My Valentine

by Tracie Peterson

  Darlene took the pot. “Yes, he is. He’s bedridden and I’m afraid it will be a long, slow recovery. The doctor says he’s sick with consumption.”

  “Feh!” Esther spat out in disgust. “He is sick because he has angered God!”

  “How can you say such things?” Darlene asked angrily. “Did my father not provide for you when you had nothing?”

  “It is true enough, but he had not forsaken the faith of his ancestors then. Now he has and God is punishing him for his waywardness. Mark my words, Darlene, you will fall into corruption and be lost as well. Don’t think I haven’t heard that you keep company with the goyim. You will be forever lost if you turn from God.”

  “I’m certain that is true,” Darlene replied. “But neither I nor my father have done that.” She paused and some of the anger left her. “Esther, have you never wondered about Messiah?”

  “What’s to wonder? Messiah will come one day and that will be that. Of course, we should live so long!” The wind picked up and played at the edges of their skirts.

  Darlene shivered and she knew that Esther must be cold. “Do you want to come upstairs and talk?”

  “No,” Esther replied. “Rachel and Dvorah are helping me to make a quilt for Mrs. Meyer.”

  “And you didn’t ask me to help?” Darlene tried not to show how hurt she was. She would no doubt have begged off anyway.

  “It is better you decide your loyalties first. There’s been a great deal of talk about you and Avrom. You should set yourselves right with God and seek His forgiveness. Then we will talk again.”

  “But my heart is right with God,” Darlene protested. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “You are the daughter of your father. Avrom’s house is in danger because his heart is corrupt with goyishe reasonings. You must convince him to repent and then perhaps God will heal him of his afflictions. Don’t forget about the sins of the fathers being revisited upon the children.”

  “And just what are you saying by that?”

  Esther’s forehead, already wrinkled with age, furrowed as she raised her snowy-white brows. “Only that you are close to corruption by staying here.”

  Darlene felt her temper dangerously close to exploding. Exhaustion was making her bold and unfearing. “Tateh has God’s wisdom and a peace of soul that I have yet to find in our congregation. We say that Messiah will come and make all things right, and I’m telling you that Messiah may well have already come to try.”

  Esther put her hands to her ears. “I’ll not listen to anymore. You’re a meschuggene just like your father! Better you should leave him now!”

  “No, I won’t desert him like everyone else. It was good of you to bring him soup. I will bring you back the pot later tonight.”

  Esther seemed to have nothing more to say and quickly left the shop. Darlene took the soup upstairs, poured it into her own pot, then put it on the stove to keep warm. She went to check on her father and found him awake and seemingly better.

  “Tateh, Esther has brought you some soup. Would you like some now?”

  “No, just come and sit with me,” he said in a weak voice. “I would tell you some things before it’s too late.”

  “Shh, Tateh! Don’t say such things.”

  Abraham tried to sit up, but he was too weak. Falling back against his pillow, he reached out a hand to Darlene. “Please hear me,” he said, breaking into a fit of coughing.

  She took his hand and sat down on the edge of his bed. He looked so very old and fragile now. Once her Tateh had been a pillar of strength and she looked to him for the courage she lacked. Now, she wished with all of her heart that something could be done to help him. But the doctor said there was nothing to be done. Nothing could help rid him of the consumption that seemed to ravage his lungs.

  Darlene waited in silence, not moving so much as a muscle lest she cause him to cough even harder. He struggled for breath and finally the spell subsided. “I’m going to a better place,” he said softly. “You must promise me that you will not be afraid.”

  Darlene knew better than to argue with him. “I promise,” she said, wondering if she could really keep her word.

  “And another promise,” he whispered.

  “What is it, Tateh?”

  “Promise me that you will think about Jesus. I don’t want to die knowing that you might forever be lost.”

  Tears came to her eyes as she hugged his hand to her face. “I can’t bear for you to talk about death. I can’t bear to think of life without you.”

  “Jesus is the true Messiah. I want very much for you to know that. Don’t be afraid of the world and the things that would hide the truth from you.” He began coughing anew and this time when the attack subsided, there was blood at the corners of his lips.

  “I want to know that Jesus is truly the Messiah,” she said. Tears fell upon his hand as she kissed it. “I don’t want you to leave me.”

  “We’ll never be parted again if you accept Jesus as your Atonement,” he said in a voice filled with as much longing as Darlene felt in her heart.

  “What must I do?”

  Abraham’s eyes seemed to spark with life for a brief moment. “You must only ask Him into your heart. Ask His forgiveness for your sins, and He will give it to you!”

  Darlene thought of this for a moment. A peace filled her and she knew in an instant that it was the right thing to do. There was no image of Pierce or her dying father, or the ugliness of her friends and neighbors; there was only this growing sensation that this was the answer she had sought all along. Jesus would fill the void in her heart and take away her loneliness.

  “Then let it be so,” she whispered. “I want Jesus to be my Savior.”

  “Baruch Ha-Shem,” Abraham gasped and closed his eyes. “Blessed be The Name.”

  Darlene saw the expression of satisfaction that crossed her father’s face. It was as if a mighty struggle had ceased to exist. Was this all that had kept him alive? Was this so important that he couldn’t rest until he knew Darlene believed in Jesus?

  Outside the wind howled fiercely and Darlene remembered that she needed to return Esther’s pot. “Tateh, I must go to Esther’s and take back her soup pot. I won’t be gone but a minute.”

  “Wait until tomorrow,” he said in a barely audible whisper.

  “I think it might well snow before then and I’d rather not have to go out in it. I’ll only be a few minutes and besides, no one will bother me. Ever since that day when Pierce and I were accosted by the rowdies, I’ve had the assurance of Willy and Sam that we’d be safe. They even keep an eye on the building in case anyone wants to vandalize it. I think they’re the reason our so-called friends haven’t broken any more windows in the shop.”

  Abraham drew a ragged breath and opened his eyes. “Then God go with you.”

  She leaned down and kissed his cold, dry forehead. “And with you.”

  Pausing at the door, Darlene kissed her hand and touched the mezuzah. The action was performed as a reminder of how she should always love God’s Word and keep it in her heart. In that moment, it became more than an empty habit. In that moment, Darlene was filled with a sense of longing to know all of God’s Words for His people. She glanced back at her father and felt a warmth of love for him and the Messiah she had finally come to recognize.

  “Jesus.” She whispered the name and smiled.

  Chapter 15

  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

  1 John 2:17

  Pierce sat with his shirt sleeves rolled up and his collar unbuttoned—a sure sign that he was hard at private work. Within the confines of his room, he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d miss New York when the time came to leave. When in Europe, home had been all that he could think of. But then thoughts of Eugenia’s demanding ways, his father’s constant absences, and Constance being torn between the two adults she loved most in the world would dissolve any real homesickness. Perhaps it would
be the same when he moved west to Chicago.

  He looked at the latest letter he’d received from Chicago. He’d hired a well-respected contractor and was already the proud owner of a hotel. Well, at least the frame and foundation were in place. The five-story building was, as the letter put it, enclosed enough to allow indoor work during the harsh winter months. There would, of course, be a great deal of interior work to be done. Pierce remembered the blueprints with pride. The hotel would stand five stories high and have one hundred twenty rooms available for weary travelers. Located close to where packets of travelers were deposited off of Lake Michigan, Pierce knew his hotel would be the perfect moneymaker. And, with more than enough room to expand, Pierce had little doubt he could enlarge his establishment to house more than two and maybe even three hundred people.

  Leaning back in his chair, Pierce tried to imagine the finished product. Brick with brass fixtures would make a regal first impression. Especially to that tired soul who longed for nothing more than a decent bed and perhaps a bath. There were also plans for a hotel restaurant, and Pierce had felt a tremendous sense of satisfaction when he’d managed to secure one of the finest New York chefs for his hotel. It had cost him triple what it would have cost to hire a less-experienced man, but Chef Louis de Maurier was considered a master of cuisine and Pierce knew his presence would only improve the hotel’s reputation.

  Of course, the fine imported oak and mahogany furniture he planned to ship would be a tremendous help as well. Each hotel room would be supplied with the very best. Oak beds with finely crafted mattresses. The best linens and fixtures money could buy would also draw the better-paying customer. He thought of how there would be many people who couldn’t afford such luxury and immediately thoughts of a lower-priced, less-formal hotel began to formulate in his mind. He could build a quality hotel and supply it with articles that were sturdy and durable, but not quite as fine. Each room could have several beds and this way poorer folks could share expenses with several other people. He could charge by the bed, instead of by the room. Chicago was going to be a real challenge, he thought, and scratched out several of his ideas onto paper.

  Then, as always happened during his daydreams, Pierce’s mind conjured images of Darlene. He’d purposefully left her alone after suggesting she and her father come west. More importantly, he’d left her to consider that he loved her. He hadn’t intended to tell her that, but there was a desperation in him that hoped such words just might turn the tide. If she knew how he felt, perhaps she would encourage her father to consider the trip to Chicago. And already, Pierce was prepared for just such a decision. He’d managed to locate a doctor whose desire it was to relocate to Chicago. For passage and meals, the man had agreed to travel with Pierce and act as private physician to Abraham Lewy. This way, Pierce was certain that Darlene could find no objections to the idea of going west.

  He frowned as he thought of the stories he’d been told by his father. Stories of how Darlene’s friends had turned away from the Lewy family. Stories of how Darlene was forced to sew what few orders she could obtain by herself. He tried not to think of her shoulders bent and weary from the tasks she bore. He tried, too, not to think of her face marred with worry over the health of her father, which Dennison had already told him had been considerably compromised by the cold winter weather.

  I love her, Lord, he prayed. I love her and want her to be my wife, but I won’t go against You on this. If You would only turn her heart toward You and open her eyes to the need for salvation, I would happily take her as my wife and love her with all of my heart.

  “Pierce? Are you in there, Son?” Dennison Blackwell questioned.

  “Yes, come in.” Pierce yawned and straightened up.

  Dennison opened the door. “I wondered if you would join me for coffee in the library. There are some things I think we should discuss.”

  “Things? Such as?”

  “Such as Chicago and your insistence to cast away the world you know for the wilds of the West and what you do not know.”

  Dennison seemed so genuinely upset that Pierce instantly got to his feet. “I would be happy to put your mind at rest.”

  He followed his father down the hall and into the library, which stood at the top of the main staircase. Dennison closed the door and motioned Pierce to take a seat, while he himself began to pace.

  “I know you’re a grown man and have every right to the future of your choosing, but I cannot say that this idea of yours doesn’t bother me. Chicago is hundreds of miles away and travel is precarious at best.” He held up his hand lest Pierce offer any objections. “Yes, I know the Erie Canal is making travel to the Great Lakes much easier. I’ve even managed to obtain information on a variety of wagon trains and stagelines that go west.”

  “You’ve left out the possibility of taking a sailing vessel to New Orleans and then going up the Mississippi and across Illinois,” Pierce said with a grin. “Oh, Father, you really shouldn’t be so worried. I know this is where God is directing me to go. There’s so much to be done and men of my standing, with the capital to back them, can not only make a huge fortune, but also benefit the masses who also are dreaming of a new start. Chicago has nearly four thousand residents and it is projected that by 1840 there will be twice that many people.”

  “That’s all well and good, but. . .”

  “Father, why don’t you come west with me? We could build an empire! I still own a great deal of land in Chicago and we could develop it together.”

  Dennison smiled sadly at this. “I thought we were doing that here in New York.”

  “But I can’t bear the snobbery of this town much longer. The prejudices are enough to drive me mad.”

  “And you think Chicago will be without its own form of prejudice?”

  Pierce knew his father had a point. “I’m sure they do have prejudice, but they aren’t formed around the tight little society that New York has made for itself. I’ve never known another town, with the exception of Boston, that holds its lofty council above all others and looks down its nose at those considered beneath it.”

  “Then you haven’t looked very close,” Dennison said with a smile. For some reason this seemed to put him at ease and he took a chair across from Pierce and poured a cup of steaming black coffee. “I’ve traveled to some of the same places you have. London. Paris. Munich. They all have their ‘tight little societies’ as you put it. You know as well as I do how laws have been passed in Germany to discriminate against the Jews. Some towns are even forbidden for them to live in, and others are denying them the right to own property and businesses. I’m telling you, Pierce, there is no place in this world that is without its own form of prejudice.”

  Pierce poured his own coffee and sighed. “I know you’re right. It just seems a shame to watch people so divide themselves. Their greeds and lusts take over and they give little consideration for those who suffer.”

  “It was no different in Jesus’ time. You must understand, Pierce, there will always be those who suffer injustices. All you can do is your very best to see that you aren’t a part of it and that you render aid where you can.”

  “But don’t you understand? That’s what I’m trying to do now. In leaving New York, I leave behind their ways and their snobbery. I say to them, in essence, enough is enough and I will no longer be party to your corruption. And I am already prepared to render aid. I found a Jewish doctor who is a new Christian. He desires to go west and I have offered to pay his passage to Chicago in turn for his acting as private physician to Abraham Lewy.”

  “Abraham? He has agreed to go with you to Chicago?”

  “No, but I’m certain that once I speak to him of the benefits he will want to go.”

  “And if he doesn’t?”

  Pierce shrugged and pushed back thick brown hair that had fallen onto his forehead. “I don’t know. I guess I kind of figured if I made him an attractive offer, he’d naturally want to come along.”

  “And Darlene? Was she a p
art of the attractive offer?”

  Pierce grinned. “Well, of course Darlene is included. I mentioned to her the idea and told her I’d help her father establish a new shop and home.”

  “And what did she say?” Dennison eyed his son quite seriously.

  This question took some of the wind out of Pierce’s sails. “She didn’t think he’d want to go.”

  “I thought as much. You see, Abraham and I have often discussed the matter of moving west. Many of the Jews who came here over the last ten years have done so only with westward expansion in mind. They aren’t comfortable in the large eastern cities, where people are cruel with hate and prejudice. They are more inclined to migrate west and form their own towns and societies. Abraham considered such a thing, but he was sure that his age was against him. Thinking he was too old, he settled here and found friends he could trust.”

  “But I want very much for them to know peace and to be accepted into the community. Now that Abraham is a Christian, surely people will take him in and treat him respectfully.”

  “They will always be Jewish by blood. They look like Jews, they sound like Jews, and they have Jewish names. People are going to know. Whether they worship in a synagogue or a church, people are going to think of them as Jews. And, you’re forgetting one very important thing. Darlene is still of the Jewish faith.”

  “But it is my prayer that she’ll come to know Christ.”

  “But until she does, Pierce, she is still very much separated from you in her beliefs. You have fallen in love with this woman, I know that. But I’m telling you that marriage to one such as her can only spell disaster for you both.”

  Pierce only frowned and sipped at the hot liquid in his cup. He felt the familiar resentment of wanting something that he knew he couldn’t have.

  “If you were to marry her without her having accepted Christ, who would perform the ceremony? A rabbi? A minister? Then, too, would you attend a church or a synagogue and when would you actually honor the Sabbath? On Saturday or Sunday? What happens, even if you both amicably decide to worship God your own way, when children come along? Will you raise them as Christians or as Jews? Can’t you see, Pierce, there is no peace in a divided house. You cannot walk both paths and remain true to either one. You are a Christian. Your foundation for living is in the salvation you know in Christ. You base your beliefs on the Christian Bible and you know that the teachings there are absolute truth. To marry Darlene would be to cast off all that you know as right.”