“Spiders!” Miss Ida exclaimed.
“Oh, Christy always loved to learn about insects. It used to drive Mother crazy.” George shrugged. “She always liked to find out where and how they live.”
“So you’re attending the Bristol Academy this year?” David asked. “Is that anywhere near Asheville?”
George finished off his glass of milk. “It’s in Cullowhee, not too far from there.”
“How do you like the school?” asked Miss Alice.
“I like it fine, although it’s hard work, and the teachers are tough graders.”
“Just like Miz Christy,” Ruby Mae said softly. “I’ll bet you’re the smartest boy there, George.”
“Hardly!” George scoffed.
“George doesn’t always apply himself, Ruby Mae,” Christy said, smiling at her brother. “If he did, there’s no telling what he could accomplish.”
“I don’t always apply myself, neither,” Ruby Mae admitted to George. “Applyin’ makes my head spin.”
“Ruby Mae, I think you and I are going to get along just fine,” George said.
Ruby Mae gazed back at George like a lovesick puppy.
“So how long will you be able to stay, George?” David asked.
“A couple of weeks, at least. Maybe even longer. The fire did a lot of damage. Who knows?” George grinned at Christy. “Maybe I’ll just stay here forever.”
“Wait a minute,” Christy said, frowning. “I—”
“All right, all right.” George held up his hands. “I promise I won’t stay forever, Sis.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. Did you just say fire? I thought you said the school was damaged by a big storm.”
George paused to butter a roll before replying. “It was. But a fire started when one of the dormitory buildings was hit by lightning. That’s where most of the damage was. Unfortunately, that’s also where I was housed.”
“What’s your roommate doing while the repairs are being done?” Christy asked.
“Richard? I . . . I’m not sure. I think he decided to go home to Richmond. You know how he is. Very unpredictable.”
“Well, all I know about him is what you mentioned in your letters. Which, I might add again, are far too infrequent. I hope you write Mother and Father more often.”
“Not much,” George admitted sheepishly. “Which reminds me . . . I didn’t exactly tell them about my coming here.”
“Why not?”
“You know how Mother is. I was afraid she’d be upset if she knew I was visiting you instead of going home.” George met Christy’s eyes. “So maybe we should keep this visit under our hats, if you know what I mean.”
“Oh, I’m sure she’ll understand, George. It’s been ages since you and I have seen each other.”
“Still,” George said, a little more forcefully, “let’s just keep it between you and me.”
Christy hesitated. It didn’t seem right, not mentioning something this exciting to her parents. She always told them everything in her letters.
“It’s not like you’d be lying, Sis. We’d just be omitting a little information to spare someone’s feelings.” George turned to David. “What do you think, Reverend? You’re an expert on such things.”
“No, no.” David shoved back his chair. “I’m off duty, George. And I don’t want to get in the middle of a family dispute.”
“I have an idea.” George snapped his fingers. “I’ll stop by Mother and Father’s for a few days before it’s time to go back to school. It’ll be a complete surprise. In the meantime, not a word to them, Christy.”
“All right. I hate to have you leave even a few days early, but Mother and Father will be thrilled to see you.”
George gathered up some glasses and silverware. “I’ll take care of the dishes tonight, Miss Ida. You’ve done enough.” He motioned to Ruby Mae. “Come on, Ruby Mae. Give me a hand, and I’ll tell you all about what Christy was like as a little girl. Did you know she sucked her thumb till she was ten?”
“Go on!” Ruby Mae cried.
“George Huddleston,” Christy chided. “Don’t you start—”
“All right, all right.” George paused at the kitchen door. “I’m exaggerating slightly. But she did sleep with her stuffed bear, Mr. Buttons, right up until she left for Cutter Gap.”
Miss Alice chuckled. “He’s wonderful, Christy.”
“An angel,” Miss Ida said, “an absolute angel.”
Christy laughed. “Well, I’m not sure I’d go that far.”
She watched as George and Ruby Mae headed into the kitchen. George might not be an angel, but he was a wonderful brother. It would be great to have him here for a while to catch up on old times.
Christy found herself stopping to think about George’s behavior. Why did she have this uneasy feeling that there was something not quite right about this visit?
Three
Slowly, carefully, George unpacked his belongings. He almost wondered if he should bother. It wasn’t like he’d be staying here long.
He sat on the edge of his bed. It was covered by a threadbare but clean quilt. A battered wooden dresser, a chair, and a washstand completed the furnishings in the simple room. Not for the first time, George wondered about his sister’s choice to work at the mission.
How different this was from the home they’d grown up in! The Huddlestons weren’t a rich family. But compared to this spare house, their home back in Asheville practically looked like a palace.
George unpacked his socks and hairbrush. Then he reached to the bottom of his suitcase and pulled out a framed photograph.
The picture had been taken when George was eight years old. In it, George, Christy, and their parents were posed together formally. Mr. Huddleston looked stiff and dour. Mrs. Huddleston was smiling radiantly. George, as usual, was mugging for the camera.
But it was Christy’s smile that made George love this photo so much. She wasn’t looking at the camera. Instead, she was looking at George with a patient, loving, big-sister smile. It seemed to say, “I’ll always take care of you, even if you are a lot of trouble, little brother.”
He was startled by a gentle knock on his door. “George? It’s Christy. May I come in?”
“Sure.”
Christy stepped inside. “I just wanted to see if there’s anything else you need.”
“Nope. I’m all set.” George spread his arms wide. “All the comforts of home.”
Christy gave a wry smile. “This probably makes your dormitory look like a fancy hotel.”
“I’ve got a bed. That’s all I really need.” George closed his suitcase and set it aside. “Although I have to admit that I’m impressed you’ve stayed here this long, Christy. How long have you been teaching at the mission now?”
“Almost a year.”
George whistled. “To tell you the truth, I probably would’ve hightailed it out of here the first day. I don’t think I could stand the hardship.”
“Actually, the mission is luxurious.”
“Luxurious?” George cried.
“Yes, compared to most of the cabins around here.” Christy went to the window and sighed. “These beautiful mountains! You’d never believe they could hide such poverty, George. Most of my students have never even owned a pair of shoes.”
“It must be hard.”
“Yes. And yet they’re so brave and full of joy.”
George shook his head. “I meant hard for you. This isn’t your life, Christy.”
“It is now.”
“I mean, this isn’t the way you were raised. And some people might say this isn’t even your problem.”
“But it is.” Christy smiled that sweet, reassuring smile of hers. “I chose to be here. And I’m glad I did.” She laughed. “Don’t get me wrong. I mean, I had plenty of doubts at first. I almost gave up more than once. But I’m so glad I had the strength, with God’s help, to stay. These people have given me so much more than I’ve given them.”
For a
moment, George just stared at his sister. They’d grown up together. They had spent every Christmas and Easter and Fourth of July together. They had enjoyed long, lazy summer vacations together.
And yet, looking at her now, she seemed like a stranger. Not only did she look different—older, stronger, more mature—she seemed different.
“How did you know, Sis?” George asked softly. “How did you know you made the right choice coming here?”
“I gave it time. I listened to my heart. And I prayed.” Christy paused. “Then one day I looked out the window at those beautiful mountains, and I just knew this was the place I belonged, and this was the work I was meant to do.”
George placed his belongings in the top drawer of his dresser. “I wonder if I’ll ever feel that way. I never seem to know what the right thing to do is.”
“You’re only fifteen, George. You’re not supposed to have all the answers.”
“Oh, and you have all the answers at nineteen?”
Christy laughed. “Hardly.” She reached for George’s photo and grinned. “I remember when we had this picture taken. You refused to sit still. And you kept making an awful face at the poor photographer.”
“That was just my natural expression.”
“I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve missed you. You know what I was thinking about the other day? Remember how we used to go to the church conference at Montreat every summer?”
“I think that’s where your fascination with bugs really started.”
“Well, I may have loved insects, but I certainly hated the water. You, on the other hand, were part fish from the day you were born.” Christy sat on the edge of George’s bed. “Anyway, I remember the day you tried to coax me into jumping off the pier into the lake. I kept saying I knew I would drown. And you kept promising you’d catch me.” She sighed. “Finally, I jumped in. That had to be the hardest leap of faith I’ve ever made in my life. Harder even than coming here to work at the mission.”
George squeezed her hand. “I’ll always be there to catch you, Sis.” He grinned. “Although, to be fair, you do weigh a whole lot more now than you did back then.”
Christy swatted his arm playfully, then headed to the door. “If there’s anything you need, just yell.”
George watched the door close. He sighed. He needed Christy’s help right now, and yet he could not bring himself to ask for her help. Could he trust Christy to stand by him now, or was that asking too much? George had a secret that he could not bear to share—not even with his big sister.
George’s secret required more courage than he could muster up, at least for now. That was a leap of faith that would have to wait for another day.
Four
And then there was the time she drew freckles on her face with a pencil. Seems she thought they’d make her look more sophisticated!”
Christy put her hands on her hips and groaned. They were talking about her again! George and Doctor MacNeill had been sitting on the mission house porch for the last hour, chatting and laughing. Three days had passed since George’s arrival. It seemed as if there was no one in Cutter Gap he hadn’t charmed by now. “George,” she chided, “are you telling more stories about me?”
“Oh, I’ve learned all kinds of fascinating things about your childhood, Christy.” Doctor MacNeill took a puff on his pipe. “For example, I found it fascinating to discover that before you decided to become a teacher, you aspired to be a beekeeper.”
“That lasted about a week,” Christy said as she sat down next to George. She shot her brother her most withering glance, but he just grinned good-naturedly. “You know, I could be telling all kinds of stories about your childhood, too.”
“We haven’t just been talking about you,” Doctor MacNeill said. “Your brother’s been keeping me in stitches. He has quite a repertory of jokes. Why, I’d say he’s ready for the stage.”
“You two really seem to be enjoying each other’s company,” Christy said.
“The doctor invited me over for dinner,” George said. “He tells me he’s quite the cook.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Christy said, with just a hint of resentment. “I haven’t had the chance to sample much of Neil’s cooking.”
“That’s not true!” Doctor MacNeill exclaimed. “How about that picnic I took you on? I made corn on the cob and ham biscuits.”
“Yes, but it took you months to invite me. You’ve only known George an hour.”
The doctor’s dark eyes sparkled. “Well, you don’t know magic tricks, Christy,” he teased. “George does.”
George stood and stretched. It still amazed Christy to see how much taller he’d grown since she had last seen him. He was practically a man now—though she still couldn’t help feeling he was her “little” brother.
“Well,” he said, “I think I’ll take a walk down to David’s bunkhouse. He said he could use some help rebuilding his fireplace. Besides—” he winked at Doctor MacNeill, “I’m sure you two would like some time alone.”
“What have you been telling him?” Christy asked as George headed off.
“Nothing but the truth. He asked if we were involved.”
“And you said . . .”
“I said I wasn’t sure,” the doctor squeezed Christy’s hand, “but that I hoped so.”
Christy felt a blush creep into her cheeks. “And what did George say to that?”
“He said he thought the reverend seemed interested in you, too. I told George he was an astute observer.” The doctor paused to tamp down the tobacco in his pipe. “Then he said he thought David was a great fellow.”
“And you said . . .”
“I said he wasn’t as astute an observer as I’d thought.”
“Neil!”
The doctor chuckled. “I’m just pulling your leg. You ought to be used to that, growing up with George.”
“True enough.”
“He’s great, Christy. You’re a lucky girl to have him for a brother.”
“Well, not altogether lucky,” Christy said, staring off at the garden to avoid the doctor’s gaze.
“Meaning what?”
“It’s just that he’s been a bit of a disrupting influence at school. He asked if he could sit in on my class for a while, and of course I said yes. But before I knew it, he was disrupting everything. He had half the students trying to pull things out of their neighbors’ ears.”
“Excuse me?”
“You know the old trick, where you pull a penny out from behind someone’s ear? Well, George taught the children the trick during the noon recess yesterday, and of course, pandemonium broke loose. Creed pulled an acorn out of Little Burl’s ear. Ruby Mae pulled a hair ribbon out of Bessie’s ear. Wraight even pulled a field mouse out of Lundy’s ear.”
The doctor pretended to look worried. “Remind me to check the children’s hearing next time I’m here.”
“I know it sounds funny, Neil. But the children are so in love with George that they barely pay any attention to me anymore. He’s like the Pied Piper.”
“It’s just the novelty of a new face, Christy. Besides, he’s only going to be here a couple of weeks at the most. It’s silly to get jealous.”
“I’m not jealous!” Christy cried, but as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realized they weren’t true. “Well, maybe I’m a little jealous.” She sighed. “The truth is, I suppose I’ve always been a little bit jealous of George. Everyone always falls in love with him instantly. It takes me longer to get to know people. I’m shy. I don’t tell jokes well. I can never remember the punch lines. And George is so . . .” Christy threw up her hands. “I don’t know. So easy to like.”
The doctor leaned over and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. “You’re pretty easy to like yourself.”
“Thanks, Neil, but you’re biased.”
“Actually, I would think you’d be a tough act for George to follow. You were the first child. You always excelled in school. And now you’re here, doing something brave
and difficult.”
“Hmm. I never thought of it that way.”
“I got the impression that George really looks up to you, Christy.”
“Did he . . .” Christy hesitated, “did he happen to say anything else?”
“About what?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Christy said casually. “About school. Any troubles he might be having.”
“No, not a thing. Why?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Just a feeling. I can’t really explain it. I just have a hunch George isn’t telling me the whole truth about why he’s here.”
“The storm—”
“Yes, I know. Like I said, it’s just a hunch. Call it woman’s intuition.”
“Maybe,” the doctor said, “you’re looking for a problem where none exists because you’re feeling a little uncomfortable about having George here.”
Christy shook her head. “It could be you’re right. I’ll think about it. In any case, that’s quite enough about my problems for one day. How about we try tackling yours for a while?”
“Mine?”
“For instance, what do you plan to feed George and me for dinner when we visit?”
“I don’t recall inviting you,” the doctor said with a sly smile.
“But you were going to.”
“And how can you be so sure of that?”
“It’s just a hunch. Call it woman’s intuition.”
Five
Sit next to me this afternoon, George!”
“No, me!”
“No, me!”
Christy ran to the rescue and pulled George out of the knot of girls surrounding him. As was usual during the noon recess, he had been the center of attention.
“My brother and I need to talk, girls,” Christy said. Her words were met with a chorus of groans.
“Thanks for the rescue,” George said, wrapping his arm around Christy’s shoulder as they strode toward the schoolhouse steps.
“Normally, the boys and girls don’t even like to sit near each other,” Christy pointed out. “Do you realize that half the girls in my class are madly in love with you?”
Stage Fright / Goodbye, Sweet Prince / Brotherly Love Page 15