Angel of the Cove

by Sandra Robbins

  Anna leaned over Josie, pried her mouth open, and ran her fingers around the inside to rake away any lingering water. Then she rolled Josie on her back and grasped the child’s nose, squeezing the nostrils shut with her fingers.

  Taking a deep breath, Anna knelt over Josie and breathed into her mouth. Anna straightened and looked at Josie’s chest, but there was no movement. She repeated the breath, then checked again.

  Behind her in the crowd she heard someone murmur. “It’s too late. That child’s done passed.”

  Anna closed her ears to the voices around her and bent over Josie again. She breathed into the child’s mouth again, and this time the chest moved. Once more she repeated the process, and the little girl’s lungs expanded. Her eyes opened, and she coughed as if she were choking.

  Anna sat back on her heels and watched Josie gulp air into her little body. After a moment her chest began to move up and down in a regular rhythm. Josie stared up into Anna’s face. “Mama.”

  Simon grabbed Anna’s hand. “Thank God.”

  Granny’s voice drifted to her. “Thank you, Jesus.”

  Cheers rose from the crowd, and Pearl rushed forward and grabbed Josie. Sobs wracked her body. “Josie, Josie.”

  She clutched the child to her, her fingers stroking the wet curls, and repeated the name over and over as if it were the sweetest sound in the world. Tears streamed down her face. She reached out, grasped Anna’s hand, and pulled it to her lips. Kissing Anna’s fingers over and over, she mumbled her gratitude. “Thank you, thank you, Miss Anna. You done saved my child.”

  Anna shook her head. “It wasn’t me, Pearl. God did it.”

  Lavinia, her back straight and tears streaming down her face, leaned over and squeezed Anna’s shoulder. “Thank you, Anna.”

  Holding Josie, Pearl struggled to rise. Simon grasped her arms and helped her get to her feet. “Do you want me to carry her inside for you?”

  “No, I jest gotta hold onto her.” Pearl hugged the child tighter.

  Anna reached out and rubbed Josie’s back one more time. The pinafore dress she’d thought so pretty now clung to Josie’s skin. “Watch her for a few days, Pearl. I heard my uncle say one time a person who almost drowns runs the risk of pneumonia afterwards, so be careful.”

  Tears glistened in Pearl’s eyes. “I will, Anna, and God bless you fer comin’ to the Cove.”

  Granny put her arm around Pearl. “Let’s git this child inside and put some dry clothes on her, then wrap her up good.”

  Anna watched Granny propel Pearl and Lavinia toward the house. When they reached the spot where Cecil stood, Pearl stopped and glanced up at him. She smiled, and he reached out and patted Josie’s head. He watched his wife and sister-in-law walk with Granny toward the house. When they disappeared inside, he turned to the crowd still gathered behind him.

  “Well, folks, I guess we got a lot of work to do. Let’s finish our dinner, then get back to work.”

  The crowd, smiles on their faces, stared at Anna for a moment before they began to clap and cheer. Anna wiped at her eyes in an effort to stop the flow of tears before she smiled and nodded in acknowledgment of their praise. Near the front Naomi Jackson studied Anna with wide eyes and clutched Eli closer to her.

  One by one they turned and headed back toward their waiting meal until the only ones left were Naomi and Cecil. After a moment Naomi joined the crowd, but Cecil didn’t move. When he glanced around and realized he was now alone, he walked forward and stopped in front of Anna. He pulled the sweat-stained hat from his head and swallowed before he spoke. “Thank you, Miss Anna.”

  “You’re welcome, Mr. Davis.”

  He nodded to Simon, then replaced his hat and, without looking toward the food tables, walked off in the direction of the barn.

  Anna glanced at Simon, who still stood beside her. “He’s a strange man.”

  “He’s a very private man, Anna. He asks nothing from his neighbors but is always there when they need him. That’s why everybody was so willing to help him today. I wish you could see the goodness in him I’ve known for years.”

  “Maybe I’ll see it someday.” She turned to Simon. “He seemed so unconcerned when you pulled Josie from the pond. Most fathers would have been in that pond before you could have reached her.”

  Simon nodded. “Maybe so, but Cecil isn’t like that. He doesn’t show his feelings. That doesn’t mean he’s uncaring. Sometimes I think he feels things more deeply than anyone I’ve ever known. I think he was so scared he had lost Josie he couldn’t move.” He pointed toward the construction area where Cecil had gone. “Did you notice how he couldn’t join the group and go back to laughing and talking? He went off to be alone to deal with his feelings—just like he did the day the baby died.”

  “I know you keep telling me this, and I hope I’ll understand someday. In the meantime you need to get out of those wet clothes.”

  He shook his head. “They’ll dry soon enough when I get back to work. But what about you? That experience must have left you feeling drained.”

  “It did. As soon as everyone’s finished eating, I hope we can go. I’ll come back and see the finished barn another day.”

  Simon stared at her for a moment. “I need to say one more thing before you leave.”

  “What’s that?”

  He swallowed before he began to speak. “The way you took over and saved Josie’s life today was wonderful. Granny’s right. You do have the gift of healing in your hands. You’ve touched the lives of so many people already, not to mention the effect you know you’ve had on me. And I want to repeat what Pearl said. God bless you for coming to the Cove.”

  “Thank you, Simon.”

  The words Simon spoke sounded sweet to her ears. She hoped she’d had a good effect on the people she’d worked with, but today had been very special. With God helping them, today she and Simon had saved a child’s life. That was a bond they would always share. For a moment she wanted to throw her arms around Simon and tell him she didn’t ever want to leave, but then the image of her brother popped into her head. If she stayed in the Cove Robert would win, and she wasn’t going to let that happen.

  The next morning Anna sat under the tree in Granny’s backyard shucking some corn while Granny hoed around the plants still producing food in the garden. She remembered other days back at home when she and her mother gathered corn. Shucking and silking the ears had always been among her least favorite tasks, but in the peaceful surroundings at Granny’s cabin she enjoyed the quiet and the time it afforded her to view the mountains.

  She dropped an ear of corn into the pan next to her and reached for another. She’d just stripped off the first layer of the husk when a voice called out. “Granny, you home?”

  Granny looked up from her work, leaned on her hoe, and called out. “We’s in the back.”

  Cecil Davis walked around the house, a burlap bag in each hand. “I knocked on the front door. I’s beginnin’ to think you warn’t here.”

  Anna rose to her feet and smiled. “Good morning, Mr. Davis. How’s Josie today?”

  “Fine, doin’ fine.”

  “Did they get the barn built?” Granny walked out of the garden and propped her hoe against the side of the house.

  “All done, and bigger’n before.” One of the sacks he held moved, and he looked down at it.

  Granny chuckled. “Cecil, what you got in that sack? It ’pears to be somethin’ alive.”

  Anna wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw a little smile crook the corners of Cecil’s mouth. He set the other sack on the ground and carefully opened the one that had moved.

  “I’s jest a-thinkin’, Granny, that I got no use for two settin’ hens and thought you might be a-needin’ one.” He pulled the top of the sack open enough so that the head of a hen could be seen inside.

  Anna’s heart raced. A setting hen! Just what Granny needed.

  Granny’s face broke into a big smile, and she looked from the hen to Cecil. “That’s mighty ne
ighborly of you, Cecil. I don’t know when I had a better gift.”

  He rose to his feet and pointed to the other sack. “And this here is a ham. I ’spect I better put the hen in the henhouse so she gets used to the place, and I’ll hang the ham in the smokehouse.”

  When Cecil disappeared into the henhouse, Anna ran to Granny and grasped her arm. “Oh, Granny, I can’t believe it. I saw what was in Cecil and Pearl’s smokehouse when I was at their house, and he’s given you half of what he had. That’s a very generous gift.”

  Granny patted Anna’s arm and smiled at her. “Darlin’, I done tole you the Lord was a-gonna take care of us, and He done it. I jest never figured he’d use you saving a child’s life to do it.”

  Cecil walked out of the henhouse and walked toward the smokehouse. When he reappeared, he pointed to the henhouse. “Better make sure this here place is closed up good at night. Them foxes been bad this year.”

  Granny nodded. “They sure have.”

  Cecil glanced up at the sun and back at them. “Well, I guess I better be a-goin’. Got lots of work to do. But I jest wanted to thank you agin for savin’ my little Josie yestid’y.”

  Anna could see the difficulty Cecil was having in speaking, and she hastened to make him feel comfortable. “I’m so glad I was there and that the Lord showed me what to do.”

  His chiseled features cracked a bit, and for the first time Anna saw in the man’s eyes what Simon had been trying to tell her. He did care.

  “It’s jest that me and Pearl set a big store in that child, and I wanted to tell you in person. I couldn’t talk in front of all those folks at the barn raisin’.”

  Anna smiled. “I understand. Josie is a precious little girl, and I can see why she’s the apple of her daddy’s eye. Only a daddy who loves a little girl so much would take the time to carve her toys like you do.”

  For the first time since she’d met Cecil Davis, a smile lit his face. “Well, thanks agin, Miss Anna, and I hope to see you and Granny a lot more at our house.”

  Granny slapped him on the back. “You can count on us, Cecil. And thank you kindly for what you done shared with us today. I won’t be forgettin’ it.”

  Cecil nodded and pulled the brim of his hat lower over his eyes. He walked across the yard toward the side of the house but stopped and turned back to them before he left. A frown wrinkled his brow. “There’s jest one bad thing come outta this whole mess.”

  Granny took a step toward him, concern etched on her face. “What’s that?”

  “Lavinia’s gonna stay another week.” Smiling, he disappeared around the side of the house.

  Granny and Anna stared at each other for a moment and then collapsed against each other in laughter.

  Right after breakfast the next morning Simon knocked on the back door. “Granny, I got a string of fish for you.”

  Anna opened the back door and motioned for him to enter. “Come on in. There are still some biscuits left.”

  Simon shook his head. “My shoes are muddy. I’ve been fishin’ this morning and I wanted to leave these.”

  Anna stepped outside and eyed the catch. “Those are big. Where did you catch them?”

  “Over to Abram’s Creek.” He laid the fish on the ground, and Anna thought she detected a faraway look in his eyes. “It’s one of the prettiest spots in the Cove. Has all kinds of rock formations along the creek bank. I’d love to show it to you sometime.”

  Granny stepped out of the house at that time. “What’s this yore a-wantin’ to show Anna?”

  “Abram’s Creek.”

  Granny picked up the string of fish. “Oh, my, yes. No place in the Cove like Abram’s Creek.” A smile creased her face. “Say, preacher boy, why don’t you take Anna and me fishin’ over there soon? You catch it, and I’ll cook it right there on the creek bank.”

  “That sounds like a lot of fun. When can we go, Simon?”

  Simon’s eyes softened as he stared at Anna. “Anytime you want.”

  “How about…” Anna hesitated and tilted her head to listen. “Did you hear something?”

  Granny glanced back toward the house. “Like what?”

  Anna stood still a moment. “There it goes again. Somebody’s knocking on the front door.”

  “Well, let’s go see who’s come so early in the morning.” Granny strode across the yard and around the house with Simon and Anna on her heels.

  Anna’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of Matthew Jackson standing at the door. Without a word he stepped off the front porch and walked toward them. His dark eyes stared at Anna from underneath the brim of a straw hat.

  “Matthew, you comin’ to see me this mornin’?” Granny called.

  He shook his head. “No’m. I come to fetch Miss Anna.”

  Anna’s reminder to Matthew to come for her if his mother needed help flashed into her mind. His presence could only mean something was terribly wrong. Anna stepped around Granny. “Did your mother send you?”

  “Yes’m.”

  Anna heard Simon suck in his breath, and then he walked over to the boy. “You’ve come a long way to do what your mother asked. What does she need?”

  Matthew took a deep breath and blinked at the tears he was trying to control. In that movement Anna saw what Simon had been telling her about the reserve she’d seen in Cecil Davis and others. The impulse to cry warred with the unspoken Cove principle. Mountain people were proud, and they’d rather hide their emotions than share them.

  Matthew straightened his shoulders and Anna knew pride had won out. “The sheriff came this morning and brought my pa home. My ma wants you to come.”

  Anna smiled at Matthew and squeezed his shoulder. “Of course I’ll come. Is your pa hurt? Does Granny need to bring her medicine bag?”

  Matthew shook his head. “Won’t do no good now. They brought my pa home dead.”

  “Dead?” Anna and Simon spoke at the same time.

  Simon grasped Matthew by the shoulders. “What happened to your father?”

  The boy wiped his sleeve across his nose. The tears had now disappeared from his eyes. “Pa went off to that there tavern over to Wear’s Valley. Ma begged him not to, but he wouldn’t lis’en. The sheriff said Pa got drunk and was gonna shoot a man, but he kilt Pa first. Said it was self-defense.”

  Anna could hardly believe the nonchalant manner in which the boy related the news of his father’s death. A stab of pain pierced her heart for Naomi and her two children, and she put her arm around the boy’s shoulders. “Matthew, I’m so sorry. How’s your mother doing?”

  Matthew stared up at her, his face now impassive. “She been cryin’ a lot, but I told her to never mind. Leastways he won’t be hittin’ her no more.”

  Tears filled Granny’s eyes, and she pointed toward the house. “Tell you what, Matthew, you come on in whilst Anna and I git ready to go. You kin eat some breakfast, then we’ll all leave.” She turned to Simon. “You a-goin’, preacher boy?”

  He nodded. “I’ll go home and get cleaned up and meet you there.”

  Granny put her arm around Matthew’s shoulders and drew him toward the house. “And, Simon, git those fish and take ’em to Naomi’s. I ’spect we kin cook ’em up over there.”

  Simon’s mouth hardened into a grim line. Without answering, he headed to the back of Granny’s house where he’d left the fish.

  Anna waited, but he didn’t reappear. When several minutes had passed, she frowned and went to search for him.

  Simon stooped over and picked up the fish, but he couldn’t make his feet move. Rooted to the spot, he stared across the field toward the mountains. Defeat consumed him and he closed his eyes.

  “Oh, Lord, I don’t understand why You let this happen.”

  “Simon.” Anna’s voice startled him, and he clutched the string of fish tighter. He turned slowly and faced her. Her questioning eyes stared at him. “What’s the matter?”

  Ever since he’d been forced to return from seminary, he’d prayed for someone
to share the struggles of his ministry—someone who could understand his desire to pastor a large church. Someone who could understand his belief that God had brought him back here to reach Luke Jackson. Someone like Anna. Standing with her now, he longed for her to wrap her arms around him and tell him everything would be all right. He wanted her to whisper in his ear that no matter what disappointments came to him in his work, she would be by his side helping to ease the burden. But he knew that was impossible.

  He’d failed to convince her of how much he needed her, how much the people here needed her. His efforts with her had been as futile as his desire for Luke Jackson to come to know God. Every time he tried to reach her, she’d rebuffed him—just as Luke had. He had failed with her, and now he had failed with Luke. He was tired of being a failure.

  After all, he was a product of the Cove and shared the characteristics of his proud neighbors. Sometimes it was better to bury your emotions deep inside instead of exposing them and risking more heartbreak.

  He shifted the string of fish to the other hand. “Nothing. I’ll see you at Naomi’s. Tell her I’ll bring John. We can build a coffin for Luke.”

  She nodded. “I’m glad you thought of that. You’re such a help to the people in the Cove.”

  Her words, meant to compliment him, had the opposite effect. His shoulders slumped, and he pushed his hat farther down over his eyes. “Yeah, that’s what they tell me. I just wish I could have helped Luke more.”

  He strode past her without waiting for a response. There were things to be done for the Jackson family. Maybe afterwards he would find a way to live with how he’d failed Luke, but he doubted if it would ever happen. He would probably live with his guilt for the rest of his life.

  Chapter 19

  Granny guided the buggy over the rough road leading to the Jackson cabin. Anna braced her feet against the floor to keep from bumping against Granny or Matthew, who were sitting on either side of her. Wedged between the two, she darted a glance from time to time at Matthew, but the boy appeared to be lost in thought. She wondered what he was thinking.