Redeeming Light

by Annette O'Hare

  “I see. You in town for long?”

  “Uh, no, actually. I’m traveling back to Bolivar on the G&I tomorrow morning.”

  “Be careful out there with that storm coming in. They don’t know where it’s going, but I have a feeling it’s gonna be close to us.”

  “If the storm does come to Beaumont will it harm the rest of the coast, say Galveston or Bolivar?”

  “That depends on how big a storm it is. That’s what’s so bad about living near the coast. You never know what’s gonna hit you. It could be just a little rain and wind, but it might be like the one down in Indianola back in eighty-six. It destroyed the whole town and killed more than seventy-five people.”

  “Oh, my.”

  “Yeah, the people there gave up trying to rebuild. It’s deserted now.”

  “That sounds absolutely horrific.”

  “Um-hm. It was. All right, you enjoy your breakfast.”

  Looking out at the storm, Frederick was anxious to get on with his business and get out of town. He was taken aback by an overwhelming desire to be with Sarah, to hold her in his arms, to protect her, no matter the cost. A life without Sarah would be no life at all.

  26

  Sarah pulled her hat down tight. She tied a rag over her face, covering her mouth and nose to keep sand and dirt out.

  Melvin did the same.

  They all chuckled at Louise’s comment on how they looked like a pair of wimpy bandits, but when she grasped her round belly and winced in pain it was no longer a laughing matter. The house had to be protected for the baby’s sake.

  Pellets of rain peppering Sarah’s skin felt like buckshot. “Pick up one of these veneer boards and follow me!” Sarah shouted over the howling wind.

  Melvin lifted one end and helped drag it to the front of the house.

  They covered the window.

  “You go ahead!” Melvin said, struggling to keep the board in place. “I’ll hold it while you nail it to the wall!”

  Sarah hammered a nail into one side and then did the other side so Melvin could let go.

  “Come on, Sarah. Let’s get the next one.”

  The wind was stronger than Sarah ever remembered in the past. The downward gusts were unrelenting. “I’ll get this one,” she hollered.

  Melvin took the hammer and nails.

  She lifted the veneer and held it between her outstretched arms. A fast-moving gust caught the board like a sail. The wind carried her a good five yards before the board flew out of her hands leaving shards of wood embedded in her palms. She fell into a puddle of mud. The board kept going—straight toward Melvin. “Get down!” She screamed.

  Melvin dove just in time. The veneer passed over his head before it crashed into the house, leaving a gaping hole.

  Sarah jumped to her feet and ran to her brother-in-law. “Melvin! Melvin!” She pulled the rag down from her face and knelt beside him. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, I’m all right. Just a bit shaken up.”

  Tears streamed down her raw cheeks. They were both soaking wet and covered in mud. Her breath came in short gasps. “You could have been killed!”

  “But I wasn’t. I’m fine.” He took a deep breath. “What about you, are you hurt?” Melvin removed the rag tied around his face and wiped mud from his eye.

  “No. I don’t think so. My backside will be sore tomorrow though.”

  Melvin pointed to her hands, dripping with blood where the veneer had slashed her skin. He wrapped his bandana around her hand, then used hers around her other hand.

  Her lips began to tremble.

  Melvin patted her arm. “It’ll be all right. Let’s get this over with.”

  Sarah grabbed his hand. “I’m really scared, Melvin.”

  He shook his head. “I know. I am too.”

  A thousand pounds of guilt perched on Sarah’s head for the rotten way she had treated her brother-in-law and everyone else. No one worked hard enough to please her, and nobody was as good as her daddy. She had grieved her father’s death by making everyone around her miserable. God had to use a storm, a flying board, and mud puddle to get her attention, and He’d done a fine job of it. Sarah wept and shook with fear. She looked into her brother-in-law’s eyes. “I’m so sorry for the way I’ve treated you, Melvin. I expect every man to be my hero like my daddy was, and that’s not fair to you or anyone else. Daddy said these boards would protect us.” She gasped for a breath. “But he was wrong. You were nearly killed, and we can’t even get them hung!”

  Melvin squeezed her shoulder. “Calm down, Sarah. It’s all right to idolize your father. He was a great man. But he was just a man. The only one who can help us now is God!”

  Sarah pressed her face into Melvin’s chest, trying to be heard through her sobs. “Will you please come help me with the animals?”

  “Of course.”

  Together they fought the violent wind.

  “Then we’ll figure out a way to protect ourselves inside the house.”

  “Thank you, Melvin!”

  “You’re welcome. And by the way…I accept your apology!”

  27

  Saturday, September 8, 1900

  Frederick awakened early following a restless night. Worry concerning Sarah and the coming storm filled his mind. He rushed through his morning routine and packed his suitcase. After checking out, he headed for the train station.

  An older man with thick white hair, mustache, and sideburns stood behind the barred window with the words Ticket Office embellished above it. “Next!” The man called out.

  “Yes, one ticket for seven o’clock on the G&I to Port Bolivar.” Frederick handed the man the required fee. “Thank you, sir.”

  “It’s gonna be a bumpy ride to Port Bolivar. What with that storm coming in.”

  “Is it projected to be a big one?”

  “Yep.”

  Frederick got on the train, worry about Sarah consuming his thoughts

  “All aboard!” The conductor gave the final call for passengers.

  The whistle blew as the engineer released the brake. The engine lurched forward. The billowing clouds of steam and smoke were whisked away by the blustery winds. Trails of raindrops slid across the windows. The engine built up a head of steam and chugged out of town.

  Goodbye, Beaumont. I hope I shouldn’t have to return anytime soon.

  A man in front of him was talking about the storm to his companion. Frederick tapped him on the shoulder. “Have you heard anything about the storm coming in? Have there been any reports as to where they think it might hit?”

  “I don’t know, young man. But if you listen to what the animals are saying, it’ll be a big one. I’ve lived on a farm and raised animals all my life. If you know animals like I do, you’d know how they can predict the weather. Take cattle for instance. If you see cows laying down in the field, and then you can bet your bottom dollar that rain’s coming. And watch the birds. If they’re flying low to the ground…”

  Frederick nodded politely and tuned out, his worry for Sarah increasing by the minute.

  28

  “Careful, Melvin! You’re gonna break that lamp.”

  Mama was in a tizzy. She hollered at poor Melvin and Sarah nonstop as they moved things to the second floor.

  A neighbor stopped by earlier, on their way to the ferry to warn them of the fast-rising tide from the storm surge.

  Sarah recognized Mama’s actions. She’d seen it before when Daddy was gored by Brutus. “Mama, leave him alone. We’re doing the best we can.” Sarah spoke softly to distract her mother. “Why don’t you go to the kitchen and gather some canned goods into a box. And anything else you think we might need. We may be up there a while.”

  A clap of thunder rattled the windows and lightning flashed in every corner of the room.

  Rex ran down the stairs nearly knocking Melvin off his feet.

  Mama nodded at Sarah before walking away.

  Sarah couldn’t stop worrying about Frederick. It seemed like
eons since she’d seen his face or touched his hand…or kissed him. He said he would come back to Bolivar. Maybe he couldn’t get back. Or perhaps he’d changed his mind. Was that Your plan all along, Father? A grain of hopelessness settled in her heart, took root, and started to grow. It doesn’t matter, Lord. He wasn’t mine to begin with.

  She pulled back the sash from one of the windows they hadn’t been able to board up and looked outside. It was difficult to see past the property line with the rain coming down in sheets. The wind blew as though it had a purpose.

  Something hurtled toward the window, and Sarah stepped back as a seagull crashed into the glass with a sickening thud. Rex barked wildly. The bird slid down the cracked glass before a gust of wind picked it up and whisked it away.

  Sarah dropped the curtain and clutched her blouse, gasping. Oh, Father, God. I don’t know my future with Frederick. I don’t know if I even have a future with him at all, but please, Lord, please…keep him safe. She pulled back the shade again.

  Two figures fought their way through the wind and rain. Sarah ran to the door and opened it. Once the couple was inside the door, Sarah shoved her weight against it until it latched.

  Grace and Grace’s fiancé, Guy were soaked through. Water formed a puddle on the floor. Grace wept and shook, Guy’s arm tightly draped around her shoulder.

  Sarah pulled a throw off the back of the couch and drew it over Grace’s back.

  “Sarah, Uncle Harry received a telegraph, and this storm…” Guy used his hands in an emotional plea. “It, it’s bad, really bad. We could barely get here from the lighthouse. The water is coming up fast. He said he’s never seen it like this before.”

  “What’s going on, Sarah? Is someone here?” Mama came in from the kitchen, holding a box. She put the crate on the floor and rushed to Grace’s side.

  “Mama!” Grace bawled, falling into her mother’s arms.

  Melvin ran halfway down the stairs. “Who was at the door? Is everything all right?”

  “Listen to me, Mrs. June, Uncle Harry said to get y’all over to the lighthouse right away. Now we’ve got to hurry before the tide rises any higher.” Guy shook his head, his hands extended before him. “It’s now or never!”

  “I don’t know what to do. We’ve got to get our things upstairs.”

  “It’s no use, Sarah!” Guy hollered. “We’ve got to get to the lighthouse now. It’s our only hope.”

  Louise…the baby. They had to get out fast. The baby’s life depended on it. “What do you need me to do?” Sarah asked, determined to get her family to safety.

  “You help your mama gather up food. Oh, and candles if you have them.” A low rumble of thunder rattled the window frames. Guy gathered Grace to his side and looked at Melvin. “Get your wife down here now. We’ve got to get everyone to the lighthouse.”

  Melvin scrambled up the stairs.

  “Come on, Mama.”

  “Stop!” Mama put her hands out and planted her feet. “I’m not leaving this house. We’ve been through many a storm before, and this ranch has survived ‘em all. There’s no point in running off when everything we need is right here.”

  Sarah froze.

  Melvin whirled around.

  Guy extended his hand to Mama. “Mrs. June, please!”

  “No! We’re not leaving!”

  Sarah took Mama by the arm and led her to the picture display on the sideboard. She picked up the small gold frame and handed it to Mama.

  Even in her state of panic and shock, Mama managed a small smile. She rubbed her thumb on the photograph next to the baby’s cheek.

  “Who is that, Mama?”

  “Well, it’s Louise, of course. Don’t you think I know my own baby when I see her?”

  “I’ll bet you Louise and Melvin’s baby will look just like her…you think?”

  “I sure hope not. Louise had a head shaped like an oil funnel. I wouldn’t wish that on my precious grandbaby!”

  “Mama…we’ve got to get Louise and the baby out. It’s too dangerous for them to stay here. Now you don’t want anything bad to happen, do you?”

  One by one, Mama grabbed the photographs of Grace and Sarah off the sideboard and added them to the one already in her hand. She rushed over to the crate of food she’d gathered and placed them inside. Putting her fists on her hips, she turned toward the stairs. “Melvin, go get Louise! I’ve got to get my grandbaby out of this house!”

  Melvin ran up the stairs.

  Mama picked up the box, trotting back to the kitchen. “Sarah, Grace, get ready to go.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Grace replied.

  Guy gave Sarah an amazed look. “Good job.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. We still have to get her out of here without taking the whole house.”

  “Sarah, I need you in the kitchen!”

  Thinking of things to save, Sarah rubbed her hand against the bulge in the pocket sewn into her skirt. It was still there. “Coming, Mama!”

  29

  The rain was making visibility through the train’s windows impossible. Frederick had no way of knowing how bad things actually were. The train was rattling more than usual as gusts of wind slammed against it.

  “Whoa!” A little girl screamed when the train lurched yet again. “Mommy, I’m scared!”

  People were talking loud, trying to drown out the noise.

  “I’m not quite sure, but I think we passed right by the High Island terminal without stopping,” A young Negro man seated in front of him said.

  “What? Why wouldn’t they stop the train? Surely there were more people needing to board.” Frederick asked. A knot gripped Frederick’s stomach as he stood up. He got no more than six steps away when the train shot forward. The impact sent Frederick down to his hands and knees. The other passengers were tossed about, and varying groans and startled screams filled the air.

  Frederick rushed to the window to look outside. Water lapped against the side of the train. Rainwater or seawater? Probably both. Apprehension rose in his chest.

  The forward door opened from the outside. The conductor climbed inside the car and snapped the door shut. He swiped his cap off and wiped rain from his eyes.

  For a brief moment, the passengers silently stared at the man.

  “What’s going on? Why did we stop?” A portly man’s words were tinged with anger.

  The conductor held up his hands. “All right, now, quiet down and listen. We have a situation here we have to deal with.”

  “What kind of situation?”

  “All right, here’s how it is. We’re not far from Port Bolivar. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the train stalled out, and the water is continuing to rise. I figure we’re about eleven miles from the ferry.”

  Comments rumbled through the crowd of passengers.

  “What does that mean to us? How do you propose we get to the ferry landing to get back to Galveston?” The portly man spoke again.

  A troubled look came over the railroad worker’s face. He gripped the seatback in front of him. “That’s another problem. If the waves are this bad inland, I can only imagine how bad they must be at the ferry. In the past they’ve stopped running the ferry when the weather is bad like this. I don’t know. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to risk it.”

  “So what do you propose we do?” someone demanded.

  “Well, the engineer suggested we all hunker down and wait it out.”

  Frederick could stay onboard the train and wait out the storm, but staying meant he had no way of knowing the fate of Sarah and her family. “Excuse me, sir, but do we have the choice of leaving the train…to seek shelter elsewhere?”

  “Sure, I suppose you could leave, but why risk your life out in this storm when you’re safe and sound right here in this sturdy train?”

  Murmurs came from all around the train car.

  “All right, now listen to me. The engineer is doing everything he can to get the train back up and running. Then we can back the engine toward Be
aumont and out of this mess.” He removed his cap and wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve. “All right, those are your choices. You can wait it out here, or you can leave and face who knows what.” He flipped his hands up and walked toward the door.

  Frederick gripped the seat. Should he take his chances in the storm? What if Sarah needed him? Sure, she lived in a sturdy ranch house, but was anything strong enough to withstand a storm of this magnitude?

  A palm frond glanced off the side of the train and slid down the rain-soaked window.

  He had to get to Sarah.

  30

  The storm was like nothing Sarah had ever experienced. Greenish-black clouds boiled in the sky overhead. The rain came down in sheets that drenched her to the skin. She had to stay strong for Mama and her sisters, especially Louise. It was too soon for the baby to come into the world.

  Guy helped Melvin lift Louise into the back of the cart.

  Sarah hitched Ginger to the front.

  Louise screamed again that the baby was coming, then the pain would pass, and she would quiet down for a moment.

  Mama climbed up in the wagon and sat behind Louise, supporting her back.

  The closer they got to the lighthouse the less jarring the ride became. The storm surge rose to the point where the wagon was floating. Rex tired from swimming and jumped up into the wagon. He lay down beside Louise and whimpered.

  Sarah held Ginger’s reigns as they waded through the deep water.

  How on earth would they get Louise all the way to the top of the one hundred twenty-foot tower?

  The lighthouse door opened and Guy’s uncle appeared holding a lantern. He rushed to the wagon. “Let’s get her upstairs.”

  Somehow the three men managed to get Louise up the stairs.

  Grace grabbed the box of supplies and followed Mama up the stairs.

  Sarah unhitched Ginger from the wagon. She was glad for the rain to hide her tears as she removed Ginger’s bridle and halter. Ginger nickered and nuzzled Sarah’s face. Sarah kissed her horse’s muzzle and rubbed her neck. “Goodbye, beautiful.” Sarah shut the lighthouse door.