A Gathering of Memories (3 page)

Silas and Chad rode in silence toward the Jackson home. They had been to see the sheriff, and he had been relieved to hear the situation was well in hand. Rufus had said to come for him if any need arose.

As Silas pulled the large wagon to a stop, he knew he’d never been to this home before. He had probably seen it from a distance but not close enough to tell him that the roof was deteriorating so badly. He doubted whether one inch of the interior stayed dry during a storm.

A rusty plow lay against the weathered siding along with a broken pitchfork, a potato basket, and a large tin can. None of these looked as though they’d just been tossed there but rather placed carefully in order.

In fact a quick look around the yard showed that someone had a care as to how it looked. The weeds around the front of the house were high, but the path to the door was well beaten down and not cluttered with things to trip a man. It was swept clean, right down to the hard earth and was lined with a few small stones.

Silas took all of this in as he followed Chad to the front door, a door that opened before them without a knock. The young woman standing across the threshold was very thin, with dark brown hair. She wore a dress that was too big and a look that was far from welcoming.

“Hello, Mandy. I know you didn’t expect to see me until Tuesday but I need to talk with you.”

“What about?” The question was asked warily, and the oldest Jackson child made no move to invite him in.

Yes, what about? Chad thought to himself, now that they were here facing this young woman and not sitting around his own dining table, it would not be so easy explaining that her brothers and sisters were to be taken out of her care.

He took a breath and plunged in. “I’ve been in touch with the sheriff, and he informs me that in cases such as yours the children under age usually stay with families in town until the parent can be found.”

Amanda Jackson felt as if the floor beneath her had moved, so shocked was she. Leaning against the doorjamb to steady herself, her mind raced. Silas very nearly reached for her, thinking she was going to faint. Gone instantly was the belief this girl would be strong-minded. She didn’t appear ready to question Chad’s statement at all. In fact, if he didn’t believe with all of his heart how good this would be for these children, he would feel she was very much a victim right now.

“Mandy,” Chad’s voice was gentle. “If you’ll let us in I’ll explain everything to you.”

Wordlessly she swung the door back and led the way to the table. Silas had never seen a home so lacking in warmth in spite of the humid June day. Not until after he’d sat down at the table, in a chair so beat up he was not sure it would hold his weight, did he notice the occupied bed in the corner.

He was still staring at the bed, or rather the four children sitting on it, when he heard Chad speak.

“Mandy, this is Silas Cameron.”

“Hello, Mandy,” Silas said to the silent girl at the table, who was still looking numb with surprise.

“And over here on the left is Carrie, she’s 14. Sitting next to her is Levi who’s ten and then Clovis who’s nine, and next to Clovis is Rebecca. Rebecca is five.” Silas smiled at each one, but only the little one returned his smile or made any move to acknowledge his introduction.

Silas took none of this personally. He realized how, in the space of a few hours, these children’s world had been turned
upside down. He only hoped Amy would be as practical. She might respond to their indifference with hurt feelings, but then, maybe not. After all, Amy had lost her mother, too.

Chad explained briefly who Silas was and how he and Silas were related. He then explained the plans to have all five of the children come with them, that very day, to the Cameron home to live.

“You mean you want me to come, too?” Mandy’s look was both a mixture of fear and relief as she posed the question to the big man across the table.

“Yes,” Silas answered simply, thinking what an awful thing it was to assume you were unwanted.

“All five of us, at the same house?”

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

“As long as you need.”

Suddenly Mandy understood. “What would our jobs be?”

Silas stared at her, completely nonplussed. Chad was the first to recover. “Mandy, you are not being put to work. Silas and Amy have a large home and wish you to share it for as long as you need. They have no ulterior motive, believe me.”

Mandy’s eyes went from one man to the other, gauging their sincerity, and then to her family. Rebecca must have missed what was going on, for her look was only curious, but Carrie and the boys were looking at her, their eyes round with surprise. Mandy came to a swift decision, wondering as she did, what in the world she would do if it was a mistake.

“Alright,” she said as she rose from the table. “We’ll come if you really mean the offer.”

“Great!” Silas said and stood with her. His smile was so genuine that it was a few minutes before Mandy’s qualms returned, and by then she had her siblings gathering their things to leave.

The quilts were removed from the beds and the needed possessions loaded inside. When the first quilt was carried out
by the boys, with hardly a bulge within, Silas very nearly sent them back with the order to gather
all
of their things. Just in time he realized they had done just that. He turned away, swallowing hard over the sudden lump in his throat.

A few seconds elapsed before Silas realized the boys had remained next to the wagon and were staring up at him in unembarrassed curiosity. He took his first good look at them. Unlike their oldest sister, whose dress was too big, their clothing was too small, even for their too-thin bodies. But somehow it didn’t detract from a look of promised sturdiness.

Their hair, in need of cutting, was dark brown like Mandy’s and their eyes were a mixture of browns and greens. Hazel, he guessed it would be called. He studied them as closely as they studied him before admitting he’d forgotten which was Levi and which was Clovis.

“I’m Levi.”

“I’m Clovis.”

The names were spoken solemnly and Silas studied them an instant longer to put the name with the face. It wasn’t hard. Levi was a shade taller and, Silas remembered, older. Clovis had an adorable sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of his nose.

“I’m Silas,” he spoke to Levi first and held out his hand. There was a moment’s hesitation and then with dawning respect the boy let his hand be swallowed by Silas’.

The act was repeated with Clovis who, with his hand still engulfed in Silas’, said, “Our pa’s not as big as you.”

Silas smiled his slow smile and reached out to tousle the overlong hair of the youngest boy. “We best see if your sister needs help.”

The boys followed his broad back to the house and watched him duck beneath the low door. Behind him, they exchanged a look of wonder mixed with a little bit of fear.

“Mandy, Silas and I talked it over and he’d really like to see you to the house and let you get settled. You’ll be well taken care of, I promise you.”

“Thank you, Reverend Nolan,” Mandy spoke humbly as he stepped down from the wagon in front of the parsonage.

“Most of the kids at church call me Pastor Chad and the pleasure has been all mine, Mandy. You’ll like Amy when you meet her, and if you need me, Silas will bring you.” He reached out then with a gentle hand and touched each child as he said good-bye. Their smiles were a little strained, but they all waved at him.

“All set?” Silas asked.

“All set.” Mandy answered as the wagon pulled away.

Mandy and Carrie’s eyes met as the large farmhouse came into view. It was a beautiful home, two stories of white-painted boards and clean glass. A small, covered porch led to the front door and Mandy, realizing how quickly they would be inside, regretted their lack of privacy.

The two girls were very close and Mandy knew Carrie would have been the perfect person with whom to discuss all this, but there just hadn’t been time.

It wasn’t anything the men had said or done, but Mandy was sure that if she didn’t snatch up this offer, even if it wasn’t all it seemed to be, it would disappear forever beyond her grasp and she would be sorry for the rest of her life.

When Pastor Nolan had said something about the different families in town, Mandy had felt lightheaded with panic. That they might actually be separated when they needed so
desperately to be together was just too painful to take in. Her heart pounding as the wagon came to a stop, Mandy’s fear over what was in store for them in this strange house with these unfamiliar people nearly choked her. Only one thought kept her going:
We’re all together and that’s exactly what Mama would have wanted.

Silas could have reassured her so easily if he’d known what she was thinking, but Mandy kept her tempestuous thoughts to herself. It would be some time before she really understood why this family was so willing to take them into their sphere.

Mandy’s feet had barely touched the ground when she looked up to see the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen coming toward her. Her mind formed the word “Amy” just as the woman reached her and spoke.

“You must be Mandy. I’m Amy, and I’m so glad you’re here.”

Mandy was speechless for a moment.
Why she’s not much older than I am
, she thought,
and she’s beautiful.
Mandy’s hand went down the skirt of her dress, realizing for the first time that she must look like a scarecrow compared to this vision of warmth and grace in front of her.

“You are Mandy? I mean, I did get your name right?”

“Yes,” Mandy recovered quickly. “I’m Amanda Jackson.”

“Which do you prefer, Mandy or Amanda?”

“Mandy, please.”

“Then Mandy it is. And you must be Carrie.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Amy smiled and reached out to squeeze the arm of the younger girl. “Will it be a problem, Carrie, for you to share a bedroom with Rebecca?”

There was a moment of silence before Carrie answered quietly, “No, no problem.”

Levi, Clovis, and Rebecca were introduced, and the boys found the same question about sharing a room posed to them. Levi answered as his sister had, and Clovis simply stared at Amy in silence.

Silas led the way through the front door directly to the stairway. Mandy and Amy brought up the rear and with every step Mandy wondered where she would sleep. As they all entered a long narrow room, the first at the top of the stairs, Mandy figured that these people were rich and that there must be a servant with whom she would share quarters.

The room was done in peach and cream, with touches of brown and tan. It was easily twice as long as it was wide with a built-in closet at one end. There was no wallpaper but the peach walls were not marked or scratched in any way. It boasted two broad windows that looked out at a cluster of huge oak trees and
two
brass beds, one at each end of the room. The children looked around in openmouthed awe as Amy spoke.

“This room is for Carrie and Rebecca. You can each have a bed and if you need anything, just ask.”

Amy tried not to look at the vulnerable, unbelieving faces of the two younger girls as she moved back out the door. “Levi and Clovis,” she said to the boys, “your room is at the end of the hall at the front of the house.”

Everyone moved again, even the ones who already had a room assignment, to see the boys’ room. It was square and Amy had chosen every imaginable shade of blue, from pastels to navy. The walls were light blue with a large round rug in bolder shades. It had a masculine feel to it, with dark oak furniture and a wide bed the boys would share. The one large window was throwing sun across that bed now, and they stood gaping at the multicolored quilt as though fascinated.

“Be sure and check with me if you need something, boys. Mandy, your room is just a few steps back down the hall.”

Nothing in Mandy’s imagination could have prepared her for the last bedroom they entered. The room was a vision in softest pink and white and utterly the most feminine decor she had ever seen. The curtains covering the two windows were
white and ruffly, as was the coverlet on the large bed. The wallpaper was pink-and-white stripe with small sprigs of lavender flowers every few inches.

Mandy was still taking it all in when Silas ushered the rest of the Jackson family to their own rooms with a suggestion that they use the dressers within and get themselves settled.