Authors: Al Lacy
Mandy smiled at her. “Well, Donna, I really hope it works out that way.”
A
s the Dexter wagon was moving westward along the well-traveled, snow-crusted road, Norma Dexter engaged Deena Mitchell in conversation about Salina, the surrounding area, and its friendly people, trying to keep Deena’s mind off her twin.
They were halfway to the Dexter farm when off to the right, they saw the orphan train rolling westward along the tracks in the distance, with billows of smoke pouring from the engine’s smokestack.
Deena looked at the train with a longing in her eyes and tears once again began to slide down her cheeks.
When Norma saw the tears, she patted the girls hand. “I know this is very difficult for you, dear, but don’t you worry. Your sister will find a good home somewhere.”
Deena nodded and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I’m sure she will, but I’ll miss her terribly.”
“We understand that, little gal,” said Ralph, “and we’ll do our best to make you so happy that the pain of being separated from Donna will lessen each day.”
There was a moment of silence except for the mushy sound of the horses’ hooves on the snow and the spinning of the wagon
wheels. “Deena, I know you’ll love your room,” Norma said. “We’ve got it all fixed up for you.”
Thankful to have a home in spite of the absence of her twin, Deena smiled. “Thank you. I’m eager to see it.”
Soon Ralph turned the wagon onto the Dexter farm and they headed down the lane toward the house. “Deena, we have a hundred and sixty acres. We’re not rich by far, but we do make a decent living. I wish we were well enough off to have taken Donna in too, but we’re not.”
Deena nodded silently.
Ralph went on. “We have ten milk cows, four draft horses—two of which are pulling this wagon right now—and three saddle horses. We also have sheep, hogs, and chickens.”
Deena ran her gaze over the snow-laden land, noted the cows, sheep, and horses in the corral next to the barn, glanced at the hog pen and the other outbuildings, then settled her attention on the farmhouse.
Her thoughts went to Donna, and what she said just before they parted:
“Let’s try to make the best of this situation. Grieving for each other will only bring us pain.”
Though Deena’s heart was still aching severely over the separation from her twin, she told herself Donna was right. They must not grieve over each other. Deena had ever been an optimist, always seeing the glass half full, rather than half empty. She must employ this optimism.
She took in the farm once again and thought about the crowded city where she was born and raised. Having lived in the dim, dreary apartment, the scene before her was amazing. Being used to the constant noise on the streets of New York, the silence was almost palpable.
Deena’s attention went back to the farmhouse as they drew up at the front porch. The gray house with white trim was two-story
and had a wraparound porch with a swing.
An audible gasp escaped Deena’s lips.
Norma turned to the girl, expecting to see her in tears again. Instead, a sweet smile graced her lovely young features.
“It’s all so lovely, Mrs. Dexter, and so totally different from where I have always lived. The quiet may take some getting used to, but I do like it here.”
“I’m glad you feel that way, dear. We want you to be happy with us.”
“For sure,” said Ralph as he climbed down from the seat. He rounded the wagon and helped Norma and Deena down. As they mounted the porch steps, Deena said, “Mr. and Mrs. Dexter, I want to thank you for choosing me. I know I showed my sorrow at being separated from Donna, but I don’t want you to think I’m ungrateful. It’s just that so much has happened to me and my sister in the past several weeks, and—”
“You don’t have to explain, dear,” said Norma. “We understand.”
Ralph opened the door, let the ladies enter ahead of him, and closed the door.
At the same instant, a blond teenage boy stepped into the hall from the parlor and set dull eyes on the trio.
“Rex!” exclaimed Norma. “Look who we have!”
Rex looked at the girl dismally. “The orphan.”
“Yes. Her name is Deena Mitchell. She’s thirteen. Deena, this is our son, Rex.”
It was obvious that Rex resented her, but Deena was determined to change that. She smiled warmly. “Hello, Rex. I’m glad to meet you.”
Rex grunted with a nod, then looked at his father. “Pa, I finished cleaning the chicken shed. Can I go over to Willie’s place, now?”
Ralph looked at the grandfather clock that stood in the corner of the foyer. “It’s almost two o’clock, son. Just be back by milking time.”
Rex took his coat and hat off the coat rack that stood next to the staircase. “See you ’bout four o’clock.” With that, he was out the door and gone.
Norma was embarrassed at her son’s behavior, but decided to let it go. She turned to Deena. “Well, honey, let’s take you upstairs so you can see your room. Lead on, Ralph.”
“Okay,” he said with a smile. “The tour of the house will begin in Deena’s room.”
Norma and her new foster daughter followed Ralph up the stairs. When they reached the top and started down the hall, Deena looked around, her eyes darting from side to side. “The house is so bright and clean. Do you always live like this?”
“We do,” Ralph said over his shoulder.
In awe, Deena said, “I wish my mother could see this. The tenement where my family lives is so squalid. And their apartment is shoddy and dreary. If she saw this, she would say it’s heavenly. Fact is, it seems pretty heavenly to me too.”
Ralph and Norma shared a satisfied smile.
They drew up to the last door in the hall. Ralph opened it. “Okay, Deena. Here it is.”
Deena moved past Ralph and entered the room. She saw immediately that they indeed had planned to bring a girl home with them. She slowly turned in a circle, taking it all in. Her mouth hung open and her eyes were large in wonderment. “This is my room?”
Norma smiled. “Yes, it is. Do you like it?”
Deena was still turning in a circle in order to take it all in. “It’s … it’s the most beautiful room I’ve ever seen. I love it!”
Norma looked at her husband, then back at Deena, who was
now standing still. “Deena, we have saved up some money to buy material so I can make some dresses for you. We’re going to buy it tomorrow in town, plus a couple of ready-made dresses, some undies, and some new shoes.”
Suddenly Deena thought of the cloth bag that contained clothes belonging to both Donna and herself. It was too late to do anything about those clothes. “Mr. and Mrs. Dexter, I can’t tell you how very much I appreciate your kindness to me.”
“We’re glad we can provide for you,” said Ralph. “We want to make everything as good for you as possible.”
Deena smiled. “Oh, thank you.” She ran her eyes around the room again, then set them on the bed. “And this bed! How beautiful!”
A white and yellow quilt covered the white iron-framed bed. Deena moved to it and ran her hands over the spread. “I’ve never slept in a bed like this.”
From there, she went to the room’s two windows. Crisp, lace curtains adorned them. Looking through the windows, she took a deep breath. “I feel like I can see forever out there. There are no tall, dirty buildings to obstruct the view.”
She moved toward the white dresser that stood in the corner with a flowered pitcher and washbowl. A large mirror hung above it. “And this! I’ve never seen anything like this!”
The Dexters looked at each other and smiled.
Deena then went to the opposite corner, where a straight-backed wooden chair with a yellow cushion was pushed up to a small desk. “I’ve never had a desk before,” she said as she rubbed the back of the chair.
Deena looked down at the round rug of multitudinous colors that covered most of the shiny wood floor. “And I’ve certainly never even seen a rug like this. Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Dexter, how can I ever thank you for letting me live with you? I’ll take very
good care of everything. And Mrs. Dexter, I’ll help you in any way I can.”
Norma took hold of her hand. “We’re just so glad you’re here, honey. Now, let’s give you a tour of the rest of the house.”
They moved slowly through the rest of the house and stood on the back porch for several minutes to view the barn, corral, and outbuildings. When they returned to the kitchen, Ralph excused himself and headed for the woodshed, which stood a few yards from the back porch.
Norma set her soft eyes on Deena. “Now, dear, I want you to go back up to your room and rest for a while. I know what it’s like to travel a great distance on a train. You’ve got to be tired. Freshen up first, if you like, but do lie down for a while. I’ll call you when supper is ready.”
“Oh no, ma’am,” she said, taking off her coat. “I will help you prepare supper. I know how. Donna and I used to prepare entire meals at home. Quite often Mama had her hands full, taking care of our brothers and sisters. I can help you, really.”
Norma shook her head and put an arm around Deena’s shoulder. “Not tonight, dear. Just go up there and enjoy your new surroundings. Tomorrow is soon enough for you to start helping with the cooking and housework.”
“Well, okay … if you’re sure.”
“I’m sure. Get some rest, and I’ll call you when it’s time to eat.”
Deena smiled, nodded, and went down the hall, carrying her tattered coat. She bounded up the stairs and made her way to her room. Once again, she looked around at everything in the room and sighed. She noticed the walls, this time—there were yellow and white flowers imprinted in the wallpaper.
She hung her coat in the closet, then went to the dresser. She poured water from the pitcher into the washbowl and splashed it
on her face. After drying off, she went to the bed and ran her fingers over the bedspread again. She looked around the room and spoke to it. “There must be a God. No one else could have worked out all that has happened today!”
Deena sat down on the bed, testing it out, then removed her dusty high-top shoes. Scooting further up on the bed, she lay down, resting her head on the soft pillow, which was covered with a sweet-smelling pillowcase.
She took a deep breath, sighed, and let her mind drift back over the last several weeks. Tears filled her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. “I miss my mama and my brothers and sisters. I hope someday they can have a home as nice as this. Oh, Donna, how I wish you could be here with me. You would simply love it. I hope you are chosen by people as nice as Mr. and Mrs. Dexter.”
Deena brushed the tears from her cheeks and closed her eyes.
The next thing she knew, Norma Dexter was shaking her gently. “Time to wake up, dear. Supper is ready.”
That evening after supper, the Dexters took Deena into the parlor with Rex reluctantly following.
They sat down on the overstuffed furniture close to the fireplace, and Norma asked for more details about Deena’s past—her childhood in New York City, and what it was like for her and Donna when their parents sent them away.
While Deena told them the story in detail, Rex was bored with it all, but knew he must pay attention and appear to be interested.
As the evening wore on, the emotional strain of the day’s events began to wear on Deena. She repeatedly tried to cover her yawns.
It was almost nine-thirty when Ralph said, “It’s time we all get
to bed. Tomorrow’s another day, with much work to be done.”
With that declaration, the parlor lanterns were doused, except for the one Ralph held in his hand. With Ralph in the lead, they followed him up the stairs. When they came to the door of Rex’s room, he said, “G’night, Ma. G’night, Pa.” He opened the door and stepped in.
Just before he closed the door, Norma said, “Son, aren’t you going to tell your new little sister good night?”
Rex set emotionless eyes on Deena. “G’night.”
The door closed in the middle of Deena’s, “Good night, Rex.”
Ralph moved on down the hall with Norma and Deena staying close behind him in the circle of light provided by his lantern. When he reached Deena’s open door, he set his lantern down on the hall floor, stepped into the room, and lit the lantern on the small table by her bed. It cast a warm glow around the room, and as Deena moved in with Norma at her side, she looked sleepily at the bed.
“Good night, Deena,” Ralph said. “You sleep tight now.”
“I’m sure I will,” replied Deena, stifling another yawn.
Norma hugged the girl and kissed her cheek. “Good night, dear.”
“Good night to both of you, and thank you, again, for choosing me.”
Norma smiled. “We’re glad we did. Sleep well. See you bright and early in the morning. There’s a nightgown in the top drawer of the dresser. It’s one of mine, but I think you can sleep in it all right.”
“Thank you, ma am.”
The Dexters stepped out into the hall, with Ralph closing the door.
Moments later, clad in the nightgown, Deena doused the lantern and snuggled between the sweet-scented sheets. Sleepy as
she was, she let her thoughts go to her sister. “Oh, sis, I wish you were here instead of the obstinate Rex. Everything would be perfect then.”
She kept her mind on Donna, speaking to her in her thoughts, and soon was asleep.
The orphan train made a few more stops in Kansas, where small numbers of children were chosen, then it crossed the Colorado border. At the moment the sponsors in both coaches told the children they were crossing into Colorado, Donna Mitchell felt her sorrow and loneliness deepen. Somehow crossing the border made her miss Deena even more.
The first stop in Colorado was in Cheyenne Wells, which was seventeen miles from the border. The children were lined up as usual, with the boys and the girls interspersed.
When the prospective foster parents began moving along the line, Donna Mitchell noticed a couple talking to Betsy Gilder, showing definite interest in her. Donna could tell that Betsy liked them very much. Soon the man turned to Shelley Nelson, who was standing close by, and told her they wanted to take Betsy as their foster daughter.
Although Betsy was saddened to leave Donna, she was happy to have such nice people choose her. The girls had a tearful good-bye, and Donna smiled in spite of her tears as Betsy walked away between the man and his wife, looking back and waving.