A Gathering of Memories (13 page)

Christine had asked her outright how she coped. Amy, in all honesty, had not understood the question. Things weren’t picked up all the time like they used to be, and the floors needed sweeping almost constantly. But then there never used to be little hugs from small people who just waited for your embrace and hugged you back, nor little faces at the supper table shining with delight when you brought in a chocolate cake, nor little boys running in the back door to tell you of the horses they rode. Experiences Amy wouldn’t trade for all the quiet or clean floors in the world.

Not that it was all fun. Amy fell into bed every night in a state of exhaustion. And there were scenes—like the one at the supper table the night before with Becca—

“I don’t like green beans.”

“You don’t have too many. Please eat them, Becca.”

“No! I won’t, Amy, and you can’t make me!” After which she threw herself to the floor in the dining room and had a screaming fit. Stunned, Amy didn’t move. Rising from his chair without a word, Silas picked up the crying five-year-old and
put her on her feet. The flat of his hand connected one time, very hard, on the backside of her dress before she was placed back in her chair.

“When Amy tells you to eat your green beans, you eat your beans, Becca.” She did, without further protest. Amy thanked Silas later for handling it. He told her how much he’d hated to spank Becca, but they both agreed it would be easier for everyone if the children knew what was expected of them and did it without complaint.

And the episode with the wagon, which had been frightening. “You should have told us, Mandy,” Silas had said later.

“Ross told you all about it?”

“Yes.”

“Well, it wasn’t so bad and I really didn’t want you to have to take me.”

“It would have been no trouble, Mandy, and I hate to think what might have happened to you. Next time you need something, just ask. If I don’t have time I’ll tell you. And stop thinking of yourself as trouble. We don’t feel that way.”

Mandy had nodded and smiled, but Silas and Amy were not sure if she really believed them.

And then there had been the snake. Amy felt a shiver go through her at the thought. It was an episode from which she was certain she would never recover.

“Are you cold?” Silas gently slid his arms around her.

“No, I was just thinking of the snake.”

He immediately began to chuckle, causing Amy to become indignant. She tried to move away from him, but he would have none of it. It had become a wrestling match before Silas stopped laughing and Amy stopped fighting him.

“Are you mad?”

“Yes,” and she was, a little.

“I’ll try not to laugh anymore.” His voice was still highly amused and Amy was dubious. “By the way, I’m not the only
one who gets into trouble with his wife. Luke told me he teased Christine the other day and made her cry.”

“I hope he spent the day in the doghouse,” Amy instantly sided with her sister-in-law. “The last thing Christine needs in her condition is teasing. And Luke has a way of doing it with such a straight face that it’s hard to know if he really
is
teasing.”

They lay quietly for a moment. Then above them they heard the sound of feet hitting the floor.

“We better get up if we’re going to be to church on time.”

“You’re right. I’ll put the coffee on and then get the boys going before I head to the barn. And Amy, I’m sorry I laughed. Really.” He punctuated his apology with a kiss.

“And I forgive you. Really.”

“You can wait until the service is over.” Silas whispered the words to Levi who asked, for the third time, if he could be excused. “Next time, go before the service starts.”

Silas, as a boy, would have vowed never to inflict such misery on his own children but as he looked back, he knew that the only thing that ever taught him to see to his personal needs ahead of the service was having to sit through a few sermons in agony.

Silas and Amy were not in the miserable condition that Levi was in, but neither were they getting much out of this service. The first one in the pew had been Mandy, then Becca, then Carrie. Silas felt it a good idea to put Becca between her sisters, hoping she would stay quiet. Next to Carrie was Amy and then Clovis, Silas, and Levi on the end. Anyway, that was the way it started out.

Silas lost track of how many times Becca had gotten up to come down and get her nose wiped. Finally Amy had given her the handkerchief, but she lost it within three minutes so
Silas took her on his lap, which miraculously stopped her running nose.

Between Levi’s having to go outside, Becca’s running nose, and Clovis’ feet and legs that would not keep still, Silas felt like the pew hosted “The Cameron Family Side Show.” Maybe it was the heat, Silas thought, as he watched a stern-faced Mark take both Emily and Eliza out, who at nearly ten and six, were both old enough to sit through the service.

Suddenly he envisioned Sunday dinner at Grandma Em’s with all 24 of them, 11 adults and 13 kids, and wasn’t sure he was up to it.

“Now, I think we’re all set.” Grandma Em said the words with a smile and took her place in the dining room. “Silas, would you give thanks today?”

He stood and moved from his place at the table to the doorway between the kitchen and dining room to see if everyone in both rooms was quiet for prayer. He thanked God for the five additions to the family and the one on the way. He asked God’s blessing on the food and the hands that prepared it and then took his seat back in the kitchen.

They had, for the fun of it that day, set the tables for all the boys in the kitchen and the girls in the dining room.

Sue had her hands full with all four of her girls at the table. Mandy and Carrie impressed everyone in the dining room by assisting Ellen and Erika throughout the meal.

What everyone wasn’t to know was how grateful Mandy was to have a little girl to take care of. Children she could handle; she’d been doing so all of her life. But conversation with adults, even though she knew she was considered one herself, was usually awkward and embarrassing. It was a relief
for Mandy that nearly everyone at the table was busy with a little person, sparing her from making conversation.

The meal didn’t take long and Julia, Amy, Mandy, and Carrie cleaned up and did the dishes in record time. The day was warm and everyone had moved out of doors to the front porch and yard. The cleanup crew made their way outside when the work was done. They had just settled onto the porch when a verbal fight broke out among Levi, Clovis, and Charlie at the corner of the house.

Faster than anyone anticipated, it moved from verbal to physical and within seconds the three were rolling on the ground. Surprise held almost everyone immobile, which gave Carrie and Mandy, who were beyond surprise, a chance to move off the porch and wade into the flailing arms and legs as though they did so every day.

Carrie laid hold of Clovis and Mandy easily handled Levi. Charlie picked himself up and would have come forward again but saw that his opponents were being firmly held. Mac was next to arrive on the scene, and he looked furious with Charlie. Silas was on Mac’s heels and immediately said he wanted an explanation.

“I said I expect an explanation and I mean right now!” He repeated himself when the boys stood reticent.

“Charlie, you go first,” his father ordered.

“He said you drank.”

“He said I
what
?” asked a totally confused Mac.

“Levi said all men drink and I said my dad didn’t.”

“That isn’t all you said.” Clovis spoke with uncharacteristic anger, and the three fell silent again.

“What else did you say, Charlie?” Appearing embarrassed and reluctant, the boy didn’t answer. Mac took hold of his arm, but he still said nothing.

“He said our pa is a drunk and he’s not!” Levi’s eyes were filled with tears as he said the words.

“Charles, you will apologize right now.” The command itself told Charlie his father would brook no disobedience.

“I’m sorry I said that about your pa.” It was obvious he meant it by the look of regret on his face.

“Now, Clovis, Levi, you apologize. Mac doesn’t drink and you know very well I don’t drink, so you were wrong, too.”

There were apologies and small nods all around and then Charlie took himself off to where the other adults were keeping the rest of the children from interfering.

When Levi spoke only Silas, Clovis, Mandy, and Carrie were within earshot. “Don’t think I don’t know he’s a drunk.” His eyes were still filled with tears and he faced Silas defiantly. “But he’s still my pa and I’ll knock anyone down who dares to bad-mouth him to my face. Come on, Clovis.”

Silas felt defeat wash over him as the two little boys retreated to the backyard alone.

“He doesn’t deserve that kind of loyalty.” Mandy spoke as she too watched her brothers leave. “He’s never been a good pa, but like Levi said, he
is
our pa.” Both girls moved then to follow the boys. Silas watched them go, praying with all of his heart—for what, he was not sure.

Ross looked up from his desk as the door opened. He smiled and leaned back in his chair at the sight of Peter Culver, his future housemate, leaning against the closed door.

“Well, Pete, what brings you out of that fancy office at the bank?” Ross posed the question to the good-natured man.

Pete worked at the bank and had an office with a window. The fact that the bank building was owned by Pete’s uncle had something to do with this. That wasn’t to insinuate that Pete had not worked for the privilege. More than one person had been fooled, by his relaxed attitude toward life, into thinking he was a bit slow-witted. Ross knew firsthand that this was not the case.

“I was at the post office and you had a letter, so I just thought I’d bring it by.”

“Thanks.” Ross took the letter from the outstretched hand and felt his heart quicken upon recognizing Sarah’s handwriting.
She must have mailed this the very day I left,
he thought and wondered what it would say.

“Bad news?”

“I don’t know,” Ross answered honestly.

“Well, if it’s Sarah telling you to go fly a kite, the girls in Baxter will be rejoicing.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, my friend. You didn’t notice the girls who turned in their seats on Sunday as you came up the aisle.”