Coffin To Lie On (10 page)

In between his work at
home, Anselm spent time at the other farms, helping put up houses
and barns while he waited his turn for the men to help
him.

In the mean time, Miranda
had to make do with living in the tent and sleeping on the ground.
She had it figured she had one month to go before the baby
came.

Finally, men came to help
build a house and outbuildings for them. Anselm was last to get
buildings since his farm was last one next to the mountain range to
the west. The men agreed it was a relief when everyone had a roof
over their heads. The last building they would work together on
would be the meeting house built in a central location.

Sarie Lee, with Jefferson
Davis in tow, was the only woman to show up to help Miranda prepare
the meals for the men. The wives sent food with the men that needed
warmed. The men excused there was too much to do at home, and the
women hated to travel so far with the younguns now the days were
chilly.

Miranda wondered if that
was the real reason. Maybe the women thought Miranda was too lazy
to cook. They put out the effort to send covered dishes just
because they wanted to make sure their men didn't go hungry while
they worked so hard.

If they had a choice, the
women probably wouldn't have sent the food because of their dislike
for her. To feed their men, they offered food begrudgingly. The
more she thought about it, Miranda was sure she was
right.

When the men stopped to
rest and eat the noon meal, Anselm noticed Florian Bjornson hadn't
come to help. He asked Clarence Swensen, sitting on the ground next
to him, if he had seen Florian lately.

Clarence's face grew long.
“I dought you might haf heard by now about his accident. Florian
died.”

Anselm gasped. “Na, I
didn't hear about dat. Vat happened to him?”

“
De crazy
fool couldn't wait for us to show up to help him. He tried to cut
logs by himself. One tree vas on a slope. Florian cut it and took
off running, but his feet must haf slipped out from under him. He
fell down de slope, and de tree landed on top of
him.”

Miranda's hand flew to her
chest as she poured Clarence a cup of coffee. “How
awful!”

“
It iss
dat. His wife went to check on him about dark ven he didn't come
home. By dat time, a wild animal had gnawed on poor Florian. He vas
missing an arm.”

“
Hopefully, de man was gone before dat happened,” Anselm said,
looking pained.

“
I hope
so,” Clarence stated.

“
It does
not seem like de poor man vas meant to travel dis far from home for
a new life. First, he almost dies from an Indian's arrow, and now
dis,” Anselm said.

“
What
will his wife, Birgit, do now?” Miranda asked.

“
She had
one of her neighbors escort her to Portland. She went to
Pennsylvania where she has folks.”

“
Sat iss
for de best,” Anselm said. “Dis iss no life for a woman
alone.”

Until the last log was set
in the groves, hollow whacks resounded in the timber as axes cut
down the trees.

The yells of TIMBER echoed
against the mountains, were followed by the crashing shudder of
fallen trees, breaking boughs and smashing bushes.

A shiver went through
Miranda's body with each of the fallen trees. She prayed that the
men were working safely as she thought about what happened to
Florian Bjornson.

Miranda hadn't been given a
say in the size of their house or how it would look, but she
approved when she watched the building take shape. She rubbed her
aching back and smiled at Anselm when he glanced her
way.

“
Are you
feeling all right?” Sarie Lee asked in concern.

“
Yes, but
I seemed to be always tired,” Miranda complained, giving her a weak
smile. “Another thing worries me. I don't know anything about
having a baby, but I have never felt the baby move. Do you think
that is natural?”

Sarie Lee looked puzzled.
“It is odd, but I wouldn't get the worries. There must be a good
reason. Y'all have been through a lot over the last few months. Ya
are bound to be tired and just not payin' attention when the baby
kicks.

As for feelin' tired,
that's to be expected, cause yer carryin' a lot around in front of
ya. Yer time is almost here,” Sarie Lee reasoned. “Y'all are
probably doin' too much and on yer feet way too long at a time. Why
don't ya sit down while I see to the vittles for
supper?”

“
I hate
to put you to all that trouble since you were kind enough to come
help me,” Miranda said.

“
Nonsense. That's what I came for. Please, let me do this. How
much time you figure you got left?” Sarie Lee asked as she set the
kettles back on the cook fire.

“
I think
I'm due to deliver any time,” Miranda said, staring at the walls
going up on the house. “I'll be so glad to have a roof over my head
and a bed to be in when the birthing time comes. Sometimes, I
didn't think that was ever going to happen.”

“
You send
for me with the first pains so I can hep you,” Sarie Lee
ordered.

“
I hate
to have you come way over here,” Miranda said.

“
It won't
bother me none. Not knowin' how you're doin' will bother me
somethin' fierce. You need a woman here when yer time comes,” Sarie
Lee insisted.

“
I
suppose I do. Anselm sure wouldn't be much help. All he knows about
birthing concerns his animals,” Miranda said with a chuckle. Then
her expression turned serious as she studied Sarie Lee's face. “How
are you feeling these days? I know you must have moments when you
think about Bobby Lee and miss him.”

Sarie Lee nodded slowly
with moist eyes. “I'm so busy durin' the day I get along fine. It's
after we go to bed when I have time to think and cry a little. The
worse part is the awful dreams I have sometimes. I wake myself up
to the sound of my voice cryin' out for Wilbur to save Bobby Lee.
That's if Wilbur don't beat me to it by wakin' me up. He allows he
cain't hardly stand to see me suffer.

In my dreams, I see the boy
fallin' as plain as day and reach for him, but I'm never quick
enough. I break out wringin' wet with sweat when I hear him scream.
I see the wagon wheel go over him. Them dreams happen again and
again just like it was this very day.”

“
Poor
dear, you're having a tough time of it. I'm so very sorry you've
had to go through all this. I know how much you must miss Bobby
Lee. Hopefully, the bad dreams will come less and less as time goes
by,” Miranda advised.

“
That's
what Wilbur tells me. We hopin' by spring me havin' a baby will
help me get over Bobby Lee's death,” Sarie Lee said, giving Miranda
a bashful smile.

“
Oh, my!
What great news this is! Our children will be the same age. They
will grow up together. How nice,” Miranda said. “Well then, I will
let you come help me with my birthing if you let me help you with
yours. Is that a deal?”

“
I'd say
that's a right smart deal, Sarie Lee replied
gleefully.

“
Well,
you won't have an expert with me for help, but I will at least know
something about what to do after watching you,” Miranda
said.

When the house was
completed, Anselm joined them. He asked Miranda, “You want to go
through your new home and see vat it looks like?”

“
You bet
I do. Come with me, Sarie Lee.” She grabbed Sarie Lee's hand and
followed Anselm.

When they stepped inside,
Anselm said, “Dis first big room is de kitchen, dining room and
living room. Come vit me.” He lead them down a hall with a door on
each side. “Dere is two bedrooms. One for us and one for the baby.
Vat do you dink?”

Miranda smiled at him. “I
think this is a great house. What do you think, Sarie
Lee?”

Sarie Lee gasped. “This is
a right nice house. I hate to have you see my dinky place after
seeing this one. I think I'd get lost in a house this big right
off. Ours ain't this big yet, but Wilbur plans on addin' a room to
it in the spring.”

Anselm chuckled, pleased
that the women liked the house.

Chapter 12

About a week later, Anselm
finished building the bed and table. He strung the ropes across the
bed rails, and Miranda laid the straw tick on it. She hurried to
make the bed with the bedding she stored in the coffin. As she
stood surveying the new bed, she could hardly contain her joy at
having a soft bed to sleep in.

Miranda stacked the pots
and dishes on the floor while she waited for Anselm to build the
cupboards. Her fine china was the last items out of the coffin, and
she placed each piece gently in one of the crates until Anselm had
time to build a sideboard.

The fireplace was where she
would cook until they made a trip to town for the cook stove. The
table Anselm built was a long one with two long bench seats. That
was all the furniture he wanted to make until he got more time in
the winter.

Miranda rubbed her back,
stiff and achy from all the bending over, as she sat down at the
table. Anselm brought her a cup of coffee and himself one. “Ve
might as vell sit and rest a minute to try out our new table,” he
said, smiling at her.

“
It is a
fine table. Large enough to feed plenty of company at and for me a
work area to knead bread and such,” Miranda
praised.

“
Ja,”
Anselm agreed.

“
I've
unpacked the pine …..,” Miranda hesitated. “Box. Could you find a
place to store it?”

“
Ja,”
Anselm replied, patting her hand. “I vill put it in de tool shed I
built. It vill be useful to hold plenty of dings
dere.”

A few mornings later,
Miranda felt a twinge of pain while she was washing breakfast
dishes. She dried her hands and rubbed her swelled stomach. The
pain went away. A few minutes, later the twinge was back. She kept
busy, trying to ignore the pain until the twinges became harder and
stayed longer.

When Anselm came in for
lunch, he didn't see his wife. “Miranda.”

“
I'm in
here,” Miranda called from the bedroom.

Anselm rushed to her. “Are
you all right?”

“
Not
really. You better go for Sarie Lee. It's my time,” Miranda said,
trying to smile.

Anselm looked scared. “Iss
it safe to leave?”

“
Yes, I
promise to stay on the bed until you get back. Whatever happens, I
will be right here when it does. So hurry now,” Miranda said
urgently.

It was after dark when
Anselm returned with Sarie Lee. Miranda never knew how late it was.
She was in more pain than she could ever imagine going through in
one of her lies.

Anselm followed Sarie Lee
into the bedroom. The younger woman took Miranda's hand. “I'm here.
How is it goin'?”

Miranda opened her eyes and
licked her dry lips. “Pains are closer together and pretty
hard.”

“
You need
a drink,” Sarie Lee said, pouring water from the pitcher by the bed
into a tin cup.

Miranda took a sip. “That
did help. Sarie Lee, I have a stack of towels and rags on the end
of the bed. The water is heating on the fire, but tea kettle may be
about boiled dry.”

Anselm spoke up. “I vill
attend to de vater.”

“
My, he
disappeared in a hurry,” Miranda said, with a weak
smile.

“
Just
like my man does when it comes to birthin,” Sarie Lee agreed. “You
mind if I take a peek under the cover to see how you're comin'
along?

Miranda was shaking her
head when she let out a scream and gripped the
headboard.

“
Breathe
as deep as ya can and kind of fast like a dog pantin'. Sometimes
that helps,” Sarie Lee advised.

Miranda tried panting while
Sarie Lee raised the covers. She looked quickly and pulled the
covers back over Miranda's feet. “Looks like you might be awhile
yet. It's good to see you have the bed padded and yer gown out of
the way.”

“
I tried
to think of things like that,” Miranda said.

Sarie Lee grinned. “That's
a time. I reckon you best keep all that in mind so you know what to
do to hep me when my time comes.”

Miranda's face relaxed for
a moment when she thought about helping Sarie Lee. Another pain
coursed over her, and she yelled again.

“
I'm
goin' to go see if Anselm has something to eat and how that water
is coming,” Sarie Lee said.

“
There is elk stew in the fireplace and
fresh bread in the bread box. You eat while you're at it. I'll yell
for you if I need help,” Miranda moaned, rubbing her belly.