By Way of the Rose

by Cynthia M. Ward

  “Yes, yes. Settle down now and do some work.” Marion broke free of her embrace.

  “Yes, ma'am.” Sarah backed away.

  The next morning, Sarah eagerly ran to meet up with her friends. “Hey you two!” she called out. “Guess what? I'm coming back to the free school!”

  “Really?” Both Shane and Greta's faces lit up.

  “Yeah! Isn't it wonderful?”

  “I knew you wouldn't like that other school!”

  “It was bad enough not having you two there, but having to put up with that mean miss prissy girl Trissy made it even worse.” Sarah looked around, “Hey, where's Vivian? Isn't she coming to school today?”

  “No, she's not coming to school again, ever!” Shane announced. “She says that now she's thirteen she's done with school.”

  “Learning isn't something you can grow out of,” Sarah replied.

  “She never liked school much anyway. She'd rather court,” Greta said.

  “It's still sad, though.”

  “No, it's not. I like that she's not in school anymore... gives us some relief from her bossy self!” Shane laughed.

  Sarah thought about it. What if Nathan and Cora were in school with her, too? She remembered how happy she was that they had chosen not to go. School was a place just for her. “I know how you feel,” she said. “I like it that my sister and brother choose not to come, too!”

  The three somewhat liberated friends walked on toward school together. They talked about digging for the lost treasure. Rumor was, that fifty some odd years ago a stingy man had buried his life savings in three old churns. Then he took the fever and died without ever revealing his hiding place. Everyone knew the churns were buried somewhere around these parts. But just exactly where, no one could figure out. One fellow had dug the lower end of his pasture slap off, creating a deep gorge.

  “I know where I'd like to dig,” Shane exclaimed. “No one has ever thought of this place and no one ever would,” he proudly boasted.

  “Where different would you dig?” Sarah asked.

  “Don't tell anyone. It has to be our secret. You two promise not to tell?”

  “We won't tell.” They assured him. Shane leaned in and whispered.

  “In the stream bed. The old man's house wasn't far from the stream and who would ever have thought to look there?”

  “You just did.” Greta giggled.

  “That's because I'm smart!”

  “Wouldn't the constantly moving water have uncovered them by now?” Sarah asked.

  “No, not if he placed big boulders on top of them or something like that.”

  “It wouldn't be in that hard of a place, Shane. They say he'd go and get money out of them as he needed it. I don't see anyone moving boulders every time they want to go buy something,” Greta reasoned. “That would be too stupid.”

  “You two just watch, I'm going to find them. They're in that stream! I know it! I just feel it in my bones!”

  “Well, it can't hurt to look,” Sarah chimed in. “Let's go today after school. We might find it. It could very well be there.”

  “Yeah, it's exciting to think we could find it. Shane could be right, stranger things have happened,” Greta pointed out.

  They could hardly wait for the quest to begin. When school was over, they tore from the building as if it were on fire. At the stream they walked up and down the bank looking for large boulders to move. Greta spotted a suspicious one. It was sitting alone in the middle of the stream. Just like someone had placed it there. “Mother Nature didn't do that!” She pointed. They took off their shoes and waded into the cool waters. Tiny little perch and minnows scattered. They all got on one side of the boulder and began to push it. It didn't budge. Again they pushed with all their might. Again, nothing.

  “This one isn't going anywhere.” Sarah breathed heavily from struggling with the firmly planted rock.

  “One more time Sarah, Please!” Shane begged.

  “All right, one more... but that's it. If it don't move this time, I'm calling it quits.”

  “Ready, on the count of three again... one, two, three!” Shane called out, and they pushed at the boulder again. They felt it give a little.

  “We're doing it!” Greta sang out. “We're really moving it!”

  “I can't believe it's finally moving!” Sarah squealed.

  Again they all gave a mighty last push and the rock gave way so suddenly that they all fell into the water. Shane's hand landed on something slimy and cold. Suddenly they saw what looked like hundreds of water moccasins swarming up from that boulder hole. “Snakes!” Shane yelled as he took off splashing and running through the water with Sarah and Greta close on his heels. They screamed and ran till they knew they were safe. They all three fell to the ground, far away from the stream.

  “Is anyone bit?” Sarah asked.

  They all checked themselves. They were fine.

  “It's a miracle none of us were bit!”

  Fear made Greta's words come out wrong as she said, “Mater woccasins will kill you dead in minutes!”

  “Gosh, that was a narrow escape! Mater woccasins might even be worse than water moccasins!” Shane rolled laughing.

  Sarah burst out laughing with Shane. “Yeah!” she spoke through her laughter. “I'm never going in that stream again, I don't care how much money is buried in it. How can you spend money if you're dead from a dreaded mater woccasin bite?”

  They continued laughing.

  “All right! I know! I said it wrong. You both sound like some blasted laughing hyenas.”

  “Are you sure it ain't haughing lyennas?” Shane rolled again as they all burst out laughing.

  It was decided that treasure hunts should end, but the adventurous trio didn't sit still for very long. Another idea, mystery, happening or scheme would soon sweep them into action. Like spying on Nathan who always went to the swimming hole alone, or making a sled for the goat to pull them on. They even tried to become invisible by finding a lizard under a moonflower vine late in the evening when the sun and the moon shines together. Ester had told them that if they found such a lizard and caught it for her, that they could become invisible. She had an invisibility potion that only needed that certain lizard. They'd wait for the sun and the moon to shine together so they could go looking for lizards and moonflower vines.

  Saturday, when the field work was done, Thorney and Thomas were coming with Sarah, Greta and Shane to build a secret place in the woods. It would be their special hideout, but Sarah found out on Saturday that there would be no games with friends for her.

  “Sarah,” Marion said. “You will have to do the inside housework today. I'm going to tend to the widow Smith. The twins can weed the vegetable garden. Nathan will be helping Poppa in the field, so make sure you have lunch ready for them. Cora, you come and help me today.” Marion laid out their chores.

  The widow Smith had been under the weather ever since she'd had her last baby. Her title made her sound much older than twenty-one years old. She had been only sixteen when she'd married the fifty-year-old Mr. Smith five years earlier. He'd just been killed two months ago, leaving the pregnant young woman alone with three other children. But most thought she was better off without him. He didn't do much of anything but work her to death, plant her full of babies and beat her. He had money, that's how he got her. Her parents pushed her into marrying rich... or their idea of rich... and she'd been black and blue or pregnant ever since. When she wasn't big and pregnant, he was jealous of her. Now that he'd been killed in a barroom brawl perhaps the young woman could get some peace.

  “I'll see you all tonight,” Marion said as she picked up her basket of breads and preserves then left with Cora. They walked down the hill toward the Smith place, about three miles away. The house was in a lovely setting amid a grove of apple trees. When the trees were in full bloom, the view was breathtaking.

  Greta and Shane stopped by the house to get Sarah. “I can't go today. I've got to help around the house. Mo
mma had to go help the widow Smith.”

  “All right. We'll see you later.” Greta shrugged as she and Shane left.

  Once her friends were gone, Sarah continued her chores washing the breakfast dishes and putting them away. She then wandered up the stairs into Nathan's room to make his bed and gather his dirty clothes. She checked the bed to see if it was wet. Even at fifteen, Nathan still hadn't grown out of taking his, ‘night baths’ as John had called it. She was glad to find it was dry. She wouldn't have to sun the mattress, so heavy and awkward to drag outside. She made his bed and took his dirty laundry and added it to her pile.

  The twins had made their bed. They were quite responsible six year olds. Sarah took their dirty pinafores. Then lastly, she checked her parents’ room. It was spic and span, so she took her bundles to the wash tub and scrubbed them. After hanging them in the warm sun to dry she went in to fix the noon meal. She took a loaf of fresh baked bread, sliced it and placed it on the table with some plum preserves. She added butter, a platter of fried chicken and a pitcher of tea. Just as she was setting the tea down, Nathan came into the kitchen.

  “Poppa sent me to fetch our lunch.”

  “Sit down and have a glass of tea while I fix y'all up a basket.” Sarah reached for several cloth napkins and the basket. She packed it with care. Nathan huffed as he waited for her to get through.

  “You stupid nit-wit! You knew I'd be coming for our lunch at noon... why didn't you have it ready when I got here?”

  “Now, how was I supposed to know you and Poppa wouldn't be coming in to eat? If I had known this little turn of events, I'd have had it ready for you.”

  “Don't try being sassy you, Injun witch... it'll get you in trouble.” He snorted. “Give me the basket.”

  As Sarah handed him the food, Nathan jerked it from her hand so suddenly that it fell to the floor spilling everything. He grabbed Sarah and whipped his fist across her face. She cried out and put her hand over her face.

  “Oh, shut up,” he snarled. “You'll live.” He took some food then turned to leave. “If you go tattling on me, I can make it worse next time. You know that, don't you?” Sarah shook her head as she held her aching face. “Now, get this mess cleaned up.” He walked out, slamming the door behind him, and strutted off toward the field.

  Sarah watched him go. The tears were stinging her eyes and when he was far enough away, she quietly began to sob. She couldn't let anyone know what had happened, no matter how badly she wanted to tell on him. She believed Nathan could, and would, make it worse next time. She cleaned the mess from the floor and washed her face. Then she took several deep breaths before calling the twins in for lunch. They had probably gotten through weeding the small vegetable garden long ago, but stayed out to play in the dirt. They loved digging and making villages of sticks, rocks and mud. They wouldn't come in on their own.

  “Time to eat!” Sarah called. “Come in and get washed up!” The twins giggled as they skipped toward Sarah. Then Jennie stopped suddenly.

  “Oh Sarah, what happened to your face?”

  “Does it look bad?” Sarah touched where Nathan had belted her.

  “Yeah, it's all red and a little purple. What happened?”

  “I— I, guess I was stumbling around in the dark and tripped. I must have hit my face harder than I thought,” Sarah lied. “Now come on in, lunch is ready.”

  When the rest of the family came in that evening, they all noticed Sarah's face. One by one she told each the same lie as Nathan glared at her. By Monday her cheek was a vivid purple. She didn't want to face her friends at school and have to lie to them too, so she decided that she would stay home until the bruise went away. But when Greta appeared on the doorstep immediately after school, Sarah's heart sank. Greta knew her too well, knew she would never miss school without a good reason.

  “My, Lord!” Greta exclaimed, gently touching her friend's bruised face, “What happened to you?”

  “I— I stumbled and hit it against the corner of the bed.” Sarah told her. “Let's go for a walk.”

  “All right.” As the friends wandered down to the stream Greta took Sarah's arm. “Now, what really happened to you?”

  “Oh, Greta, I do need someone to talk to but you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone!”

  “I won't tell, not if you don't want me to.”

  “I don't want you to. Not even Shane. If it gets out it will make it worse for me.”

  “You can trust me. You know you can.”

  “Nathan got mad with me for, well, I don't know why he got mad with me and he... ”

  “That over-grown ox hit you?” Sarah looked away. “This is it, somebody's going to have to do something! He's getting worse by the day!”

  “What are you going to do? You can't tell on him. I told you, that will only make it worse for me! You gave me your word, Greta!”

  “Sarah, your folks need to know what he did to you.”

  “What can they do about it? Kick him out of the house? You and I both know that's never going to happen. Sure they'll get on to him... make him do extra chores or even take a strap to him. If I get him in trouble it'll just make him ten times madder with me and I'll get worse than this next time. He'll take his extra chores out of my hide.”

  “They should know what he did.”

  “No, it's better for me if I just keep this to myself. Greta, you'd better not tell either! It can only make him worse. Just be my friend.”

  “But Sarah... ”

  “I mean it, Greta Thompson! Not a word.”

  “There's nothing I can do?”

  “You're my best friend and I needed to tell someone I could trust.”

  “You can tell me anything. But it still hurts that I'm helpless. I hate Nathan... I really do!”

  “I'm helpless too, Greta. But hate doesn't do me any good. I'm just trying to live. It's hard to live in a family when you know you have no right to be there.”

  “What are you saying?”

  Sarah realized that Greta, who didn't know the DuVal family secret, had no idea what she was talking about and she didn't dare tell her, so she simply said, “Nothing, really. Just forget about it.”

  Chapter Eight

  * * * *

  Fall was unusually cold. By the thermometer on Mr. Hamilton's window it had gotten down to fifteen degrees in early October. The cold weather had crept in during the night along with a misty rain and bone-chilling winds, so that an oppressive grayness hung over the valley. This cold lingered on for weeks. It was unrelenting and bitter, making the trek to and from school harder and harder for Sarah and her friends to manage. The ruts and holes on the old wagon road held mud and icy water that coated their shoes and soaked their feet. Since only a couple of students lived close enough to make it every day, the school closed early for winter.

  Sarah usually enjoyed fall but there were no sunny, crisp autumn days this year. She felt absolutely claustrophobic locked up in the house with Nathan and Cora. Those two were almost always on her about something, especially Nathan. Her room was her only escape and she spent most of her time there. When she ventured out they were there to torment her. Yesterday it was how she breathed and today it was how she ate. She wondered what it would be tomorrow. How she drank, what she wore or how she sat? She knew for sure it would be something to make her feel miserable, outcast or stupid.

  As she sat alone in her room she prepared for the evenings lessons with Jenny and Betty. She found joy in spending this time with them. They idolized her. Next year they would be walking to school with her every day. On these icy evenings, Sarah sat with the girls teaching them all they'd need to know for the coming year. They would start out well ahead of the others.

  Every month like clockwork, letters came from John. The postmarks were from all over. South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama. He said his work kept him on the road all the time. Sarah wondered why he couldn't visit her and the rest of his family if he could visit all those places. Did none of his travel
s bring him to Tennessee? It had been four years already. Would he ever come home again? Did he even care to see her anymore or this beautiful home they'd built? Didn't he care to see any of his family? The letters gave her comfort, but she wanted more. She longed for the good times, the understanding and the love that he so freely gave her. He was her hero and she missed him terribly. Some nights she cried herself to sleep thinking over the past and his sweet care of her. His smile when he was reading her stories. His praise when she'd done something well. His gentleness and soothing voice when she was hurt. This pain in her heart was sometimes too great to bear, especially on days when Nathan had been bitterly critical and cruel to her. The only thing that made these cold, gloomy days bearable was teaching. Soon Thorney was coming every evening to join Sarah, Jennie and Bettie in the lessons. Then came Thomas and pretty soon Ester and even Jonas came. They had to turn the dining room into a school room and Marion helped Sarah teach them all. They seemed to learn better on baking days. It must have been the sweet smell of the fresh bread along with the cozy warmth it created. The proudest day was when Jonas was able to read the Holy Scriptures. He tripped over some of the words, but he patiently sounded them out, determined to get them right. As Marion cleared away the books that evening Jonas stood, holding his hat with Ester and the children beside him as he spoke.

  “Miss Marion, I sho'ly do appreciate what all ‘y'all has done for us. Next to the freedoms, dis here teachin’ be about the best next thang. I ain't never thought I'd be able to read the printed words for myself. Or my family either. God bless you, ma'am.”

  “Well, Jonas, you know you'll have to keep quiet about this. We've already got into trouble around here. If they find out we're letting you read too we'll get burned out for sure. But I want you to be ready when it's time to set off up north. An education opens the door to the world.”

  “That's the truth, ma'am. That's the God's honest truth.”

  Kyle Adams had been making a name for himself. The bigger his name grew, the more danger came to him. One night he narrowly escaped a lynching mob. He hadn't done anything but give his name to an inn keeper in a small Alabama town... but evidently that was enough, John had been recognized.