All Things Hidden

by Tricia Goyer

  “I understand. Do you mind if I take these letters home? I don’t want to wear you out.”

  “Good idea. My recliner is calling me. And after that, an old Cary Grant movie.” Anita offered a closed-lipped, contented smile. “That’s what I call a good day.”

  Charlotte rose, returned the lid to the shoe box, and retied the ribbon. Eagerness percolated in her chest. She couldn’t wait to get home and settle in with these letters. “Anita, is it okay if I ask you something?” Charlotte tried to make her voice sound casual as she carried her teacup and saucer across the room, setting them gently inside the porcelain sink.

  “Yes, of course. What is it?”

  “Well, I was wondering why you waited so long to give me these letters. You knew my parents my whole life. Didn’t you ever think of passing the information on to my father about Granddaddy? Or bringing the letters over to me after their passing?”

  Anita smiled. “Yes, of course. I would have if I’d known about them. You see, when I broke my ankle and could hardly move or get out of bed, I finally had time to go through my mother’s old cedar trunk. I’d been meaning to do it for years. I just told myself, ‘After my to-do list is done, I’ll do it.’ As we all know, the to-do list is never done.”

  “So you found the letters in the trunk?”

  “Yes, and when I read about Elijah Coleman I had it on my list to call you.” A soft chuckle bubbled from her lips. “See, it’s the fault of my to-do list yet again.”

  “Oh, I understand. Believe me.” Charlotte’s own list rolled through her mind as soon as she said it, but she quickly pushed it away.

  “When the story of Elijah Coleman came up yesterday, I remembered the letters. I’m so glad you were there where I could see you and ask you to come over. Otherwise, dear, who knows how many more months would have passed before I’d finally gotten them into your hands.”

  Charlotte offered Anita a gentle hug as she headed out. “Well, thank you so much for these.”

  “Yes, I’m just glad I found the letters while I was still walking this earth. No one else going through my things would know the connection. I’d say the information is pretty interesting. And maybe you’ll come to the same conclusion that I did—that Elijah Coleman could not have stolen that money.”

  Anita’s words stayed with Charlotte as she carefully watched her footing on the icy walkway. They stayed with her as she drove home. It was strange how just a few days ago she hadn’t given her great-grandparents much thought at all—and now their story was taking up so much of her time.

  She looked at the brick buildings as she drove through town, trying to imagine Bedford 130 years ago. People had lived in community together, supporting each other just like they did today.

  “And just like they’ll be doing fifty years from now,” Charlotte mumbled to herself. Somehow it made her life—her story—matter so much more.

  She was still making her way home when an old yellow Volkswagen drove by in the other direction. Charlotte paused when she noticed Sam in the passenger’s seat. Their eyes met for the slightest moment before the car continued down the road.

  “Sam Slater, whatever are you doing away from school in the middle of a school day?” she wondered aloud.

  Charlotte scoured her mind for any memory of the Volkswagen—or, more specifically, that girl who was driving it.

  Chapter Six

  Emily held her lunch tray carefully. The smell of her veggie burger making her stomach growl. The line shuffled forward slowly, and she wished it would go faster so she could find a place to sit and eat, and then get out of there. With Ashley absent, lunchtime wasn’t fun. There were so many social circles that didn’t like the intrusion of a new person. It was better to just eat and go as quickly as possible.

  She couldn’t believe Ashley had missed school to go shopping in Harding with her mom. Emily knew her grandma would have never allowed that. Well, maybe she would if she had gone through all the cancer stuff that Mrs. Givens had gone through. Facing your own possible death seemed to have an effect on some people, making them reconsider what really mattered. Emily supposed school wasn’t one of those things—or at least it wasn’t as high up the list as a mother-and-daughter shopping trip. That idea sobered Emily as she thought about all the times with her mom that she was missing. She suddenly wished she didn’t have to eat—didn’t have to try to put on a happy face in the middle of all these noisy kids.

  Emily was waiting in line to get a salad when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

  “Seriously, Lily, if you’re going to cheat from my history test, at least don’t copy all the answers,” spouted Nicole Evans.

  “But I didn’t …” Lily’s voice started and then stopped. “Whatever.”

  “You almost made me get detention,” Nicole continued. “Could you imagine what my dad would do? I wouldn’t get the car this weekend. And who else would you get to drive you around? You’d be stuck at home with your dear, sweet, foreign—or is it alien?—sister.” Her words were sharp, and Emily couldn’t believe her ears. I thought I was the only one she talked to like that.

  Emily glanced over her shoulder and noticed Lily’s downcast eyes. Then she quickly looked away. She scanned the cafeteria and spotted Hunter across the room hanging out with some of his rodeo friends. She was considering heading over there when someone else caught her attention. It was Andrea, sitting against the far wall. Alone.

  She wasn’t looking around or interacting with anyone else. Instead she just sat there, slightly slumped over, focused on her lunch. Suddenly, Emily realized she and Andrea might have something in common.

  Emily walked in her direction. “Hey there.”

  Andrea jumped slightly and looked up. Her eyes widened with surprise. Then before Emily could blink, a smile spread across Andrea’s face.

  “Hi, Em-i-ly.” Andrea patted the seat beside her.

  Emily smiled, actually liking the way Andrea said her name in three distinct syllables.

  They sat silently for a few seconds, and Emily tried to think of something to say.

  “I was thinking it might be good to go to the library to find books for our project. That might work better. You know, instead of a sleepover.”

  “Or we could do both.” Andrea’s face glowed. “Tomorrow library and Saturday sleeping at my house.”

  Emily bit her lip and nodded. “Yeah, about that. Did you, uh, mention it to Lily?”

  “Not yet, but I talked to my mom, and she says it will be good.”

  Emily nodded, took a bite of her carrot stick, and swallowed. “Is that weird, you know, calling Mrs. Cunningham Mom?”

  Andrea shrugged. “It was at first, but my exchange coordinator says it is a good idea. It helps me to connect more with my family.” Andrea tucked her hair behind her ear. “It is fun, you know, to have a sister. Back home I only have one younger brudder.”

  Emily was getting used to the way Andrea said “brother.” In fact she noticed that most of the time Andrea didn’t pronounce her th’s.

  The sound of girls’ laughter carried across the cafeteria, and Andrea’s gaze followed it. Emily looked too and noticed that Lily was sitting on the other side of the cafeteria with Nicole Evans and some of their other friends. Emily looked at Andrea and saw the slightest tinge of sadness in her gaze. Then Andrea blinked, and the look was gone, like a windshield wiper brushing off the rain.

  Emily wanted to ask why Lily wasn’t sitting with her “sister,” but she didn’t want to make her feel bad.

  Emily took a sip from her chocolate milk. “So, what’s it like, you know, living at the Cunningham house?”

  Andrea took a large bite from her burger, and Emily wasn’t sure if she had heard her. Or maybe Andrea was just trying to ignore the question.

  Then she swallowed and turned to Emily. “It is good, you know. It is not like home. I share a room with Lily, which is hard and good.”

  “What do you mean?” Emily heard Nicole’s laughter again and felt her
neck muscles tense.

  “It is hard because Lily has had her own room her whole life. Sometimes she does not like it when my things are on her side of the room.” Andrea giggled. “Although my side seems to shrink every week.”

  Emily took a bite of her veggie burger, waiting for Andrea to tell her the good part, although she couldn’t imagine what that could be.

  “It is good, too, because we often talk at night. Both of us are night owls—I think that is how you say it—and we talk even after everyone else is asleep.”

  “Really? What do you talk about?”

  Andrea shrugged. “School, friends, boys—well, at least on most nights. On weekends Lily goes with Nicole a lot.”

  “And don’t you go with her? That seems sort of weird, leaving you home.”

  “I know.” Andrea lowered her gaze to her lap. “I suppose it is fine. I spend time with Mom or I talk to my friends back home on Skype. I guess Lily made a deal with Mom that she is not my babysitter. Nicole told me that. She …” Andrea’s voice trailed off. “Mom also said it was her idea to have an exchange student, not Lily’s.” Andrea sighed. “And really it’s easier when Lily is not there, so I do not mind that much.”

  Emily finished her burger, wondering how she should respond to that. She was glad Andrea was being truthful, and she wished there were something she could do to help. And even though she didn’t say anything, she hoped that Lily would be away with Nicole when she stayed the night. Lily might be forced to be nice to Andrea, but she wasn’t sure if that would go for her too. A shiver trailed up Emily’s arms, just imagining what it would be like trying to get along with Lily for a whole night.

  “You’re from Czechoslovakia, right?” Emily asked, changing the subject. “I think that’s what I remember hearing.”

  “Well, it used to be called that when our country was joined with Slovakia. In 1993 we got our independence and we’re our own country again—the Czech Republic.”

  “So do you miss any food, you know, from back home?”

  “Oh yes! My mother makes wonderful dumplings and goulash. We also have carp for dinner on Christmas. I didn’t think I liked it very much until I missed it this year.”

  “Carp? Like fish?”

  Andrea turned in her seat, and her face brightened. “Yes, every Christmas Eve men have fish in huge barrels that they sell on the street. We get one and keep it in the bathtub and then—”

  “Wait, wait, wait. The fish is alive?”

  Andrea nodded.

  “And big?”

  Andrea spread her hands about two feet.

  “And you keep it in your bathtub? That’s weird.”

  Andrea’s face fell slightly. “Not weird, just different. Everyone does it.”

  “Oh, you know, you’re right. Not weird, just different. Very different.”

  For the next few minutes Andrea talked about her family’s apartment in some town whose name Emily couldn’t pronounce. She also talked about her school and the mall she and her friend used to go to every Saturday.

  “I bet you think Bedford is like going back in time. I imagine you think it’s different we don’t have a mall—or any decent shopping.”

  “No, that’s just weird. Very weird.” Andrea chuckled.

  By the time the bell rang, signaling that lunch was over, Emily was already thinking about things around Bedford that Andrea might appreciate—like learning to bake a pie with Grandma or riding on Uncle Pete’s tractor. Emily assumed that since the Cunninghams lived in town Andrea didn’t get to do those things. Maybe she should come over to Emily’s house instead of the other way around.

  When lunch was finished, they headed off to their own classes. But when it was time for last-period history class, Emily was happy when Mrs. Lorenz gave them the whole period to brainstorm ideas for their presentation.

  “I’m not sure where to start,” Emily admitted.

  “Hold on.” Andrea stood. “I will ask.”

  Andrea hurried up to Mrs. Lorenz’s desk without a moment’s hesitation, and Emily figured she was used to having to ask for help. She returned a minute later with a big book.

  “This was given to me by Mrs. Lorenz for us to use. She says that any time before 1900 is good for our pre—” Andrea giggled. “Presentation.”

  Emily read the cover: Adams County Memories. She opened it and looked through it. It had been printed by the local historical society, and there was page after page of people’s stories and black-and-white photos.

  More students filled the room, talking and laughing. Then the bell rang, informing them class had officially started. A minute later Lily Cunningham strode into the room. She didn’t look at Mrs. Lorenz, let alone offer an excuse for being tardy. With a bored look on her face, she pulled an empty desk up next to the two desks Andrea and Emily had put together and then sat.

  “Hi, sister,” Andrea chirped.

  Emily noticed that the dispassionate mask Lily wore cracked.

  “Hey, sis.” Lily leaned forward in the desk. “So what are we doing again?”

  “We’re just looking for information for our presentation. Emily and I were looking through this book. You want to join us?”

  Lily scooted closer. Then, sitting side by side, they flipped through the book. Emily had lifted one page to finish reading the story of a woman who’d come to Adams County as a mail-order bride when Andrea squealed. “Look, Bukvova! That is my friend’s last name.” Her finger moved down the page.

  Andrea flipped to another page. “Look, more Czech families. Many of them.” She turned one more page, and there was an advertisement poster. Andrea squealed again, causing many of the students who were working in their own small groups to look at her and laugh.

  “This poster, you see, is written in Czech. It encourages families to homestead in Nebraska. It looks like they posted these in Czech newsletters.”

  “Do you mean newspapers?”

  “Yes, newspapers.”

  Emily looked closer. “Wow, I didn’t realize they advertised.”

  Lily pulled out her notebook. “What are we supposed to be talking about again?”

  “How the railroad affected the growth of the settlements in Nebraska.” Emily’s finger moved down the page. “Perfect. Listen to this: ‘What pulled Czechs to Nebraska was a steady stream of advertisements and glowing reports in Czech-language newspapers and magazines published here and sent back home. Railroads, like the Burlington & Missouri, advertised large tracts of Nebraska land for sale in Czech magazines like the Hospodar (husbandman or farmer), an Omaha agricultural journal, helping to promote settlement. Many families immigrated on the basis of information in such magazines, as well as letters from friends and relatives.’”

  “Lily, do you want to jot this down as a note?” Emily asked.

  Lily grabbed her backpack from under her desk and pulled out some sticky notes. She placed one on the top of the page. “I’ll just go to the library and make a copy.”

  “Good idea!” Andrea held up her hand for a high-five.

  One side of Lily’s mouth lifted into a smile. “Thanks.” They clapped their hands together.

  The girls spent the rest of the class period looking through other books.

  “I was thinking,” Andrea placed a hand on Emily’s shoulder. “We can go to the library on Friday. Then you can come and stay the night at our house. So you can come Friday instead of Saturday.”

  Emily glanced at Lily to see her reaction. Lily wrinkled up her nose and rolled her eyes. It was obvious that she wasn’t too happy about Emily staying overnight.

  Emily blew out a slow breath. “Or you can both come to my house.”

  “You don’t want to come to our house?” Andrea pouted.

  “I’ll come if you’d like me to, but I’m sure Lily has other plans.”

  “Yes I do, actually.” Lily twirled her pencil.

  “Really?” Andrea furrowed her brow. “What?”

  “I was thinking of watching a movie.”


  “We can watch it together after we work on our project.”

  Emily didn’t know if Andrea was oblivious to Lily’s coolness or if she was just trying to ignore it.

  “Does that sound okay, Lily? We can do our project and then watch a movie?” Andrea repeated.

  “Fine. Whatever.” The bell rang, and Lily rose, walking out of the room with long strides.

  “Great! Just bring your things to school on Friday. This is one of the things I have wished to do while I was in the United States … have a sleepover.”

  “You haven’t had a sleepover before?”

  Andrea shook her head. “No.”

  “Have you gone to one?” Emily brushed her hair from her face, trying not to act so surprised.

  “Not yet. Sometimes Lily has a friend over but we … she …” Andrea bit her lip. “We have different, uh, friends.”

  Emily nodded, not knowing what else to say. She noticed Andrea didn’t name any friends, and she wondered if she had any. How sad it would be to go through the whole school year with Lily Cunningham as your only friend, and only because she was forced to like you.

  Emily honestly didn’t want to go to Lily’s house, but it was obvious how happy Andrea would be if she did.

  “Uh, okay. I’ll bring stuff to school on Friday—since it’s okay with your mom and everything.”

  Andrea gave Emily a quick hug and then hurried out of the room.

  Emily looked at the pile of books they still had on the desk. Sticky notes stuck out of most of them. She hurriedly put away the ones they didn’t need and then carried the rest to Mrs. Lorenz’s desk.

  “May I take these books and get photocopies?” She glanced at her watch, hoping Sam wouldn’t be too upset if they had to stay a little later.

  “Sure. I’ll be here for another forty-five minutes grading papers. Looks like you found some good stuff.”

  “Yeah, we did.” Emily turned, deciding to leave her backpack in the room until she got back.

  “Emily?” Mrs. Lorenz’s voice paused her steps.

  Emily turned. “Yeah?”

  “I just wanted to let you know I appreciate your pairing up with Andrea.” Mrs. Lorenz removed her glasses and set them on the desk. “She’s had a challenging year. Her host mother confessed to me that she really hasn’t made any close friends at the school, but I was hoping you’d be the one who could help her, you know, get to know people.”