Allie hesitantly took the book and opened the cover. Tears ran down her cheeks and she reached out to hug Blinne.
“Oh! It’s a journal. My Ma’s journal. I didn’t even know she had one.”
“She had me keep it for you. I am curious to know what’s in there, but I’ll wait for you to share, if you feel like doing so.”
“Of course, I’ll share with you. I’m just so speechless and a little scared. Ma was always a closed book. She hinted at the possibility of things, but she would never tell me her history. Not all of it anyway. I of course know the story of how Ma and Pa met and married. I know about my grandparents. I’m sure that’s in here, but maybe I might learn more.” Allie hugged the book. “It feels almost like I have the opportunity to talk to Ma again. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank her. I just did what she asked me to do,” Blinne grasped her hands behind her back. Proud of her accomplishment of keeping a secret.
“I wonder why she just didn’t give it to me herself.”
“I don’t really know, but maybe the answer is in there.”
Allie hugged Blinne again. “Oh, thank you thank you thank you.”
Blinne pulled back and set her jaw.
“Stop thanking me. It was nothing, really. Now, let’s get back to getting you ready to leave, shall we?”
Allie nodded, and again hugged the book. She still didn’t want to go, but now she desperately wanted to read. Not knowing what this book, these pages held, made her want to read in private. She wasn’t sure what or if she was going to learn anything, but she knew she wanted to know and absorb whatever was in here before anyone else knew.
With the book always in the front of her mind, the day passed much more quickly than any of the others. All of the chores were complete, thanks to having the extra hands to get it done. She couldn’t always be here to help Pa, but at least she started him off right. She went to sleep in her bed for the last time with mixed feelings. She was sad to be leaving, again, but so anxious to go.
CHAPTER 23
Frank thought he was ready to go home and continue his practice, but the reality of what had happened bore down on him full force. He began doubting himself and his abilities before he stepped off the train in North Yakima. Refusing to let Allie see any turmoil within himself, he kept a smile on his face and worked to keep the conversation away from him or the practice.
They boarded the streetcar that serviced Wiley City, for the first time, and walked home from its stopping point. Frank carried their trunk. He was glad that it wasn’t large and that they’d traveled light. As they turned the corner and their home came into view, they both stopped, not believing what was before them. Someone had built the fence! They not only built it, but painted it white as well. It didn’t take Frank long to figure out John either did the work himself or organized it to be done.
“Frank! It’s lovely,” Allie commented, quickening her pace, making it home before her bewildered Frank.
When Frank caught up, he set down the trunk and admired the fine work.
“This must have been John. I had picked up a load of wood and was going to build it for you myself… until…” Frank immediately stopped talking and turned his back to Allie.
Allie furrowed her brow.
“Until what?”
Frank ran his hand through his hair as he turned to face Allie.
“Uh, until I realized I should be with you. I dropped everything and came.” He wrapped his arms around her. “I should have gone with you and I know I’ve apologized before, but I am sorry.”
“Oh, Frank, stop. You did what you needed to. I’m happy that you did come, but I understand the pulls you have here.” She headed for the door raising her voice for Frank to hear her as she walked away. “I’m going to bake something for John as a thank you. Need to see what I have to work with.”
Frank picked up the trunk and followed her in the house. He took the trunk up to their room and set it at the foot of their bed. Then he went back down and found Allie was already busy in the kitchen. She had started a fire in the stove and had begun filling a pot with water to boil. Not much could be done until the water had boiled. He sat at the table and kept her talking so he didn’t have to think about what truly was weighing on his conscience.
“How are you today? I know losing your Ma was hard, but you seem to be handling it better than I prepared for.”
Allie paused and thought about what he just said.
“I’m ok, today. Right now. Honestly, it’s like climbing a mountain. You go up a bit and then down some before going back up. The top is the goal, but you do have those downhill sections while climbing. I just hope once I get to the top nothing pushes me over and makes me fall down the other side.”
Frank nodded. He could understand that. Losing Allie’s Ma was the closest he has come to a death that directly affected him. His grandparents on his Pa’s side died before he was born leaving the bank in his care. His mother’s family lived back east and he didn’t know them except through letters. He’d been around and witnessed many deaths, but more from an outsider’s view. In many ways, this was the same. The only difference was that it affected Allie directly and that affected him. He didn’t want Allie to hurt, but knew the grieving process took everyone a different amount of time. It looked different. Each person had their own path through the sorrow and moving on. He would be there and walk through it with her.
Frank decided to lighten the mood and change the subject while he watched Allie work.
“You sure make cooking attractive,” he smirked.
“Frank! I’m head to toe in flour and sugar.”
She had tied her hair back and knew her rosy cheeks and long eye lashes did always seem to bring something out in Frank. It didn’t take too long and she had a plate of cookies put together. He wasn’t really sure how she accomplished that, given the lack of supplies in their kitchen. She worked miracles, it seemed. Perhaps she was truly his angel.
“I’ll walk this over now. I need to talk with him about what has gone on while we were away. I’m hoping not much, but tomorrow I will be opening up again and want to make sure I don’t need to visit any patients for illness or injury that occurred in the last weeks.” Frank dropped a kiss on her blushing cheeks and left her to clean up.
John wasn’t too hard to find. He was the local blacksmith and his shop was by the livery. The smell of the hot steel seemed to overpower that of the stables, so Frank imagined John wasn’t bothered by the location. Frank stood along the shop wall and waited for John to lift his head from his work and spot him.
“Well, hello Frank,” John greeted, as he took his gloves off, wiped his brow, and walked over to pump his free hand.
Frank held up the plate of cookies. “Allie made these for you as a thank you. You did a fine job on that fence.”
John smirked.
“No thanks necessary. I had help. Besides, that’s what we do here. All pull together when someone needs something.”
Frank nodded his reply.
“So, how is Allie’s Ma?” John said still chewing and dropping crumbs from his lips.
Frank leaned against the wall once more and crossed one leg over the other.
“She passed a few days back.”
John stopped his chewing and tried to clear his throat for an apology. Frank lifted his hand and motioned it was ok.
“Losing someone is always hard, but losing family is tough. They are good folks and I think they will all be just fine.”
“Glad to hear that, not the part about her passing, but about them being ok,” John said and downed the last of the cookie.
“So, what has happened here while I was gone?” Frank closed his eyes. “How is the Dodd family?”
John wiped his mouth and brushed his hands off on his pants.
“They’ll be all right, Frank. They lost both their parents and, as you know, it was a shock to them. That family is how you described Allie’s, though. They are wading through
their grief, but moving forward. The farm is for sale. All the kids have their own places, and most don’t live around these parts anymore. It was the natural solution.” John picked up the shoe he had been working on and looked it over before continuing. “It’s a good farm. They’ll have a buyer soon.”
Frank silently thanked God. He hoped they were all doing well. Getting news that your father passed and rushing home to help your Ma only to have her die before your own eyes, could cause anyone to form demons that could eventually take them, too. That was not a chain reaction he wanted to be the start of.
“Thanks for letting me know they are managing alright.”
John could see the pain flash across his eyes.
“I hope you aren’t still blaming yourself. You know she would have done that anyway she could. A person gets that in their mind and it’s hard to convince them otherwise. The way I see it, she took the easier to deal with approach. It could have been far worse on those kids of hers.”
Frank’s mind conjured up several horrible images. He was glad she didn’t choose a more gruesome approach to taking her own life.
“It’s a mistake I will always blame myself for. I became a doctor to save lives and to comfort those that were beyond saving. I never wanted any action of mine, accidental or not, to be the cause of someone’s demise.” He looked at his boots and tapped a small rock across the shop floor.
“It’s over. What happened, happened, and that can’t be changed. To be honest, it was an innocent mistake. I know if you could go back and take those pills away you would, but that can’t happen.”
John was sounding much like Allie’s Pa in the matter of fact tone he had.
“Life moves on and those kids are going to be just fine.” Frank nodded, but John could tell he was still wrestling with all of it. “I hope you can move on from this, and soon. We’ve had some issues crop up around here that need a focused doctor.”
Those words snapped Frank to attention.
“What things?” Frank left his place on the wall.
“Typhoid.”
One word was all that was needed. Everyone knew the area was plagued with it. The epidemic was on its third year and outside help had been requested.
“The number of deaths has increased lately. Wiley City itself has been affected. Just a couple of folks living out in the country. It hasn’t directly hit the town, yet,” John explained.
Frank knew this was a real possibility. He’d tried to get word out to as many folks as he could that they needed to use boiled water, but it seemed some just didn’t believe that was a necessity. Maybe with the sudden increase in local cases it would catch their attention.
“Will you do me a favor, John?’
“Sure, what do you need?”
“Please help me spread the need to boil all water before it’s used. All water for cooking and washing needs to first be boiled. That’s the only prevention we have until we can figure out the source.”
“Will do. We’ve been boiling since you told us, but I will make sure everyone I see understands the importance of it.”
“Thanks, and thanks again for the fence. That brightened Allie’s heart.”
“Glad to do it.”
They shook hands again and Frank headed for home with a long stride and a quick step.
CHAPTER 24
Allie had unpacked the trunk and pulled out the journal. She sat in the light of the bedroom window and began reading. She wanted to wait until she was alone. Somehow the yellow curtains alongside her made it seem as though Ma was right there. She had told Frank about the journal but he hadn’t pressed her for more information, for which she was thankful. She would share later only what she wanted. Having this felt like she had a part of her ma still. She could keep it and hold the words in her heart as long as she wanted before releasing them.
She reclined on the bed and opened the cover. The front of the book had an elegant butterfly decorating the soft blue fabric that had some wear and soil splotching. Turning the first page, she saw her ma’s name written in a beautiful script. It was printed. This book was made for her ma. Her parents never had much money for frivolous things. That made her curious as to how she obtained the book. Turning that page gave her the first answer. It read, To our loving daughter, Doreen, on her sixteenth birthday. With all our love, Mother and Father.
Allie gently rubbed the letters with her index finger. She knew her grandparents were financially better off than her parents. Nothing was ever directly said, but Ma had a more refined upbringing and passed those skills off to her children.
Allie was taught things, such as how to set a table with multiple pieces of silverware or how to keep conversation light and upbeat in mixed company, things that other simple farm girls would not have learned. Life on the farm was busy with chores and learning necessities for survival. Ma found time to fit in these extra teachings here and there when time allowed.
Allie paused, thinking about Ma and Mrs. Wimble’s relationship. Not many could be in Mrs. Wimble’s company for very long. Ma seemed to know how to talk with her… what to say and when. She wondered if how Ma was raised had anything to do with that. Continuing on, she turned the page.
Allie recognized her ma’s handwriting right away and it brought fresh tears to her eyes. She quickly cleared them, so she could see the first entry dated August eighteenth in the year of one thousand eight hundred eighty-two.
Mother and Father were very generous in giving me this journal. It is beautiful. My birthday party was held at my mother’s place of work and where we live, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Richardson. Mother is their children’s governess, and father serves as bookkeeper. It is rare that my mother stayed employed, having married and her own children, but the Richardson’s are like family to us and allowed her to stay on. I have grown up next to their children, and mother has trained me the same.
That explained so much to Allie already and she was enjoying every little detail she learned. She continued reading.
The Richardson’s are very generous people. They allowed us to use the garden outside. Camille, their chef, baked a lovely cake with little flowers on top for decoration. Tea was served to accompany the cake and I was allowed to invite several of my friends to the party. It was all very lovely, and I will forever cherish this day.
Mother says now that I am sixteen it is time for me to start thinking about my future. I didn’t need persuading for that, though. I’ve been dreaming about that for a few years now. I am no longer a child, but a woman ready to spread my wings and fly, just like the butterfly on the front cover.
Mother has hopes that I will be fancied by one of the Richardson’s children’s friends. She would love for me to be wed off to an affluent member of society. I wish to fall in love and be swept away. Mother says those are wishful thoughts that rarely become reality, but I continue to hope. It is getting late and I must rest for tomorrow. We have to escort Helen, their oldest daughter, to town. Helen is slightly older than I and is preparing for her upcoming wedding. She will be meeting with the dressmaker for her final fitting. Mrs. Richardson has business to attend to at home. She fully trusts mother to handle this portion. Mrs. Richardson has already seen the dress a few times, and really this is just a formality of picking up the dress and brining it home. I will try to write again soon, but with the wedding approaching there is much to do and everyone must work together.
Allie closed the book just as she heard the front door latch. She rose and went downstairs to find Frank.
Frank hung his hat on the hook by the door and greeted Allie.
“Hello, darling. Did you miss me?” He winked.
“Yes, you have been gone for so long,” Allie laughed. Frank had been gone an hour at most. “Did John enjoy the cookies?”
“He sure did. And, I was right. It was him… the fence work out there,” Frank pointed to the front yard. “I don’t know how we got so lucky, but the people around here are gems.”
“That they are. And yes,
we are lucky.”
“You are still in a great mood.”
Allie looked down at the floor remembering what she read.
“Yes, I’m learning about my Ma’s history and so far, it’s beautiful.”
Frank sat in one of the chairs. “Ah, the journal.”
“Yes, the journal,” Allie joined him in the other chair. “She received it on her sixteenth birthday. So far I have only read the entry from that day. She had a wonderful party and I learned a bit more about my grandparents.”
“That’s great. I’m not sure why you didn’t know this information before, but I’m glad she is telling you now, in her own words.”
Allie sighed.
“I don’t know either. She would give us bits and pieces. I knew she had a good childhood. I knew my grandparents were hard workers, but I didn’t know details about that. In her own words is exactly how it feels. When I read, it felt as though she was right there telling me. I could hear her voice. I’m so happy I have this.”
Tears pooled in her eyes and Frank reached over and grabbed her knee.
“I miss her,” Allie confessed. She closed her eyes and raised her wrist to dab a tear.
“I know. It’s okay. Cry when you need to cry. Laugh when you need to laugh. This is all part of this journey.”
Frank decided a change of topic was needed.
“John told me that typhoid has been spreading since we left.”
Allie wiped her eyes with her apron.
“Oh no! I was hoping things would improve. Is there something more I can do or should be doing?”
“No. Nothing. He said outside help is on its way. I’m going to reach out to Dr. Green in North Yakima and see if I can get any more information.”
Allie chewed her lip.
“That sounds like a good idea. I really hope it doesn’t get too bad. I don’t know how much more my heart can take right now. I need life to settle down a bit. It seems things just jump from one thing to the next.”
“I know what you mean. You’ve had over a year now with some pretty intense things to deal with.” Frank’s eyes twinkled just a bit. “You have had one big great thing happen, though.”
In His Time (Carried Through Chaos Book 2) Page 11