by Faye Sonja
“Thank you, Officer Anderson, you may leave now.” Anna didn’t want them all going home with nightmares, or their parents complaining about scaring their kids half to death. William continued to walk out the door and he was gone.
Anna wasn’t sure if she was proud he’d come, or if she was mad he thought she couldn’t cope. No time for that now, she had to get school started.
“Children, as we’re all different ages, I’ll bring the older ones to work with me for an hour, everyone eight and up. I can plan your learning from there. Everyone under eight will be working with Miss Belle, who will be in shortly to help us out on our first day.”
“Yes, Mrs. Anderson.” Almost all the children chorused together, and she hadn’t been expecting that. Tears welled in Anna’s eyes. This was it, she was really being a teacher. It had finally happened.
The children formed into two groups with her help, and when her assistant came in she handed the younger group over to her. Anna had already explained to her that she wanted her to find out who needed some extra help and who was ready for a challenging assignment.
The older group looked like they didn’t want to be there, except for Fred. Even though she was sure her methods would work, Anna was grateful that William had come when he did. The gunshot might’ve been a little much, though. When she’d woken this morning, he was up and about with the kettle on already.
Anna remembered waking up through the night and feeling his arm over her still, and she was happy he wasn’t rushing her at all but that he also didn’t ignore her. It can’t have been easy for him to have a new wife beside him in bed. Anna snapped herself from her daydreams. She didn’t want the older group to get restless again.
“Okay now, I’d like us all to sit in a circle and talk about things that interest us, and also what we think we are good at. Everyone is good at something, and everyone needs help with something.” Anna led them to the circle of chairs she’d set up earlier and they all sat down. “Let me start first…”
All sets of eyes were on her and Anna knew if she opened up to them a little and told them of mistakes she’d made and a few funny stories, then they’d be more likely to speak their minds with her. She was very excited when she began to address the children she was now responsible for educating.
She just hoped their parents would give her a chance. It would take about six months before her methods really showed results, and after that Anna would be standing by her children to watch them blossom and grow.
* * *
William had been in two minds about whether to go to the school or not. On the one hand, he didn’t want Anna to think he thought she was incapable, but on the other hand he knew the kids from around here. So he decided to go there and risk it.
Now he was glad he did, and not because he’d saved the day for her, as she’d have gotten them quiet eventually, but because he could see she appreciated it. He still might get an earful about the drastic measures but he could tell she was grateful for him looking out for her.
That might be enough for her to see that strict discipline and rules were the only way to go. Why waste time soothing them when they could come in, sit down, and be quiet right from the start?
Yes, he’d been a little over the top with the gunshot but he really wanted her to see how easy it was to get calm and order from taking charge in that way.
The whole two weeks had been a massive push by the folks of Hope to get the school up and running. Next houses would be built for all the people still living in their camps and tents. The main street would be improved, and the saloon and lodgings extended. There was one coffee house that did meals and the saloon had also opened their kitchen.
When the gold diggers came, the town would be ready, and if the outlaws came to steal any claims or rob any stores, then William would be ready for them. He’d formed a team and had made a choice on who was to be sheriff. The sheriff’s quarters were up and the jail was in the back of that.
It usually took around six months for the law to get settled in, and after that William would be leaving them to it, and likely starting in another settlement. Anna could set up another school, and help more children. He was certain this was the way to make her the happiest, because she was here for the teaching.
She seemed to like getting the school set up right from the start, and she’d acted very excited this morning. She’d packed five lunch pails with sandwiches and apples, and they each took one when they left for the day. William got down off his horse to eat his now. He pulled out his canteen of water and took a big drink. Then he sat on a large rock and bit into the best ham sandwich he’d ever had.
He’d spent the whole morning thinking of Anna, when he was supposed to be working. There were reports to be written and sent away to headquarters, and he needed to have a town meeting to see what the people wanted and how things were going for them. He’d call one on Sunday in the church hall. See how the parents had taken to the school for their children.
He was sure everyone would like Anna and see her gentle, caring ways as a good thing for their children. Out here education often came behind working and earning a wage for the family. But William knew that education was needed for the future generations because things had changed so much, even in his thirty-five years on earth.
He hoped Anna came to see how important structure was to a child, especially at school. Any child given a choice would always take the easy way, and life, especially out here, was not easy. Children needed to learn to be tenacious and determined to push through problems and find solutions. Dreams were one thing to be had and to work towards if they were attainable, but to believe all dreams could come true was misleading them.
Teaching them to work hard and make the most of what they had was far better and William believed he’d gone some way to helping Anna see he was right in his regimented routines with the children.
He packed up his lunch pail and got back on his horse. Another few hours of work for him and he could go home to a warm house, a smiling face, and a tasty meal. Most of all he looked forward to being with Anna and hearing about her day once he’d gotten things under control for her.
She was sure to thank him and reconsider her most disagreeable notions on the way he chose to apply the order in his household. Tonight may just go without an argument, and there hadn’t been many of those so far. She was spirited, and in many ways idealistic. He wished he could spare her the disappointment of finding out her ideas would essentially be unworkable in the long term.
By the time he left Hope as a growing and established town, the school would be chanting times tables and writing lines like the most successful schools in the country. He took no joy in proving Anna wrong, but he’d be glad he was there to support her through it and help her as she moved forward in a more traditional manner.
That was his was job with the army. To see towns emerged in keeping with the law and culture of the United States of America. Even with many other cultures being present with traditions from their countries, he was here to lay the ground rules for the growth of the new town and overall, the new state.
It was an important job and one he took very seriously because if everyone did as they wanted and made things as they pleased, there’d be too much conflict. Someone had to lead the way and set clear boundaries, which could then be enforced by the chosen lawmen for any town.
It wasn’t an easy job and if he gave an inch, people tended to take advantage. So William had learned to not waver in the way he did things. Anna would come around as soon as she saw sense but he wouldn’t mention it just yet, perhaps. Better she came to the realization on her own if he just gave her enough time.
* * *
10
True Love
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“Children? Are you here to
meet me?… “You’re not our Ma.”
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Three
Weeks Later
Anna packed up from her school day. The children were doing so well. Each of them had an interest they were using to learn in their own way, and she also had some more traditional lessons set up.
She’d come to see the that there could be a wonderful balance of structure and a more free-flowing, creative way she’d wanted to test out. It also was very dependent on the individual child in question, and their age. She’d found the younger thrived on learning through what essentially looked like play.
For the older ones she added some structure and habitual things that would stick in their minds for the future. She was so proud of what this school was becoming, and of what it could be in years to come. She really wanted to be here then, to keep this school true to her heart, and develop the arts and creative aspects.
The town had also grown and twenty more children now attended the school. That had allowed her to bring her assistants in five days a week, and the children thrived on the diverse learning opportunities. She’d done it, she’d actually done it. Not only that, but William seemed to support her in it.
Yes, he still had his ideas and practices on the army structure of the household, but he also let her have her way with some things and the children were the happiest they’d been since she’d gotten there. Lily had progressed to a quick hug at bed time for Anna, and they regularly chatted about their mother without drama.
William also seemed relaxed and Anna had completely changed her first thoughts about him. She was lucky to be his wife, and they’d even consummated the marriage. She hadn’t told him that she loved him, but she did. Very much so.
Ada was very happy for her and next month the four of them were all getting together at her home for a reunion, thanks to the train line making it faster to travel now. After that they’d travel to Emma’s wedding.
Anna couldn’t wait to see her sisters again. Emma was going to marry in one month. Their lives were all so different now but Anna wouldn’t give her life up for anything. Hope had become a lovely town and new folk arrived every week; more and more houses went up, and more facilities were provided to meet demand.
Tonight she wanted to talk to William about their future here, and finally tell him that she loved him. She thought he felt the same, and she hoped to hear it back, but if she didn’t she understood. Everyone she knew had accepted her blemished face, and no one gave her the looks of sympathy or horror anymore apart from those who met her for the first few times.
She didn’t expect a controlled and accomplished man such as William would ever truly love her, but she did know that he liked her and he supported her creative ideas on life. He’d not said anything against her and hadn’t had a cross word to say against her ideas for a long time. He still advocated his way, but she’d learned that not everything had to be done the same way.
There was room for diversity and more than one way to do things and even better, a perfect combination of techniques teamed with the right learning personality worked wonders.
She packed up her bag and set off on her fifteen minute walk home. It helped to clear her head. She walked quickly because she wanted to have time to cook a special meal tonight. She thanked the Lord every day for what he provided for her. Everything was just perfect.
When she walked inside she washed her hands in the basin with soap and water, and then she set about making the stuffing for the chicken she’d had William kill yesterday. She hummed as she worked and she knew the three children would be getting their chores done, and then Lily would be in to help her. Fred would help Rose with her reading. Routine, togetherness, family who supported each other.
Anna loved it here and she never wanted to leave. She was going to ask William to leave the army and settle here to be a farmer like he’d mentioned once that he and Laura were going to do. It’d be wonderful. The chicken was in the stove and she set about the vegetables. Lily arrived and Anna put her onto a warm pudding for dessert.
“Hello, Anna. How’s your day been?” William was here early.
Anna wiped her hands on her apron and rushed up to kiss him on the cheek. “Is everything alright?”
“Yes.” His smile beamed back at her as he took her by both hands. “Everything is perfect.”
“Lily, I can finish the dessert. Pop in and practice some reading with the others. Thanks for your help.”
Anna turned to look at William again and she understood the excitement in his eyes because she felt that way too.
“Anna, the army is very happy with the way Hope has developed in such a short amount of time.”
“That’s wonderful, William. It’s a perfect place to live and the school –”
“They have asked me to move further up and do it again in another settlement, and they want a school as well. You’ll be able to make your dream come true all over again, but quicker this time once you use more structure and discipline. They’ve offered to double my pay.”
Anna felt the knife of disappointment slice through her heart. She’d foolishly believed she and William were on the same page and they weren’t even reading the same book. “I don’t understand. You want to leave? We’ve a perfect life here. Why would you want to start over?”
“Because it’s new, and it’s an opportunity to do it all over again. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“It was. But so much has changed, the children, the school…us.”
“We can do it better this time; the next school will be better, and I know you can see why structure and discipline are important now.”
“I thought you saw how my way was important.”
William let her hands go. “I thought I’d changed your mind.”
“I thought we had a perfect combination. William, I’m sorry but I’m not leaving my school.”
“I see. I’d hoped we made progress.”
“So had I. The children are so happy. You’d really take them away now? They’re thriving here.”
“They’ll thrive elsewhere.”
“If you go, William, you go without me. I’m sorry. But I was coming home today to ask you to become a farmer and build our family here.” Anna had one more thing to tell him, but he had to want to stay for her, and not anything else.
“Being a farmer was a dream.”
“A dream you had with Laura.”
“Yes. That died when she did.”
“The only thing that died with Laura was your positivity.” Anna was sick of not saying the truth; he needed to hear it.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it? You won’t dare change, you won’t dare stray outside the lines. You won’t admit how good life is because you haven’t let her go yet. You can’t stay here with me and be a farmer because I’m not Laura. I’m sorry I’m not Laura, but there’s nothing I can do about that.”
“I have let her go. Do you think that I could be with you, that way, if I was still in love with Laura?” He pointed to the bedroom door.
Anna stared at him. “Then why leave? Why do you want to leave everything we’ve worked so hard for?”
“Why do you want to stay?”
Anna felt the tears sting her eyes. “Because I love you, you fool. Don’t you know that by now? I was planning to tell you, but not like this.”
“You love me?” William looked truly surprised.
“Of course I do.”
“I thought you were here for the teaching, for the students, not for me. I thought building another new school was the best way to keep you happy.”
“Oh, William. I did come for the teaching, but I found love, and a beautiful family.”
William pulled her close to him for a hug. “I love you, Anna. You’ll never understand how much. You’re right about our methods working together. I just wanted to be right. But being without you isn’t right.”
“So, we aren’t leaving?”
“No, my darling, we aren’t leaving. You’ll have to live the life of a farmer’s wife.”
“That will be the easiest jo
b in the world.”
“I’ve been such a fool.” William looked as happy as she’d ever seen him.
“We’ve been fools together. But it’s all okay now. We love each other and we need to make plans.”
“Plans?”
“We’re having a baby, William.”
He picked her up and twirled her around. “You’ve made me very happy, Anna. Do the children know?”
“If they’ve been listening at the door like they usually do, I’d say yes, they know.” Anna laughed as the three kids came in looking sheepish, but smiling all the same.
“You’re going to have a new baby brother or sister in the Spring.”
The children all cheered and ran in to join the hug.
“We’re going to be farmers, so extra jobs,” William added.
“I’ll still be your teacher.”
“We love you, Mama Anna.” Rose clung onto her arm.
Anna picked her up. “I love you three as well, forever.”
“Do you love Pa?” Lily asked.
“I love your Pa very, very much, Lily.”
“Good. He loves you too.” Lily smiled and hugged Anna tight.
“Come on, girls. Let’s go read some more.” Fred grabbed them each by the hand and led them off.
Anna threw her arms about William’s neck and kissed him. “I’m so happy. Thank you for loving me the way I am.”
“You mean caring, and intelligent?”
“I mean this…” Anna pulled her hair back to reveal her birthmark.
“You wouldn’t be half the person you are inside and out without the gift that God gave you.” He leaned in and kissed her blemished cheek. “You are the most beautiful woman in the world. I wouldn’t have you any other way, Anna.”
“Oh, William. I love you so much. We’re going to grow old together and have a wonderful life. I never imagined myself being loved, being in love as much as I am now. The gift that God gave me was you and the children and you’re right, that’s what has made me the person I am today, inside and out. Thank you.”