The Barn (Carter Sisters Series #2)

by Morgan Dawson

  I smile. "I'm sure the girls would love to. I'll see you tomorrow then."

  "Yes, I'm going to work on the barn until lunch and then I'm heading home. Don't bother making lunch for me."

  "All right." I turn to walk to the house, looking behind me. "Goodbye August and...” I pause before continuing. “Thank you.”

  He gives a small nod before turning to walk in the direction of the barn. Soon I'm back at the house with a burst of adrenaline pumping in my blood.

  "Adeline. There's still extra from breakfast if you want." Genevieve says as soon as I open the house door.

  Laughing, I sit in my chair at the table. "No, I told you I didn't need any. You girls eat up. I've got something I want to discuss with you."

  My sisters sit in their chairs at the table and look up at me, all of their eyes meeting mine.

  "Ok, so I went outside and met up with August. He's working on the barn for a while again. We got talking about the new town near here where he's been working called Riverbend. He was telling me the townsfolk are looking for a teacher at the schoolhouse. August asked if I'd like to apply for the job and I... agreed."

  When I finish explaining I watch as my sisters all stop chewing their food. It's quiet—so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

  Genevieve sets her fork down and looks up at me, her soft baby blue eyes looking at me in a way that makes me want to shrink in my seat. "So, you're moving away?"

  "No, Adeline! Is this because you don’t like pa?” Hazel shrieks, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

  I raise my hand in the air to get my sisters quiet again. "No, August has kindly offered to come get me every morning and take me to Riverbend to teach. And Hazel, let’s be clear about this—I love pa.”

  “Then why don’t you act it?”

  I sigh, searching for answers, but I don’t have to come up with them because Genevieve interrupts. “Never mind that, you two. So continue. You’re going to Riverbend every day to teach?”

  I smile at them before continuing. “August says you three would be welcome to attend school too, if you’d like. You’d come with me to school.”

  Lydia sits up in her chair and says the first thing she's said since I came back to the house. "School? Oh, Adi! That'd be so wonderful! I’ve never got to go to real school. Ma just taught us at home. Oh, I can hardly wait!"

  Smiling, I rest my hand on Lydia's. "Yes, it would be lovely, but it isn't for sure yet that I'm getting the job. I know Darlene and I would've sent you three to real school last year after ma died, but there weren’t any schools near here. I think it would be good for us all to get out of the house and meet new people."

  Genevieve stands with her plate in her hand. "That sounds like a great idea. I've been wanting to meet other girls my age."

  "August is coming tomorrow to take us to Riverbend for the day. We can explore during the day, and at some point I'll find who I should talk to about me becoming the teacher there."

  "Oh, I'm so excited! We could pack a picnic!" Hazel giggles, standing up.

  The girls begin doing dishes and tidying up while I make my way up the ladder to the loft. I kneel down on the floor and pull out a few wooden boxes from under the bed.

  I lift the lid on the first one, coughing when the dust comes up at me. These haven’t been opened in years. Inside, I find some of my sister’s and my old dresses. I take out one I recognize as being one of my oldest dresses. It’s from when I was only six. I smile as I run my hand over the light purple fabric. It's so delicate and smells musty. Ma insisted we keep every dress, saying she'd reuse the fabric. She never did though. Any time we suggested her using the old dress fabric, she'd make an excuse like 'It has so many memories' or 'Oh not that one! This was the one Hazel wore when she was learning to walk.'

  Sighing, I fold the dress back up and put it in the box, closing it slowly. The next box has an oak wood latch and it sticks when I first attempt to open it, but after another pull it snaps open. I know it hasn't been opened in at least ten years and that's how I know this is the right box. When I open it, I cough again and smile when I see exactly what I was hoping to find sitting right in front of me.

  Chapter 8

  After managing to somehow lug the heavy box down the ladder I lift it up and set it down with a thud onto the table. I let out a shallow breath. "That was heavier than I thought."

  Hazel peers inside the box from beside me, as does Genevieve and Lydia.

  "All right." I start taking out the top few things. "These will be your slates, there is an extra one which maybe we can donate. And, what else is in here?" I find a small box and open it. "Oh, here are some chalk pieces for each of you. We can get more when these run out. And I see there are a few books in…"

  Genevieve cuts me off and pushes me out of the way. "Did you say books?"

  I laugh as she takes out the two dust-covered books. "Yes, I did. Now, you can read them, but they'll be used by all of the students in the school eventually."

  "Finally. New reading material." She hugs the books to her chest.

  "I've decided she's not normal." Hazel sits down at the table and slides her slate and chalk in front of her. I watch as she writes her name. "I haven't written on one of these in awhile."

  I laugh and sit down beside her. Lydia smiles and writes on her slate also. To my right, Genevieve is already reading the first page of one of the books.

  Lydia sets her slate down, a frown appearing on her face. "Wait, what if you don't get the teaching position?"

  "Oh Lydia, even if I don't get the job, I'm going to make sure you three get to go to school. I've seen how much you want to go- the way your faces lit up when I suggested the idea." I rub her arm gently.

  She wraps her arms around my neck and squeezes me tight. "Thank you Adeline!"

  "You’re welcome. Now, let's continue with our housework, shall we? I can take the clothes to the creek if someone wants to come with me."

  It's soon decided that Hazel will come with me to wash clothes. As we walk, I can feel excitement taking over. I ever so badly want this, and if I can't get it, I don't know what I'll do. Already, just the thought of being able to leave here during the day has made me feel like a weight has been lifted. Even though I know that when I come home, I’ll have to do a lot of housework.

  Despite feeling I will be able get this job, I know that I can't get my hopes up or it'll only make things harder if things don’t go my way. So with this in mind, I push the thought to the back of my head and go on with my work. I can't let a mere idea distract me from the things needing to be done.

  I can feel the excitement and adrenaline coming from the girls. Hazel can barely sit still, and Lydia is looking out the window every two minutes to see if August is coming down the lane.

  "Girls, just sit tight. I know today is going to be a lot of fun, but there's no use tiring yourself." I laugh, looking down at the dress I'm wearing. I chose a simple light blue dress with a trim of white lace on the bottom of the skirt. My hair is done in a sophisticated looking bun, one I hope will help the townsfolk think of me as an acceptable teacher for their children. Even though I know having my hair up or down shouldn’t make a difference.

  Not even five minutes after telling my sisters to sit down, I can hear August's wagon bumping down the lane.

  I don't even have to tell the girls to go out, because as I look up, they're already out the door. I laugh to myself, thinking that maybe they should be getting out more. I take the basket of packed lunch in my hands and shut the door behind me.

  As I near the wagon, I see August helping my sisters into his wagon. He smiles and takes the basket from me. "Good morning."

  "To you, also. Thank you again for taking us with you to Riverbend. The girls have been waiting patiently this morning for you to arrive." I laugh, taking his hand as he helps me up into the wagon.

  He shuts the back and latches it. "Everyone in?"

  "Yes, I believe we're ready." I take my seat on the bench in the back, and
Genevieve sits down next to me, flashing a smile in my direction.

  August jumps up into his seat at the front and takes the horse’s reins in his hands.

  Soon, the wagon begins moving forward and I eventually become used to the jolting movements. It hasn’t been more than a minute before Hazel lets out sigh. “Are we almost there?”

  August laughs from his seat in the front of the wagon.

  Hazel scowls. “No, I’m serious.”

  “Sorry there, Hazel, but you’ve got a while yet.” August is hysterical, now which gets both Genevieve and I laughing. Soon Lydia joins in, leaving Hazel looking at us all with an annoyed look.

  I do admit I’m rather eager to get to Riverbend, but Hazel clearly hasn’t gone on a long ride in a wagon for a while.

  We quietly talk for a bit, but soon end up sitting quietly with our own thoughts. I begin wondering what I’m going say to the townspeople. I need to seem calm and responsible. I can do that, right?

  After what seems to be hours and hours of being lost in my thoughts, the wagon slows and I can see in front of us a small town I know instantly is Riverbend. I smile at my sisters, setting a simple phrase in my mind. I’ve got this.

  Chapter 9

  I feel the wagon stop and I stand up, feeling my pulse quicken. The back of the wagon opens and I allow August to help my sisters out, before giving him my hand and hopping down onto the dirt ground. I look around and see many houses lined in rows on the opposite side of where we stand. There is a small mercantile, like August said, and there are people bustling in and out.

  “Come on.” August motions for us to follow him. As we walk, I pick up on where we’re going.

  In the distance, I see a small wooden building with steps leading up to it. There are a few men hammering nails into what looks to be tables, outside of the building.

  August smiles, pointing at the building. “There. That’s the schoolhouse I helped to build. Let’s go inside.”

  I nod, feeling a little nervous. My sisters follow close behind me as we go in the door. Inside, my eyes are drawn to the black stove sitting in the centre of the room. On the far end of the room there is a green chalkboard, with chalk rested on the bottom of the board. There only are a few desks inside at the moment. By the chalkboard, a man stands beside a large wooden desk, writing something on a sheet of paper.

  We walk toward him and August gives a smile. “Hello, Mr. Johnson.”

  “Ah, Mr. Wilson. A pleasure, it is. And who might you have brought with you today?”

  August motions in my direction. “These girls are my neighbours, and I brought Ms. Carter with me today to discuss the possibility of her teaching here.”

  Mr. Johnson looks me up and down then rubs his chin. “All right, Ms. Carter. It’s nice meeting you. So, is it true you would like to teach at the schoolhouse here?”

  I clear my throat a give a small smile. “That is true, thank you.”

  “All right, how much education do you have?”

  I see August take a small step back to stand beside my sisters. I smile before saying the one of many verses I’d prepared on the way here. “I attended school up until I was eight back when my family and I lived in Kansas. After we moved here, there was nowhere nearby we could go to school, but my ma, a former teacher with a full school education, continued teaching us every day, up until I finished my schooling. Although I don’t have an official certificate, I believe I’m qualified to teach here.”

  Mr. Johnson nods and writes something down on the paper that I can’t quite read. “And your age?”

  “Eighteen.”

  Mr. Johnson gives a smile as he sets his quill down. “I’ll call a town meeting at lunchtime today and we can discuss the possibility of you teaching at our school. Please meet back here around noon.”

  I take a step back letting out a large breath. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate this opportunity.”

  Mr. Johnson gives a nod, which I take as my cue to leave. I turn and follow August and my sisters out the door.

  August gives me a reassuring smile when the door closes behind us. “That was the mayor. He seemed quite pleased with your response on your education. It’s actually quite hard to find people who have had full education. It’s good you added that your ma was a former schoolhouse teacher.”

  I sigh a shaky breath. “You think I got it?”

  “I’m positive.” August grins. “All right, I should head off and help the men working on the church. You can eat by the wagon if you’d like. I’ll see you at noon in the schoolhouse, okay?”

  “Sounds good to me.” I smile and walk in the direction of the wagon, my sisters following close behind me.

  Hazel climbs in the wagon and retrieves the basket of food I packed this morning and the blanket. She spreads the blanket out on the grass beside August’s wagon, and I begin unpacking the basket. I hand the girls each their chicken sandwiches and they sit down on the blanket.

  I take my sandwich and the canteen of water, lifting it to my lips for a small sip before passing it on to my sisters. The sandwich is tender in my mouth, the bread soft. I eat slowly, enjoying the food.

  “It’s a lovely little town, isn’t it?” Genevieve smiles as she looks around.

  “Indeed.” I agree, my eyes focusing on a group of young girls playing jump rope in front of the mercantile. I smile knowing I might teach them and get to know them all.

  My sisters and I sit quietly, each of us lost in our own thoughts until it’s nearly noon.

  I stand, picking up the basket. “Let’s go. Better early than late.”

  Genevieve folds up the blanket and we latch the back of the wagon.

  I walk in the direction of the schoolhouse, trying to seem confident by straightening my back out. Already, there are many people making their way into the schoolhouse.

  I open the door, allowing my sisters to go in before me. At the front of the room, I see August standing against the wall and he is waving wildly.

  We rush to stand beside him and I look up at him giving a nervous smile.

  He smiles back and whispers. “You’ve got this.”

  I nod, trying to believe him. There is chatter filling the small room and warm smiles being spread everywhere.

  I feel myself panicking. And is it just me, or is the temperature in here rapidly rising?

  I see Mr. Johnson set some papers on the desk in front of the chalkboard. He raises his hand in the air, silencing the room. I feel like I’m shaking. What if people can see me shaking?

  “All right everyone, quiet now, quiet. I’m sure you’re all wondering why I called you here on such short notice.” He starts. In turn, the room is filled with muffled ‘yeses’ and nodding.

  He clears his throat. “Well, we’ve got a young lady here who has said she’d be interested in teaching at our schoolhouse.”

  Again, muffled voices start filling the room. I watch as people turn to the person next to them and chat excitedly.

  “Shh. Here, why don’t you come up?” He looks at me with a smile. I feel myself attempting to disappear in to the wall, but August pushes me gently forward.

  I walk to the front of the room and take my place next to Mr. Johnson. He smiles at me and looks out to the people. “I would like to introduce you to, Ms. Carter.”

  I give a small wave as I watch for people’s reactions.

  “Please, Ms. Carter. Tell the people a little about yourself and your education.”

  I take a deep breath and look to my sisters and August, who all give me a nod and smile. “It’s a pleasure to be here today with you all. I’m eighteen years of age, and I attended school up until I was eight when my family and I lived in Kansas. We then moved to our current home, and no schools were in the area so my ma, who was a former schoolteacher, took over. She taught my sisters and I from old books she had, and she taught us everything we needed to learn until she passed.”

  No one says a word. One lady has a smile on her face as she raises her hand. Mr. Johnson
points in her direction. “Yes, Mrs. Lawden?”

  She puts a hand on her chest before saying something I’ll never forget.

  Chapter 10

  “I believe this young lady would make a fine teacher for our children.” She smiles.

  It feels like my stomach turns over itself in excitement. Many people nod.

  A man clears his voice. “Yes, but why has she so suddenly shown up in our town?”

  Many people begin to raise their voices and agree with him.

  August stands and waves his arms to gain their attention. “Ms. Carter is one of my neighbours. She is to be trusted and treated with utmost respect.”

  I smile. Thankfully, August has got their attention again.

  Another woman with long brown hair raises her hand. “What experience do you have with children?”

  I take another deep breath. “I am the second eldest in my family. I’ve always been the one to care for my younger sisters. After my ma died, I cared for my sister’s every day, and still do.”

  People begin to nod. For the first time, a young girl raises her hand. She’s got long, brown hair and the sweetest smile. Mr. Johnson nods for her to speak.

  She looks up at me. “I think she would be a good teacher because her hair is pretty and her ma died so she can probably handle anything.”

  I feel myself grin. She is a dear.

  A lot of people let out an “aww” and small laugh before Mr. Johnson silences everyone once again. “All right, we shall cast a vote. Majority rules. Please raise your hand if you’re in favour of Ms. Carter becoming the teacher in our town.”

  Instantly, the little girl shoots her hand in the air without hesitation, as does the man beside her, who I assume is her father. It takes a few seconds before other people slowly raise their hands. Soon, I see every child has their hands raised, as does every adult, except for a man and a woman in the back of the room.