by D. L. Dennis
The volunteers that worked at the pumpkin patch on a regular basis had the opportunity to get to know the children during their visits. Each year they would notice that a few they had gotten to know did not return, and there would be children they had not seen before. They would assume that those who did not return had been adopted. The children were always accompanied by workers from the orphanage, but they never divulged any information to the volunteers about the children.
It was a mystery as to where the families came from to adopt the children and how they knew about the orphanage. The only clue was that cars with license plates from various states would be seen coming to or leaving the orphanage. It was assumed that they were people looking to adopt one or more of the children. Evidently the reputation of the orphanage for having happy, well-adjusted children had spread far and wide.
A few of the children who were never adopted spent their young lives at the orphanage so they became well known to the pumpkin patch volunteers, and the children became well acquainted with the volunteers. Throughout the years, with all of the visits the children made to the pumpkin patch, a special bond developed between the volunteers and the children. The volunteers never had anything but praise for the children and the staff members that accompanied the children to the pumpkin patch. They were delightful, well behaved, happy children. The volunteers could see the love that the staff members had for the children and the children had for the staff members. They were all one big, happy family. After every visit, the volunteers would take stories back to the townsfolk about what a special place the orphanage must be to have such happy children.
Chapter 9
MIRACLE IN A BASKET
One cold, November night, Jake was making one last trip to the front gate to make sure it was locked. Keeping the orphanage safe and secure was one of his most important duties, and he took it very seriously. He had already been out once to check the lock on the gate just a short time earlier, but wanted to have peace of mind when he quit for the evening. He was headed out to check it one last time. There had been a great deal of activity at the orphanage that day, with several people coming and going. The staff was getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday so a lot of deliveries had been made.
Every staff member always put forth an extra effort to make all holidays special for the children. Although most of the children had never experienced living in a family setting and celebrating holidays, they all had the feeling that they were special because the staff members made them feel that way. Most of the staff members lived at the orphanage so they all felt like one big family. Once a person became a staff member at the orphanage, he or she rarely left their employment. There was just something very special about the Anderson Calvary Orphanage.
Jake was one of the staff members that lived on the premises. He had a small cabin at the rear of the property that had originally been built for the caretaker of the “Big House.” Jake was far more than just a night watchman, even though that is what he had been hired as. He had been at the orphanage since it first opened and did whatever was necessary. He kept the premises secure, worked in the garden, did repairs, ran errands and any other task that Mrs. Miller asked him to do. Sometimes he even had to make a quick trip into town to the grocery store. He loved living at the orphanage, but most of all, he loved the children, and they loved him. Some of the children even called him Grampa Jake, which thrilled him. He had never married and, therefore, had no children, so this was his family. Jake did not feel like he was “working” at the orphanage – he was just taking care of his family!
The air was sharp and the dry leaves crunched under his feet as Jake walked down the path in the yard to the front gate. Most of the leaves had fallen from the large oak trees that surrounded the grounds. The few leaves that were still hanging on the limbs rustled as the wind blew through the bare branches making an eerie, lonely sound. Jake shivered and buttoned up his coat as he hastened his pace. If it got much colder, he was going to have to put his light jacket away and dig his winter coat out of the closet.
It had been a long day, and Jake was tired. He was ready to get back to his cabin, kick off his work boots and prop up his feet. As he scurried toward the big iron gate, he looked around the grounds making sure that nothing appeared to be out of place. He always carried his big lantern when he went out at night to flash around the yard as he walked. If the sky was full of clouds, and there was no moonlight, the grounds were quite dark once he got away from the house. The windows were covered with curtains which did not allow for much light to escape. Jake was sure he could walk the grounds of the orphanage blindfolded since he spent so much time outside, but he never knew if a toy had been left outside on the path, so he always carried his lantern.
When Jake got to the gate, he reached up to make sure the lock was secure, and he was happy to see that it was. He flashed his lantern around and everything appeared to be as it should be. No toys were lying around, the gate was locked, and he was ready to quit. As he turned, he muttered to himself, “I am done for the day, and I am ready for a rest.”
Jake had taken only a few steps back up the path toward the house when he thought he heard the tinkling sound of a bell. He stopped and looked back for a few seconds to listen. All was quiet. He turned back and took a few more steps up the path, but there was that tinkling sound again. No, he must be imagining that he was hearing a bell. The church was too far away to hear its bells ringing. Maybe the wind was blowing in the right direction and carrying the sound in his direction. That did not make any sense because it was too late for the church bells to be ringing. He started up the path again, and there was that tinkling sound again. This time he knew he had to turn around and investigate where that sound was coming from, or he would not rest easy in his cabin.
Jake was chilled to the bone, but he had to satisfy his curiosity and find out where that sound was coming from. The leaves on the trees could not be making that tinkling sound. Maybe a toy was left outside that had a bell on it, and he had not seen it He pointed his lantern all around the yard once again, but did not see anything. Jake turned and slowly walked the few steps back to the big, wrought iron gate. He looked around very slowly into the distance and shined the lantern into the darkness, but could not see anything out of the ordinary. He was convinced there was something amiss, but what was it? He was not afraid, but was beginning to be a little uneasy.
Jake turned his lantern downward checking the ground around the base of the brick pillar where one end of the gate was fastened. He slowly walked the length of the gate and kept his lantern shining on the ground. He heard the tinkling sound again. Was the wind playing tricks on his ears? There was another brick post at the other end where the wrought iron gate was connected and latched. He had just checked the large chain and padlock on the gate. It was much too heavy to be blown around by the wind. As he got closer to the post, he thought he saw something on the ground outside the gate. He shined the lantern toward the object and was stunned to see a large basket sitting on the ground by the brick pillar. That must be where the tinkling sound was coming from. He squatted down to see if he could see anything in the basket. As the lantern light was reflected on the basket, he could see a bell tied to the top of the basket handle. That sent cold chills down his spine, and it was not from the cold air. At least he had found the source of the tinkling sound but his mind was whirling.
Why was a basket sitting by the gate? Jake stood up quickly and looked around, shining his lantern in all directions. He could not see anyone, or anything that was unusual. How did that basket get there? How long had it been there? What was in it? Questions raced through his mind.
Jake knew he had to open the gate and see what was in the basket, although he was reluctant to do so. He hurriedly turned his lantern off and set it on the ground. He did not know whether he should open the gate by himself, or run back to the orphanage and get someone else. All kinds of thoughts flew through his mind. Could someone be lurking around just waiting for hi
m to open the gate? Was someone trying to get into the orphanage? Maybe someone was playing a prank!
Jake decided he would take a chance that no one was going to jump out of the bushes. He would unlock the padlock, open the gate, grab the basket and lock the padlock as quickly as possible. His lantern was a big one so if he had to use it as a club, he would. Jake was never afraid on the orphanage grounds, even on the darkest night, but this was really strange and made him very nervous. Someone had placed that basket there not too long before because he had made his usual rounds of the grounds about 30 minutes earlier. He did not know if there was anything in that basket, but he had to check it out, or he would never get any sleep tonight. He was glad he had decided to check the gate one more time.
Jake took the lock off, opened the gate and grabbed the basket as quickly as he could. Without even looking in the basket, he set it on the ground and quickly wrapped the chain around the wrought iron fence and hurriedly slipped the padlock on. He did not know if someone was lurking around, but he was not taking any chances by tarrying.
Jake grabbed the basket and his lantern and hurried up the path to the house. The basket was made of wicker and was not very heavy. Jake was very curious as to what was inside, but he still did not stop to take a peak. Maybe there was nothing of importance inside. Maybe someone had set it there earlier that day as they left the orphanage and forgot to take it with them. But, no, this could not be because he had been to the gate earlier, and he was positive that he had not seen the basket nor had he heard the tinkling of the bell. Someone had set that basket there just in the past 30 minutes. It was a puzzlement!
Jake ran as fast as he could while holding the basket and his lantern, and the little bell tinkled all the way. He was tired and cold and just wanted to get into the warmth of the house. Lights could be seen in several of the windows so he knew that some of the resident staff members had not yet gone to bed, even though all of the children would be tucked away and sound asleep. Mrs. Miller was always the last one to go to her room after everyone else was settled in, and she made sure all the lights were turned off except for a couple of small lamps.
As Jake barged through the front door, a welcoming blast of warm air rushed out. He quickly shut the door and hurried to the chair closest to the fireplace. The glowing embers from which a little heat emanated were a welcome sight. He set the basket down on the floor in front of him. He was anxious to see what was inside, but was almost afraid to look. How silly, he thought. Maybe someone had just left a basket of fruit or vegetables. He quite often found items left at the gate during the daylight hours, but no one had ever left anything at night.
A soft, white flannel blanket was tucked loosely all around the edges. Why would anyone cover fruit or vegetables with a blanket? He could not imagine what was in this basket! Maybe he should find Mrs. Miller first. No, he was sure there was nothing in the basket that was of very much importance, or it would not have been left by the gate on such a cold night.
Jake’s fingers were cold and numb. He blew on them and rubbed them together to warm them up. He leaned over and gingerly tugged at one corner of the blanket. As he lifted the blanket, he heard a faint sound that almost sounded like a cat. Had someone left a basket full of kittens? His mind was spinning. He stopped and his hands were shaking. He gave the blanket another tug and pulled it half way back. He was so shocked at what he saw that all he could do was sit and stare for a few seconds. He could not believe what he was looking at. There nestled in the bottom of the basket was a baby. No, his eyes must be playing tricks on him. It must be a life sized doll. No, it was a baby! He was so befuddled he could not think straight. Was the baby alive? It was! He saw the little pink fingers on one hand move.
Jake jumped up and started hollering for Mrs. Miller. He had never been so confused in all his life. He was making such a racket it did not take Mrs. Miller long to hurry out of the kitchen.
“What is all of this yelling about, Jake? Are you hurt? Calm down, or you will wake the children.”
Jake was so excited he ran to Mrs. Miller, grabbed her arm and started pulling her over toward the fireplace. He was speechless and just pointed to the basket. Mrs. Miller spied the basket on the floor and quickly moved toward it. As she peered into the basket she was as shocked as Jake was. All they could do was stare down into the basket and then stare at each other. Now, she too was speechless.
Mrs. Miller picked up the basket and set it on a nearby table to get a better look. There lay a precious little baby sound asleep with its golden eyelashes resting on chubby pink cheeks. Jake had only pulled the blanket back far enough to uncover the baby’s head and one little hand that rested on its cheek. Jake’s trip up the path to the house and all of his yelling had not disturbed the baby which was certainly surprising. Mrs. Miller had taken care of a lot of babies, and she knew that this one looked like it was only a few weeks old.
Finally, Mrs. Miller was able to gather her thoughts and say something, although she was still astounded at seeing the baby. She looked at Jake and said, “Where did you get this basket?”
Jake’s words tumbled out of his mouth so rapidly that Mrs. Miller could hardly understand what he was saying. She put her hand up to make him stop talking. Jake took a deep breath and tried to tell the story more slowly. Finally Mrs. Miller was able to understand enough about what Jake said to figure out that he had found the basket by the front gate. This was all the information she needed right now. She would get the whole story later when Jake was a little calmer. As she listened, she stared first at Jake, and then down at the baby. She was as baffled as he was.
Mrs. Miller touched the tiny hand, which felt warm and rubbed a tiny little cheek, which felt like a rose petal. Evidently the basket had not been sitting out in the cold very long because the baby was warm. Its head was covered in a knit cap pulled down over its ears. After piecing together the disjointed story Jake had told her, her only thought was that someone had been waiting on the gravel road to see if Jake would come down to check the gate, as he so often did. When they saw his lantern in the distance, someone must have crept quietly to the gate and set the basket down so he would see it. What a miracle that he found this precious little baby!
The longer they stood looking at the baby, the more they grinned at one another. Mrs. Miller told Jake to see if there were any other staff members in the kitchen, or in any of the other rooms, that had not retired for the night. They needed to get the baby out of the basket and see if they had a boy or a girl. Mrs. Miller was always very calm, but she was getting more excited by the minute. They had never had such a tiny baby at the orphanage. She knew that everyone would be as excited as she was.
Jake scurried off to see if he could find anyone. He was so excited that he was talking loudly and about the only word anyone could understand was “baby” and “come.” There were a few people in the kitchen, and it did not take long for several others who were in their rooms to begin sticking their heads out of their doors wanting to know what was going on. No one knew for sure what was happening, but as excited as Jake was, it must be important. They did not want to miss out on whatever it was.
Everyone always got excited whenever a new child arrived to be cared for, but the word “baby” got everyone’s attention. Every child who came to live at the Anderson Calvary Orphanage was a very fortunate child, regardless of what the circumstances were. All of the staff members were devoted to taking care of the children and thought of it as their mission in life. They considered these children gifts from heaven. Sometimes the funds were a little tight, but the children never felt the strain of it.
It did not take long before most of the staff was standing around the table looking at the basket. Someone said, “We need to see if we have a boy or a girl.” Mrs. Miller had a big smile on her face and nodded as she looked at Jake.
“Jake would you like to take the blanket off?”
With his hands shaking, he gently pulled the blanket back so they could see the rest of
the baby. As he did this, everyone crowded around so they could see and immediately whispered, “It’s a girl!” The baby was dressed in a ruffled pink crocheted dress with delicate, tiny, white bows. The dress was so long that it covered her legs. Jake lifted the hem of the dress. A little pink blanket was wrapped around her legs. Jake gently pulled this blanket back and white knitted booties peaked out. With his large calloused hands, he gently lifted her head and pulled her knitted cap off. Whoever had put this basket at the gate had dressed her with care so she would stay warm.
Jake looked up with tears in his eyes and with a catch in his voice said, “The baby has on pink. We must have a girl.”
By this time, everyone had tears in their eyes – happy tears—and big smiles on their faces. About that time, the little face in the basket scrunched up and let out a whimper which quickly turned into a wail so loud that it startled Jake. He had not been around tiny babies much so he had no idea what to do and looked up at Mrs. Miller. Mrs. Miller quickly lifted the little bundle out of the basket and started giving orders.
“Someone, see if you can find some diapers and baby powder. Somebody else needs to go to the pantry and find some milk and a bottle. Then see if you can find a cradle. This little lady might need a change and from the sound of her, she just might be hungry.”