Whispering Hope

by Marsha Hubler

  With the smoke cleared, Mr. and Mrs. Chambers and Skye checked the barn for further damage while the firemen checked and re-checked the loft for hot spots. Then the family rounded up the horses, including an uncharacteristically compliant Rebel, and put them into the pasture to continue their morning feast. Thinking about Wanda through the whole clean-up, Skye found her own expression matching those of Mr. and Mrs. Chambers, now draped in constant worry.

  At dawn, Mr. Chambers finally had a free moment to call the local police again and see if they had spotted Wanda. With a negative report, he then called Wanda’s grandmother and Officer Connors in Harrisburg, alerting them. Then the Chambers’ family gathered around the dining room table. Despite the concern for Wanda, all four somehow managed to breathe their first collective sigh of relief in hours. Tippy and Tyler, sensing the drama of the entire situation, lay as close to Mrs. Chambers’ feet as they could get.

  “Girls,” Mr. Chambers said, “We need to pray that God keeps Wanda safe, wherever she is. I also think we need to take time to thank the Lord that no one was hurt and that our barn wasn’t destroyed. We lost a few dozen bales of hay, but that was last year’s cut. It can easily be replaced with this summer’s crop. It looks like I might have to replace a few boards in the loft, too, but first we need to try and figure out what started the fire.”

  “I’m sure the firemen already have a good idea,” Mrs. Chambers said. “I sure hope it’s not what I think.”

  “Like a certain kid named Wanda?” Skye inserted.

  “It sure looks suspicious,” Mr. Chambers said, “but we can’t jump to conclusions.”

  “And I certainly agree that we need to pray for Wanda and thank God that the fire was put out quickly. It could have been devastating, not only in loss of property but in the loss of our horses. I’ve been thanking God all morning that you saw that fire when you did, Skye.”

  “The Lord must have made my mouth dry,” Skye said. “I’ve never been so thirsty, and I felt I just had to get a drink. That’s when I spotted the flames.”

  The family bowed their heads and Mr. Chambers led in prayer. When he finished, Skye looked at everyone as they all sat in silence. Mrs. Chambers, whose blue eyes were flooded with tears, just stared at the table. Mr. Chambers slowly sank down into his chair and crossed his arms. Soot and ash had collected in the fine lines on his face, making him look, for once, as strained and tired as he must have felt. As usual, Morgan’s freckled face radiated a generous but weary smile. With their eyes beginning to droop, they all bore the signs of a sleepless night.

  “I suppose the first question we need to ask is, ‘Where is Wanda?’ ” Mr. Chambers said.

  “And question two is, ‘Did she start the fire?’ ” Skye said.

  “There’ll be a claims adjuster from the insurance company here sometime this week,” Mr. Chambers said. “Then we’ll know for sure if someone started it or not.”

  Mr. Chambers slowly leaned forward in his chair, the events of the night clearly taking their toll. “I really should drive around and see if I can spot Wanda,” he said. “She might have hitched a ride in town and be hanging around the mall.”

  “I sure hope she didn’t try anything like that,” Mrs. Chambers said, standing. “Hitching a ride with a stranger is so dangerous.” She walked into the kitchen. “Tom, please eat something before you leave. We’ll all think better on a full stomach. I’ll whip up some scrambled eggs. They’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

  Morgan wheeled toward the kitchen. “I’ll get the toast and coffee going, Mrs. C.”

  “And I’d better call the pastor and explain what happened and why we won’t be in church this morning,” Mr. Chambers said, reaching for the phone on a counter behind him. “We all need a few hours of shut-eye.”

  Skye went to the cupboard to get four plates and started setting the table. “Mom, where do you think Wanda is? And why did she run?”

  “Why did you run?” Mrs. Chambers asked.

  Skye placed the plates on the table while she thought for a moment. “Mostly because I was scared—even though I tried to act tough.”

  “Do you think Wanda was brave enough to hitch a ride with someone?” Morgan asked, dumping water into the coffee maker. “Since she’s run with a gang for years, I’d have to vote yes. She’s probably done a lot more risky things than that in her crazy life.”

  Mr. Chambers placed the phone back in its cradle and stared out of the sliding door as though his thoughts were in another place, another time. “I noticed on last month’s phone bill that someone—who else but Wanda?—has been making phone calls to Harrisburg. My bet is that someone from her gang came and picked her up last night. Whether she left before or after the fire, only time will tell.”

  R-i-n-g!

  The phone rang and Mr. Chambers answered it.

  “I see,” he finally said. “Yes, please bring her back. We have custody of her for a year. Thank you, sir.” Mr. Chambers recited the directions to Keystone Stables, said good-bye, and then hung up the phone.

  “Where is she, Tom?” Mrs. Chambers asked, stirring the eggs again. “And is she hurt?”

  “Well, it seems like my guess was right. That was Officer Connors from the Harrisburg police department.” Mr. Chambers fully relaxed into his chair. “Wanda and a boy named Wheels were just picked up for drunken and disorderly conduct in front of a mini-mart somewhere down there. The boy has a backlog of misdemeanors that are going to keep him busy and off the streets for a few months. Wanda’s okay, but—well, Officer Connors said he threatened to put her in juvie hall and throw away the key, and she pleaded with him to let her come back here. Instead of us having to pick her up, they’re going to bring her to our door in handcuffs. Officer Connors hopes a long drive in the cage of a police cruiser might help Wanda do a little thinking.”

  “Hmm, juvie hall or Keystone Stables. The lesser of two evils,” Skye joked.

  “They’ll have her back here in a few hours,” Mr. Chambers said.

  “Are we going to keep her?” Morgan dropped four slices of bread in the toaster.

  “Keystone Stables is a place for second chances,” Mrs. Chambers said. “Where would you girls be if we had shipped you out the first time you pulled something?”

  “But trying to burn the barn down is serious,” Skye said as she placed silverware on the table.

  “We can’t put the blame on Wanda yet,” Mr. Chambers said. “We’re not sure what started that fire.”

  “Well, it sure looks suspicious to me,” Skye said.

  “Me too,” Morgan added. “And we could have lost all our horses. That’s dead serious.”

  “We’ll just wait and see what Wanda has to say.” Mrs. Chambers carried a bowl of scrambled eggs to the table. “In the meantime, let’s eat and try to get some sleep before she gets here—special delivery!”

  Everyone released a tired smile, but Skye was sure Wanda wasn’t smiling wherever she was.

  The ring of the doorbell aroused Skye from a deep sleep. After the fire, she had taken a hot shower, had thrown on clean clothes, and had crashed across her bed. Now she was dreaming about Champ—and Chad—when someone at the front door brought her back to reality.

  On her way out of her bedroom, she glanced at her clock. 11:20. In the living room, she joined Mr. and Mrs. Chambers and Morgan, who were lined up along the sofa while Officer Connors “escorted” Wanda in through the door.

  Same old Wanda, same old clothes, Skye observed, except this time Wanda’s hands were handcuffed behind her back.

  “It’s good to see you folks again,” Officer Connors said as he removed the cuffs from Wanda and clipped them onto his belt. Wanda flopped into the nearest chair she could find, yanked her hat down, and crossed her arms. She didn’t say a word.

  “This young lady needs to do some growing up,” Officer Connors continued. “I know you folks don’t have bars on your windows, but it might be a good idea with this gal.”

  “There’ll never be bars
on our windows,” Mrs. Chambers said, looking at Wanda. “If she can make it for just the remainder of her court order, she may leave, no questions asked. We’re just here to help her, but she hasn’t accepted that fact yet.”

  “We’re willing to give her a second chance,” Mr. Chambers said, “no matter what she’s done.”

  “This place, these people, really helped me,” Skye said. “But I had to stop running.”

  From under her visor, Wanda raised an eyebrow toward Skye but quickly retreated to her former pose.

  Morgan beamed a pleasant smile. “I’m sure I’d be in some institution somewhere if they hadn’t helped me.”

  “We love kids,” Mrs. Chambers said. “What more can I say?”

  “Well, folks, I wish you the best with this one.” Officer Connors turned to leave. “She’s a tough nut to crack.”

  Mr. Chambers raised his hand toward the policeman. “One more thing, Officer.”

  “Yes.”

  “What time was Wanda apprehended?”

  The policeman pushed back his cap and rubbed his forehead. “Let’s see—it was about 4:30 this morning. She and Wheels were having a good old time in the parking lot of that mini-mart. Wanda’s probably still feeling the effects of her partying. The best thing she could do is sleep it off. Well, gotta be going, and I hope I don’t have to see you again.” He chuckled as he glanced Wanda’s way and hurried out the door.

  “Thanks again,” Mrs. Chambers said.

  “We’ll try to stay clear of Harrisburg until the next horse show,” Mr. Chambers yelled, shutting the front door. He sat on a chair near Wanda while Mrs. Chambers sat on the sofa. “Morgan,” he said, “stay put. Skye, have a seat. This is a family matter, so you’re both invited.”

  Skye sat down and stared at Wanda, who didn’t move a muscle.

  Mrs. Chambers started. “Wanda—”

  Everyone waited for Wanda to look up.

  C’mon, Wanda, look at Mom. The words hung on the tip of Skye’s tongue. You can do it.

  Finally Wanda looked up with a scowl on her face that could kill flies.

  “We want you to know that we love you, and we’re glad you came back,” Mrs. Chambers said.

  I wonder if anyone ever told her they loved her before, Skye thought.

  “But,” Mr. Chambers said, “there will be consequences for your actions.”

  Mrs. Chambers shifted her weight forward on the sofa and folded her hands on her lap. “Wanda, we need to ask you a question, and we need the truth.”

  Her face empty of all expression, Wanda stared at Mrs. Chambers.

  “Did you start the fire?” Mrs. Chambers asked.

  The look Wanda gave made it hard for anyone to detect what she was thinking, but her eyes betrayed an element of surprise. “What fire?” she asked with innocence written all over her face.

  “The fire in the barn!” Skye blurted out.

  “Easy, Skye,” Mrs. Chambers said.

  Mr. Chambers leaned forward and folded his hands. “Around two thirty this morning, there was a fire in the hayloft of the barn. If Skye hadn’t noticed the fire when she got up for a drink, we probably would have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in property and six very special horses. Were you smoking in the barn again last night?”

  Wanda looked down and mumbled, “No.”

  “We know you’ve been smoking out there,” Morgan said.

  Mrs. Chambers said, “Are you sure you weren’t out there at all last night?”

  Wanda sat up in her chair as though someone had poked her with a pin. Her face flushed red and she clenched her fists. “I said I wasn’t out there, and I’m telling you the truth. You’re just like everybody else. You don’t believe me. I didn’t start no fire!”

  “Then how did it start?” Skye asked while her own face flushed with anger.

  “Easy, Skye,” Mrs. Chambers gently chided again.

  “How should I know?” Wanda spouted. “Wheels picked me up around two o’clock. I wasn’t even here at this stupid place all night.”

  “But the fire started shortly after that,” Morgan said.

  Wanda launched out of her chair. “I’m telling you, I wasn’t near your stupid barn. The last time I was around those stinking horses was yesterday when she made me ride her precious Lucy!” Wanda pointed at Mrs. Chambers.

  “Wanda,” Mr. Chambers said softly, “please sit down. We’re not accusing you of anything. We just want to know what happened.”

  “So,” Mrs. Chambers said, “why did you run away?”

  Wanda sat with her head down.

  “Wanda?” Mrs. Chambers said.

  Silence for several more moments. Finally Wanda’s glare threw daggers at Mrs. Chambers. “Because I missed my boyfriend, and this place is the pits,” she moaned, pulling her hat down over her eyes. A tear trickled down the left side of Wanda’s face, and she quickly brushed it away.

  “Wanda, we’ve told you that he can visit you here anytime he wants,” Mr. Chambers said. “You are not in prison.”

  “But we do have rules,” Mrs. Chambers said. “Wanda—”

  This time Wanda looked up at Mrs. Chambers almost immediately.

  “We want to—we are going to—believe your story,” Mrs. Chambers said, “unless we find out differently. But you will be grounded for two weeks because you used the phone several times without permission and ran away. That means no shooting pool either. Understood?”

  Wanda slouched lower into her chair and pulled her arms tight against her chest. “I hate this place,” she grumbled, “and the first chance I get, I’m outta here—for good.”

  Chapter Nine

  Sunday night after church, Mrs. Chambers joined Skye in her bedroom after finishing a short talk with Wanda on the futon and bidding her good night. Mr. Chambers and Morgan were in the dining room playing chess. Skye leaned against the head of her bed while Mrs. Chambers sat at the foot. Tippy and Tyler lay sound asleep on a throw rug near Mrs. Chambers’ feet.

  “Mom, I think Wanda’s telling the truth about the fire,” Skye said. “I’ve thought a lot about the whole situation, and I think she came clean about it.”

  “What makes you think that?” Mrs. Chambers asked.

  “I can just feel it,” Skye said. “Remember, I was a kid like that. I can read her pretty good. I don’t think she did it.”

  “We should have a fairly good idea on Tuesday,” Mrs. Chambers said. “The insurance company will have a claims adjuster on the scene, and he’ll be able to tell us if someone started the fire or not. It shouldn’t be too difficult since there wasn’t major damage to the barn.”

  “How’s Wanda doing with her schoolwork?”

  “She struggles, Skye. But it’s not because of her intelligence. She just has no motivation. If she ever makes up her mind to be a better student, she will be. She’s satisfied with passing grades and no more. I think her stubborn streak has a lot to do with it.”

  “I was thinking the other day how I could help her.” Skye took a quick glance at her pile of books on her desk and then shifted to Mrs. Chambers. “Although she doesn’t want my help—for anything, I think I can get her interested in tackling that English report she has to do.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  Skye ran her fingers through her hair and explained her plan. “Well, you know how she loves pool. And I know it’s just killing her that she can’t play for two weeks. Here’s my idea. The other day I was online and discovered a website called the WPBA. That stands for the Women’s Professional Billiard Association. Mom, you should see all the women who are pro players. The site even had an ESPN TV schedule of all their matches, so last week I watched a final game for a national championship. Wow! Are those women good, and you should see how nice they look. Maybe I can help Wanda in two different ways at the same time.”

  “Yes, go on.” Mrs. Chambers stared at Skye with great interest.

  “If Wanda says yes, we can go to that WPBA site on the Internet and then wa
tch a few matches on TV. She can write her composition about the game itself or one of those women. And when she sees how nice those women dress and all, maybe she’ll decide to trade her ball cap and Blades jacket for a cool hair style and fancy blouse. What do you think?”

  “Now that’s a plan!” Mrs. Chambers gave Skye her radiant smile. “Skye, that’s a great idea. Her report is due on Friday. Let’s see what you two can come up with until then.”

  Tuesday after school, Skye groomed Champ while waiting impatiently for Wanda and Mrs. Chambers to get home from Maranatha. Morgan had made plans to stay overnight at a friend’s home.

  After a late supper, Wanda headed to her “quarantined” bedroom, supposedly to do homework. The insurance man had just arrived, and Mr. and Mrs. Chambers were about to escort him to the barn. Skye got permission to visit Wanda, so when the three adults and two dogs left the house, Skye knocked on Wanda’s door.

  “Yeah, what d’ya want?” Wanda growled.

  “It’s me,” Skye said.

  “Go away, horse breath,” Wanda snapped. “Whatever you’re selling, I’m not interested.”

  “Wanda, I want to talk to you about pool. C’mon, let me in.”

  “I can’t play pool for two weeks. You know that, so get lost.”

  “It’s not about your playing,” Skye said. “It’s about professional women pool players.”

  There was a long pause then Wanda said, “So?”

  “Let me in, and I’ll explain,” Skye pleaded.

  Another long moment of silence passed before Wanda finally said, “Awright, awright, come in. But make sure those two fleabags aren’t with ya.”

  Skye went in and leaned against the wall next to the door. Wanda was stretched out in her favorite pose on the bed—hands behind her head and high tops planted firmly into her spread. There wasn’t a schoolbook in sight.

  “Well?” Wanda blurted out with a sour face.

  “Wanda, you’re such a good pool player, and I wanted to learn more about the game. So I went online and found the neatest site. It’s all about pro women pool players. Did you ever check out anything like that online?”