“Deidre, something’s different this time. I don’t know what it is, but this baby feels like it must be huge. I don’t think it’s going to take very long at…oh!” She doubled over into a ball again.
Ethan tried to concentrate on showing the boys how to fish, but he couldn’t. What if something horrible was happening to Mandy? He kept seeing the way she doubled over with the veins standing out on her temples. She said it had started when she tucked the boys into their beds for their naps. They had only been sleeping an hour when he had heard her calling to him from the back porch.
“Go get Deidre. I need some help, Ethan! Please tell her to hurry. It won’t be long.”
He kept going over it all as he sat on the bank of the stream with the boys. He felt so helpless. Suddenly he remembered that he wasn’t helpless at all. He could pray.
So silently he prayed as the boys fished and chattered their innocent questions to him. Occasionally he would look back at the house, but mostly he just prayed and sat quietly with the little boys.
It wasn’t very long at all, maybe an hour or two at the most, when he saw Deidre hanging a sheet over the rail of the porch. Could it be? Quickly he gathered the string of fish and the boys and headed back to the cabin.
When they entered the back door, he saw Deidre sipping a cup of tea at the table. He raised his eyebrows when he looked at her. She smiled and told him Mandy was resting but would welcome company.
“Is everything all right?” He seemed hesitant.
“Everything is fine. Go on and see for yourself.” Deidre smiled mysteriously as she took another sip of her tea.
Ethan took a hand of each of the boys and headed for the bedroom. As he looked around the doorway, he saw Mandy lying calmly in their bed with a bundle snuggled close to her side. Her eyes were closed, but a definite smile was on her lips.
Quietly Deidre took the boys back into the main room of the house and gave him a gentle shove toward his wife.
Ethan bent to kiss Mandy just as she opened her eyes. “Everything all right?” he murmured.
“See for yourself.” Mandy grinned and pulled the top of the blanket back.
Ethan tore his eyes away from Mandy’s face and looked at the blanket. Two downy little heads lay cuddled together!
“What?” Ethan didn’t quite know what to say.
“We have twin girls!” Mandy seemed quite pleased with herself.
“Oh, Mandy! Two! Oh, they are beautiful. But two?” Ethan stared at the blanket and then at Mandy. Finally, the tears started running down his face. “Oh, Mandy! We have twins. Isn’t God good?”
“Yes, He’s mighty good. And He’s good to have sent us Deidre to help us. I don’t know what I would do without her. I want her to be happy, but I do hope she never leaves us. I will never stop praying that we can find Jeremiah and that he will join us here some day.”
Chapter 4
Before Deidre got out of bed the next morning, she thought again of what she had overheard yesterday. It made her feel good inside that Ethan and Mandy really did want her to stay. She was even excited about this day, when Ethan and Ned Browning and his boys would build her a wing of her own onto their cabin. She knew they truly considered her part of their family.
However, knowing that her own Jeremiah was still out there in the world somewhere without her made it hard to really allow herself to feel part of this family. It often tore at her heart that she didn’t know what sort of life he might be suffering.
She turned her head to look at the small, black, kinky haired head in the bed across from hers. How thankful she was to have this part of Jeremiah with her. She smiled as she thought how very much little Jeddy resembled Jeremiah. Her heart ached with love for this child of theirs.
Quickly she shook herself. There was no time for daydreams and wishes today. The Brownings were more than likely already on their way over for the day, and with Mandy unable to help, Deidre had plenty to do to get food ready for this day.
The sun was brightening the eastern sky as Deidre finished dressing and opened the curtain in the room that had been hers and Jedediah’s since living here. “It will be different having windows on the west instead of the east from now on,” Deidre said softly to herself. But it will be nice to have a little more space and privacy, she thought as she almost bumped her knee on Jedediah’s bed.
“Sleep on, little one,” she murmured, planting a tender kiss on his fuzzy head. “It will be a busy day for you with all the Browning children to play with as well as Daniel.”
While Deidre put wood in the stove for making breakfast, she heard Ethan and Mandy’s bedroom door close softly. She looked up to see Ethan running his hands through his hair.
“I’ll bring in fresh water,” he said as he emptied the bucket in the dishpan and started for the back door.
“Ethan, will you please take the extra bucket and bring two buckets of water for me?”
“Sure. Guess there’ll be lots of dishes to wash on a day like today.” He smiled sleepily.
“Ethan, how did Mandy and the babies do last night? I didn’t hear any crying at all.”
He turned and grinned at her. “They didn’t have time to cry. I think they ate all night long. I don’t know if Mandy got any sleep at all, but they were certainly content as long as she kept them together. We’ve already learned they do not want to be separated.”
“Edna and her girls and I will take them a bit today so Mandy can rest. But she probably won’t want to miss out on much of the visiting, either.”
Ethan grunted and grinned again. “Hmmm…it’s going to be a very busy day for us all. I’m glad the birthing is done now. I hope she can rest.” He was obviously tired and spoke almost to himself as he headed out the door with the buckets.
Soon the biscuits were baking, the sausages simmering, and the gravy bubbling. The aroma of strong coffee blended all the other smells together to make a fragrant early morning bouquet. Deidre looked up from stirring gravy in time to see Daniel peeking into her bedroom door searching for his sleeping little friend. Deidre smiled.
“Go on in there and wake him up, Daniel.” The toddler looked back at her and grinned mischievously before disappearing into her bedroom. Soon she heard the boys chattering and left the stove to go help them get dressed for the day. It warmed her heart to see their friendship. How thankful she was that God had brought her to this place!
As soon as the boys were dressed, Deidre took a cup of warm milk and a plate of breakfast and knocked on Mandy’s half-open door. “Are you awake?” Deidre spoke softly in case Mandy was finally having a chance to sleep a bit.
“We are all awake. Come on in and see the family. Come meet Carolyn and Christina.” There was contentment in Mandy’s voice as she offered the invitation.
Before Deidre could respond, the door was snatched from her hand, and two little bodies pushed past her into the room.
“See? Babies!” Daniel was showing off the family to Jeddy, who was staring at Mandy.
“Babies for us?” Jedediah finally asked timidly. “Can they play?”
The boys stood beside the bed in awe as Mandy laid the blanket open a bit for the boys to see the two little girls snuggled together inside.
“Can I touch it?”
“May I touch it?” Deidre was quick to correct her son. After all of Mandy’s help in teaching her grammar and precise diction when she’d first arrived in Indiana, Deidre was determined that her son would grow up speaking properly.
Mandy smiled at them. “Yes, they love to be touched gently.” She took his little hand and laid it gently on Carolyn’s head. “Jeddy, will you and Daniel take good care of our little girls as they grow up? They will need you to teach them and protect them and help them.” Mandy caressed his soft, dark cheek while she asked him.
Jedediah looked from their two downy heads up to Mandy’s smiling eyes and pledged solemnly, “I’ll do my best, Miss Mandy.” Then he looked down at Daniel. “Won’t we, Daniel?”
&nbs
p; Daniel nodded solemnly. He’d do anything Jeddy asked.
“Now you two go out and wash and get ready for breakfast.” Deidre had set Mandy’s plate of breakfast on the dresser while she ushered the boys toward the door. “Jeddy, will you please wash Daniel, too?” Turning back toward Mandy, she lifted the bundle of babies into her arms, giving Mandy an opportunity to sit up and prepare to eat breakfast.
“Deidre, I’m so sorry to leave you with all the cooking today. You will have a busy day with all the food to prepare as well as watching the boys. Guess the timing wasn’t really good for the birthing, but those girls didn’t give us a choice.” Mandy sighed happily. “Who’d have thought there’d be two babies? A double miracle!”
“Guess God knew there were two of us needin’ a little one to hold. Now I’m wonderin’ how we’re going to know which one is Carolyn and which is Christina. Have you figured it out yet? They sure look like two peas in a pod.”
“Yes, it shouldn’t be too difficult, really. Callie—what we’ll call Carolyn—was born first and has a little longer face than Christy. She also seems to be a bit more demanding and energetic. Christy’s cheeks are a bit rounder, and she also has a freckle on the back of her hand. However, I have a feeling it won’t take long to know them by their personalities. Christy seems to be quite passive. I’ve even had to awaken her to have a turn at eating, or Callie would have eaten it all.”
The women cuddled and inspected the tiny girls. “Do you remember we thought we might be makin’ too many little clothes? Well, I guess they’ll be put to good use now.”
“Yes, we may even find ourselves using some of Daniel’s things he’s outgrown. Now you must eat this breakfast before it’s too cold, and I’ll tuck the girls down here and get breakfast served up before Ethan comes in complaining.”
Both women chuckled at that because they both knew Ethan never complained about anything, and he surely wouldn’t start on a miraculous day like today.
Chapter 5
The summer sun shimmered in moving patterns on the painted floor of the porch beside Jeremiah’s black, callous feet. How long he sat with his worn hat in his hands, his head hanging low to his chest, he didn’t know. His head was swirling with memories and plans, while at the same time it felt as though he was not thinking of anything at all. So much had happened in his young life in such a very short time it made him tired. Yes, today he felt as tired as an old man.
“Always be kind, Jeremiah. Always be kind. People in this world will be hateful and mean, but don’t go stoopin’ to their level. You jes’ smile and be kind. Can’t nobody beat kindness outta ya, Jeremiah. It’s from God. Jes’ let God fill yer heart and soul and always, always, always be kind. It’ll pay off in the long run. Jes’ watch and see for yerself. It’ll pay off. It’ll pay off….”
He could still see the sweet smile of his mother’s face as she talked quietly to him. He’d seen her beaten. He’d seen her work until she could hardly stand. But he’d never seen her unkind. “They jes’ don’ understand what they be doin’, Jeremiah. They don’ mean t’ be bad. They jes’ don’ understand. Always be wise, Son. An’ always, always be kind.”
He wondered where his mother was now. Had she finished her toiling on this earth? Was she still being kind in the face of adversity? Did kindness ever pay off for his mother? He wished he could let her know where he was and that he was doing just as she had taught him. He wished he could tell her…
Jeremiah hung his hat over one knee and put his face into his two large, callous hands. He remembered the last thing he heard his mother saying as he was pulled away from her and led to the wagon to go to the auction. “There ain’t no whip that can beat kindness outta yer heart if ’n ya choose t’ hang on t’ it. It’s the only way, Jeremiah. Love Jesus an’ always be kind.”
Jeremiah had stood chained in a row of others, watching, listening, and learning. Some of the slaves led onto the auction block had been surly and mean and had been treated roughly. They all were treated like little more than cattle. But the ones who stood upright and alert seemed to be shown a little more kindness—well, that was stretching the imagination…maybe a little less meanness would be more accurate.
When it was Jeremiah’s turn to stand on the block, he had quickly surveyed the crowd of bidders. Some looked hateful and mean-spirited. Others appeared curious and some indifferent. But he noticed one thoughtful gentleman in the back who watched him curiously. Jeremiah nodded at him ever so slightly. The man saw and nodded back. It was hard to read what the man was thinking, but when the bidding began, he did not bid at all. Jeremiah thought he would never forget the kind eyes and the curly red hair.
Some of the men had yelled at Jeremiah. Some spat at him. Jeremiah stood silently. Not smiling. Not frowning. In his heart he prayed for strength and for God to guide him. Suddenly he had heard the auctioneer shout, “Sold! Wickner of Devil’s Bend Plantation.”
Jeremiah hadn’t seen the bidder. It was actually another black man who had led him off the block and over to be chained to a wagon nearby.
It didn’t take long to understand that Devil’s Bend was an accurate name for the sorry plantation to which he’d been taken. Mr. Wickner was mean to the slaves and difficult to please. And Mrs. Wickner was to be avoided at all cost.
The slave camp at Devil’s Bend was a good distance from the plantation house and was little more than a field where haphazard, three-sided log shelters had been strewn here and there. The slaves had constructed various types of walls on the fourth side of the huts. Some were not much more than mud bricks, while others were constructed of branches, and still others were nothing more than fabric stretched between pieces of wood. There was one building that housed several young men, and Jeremiah accepted their invitation to join them in their shelter.
Many of the Wickner slaves were sick or hurting from beatings. Jeremiah spent every evening caring for the needs of those who were suffering. Many nights Jeremiah massaged aching backs or dressed the wounds of the beaten slaves. All the slaves were quite subdued each day by the time they returned to the slave camp for the night. Mr. Wickner worked his slaves hard and treated them cruelly.
The nighttime sounds could be heard throughout the slave camp: quiet talking, groans of pain, and the usual sounds of people preparing for sleep. After Jeremiah came to the plantation, his soft songs of comfort were a welcome addition to those sounds. As he sang softly, tired, knotted muscles would relax and tears would dry.
He first noticed Deidre as she walked tiredly into the camp long after the others had settled in for the night the first night he was there, and after that day he was always very aware of her. The children would run to meet her as she approached and walk back with her, telling her of their news and adventures and asking her questions. She was never too tired to chat with the children. And she always checked on the old women before turning into her own hut. Occasionally, she would stop and listen to Jeremiah’s singing and turn a tired smile his way before entering her hut.
He had been at the camp nearly a year before he had the courage to speak to her. But it was that night, when he had looked deep into her eyes all the way to her very soul, that he had known for sure she was the one for him. She had agreed to be his wife, and they had jumped the broom and begun their life together soon after.
They had had a little more than a year together. Jeremiah smiled to himself every time he remembered holding her in his arms after a day of work on the plantation. Suddenly he would no longer feel tired. He had felt that with her and for her he could conquer the world.
The news of their coming child had filled his heart with both fear and joy. There is nothing as wonderful as the creation of life from the love of two people on this earth. But the fear of the future on that wretched plantation also twisted his heart with fear and dread for the child. And it renewed his prayerful determination to buy their freedom somehow, someday.
Jeremiah thought of the last time he had held Deidre in his arms. It was just less
than four years ago now. That morning they had both awakened early and lay quietly talking until the sun started to lighten the sky. Deidre had told him they should be able to hold their child in their arms within the month. Deidre was such a skinny woman, she hardly looked like she would be a momma. He had prayed that morning in his heart that all would go well with her and that they would have a healthy child to share.
And then, that very day, without even giving him opportunity to tell her good-bye, Mr. Wickner had chained Jeremiah into the wagon and taken him to the auction again.
Jeremiah had stood on the auction block this time not even looking around. He was a grown man, but the tears of frustration at being sold away from Deidre rolled down his cheeks for all to see. While the men yelled and called and bid on him, Jeremiah had turned his face to the heavens and prayed for God to protect and care for his family until he could be with them again. And he prayed with all his heart that he could buy his freedom and theirs, too.
The man who led him toward the wagon that day spoke kindly to him. When they arrived at the wagon, the man had removed his shackles completely and told Jeremiah that his name was Walter Traehdnik, but that Jeremiah could call him Wally. He placed a tender hand on Jeremiah’s shoulder and said that he’d be back in a short while.
Jeremiah had not looked at the gentleman until he walked away and left him standing free. What could it mean? Was it a test? Was the man crazy? Jeremiah looked after him and saw a curly, reddish head on broad shoulders, and suddenly he remembered the gentleman who had caught his eye at the auction two years earlier. Could it be the same man?
When the man returned an hour later, he had behind him a fairly bent, old black lady who walked slowly. Mr. Traehdnik matched his step to hers and again removed her chains as soon as they neared the wagon.
“Do you need help up, ma’am?” he said kindly to the black woman. Both black heads snapped up to see if he was mocking, but instead he was reaching to take her arm and assist her to the wagon bed. Jeremiah quickly helped her also and then climbed on after her.
The Long Road Home Romance Collection Page 28
