by Nancy M Bell
“The trail from the landing to the reception houses on the East Reserve—”
“Why is it called the East Reserve?” Willy wanted to know.
“Don’t interrupt your grossmama,” Agnes hushed her son.
“It’s good to ask questions.” Elsie smiled at him. “It is called the East Reserve simply because it is on the east side of the Red River, so of course, the West Reserve is on the west side of the river.”
“Oh.” Willy nodded and chewed on a stalk of grass he’d pulled.
“Now, where was I? Oh yes. The trip from landing place to here. The trail was little more than a track through the low marshy ground. It didn’t help that it was a rainy year and the ground was a quagmire of gumbo mud. It stuck to the wheels of the ox cart and was slippery as ice when everyone, except Sarah who too small, put a shoulder to the wheels to help the oxen. Another vexation was the swarms of mosquitoes. Big as swallows, Sarah often said. Just like they do now, they plagued the people slogging through the mud. Even at night they came into the tents and gave no one any peace.”
“Why did they keep going if it was so horrible? Couldn’t they go to Winnipeg?” Doris asked.
“There was no choice. The land they were given was in the East Reserve, and what was there for them in Winnipeg? Not the freedoms they’d come so far to enjoy, and they were and still are, farmers not merchants or fur traders. Winnipeg wasn’t a bit city then either. It was little more than a general store at Portage and Main and some ramshackle houses.”
“I guess.” Doris didn’t look convinced but wisely said nothing more.
“When they finally reached the land they were allotted, it was nothing but bare prairie. Some of the land was stony and not easily cultivated, and some low and too wet to get a plough through, but before they could even think of that there were shelters to be built.”
“Houses? Like your house? Is that the one Great Grossmama Sara’s family built?” Frank, Ed’s eldest son asked.
“No. Nothing so grand as that for quite a while. My father built the house your grosspape and I live in. What Sara’s people built were sod houses, semlins. They dug into the ground about three feet down, then everyone helped cut sod blocks out of the prairie grasses. Even Sarah helped carry the blocks to the house site. They were piled on top of each other to form walls at least two feet thick, the blocks were firmly wedged together and packed with mud mixed with dung to fill any gaps that were found. Once the walls were high enough, poles from trees cut down by the rivers and creeks were put across to form a solid base for more sods. The roof had a slight peak and a gentle slope to the side. A space was left for a chimney pipe and once that was installed, the hole was chinked with mud to make it as weather tight as possible. Inside the area was divided into two parts that first winter. There was no time to build another shelter for the few animals they brought with them, so they occupied the back part of the semlin. It served two purposes. The arrangement offered shelter for the livestock and also provided heat to the house.
“The inside walls of the semlin were lined with shiplap boards which they had to buy in Emerson, but the trip and expense was worth it.”
“They kept the oxen in the house?” Helena was incredulous.
“They did. Those animals were essential to the family’s survival. How could they plant in the spring without the oxen to pull the plough? The goats gave milk, the few sheep were a source of both food and wool, the chickens provided eggs, and meat if needed. Now, I’ve talked on long enough. I will leave you with one more small thing Sarah passed down to us. When the first crops of wheat were in the milk stage in the fields the birds would come in the thousands to feed on it. The men and sometimes the children if they were old enough had to ride or run around the fields all day banging pots and singing and shouting to keep the birds from stealing the immature grain. Sara thought it was great fun, it wasn’t until she was much older she understood how devastating it would have been if the birds had stripped the field bare.”
“We still have to do that, don’t we?” Frank piped up.
“Somethings never change,” Elsie said with a smile in her voice.
“Thank you for the story, Oma,” Mary said. “I’ll remember it and pass it on to my children.”
Her little face was so earnest it tugged at Elsie’s heart. “When we have time I’ll tell you more stories.” She patted Mary’s head. “But now,” she addressed everyone, “I think it’s time we cleared up and headed back to the house. The cows will need milking and there are eggs to check for.”
Elsie got slowly to her feet. Goodness, she was getting too old to sit on the grass anymore. Mary’s arms hugging her waist surprised her and she glanced down with a smile.
“Thank you again. That story makes Great Grossmama Sara more than just a name on the headstone. It makes her real.”
“You’re very welcome. Run along now and help your mother, that’s a good girl.”
It didn’t take long to gather up the picnic things. Elsie lingered in the fragrant shade of the orchard after the others left. The afternoon sun slanted across the small cemetery holding her relatives who had been called home to God. Such a peaceful scene, may it stay that way forever undisturbed by war and persecution. Agnes’ appearance in the gap in hedge startled her. Elsie hadn’t realized her daughter had returned to the graveyard. She waited for her to join her under the trees.
Agnes wiped moisture from her cheeks and took Elsie’s hand. “There was some left over water so I took it to the rose bush.” She paused. “I don’t know why, but I just had to go back and say goodbye again. To feel close to my daughter somehow. I know she’s with God and Jesus, but somehow talking to her there seems to help the hurt in my heart.”
Elsie nodded and in silence the two women made their way back to the house through the golden May afternoon bright with birdsong.
Chapter Eleven
A Wedding and A Farewell
The month of May seemed to have no more than just started when Elsie woke up one morning beside a snoring Ike and realized the month was almost over. Where did the time go? Over four weeks since Sarah and Arnold left, and no word from them yet. Please let them be safe and happy, she offered a brief prayer before rolling over and shoving her legs from the covers.
It was early still, the pale pearl of sky telling her dawn wasn’t far off. The sun came early and set late at this time of year. Good for offering long hours of daylight for planting and other chores, but hard on getting enough sleep.
Elsie yawned and stretched. The older she got, the harder it seemed to keep up with the steady stream of duties and chores. She blessed the fact Agnes and Walter lived with them and considerably lightened her load. Ike sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. She regarded him in the mirror of the dresser while gathering her clothes for the day. Iron grey hair spiked with sleep stuck up on the crown of his head.
He wasn’t getting any younger, either, Elsie realized with a jolt. The years of their union spread out between them, odd and disjointed images flashed across her mind. Happy and sad mixed together, and she wouldn’t change any of them. A pang of sorrow speared her heart, well maybe a couple. Sarah’s troubles, and the blizzard that took Anna, for a start. Still, it was a good life they’d had.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Ike’s reflection frowned at her as he got out of bed.
“Just remembering. Just remembering.” She patted her hair into place and secured it with some hair pins. Smoothing her skirt, she turned toward him with a smile. “Don’t be long, I’ll have coffee on and breakfast started by the time you get down.”
Ike grunted and stumped over to the wash basin. “I’ll be down as soon as I’ve dressed.”
Agnes was already in the kitchen when Elsie came through the door. The newly risen sun shone hot and red through the open back door. The room was already hot and humid. This time of year it seemed the heat never ended, the nights almost as sultry as the days. In many ways the weather sometimes reminded Elsie of
the heat of Paraguay. It wasn’t a pleasant memory to be sure.
“I’ve started the stove in the summer kitchen for breakfast. No sense making the house any hotter than it is. I just came in to fill the sugar container.” Agnes lifted the clear glass canister to emphasis her words.
“It is warm already, isn’t it?” Elsie swiped at a bead of sweat trickling down her cheek. “Do we have everything else we need out there?”
“I believe so, Mome. Can you take this out for me? I need to tend to the twins. Walter’s already out doing the milking.”
“Of course.” Elsie took the canister of sugar. “Walter’s got an early start today.”
“Well, you know how it is this time of year. Even with the long days there never seems to be enough hours to get done what needs doing.”
Chuckling, Elsie pushed open the screen door, the scent of the pansies and geraniums lining the short path to the summer kitchen redolent in the sun spangled air. The mosquitoes hovered in the shadows along the way, but were thankfully avoiding the already strong sunlight. A few steps brought her to the door of the small building. Colourful curtains hung at the windows, the glass clear and sparkling. Checkered oilcloth covered the wooden table. Elsie set the sugar on the shelf with the other supplies and checked the fire in the stove. Satisfied it was well caught, she scooped some water out of the big cauldron kettle on the side of the stove and started the coffee. By the time Ike arrived, Walter was back from the milking. The voices of Agnes and the twins heralded their arrival.
Bacon she’d sliced from the side in the ice box sizzled in the fry pan scenting the air with its smoky fragrance. Toast lay in a napkin covered basket in the centre of the table, along with a butter dish covered against the flies. No matter how carefully the screens were mended the flies always seemed to be able to find a way in. Idly, she shooed one away from the jar of jam beside Ike’s plate.
Breakfast was over quickly and the twins sent off to look for eggs in the new hen house. Agnes left Elsie to wash up while she went out to start weeding the large garden. It was a never ending task, she thought watching her daughter’s back bent in the relentless sunlight. When the dishes were done, she turned her hand to separating the morning’s milking, pouring the thick rich cream into cream cans. There was butter to be churned once this task was done and the majority of the milk to be put away in the cool milk house. Ike or Walter would make the trip to New Bothwell with the surplus milk to be delivered to the cheese factory.
* * *
The family gathered for the evening meal in the summer kitchen. The sun was still high in the sky and the men were planning to be back out on the land once their bellies were filled. The twins were quarrelling, cranky from the heat and being tired. It was a chore to get to sleep when the sky was still light and the upstairs of the house was like an oven in spite of the windows being opened to create a cross breeze and catch whatever coolness was available. The high pitched song of cicadas rang across the now shaded garden. Please don’t let the grasshoppers come through this year, Elsie prayed. The insects could strip a field bare in a matter of hours once they descended, and short of firing the crop, there was nothing to be done. Either way, the crop was lost.
“I’m going to take the twins down to the creek to cool off. Do you want to come with us?” Agnes folded the dish towel and hung it on the rack to dry.
“That sounds wonderful, but Sadie is coming over to study her catechism. She’s having issues with a few things,” Elsie replied hanging up her own damp towel.
“Why?” Agnes leaned a hip on the counter. “She not questioning the faith is she? I can’t imagine that.”
“No, I think it’s more the other way. She doesn’t feel the pastor really cares about her personal thoughts, only that she knows the answers to his questions by rote.”
“I guess I can understand that,” Agnes replied.
“I keep telling her to focus on the fact she needs to know her catechism and be baptized before they get married so they can forge their new lives based on a spiritual foundation. And the girl does want to be married very badly.” Elsie moved toward the door. “I’m going to go get my Bible before she gets here. I think we’ll sit out under the big trees if the mosquitoes aren’t too vicious.”
“All done here. I’m off to take the twins for a paddle. We’ll be back soon.” Agnes let Elsie precede her and pulled the screen door shut behind them, catching the hook in the latch. Otherwise the dogs would be in there in a flash.
Elsie went into the main house, passing through the kitchen she carried on to the living room and picked up her well-worn Bible from the small table by her chair. With it tucked under her arm she went back out to sit under the shade of the Manitoba maples and wait for Sadie. A flash of yellow caught her eye just before Sadie joined her on the wide bench.
“Am I late? I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.” Sadie was a bit breathless. “Abram gave me a ride over, he had to stop at Onkel Jake’s to pick up that wheel spanner thing Grosspape wants to borrow. I left them working on the old truck over by the barn.”
“No, not late. I just got here myself. So,” Elsie settled more comfortably on the bench, “have you been studying?”
“I have.” Sadie nodded, a small furrow of concern marring her smooth brow.
“What’s bothering you?” Elsie patted her granddaughter’s hand. “Still the same thing?”
“I can’t help it. It just seems like the pastor isn’t concerned about whether I actually believe what I’m saying, only that I can repeat the information back to him word for word.”
“Do you believe?” Elsie waited for Sadie to answer.
“Of course, I do,” Sadie declared.
“That is what matters. It is between you and God, Sadie. I’m sure the pastor is concerned with your faith, but your relationship with God is a personal thing. Do you remember that verse in the Bible where Jesus speaks about belief to Thomas the doubter? John Twenty Verse twenty-nine Jesus said Thomas, because thou has seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. A person’s choice to believe or not is a personal one and one that cannot be forced and should not be. If the love of the Lord and His Word is not in a person’s heart, then they are only mouthing empty words. Your love of Him shines in you, and you have always been dutiful and sincere in your worship and in how you live your life. Now, shall we get started?”
“Thanks, Oma. You always know what to say to make me feel better.” Sadie leaned across and hugged Elsie.
“Now, where can the church of God be found?” Elsie laid her Bible open in her lap.
Sadie folded her hands in her lap and dropped her head. “The church can be found around the globe. Mathew 18:20 Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
“Good. Why is it important that Mennonites adhere to the teachings and traditions that are passed down from generation to generation?”
Sadie cleared her throat. “It is important that we keep to the traditional ways. We should not follow the ideals of the world rather than those of God. Do no harm is an important tenet of our faith which is why our men can’t serve in the military. We must teach our children in our own language in our schools so the heritage won’t be lost. Language is an integral part of our faith.”
Elsie nodded. “What is the first article of faith?”
Sadie was quiet for a moment, pleating a fold of her skirt between her fingers. She looked up at Elsie. “God is the Creator of all things. We believe that God created heaven and earth and all things visible and invisible as it is written in Genesis One. He sustains, rules over, and keeps all things in motion with His Almighty word. He is a holy and mysterious Spirit. John Chapter Four, Verse twenty-four, and Acts Chapter Eleven, Verse twenty-five.”
“Go on,” Elsie encouraged.
“He alone is God and all of mankind will one day kneel before Him. We should abide in our Lord and God with a living and everlasting faith,” she paused and took
a breath, “we should be obedient to Him, love Him and serve Him with our whole heart and soul and mind. The third Psalm , Verse nine, Isaiah Chapter Forty-five Verse twenty-three to twenty-four and Mathew Chapter Twenty-two.”
“Well done, Sadie. Now the second article?”
“Jesus is the Son of God. We believe Jesus Christ, who is called the Word and has been with God since the beginning, is the true Son of God. Colossians Chapter one verse sixteen and Ephesians Chapter three verse nine. There is no other salvation by which we can be saved. I confess that he is the true God, and the eternal life, my own Lord, Saviour, Redeemer, and our salvation. John Chapter Twenty and Acts Chapter Four Verse twelve.”
Elsie tapped the Bible with her finger. “And the third article?”
Sadie took a deep breath and released it before replying. “The Holy Spirit. I believe in the Holy Spirit, ‘the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father. The Holy Spirit leads us in all truth, and all He guides are His children. John Fifteen and Luke Twenty-four.” Without waiting for Elsie to prompt her, Sadie plunged on. “The fourth article of faith is the Holy Trinity. I believe that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are one almighty and sovereign God.”
“Very good, you’ve been practicing a lot since last time.” Elsie smiled in approval.
“Oh, I have. I want to be baptised and able to marry Corny as soon as possible. It’s only a little time before we leave for Paraguay.”
Her words cast a pall over Elsie’s heart although she took care not to let it show and dampen the brilliant joy on Sadie’s face. She cleared her throat. “The fifth article of faith?”
The younger woman opened her mouth and then closed it, an expression consternation on her pretty face. “The Church of God…? No, that’s not right. I can’t remember.” Frustration coloured her voice.