“I’ll think about it.” Melissa said, and
then left.
Vida lifted her pail to fill the keg tied to
the wagon when her young son appeared.
“Here, mom, let me do it,” he lightly
scolded.
“Now, Seth, you know you and pa must do the
hunting for supper. Gathering wood and fetching water is woman’s
work.” Again she stretched her back, rubbing at the soreness. “And
speaking of your pa, did he catch us supper?”
“Yep, we’ll be having squirrel stew again
tonight.”
25
Vida rolled her eyes. “Just once I’d like to
sink me teeth into something else. Rabbit would be nice for a
change. A wild hen, I think I’d even enjoy a snake at this
point.”
He laughed and gave her a big hug. “What’s
new among the women’s gossip, today?” Seth asked, winking.
She hated being teased about tales she
brought back to her family and swatted at her son.
“Now you stop joshing your mom, Seth,” she
scolded with a smile. She was proud of her son, he was a good boy.
She sighed; he looked just like his pa. Only seventeen, but he was
as tall as her husband. His body was muscular and strong from all
the hard work he had done on the farm they had left behind. Years
of back breaking work and what for? The last drought ruined their
crop and they couldn’t finance another year. They left that
dried-up land and headed west for a new life. She prayed the new
land would be fertile because her husband insisted on farming
again. Once a sod-buster, always a sod-buster, her husband
claimed.
Vida’s reverie was interrupted when a dead
thing was thrust into her hands. She jerked opened her eyes and
gasped. “Pa, you startled me!” she snapped, but she made sure her
voice lacked any anger in its tone. How could she be angry with her
husband, she shouldn’t be woolgathering.
“Sorry woman, but that’s all I could catch.”
Her husband kissed her cheek, lovingly.
“This is fine, Boris,” she fibbed, but it
was only a little one so not to hurt his feelings. “I’m beginning
to get the hang of making a good squirrel stew.”
“That’s my girl,” he patted her
backside.
That night as her son and her husband sat
eating their meal, Vida mentioned the pretty girl she had met at
the lake. “That woman has suffered and seen pain; I can see it in
her sad eyes. She was a lady, I could tell by her small, soft but
firm hands. She’s done some work but not hard labor. She’s
southern, there’s no mistaking that accent, and schooling. Yes, I
bet she was one of those rich southern bells. Not spoiled though,
and she doesn’t put on airs. I like her.”
“Why don’t you invite her to supper one
night?” asked Seth, showing interest in meeting the young lady.
Vida, seeing the mischief in her son’s eyes,
waved a finger under his nose. “Now don’t go
26
getting any fancy ideas, young man. She’s a
lady and older than you. I don’t want a love-sick boy moping around
the rest of the trip!”
Her husband chuckled and she rewarded him
with a cold stare. Boris quickly wiped the smile from his face and
added, “You mind your ma, boy.” He chuckled again, and then he
walked over to the men already sitting around the fire.
“Effie,” Melissa said, sitting up front. She
was driving the team as Sam was napping. Effie was rocking Daphne
in her arms with a soothing song. She stopped humming when Melissa
called again. “Effie, I don’t know what to do? Vida, the woman I
told you about, invited me to eat supper with them tomorrow
night.”
“Whut’s yo’ problem chil’? Go!”
“You know I don’t dare leave Daphne for any
length of time.” After a moment of silence she cried, “Effie!”
“Ah done heah yo’ honey. Ah ain’t deaf likes
mah Sam. Ah tol’ yo’ t’ go an’ brings yore sister with yo’. It do
her good bein’ wid people. She’ll neva fin’ her mind bein’ cooped
up hea’ all de time.”
She hashed over the servant’s words most of
the day, still uneasy about introducing Daphne to strangers. How
would her sister take to them? Since the hellish day, Daphne
had
stayed cooped up in the wagon with only her,
and Sam and Effie. She slapped the reins. “Get!” she yelled at the
smelly animals. They were slow but they were strong and were
capable of pulling the wagon over rutted and sometimes muddy
trails. After much deliberation and probing from Effie, she made
her decision.
The next day Melissa accepted the invitation
and gave Vida one of the rabbits Sam caught that day. She could see
Vida was delighted. That night Adam’s family greeted her and Daphne
warmly; she liked Boris and Seth right away. Boris was a big man
and his son was just as tall and both men were good looking. Seth’s
eyes were dark like his mother’s, while his hair was red like his
father’s. Melissa figured. the boy was young, around Daphne’s age.
She wished the circum-stances were different, this lad would have
been just right for her sister. He smiled when he
27
handed Melissa a plate of stew. She returned
the smile, although it was a smile that made her a little
uncomfortable under his gaze. The boy studied her short time when
she noticed his gaze wander over to Daphne.
“The dinner was delicious, Vida,” exclaimed
Melissa. “Best stew I’ve ever tasted.” She hugged Vida. “You must
tell me your secret. Although, I don’t think Effie would like me to
change her recipe. She prides herself on being the best cook in the
south and no one would dare tell her differently. Her meals were
the best, I have to admit.”
Vida’s laugh sounded more like a snort, as
if her comment was debatable.
She shook Boris and Seth’s hand then took
Daphne by her arm and led the silent child home. A couple of
minutes later, as she neared the wagon, the sound of footsteps
startled her.
Seeing it was Vida’s boy, she let out a
relieved breath. “Seth!” she gasped, putting her hand to her heart.
“You frightened me.”
Seth looked ashamed and nervously stubbed
his booted toe in the dirt. “Sorry, ma’am, I didn’t mean to startle
you, it’s just.., Um, I want t-to ask you s-something.”
He stammered. She sensed the boy’s
uneasiness and placed her hand softly on his arm. “What is it?”
“I know about…about your brother’s, err,
problem.” He fidgeted, looking so awkward. I have a delicate
subject that I want to ask but I hope it won’t insult you. Um,
maybe I shouldn’t have bothered you.”
“Please, Seth. We’re friends. What’s on your
mind?” she coaxed, smiling warmly.
Seth swallowed audibly, looking sheepishly
at Daphne. “Well, ma’am… I---”
“Call me Melissa,” she interrupted. “Ma’am,
make me feel so old. My mother was a ma’am and there isn’t much
difference in our ages.”
He nodded nervously. “Melissa, I was just…
err, just wondering if it would be all right to spend some time
with your brother.”
Melissa knew her surprise showed on her
face. She was so sure he was interested in her, the way he had
studied her before. But, Daphne? Somewhat relieved, her emotions
were coupled with uneasiness and she wasn’t sure what to make of
his request. Should she let her sister be with this young man?
Effie’s words filled her head.
28
Daphne needed to be away
from smothering surroundings.
“I’ll think
about it,” she promised.
Seth nodded. Thank you ma… err…
Melissa.”
Seth walked back to the wagon whistling
recalling earlier. He thought Melissa was very beautiful but he
couldn’t take his eyes off her younger brother, David, for some
strange reason. He was small for a boy his age and his clothes were
big, baggy. When Melissa had removed the boy’s hat, his brown hair
was cropped short but curly. Seth marveled at how the shy lad
looked so much like his sister and was sure nature made a mistake.
David would have made a beautiful girl, he mused, but was instead a
sissy-looking boy.
He hoped that the other boys here would
never see David up close lest they tease and torment the kid. He
couldn’t understand why he was drawn to the lad. Was it because he
was sorry for him? His mother explained earlier that the boy was a
mute but that didn’t mean the kid had to say cooped in the wagon
all day. All boys his age needed some fun. Maybe if he offered to
spend some time with the youth, David might come out of his shell.
It was worth a try.
That night while preparing
Daphne for bed, Melissa talked about Seth’s offer. She wasn’t sure
if Daphne understood but she had seen her sister glance in the
boy’s direction a few times.
When she
spoke his name again did she see a glimmer of light in those,
otherwise, lifeless eyes? Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to try.
The next day clouds rumbled in drenching the
wagon train with a long, soaking downpour. Sam insisted she stay
covered while he drove but Melissa stuck her hands and face out of
the canvas, greeting the cool water with delight. After the soaking
rains relented, she walked ahead to the Adams wagon. Seth was also
walking and she joined him.
“I think it would be all right,” she blurted
out before Seth had a chance to speak or for her to change her
mind. “I’m not too sure David will stay with you. You’re a stranger
but maybe we could walk together a few times and if, um, David gets
used to having you around, he might trust you. It’s worth a try and
I thank you for showing kindness to my sis… brother.”
Melissa still had a hard time remembering
Daphne was suppose to be a boy. “Thank you,” the boy replied and
then he shook her hand quickly and awkwardly.
29
The next few weeks were a delight to
Melissa. She and Seth sat with Daphne every night before darkness
surrounded them. Seth brought a few books from home and loved to
read about the west. He informed her that he wanted to be a teacher
and hoped things would be better when they reached California. He
would like to go back to school, like he did before hard times
befell his family.
Melissa didn’t know if the stories were
being heard by her sister but she did notice that Daphne’s
chocolate eyes looked a few times in Seth’s direction. She was sure
she saw a glint of awareness. After a while she left the two of
them alone and Daphne didn’t whimper or fret when she returned
later.
“Dat boy is sho’ good fo’ dat girl,” stated
Effie.
“You may be right.” Melissa hugged her.
The days were getting hotter and water was
becoming scarcer, they had to ration their supplies carefully. Even
after Melissa urged Sam to take his share, many times he refused a
drink so the women would have more.
“Sam,” she scolded, “we’ll be up duck’s
creek of you lose your strength. We not only need you to drive the
wagon, but to track down our meals every night.” Sam would only
shrug and take a sip once in a while, leaving Melissa feeling
totally frustrated. Daphne was spending a lot of her time with Seth
and she loved the boy for being so patient. She wondered if one day
she could trust him with the truth, it was something to
consider.
As the wagon train neared Phoenix, there
were many casualties due to fever, starvation, and careless
accidents. Melissa never realized the hardship people went through
to get to the Promised Land. Was it worth it? Many thought it was,
but she wasn’t sure. When an axle broke a child was thrown from a
wagon, hitting her head on a rock. Another child died with the
mother in childbirth. The distraught husband killed himself two
days later. They lost several men when they were attacked by a band
of Indians passing through Long Valley. She thought Effie would die
of fright. Sam took an arrow in the thigh, so Melissa had to do all
the driving for a while. She prayed they would make it to
California without another incident.
Daphne was improving, much to Melissa’s
surprise and delight. She still didn’t speak but the girl’s eyes
were becoming more alive; she didn’t have that far away look
anymore. Her sister
30
now did things for herself and seemed to
brighten when Seth came to take her for rides or to read. Melissa
had stayed in the shadows one night and watched the two. She
wondered if now would be a good time to tell him the truth,
noticing how tender he was with her. Then she wondered if maybe she
had waited too long and if the boy might think she played him for a
fool. At the end of the trip they would split up and probably never
see each other again. Leave well enough alone, she told herself as
she returned to the wagon.
31
EIGHT
Seth was feeling strange sensations in the
pit of his stomach and elsewhere when he sat near the youth. He
couldn’t quite put a finger on why he was so unnatural around
David. A few times he caught his friend’s eyes on him, making him
feel as if the boy was looking into his soul. That night, Seth lay
awake, seeing the boy’s face before him. Earlier, he found himself
looking at David’s perfectly carved mouth, wondering what those
lips would feel like. He turned and pounded his bed roll. Was there
something wrong with him? He knew about men who preferred other men
or boys to women; was he one of them? Should he talk to his father
about this? No! He chided himself; his parents would be horrified.
He fell into a restless sleep, remembering dark haunting eyes. The
next day he decided to help David overcome his fear of horses.
“See, he won’t hurt you.” Seth took David’s
hand and placed it over the animal’s muzzle. “See how soft the skin
is.” He let the trembling hand go and was relieved when the boy
didn’t remove his palm and petted the horse. He had a terrible urge
to protect the adolescent but he was somewhat nervous, fearing that
sooner or later his parents would notice his abnormal attachment to
his friend. He had come to the conclusion awhile back, that if this
was the way it would be, he’d no longer fight it. It was unnerving
and once he stayed away three days faking illness, but he missed
the youth so much; the loneliness had driven him crazier than his
unsettling conscience.