A vision of Ingeborg with flour on her nose and a smile on her mouth flashed through his mind. He tried to bring up a picture of another cook he had known, but Mrs. Landsverk had faded into a distant memory.
Hjelmer ducked his head. “God dag.”
Penny flashed Haakan a look of dismay. “Doesn’t he speak English?”
“No, he just came over from Norway. Give him a chance.”
She shifted her attention back to Hjelmer. “God dag.”
Hjelmer nodded and without another word strode out through the corral gate toward the wash bench on the side of the soddy.
Haakan wondered if the red on the back of his neck was from sunburn or wounded pride. Picking oneself up from the leavings in the corral didn’t do much for one’s pride, especially since the younger boys had laughed in delight at the tumble. What fun it would be to tell Ingeborg about this little set-to.
Thorliff and one of the boys dragged the sheep they’d finally cornered by the barn wall over to Haakan. “What’s the matter with him?” Thorliff nodded toward the retreating figure of Hjelmer. “Did he get hurt?”
“Not so’s you can see.” Haakan flipped the ewe over on her back and clamped her between his knees. “Soon as we’re done here, why don’t you take the flock out to graze on that field between the soddies? Then you can keep an eye on them and still have dinner with the rest of us.”
“Ja, they’re pretty hungry,” Thorliff put his hands on his hips. “They sure look funny without their wool.”
“Like us, they look better in their clothes.”
The boys thought that a real knee slapper. Their hoots of laughter rang out as they ran to the fence, clambered up and over, dropping to the ground at a dead run.
Haakan shook his head. Oh, to have such energy again. He finished clipping and let the last sheep scramble to her feet, then held open the gate while she ran back and forth, bleating at her flock mates. “Come on, you stupid creature, the gate’s open.” The sheep continued running and bleating, now trying to get out between the corral poles. “If you had half the brains God gave a goose, you’d see that gate and hightail it outa here. I’ve half a mind to let you stay .by yourself.” When he’d finally herded the animal out the gate, he looked up to see Joseph coming across the lot.
“Ornery, ain’t they?”
“No, just stupid. Kinda like some of the people I met in my travels.” Haakan settled his hat on his head and dropped the rope loop over the gate pole to fasten it. “How you been?”
“Tolerable. You need some help with the plowing with Lars still down?” The two men ambled back toward the soddy where Ingeborg and Agnes were loading food and the table into the back of the wagon.
“Thanks, but now that Hjelmer is here, we’ll manage. I know you got your own work to do.”
“We’re about to seed. When that’s done, we’ll come your way. We can hold off busting more sod for a few days.”
“How come you’re so far ahead of us?”
“My fields dry out a mite faster, and there’s been two of us working all spring. Knute’s been a big help, too, with switching teams and the like. He’s about big enough to handle a team. Sure wish I bought one of them newfangled plows last fall. Wait till you see how slick our mower works. Me’n Ingeborg bought it together last year. Put up hay on all three places faster’n we coulda done one before.” He tipped his hat back. “Shore do like that new machinery.”
Haakan listened and nodded. “Saw a whole shed full of those plows over on the Bonanza farm east of St. Andrew. Hard to believe any one farm could use so many. Never seen such a thing before.” He went in the house and brought out two chairs. “Need anything else?”
Ingeborg shook her head. “That’s it, then.”
Agnes looked down from her place on the wagon seat. “Now you young’uns set down ’fore you fall down.” The three little ones in the space behind her did as told. She clucked to the team and sent a ripple of command through the reins. While the wagon creaked off, the three older boys ran and hoisted themselves to sit on the open tailgate.
“Where’s Petar?” asked Ingeborg.
“Oh, that nephew of mine, he’s sparkin’ a gal west of us. When we said we was takin’ today off, he said he’d rather go visit with her. Cain’t understand it myself.” Joseph spit a glob of tobacco juice off to the right. He chuckled at his own joke. “Must be spring, all right. All the world’s got matin’ on their minds.”
“Joseph Remson Baard, how you talk,” Agnes scolded. She glanced further behind and then nodded for the others to do the same. Penny and a cleaned-up Hjelmer were walking together, albeit four feet apart.
Ingeborg slanted a sideways glance at the man striding beside her. Was that what these buzzy feelings were all about whenever he was in the same room as she? Just spring? It was a good thing, because with him going back to the north woods, she’d probably never see him again.
Was it just spring? Haakan caught the glance Ingeborg sent him. The urge to take her hand in his made him falter in his stride. And he didn’t want to stop with her hand. How would she feel in his arms?
Joseph began whistling a carefree sound that brought the same from the three boys on the wagon rear.
“You better check your sheep,” Ingeborg called to her son. When she motioned to the flock grazing between the soddies, all could see their heads were raised, and they were watching something coming from the river.
“Metiz and Baptiste are coming.” Thorliff leaped from the wagon. “Come on, let’s go meet them.”
The sheep grew more restless, shifting toward the wagon.
“Look! There’s a wolf!” Hjelmer spun around and headed toward the soddy.
“Where are you going?” Ingeborg’s voice carried, frightening the sheep even more.
“To get the rifle,” Hjelmer yelled over his shoulder.
“No!”
Hjelmer stopped. He turned around.
“That’s Wolf, Metiz’ wolf. He won’t hurt our sheep.”
“He’s a pet?” Hjelmer stared at her, then looked toward the wolf that had melted back into the trees.
“No . . . yes . . . not really.” Ingeborg shook her head. “It’s hard to explain, but I will tell you the stories later.” She dropped her voice as Hjelmer caught up with the rest of the party. “Just don’t be afraid of him. Once he knows you belong here, he will never bother you.”
“That’s mighty hard to believe,” Hjelmer muttered under his breath, but Ingeborg heard him.
“You’ll find there are many things that are hard to believe out here on the prairie, but that doesn’t make them untrue.”
“Are you all right? I heard shouting.” Kaaren came out in the yard to meet them.
“As right as one can be when a huge gray wolf was about to attack the sheep.” Hjelmer again muttered under his breath.
The look Ingeborg sent him said she’d heard and didn’t appreciate his comments.
Agnes threw him a similar look as she picked one of the little ones out of the wagon and set her on the ground with a pat on the bottom. “Go play.”
Haakan helped set the table in the shade of the soddy and put the chairs around it. In spite of the black flies, it would be cooler outside, especially in the shade with the wind blowing just enough to cool sweaty faces. From the look of him, Hjelmer could use a northerner.
When they were all gathered, the men picked up the chair Lars sat in and carried him outside. The women set out the food on the indoor table, and everyone dished up their plates and took them outside. The group divided as usual, with the men discussing crops and new farming methods while the women watched the little children and talked about things of the house and garden. Hjelmer and Penny sat off by themselves, and the four boys ate as fast as possible and took off to play by the sheep.
When the little ones wound down, they were put to sleep on the beds inside, and the conversation shifted to the neighbors and all the happenings around the area.
“What’s thi
s I hear about the railroad running a line through this area?” Haakan asked.
“Roald and me, we talked about if that ever were to happen,” Joseph said. “I can see an elevator right near here where we can ship our grain from. You know they put up a water stop about every twenty miles.”
“Roald dreamed of more than a water stop and grain elevator. He saw a town growing up right at that corner where we’re going to build the school, where the cemetery is. He said one day we’d have a doctor out here, stores, a hotel. He had big dreams, he did.” For a change it felt good to Ingeborg to be talking about Roald. He and Carl spent many an evening discussing their plans for the future. She looked up to see Haakan send a small nod her way.
“Ja, dat Roald, he some fine man,” one of the other men added. “He and dat brother.”
“I heard Polinski is pulling up stakes,” Joseph said after stuffing a chaw of tobacco in his cheek.
“None too soon, far as I can tell.” Ingeborg kept her voice low.
“I’d sure like to buy up his homestead.”
“Now, Joseph, you promised.” Agnes raised both her voice and an eyebrow.
“I know, I know, but there’s no harm in wishing.”
“Ja, well, in your case, wishes too often come true between you and that bank manager.”
“It would make a good home for Petar, should he up and decide to get hitched to the Johnson girl.” He clasped his hands behind his head. “You gotta admit that.”
“Then let him buy it.”
Ingeborg listened to their arguing, but her mind played with another thought. Wouldn’t that make a fine addition to the Bjorklund lands?
“How much land does he have?” Haakan leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.
“A full section. Worked the bare minimum, though. Ol’ Abel, he weren’t too much for breaking sod.”
“Or anything else. He’s the laziest—”
“Inge.” Kaaren’s gentle voice broke into Ingeborg’s harsh words.
Forgiving is easier than forgetting, and I sometimes wonder if I’ve even begun to forgive that lowlife. “Ja, I heard you.” She looked over at her sister-in-law, whose pale face showed all the love and concern her gentle spirit shared. But as far as Ingeborg was concerned, it had been the Polinskis who caused Roald’s death. She still struggled at times with the bitterness that had nearly driven her into the ground.
Agnes reached over and patted Ingeborg’s hand, her touch reminding Inge of her mother’s healing hands.
Ingeborg shook her head and sighed. “I will let it go again. I know Roald is in God’s hand, and there is no better place to be.”
“As is Carl and Gunny and baby Lizzie. Sometimes I miss them so, I feel like I am being ripped apart.” Kaaren took Ingeborg’s hand. “So much we have lost to this land.” She blinked a couple of times and smiled. “But it has given us much, also.” She smiled at Lars and back at Ingeborg. “We have much to be thankful for.”
“Ja, I know.” Ingeborg tuned back into the discussion between the men. Haakan was asking questions and Hjelmer and Penny had moved closer so they could join in.
“Do you know when he is leaving?” Haakan asked.
Joseph shook his head. “No telling with that feller. I know he’s not working his fields, though, so he must plan on being gone before fall, else they won’t have nothing to eat.”
“They’ll be begging at our doorstep again, that’s what.” Agnes had no more use for the man than Ingeborg did. “Anyone that treats his wife no better’n his mule don’t deserve—”
“Now, Agnes.” Joseph’s eyebrows became a straight line.
“Sounds like a real fine piece of humanity.” Haakan turned to Kaaren. “Say, is there any more of that plum pie? If I could get it before Joseph does, I’d call this a good day.”
“Now, that ain’t fair.” Baard got to his feet. “If’n I get there first . . .”
“Gentlemen, gentlemen.” Kaaren stood and waved them back.
“Me help.” Metiz, who had been watching and as usual saying little, spoke up. She and Kaaren headed into the house and the discussion turned to other things.
Ingeborg shot Haakan a grateful look. She knew what he had done, broken the discussion before it got any hotter and in the most pleasant way.
They’d all settled back with more coffee and either pie or cookies when they heard Paws barking in the distance.
“That’s his ‘someone is coming bark,’ ” Ingeborg said after tilting her head to listen better.
“Mor, we have company,” Thorliff yelled a moment later.
The wagon had followed the riverbank up from the south and now turned on the trail they had made from Ingeborg’s soddy to the river. White canvas covered the hoops and horses pulled the wagon. A man on a horse rode alongside it. A cow bellered, to be answered by one of their own.
“Tell them to come over here,” Ingeborg called to Thorliff. “They can water their stock and make camp by the barn.” She turned to Kaaren and Lars. “If that’s all right with you?”
“Of course.” Kaaren headed for the kitchen. “I’ll heat up the leftovers and the coffee. They are probably hungry by now and sick and tired of living in that wagon.”
“Our first settlers this season.” Ingeborg followed Kaaren into the soddy. “Do you think they will find land near here? What if they bought Polinskis?”
“I wouldn’t mention that if I were you.” Kaaren lifted the lids on the stove and stirred the coals before adding more wood.
“Why not?”
“If anyone is going to buy Abel out, I would like our men to have first chance at it.”
“Our men?”
“You saw the light in Haakan’s eyes. I say, just keep quiet about it and warn the others.”
Ingeborg nodded. “I will.”
“Paws, come here! Paws!” Thorliff came running to the men outside. “There’s gonna be a dogfight if something isn’t done. Paws, he don’t like that dog with them new people.”
“Paws!” Haakan could be heard trotting past the house.
Ingeborg went to the doorway and shaded her eyes. Paws and a big black dog were tiptoeing around each other, hackles raised and tails no longer wagging.
The man on the horse drove between them, shouting and waving a rope. Paws rolled head over heels and got to his feet, teeth still bared and ready to go at it again.
“Paws, come here, Paws.” Ingeborg whistled and slapped her knees. “Come on, boy.”
Since the black dog had slunk under the wagon, Paws turned and limped back to the soddy.
“He’s hurt.” Thorliff knelt beside his dog and examined him for cuts. He looked up at his mother. “That dog could have killed him. Paws was just protecting his home.” Paws licked Thorliff’s hand and thumped his tail.
Paws whimpered and lay on his side. Haakan knelt beside the boy and ran gentle hands over the caramel-colored fur, checking for broken bones. “I think it’s just a bruise, son. He’ll be okay in a few days.” He rubbed the dog’s ears and shoulder. Paws flinched but licked his hand. “Good dog.”
Haakan stood and spoke close to Ingeborg’s ear. “It wasn’t the dog that hurt Paws but that horse. Man should be more careful with his animals.”
Ingeborg nodded. She’d seen the same thing. She felt a tightening in her chest, the same way she’d felt when Roald set out and when Lars and Haakan had left for St. Andrew. She glanced up to see a shadow cross Metiz’ face. Something wasn’t right here.
The visitors stopped their wagon by the well. The man dismounted and began helping his wife down over the wagon wheel.
“Howdy,” he said as Haakan and Ingeborg walked over to them.
“God dag.” For some reason Ingeborg spoke in Norwegian.
“Oh, heaven above, you speak Norwegian, too.” The woman switched to a broken Norwegian with ease. “Both of us come from good Norwegian stock, although we be second generation.” The woman looked like a giant coming toward them. Nearly as tall as Haakan
and with a girth that made two of Ingeborg, she strode across the dusty yard as if she owned it. “Now ain’t that fine?” Her husband, not a small man by any means, looked to be only half her size until they joined together, both with their hands extended. “I’m Elmira Strand and this be my husband Oscar.” She waved a hand and a horde of children flowed out of the wagon. How they had any room for supplies was beyond Ingeborg.
Mrs. Strand introduced them all, but the only name that stayed with a face in Ingeborg’s mind was the eldest daughter. While she carried a young child when descending from the back of the wagon, she quickly handed the baby to her mother and smiled sweetly at a spot over Ingeborg’s right shoulder. Mary Ruth looked more like a Jezebel, her knowing eyes roving the young man with a look that said, You’re mine.
Ingeborg half turned to see flames rush up Hjelmer’s neck and over his face.
Over his shoulder, she could also see Penny, who had enjoyed the attentions of Hjelmer all day. The look on her face promised rain showers ahead.
Ingeborg felt like ordering the newcomers out and on their way immediately, but her mother’s good training in hospitality took over. “I am Ingeborg Bjorklund, and this is a cousin of my husband’s family, Haakan Bjorklund. Why don’t you let the boys”—she gestured to Thorliff and Knute—“water your stock. My sister Kaaren has food laid out for you. Come and join us. We are having a party of sorts.”
“Well, now, ain’t that nice.” Mrs. Strand settled the child in her arms against her massive bosom. The child whimpered and drew back. “You have to forgive little Ansom, here. He ain’t been feeling too good. Might have a heat rash or something. We come from the other side of Minneapolis looking for a new start. Ain’t that right, Oscar?”
Lauraine Snelling - [Red River of the North 02] Page 20