by D. L. Dennis
The news of Doc racing down Main Street spread through the little community as fast as fire on a dry, windy day. Little clumps of people gathered on the street corners speculating about what could have happened and to whom. Even those who were strangers in town were caught up in the speculation. A few people went about their business, but most stood around waiting to see when the doctor would return.
It was not long before the local coroner was observed speeding down Main Street in the same direction. In a small town where everyone knows everybody, and there is only one main street in and out of town, it is hard to keep anything a secret. These two unusual events had everyone scratching their heads trying to figure out what could have happened. It did not take long for the local telephone operator to spread the word that something had happened at the “Big House.” There were no secrets with telephones on party lines. Evidently the doctor had not said anything when he called the coroner other than to come to the “Big House,” so she had no other information.
What kind of tragedy could have occurred? Did something happen to one of the Andersons? Or, both of them? Or, maybe it was one of the hired help? Did someone die? Someone had to be dead or the coroner would not have been called, would he? Of course, no one had any answers, just a lot of questions. The telephone operator had not heard anything except that they needed a doctor immediately so their questions went un-answered.
The doctor was the first one to return to town. He did not wave to anyone on the street, nor even look in their direction as usual, but sped along Main Street as fast as he could safely do. As he parked his car in front of his office and got out, he had a strained look on his face. A couple of people approached him trying to find out what had happened, but he quickly brushed them off unwilling to say anything, although he knew it would be only a matter of time before the whole town would know. Once the facts were out, word would spread far and wide, quicker than snow would melt in July, but right now, he did not have any answers for the tragedy that had happened and was too distraught to speak to anyone. He needed to be alone for a few minutes to sort out his thoughts and get his emotions under control. He was overwrought at what had happened. Death was never easy to deal with, even for a doctor, but this was such a sad circumstance that he wanted to be left alone.
He knew it would be the coroner’s responsibility to handle the situation after he left, but he was devastated at what had happened. He had felt totally helpless, and that was so difficult for him. After all, he was a doctor!
Thoughts rolled around in his head as the tears flowed down his ruddy cheeks. Could he have saved lives if he had gotten there earlier? Did they try to get in touch with someone else before they called him? Why had this tragedy happened? He had no answers now and knew he never would. He sat at his desk with his head on his arms and wept uncontrollably.
The coroner’s trip into town was no different than the doctor’s. He sped down Main Street avoiding everyone’s eyes as he drove by. As he parked his car and headed to his office, he circumvented everyone’s questions about what he found on his trip to the “Big House.” He ducked into his office as quickly as he could move. He, too, was devastated by the circumstances. It was such a sad situation, and one that he had never been confronted with. As a coroner, his job was to deal with death, but this trip had upset him greatly. He was too distressed to talk with anyone at the moment. He knew he had to gather his thoughts and get them straightened out, but he was heavyhearted and needed a few minutes to be alone.
Surprisingly, not much information had leaked out, but that did not stop all of the conjecturing among the town residents about what might have taken place at the “Big House.” The coroner’s desk was close to his front door. In his haste to get inside, he had not gotten the door closed all of the way. He could hear the conversations of the groups huddled together on the sidewalk.
When the information finally came out about what had taken place at the “Big House,” the residents of Calvary were in shock. Even though they did not know the Andersons personally, they considered them a part of their community and were saddened. When the information about the deaths appeared in the weekly newspaper a few days later, the residents of Calvary knew little more about what had happened, but what did shock them was that there were two obituaries. These obituaries gave little information except that Rochelle Anderson of Calvary died giving birth to a stillborn son and daughter and that private services were to be held in an undisclosed location. That was the extent of the information in the obituaries – one for Mrs. Anderson and one for the twins. They stated the basics and nothing more.
Little information had been garnered throughout the time the Andersons had occupied the “Big House,” and in the death of Mrs. Anderson and the twins, little was revealed. Neither the doctor nor the coroner ever discussed what took place on that fateful day, no matter how much they were prodded with questions. When the subject was brought up, they ignored the topic or quickly made an exit. It did not take long for everyone to realize that there would be no comments coming forth from either of them.
After the tragedy at the “Big House,” no one ever saw Mr. Anderson again, even on the “Big Road.” This catastrophic event was the topic of conversation for many months to come in the cafes and on the street corners. The locals still made trips down the lane to take a look at the “Big House,” and every once in a while, someone would say he or she saw Mr. Anderson, but that rumor was never substantiated. Or, sometimes someone was positive they saw activity around the house, but there never was any evidence of it. It was not long before there were no longer lights in the windows; the weeds overtook the flowers; the bushes went untrimmed and the grass was not mowed. No cars were ever seen traveling the gravel road down to the “Big House” unless it was one of the local residents doing a little snooping.
Chapter 5
A HOUSE DESERTED
The “Big House” remained empty for several years and began to have an unkempt, run down appearance. Weeds grew tall where there were once beautiful flowers; the bushes grew scraggly and no longer held their exquisite shapes; rotting leaves piled high in the corners of the fence; a gutter hung precariously on one side of the house swaying in the wind and rain; the front door looked as though it needed a coat of paint and fruit lay rotting on the ground. The frame of the swing set that had never had a child sit in one of the swings began to rust. Looking at the swings sitting silent in the sunshine would bring tears to the eyes of even the most hard-hearted person. No longer did the “Big House” elicit a sense of awe as it had when it was occupied by the Andersons.
Those first time visitors who came from surrounding communities to visit the pumpkin patch could see the magnificent structure set off in the distance and were curious about it. The questions were endless. Why was everything so run down? Why was the house empty? Where were the owners? Why did he leave such a beautiful house? What happened to the owners? Were there children living in it? What was going to happen to it? There were no answers to their questions.
Throughout the years, as the story about the building of the “Big House,” the death of Mrs. Anderson and her unborn children and the disappearance of Mr. Anderson were repeated over and over, it took on a life of its own. One story was that Mr. Anderson was so distraught after the death of his wife and his stillborn children that he threw himself in the river, and his body was never found. Another story was that he was so depressed he went berserk and had to be institutionalized. A new story of what happened to him would surface every once in a while. Of course, there was no factual basis to any of the stories. They only popped up when someone let their imagination run wild. It got to the point where even the locals were beginning to wonder what part of the stories were real and what had been made up.
As the “Big House” stood desolately on the grounds with weeds growing taller and taller, rotted leaves piling up higher and higher around the fence and the bushes growing over the windows, the residents of Calvary spent many hours wondering and disc
ussing what was going to happen to it. The stately house looked so sad sitting against the horizon.
Was it going to be torn down? Would someone buy it and fix it up to live in? Would it remain empty forever? What else could be done with it? No one had any answers about what was going to happen, but it gave the locals something to talk about. When all was calm in Calvary and there were few topics of discussion, the conversation would turn to the “Big House.” One thing the residents of Calvary knew was that there was no one in their little town wealthy enough to buy the property, much less repair it.
Chapter 6
THE “BIG HOUSE” RE-BORN
Eventually discussions about the “Big House” began to wane. Then one sunny day, trucks of all sizes were spotted turning off the highway heading down the gravel lane toward the “Big House.” Wow, this was big news, and it did not take long for it to spread through the neighborhoods! In Calvary, all it took was for one person to hear or see something, and before long, the whole town would know. Gossip traveled fast in that little community!
The activity around the “Big House” caused a lot of excitement and speculation about what was happening. Whenever there were a few people gathered together, it was not long before the topic was inserted into the conversation. For several weeks, they watched the flurry of activity up and down the lane. None of the workmen ever came into Calvary so there was no way they could be questioned. The wrought iron gate in front of the property remained closed and locked so no one from Calvary could get in, although a couple of people tried. All they could do was watch the activity from afar.
The weeds were cut down, leaves and sticks were raked up, bushes were once again trimmed into beautiful shapes, trees were pruned, gutters were fixed, window casings were painted, the front door was painted a bright red, the creaky swing set was removed and a new one was set up. Once the weeds were under control, a few flowers could even be seen swaying in the breeze. The “Big House” was being brought back to its original, stately splendor. It once again looked like a “happy house.”
The new swing set really caused a lot of speculation. Questions, questions! Was there a family moving in with children? What else could it be? Who was rich enough to buy the property? Where were they coming from? Was Mr. Anderson coming back? Had he remarried and planned on having a family? No one had any answers, but that did not stop anyone from asking the questions, not really expecting an answer. Work on the “Big House” brought an air of excitement and expectation to Calvary.
After several months of whirlwind activity, there were fewer large work trucks going up and down the lane. A few cars and a truck were seen headed down the lane to the “Big House,” but these did not leave. They would remain for several days. Lights began to twinkle in the windows at night so the town folk knew that once again, someone was living in the “Big House.” Occasionally a worker could be seen in the yard or someone would be walking around on the porch. Everyone in Calvary was very curious and pondered about what was happening, even though they had nothing to base any of their ideas on.
Of course, there were always a few in Calvary whose curiosity got the best of them. They drove down the gravel lane on several occasions to see if there was a clue as to who was occupying the “Big House.” They never came back with any more information than what they had when they began their treks, but that did not keep them from playing detective.
Chapter 7
A NEW BEGINNING FOR THE “BIG HOUSE”
The town busybody, Samantha Davis, could not resist driving out quite often. Early one morning just as the sun was coming up, she decided to make another trip down the lane to the “Big House” to try to see what was going on. To her surprise, as she drove down the lane, in the front yard she saw a large white sign with red lettering hanging inside the big wrought iron gate that said “Anderson Calvary Orphanage.” She was so excited she could hardly get her car turned around fast enough. She drove as fast as she could to get to the Corner Cafe to tell the news to all those who would listen, and she was certain that everyone would listen! This was big news!
Between being out of breath from running into the Cafe and being excited about what she saw, Samantha could hardly tell her story. Everyone kept asking her questions, but all she could tell them was that she saw the sign that said “Anderson Calvary Orphanage.” They teased her that maybe she just had a dream. Samantha got in a snit and told them to drive out and take a look. They finally quit teasing her and decided that she must have seen the sign and was telling the truth.
After hearing Samantha’s story, no one lingered after they had their breakfast that morning. They all wanted to be among the first to spread the news in their neighborhood. It was not long before the telephone line was buzzing, and people were chatting on the street corners, or over the backyard fence. All of the activity around the “Big House” had caused a tremendous amount of excitement in Calvary, but this was even more exciting because now they knew what the “Big House” was going to be used for. It was the main topic of conversation for several days no matter where you were – in the cafes, in the grocery store, the hardware store, the doctor’s office. There was no other topic of conversation! An orphanage in Calvary – why in their little town? Where were the children going to come from? Who had the money to fix up the “Big House?” Who owned the orphanage? Who was going to run the orphanage?
The “Big House” had always elicited a lot of curiosity and questions. Now there was just a different set of questions, and they still did not have any answers to this new set of questions.
As the story was told, Busybody Samantha made a few more trips down the gravel road to see what she could find out. She was bound and determined that she was going to find out the whole story behind this orphanage. One day, she saw a man raking leaves around the wrought iron fence. Without hesitation, she marched right up to the fence to talk to him. After introducing herself and trying to wheedle some answers out of him, she finally decided that he had told her all he knew, or at least all he was going to divulge to her, when he went back to his raking.
The yardman told Samantha that he was just an employee and did not know much about the circumstances surrounding the “Big House.” He had heard that there was a wealthy man named Anderson who had lived in this house at one time. He wanted it turned into an orphanage because he had lived in an orphanage as a child. That was all the information he could give her.
It was not much, but at least it was a little tidbit of gossip that Samantha could take back to the customers of the Corner Café. It was not gossip to Samantha, it was just “news.” She delighted in knowing something that no one else did, but she could never keep it a secret. Samantha hurried back to town as fast as she could to spread the word. She was quite proud of herself for being the first to see the sign, Anderson Calvary Orphanage, and now she had even more news! Samantha did not consider herself a gossip or a busybody. According to her, she was doing her duty as a resident of Calvary by keeping her eyes and ears open. Not all of the locals agreed with Samantha, but basically she was harmless!
Samantha, along with the rest of the town folk, kept a close eye on the orphanage for the next few weeks to see what else would develop. Every day, somebody would drive down the lane to the orphanage gates just to see if they could find out something, but usually had nothing to report. No one ever knew where the children came from, but one by one, they did come. Occasionally, cars that were unfamiliar to anyone in the community would be seen driving down the lane toward the orphanage and would be let into the big, wrought iron gate. When this happened it was big news in Calvary!
It was not long before several children of all ages could be seen running around the yard playing games and playing on the swing set. There were always one or two adults outside with the children. Small groups of children could even be seen taking trips over the footbridge that spanned the Calvary River. On the other side of the footbridge was a small sandy beach, another swing set, a bench and a forest of trees as a back
drop.
Chapter 8
CALVARY PUMPKIN PATCH
It did not take long for Anderson Calvary Orphanage to become an integral part of the community, even though the local residents saw little of the children or the staff members. The residents quickly adopted them as part of their community. The townsfolk were so proud of “their orphanage,” you would have thought that they had in some way been responsible for it being in their community.
As the months and years went by, the orphanage did not garner as much attention from the Calvary residents as it once did, nor was it the topic of conversation all of the time, but it did attract the attention of those that were new to the area. Visitors always had questions about how an orphanage came to be in existence next to a pumpkin patch in a small town like Calvary. When the questions were asked, the answers might not always be the same. Throughout the years of re-telling the story of the “Big House” and the Andersons, it took a few twists and turns, and was rarely repeated the same way twice. Regardless of how the questions were answered, you could tell that everyone in Calvary was proud of the Anderson Calvary Orphanage and the Calvary Pumpkin Patch. They loved to tell stories about the orphanage and the pumpkin patch, and everyone was sure that the story they told was the correct one.
The children that lived in the orphanage were not seen in town on a regular basis, but they did make visits to the pumpkin patch from the time the first little green vine pushed its way through the earth until the last pumpkin was harvested. The children particularly liked to go when the pumpkins were ready to be picked, and they were allowed to pick out their own Jack-O-Lantern. They ran through the patch squealing with delight as they scampered from one pumpkin to another. The little tykes could be seen sitting on the larger pumpkins, and sometimes tumbling off, which made all of the volunteers smile. The volunteers working in the patch always welcomed the children and made a special effort to make sure each one picked out just the perfect pumpkin.