[Home To Blessing 01] - A Measure of Mercy

by Lauraine Snelling

  “We can open presents now.” Inga ran into the other room.

  “Emmy, you sit down here by me.” She patted the floor beside her. “And Carl can sit here.”

  Thorliff gave his mother a look and shook his head. “The queen has spoken.”

  Lord, I do pray that everything is going well for Mr. Landsverk.And thank you for everyone here. For all the blessings you have poured out upon us. For sending us your son. And thank you for good weather, no blizzard.

  30

  MID-JANUARY 1904 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

  Astrid got comfortable on her bed and then traced her finger along her mother’s handwriting before opening the envelope.

  Dear Astrid,

  I cannot begin to tell you how much hearing your voice meant to me—to all of us, but to me especially. I just needed to hear your voice. What a gift the telephone can be. I have decided that since the call gave us all so much pleasure, we will do it again, only not wait until the house is full of company. I wish you could have seen the look on Inga’s face when you spoke to her. Her eyes lit up and she danced in place. “Tante Astrid!” she whispered. Well, you know how Inga whispers.

  We had a wonderful day here. The children so loved the Christmas tree, even when the candles weren’t lighted. I would find Emmy just sitting cross-legged on the floor, staring at it, all by herself. It is the first thing she runs to in the morning. I’m not sure how we will explain it to her when we take it down. I wish I knew if she is learning English. Perhaps I need to relearn some simple Sioux words to see if that would make her answer me. I know she can hear.

  When Thorliff brought in the puppy for Inga, she stroked the puppy’s ears, grinned up at her pa, and said, “Really? For me?” Thorliff asked her what she would like to name her, and she stared at him, shaking her head.

  We all tried to think of a name, but none has stuck yet. She is brown and white and fluffy. I don’t think she’ll be a cattle dog.

  Emmy loved the rag doll that Ellie made for her. She used black yarn for the hair and tan skin for the face and body. Emmy hugged that doll to her chest and never let it go for the rest of the day. I was thinking we should make a papoose pack for her and skin leggings and shirt for the doll, like Emmy wore when she came. Ellie dressed the doll in a skirt, waist, and apron.

  Inga, Carl, and Emmy wore the rabbit-skin mittens I made for them for the rest of the day. I need to make more of those. They are the warmest. Remember the rabbit-skin vests that Metiz used to make? I found one of Andrew’s, and while it is still too big for Carl, Emmy appropriated it for herself. She was so worn out by the time everyone left that she curled up behind the stove on her quilt right along with the cat. I remember Andrew doing the same thing. This has been a year of more memories than others, I think.

  Well, I better head on for bed. Both your pa and I pray for you every day, and I know God is holding you tight in the palm of His mighty hand. I know too that He will make His will clear to you at the right time, although I keep reminding Him of how much we want you to come back to Blessing.

  With all my love and rejoicing in who you are,

  Your mor

  Astrid mopped her tears and read the letter again. While they had tried to provide a Christmas for the children on the ward, she was glad so many were able to go home. She had been hoping that Gerald and Rebecca could have come for Benny before Christmas, but sometimes even the best laid plans didn’t make it. She could hardly believe they would be arriving the very next day. Containing her excitement took any extra energy she owned.

  She tucked the letter into the larger fabric envelope that contained all the others and then returned to her bed with her back against the wall, contemplating her tired feet. She must have walked ten miles today. At least it felt like that. Two babies had been born on Christmas Day—both healthy, as were the mothers. An old man on the surgical floor had died that night. And tomorrow Benny would meet his new parents. They were arriving on the train before noon and would stay overnight in the hotel down the street. She had leave to join Rebecca and Gerald for supper in the dining room here at the hospital.

  As she finished getting ready for bed, her thoughts got away from her. She’d not heard from Mr. Landsverk. No answer to the letter she sent him before Christmas and not even a note saying Merry Christmas.

  Take every thought captive, she reminded herself. You can’t be worrying about something you have no control over. Like that man. He was the one who asked her to write, who said he would write. Take every thought captive. Put Jesus in my mind instead. That was not a Bible verse but something her mother said that always made her calm down and think better. Astrid said her prayers, starting to omit Joshua and then changing her mind. Take care of him with all the rest of my family and friends, and thank you for your Word, which does sustain me. In spite of me. I love you, Jesus. Her amen never quite made it.

  * * *

  She woke at the knock at her door and made her way to the washroom, where other students and nurses were in the same bleary shape as she. At least she’d been allowed to sleep through the night. One did not take that privilege lightly, she’d learned well. Down in the dining room she poured herself a cup of coffee, filled her plate, and found a place to sit with some of the other student doctors.

  “So Benny goes to a home today?” one of the young men asked.

  Astrid nodded. “Rebecca Baard, now Rebecca Valders, has always been one of my good friends. We grew up together, and now she and her husband are coming.”

  “They understand about his handicap?”

  “Oh yes. I’m not worried about him going to Blessing. The whole town will become his family. Managing his crutches might be difficult in the snow, but I have a feeling someone will devise him a wagon or sled or something to make his life easier.”

  She glanced up to see Red Hawk taking the vacant place on her left. “Good morning.”

  “No, good night. I’m on my way to bed.”

  “Night shift?”

  “Three accidents brought in. One was a woman who fell down the stairs.” His sideways glance told them his opinion of that excuse.

  “How bad?”

  “Fracture of the right femur, broken ribs, and maybe internal injuries. She says she needs to get home to take care of her children.”

  “She won’t be taking care of anyone for a while,” another young doctor added.

  “If we got rid of the booze in this town, this hospital would have a lot less patients,” one of the women, well known for her views on prohibition, chimed in.

  “There was a big bust at the speakeasy. Several dead and one wounded brought in here. I guess some of the other hospitals took in the rest.” Red Hawk shoveled eggs and bacon into his mouth. “Saturday night in the big city.”

  “Who operated?”

  “Jensen.” Herbert Jensen, a third-year student, was staying on for more surgical training. “Two wounds actually, one in the left leg and the other in the side. Missed all the vitals. The man was grumbling about not seeing a real doctor.”

  “How did he know?” Someone down the table leaned forward. “Jensen has had more training than half the doctors practicing out there.”

  Astrid finished her plate and nursed her coffee for a few more minutes, half listening to the discussion waging around her. While she had come to feel acceptance within the group, she’d not developed any close friends other than Red Hawk, and she was never sure if he was really a friend or not. Perhaps he needed to retreat into himself in order to be able to endure all the close proximity of life in the hospital. She knew she needed to.

  A nurse came through the door, heading for the coffeepot. “Benny is asking for you, Dr. Bjorklund.”

  “I thought he would be. I am on my way.” She put her cup on the tray and headed out the swinging door. Outside the ward she paused and gathered herself, finally admitting that no matter how excited she was for Benny, she was going to miss him here. At least she would see him again in Blessing. If you don’t go to Afric
a, a little voice whispered inside her.

  Why was she feeling more accepting of that possibility lately? She pushed open the door to hear children laughing. Three of them were taking turns riding on Benny’s cart, for lack of a better word. Mr. Korchensky down in maintenance had fashioned a flat platform with two wheels in back and one in front with a handle protruding through the base so it could be turned in either direction.

  Benny sat on his bed, dressed in the new set of clothes the nurses had gone together and provided for him. The pants were long and loose enough to fit over the straps that held his prostheses in place so that when using his two crutches with his wooden legs, he looked close to normal. Scooting on the cart was much easier and faster.

  “Hey, Dr. Bjorklund.” He waved his crutch in the air. “Works good, huh?”

  “Works very good.” She stopped beside his bed. “You look all ready to go.”

  “Yep.” He nodded so vigorously that his sand-colored curls bobbed on his forehead. “You are going to come see me, right?”

  “When I get back to Blessing, I will see you for sure. Like I told you, Blessing is a small town, and everybody knows everybody else.”

  “And you grew up there?”

  “I did, and all my family and friends live there.”

  “And there are cows and horses and dogs and cats.”

  “And pigs and tractors and sheep and chickens.” She thought hard for something different. “And deer and birds and fish in the river.”

  “And I will go to school.” He tried hard to look tough, crossed arms, hands tucked under his armpits.

  “Yes, you will, and you will be so smart and learn so fast that no one can catch up with you.” They’d played this game before. It was as if he needed a preview of what life would be like in his new home. She’d never asked him about his life before the hospital, but one day she hoped he would tell her.

  “Now I must go see other patients, but I’ll be back.”

  He studied the first button on his shirt. “I wish you would stay here.” His whisper caught at her heart.

  Astrid leaned forward and tipped his chin up so he had to look at her. “Your life is going to be good, Benny. You will have a new mother and father who will love you and make sure you have what you need. You’ll have uncles and aunts and cousins and maybe even brothers and sisters sometime. I will bring your new parents to meet you when they come.” She dropped her voice so he had to listen harder.

  “I promise you, Benny.”

  He sighed and sniffed, then tried to smile. He nodded one more time and rubbed his finger under his nose. “Okay.”

  The morning rounds flew by, and since she was not in surgery that day, she could leave when the nurse announced with a wide smile that she had company. “They are such a nice young couple. Just right for our Benny,” she said as she accompanied Astrid down to the front desk.

  Rebecca, dressed in a rust-colored traveling suit and hat that nearly matched her hair, stood when she came through the door. “Oh, Astrid.” Arms wide, the two nearly collided in the middle of the room. Gerald, wearing a dark gray suit, a fedora in hand, waited right behind her, his smile such a taste of home that Astrid hugged him too.

  “I’m so glad you could come and even more that you are taking Benny. He is such a special little boy.” Astrid took both their arms. “Are you checked in to your hotel? How was your trip? Would you like a cup of coffee before we go to meet him?” When she realized she’d not given them time to answer any of her questions, she shook her head and laughed. “Pardon me. Guess I’m more excited than I thought.”

  “I’ll answer,” Gerald said, beaming at his wife. “Our train trip was good.” Rebecca nodded. “And we have a room at the hotel.”

  Rebecca’s eyes widened. “It’s a huge building five stories tall. We rode in an elevator so we didn’t have to climb all those stairs. Have you ridden in a little box like that?”

  “Yes. It was a bit scary the first time.”

  “Ja, and the second too.”

  “And yes, we would love some coffee.”

  “Dr. Morganstein has prepared tea and coffee for you in her office,” the receptionist announced. “She is looking forward to meeting you too.” She gestured toward the door. “Dr. Bjorklund will take you there.”

  “Oh, of course. Help me remember my manners.” Astrid led them down the hall. She knocked at the office door and at the “Come in” ushered them ahead of her. “Dr. Morganstein, I have the privilege of introducing my friends from Blessing, Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Valders. Rebecca has been my friend since we were tiny.”

  Dr. Morganstein met them in front of her desk and shook both their hands. “I am delighted to meet you. Welcome to Chicago and to our hospital. We are so excited to have you here.”

  “Thank you.” Gerald bent his head slightly. “I . . . we have heard so much about you through the years.”

  “Come, sit down, and we can visit while we have our tea, or coffee if you prefer. I want to answer any questions you might have regarding our Benny. I cannot begin to tell you how delighted I am that you are willing to adopt him. He has quite stolen the hearts of all who have cared for him.”

  After they sat down, Gerald leaned forward. “I have only one real concern. Since I was a street child too, I need to be assured that there are no parents or relatives who will come to claim him down the road. I know there were none in my brother’s and my case, but there could be here.”

  “We have done all we can to find any living relatives. The last we know of was a grandmother who died last year. Since the city of Chicago’s Missing Persons Department couldn’t find any more either, we have a signed affidavit that Benjamin Coreside, age six years and three months, will be legally yours after you sign the papers.”

  Gerald slowly nodded. “I think it was easier in our case. We just hid on the train and got off when we got so hungry we couldn’t stand it. We thought to scrounge something to eat, get back on another train, and keep going west until we couldn’t go any farther.”

  “I’m glad you stopped in Blessing,” Rebecca said with a smile.

  “Me too. And that Mr. and Mrs. Valders took us in. I know we weren’t easy to raise, especially Toby.”

  “I have a feeling that God has indeed brought the right parents for that little boy.” Dr. Morganstein rose and returned with a sheaf of papers. “I have here a copy of Benny’s birth certificate, his grandmother’s death certificate, and the adoption papers you need to sign. There is a copy for you and one for the city. We will take care of filing that.” She laid the papers and a pen in front of Gerald. “There is a line for each of you to sign.”

  Gerald signed both copies first, pressing firmly so his signature would come through clearly on the carbon copies, and then Rebecca signed and handed them back to the doctor. Gerald picked up his coffee cup and drained it. “Dr. Bjorklund told us that we would take Benny with us today to stay at the hotel. Our train leaves fairly early in the morning.”

  “That is correct, and if you have any questions, you can come back by or telephone us or write. We have Benny’s few things packed, and the janitor here has made him a sort of wagon. I’m not sure if you want to take that or not. He cannot use it outside during the winter anyway.”

  “I think what we’ll do is study it, and then we can make him something similar in Blessing.” He turned to Astrid. “Does he mind being carried?”

  “No, but we have tried to make him as independent as possible. The more he uses his crutches, the more adept he will become.”

  Dr. Morganstein set the papers on the desk and put the copies in another envelope. “These are for you, then. Dinner is being served in the dining room, and I have an idea there is a bit of a party going to happen. You go meet Benny, and I’ll see you again in the dining room.”

  When they opened the door to the ward, silence fell as all the children studied them. Astrid led the way to Benny’s bed, where he sat against the pillows, arms over his chest. He stared at Astrid, a
nd she smiled back, packing all the reassurance she could muster into her smile.

  “Benny, I want you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Valders, who have already signed the papers so that you can be their little boy. Your new name will be Benjamin Valders.”

  Rebecca nodded at the boy, then at Astrid. “You can call me Ma if you like.” She sat down on the edge of the bed. “We have a room at home all ready for you.”

  Gerald moved closer to Benny. “Do you want to be called Benjamin 354 or Benny?”

  “Benny.”

  “That is a good name. I have a brother named Toby. We had a good friend named Benny once.”

  Benny stared up at him. “You’ll be my pa?”

  “I am your pa.” The two stared into each other’s eyes, as if searching out some secret. Then Benny nodded. “Can we go now? I’m hungry.”

  “Do you want me to carry you, or do you want to use your crutches?”

  “It’s faster if you carry me.”

  “Then that’s what we’ll do.” Gerald leaned forward and lifted his son in his arms. “You want to say good-bye to the others?”

  “Yep.” Benny turned and waved, and as they walked the center aisle, he said good-bye to each of the children, one arm wrapped around his father’s neck.

  Astrid and Rebecca nodded at each other, and then one took his crutches, the other his small valise and followed them. At the door Benny turned to Gerald and pointed down. “That there is my scooter.”

  “I see.” Gerald bent over and studied the design, including moving the steering handle. When he straightened, he said solemnly, “I think we’ll leave that here for the other children, and before spring, we’ll build you one in Blessing that will work just the same. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  After dinner in the dining room, where as many of the staff as were free could join in, some bringing him presents, Benny rode out triumphantly in his father’s arms. Astrid walked them to the door.

  Rebecca hugged her, and she hugged Benny. “See you in Blessing,” she whispered in his ear.