sips of broth, Emeline had asked. “Have you heard from Simon?”
“Yes, Ma. He caught the train and should be here day after tomorrow.”
“Good. I only need to hang on until then. Your father is waiting for me too.”
“Pa?”
“Yes. He looks so much better than when we last saw him, Bessie, not worn down and sick like before he passed. He looks younger, like he did when you children were small and we lived in our house.”
Bessie had not known what to say, so she had said nothing. As long as her mother’s dreams brought her comfort and peace, Bessie would not begrudge them or try to correct her mother’s perceptions. It was enough to stay with her and care for her the best she knew how until the end.
~o0o~
Simon double-checked the address on the paper in his hand. Then again, the hired driver should know his way around the city well enough to have gotten him to the correct place. He paid his fare and, with his valise in one hand, dismounted and approached the door. He shook his head as he waited for someone to answer his knock. He knew his Carlson kin had been forced to sell their nice home and were living in more humble circumstances. However, he was not prepared for finding his sister and niece living in such a dilapidated building in a seedy neighborhood that certainly could not be very safe for two women alone.
Simon felt pangs of regret that he had not made a point to visit Emeline and Bessie before he and Desi had moved to Jubilee Springs. The truth was, at the time their mercantile had been declining long enough that his own finances had been in a shambles. It was only with Aaron’s encouragement and a small amount of financial help from him that he had been able to sell his building and pack up his remaining inventory to move it to Jubilee Springs. There had been no time or extra money for a side trip to Terre Haute to say goodbye to his family there.
He had seen Bessie’s brother, Benjamin, before he had left. He had even persuaded him to help him pack up and get the crates and barrels of goods to the railroad depot in exchange for some of the foodstuffs Simon had not wanted to bring with him. Simon shook his head as he considered Benjamin. That was one young man who had not lived up to his potential. Simon would be not be surprised to learn Ben had done very little, if anything, to help out his mother and sister. As for Martha and her husband, he knew without a doubt there would have been no help from that direction. The one who should have done more before now was him.
Simon’s thoughts were interrupted as a thin, middle-aged woman with dark circles under her eyes answered the door.
“Hello. I’m Simon Brinks. Did I reach the right residence for Emeline and Bessie Carlson?”
The woman’s smile in response to his enquiry brightened her face. “Yes. I’m Mrs. Johnson and I own this boarding house. You must be Mrs. Carlson’s brother. I know the two ladies have been waiting for you. They’ll be pleased to see you. Please feel free to leave your valise back in my kitchen. No one will bother it there.”
Simon followed the woman up the stairs. “Is my sister well, then?”
The woman turned to speak to him as she continued to slowly climb. “I’m sorry, Mr. Brinks, but I don’t believe so. Miss Carlson spends almost all her time with her now and she says her mother sleeps almost all the time.” They continued to climb. The higher they traveled up the stairs, the more Simon felt the heat magnified by the humidity in the air. He realized the air in the Emeline’s and Bessie’s rooms must be stifling. Although it grew quite warm in the summer up in Jubilee Springs, he appreciated just how much he did not miss the summer heat and humidity of the Great Lakes region.
Mrs. Johnson’s words snatched him out of his musings. “You realize, of course, I generally do not allow gentlemen up to the rooms of my single women boarders. However, I understand your sister’s circumstances.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Johnson. I appreciate your concern, and that you have taken measures to provide a safe living situation for my sister and my niece.”
“This is their room.”
Simon raised an eyebrow as the woman knocked on the third floor room in the middle of the hallway. Their room? The two had been forced to share a single room? Simon glanced up and down the hall as he heard footsteps approach the door. The room was in the center of the deep building, meaning unlike the rooms on either side that had two outside walls at right angles with windows which would allow for a bit of cross-breeze, there was no chance of the same in the room his sister and niece shared.
As soon as the door opened and Bessie saw him, she flung herself in his arms. “Oh, Uncle Simon, you came. You have no idea how wonderful it is to see you.” Bessie burst into tears as Simon hugged her tight and patted her back.
After a several seconds, Bessie stepped back with a sniffle and reached for a handkerchief she had tucked up her sleeve. “I’m sorry, Uncle. I don’t know what got into me. But I am so happy you were able to come. Ma has been asking for you.”
Her hands folded, Mrs. Johnson backed away from the scene. “I’ll be leaving you now. If either of you have need of me, I’ll be down in the kitchen getting things prepared for supper.”
Both Bessie and Simon turned to the landlady, but it was Simon who spoke. “Thank you, Mrs. Johnson. I’ll check on my sister and then I’ll be down in a little while. I’m not that familiar with Terre Haute, but I’ll need a place to stay for at least a week. Perhaps you can help me with that.”
As the landlady left them, Simon removed his jacket as he followed Bessie into the room. The situation was just as dire as he had feared, if not worse. The smell of a sickroom pervaded the atmosphere. The curtains over the open windows barely fluttered, meaning there was hardly a breeze that made it way between the narrow space between the two buildings. The room felt cramped, filled with inexpensive furniture adorned by a few knick-knacks and heirlooms the two women had brought with them. Simon’s heart sank as his sense of guilt soared. He should have seen through Bessie’s optimistic letters that glossed over the difficulties she and her mother faced. He could have come sooner, or at least have found a way to help them earlier.
“Wendell, is that you? You came back for me?”
The sound of the weak, quavering voice captured Simon’s attention. The frail woman, only a shadow of her former self, could not possibly be his sister, the wonderful young woman who had been as much of a mother to him in his formative years as his own mother had been. Yet, there was no mistaking her
face for any other than Emeline.
Simon sat in the chair usually used by Bessie. He reached over and gently took her frail fingers—fingers so thin they were bones barely covered by skin. “No, Emeline. It’s your brother, Simon. I’ve come from Jubilee Springs to visit.”
“Oh, Simon! You’ve come.” Emeline raised up as if to embrace her brother, but quickly fell back against her pillow. “I’m sorry, Simon. My heart has betrayed me. Only my body, though, never those I love.”
“I know you would never betray your family, Emeline. Just lie still and don’t overtax yourself.”
“No, Simon, now you are here I need to get things settled so I can go in peace. Brother, I need you to take care of my Elisabeth for me. I know she plans to go back to work in that hotel like she did before, but that is no life for my girl. She has no one here anymore. Sad to say, she cannot count on her brother and sister. I would like to think if Junior were still alive, he would have been responsible, but we’ll never know.” Emeline’s words were interrupted by a coughing spat. “I do not want her left here alone to work her fingers to the bone with nothing to look forward to in her future.”
“Rest yourself, Emeline. Desi and I have already discussed this. We already decided I will do my best to convince Bessie to come back to Colorado with me.”
Bessie stepped forward. “I don’t want to be a burden, Uncle. Besides, we—I have obligations to take care of here. I can’t leave until I pay off a few debts.”
Simon twisted in his seat to face his niece. “We’ll speak of this later, Bessie. I’m here to help you and your mother. Right now, she needs to be reassured that you will not be cast adrift.”
“I know, Uncle Simon. It’s just that…” Bessie turned and walked away in an attempt to once again hide the emotions threatening to overcome her.
“Take care of her, Simon. Take her with you. Don’t let her sell everything that has been in the family all these years. I no longer have a use for them, but she will want them once she is settled. It is time for me to go. My Wendell is waiting for me. Both of them.”
“I will, Emeline.” Before Simon finished speaking the words, he realized his sister had once again lapsed into a deep sleep. With dismay he noticed her chest barely moved, as though it no longer had the strength to draw a full breath. He gently placed the hand he had been holding across his sister’s middle on top of the turned-down sheet that covered her.
“For the past several days Ma has been blathering on about seeing Pa and my oldest brother in his full uniform. I don’t know what to make of her dreams she’s had lately.”
“I’ve heard of such things happening when a person is near death. I’m sure there is a part of all of us who would like to believe we continue on past this life on earth and there are loved ones who will welcome us.” Simon rose and turned to Bessie. “I need to make arrangements for where I’m going to stay for the next few days, Bessie. I hate to leave you again since I imagine you haven’t had many breaks from the sick room. But I assure you I will come to relieve you so you can go down to supper.”
Bessie bit her lip and stared down at her fidgeting fingers. “We no longer pay for board, Uncle Simon, only for room. I’ll find something to eat up here.”
Simon’s eyebrows shot towards his hairline. He looked around the room without seeing any signs of food except for a small sack of oats and what might or might not be in the breadbox. “I will be paying for your supper tonight, Bessie. No arguments, please. I’ll be back so you can go down to eat.”
Downstairs, Simon sought out Mrs. Johnson. After wiping her hands on a dishtowel, she joined him in the dining area. “Mrs. Johnson, I need to stay somewhere for short time. I know you probably prefer monthly rentals on your rooms. However, if you have a room free you wouldn’t mind renting to me for a week so I can stay close to my sister, I would appreciate it.”
The woman broke into a smile. “It just so happens I do have a room, Mr. Brinks. I would be happy to let you have it for a week along with board, if that is agreeable.”
They settled on the price before Simon added. “I understand my sister and niece are no longer receiving board. Could you please explain that to me?”
Mrs. Johnson inhaled and began wringing her hands. “I hated to see it, but Miss Carlson asked that she no longer take her meals with the rest. You see, once she gave up her job at the hotel just before Easter, she hasn’t been able to pay me for anything, not even the room. She promised that once her mother’s health either improved or…well, I think we both knew even back then what the probable outcome would be. She promised to return to work and pay me back for what she owed for the room all these months as long as I did not force her mother out into the street.”
Simon looked at her askance. “In other words, you have been carrying the two of them the past four months?”
“They have been with me a long time, ever since right after Mr. Carlson passed. Bessie has worked hard and always paid me on time—up until she had to quit the hotel to care for her mother. I know she doesn’t earn much with the work she does—men see to it women don’t make as good of wages as they should for the hard work they put in, which is why I’ve always been grateful Mr. Johnson got me set up with the boarding house before he passed. I always had faith in her word that once her mother was gone and she returned to her job, she would pay me back over time.”
With a grimace, Simon looked away. “I would sorely berate Bessie for not coming to me with this if I thought it would do any good. They should have contacted me sooner for help.”
“I believe Miss Carlson hoped to get help from her brother.”
Simon turned back to the woman. “Unfortunately, from what I know of my nephew and the husband of my other niece, there was no help to be had from that direction. Mrs. Johnson, I came prepared to pay for hotel and meals for a week and I would like to take care of that now. I also want to pay for board for my sister and niece. If you can wait until tomorrow, I will find a bank and have them wire me enough funds to cover your total bill. I plan to take my niece with me when I leave Terre Haute. I don’t want you to have to worry about when you will receive your money with her no longer being in the city. Please figure it to the end of the month. No matter when we leave, that will give you enough time to seek a new boarder for that room.”
Mrs. Johnson dipped her head with the realization that she had a new boarder paid through the end of the month, and would get paid for the months she had been carrying the Carlson women, but that she was losing Bessie as a long-term boarder. “I’ll go figure that up right now, Mr. Brinks. Supper should be ready in an hour. And I won’t worry about board for Mrs. Carlson. We have been lucky if she takes a small amount of broth or soup I have left over after meals.”
“Thank you. I suppose I need to get enough to also pay for a funeral, for I believe my sister is close to the end. She wants to go.”
“You have my condolences, Mr. Brinks. However, I believe you are right.”
Simon settled in his room that was on the second floor just under where Bessie and Emeline had their room. At suppertime he loaded up a plate and ate quickly before he walked up to the third floor. When Bessie answered the door, he walked in and sat at the chair next to his sister’s bed. “Go down and eat, Bessie. Go out for a short walk or something other than being stuck inside these four walls. I’ll watch your mother for a while until you are ready to turn in for the evening.”
The next morning it was after Simon had come to the room after his breakfast and while Bessie was still downstairs eating her meal that Emeline breathed her last. He covered her face with a sheet and descended the stairs. At Bessie’s surprised look when he entered the almost empty dining room, he announced what they had all been expecting. “She’s gone. I locked the room. I want you to stay downstairs, Bessie, and let me find someone to come for her. I’ll arrange for someone who can help us prepare her for her funeral.”
The next two days were busy. Once Emeline was taken from the room, Mrs. Johnson
scooted Bessie out while she changed the bed and removed signs of the sickroom. Bessie insisted on helping her landlady do laundry. She preferred to stay in the same room. At Simon’s urging, shaming her into honoring her mother’s wishes when it became necessary, Bessie packed for shipping what remained of the family heirlooms. Before she packed the family Bible in her valise she would carry with her on the train, she recorded the details of her mother’s death.
Once Emeline Brinks Carlson was laid to her final rest on earth, Simon helped Bessie get her belongings to the train station to begin the journey to Jubilee Springs. He sent a telegram to Desi.
Emeline passed STOP Leaving for home STOP Bessie coming STOP Arrive five days STOP
.
.
.
.
jubilee springs, colorado – august 1881
CHAPTER 6
~o0o~
Bessie looked out the window of the passenger car on the train as they approached Jubilee Springs. It had been quite a journey for her, especially since she had never been west of the Mississippi River before. Most of the trips she had taken in her life had been to Indianapolis and back, except for one time. When she was still a young girl before her family suffered its financial reverses, her father had taken them all to Chicago and Lake Michigan.
Lake Michigan had been like how Bessie had always pictured the ocean. As she and her uncle had crossed first the Mississippi River, and next crossed and skirted along the Missouri River, She had been impressed with how wide they were, almost as big as Lake Michigan in places.
Bessie had once thought she knew what mountains looked like. What were classified as mountains in Indiana were mere hills compared to the Rocky Mountains. As she and her uncle had traveled across the flat plains of Kansas and eastern Colorado—monotonous in comparison to what she was used to—she had noted the peaks of the Rockies on the western skyline miles before the train began to climb. With thoughts of her mother being gone from her life and pondering the changes to come as she traveled to a new home, Bessie found it impossible to concentrate on the book she had brought to read. Instead, she found her mind sorting through her thoughts as her eyes focused on the mountain range that grew larger and more imposing the closer the train approached.
