Promise of Blessing (6 page)

The time came for Josie to begin her teaching.
 
She had been devising her lessons, in consultation with Millie and Mrs Parker, for weeks, but she still felt unprepared.
 
What if the children refused to accept her authority, or she could not explain clearly enough to help them learn?

While it was still dark, Clae drove her into town to the Drescher’s house.
 
There she left her things and accompanied the younger members of the Drescher clan to the schoolhouse.
 
Like the children, she carried her noon meal in an old milk pail.

The children were all abuzz, as was Mrs Parker, with the news that the general store had been broken into and robbed during the night.
 
Several items had been taken, but most of them were common household goods and food, so it would be difficult to prove that any particular person had taken them.

Josie feared the excitement would make controlling the chaos difficult, but the moment Mrs Parker called for order, the children settled down.
 
Only when one boy’s chalk squeaked unusually loudly against his slate did stifled giggles erupt.

School in the west was very different to Josie’s own experience of education in New York City, but almost immediately she developed a rapport with the children, especially the younger ones, so she soon relaxed and enjoyed the morning.

At noon the children were released into the small yard behind the schoolhouse.
 
Chatting to Mrs Parker while they ate, Josie glanced out of the rear window.
 
Not surprisingly, the games of choice that day appeared to be variations on “arrest the thieves” or “evade the sheriff”.

When she had finished eating, Josie went out onto the back porch for some fresh air.
 
A tiny little girl was sitting on the steps, grappling with her bootlaces.
 
The boots were too big for her, and heavy, and Josie marvelled that there was enough strength in her thin frame to walk in them.

Josie sat beside her.
 
“That’s right, Miriam.
 
Now tuck it through there, get a good grip on both bits and pull them tight.
 
There, now!”

Miriam beamed.
 
“That’s only two times I’ve done it all by myself!” she said.

“Very well done.
 
Why don’t you go and play with the other girls now?”

Miriam shook her head.
 
“I ain’t supposed to.
 
Mama says.
 
I had the fever.”

“Oh, I see.
 
Me too.”

“It don’t allow for much fun times, do it?”

“It doesn’t, no.”

“Doesn’t.”

“That’s right.
 
But there will be more fun times to come.”

The two of them sat together quietly for a while.
 
Josie could tell that Miriam was working up to asking a question.
 

Finally, she said, “Do your children go to the school in the south?”

Josie breath caught in her throat.
 
“No.
 
I don’t have any children.”

“Why not?”

“Because...well, God hasn’t sent them to me yet.”

“Oh.”
 
Miriam considered this for several moments.
 
“Well.
 
He must be baking them extra good for you and Mr McKinley.
 
You know, like how Mama’s special cakes always take so long preparing.”

Josie felt pressure behind her eyes.
 
“Yes, I guess that’s it,” she said.
 

Miriam wiped her little hand on her pinafore and then slipped it into Josie’s.
 
“You’re a good teacher,” she said, and lapsed back into silence.

One afternoon a fortnight later, Josie accompanied Beth to the general store.
 
It was a Tuesday, and the children had been dismissed ten minutes early for good behaviour.
 
Harland was not due to pick up Josie for another hour, and Beth had heard that Mr Jones had brought in from Chicago several bolts of pretty new fabrics.
 
The two women decided to idle away the hour inventing ways to afford the nicest ones and make them up into elaborate gowns.

They were just passing the stump of the tree that earlier in the year had brought poor Mr King such confusion and the undertaker an unwanted window in his roof when Beth, who’d been joyously telling Josie the latest exploits of Jasper, the puppy that Harland had given her, turned pale and faltered mid-sentence.

Josie followed her line of sight.
 
Coming toward them up the street was Harland in the buggy. Oddly, he was wearing his Sunday best.
 
The apparent reason for this was perched beside him, a rug carefully tucked around her against the wind:
 
Miss Brenda Kelley, the golden-haired and fashionable daughter of a local banker.
 
They were talking merrily and laughing together.

Josie’s mouth went dry.
 
She hadn’t been aware that Harland was even acquainted with Miss Kelley, much less openly courting her.

Beside her, Beth was blindly groping for a support.
 
Josie gripped her hand firmly and led her to a railing in a secluded spot.
 
As they got there, Beth pulled her hand away.

“Why didn’t you tell me Harland was courtin’ Brenda?” she said.

Josie was stung.
 
“I didn’t know it until just now.
 
I promise.
 
I’m as surprised as you.”
 
Perhaps not quite as surprised, she realised.
 
Still, Harland’s behaviour made little sense.
 
“We can’t be sure they’re courting.
 
Maybe she just needed a ride.”

“Then why would he come to pick you up dressed all fancy like that?”

Josie had to concede the point.
 
There was a silence.

“I’m sorry,” said Beth, her voice softening as the anger drained out of it and left only sorrow.
 
“I shouldn’t be saying – I have no right to – Harland hasn’t done wrong by me.”

Josie wasn’t so sure of that.
 
“What about Jake Friend?
 
I thought – that is, Clae and Harland said they saw you out in town with him one day.”
 
Beth had never mentioned the incident to her, and Josie had not found the right opening to bring it up.

Beth flushed.
 
“Jake invited me to the concert with a group of friends from school.
 
I – went with him because – well, because I was flattered, I guess.
 
He’s rich, and he’s handsome...and I guess I never saw it before, but he’s also…” here, she lowered her voice – “boring.
 
All that handsome kind of fades when you can’t think of anything to talk of.”

Beth frowned.
 
“Do you think maybe that’s why – does Harland think I’m courtin’ Jake?”

“I don’t know,” said Josie.
 
“I can’t pretend to know what’s going through his mind.”

“No…truth is, I’ve been thinking for some time that I need to….”
 
She sighed and shook her head.
 
"I was so young when I…grew to like Harland, and I’ve embarrassed myself over him sometimes.
 
That’s why he never – I mean, why would he want to marry someone so young and poor and unrefined as me, when he can go courting the likes of Brenda Kelley?”

“Because he’s not such a fool,” thought Josie, putting her arms around Beth’s shoulders.

At least, she had always thought he wasn’t.

Harland arrived at the Drescher’s with a big grin on his face, but Josie could not help being curt with him.
 
For the first part of the journey they were both silent.
 
Eventually Harland said loudly, “I declare, Josie, I’ve been racking my brains and I can’t think what I’ve done to upset you.
 
Did I leave an empty pot on the stove again?”

Josie sighed.
 
“No, you didn’t.
 
At least, I hope you didn’t!”

“Well, what, then?
 
I know you and Clae like driving together, but I had to come to town today.”

“No, I know.
 
You had to go courting.
 
Beth and I saw you driving Miss Kelley.
 
I had no idea you had…intentions towards her.”

“Intentions to—?
 
What?
 
I’m not courting Miss Kelley!”
 
Harland pulled back on the reigns so he could turn and look properly at Josie.
 
“Why would you think—?
 
Oh, no.
 
Did you and Miss Beth think…?”

“Well, of course we did.
 
You’re out driving and laughing and all in your Sunday suit.
 
What were we supposed to think?”
 
Josie was relieved to hear the truth, but more confused than ever.

Harland looked distressed, but then his lips hardened into a line and he urged the horses on again.
 
“Well, Miss Drescher was stepping out with Jake Friend, so what does it matter, anyway?”

Josie’s anger flared.
 
“She stepped out with him one time, along with a group of school-friends.
 
That’s all.
 
But even if it was more than one time, why shouldn’t she?”
 

She thought about the heartache that Beth had suffered, waiting for Harland to declare himself.
 
She herself knew the pain of waiting in vain, and now it fuelled her internal fire and she burst out,
 
“You can’t expect the girl to wait forever!”

The moment she said it, Josie’s hand flew to her mouth.
 
She had never spoken like that before, to Clae or to Harland.

Harland glanced at her several times in quick succession, his expression caught between shock and desperation.
 
Josie wanted to apologise, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak.
 
The wind picked up and she shivered, now cold on the outside and within.

Harland cleared his throat and made several false starts.
 
“I thought….
 
I was going to….
 
She won’t even….”
 
He looked up at the sky in confusion, giving himself a moment before he tried again.
 
“I couldn’t ask her to marry me without a place of my own to bring her home to.
 
Ours is already too crowded.
 
You know that.
 
And with you and Clae planning to get me a little nephew or niece, it’s going to get even more so.
 
But I had to wait until after this year’s harvest to know if I could afford to buy out my half of the homestead and get a farm of my own.”

He sighed.
 
“I thought Beth…understood there’s never been anybody else for me but her.
 
That’s why I didn’t send away for a bride, too, when Clae wrote to Reverend Kelly last year.
 
I though she knew that.

“But then, she started avoiding me, and she wouldn’t speak to me much, and…I didn’t know what to do.
 
But the harvest was good – real good – and Clae and I talked it over, and I came to see Mr Kelley today at the bank, and Clae was going to talk to you tonight…and then Mr Kelley asked if I’d take Miss Kelley out to the store, as I had some time to spare….”
 
He groaned.

It all suddenly made sense to Josie.
 
She squeezed Harland’s shoulder comfortingly.
 
“I’m sorry I spoke to you that way.
 
That was rude, and…callous of me, and it wasn’t my place.”

He reached for her hand and squeezed her fingers.
 
“I accept your apology, but I’m sorta glad you said it,” was his only comment before lapsing into silence for some time.

“Is it too late?” he finally asked.
 
His voice was calm, ready now to accept the worst.

“You should have said something much, much sooner.
 
Told her what you were planning.
 
She’s a smart woman, you know.”

“I know.”

“She wouldn’t have minded waiting if only she’d known there was a reason why.
 
Keeping her out of your planning is not a good way to start your marriage.”

He nodded, accepting the reproof.

“Do I think you’ve hurt her?” Josie continued.
 
“Yes.
 
But do I think you’ve lost her?
 
No.”

Harland let out a huge breath.
 
“You think there’s a chance she’ll still have me, then?”

“Yes, I do, if you call on her tomorrow morning, early, and do some of that fast talking that I know you’re good at.
 
But it wouldn’t hurt to take one of May-Belle’s kittens with you, just in case you need a penance offering – they’re weaned now.”

Harland laughed hesitantly.
 
“A fool’s offering,” he said.

“Well, I’m sure you’re not the only man who’s had to give one of those.”