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The Long Road Home © 2010 by Judi Ann Ehresman On the Wings of Grace © 2010 by Judi Ann Ehresman Where Two Agree © 2011 by Judi Ann Ehresman The Reluctant Immigrant © 2008 by Naomi Mitchum Print ISBN 978-1-63058-456-6 eBook Editions: Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-63058-949-3 Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-63058-950-9 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher. All scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Song/hymn on pages 54–55, © 2010 by Luke Ehresman The Man in the Moon old rhyme taken from Holton-Curry Readers, Volume 2, (1914), as noted in http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=hes&p=1737. Traditional Doxology, page 393: words by Thomas Ken, 1674; music attributed to Louis Bourgeois, 1551. This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity and are used fictitiously. All other characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the authors’ imaginations. Published by Barbour Books, an imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.barbourbooks.com, in association with OakTara Publishers, www.oaktara.com. Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.
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Contents The Long Road Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 On the Wings of Grace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Where Two Agree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 About the Author: Judi Ann Ehresman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331 The Reluctant Immigrant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333 About the Author: Naomi Mitchum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469
THE LONG ROAD HOME The Hand of God, Book One by Judi Ann Ehresman
Dedication To my husband and best friend, Richard Ehresman And to our children: Nathan and Ruth Ehresman Luke and Elizabeth Ehresman Also in loving memory of Bonnie Glasspoole, my dearest girlfriend on earth, who is now home in heaven
Chapter 1
T
he ground was hard for that time of year. The snows had melted early, and the rains had not been as heavy as usual for March in Indiana. Now that April was here, the ground was already solid enough for Mandy Evanston to walk on without soaking through her well-worn boots. Even though the day promised to be a pleasant one for April, the sun had not been up long enough to create much warmth. The early morning chill worked its icy fingers up her spine and made her shiver. She pulled her coat closer about her. Alone. . .alone. . .alone. . .alone. . .alone. Each step she took seemed to stamp out the rhythm of her thoughts, reminding her she was alone. Alone in the woods. Alone for the summer. Totally and completely alone in the world. “I will not think of it as being alone,” she murmured to herself. “With this little one inside me, I am not completely alone. And Ethan said he would be back in August to get us ready for winter, so that is only, let’s see—” she pulled one hand free from her woolen pocket and counted on her fingers—“April, May, June, July. . .four months, maybe five. I will keep myself busy these next few months, and time will fly. By the time Ethan comes home, I can tell him about the little one. He will be excited, and then the waiting will not be so long for him.” Once again she was quiet, listening to the sound of her footsteps and the skittering, rustling noises of morning in the woods. The naked trees reached their blackened branches to the sky as though begging for warmth, for the covering of leaves soon to grow on their dead-looking appendages. Mandy breathed deeply of the many scents that formed the one fragrance of the woods. She slowed to a quiet walk. After all, what was the rush, really? Mandy had felt alone for much of her life. Her parents had died within a week of one another from an illness that had swept through their town, leaving her alone as a young child. She had stayed with a neighbor until her father’s brother had been traced. When her uncle came to claim her, she tried to be brave and grown up. He was kind enough to her, but when he took her home, it didn’t take long to realize her aunt did not truly welcome Mandy. She resented having to care for another child. So Mandy grew up as more of a servant than one of the family and was always left quite alone. As she strolled through the woods now, she thought about the time she met 9
THE LONG ROAD HOME ROMANCE COLLECTION Ethan. He was working in a store in Boston to which she was often sent by her aunt. She couldn’t help being attracted to his energy, friendliness, kindness, and handsome looks. Then one day he offered to carry her packages home for her, and she was speechless. For several months he continued carrying her packages, but she always retrieved them just before they got to her aunt’s home and sent him on his way. She was afraid that if her aunt discovered she had a friend, she would accuse Mandy of “frittering away her time” and her errands would end. Then she might never have a chance to see him again and would miss their chats, laughs, and brief walks together. She smiled at the warm memory. One day Ethan started talking of joining a wagon train that was coming through their town as it headed to the unsettled West. He wanted to travel clear out to Ohio, or even Indiana, where land could be had for a song and a man could live off the land and the woods. He shared his excitement about the possibility with her for quite a while until he said he’d finally decided to do it. When he told her he planned to leave in the spring, she couldn’t stop the tears from coming. “Would you miss me?” he asked, gazing at her tenderly. She hadn’t been able to find any words. Her throat was tight, her tongue paralyzed. So she had just looked at him and mutely nodded. He clasped her arm and steered her into a nearby alleyway behind the livery. “Mandy,” he said, his eyes alight with hope, “will you marry me and go with me?” She hadn’t even had to think about it. Again she simply nodded. Things happened swiftly after that as she helped Ethan plan and prepare for their journey. Each time she went to the store, Ethan had her select goods to add to the wagon he had purchased. Finally the day came when she packed all of her earthly possessions, wrote a letter of thanks to leave for her aunt and uncle, and slipped off quietly to meet Ethan at the minister’s house for a quick wedding ceremony. Within an hour of the ceremony, Mr. and Mrs. Ethan Evanston were headed to the West on a wagon train. That was, let’s see, this May will make six years. Time had flown. Ethan was such a wonderful husband. Mandy still smiled when she thought about how handsome he was. She couldn’t help but notice the way women on the wagon train had looked at him and blushed when he spoke to them. But he seemed oblivious of his effect on women. And now he would be a daddy. Oh, he would make a wonderful daddy! She hoped the baby looked just like Ethan. Oh, Ethan, why did you need to go away? Why do you think you have to make money on the railroads? Why do you get so restless? Her mind went over and over the questions 10
THE LONG ROAD HOME she’d asked him repeatedly these last few weeks. None of his answers had completely satisfied her, but she was determined not to become a whining, nagging wife like her aunt. So she had tried to cheerfully support his decision, even though she couldn’t understand his thinking. This morning, as she’d walked with him as far as he allowed, she had still tried to change his mind without pleading for him to stay with her. Now, as she walked the six miles back to the cabin, she was content with herself for not using her knowledge of the coming baby to make him stay home. She knew she could make it through the summer, and then when he came home, they would have only a few more months to wait for their baby to arrive. Just thinking about how excited Ethan would be when he discovered he would be a daddy renewed her determination to remain cheerful and patient until his return. From even before they married, Ethan had talked in a dreamy way about all the children he and Mandy would have and how they would love them, teach them, and be a happy family—something neither had known. They had seen happy families working and playing together, and both had longed for such an experience. But when year after year of their marriage had passed with no babies, they wondered if the best of life had passed them by. Until. . . Mandy had not wanted to tell Ethan at first, in case she was mistaken. Then, almost as soon as she felt quite certain, that Gerald fellow had talked to Ethan at the General Store and told him how much money men were being paid for laying tracks for the new railroad coming west. From that time on she could sense restlessness in Ethan. No amount of talking could change his mind, and she didn’t want him to feel tied down because of the baby. She was afraid he might resent her and the baby, so she had kept her secret. Now she would count the months until he came home, and they could be the family they had always dreamed of being. She glanced around at the forest, admiring its beauty. Squirrels chattered and scampered; birds sang and called. Mandy made a game of identifying how many different birds she heard and saw. She shuddered as she saw a plump rabbit hop quickly out of sight. Ethan had once showed her how to catch and clean rabbits for meat, but she didn’t think she could kill one herself unless she became very, very hungry. She had a difficult enough time wringing the neck of a chicken, but that seemed altogether different than killing a soft, quiet rabbit. Why? She couldn’t say for certain, but it just did.
h
The next day the sun reached in Mandy’s window, stretching its long beams over to the bed, draping warmth across her face. As the light gently massaged her eyelids 11
THE LONG ROAD HOME ROMANCE COLLECTION open, she tugged the quilts up around her neck and turned her face away from its brightness. Lazily she reached over to pull herself close to Ethan’s warmth. . . . She sat up abruptly. Then she remembered: Ethan was gone. This was her first morning in almost six years to wake up alone and cold in her bed. Somehow the quilts and bright pillows she had carefully stitched to make their cabin cozy and bright did not hold the same warmth and cheer they had before. In fact, she found herself feeling quite glum. “I have to stop thinking this way,” she told herself. “I will not become melancholy. After all, I still have the baby, and Ethan won’t be gone forever.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed but groaned as she started to stand. Every muscle in her body screamed out in rebellion. She chuckled. “Guess I had better pace myself a little better today. But yesterday’s work did make the day go quickly.” Yesterday morning, when she’d come back to the cabin, she could hardly stand the loneliness of the empty rooms. Reminders of Ethan and of all the things they had done together were everywhere. So she decided to take a walk around their small farm and form a plan for her days. As she fed the chickens and the few sheep and milked the two cows, she couldn’t keep the spring air and the earthiness of the freshly turned sod from filling her with a strong urge to plant her vegetable garden. She had carried the milk and eggs into the cabin, then taken down her box of seeds. Soon she was planting seeds in the soil Ethan had tilled up before he left. She worked long and hard, planting several rows at a time, then carrying buckets of water from the spring to water the seeds before patting the sod around them. She rested her back from carrying water by planting several more rows, and the cycle started all over again. By the time she finished, dusk chilled her, and she was hungry and exhausted. After putting away the garden tools in the shed, she was so tired she could hardly walk back up the hill to the cabin. She was thankful she had filled all the water buckets in the morning, because she was too tired to do it now, and she needed to warm a bucket of water for a bath. Once inside the cabin, she poured water into the big washday kettle and hung it in the fireplace to heat. She built the fire up, selected a large potato from last year’s garden, scrubbed it, and put it into the hot coals beneath the kettle. Stretching to ease her sore back, Mandy went out to milk the cows. By the time she returned to the cabin and placed the washtub by the fire, the water in the kettle was warm. She poured it into the tub, slipped out of her soiled dress, and scrubbed herself clean. The lavender soaps she made were quite refreshing, 12
THE LONG ROAD HOME and as she dried herself, combed out her wet, tangled hair, and donned a clean nightgown, she began to feel much better. After pouring a cup of tea, she sat down to eat her potato with a thick slice of bread piled high with her homemade apple butter. Eyeing the washtub of dirty water, she decided it could wait until morning to be emptied. The day had flown.
h
In the morning Mandy reviewed the work before her. Because of her impulsive gardening yesterday, she could hardly move today, yet the planting had made the day pass quickly. She needed a plan for her summer. After donning a fresh work dress, she straightened the sheets, pulled up the quilts, smoothing the wrinkles out and checking to be sure each quilt laid straight. She smiled as she remembered Ethan teasing her about the fact that she wanted the blankets to lay perfectly straight on the bed. But in spite of his teasing, he often commented to her about how nice she had made their home. She was proud and pleased that he appreciated all the little touches that made their cabin home. While the water boiled for her tea, she made short work of emptying the bathwater, cleaning out the tub, and hanging it on its peg on the back side of the cabin. Taking out her precious pad of paper, Mandy chose one clean page and, while she ate her egg and bread and drank her tea, started her list. Mandy listed all the chores she would normally do in a summer, such as keeping the garden up, canning and drying her garden produce, tying up her herbs to dry, washing windows, washing, starching, and ironing all the curtains in the cabin and rehanging them, as well as some projects she had not done before, such as making baby quilts, diapers, nightgowns, and preparing the other bedroom for the baby. She was thankful she’d stocked up on fabrics from the store Ethan had worked in back in Boston before they traveled, not knowing if there were stores or places in the untamed West to purchase such necessities. And there had already been plenty of opportunity to use the materials from her trunks for curtains, quilts, clothes, etc. She added to her list taking everything out of her cupboards and off the shelves so she could thoroughly clean the cabin. When she saw the length of her list, Mandy smiled. This summer would pass quickly if she was to accomplish all of this, and then Ethan would be home and life would be wonderful again. But, today, she had better stop sipping tea and get some water boiling to wash her garden clothes as soon as the animals were fed and watered, the eggs gathered, and the cows milked.
13
Chapter 2
O
ne day seemed almost the same as the next now, and Mandy found herself talking out loud more and more. She was so lonely that sometimes she would go to the barn and converse with the cows, mules, and sheep. She’d never before enjoyed cleaning stalls and spending time with the farm animals, but they soon recognized her voice and responded by nuzzling noses or turning a head as she milked or patted them. Mandy also talked more and more to the barn cat, but Tabby was not as much company as the other farm animals. Other than rubbing herself on Mandy’s skirts and shedding hair all over them, she would hardly glance at Mandy. Mostly the cat simply wanted a sunny spot to sleep. But Mandy knew Tabby was about to have her kittens, so she forgave the cat wanting some rest time. Mandy talked aloud to the baby she carried, too. Sometimes she wondered if it was only her love for the baby or from sheer loneliness. Ethan had been gone a little more than four weeks, and she had not seen another human being in all that time. She desperately craved fellowship. As the clouds chased one another across the late morning sky, Mandy frowned. It was now the first week of May, and a shower would be welcome, but these looked too far away for rain. The gray sky actually looked like snow. Suddenly she realized that planting a garden the first week of April might not be a good idea in Indiana. Opening the back door to peer down at the garden by the creek, Mandy felt the blast of cold and knew she’d better do something quickly if she wanted to save those little green sprouts peeking above the rich, dark sod. Pulling on a heavy sweater as she ran, she first went to the shed for the wooden wheelbarrow Ethan had made for hauling wood. She pushed the heavy thing into the woods, filled it with leaves and pine needles, and trundled each load to the garden, where she pressed armloads of the leaves over each row of tender shoots. Long before she was finished, the snow started falling, but Mandy couldn’t bear the thought of losing one precious seedling, so she worked on. Finally, each row was lovingly covered with its mound of warm protection, and Mandy trudged back up the hill with the wheelbarrow. “We sure had a workout today, Little One. One of these days you’ll be running behind me, helping me cover the tiny shoots and getting yourself all dirty in the 14
THE LONG ROAD HOME process.” Picturing the scene in her mind’s eye, she smiled as she closed the door of the shed. Since the wind was picking up, chilling the air, Mandy decided to do the evening chores a little early, so she could stay by the fire for the evening. As she finished milking the second cow, the barn door flew open, startling the cows with the noise and blast of cold air, making Bridget kick the bucket and spill most of the evening’s milk on the straw. Mandy patted Bridget, talking quietly to her as she rescued what was left of the milk. Taking the remaining milk in the bucket, Mandy struggled to close the barn door against the fierce wind. Finally, the latch was fastened securely, and she hurried back to the warmth of the cabin. After adding wood to the fire, she stood and turned in front of it for a while, trying to ease the stiffness of her fingers. Then, drawing her rocker closer to the fire, she took up her sewing basket to work on a layette. Suddenly, she heard a banging and went to look toward the barn—the direction from which the sound had come. The snow was swirling and blowing so hard it was difficult to see, but it looked like that barn door had swung open again. Mandy was puzzled. She knew she had latched it securely. Donning warm clothes and a cape against the cold, Mandy once again made her way to the barn. Sure enough, the barn door was swinging in the wind. As she tugged on the heavy door to close it, she thought she heard a weak voice say, “Momma,” from inside the barn. But surely she was mistaken, and it was merely the soft bleat of a lamb. Stepping quietly into the darkness of the barn, she listened carefully. Just then a gentle shuffling sounded beyond the cow stalls. Reaching for the pitchfork, Mandy tiptoed around the back side of the stalls. Bridget moved her feet, and Dinah made snorting noises. Perhaps that was all she’d heard? But when Mandy peeked around the back stall, she saw the back of a black girl huddled low, holding a baby tight against her and rocking back and forth on her heels. Stunned, Mandy could do nothing for a moment. When she could think, she couldn’t decide what to do. Should she be frightened or angry that someone was hiding in her barn? And what was a black person doing in these parts of the woods anyway? No black people lived around here, from what she knew. But something about the girl touched her heart. Suddenly Mandy wasn’t afraid. Putting down the pitchfork, she stepped around the corner and announced cheerfully, “Hello, my name is Mandy.” The frightened girl was speechless as she turned her huge dark eyes with their luminescent whites to stare at Mandy. She was so skinny her eyes looked about to 15
THE LONG ROAD HOME ROMANCE COLLECTION pop out of her head. The child in her arms whimpered as she rocked back and forth, back and forth. Finally, as Mandy squatted to her level, the girl’s eyes swam with tears and she cried, “Ah cain’ go no futha’! Please don’ sen’ me back, ma’am. Please don’ sen’ me back!” Mandy clasped her arms around the terrified girl, feeling the sharpness of her bones through the back of her thin dress. “You are starved to death. . .and cold,” Mandy said gently. “Come into the cabin with me. We’ll get you warm and find you something to eat. Then you can tell me what you are doing in my barn.” Mandy peeled off her cape, wrapped it around the girl and the baby, and helped the girl to her feet. As soon as they were in the cabin, Mandy asked the girl to sit at the table. After hesitating, the girl finally did, all the while trembling and staring fearfully at Mandy and hugging the baby. While eggs simmered in a pan, Mandy brought milk, bread, cheese, and some tea to warm and feed the two. Upon seeing the baby more closely, Mandy realized he must be more than a year old but was so skinny and small she had mistaken him for an infant. When Mandy coaxed her to talk, the girl said her name was Deidre. Between bites of food, Deidre told the story of how she had run away from a plantation somewhere in the South last winter. She had been beaten often there since she could never seem to please the lady of the plantation. One of the slaves had overheard the lady coaxing her husband to sell Jedediah, Deidre’s son, so Deidre wouldn’t be distracted by caring for her child. The plantation owner had already sold Deidre’s husband away from her, and now he agreed to sell her child to make his wife happy. Tears brimmed as Deidre said she knew her heart couldn’t stand being separated from her son, too. So one night, soon after that incident, Deidre had taken her son and fled the plantation. She had walked for weeks at night, sleeping under bridges and in woods during the day, scavenging food anywhere she could find it. They had not found food for days now. When they’d heard the lowing of cows in the barn, Deidre had sneaked in to try to get some milk for her child. With pleading eyes Deidre begged Mandy to not punish her for stealing and, once again, to please not send her back. Mandy had heard of slaves being owned in the South but had never been exposed to the realities of that sort of life. Her heart went out to the girl, whom she finally realized was no girl but a young woman, married and with a child. “You’re safe now,” she promised Deidre. Then she made the exhausted woman a bed of quilts on the large rag rug by the fire, brought pillows, and told her to sleep there with her son. “Tomorrow is another day. We’ll think of a plan,” Mandy assured her. 16
Chapter 3
F
or hours Mandy tossed and turned, trying to sleep. She was wide awake late into the night with the happenings of the day playing over and over in her mind. Several times she had slipped quietly out to put more wood on the fire and to make sure Deidre and Jedediah were sleeping well. Now, as the morning sun streamed between the curtains, Mandy slowly opened her heavy eyelids. The most wonderful aroma wafted from the main room of the cabin. Just as she sat up to pull on her house socks, there was a tap on her door. “Come in,” she called. The door slowly opened, and Deidre peeked around it, showing all her beautiful white teeth in a huge smile. “Good mornin’, Missus. Ah done made y’all some breakfas’. Ah hope y’all don’ min’ none.” “Of course not,” Mandy replied. “Whatever you made smells really good.” Happy to see the woman smiling this morning, Mandy grabbed her robe and followed Deidre into the kitchen. “Ah seen y’all go down t’ the cella’ las’ ev’nin’, so Ah jes ’cided to g’won down an’ sees whut Ah could fin’ to fix y’all fo breakfas’. Why, Ah jes fin’ all kinds of good fixin’s, so sets y’all down an’ eat y’all some.” Noticing only one place set at the table, Mandy asked, “Deidre, did you and Jedediah already eat your breakfast?” “Oh, no, Mum. We ain’ eatin’ y’all’s food ’thout y’all’s biddin’. Oh, no, Mum. Deidre don’ steal. Oh, no, Mum.” “Then let’s get more plates on this table so we can eat together.” “Oh, no, Mum, Ah couldna eats at table wit’ y’all. Did y’all fo’gets Deidre’s a nigga?” And then Mandy understood. It was because Deidre was a slave. Her heart grew sad at the young woman’s plight. “Deidre, my husband is gone on a trip, and I am very lonely. I would truly welcome your company at my table.” “Oh, Mum, y’all sounds jes like Jesus—sayin’ come sups at ma table. Ah’s glad to keep y’all comp’ny ’thout eatin’ y’all’s food.” Every time Deidre smiled, her eyes danced and gleamed. She was a beautiful young woman. What would she look like with a little more flesh on her bones? Mandy wondered. It amazed her that Deidre could smile so radiantly after all she had endured. 17
THE LONG ROAD HOME ROMANCE COLLECTION “Now, Deidre,” she chided kindly, “that’s plain silly. Where are you going to go, and what are you and Jedediah going to eat if you don’t share with me? I was thinking last night of a plan, and if you will sit here and eat this breakfast with me, I will tell you my plan and see what you think.” So they quickly poured another cup of coffee for Deidre and milk for Jedediah and began to eat the wonderful eggs, fried potatoes, mush, and salt pork that Deidre had prepared. Mandy was surprised at how well the woman could cook. She enjoyed every bite of the largest breakfast she had ever seen. While they ate, Mandy asked Deidre if she would stay on and share the cabin with her. She explained about Ethan’s absence, but she knew he would welcome such a friend for Mandy even after he was home. Mandy knew without doubt that Ethan would build Deidre her own cabin once he got home. Until then, Deidre and Jedediah could use the other bedroom next to their own room that Ethan had built for the children who had not yet been born. Mandy could tell when she mentioned Ethan’s name that Deidre was terrified of him already. But Deidre agreed to stay on—at least until Ethan came home. Mandy decided she would have to accept that as the best promise she could get at this point. After they had eaten all they could hold, Deidre suggested that Mandy get dressed while she cleaned up the dishes. Mandy agreed, and while she quickly dressed and made up her bed, she heard Deidre singing softly to Jedediah. How wonderful it was to have company! Having another woman in the house was such a relief, and dear Jedediah was a sweet baby. Mandy could hardly remember feeling such joy. Mandy started to plan the day. They would drag everything out of the extra room. Even though it didn’t have a bed, they could make a nice bed on the floor for Deidre and Jedediah to share. As the plan formed, she went out to tell Deidre. She talked so fast that the poor woman had a difficult time understanding what she was saying, but Deidre laughed and said to give her orders and she would do her best to follow, to which Mandy tried to explain again that Deidre was no longer a slave, but a friend. “We’ll work together,” Mandy explained, “and get twice as much accomplished and have twice as much fun.” So together they began. What fun those two young women had! By evening the clean windows shone in the new bedroom, the walls smelled of damp wood, and all the feathers Mandy had been collecting in the attic made a wonderful feather tick on the floor large enough for Deidre and Jedediah to share and still have plenty of room. Since they used all the feathers that Mandy had collected for the feather mattress, Mandy shared some of the pillows from her room. 18
THE LONG ROAD HOME Deidre said she had never slept on pillows before, anyway. “But they sho ’nuff do makes the room look bright an’ purty,” she declared. Mandy could tell Deidre had not had a bath for a long, long time, so when they were finished with all they could do for that day, they heated some water and dragged the washtub into Deidre’s room. Mandy brought some clean towels and her own lavender soap and instructed Deidre to enjoy a bath while she watched Jedediah and made their supper. When Deidre was finished, she asked if she could put Jedediah in the tub. When they finally sat down to their good supper, Deidre shyly asked if they could thank Jesus for all their blessings. This was new to Mandy, so she watched as Deidre and Jedediah bowed their heads, thanking God for providing so well for their needs and for Mandy, and then began to eat. That night, as Mandy lay alone in her bed, she pondered over and over Deidre’s ability to thank Jesus after all she had been through. Sometime, when the time was right, she would have to ask Deidre about it. But for now she was bone tired and welcomed the soft bed as she drifted into a comfortable sleep, knowing she was no longer alone in the cabin.
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Chapter 4
D
ay after day the friendship between the two young women grew. Thankful for a safe refuge, food, and shelter, Deidre made herself indispensable. Though Mandy had always been an early riser, Deidre almost always was up and dressed first, often already preparing breakfast or bringing in the full water buckets before Mandy awoke. Together the two made curtains for the sparkling windows in Deidre’s room and even some clothes and underclothes for Deidre and Jedediah. Deidre had never had real dresses to wear, only the slave shifts made from feed sacks. She was very shy at first about wearing dresses with tucks and ruffles, so to start out, Mandy made her some nice skirts and several tailored shirtwaists. She was able to convince Deidre to wear them since there was no one around but the three of them. Deidre looked absolutely stunning in her new clothes but was afraid to work in them at first. However, in a few days, she overcame her discomfort with the beautiful new clothes and settled into the comfortable work routine the two women had worked out. Mandy was glad to have company. Now the days flew by instead of dragging. The projects she had set for herself to accomplish went much more quickly with Deidre’s help, so the two women found they had time to enjoy hikes in the woods, picnics down by the stream, and laughter over Jedediah’s cute baby ways. It seemed every day Jedediah learned new words and expressions, and the two women delighted over each discovery. He was a smart, precious child and quickly warmed to Mandy, allowing her to hold and cuddle him. One day, after washing up the evening dishes and hanging up the towels to dry, Mandy took out her list she had made to see what she still needed to accomplish this summer. As usual, Deidre watched with curiosity, so Mandy handed the list to her. “Which project do you think we should begin next?” Deidre looked at Mandy with huge eyes. “Ah cain’t read. Y’all will have t’ read it fo’ Deidre.” Mandy had stunned. She’d never considered that her friend couldn’t read, and she couldn’t imagine what it would be like to not be able to read or write. “Would you like to learn to read? I’m not really a teacher, but I think I could teach you the letters, what sound each one makes, and then the way they fit together to make 20
THE LONG ROAD HOME words. Would you like to try?” Deidre’s brown eyes swam with tears, spilling over and splashing onto the red checkered tablecloth. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. Mandy sat quietly, waiting. Soon Deidre got up, walked quickly into her room, and returned shortly holding something small and black to her chest. When she sat back down at the table, she slowly and deliberately laid the small black square in front of Mandy. Mandy could see it was a small book that was quite worn. “What is it, Deidre? Is this yours?” Turning the book over gently in her hands, she read, “New Testame. . .” Part of the word had worn off. “It’s a Bible.” Deidre spoke softly as though sharing a secret. “A slave woman from our camp done give it t’ me jes ’fore she died. She always read t’ me from that Bible, an’ tol’ me t’ keep it, so when Ah learned t’ read, Ah could read it fo’ m’self. Ah strapped it onto m’ ches’ an’ carried it, so Ah wouldn’ lose it, an’ Ah brings it here wit’ me too. Ah wanna learn me t’ read so Ah can read me Jesus’ words. You can read it, too, if ’n ya wants to. We can leave it on th’ table an’ share it.” Mandy had never seen such devotion to a book. She had attended church with her aunt and cousins on the rare occasions they went, but the minister at their church had not used a Bible, nor had anyone she knew. She assumed it was just another book but could tell it was very dear to Deidre. So she decided that, if it would make her dear friend happy, she would read it to her until Deidre learned to read for herself. When she suggested this to Deidre, her friend was thrilled. And so it began. Every evening after the evening meal was finished and the dishes washed and put away, the two women sat at the table and worked on reading lessons until they were tired. Then Mandy would read the little New Testament aloud until bedtime. Mandy became so interested in the reading that she would often still be reading after Jedediah had fallen asleep in his mother’s arms. Finally they would blow out the lamp and go to bed themselves. Day after day the words played in Mandy’s mind as the women worked on their projects and chores. The more she read, the more she viewed herself in a different light. She had always thought she was a good person, but the more she read of this man Jesus and His teachings, she saw her own faults as they really were—sin. She had always known there was a God out there somewhere but had never considered that He loved her and cared what happened to her. Nor, even more, that He loved her enough to send His Son, Jesus, to die for her. The more she read, the dirtier she began to feel. One day, while Jedediah was napping and Deidre and Mandy were cleaning out 21
THE LONG ROAD HOME ROMANCE COLLECTION the cupboard, Mandy was unusually quiet as she pondered the things they’d been reading. Deidre finally said, “Somethin’ powerful’s been on yer min’ lately, an’ Ah needs to know if y’all is wishin’ Deidre an’ Jedediah wasn’ here all th’ time.” Mandy stopped with a jar in her hand and turned toward Deidre. Climbing down from the chair she had been standing on, she set the jar on the cupboard. Clasping her friend’s shoulders, she said quietly, “Deidre, please don’t ever think I don’t want you here. You are the best thing that has happened to me since meeting and marrying Ethan. You are closer to me than if I had had a sister, and I couldn’t bear it if you were to leave. “Because we are such close friends and I love you so much, I will tell you what I keep thinking about. We read how Jesus told Nicodemus that he needed to be born again. Well, I am just like Nicodemus. I can’t understand how we can be born after we are already born. Do you understand what Jesus means?” Deidre hugged Mandy, then led her to a chair. She began to explain, “God offers us a won’erful gift—t’ forgive our sin through His Son, Jesus. . . . ” Mandy listened with awe as Deidre told of Jesus’ willing death on the cross. He was perfect, so didn’t die as punishment for something He had done, but for the sins of every person. All she had to do was accept His gift by placing all her sins at Jesus’ feet and letting Him cover them with His own blood. If she did that, she would be “born” into God’s family and become His child. From that moment on she could talk to God about anything, and He would listen and answer. “Jus’ tell Jesus that y’all wants to be His chil’, an’ He’ll do it raht now,” Deidre encouraged her. “But I don’t know how to pray.” Deidre smiled. “Talk t’ him jus’ like y’all talk t’ me. God hears ever’thin’ we say an’ think anyways ’an unnerstan’s our hearts, but He jes’ wants us t’ ask.” So right then and there—in the middle of the housecleaning—Mandy prayed. Soon the joy in her heart filled her until she wept. “Deidre, I’ve never had such peace. I still don’t understand how, but I know I’m now a child of God.” Deidre clapped her hands while she danced around. Suddenly she stopped and said with awe, “Mandy, do y’all knows that now we’s truly sisters? God adopted both o’ us as His chil’ren, so that makes us sisters!” They rejoiced together for a while, but soon Deidre suggested they get back to their cleaning, or it would never get done.
h
In the evenings, as they worked together on the reading lessons, Mandy also taught Deidre correct pronunciations and grammar and refined her use of the English 22
THE LONG ROAD HOME language. The young woman had never known anything but that slaves spoke differently than whites. The white people Deidre had known wanted to keep the slaves as ignorant as possible so they could not break away and make a life for themselves on their own, so they were not discouraged from speaking their own low form of English. But Mandy wanted Deidre to have the dignity of speaking well, understanding the language, and of any education she could share. So as she helped Deidre learn the sounds of each vowel and consonant as well as how to blend the sounds together to complete words, she gently helped Deidre begin using better grammar and more precise diction. While Mandy taught Deidre lessons in grammar, spelling, reading, and writing, Deidre unwittingly taught Mandy lessons in love, patience, and acceptance. Deidre taught Mandy about being obedient to the teaching in the Bible and about truly serving God with her whole heart. The two young women became inseparable friends, who could share their very hearts with one another. So, in time, Mandy shared the secret of her own baby she was carrying. Deidre clapped her hands and did her happy little dance that made Mandy laugh. No longer did Deidre talk about leaving when Ethan came home. In fact, they started to make plans for their children to play together. Mandy knew that they had become such close friends that it would be worse than losing family if Deidre ever did decide to go away. And so the days passed swiftly for Mandy as she worked and played with Deidre—cleaning, sewing, making soap for the next year and storing it away, gathering berries and drying them, and picking her garden produce as it matured and storing it for the family to enjoy during the upcoming winter. But however busy she was, Mandy continued to count the days until Ethan came home and she could tell him about their baby.
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Chapter 5
M
andy sat up straight, stretching her shoulders back as far as they would go. Then she reached back and massaged her tired lower back. She turned her flushed face, trying to find a breeze, but the late July sun was hot, and very few leaves stirred. She moved her stool back farther on the porch, trying to find a cooler spot of shade, but the air was still and hot, and there was no escape. She thought for the thousandth time how thankful she was that Ethan had built the steep roof of their cabin to overhang the depth of the cabin by eight feet on both the front and back of the main part of the building, making nice porches to help shade the cabin in the summer and protect against the cold winds of winter. “Just a few more bunches to tie up, and then we can walk down to the creek for some shade and some cool water.” She sighed. Deidre tilted her head toward Mandy. “Let me finish tyin’ up the herbs. Jedediah’s hot, too. Why don’t y’all go on ahead down to the crik bank and get yourselves cooled off. My black skin don’t mind the heat like your white skin does. Besides, you’re hotter’n me anyhow just totin’ that baby.” Mandy chuckled. “If carrying this baby is what is making me hot, it’s worth it all, and I don’t mind one bit.” Just as she started to stand, she heard some rustling and twigs snapping in the wooded area not far from the front of the cabin. Startled, Deidre grabbed Jedediah and ran inside. Mandy sat still for a minute and listened. Sure enough, she heard whistling coming faintly through the trees. Her heart seemed to stand still as she peered out beyond their clearing to where the trees separated enough to form a small crooked path deeper into the woods and then out to the world beyond. As she listened, the whistling came closer, and sticks and pinecones crackled under footsteps. Ethan didn’t whistle like that, so she knew it wasn’t him. She wasn’t sure what to do, so she began to pray. She didn’t want to go into the cabin, in case it was someone searching for Deidre or any other runaway slave. She knew Deidre would be listening and watching. If it was someone coming for her friend, Mandy could stall them on the front porch long enough to give Deidre and Jedediah time to sneak out the back and hide. She reached down to keep busy tying her bunches of herbs to dry. Soon she knew whoever was coming through the woods was headed straight for her cabin. 24
THE LONG ROAD HOME She tried to stay calm and busy and at the same time keep her eyes on the edge of the woods. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She stood, leaning the palm of one hand on the porch post, and called, “Hello!” Then a little louder she called, “Hello there!” “Hello, ma’am,” came a masculine voice. And then she could see a man striding through the edge of the woods into the clearing toward the cabin. “I’m lookin’ for one Miz Ethan Evanston,” he called as he came closer. He carried a bundle tied to a long pole over his shoulder and looked like he hadn’t seen a razor or a bar of soap for a long, long time. “I’m Mrs. Evanston.” Mandy didn’t move from her place by the porch pillar. She’d never seen this man before, so how did he know her name? She prayed that Deidre would stay hidden and that Jedediah would stay quiet. “Mrs. Evanston, please accept my apologies. I’ve been walking for several days, but I came to give these things to you.” The man hesitated. “I’m sorry to tell you that Mr. Ethan Evanston was killed a few weeks ago in a railroad accident. I wanted to bring you his belongings because he talked of you, and I knew he would want you to have these.” While he spoke he placed the bundle on the ground, untied it, and took out Ethan’s coat and gloves. When he handed them to her, all she could do was take them and stare at them. “What did you say about my husband?” Mandy asked woodenly. “I said Mr. Evanston was killed a few weeks ago. . .,” the man said more softly now, his eyes on her obviously rounded belly in concern. She couldn’t find her voice to ask him any questions or even to offer him a drink of water. Her throat grew tight; her eyes burned. He cleared his throat, repacked his belongings, then stood, shifting from one foot to the other. “Please accept my deepest sympathy, Mrs. Evanston.” When there was still no response, he finally said, “Well, so long then.” Backing away, he turned and walked back the way he’d come until the woods had swallowed him and the world was again silent and still. Mandy sank onto the porch step and drew Ethan’s coat up to her face to inhale the scent of him. The emptiness she felt seemed to have absorbed her thoughts. How long she sat there she didn’t know, but the sun moved from overhead to the other end of the porch, and it didn’t seem quite so hot. At last the door opened quietly, and Deidre peeked out. At the sight of Mandy holding a coat and gloves affectionately against her cheek, she slowly closed the cabin door and went back inside. Sometime later, Deidre came back out to the porch. “Mandy, y’all must eat 25