Painted Vessels

by Gina Renee Freitag

  “When Ada and I were locked in those cages,” he began, “there were usually four or five men who never left the rock quarry, but only one of them held the key. I know this because he always let in the man who marked up Ada’s arm each night. I think it was his job to be our guard. Even though there were others, the man with the key was the only one who stayed close to us the whole time. The rest of them sat at a distance and played cards.”

  Eli paused briefly. His hands seemed to have a mind of their own as his grip on the bag repeatedly squeezed and relaxed. “He would stand outside Ada’s cage and stare at her. He said awful things that made her cry. That’s how I found out those numbers on her arm were bids. He told her she brought in higher bids than he had ever seen before. He said the men who bid on her were willing to pay a high price for an ‘untouched’ souvenir from their travels to our country. Whoever won the bid would be able to show off his wealth by parading her around, and he could loan her out, over and over, to barter for more power and loyalty.”

  Jed could hear disgust in the boy’s voice; he felt it too. What had happened to these kids was unimaginable! Eli proceeded to relay more of their story. “I hated listening to that man’s voice and seeing how his words upset Ada, but every time he focused on her and ignored me, I was able to work loose one of the bars. Then one morning, all the men except for him left the quarry. He seemed anxious, and after a while, he left too.” Eli fidgeted with the straps as he spoke. “He was only gone for a moment. He walked away to where I couldn’t see him, but he was banging things around and making a lot of noise, so I knew he was still somewhere in the cavern. While he wasn’t guarding us, I broke the bar completely free. I had to hold it in place when he came back. I thought he would notice, but he was distracted and kept looking around like he was nervous.”

  Eli indicated the bag in front of him. “He had this when he returned and began stuffing clothes and food into it. He seemed to be in a hurry, but then he stopped in front of Ada’s cage and said things that made her cry even more. I didn’t hear what he said because I wasn’t really listening. I knew I had to make my move while he was looking away.

  “I pulled the bar out, slipped through the space, and came up behind him. I hit him hard over the head and knocked him out. I found the key to Ada’s cage, and we took the bag and ran until we reached the edge of the woods. That’s how we got away.” Jed listened closely to the details of their escape. “We never stayed in one place for more than a few days. It didn’t take long to eat all the food in the bag, and the clothes turned out to be more important anyway. We layered them to keep warm; I think it kept us from freezing those first nights. I took that man’s knife also, and I used it to hunt for food.

  “After several days, we found an old shack. I thought we would be safe there; I even thought we could hide in it for a long time. While there, I dumped out the bag to make sure there wasn’t any more food, but I found something that made me realize we weren’t safe at all! We had to keep moving.”

  Eli opened the bag and dug down to the bottom. He pulled out a leather satchel and handed it over. Jed untied the cord on its front and opened it. Inside the satchel, he found a stack of banknotes. He had never seen that much money before and wondered about the amount. As though Eli could read his thoughts, he continued to speak.

  “I counted it. It’s the same as the last bid on Ada’s arm. Jed, I think these were going to pay for her!” The boy looked down and wiped at his eyes and nose. “I don’t know what I should do. Do you think they can find us if I still have these? I thought about burning them. Our parents died for this, and I almost lost Ada because of them. I don’t want to keep them with me anymore, but I don’t want to leave them for just anyone to find. I don’t want these notes to get back to those men. Please! Help me find a way to get rid of them.”

  Eli looked at him with a desperate plea in his eyes. Jed flipped through the banknotes, trying to think of what to do.

  “What if…” he began slowly, “what if we could use these to find the people who killed your parents?”

  Eli shook his head, his eyes widening. “No! I don’t want to find them! I don’t want those men to know where we are.”

  “That isn’t what I meant,” Jed assured him. “I just thought if we take these into Bradford, we can have the bank owner look at one of them and tell us if it can be traced back to the person who had them drawn up.”

  “But that wouldn’t be our kidnappers; it would only be the person who was going to pay for Ada,” Eli said.

  “But that man might know who he was paying, and that would be the men who took you.” Jed could see doubt on the boy’s face. “It might not work,” he added. “We may not be able to find the person who this money belonged to, especially if he’s not from around here. But it’s worth a try, isn’t it? I doubt you and Ada are the only kids these criminals have hurt. Wouldn’t you like to help them as well? I know the bank owner. Mr. Ross is a good man; we can trust him. We don’t need to tell him everything, only that you found the banknotes and want to see if he can find out who they belong to. Then we can decide what to do.”

  Eli hesitated. “Please don’t let them find us,” he begged.

  “I won’t let anyone hurt you,” Jed promised. “Let’s head out as soon as we’re done with breakfast.”

  Eli finally agreed with a nod. As they climbed out of the tent, Jed tucked the leather satchel under his jacket.

  ELI

  “Mr. Gardner, it’s good to see you,” Harold Ross said as he shook Jed’s hand. “How was your summer? How did the markets treat you this year?” He looked at Eli and offered him a hand as well. “I don’t think we’ve met,” he said. Eli shook his hand timidly. In return, Mr. Ross gave his hand a firm shake, followed by a nod.

  “This is Eli,” Jed stated.

  “I didn’t realize you had a son. It’s nice to meet you, Eli. What can I do for you today?”

  Eli and Jed exchanged a quick glance. “Could we discuss something in your office?” Jed asked without correcting the banker.

  “Sure, of course. Follow me.”

  Mr. Ross ushered them into his office. After closing the door, he offered them each a chair. Jed pulled one of the banknotes out of his breast pocket and handed it to the banker as he sat down. Mr. Ross raised his eyebrows and took a seat behind his desk.

  “This is a nice little treasure,” he said. “Do you want to open an account?”

  “My boy found it,” Jed explained. “We want to know if the owner can be located.”

  Eli remained silent. He felt as though he were in a daze as he listened to the men talk casually about the banknote. Mr. Ross studied it closely.

  “Let’s see.” He looked up and shook his head, pointing at the paper. “See this here? It says, ‘payable to bearer on demand.’ This note isn’t issued to a specific person. It can’t be traced back to anyone. I believe you’re stuck with it.”

  He tried to hand it to the boy, but Eli leaned back. “It’s not mine! I don’t want it,” he said, looking to Jed again.

  “Mr. Ross, there’s the name of a bank printed right here.” Jed tapped it with his finger. “Wouldn’t that be the bank that issued the note? Is there any way to check with them and see if anyone has reported it missing?”

  “Of course, I can check with the bank,” Mr. Ross said. “But I doubt I’ll find anything. Even with a good-sized note like this, I can almost promise that my inquiries will turn up empty.”

  “What if there were more of them?” Jed asked, leaning forward a bit.

  “How many more?” the banker asked. As Eli’s eyes moved back and forth between them, the room grew dim.

  “Enough to make me think someone would want to report them missing,” Jed answered. He brought out the satchel from under his jacket and handed it to the banker. Mr. Ross looked at the banknotes and then at Eli.

  “Where exactly did you find these?” he asked.

  Eli took in a deep breath before answering in the calmest voice h
e could muster. “I found them in the woods,” he stated, hoping Mr. Ross wouldn’t ask for more details. The banker was quiet. He finally glanced at Jed after thinking for a moment.

  “Mr. Gardner, I’ll tell you what I believe. I would wager that these notes belonged to someone with nefarious intentions. Criminals have been known to exchange money at drop points in out-of-the-way places like the woods. I think your son stumbled upon one of these drops before the person it was intended for could get to it. If that’s the case, then I am one hundred percent sure that these banknotes will not have been reported missing. But if it makes you feel better, Eli, whatever crime these notes were meant for probably didn’t happen because you found the money first.”

  Eli wondered what Mr. Ross would think if he knew how close his guess was to the truth. Jed then asked the banker the same question forming in the recesses of Eli’s own mind.

  “If these notes can’t be traced back to their original owner, then the criminals can’t trace them forward to my son either, correct?”

  “Not unless they saw him take them,” he answered. “They can’t come after you, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he said to Eli.

  “Could you check with the bank anyway?” Eli asked.

  “But…be careful about it,” Jed suggested. “Just in case.”

  “Sure. I’ll send a telegram first thing Monday morning. If I find out anything, I’ll let you know,” he said. “But I’ll be very surprised if I do.”

  “And if you don’t find anyone, Mr. Ross,” Eli said as his relief seemed to brighten the room, “then could you destroy them for us? They aren’t worth anything without a name, right?” Mr. Ross and Jed looked at Eli with surprise on their faces. “I mean, if it isn’t issued to anyone, then it’s just paper, isn’t it?” he asked, looking back at them innocently.

  “Eli, this is legal tender,” Mr. Ross explained, “backed by a very stable bank. These notes are worth exactly what is written on them. If I can’t find who they belonged to, then you own them. You might want to get used to the idea that you could soon be very wealthy.”

  Eli shook his head as that familiar weight slammed down on him once again. “I don’t want criminal money,” he said.

  “It’s not ‘criminal money’ if it isn’t owned by criminals,” Mr. Ross pointed out. “Listen, I’ll keep the notes in a security box in my vault while I look into it. But if I don’t find the owner, I’m going to open an account for you. Agreed?” He didn’t wait for an answer. He peered over at Jed. “Do you want the box assigned to your name?”

  “Nope. Eli found the money. If you can’t trace it, then it’s all his.”

  Eli fell back into a daze as Mr. Ross filled out the papers for the security box. This was not how he imagined the day going. At least the notes were now in the bank and not with him. Maybe he could simply forget about them. If he didn’t see them, he didn’t have to think about them!

  “Check back with me in two weeks, Mr. Gardner. I should know something by then.” Harold Ross shook hands with them as they left the building.

  “Let’s get the lumber for your vardo,” Jed suggested.

  Eli had almost forgotten the other reason they were in town. He nodded and forced a weak smile. Building the vardo was something he could allow himself to think about. As the buzzing numbness in his head began to fade, he climbed into the wagon and willfully pushed all thoughts of banknotes and criminals out of his mind.

  ADA & LAURA

  Ada wanted to get to Jacob and Laura’s house as fast as possible. She held onto Eli’s hand and tried not to pull him, but she was having trouble holding herself back. He stopped walking, which forced her to stop as well. She glanced at him impatiently but checked herself when she noticed his face; his eyebrows were raised, and he wasn’t smiling.

  “Ada, you need to calm down before we get there,” he said. “If you don’t, you’ll only add to their anxiety. They may not even want visitors so soon after having the baby. I know you’re worried, but you may not get to talk to Laura today.”

  He was right. Why did he always have to be right about these things? She sighed and closed her eyes. “Mrs. Russell spoke with Laura’s mother last night.” She tried to speak as calmly as she could, but there was a tremble in her voice. “Edith told her something was wrong with Laura’s baby.”

  “I know,” he said softly. “And we both know what Edith Taylor is like, so we can’t rush in there with any assumptions.”

  Ada opened her eyes again and looked at him. “Okay, Eli. But can we please try to see them?” she asked, blinking back a tear. He nodded, pulling her into a warm hug. When he let go of her, they continued walking to the Martins’ home at a more relaxed pace.

  Jacob must have seen them coming. When they arrived at the door, he hobbled out of the house before they could knock. He leaned heavily on his cane, but the grin stretching across his face conveyed his relief that they were there. He grabbed onto Eli’s hand and shook it wholeheartedly. As a tiny piercing cry came from somewhere in the house, Jacob pulled them inside, and Ada’s eyes met a forlorn looking Laura with a red face. She sat on the sofa, holding her baby against her shoulder.

  “It’s a boy,” she managed to say.

  “Does he have a name?” Ada asked as hope filled her heart. Edith must have been exaggerating; the baby’s cry sounded angry, but there was a healthy energy behind it.

  Laura shook her head. “We were going to name him Walter after Jacob’s father. Now, I don’t think we should; he might not want us to.” Pressing her mouth into a frown, Laura fought against her tears. She was so tired! She hadn’t slept since her baby was born. Being a mother was supposed to feel better than this. She never realized how much her heart could ache from the unconditional love she felt for her child.

  “Laura, you need to rest,” Ada said, stepping closer to the sofa. “Can I hold your baby?”

  “Do you really want to? Even my mother couldn’t hold him for very long.”

  “Please. I want to hold him for you. Let me take him so you can sleep. You’ll feel better after you rest,” Ada promised.

  Supporting his small head, Laura brought her baby forward and handed him to her friend.

  Ada reached for the newborn, who stopped crying when he moved from one set of arms to another. She cradled him lovingly and gazed into his face. His upper lip had a large gap where his skin hadn’t grown together. The gap stretched up to his left nostril, and his mouth resembled a large, pink triangle. Despite this disfigurement, his eyes were wide and full of wonder as he stared at the light coming from the door behind Ada. She closed her eyes and sighed with relief, lifting praises that this baby was healthy; he was strong and alert.

  She pulled him close to her and brought his face to her neck, longing to feel his warm, soft skin against hers. She breathed in his smell as tears wet her cheeks. She wasn’t able to hold her baby like this. Because Ruth Ann was so small, Ada was afraid to. She hugged Laura’s baby against her, savoring the weight of him.

  “Oh, Laura,” she whispered. “He’s an angel.”

  Laura began to sob. “He is!” she agreed. “Ada, you’re the first person who hasn’t handed him right back to me. Why can’t they see it too? And why do I wish he didn’t look like he does?” She covered her eyes with her hands, and her sobbing increased. “I feel so guilty! Do you think he can see it in my face? I just want him to feel loved. I know everyone will stare at him, and he’ll have to grow up with that, but he can’t ever believe that I might see him as others do. That would break my heart!”

  “Don’t feel guilty for wanting the best for him,” Ada said. Laura felt a gentle squeeze on her arm. She uncovered her eyes to find her friend kneeling next to her, smiling through her own tears. “You aren’t wishing he were a different child. What you hope for is that he won’t be looked at by others as though he were, but you can’t control what they think or say. All you can do is make sure your son knows who he is and how much he is loved by Jesus and both of his p
arents. I think you should pick a name for him soon.”

  Laura nodded and looked at her husband. “Jacob, he is an angel,” she said quietly. “I want to name him Angel.”

  He smiled at her. “Then its Angel,” he agreed.

  Laura closed her eyes and laid back on the sofa. After two days, she was finally willing to sleep. She sighed, knowing there were others who loved Angel as unconditionally as she did: three other people and a great and glorious God!

  ELI

  After Jacob lowered himself onto the porch steps facing his back yard, Eli joined him. He rested his elbows on his knees and glanced at the new father.

  “Thanks for coming over,” Jacob said to him. “I’m glad Ada is taking care of the baby—I mean Angel. I don’t think Laura has slept through the night for a few weeks, even before all this.” He sighed and lowered his head. “I just don’t know what to do.”

  “You might want to get some sleep too,” Eli suggested.

  “Maybe later. I couldn’t sleep now anyway. There’s got to be something I can do, right? You ever feel helpless? I hate that feeling! I just need to be doing something, you know?”

  “Yeah, I know exactly what you mean,” Eli said. “I don’t think it’s in a man’s nature to sit still when his family is in a crisis.” The men looked out at the horizon. After a long silence, Eli spoke again. “You should take Angel to White Falls in a couple of weeks. The doctor there can take a look at him and tell you if anything could be done.”

  Jacob let out a short, cynical laugh. “You mean in a couple of months,” he said. “I have some money saved but not enough. I was going to get myself a foot!” Jacob shook his head and lowered his eyes. “You know, one of those wood and metal ones, shaped like the real thing so a shoe can fit on it; I heard they even have some with hinged ankles. But my priorities have shifted: the foot can wait—it doesn’t seem as important anymore.” He leaned forward and absently balanced the center of his cane on one finger.