Wild Heart on the Prairie (A Prairie Heritage, Book 2) (13 page)

“So we should search the
Skriften
, pray, and wait on
the Lord, eh?” Jan suggested. “Pray about everything. You, me, our families,
our church?”

Right there, in the ice-coated ruts of the dirt track
leading to their farm, Jan and Karl prayed together. When they arrived home an
hour later, chilled and famished, they were in good spirits. Amalie and Elli
exchanged relieved glances.

Then Karl, with everyone gathered around said, “
Søster
Elli,
I ask your forgiveness. It is not my part to speak correction to you. I should
not have done so. I am sorry.”

Elli cocked her head to the side a little, surprised and
touched. “Brother Karl, I forgive you from my heart. Thank you.”

Søren looked at the adults, relieved but a bit apprehensive.
Jan hugged him around the shoulders and whispered, “Everyone makes mistakes,
Sønn
,
including me. It is what we do with them that tells the world if we are
Christian men,
ja
? Your
Onkel
Karl is a man of God, you can
depend on it.”

~~**~~

In April the ground thawed and every farmer focused on
plowing and planting his fields for the next harvest. Jan and Karl began the
grueling task of breaking sod on Karl’s land to the north.

“We need more feed corn now that we have our hogs, three
steers and ten cows—and their calves too—to feed in the fall, eh?” Karl was
exhilarated by the growth of their livestock, and this mild rejoicing was as exuberantly
as ever Karl expressed himself.

Two months later Jan and Karl mailed their proof papers to
the land office in Fremont. They laid their hands on the letters before they
sent them, thanking God for his grace and favor.

Elli smiled for her husband’s joy . . . and for
a secret joy of her own.

Despite a drought that had begun the year before and had
worsened over the winter, the Thoresens had done better than many of their
neighbors, mainly because of their well-established herd of hogs. Even so, they
had barely afforded the lumber and hardware to build Karl and Amalie’s house.
They needed a good harvest this year and prayed for rain, as did their
neighbors.

On a crisp morning a few days after sending the proof papers,
Karl and Jan hosted the raising of Karl and Amalie’s house. Karl and Jan had
laid the foundation even with Jan’s house, not far across the property line,
and about the same distance from the barn as Jan and Elli’s house.

The Andersons brought along another family new to the
neighborhood—Brian and Fiona McKennie and their little brood. Brian had claimed
land to the west of the Andersons, a few miles closer to the growing town of RiverBend.

As if the ethnic mix of the community was not diverse enough,
the McKennies were newly emigrated from Ireland. Fortunately, they knew some
English; unfortunately, they spoke it with a heavily accented brogue. Of course
they knew no German, Swedish, or Norwegian.

In spite of the language barrier, Brian and Fiona were a
smiling, happy couple. Brian set to work with the men, whistling a quick, merry
tune as he did. Fiona, pregnant with her third child, bustled about with the
other women, easily making new acquaintances.

Brian was a ruddy redhead; his oldest child, Meg, at age six,
took after him with a bright complexion and deep auburn braids that hung down
her slender back. Meg’s makeup could not have been more different from her
mother’s curling black hair and black eyes, but the McKennie’s two-year-old son
was the spit and image of Fiona.

The Thoresens, even reserved Karl, took to the McKennies and
their cheerful ways. “I like them, Karl. These are Christian people,” Jan said
with appreciation. “It is good to have another Christian family in the
neighborhood.”

Karl nodded his agreement but pursed his lips. “Likely they
are Catholic, Jan,” he answered quietly.

“
Ja
, likely they are,” Jan said, shrugging his
shoulders. “But there is no Catholic church anywhere near. Maybe they would
like to come to our church, eh?”

Karl shot his eyes to where Adolphe stood, carefully watching
the work going on around him. “I would not mention it to Minister Veicht, Jan.”

“So, Adolphe would not welcome the McKennies, is that it?” Jan
muttered darkly. “Is that now how we treat our neighbors? Is that how we show
the love of God?”

“Jan, keep your tongue,” Karl shot back. “You are speaking
of our minister!”

“
Ja
, and I will ask again—
how
did he get to be
our minister? I would like to know! Was it ever put to a vote of the people?”
Jan’s voice had risen and several men had stopped working to listen.

“Shush, Jan!” Karl hissed. “People are listening!” Before he
turned aside he muttered, “You should be more careful of your words lest
someone hear you!”

“Maybe they should hear me, Karl! And I tell you
—
Tomas
would not
have stood around telling everyone what to do while never dirtying his hands.”

Jan curbed his tongue after his last outburst even though
his heart was still hot in his breast. He knew most of the men within earshot
would not have understood
what
he’d said; nevertheless, they surely would
have recognized his ire.

He glanced around. Norvald caught his eye. “
Ja
,
Norvald knows what I said,” Jan muttered.

His Swedish friend nodded once in his direction and then
went back to work. Jan, however, as hard as he tried, could not find his peace
again.

Lord, this man Adolphe has taken over our church and preaches
only rules and regulations as ‘holiness,’ never encouragement or your love and
grace
, Jan fretted
. I am having a hard time accepting his leadership
.

He sighed as the Lord convicted him again regarding his
temper.
All right, Lord. I put it in your hands again, ja? I will let you
deal with it in your time.

After the raising, Karl and Jan busied themselves framing
the bedrooms and other interior rooms. Karl and Amalie’s house was the mirror
of Jan and Elli’s—two stories, tall and narrow, with four small bedrooms
upstairs and a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and pantry downstairs. Jan worked
side-by-side with Karl to get the house to a place where Karl and his family
could move in.

I am being selfish in this, I know, Lord,
Jan
confessed,
but still, it will be a good thing for both our families when we
have our own houses, ja?

Karl and Amalie had ordered Amalie her own cookstove and a
larger stove for the living room. Money was tight, but by economizing
elsewhere, Jan and Karl found what was needed. They set the stoves in place and
plumbed their pipes.

Jan labored tirelessly, building the kitchen cabinets and
doors in his carpentry shop out in the barn. Even with the house not quite complete,
Karl was certain that they could move into the new house in another week or
two.

The two Thoresen families went to bed one evening to the
tumult of a much-needed spring rainstorm. Lightning flashed repeatedly and
thunder shook the kitchen as they finished dinner.

“Ah, we thank you, God, for the rain!” Jan rejoiced. Thunder
rumbled overhead and rain slapped the sides of the house. Then he added,
speaking to Karl, “But I am glad we had your house raising three weeks ago!”

“I am glad we already did the milking, eh?” Karl chuckled.
“And that all our livestock is under a good roof. I would rather sit in front
of this warm fire than go out in such weather!”

Jan grinned. He was pleased to hear Karl joke about the
storm. Since the raising, Jan had seen his brother happier and more relaxed.

I am glad to see my bror happy, Lord!
Jan rejoiced.

Elli woke in the night, not understanding why, but she was
immediately wide awake. Their bedroom, with its windows shuttered against the
night’s rain and cold, should have been quite dark.

She sat up and looked around, wondering if it was truly
morning. Not that she saw daylight, but she could faintly make out their simple
bedroom furnishings. Perhaps a full moon had risen?

Still confused, Elli climbed from their bed, went to the
window, and slid it up. She loosened the shutters’ latch and opened them out a
crack.

Across the field a great fire blazed. Karl and Amalie’s
house, engulfed in flames, lit up the night sky.

Jan, Karl, and Søren battled the blaze into the morning
hours. There never had been a chance of saving the house; it had been fully aflame
when Elli’s screams had wakened them. They battled the fire so hot cinders would
not jump to any of the sheds attached to the barn.

Karl hoped they could recover the heating and cookstoves.
The coals from the fire would take hours to cool, but Karl could make out the
shapes of the stoves through the rubble.

“We cannot afford to buy more lumber this year, not enough
anyway,” Karl muttered. He hadn’t needed to say it; he and Jan had worked the
numbers together and had already scrimped on other necessities to buy the materials
for Karl’s house.

Jan put his hand on Karl’s shoulder. “I am sorry, Karl.”

They both were. It meant another year, at least, of Karl’s
family sharing Jan and Elli’s house with them.

“To tell you the truth,” Karl said softly, “I didn’t know
how Amalie would cope with the three little ones without Elli and Kristen.
Sigrün is a big help. But still . . .”

Jan nodded. It was time to readjust expectations and
attitudes, beginning with his own.
It is all right, Lord. It is all right
,
he prayed over and over.
I trust you
.

“Lightning likely struck your house . . .” he
speculated softly. Then the import of what he said dawned on him. As it did, he
gasped and prayed aloud, “Lord! We are grateful! So grateful that Karl and
Amalie and their
barn
were not in their house last night!”

Karl stared at Jan, struck dumb by the revelation. “My God!”
He staggered and Jan caught him, lowered him to his knees.

Karl choked on his sobs, hiding his eyes behind his hands.
“Thank you, my God! Ach! I thank you for your mercy!”

The two men knelt in the soot and ash together, praying and
thanking God.

That evening when the children were abed, the adults
gathered around the table. They were still sober—shocked and stunned from the
loss of the house, but grateful for God’s mercy.

“I wish to say something to us all, something important,”
Jan said softly. Elli, Amalie, and Karl turned their attention to him.

“I have been . . .” Jan’s throat closed up on
him and he had to swallow before more words would come out. “I have been . . .
too mindful of what is mine and Elli’s and what is yours, Karl and Amalie. I
have been . . . too concerned about my own needs and wants. I—”

Again Jan’s tongue seemed to stick in his mouth, and tears
were close to the surface. “I want you to know, Karl and Amalie, that I am
sorry I have insisted on my own way, my ‘rights’. If I have made you feel
unwelcome in this house, I ask your forgiveness.”

Karl and Amalie were silent but their eyes were bright with
moisture. Jan continued, “I ask you to consider this house as much yours as it
is ours—in every way. I—”

Karl’s hand touched Jan’s arm. “
Bror
, we thank you.
From our hearts, we thank you. But it is not necessary. The things you and I
quarreled over in the past needed to be fixed,
ja
? And haven’t we been
better friends, better brothers for it?”

Karl swallowed, moved by emotion. “Our great God knows our
needs. If it takes another year to build another house, we will patiently wait
for it. While we wait . . . we are thankful for you sharing your
home with us.”

Elli wiped her eyes with her apron and Amalie sniffled. Jan
and Karl studied each other, a new understanding blooming between them.

~~**~~

At church services Sunday word of the fire spread. All of Karl
and Jan’s money and all of the community’s work that went into the house—gone.
Every woman commiserated with Amalie; every man expressed his condolences to
Karl.

Heidi Veicht had led the way with the women of the church to
hug Amalie and pray with her. Then she had turned her attention to Jan and Elli.
She brought Norvald with her to translate.

“Everyone is sorry for Karl and Amalie,” she said softly to
Jan. “But no one considers that you worked on that house as much as Karl.” She
put her hand on both of theirs. “The Lord will repay you for your work and
love.”

She smiled at Elli, that incredibly happy, gap-toothed
smile, and hugged her wordlessly. Elli melted into Heidi’s embrace, even
letting a few needed tears fall. Just knowing someone cared meant so much.

Heidi held Elli until someone near Elli’s elbow spoke. “
Großmutter.
We
have the meal to prepare now. Come along.”

Elli felt Heidi’s arm tighten
convulsively. Although Elli did not know what was said, she saw Heidi’s face as
she looked up into Rakel’s cool gaze. Elli saw a flash, just an instant, of
anger.

“I have asked you not to call me
großmutter
, Rakel,” Heidi said quietly, her eyes not leaving her
daughter-in-law’s face. “It is for my grandchildren to call me that.”

Rakel’s eyes narrowed. “Shall I
repeat this conversation to your son?”

Again, Elli did not know what
Rakel said, but she saw Heidi’s eyes shutter, saw her become compliant. Without
a word of goodbye, Heidi, her head held high, followed Rakel into the kitchen.

Elli and Jan stared at each other and Elli clasped Jan’s
hand. Jan shook his head.

Just then Jan saw Adolphe gesture Søren’s friend, Ivan
Bruntrüllsen, to his side. Ivan actually spoke better German than his father, Norvald,
did—just as Jan and Karl had seen how quickly their children had picked up
German.

Karl stood next to Adolphe. Adolphe talked with Karl for
quite a while with Ivan translating. Jan wasn’t worried. He knew Karl would not
whine or complain about the loss of his house or the difficult year ahead; that
was not what Thoresen men did. And Jan was utterly at peace with his brother,
perhaps more than at any time in their lives.

He was curious, though, about the many questions Ivan put to
Karl at Adolphe’s request. He was curious—and a bit uneasy.

His uneasiness did not abate until they were on their way
home. “What did Minister Veicht wish of you, Karl?” he asked as nonchalantly as
possible.

Karl frowned. “I have to say, he asked many questions of me.
I am wondering what he is thinking.” He shrugged as if to say, “Who knows?”

Jan said nothing more, but he continued to sense something in
his spirit during the week. He prayed about it, giving it to God to carry until
he was peaceful again.

Whatever it is, Lord, you already know about it, eh? I can
trust you with it.

His uneasiness resurfaced two Sundays later after service as
he was conversing with Norvald. Rikkert approached them, nodding at Norvald
before saying, “Jan, Adolphe and the elders would have words with you.”

Adolphe had again appropriated Ivan to translate for him. After
Jan went to tell Elli, Karl, and Amalie that he would be delayed, he was
gratified to see Norvald waiting for him. Jan shot him a questioning look.

“I do not like this,” Norvald said under his breath. “If he
wishes my son to translate for him, he will have my presence also.”

“I am glad of it, friend,” Jan replied, and he meant it. He
felt on his guard, but could not think why.

Jan followed Minister Veicht, the three elders, and Ivan
into the family’s kitchen. Norvald entered right behind him.

“
Herr
Bruntrüllsen, this is a private matter with
Herr
Thoresen, if you please,” Adolphe Veicht said, surprised to see Norvald
following Jan.

“
Ja
, I understand; however, if my son is to be privy
to this matter, I will be also.” He frowned. “I will also say that I am not
comfortable with you asking my son to be involved in
Herr
Thoresen’s
private matter without first consulting me.” Norvald sent Adolphe a look that
did not invite argument.

“I see,” Adolphe said, considering Norvald.

Gunnar spoke up. “Norvald, we do not know what this matter
is either; I apologize—I did not know Minister Veicht had not your consent for
Ivan’s assistance.”

Adolphe glared at Gunnar who shrugged as if to say, “I am
just speaking the truth.”

Adolphe turned back to Norvald. “Very well. You may stay, if
Herr
Thoresen agrees.” He indicated that Ivan should translate his words
for Jan.

“Norvald Bruntrüllsen is a good friend of mine,” Jan
answered. “However, I am as unaware of this matter as he is. What is it you
wish to discuss with me?”

“Why don’t we all sit down?” Adolphe seated himself and
indicated the other chairs in Tomas and Heidi Veicht’s kitchen. When everyone
had been seated, he leaned forward, steepling his fingers.

“We are most saddened to hear of the loss of your brother
Karl’s house,
Herr
Thoresen. A terrible thing to happen after all the
time and effort put into it.”

Jan nodded. “
Ja
, we thank you for your concern.” Ivan
diligently translated for both of them.

Adolphe, looking over his fingers, asked, “
Herr
Thoresen, you are the younger son, are you not?”

Jan was surprised. “Younger son? You mean of Karl’s and my
parents?”

“Yes; that is what I mean, of course,” Adolphe replied, as
though Jan were thick-headed.

“
Ja
, I am the younger son,” Jan answered.

“Do you know that the Bible teaches that the elder son has
preference over the younger?”

Jan’s jaw tightened. “I was not aware this was to be a Bible
lesson,
Herr
Veicht. I would prefer that you say what you wish to say to
me plainly.”

“Very well. It is truly sad that your brother’s—your
elder
brother’s—house burned. He was telling me last week that he will not be
able to rebuild his house this year. That is, he happened to mention, unless he
builds
a much smaller house
.” Veicht placed emphasis on the words
a much
smaller house
.

“Of course,” Adolphe said casually, “Karl has a
growing
family
and a smaller house would be a hardship. You, on the other hand, do not need
the large house you have at present as much as your brother surely does.”

Jan’s mouth fell open and he was not the only one looking at
Adolphe with open-mouthed astonishment. But Adolphe was not finished.

He smiled and spread his hands as if to be gracious. “I
believe, after spending a week thinking and
praying
on this, that God
has told me it would be your Christian duty to give your elder brother and his
family your house. After all, you have a
small
family, not likely to
grow any further—”

“Stop!” Ivan had been studiously translating what Adolphe
said from German to Swedish. Jan cut him off. He stared at Adolphe for several
moments. For some reason, he no longer felt uneasy. No, he knew he was standing
on firm ground.

Jan deliberately turned to Norvald, who was shaking his
head. “What do you think of Adolphe’s proposal, Norvald?” Jan asked. He raised
his eyebrows at his friend.

Norvald looked at the other men in the room. “Did any of you
know this was what Adolphe was going to say?”

The three elders slowly shook their heads.

“That is all right,” Adolphe said smoothly. “My elders trust
my spiritual leadership. I have prayed on this and God has spoken to me. And
Biblically, because Karl is the elder son, you should give the larger house to
him, and you should build a smaller, less expensive home.”

Jan couldn’t help it. He chuckled and followed the chuckle with
a booming belly laugh. He held up his hand apologetically, but kept laughing. When
Norvald slanted his eyes toward Jan, he laughed harder.

Adolphe reddened and stood up. “Your behavior is extremely
disrespectful,
Herr
Thoresen,” he snapped.

Jan made an effort to control himself. He looked around at the
adults at the table, wiped his eyes, and then addressed himself to Adolphe.

“So, to be clear on this, Minister Veicht, you believe God
has told you that because Karl is my older brother, I should give him my house,
ja
?” Ivan quickly translated Jan’s words to German.

“Yes. That is what—”

Jan interrupted him. “And you believe that because my wife
and I have only two children, we won’t have any more? Is that also it?” Jan’s
tone became cold. Ivan looked uneasily from Jan to Adolphe as he translated.

“As I said, I have prayed on this—”

Jan interrupted him again. “So—just to be clear—God did not
tell you that my
fru
is expecting? That our family will soon be growing
larger? That is surprising,
nei
?”

Adolphe reddened further, but Jan continued speaking.

“Let me tell you what I believe,
Herr
Veicht. I
believe my brother’s house and my house are not your business. I believe how many
children I have or my brother has is also not your concern. And, finally, I
believe you have
not
heard from God on this matter. Shall I prove it to
you?”

As Ivan translated, Jan stood up, went to the door, and bellowed
for Karl. A few moments later, a puzzled Karl stepped into the room.

Adolphe had jumped to his feet again. “This is outrageous!
You do not presume to speak to me, your minister, in such a way—”

Jan ignored him. “Karl, Minister Veicht had some interesting
things to say to me just now. I will tell you, in front of Norvald Bruntrüllsen
and our elders so that they may be witnesses to it.”

Jan faced Adolphe. “Minister Veicht tells me
God has told
him
that, because you are the older brother and I am the younger brother,
because you have more children than I do and have need of a larger house, I am
to give you my house and build myself a smaller one on your property.”

He turned to Karl. “
Bror
, did you ask Minister Veicht
to tell me this? Did you know he would ask such a thing?”

Karl’s jaw hung open. He swiveled from Jan to Adolphe and
back. “What? What foolishness is this? You and I have already talked this over,
ja
? We will stay in your home another year until we can rebuild our
house. It is not a problem.”

He growled and glared at Adolphe. “I have asked no such
thing of Minister Veicht—nor would I!”

Jan slowly leaned toward Adolphe. “
Herr
Veicht, out
of respect for your office, I will not take you outside and teach you not to
use the Lord’s name in vain.

“But listen to me and listen well: Never again interfere in
affairs over which God has not given you authority. The Bible teaches that
the
husband
is the head of his home, sir, not the minister.

“And as a husband and father, I am no longer the younger
brother you spoke of,
Herr
Veicht. You should know this, because the
Bible also teaches,
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and
cleave to his wife
. While I lived under my father’s roof I was the younger
brother, but no more.

“I am the head of my
own
family. Never again interfere
with that for which God has given
me
responsibility.” Jan’s gaze swept
over each of the elders, one at a time, scorching the men with its intensity.

Rikkert spoke up hurriedly, “Brother Thoresen, we did not
know. I am sorry.”

Jan nodded and then, giving Adolphe one last glare, turned
on his heel and strode out the door. Karl, shaking his head, hurried after him.

“Brother, I had no idea,” Karl reassured him the fourth
time. “I would not air our business before others! Surely you know this?”

“
Ja
, I know, Karl,” Jan answered for the fourth time.
“But this explains
Herr
Veicht’s questions two weeks past, eh?”

The ride home had been completely silent with the exception
of Karl and Jan repeating the same things to each other. Jan and Karl rode
side-by-side on the wagon bench; the women and children rode in the back.

Jan glanced behind him and, seeing the children dozing,
added quietly, “We have spoken of
Herr
Veicht before, Karl. I am
troubled by where his leadership is taking our church,
ja
? Is this not a
good example of what troubles me? Tomas would never have presumed such a
thing.”

“But what would you have us do?” Karl asked, his lips
pursed. They both knew their wives were listening to their conversation.

“
Nei
, I ask nothing. I am praying, especially for our
elders.
Herr
Veicht could not have taken the leadership without a vote
if the elders had held him to the congregation’s rules,
ja
? Now we must
wait for God to show us the way, because I will have no part in strife or
division.”

Jan realized then that Karl had not defended Adolphe as he
had in the past. “You see now, do you not?”

“
Ja
,” Karl answered. “
Ja
, I do.”

He was silent a while. “Jan, I miss Tomas. My heart
struggles to remember that
to love the Lord
is the most important thing.
Instead I find myself asking
what would Adolphe think of me
or
would
this displease Adolphe?
That is not right; I see that now.”

Karl was startled to feel Amalie’s hand on his elbow. He
looked back at her and found tears in her eyes. “
Tusen takk
, my husband.
I thank you for saying this so I could hear it! My heart has been starving for
months.”