Painted Vessels

by Gina Renee Freitag

  That evening, Ada made the warm cocoa as a special treat to celebrate going to school in the morning. It was easy to see how nervous and excited Sarah was; she insisted she would be unable to sleep a wink. Ada patted the sofa cushion, and Sara climbed into the spot between them. She leaned against her mama and sipped the warm drink. Eli set his mug down; he had an idea! After going to his office, he returned with a pen, some ink, and their Bible.

  “When I was younger,” he said, “my family’s Bible had all our names written in it. That Bible originally belonged to my grandparents. Their names were inscribed at the top of the first page, followed by my father’s name. My mother’s was added when they married, and my name was written down when I was born. I always wanted to add my family to the list as well, but that Bible is gone. Instead, we should write our names in the front of this one.” They both nodded as he sat down and placed the book on the table. He opened the front cover and wrote on the blank page.

  Sarah looked at the names closely. “Sarah Gard-ner,” she said carefully. “Not Gard-en-er? You’re not really a gardener are you, Papa?”

  Eli shook his head. “Not that kind of gardener,” he said.

  “But you’re looking for plants to take care of,” she pointed out.

  “The plants I’m looking for are actually children who need help, like you,” he explained. “Do you still want to help me find them?”

  Sarah smiled and nodded her head. “Yes!” She scrunched her face into a thoughtful expression. “But can we still plant some flowers in the spring?”

  “Definitely!” Eli said, laughing. He picked up his mug, and as he took a sip, he leaned back and put his arm around both of his girls.

  JACOB

  “You kinda walk funny, Mister,” a boy said as Jacob walked back to the check-in table, holding more forms. He glanced at the boy’s mother as he sat down.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “You’re too blunt, Billy. Apologize right now!”

  Jacob sighed; he was tired! James O’Conner’s Leg Run was a larger event than he had thought it would be. He had never worked with so many people before. But this was a good tired; Jacob liked the rewarding feeling of helping others.

  He flashed a tolerant smile at the woman. “Well, he’s right. I do walk funny,” Jacob admitted.

  Billy leaned in toward him. “You got a new leg, didn’t you?” he whispered. Jacob lifted his pant cuff, revealing the prosthetic limb James had given him yesterday.

  “How’d you know?” he asked.

  “I remember what my first hinged ankle felt like. You’re thinking too hard about how you walk, Mister. If you stop thinking about it, it’ll get easier.”

  “That’s a good idea, but how am I supposed to do that?” Jacob said.

  “It’s simple. Just think about something else. Pick something you really like. I think about a baseball card I saw in a shop window once. I want to be on one of those cards someday. Maybe it’ll have to be a special team, but why not? It could happen.” Billy twisted the cap in his hand and shrugged his shoulders. “And anyway, it can’t hurt to dream. Dreams get you to move forward.” He grinned at his own poignant observation.

  Jacob chuckled. “You’re pretty smart, kid. How old are you?”

  “Thirteen,” Billy said proudly. Jacob wrote the boy’s age on his check-in form.

  “I’m going to take your advice, Billy,” he said as he continued to fill out the form. He handed the paper to the boy’s mother and directed them to the next line, saying, “I hope you have a great day; it was nice to meet you.”

  As Jacob greeted the next family in line, he considered what he would think about when he tried to walk again. Baseball? Running around and playing ball was something he never thought he could do with Angel, but perhaps it wasn’t such a crazy idea. He wouldn’t be fast, but he already felt more stable on this new limb than he had with the wooden peg. He might not walk well yet, but at least he didn’t need his cane anymore.

  Regardless of whether he ever ran well enough to play ball or not, he knew what he would think about the next time he tried to walk. He would think about Laura and Angel. He hadn’t seen them in three days, and it would be another three before he was home. He missed his family. Eli had invited them to go to Lambury to help with the Leg Run, but Laura stayed home with Angel. He would be turning two next month and was too young to be helpful at the event.

  Jacob and the Gardners had left for Lambury on Wednesday. They spent all of Thursday with James and Sophia, training for their assigned tasks. The Leg Run was a two-day event, lasting eight hours on both Friday and Saturday. The work was constant, and there was little time for breaks, but Jacob enjoyed being involved in this event. He planned to help with the next one in October. He had a feeling he would continue to help James every year. When Angel was older, he and Laura could join him.

  He glanced toward the waiting room at Ada and Sarah. The little girl was helping her mother take care of the families as they waited for their turn to be seen. The mother-daughter team made sure everyone had plenty of water and snacks. They answered questions and helped the families know where they needed to be. Sarah entertained the squirming children when they became bored with the long delay. Getting to know the Gardners’ newly adopted little girl was delightful. They had brought her home two months ago and were proving to be good parents. Jacob always knew they would be, and he liked to finally see them in that role.

  The Gardners were a humble and hard-working family; it was easy to forget about their wealth. When Dr. Keeler invited Jacob to the banquet to tie a leaf onto the tree in honor of the help Eli had given, he thought it was because Eli had set up the fundraising at the church. He thought the tree was going to represent all of the people who had been involved in the doctor’s ministry. But when he realized that the tree only represented Eli’s contribution, everything fell into place. At first, he was confused by his mixed emotions. He wasn’t sure if he was angry, embarrassed, or extremely grateful. But the more he thought about how Eli had handled the entire situation, including what had happened with Edgar, Jacob’s respect for his friend overshadowed any prideful feelings he might have had.

  Jacob was already thinking differently about money, especially now that he worked for Mr. Holden at the bank. Money—or the lack of it—didn’t have as much of a hold on him as it used to. Having a moderate income didn’t define him any more than being rich defined Eli. And being able to help others was more than just giving monetarily. There were a lot of ways to give to others, but no matter how a person helped, the most important aspect of giving was in the person’s attitude: without any expectation of a return.

  Jacob smiled as he greeted the next person in line. Even though he was tired, he knew he would still have energy later that evening. Nothing was going to stop him from practicing his walk. When he saw Laura, he wanted to stride into her arms without limping. James had made the limb as a thank-you for his help. It was a generous gift and Jacob appreciated it immensely, but he would have worked just as hard without it. The knowledge that he was making a difference in these children’s lives was gratifying enough.

  Though he would sleep well that night, he was glad to have another day of volunteering to look forward to. He had already shown his new leg to over half of the children who went through his line, and with each child, he felt a proud connection. But this pride was the good kind, and it was Eli who helped him understand the difference.

  JOHN

  As John guided his wagon down the road, he glanced at the grey sky. The mild spring weather brought just the right amount of rain, and the first hay harvest of the season had gone well. Now that it was the end of May, the soil was warm enough to plant corn. He made an early morning run to White Falls to pick up his seed. John had agreed to have it delivered to a Mr. Dixon, whom he had met less than a year ago. He began associating with him back in September. The man owned the White Falls bank and was, in fact, the one who had first introduced him to the Miracle Corn investment.
/>   After John had shared the opportunity with the men at his meeting, it became obvious that Eli’s little outburst had soured David Holden’s opinion of the corn. He implied that the gypsy boy might actually be right! David believed that the corn was a bad investment and convinced the rest of the men likewise. From that moment on, John decided to leave East Haven out of his plans. And since his account at the bank was handled by Daniel, it was possible for John to withdraw a large amount of assets with little explanation for his reasons. Daniel was not as experienced as his father and was not so bold as to ask the farmer what he planned to do with the money.

  John took it to Dixon, who not only encouraged him to invest in the corn company but also offered to have the seed delivered to his own home in White Falls. He would wire the farmer as soon as it arrived. With Dixon’s help, his investment moved forward without the overly cautious David Holden noticing. John bought the seed and invested half of his savings into the company. He also took out a loan from the White Falls bank, per Mr. Dixon’s advice, and invested that into the Miracle Corn Company as well. When his money matured and his large, high-yielding crop was ready to harvest, everyone in East Haven would be sorry they hadn’t listened to him. They would finally see how bad Eli was for that town!

  He and his men would plant the corn this week. John had cleared twice as much land for the new crop than he had in previous years. He prepared the west portion of his land; the maize fields would be conveniently butted up to the edge of Ray’s property. His neighbor was also planting corn, and by mid-August, it would be apparent which crop was producing more grain per acre. He could hardly wait!

  Upon his return from White Falls, John stopped at the mercantile to pick up a few items for Agnes. When finished with his errands, he guided his wagon around a bend in the road heading away from town. As he rounded the corner, he noticed a group of children in the distance, standing by the edge of the lane. Two of the children were his own, Susie and Tommy. Their closest friends, Alberta Blake and little Eddie Johnson, were with them. The latter two lived in town but often came to the Miller house to play.

  They had formed a circle around the smallest one in the group, a fifth child who did not look happy. They were pointing and laughing at the girl as they nudged her from one side of the circle to another. The target of their teasing was Sarah Gardner, the crooked nosed child Eli had adopted.

  John was surprised when Eli brought the child to church back in February, and he shook his head at the thought of the poor girl’s new family situation. Well, maybe the wife could give her a better life than the orphanage, but John couldn’t picture Eli as a family man. A good father placed the needs of his family above everything else and showed his children what a hard day of work looked like. A good father proved his love by working every day and sacrificing his own desires for their wellbeing.

  Regardless of what he thought about Eli, he didn’t think those kids should be picking on the girl, especially not two of his own. The children were too focused on Sarah to notice John pulling the wagon to a stop. Susie gave the Gardner girl a rough push and knocked her to the ground. The girl bumped her knee on a rock and started to cry as blood seeped from her wound. John jumped down from his seat and scolded the children.

  “Hey, you kids leave that little girl alone. Susie! Tommy! You head home right now and stay in your rooms until I get there! And you two!” He turned to Alberta and Eddie. “Get yourselves home as well. I’m going to have a talk with your folks!” The children scattered. John squatted down and looked at Sarah. He took his hat off and rested his forearms on his knees. “Well now, that looks like it stings,” he said. “Can you walk?”

  She sniffled and shook her head. “I want my papa,” she managed to say with a shaky voice.

  “Hmm…” John sighed. He didn’t want to offer her a ride, but he couldn’t leave her there either. “I suppose I’d better take you home.” He put his hat back on, lifted the girl, and set her in the seat of his wagon. He climbed up, grabbed onto the reins, and coaxed the horses into motion. She continued to sniffle as she wiped her eyes. She tugged gingerly at the hole in her stocking and winced at her injury. John was afraid she might start to cry again, but instead she peered up at him.

  “Thank you, Mr. Miller,” she said.

  “You know who I am?” He was surprised she had addressed him by name, considering he himself had never taken the time to welcome her to East Haven, let alone given her much more than a quick glance.

  “Yes, my papa told me about you,” she said.

  “Yeah, I bet he did,” John said under his breath. “I’m sure he had all kinds of good things to say about me.”

  “And he was right,” she replied. “I asked him why some of the kids at church call you ‘Old Farmer Gruff’ and papa said those kids just don’t understand how hard it is to have a big farm like yours. He said you work real hard to have a pro…a pro…” She scrunched up her face as her eyes drifted to the sky for a moment. “…a productive farm, and that helps our town. Papa said you help people by giving them jobs, and since heroes help people, that makes you a hero. You helped me just now, so I know he was right about you.” John glanced at the girl. He couldn’t think of anything to say. After a brief pause, her smile grew. “My papa’s a hero too. He helps children like me and Angel Martin—and the ones with all the legs!”

  John didn’t understand her comment about the legs, but he wasn’t surprised that Eli made himself out to be a big hero to the Martin baby. And, of course, she would think of him as her hero because he adopted her. He decided not to say anything against Eli, at least not to Sarah. As she got older, she would see him through more realistic eyes. He didn’t want to be the one who dashed her daddy-dreams. No matter what John thought of Eli, it really wouldn’t be that horrible if Sarah continued to see him as a hero for her entire life; at least she would be happier in her ignorance. But he wasn’t sure how to feel about what the girl claimed her “papa” said regarding him.

  John pulled the wagon to a stop in front of the Gardners’ gate. He jumped down and lifted Sarah from her seat. As he carried her toward the front door, Eli came out of the house with his arms crossed and his head tilted to one side.

  “John…” he said, somewhere between a question and a greeting.

  “Afternoon, Eli,” he replied, cutting through the tension. “I came upon a group of children picking on your girl. Looks like they knocked her around a bit. She’ll be okay, though, so you don’t need to get all worked up over it.”

  He walked up the stairs and put the girl down on one of the porch chairs. Eli turned his attention to Sarah and, kneeling in front of her, placed a hand under her knee. His demeanor completely changed as he ignored John to comfort his daughter.

  “That looks like it hurts, Sarah,” he said. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded at him. “Those kids were saying mean things to me.”

  Eli was probably going to get angry and demand to know who the children were. When he found out some of them were Miller kids, John figured there would be hell to pay. Ada stepped out of the house and nodded a cool greeting to him. She walked up to Sarah and Eli and placed her hand on her husband’s shoulder.

  “It sounds like that made you feel bad,” Eli said. “Why do you think they might have said those things to you?”

  John was surprised to hear the calm sympathy in his voice.

  The girl creased her nose as she thought about his question. “Maybe because I look different?” she suggested in a quieter tone.

  “Maybe,” he said. “But I think they might be sad. When people are happy, they tend to speak well of others. But sad people sometimes take their bad feelings out on those around them. What do you think we should do about it?”

  “We can pray for them,” Sarah said, glancing at both of her parents.

  Eli nodded. “Often times that’s all we can do.”

  “Can we pray right now?” she asked. He nodded again, and the three of them closed their eyes. “Dear Jesu
s,” Sarah said quietly. “Please forgive those children for saying mean things and pushing me down. Also, please help me forgive them. Oh! And please give them something to be happy about so they won’t be mean anymore—not to me or to any of the other kids at school. Amen!”

  They opened their eyes and Eli brought his face to hers. They touched the tips of their noses together. He squeezed her ankle and stood up. Ada scooped the girl into her arms and carried her into the house.

  “Let’s get that knee cleaned up,” she said as she took her inside. Eli watched them go and then turned back to John. His demeanor shifted again, and his smile melted away.

  “Eli, you probably ought to know that two of the children picking on your girl were mine,” John stated.

  “Okay,” he said with a shrug.

  “That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say?”

  “What were you expecting?” he asked.

  John looked away. “I’ll make sure she gets an apology.” He lingered on the steps. “You know that girl thinks you’re a hero,” he said.

  Eli crossed his arms and shifted his weight. “That’s good, I should be her hero. I hope your kids think of you that way too.”

  “She’s a sweet girl,” John said. “You better not disappoint her.”