by Ginny Dye
Carrie remembered Faith’s statement that Biddy would not see her hundredth birthday. “You have created a legacy to be proud of, Biddy.” She knew the most important thing to the tiny lady was the knowledge that she had made a difference for the Irish people in Moyamensing.
“Aye, Faith and I have done a lot on our own,” Biddy agreed, “but it’s what you and I have done together that will make the biggest difference.”
Carrie knew what she was talking about. “My father and Abby say the factory is doing well.”
Biddy nodded with satisfaction. “It’s doing more than well. The people there are happy, and they are making enough to support their families for the first time since they set foot on American soil. It has changed everything. My prayer is that, as the Irish begin to change how they see themselves, the country will see them differently, as well.”
Carrie watched closely as the fatigue settled more deeply into Biddy’s blue eyes. She glanced at Faith, knowing from the concerned look that she recognized the same thing. “What can I do for you, Biddy?” she asked.
“You can carry on for me,” Biddy replied weakly. She took a deep breath. Her eyes shone with regret that she didn’t have more energy, but her face was determined. There were things she needed to say. “I knew you were special the first day I met you, Carrie Borden. You are going to do important things in this world. Don’t let anything stop you.”
“I won’t,” Carrie promised, but her thoughts were on taking care of her friend. “Can I take you up to bed?” She hoped sleep would restore some of Biddy’s strength.
“Not right now.” Biddy leaned her head back against the chair as Faith moved forward to pull the afghan closer around her frail body, and closed her eyes. “I want you to talk to me, Carrie. I want you to tell me what you are doing now.” She blinked her eyes open. “I’m going to close me eyes for a few minutes, but I’m listening. I just want you to talk.” Her eyes drifted closed again. “Tell me everything.”
Carrie looked to Faith for direction.
Faith nodded her head firmly. “Talk to her, Carrie. I’m going into the kitchen to get those cookies I promised, and some hot tea for Biddy when she feels ready for it.”
Carrie gazed at Biddy for several moments, but her even breathing was reassuring. She seemed to truly be resting.
“Talk,” Biddy commanded faintly, her eyes still closed.
Carrie began to tell her about the trip to Kansas, the attack on the plantation during the Harvest Festival, and Chooli’s arrival. She told her about Susan coming to work on the plantation, and her meeting with Dr. Hobson. “I’m going to New Mexico,” she said, praying Biddy was still awake to hear her. “I leave February 2 from Independence, Missouri with Janie, and Matthew, and four other students. We are going to help the Navajo, and we’re going to learn as much as we can. We’ll be gone through the end of next summer.” She paused. “I don’t have any idea what comes after that, but I couldn’t have imagined this time last year what I would be doing twelve months later. The plans I had made are so totally different from the reality I am living now, but I am finding peace with that.”
Carrie had discovered as she talked that she truly had found peace with the life she was living now. There would always be a hole in her life where Robert and Bridget should have been, but every day took her closer to believing she was going to live a good life—the one she knew Robert had sent her back to live.
Faith had stepped into the room sometime during her recital. She stepped forward to hug Carrie exuberantly. “Carrie, you live with one foot ready to step into the next adventure. I am so proud of you.”
Biddy’s eyes finally fluttered open. “I am proud of you, too,” she whispered.
Carrie’s heart surged with love for these two women who had become so precious to her.
Biddy beckoned her closer and reached out her other hand for Faith. “I love you both…so…much,” she whispered, pausing between words to gather her breath and strength. Faith and Carrie had to lean forward to hear her words.
“You need to rest,” Faith said, a frantic note appearing in her voice.
Carrie knew what she was seeing. “I love you too, Biddy,” she said softly. She leaned forward to embrace her, and then kissed her on the forehead. “I will always miss you.”
“Carrie?” Faith’s question was full of pain.
Carrie looked at Faith. “You need to tell her good-bye.” Her voice broke on the last word, and her eyes filled with tears.
Faith gasped and knelt in front of the woman who had been her closest friend for decades. “I love you, Biddy. You have meant more to me than any human being in the world. I know you are tired, and that you need to go, but not a day will pass when I don’t think about you and miss you.” Her voice tightened. “I will see you again one day, but it won’t be soon enough. Thank you for all you have meant to me, and to all the people whose lives you have touched. You are a truly magnificent woman.”
Biddy locked eyes with Faith. “Thank you,” she mouthed. Then her eyes sought Carrie. “Thank you,” she repeated. She slumped back against her chair and took a slow, shaky breath, a look of utter peace on her face.
Faith and Carrie were both holding one of her hands when Biddy closed her eyes for the final time.
Chapter Eighteen
Rose stared around her in amazement. “I’ve never seen anything this huge!”
Felicia nodded. “That’s because the Union Station here in Cleveland is the largest building under one roof in the country. It is six hundred three feet long, and one hundred eighty feet wide. It opened last year, after the old one burned three years ago. They built this one out of sandstone, and it is also one of the first buildings in the country to use structural iron.”
Rose exchanged a look with Moses. “There is nothing like having a walking encyclopedia with us.” She marveled at her daughter’s knowledge as she gazed at the cavernous building with eight train tracks running through it.
Felicia grinned. “I believe it is prudent to know about the place where you are moving.”
“Prudent?” Moses asked, and then rolled his eyes. “How about you become the lawyer in the family, and I will just keep farming?”
Felicia regarded him soberly. “I think I will have to obtain the right to vote before I can become a lawyer, Daddy.”
Rose watched her daughter. “Are you thinking about becoming a lawyer, Felicia?”
Felicia shrugged. “I might, but first I am going to become a businesswoman.”
Moses hoisted John to his shoulders so his son could see over the heads of the crowd, and then turned to Felicia. “What kind of businesswoman? You’ve never talked about this before.”
“A successful one,” Felicia said with a grin. “Abby told me one of the few things women can do without having so many limitations is business. There are still struggles with men, but hard work can overcome them. If you work hard enough, you can make all the money you want.”
“Is that important to you?” Rose asked.
“Certainly,” Felicia responded. “Abby has been able to help a lot of people because of her wealth. You and Daddy are going to be able to do more because of the money the plantation is making. If I want to pave the way for black women, it will be easier if I am wealthy.” She paused and then answered the question in Rose’s eyes. “I don’t know yet what I’m going to do, but since I’m only twelve, I believe I have a little time.”
Rose bit back her smile, silencing Moses with her glance. “I believe you do, my dear.” She cuddled Hope closer to her. The Union Depot was warm, but the cacophony must surely be hurting her little one’s ears.
“Look at all the trains!” John shouted.
Moses bounced John on his shoulders, making him laugh with glee. “Which one do you like best, son?”
Rose watched her son scan the locomotives carefully, his serious dark eyes analyzing one before he moved on to the next. All the engines sported gay colors and ornate scrolls. Their brass trimming
s gleamed from polishing, and several of the engines had paintings on the wooden engineer boxes and around the headlight.
“I like the red one best!” John hollered as he clapped his hands. “There is a big eagle painted on the side of it.”
“How do you know it is an eagle?” Moses asked.
Rose knew the answer before it came.
“Felicia taught me about them.”
Felicia shrugged. “There is a magazine in the library at home that has pictures of eagles.”
Rose smiled. “I saw a bald eagle on New Year’s Day with Carrie.”
Felicia turned to her wide-eyed. “You did? A real bald eagle?”
“A real bald eagle,” Rose confirmed. As she considered the surprise on Felicia’s face, she realized she had never seen one until that day.
“Eagles in Virginia are very rare.” Felicia’s eyes narrowed. “Do you know what it means, Mama?”
“Means?” Rose remembered the moment the eagle had dived from the sky to pluck a glistening fish from the waters. “I know it was very beautiful.”
“The eagle is a powerful symbol. Chooli taught me all about it. When an eagle appears, you are on notice to be courageous and stretch your limits. The eagle is a symbol for great leadership, strength and vision. When you see one, you are being told to become more than you are capable of.”
Rose listened carefully, thinking of the conversation she and Carrie had been having when the eagle swooped down to the river. Standing in the midst of a bustling train station, she realized it had been a sacred moment to prepare her for what lay ahead. “Thank you for telling me,” she murmured.
“Here comes our train,” John yelled. “The New York Express.”
Rose stiffened. “What did you say, John?”
“Here comes our train! It’s beautiful!”
Rose managed a smile before she turned to meet Moses’ eyes. “Isn’t that…?” She didn’t want to finish her sentence.
“It is the only train that goes to Oberlin,” Moses said apologetically.
Felicia gazed at her curiously for several moments before her eyes cleared and then widened. “Isn’t that the same train Janie and—”
“Hush,” Rose said, glancing at John. Felicia snapped her lips closed, but kept her eyes focused on her mama.
“The engine looks good and strong,” Moses stated.
Rose chose not to mention that he didn’t know the difference between a strong or weak engine, nor that the engine had nothing to do with the fact that two cars had derailed behind this exact engine only three weeks earlier. She also chose not to mention that there was absolutely no way to determine if the cars that would soon be holding her family were in danger of coming off the tracks. Lake Shore Railway, the train company that owned the New York Express had been found not to be at fault for the accident, but that did nothing more than tell her how truly unsafe trains were. Terrible things happened with no apparent way to stop them.
“It’s going to be all right, Mama,” Felicia whispered.
Rose, marshalling her courage when she saw John’s look turn from excitement into apprehension, nodded her head. “It most certainly will be. The train has brought us this far, and we don’t have much farther to go. God is going to get us to Oberlin just fine.” She forced a bright smile, trying to make herself believe the words her mind told her were true. “John, what car do you want to ride in?”
“The back one!” John cried.
Rose kept the smile pasted on her face, refusing to allow her mind to recall what Matthew had written about the last car bursting into an inferno, burning everyone inside. “That sounds perfect, dear.” Moses reached down and took her hand. She read the message of assurance in his eyes, but it was only the sudden peace in her heart that would give her the courage to step onto that train.
*****
It was almost dark when the train rumbled into Oberlin. The station, a simple clapboard building painted stone gray, was deserted except for a ticket collector who looked up and waved when they stepped off the train with their bags.
“Good evening, folks,” he called.
“Good evening,” Moses called back, pleased to discover the first person they met was friendly, with no look of censure in his eyes.
“Are you new here?”
“We are. My wife and I start school in a few days.” Moses decided to accept the friendliness as sincere. “I’m Moses Samuels. This is my wife, Rose, our daughter Felicia, our son John, and the little one is Hope.”
“You have a fine family,” the ticket collector replied. “My name is Jonathan Maroney. It’s good to have you here in Oberlin.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Maroney,” Rose said. “Might you tell us how to get to the Park Hotel?”
Moses glanced down at Hope. She was snuggled into Rose’s chest, but he could tell by the droop of her tiny lips that his daughter was exhausted. All of them were tired, but little Hope had reached the end of her endurance. “I hope it’s not far.”
“Nothing is far in Oberlin,” Mr. Maroney assured them. He pulled out a blank sheet of paper and drew a quick map. “Go right down here to the corner of Main and College Streets. You’ve made a fine choice. The hotel is brand new.”
“It was built last year,” Felicia said. “The old one burned down two years ago.”
Mr. Maroney looked at her with surprise. “That’s true, little lady. How did you know that?”
“I read it in a magazine,” Felicia replied. “The Park Hotel was built by Henry Viets, but not until the college and the town got together to contribute five thousand dollars toward building it.”
Maroney’s expression went from surprise to admiration. “You must like to read a lot.”
“I do,” Felicia said promptly. “There isn’t much you won’t know if you read.”
“That’s true. How old are you?’
“Almost thirteen,” Felicia said proudly.
“I have a daughter who is thirteen,” Maroney replied. “She likes to read, too. I’m sure the two of you will meet in school when it starts back up next week.”
Moses smiled at the look of delight blooming on his daughter’s face. They had been in Oberlin less than ten minutes, and already she was being introduced to a different life. He caught Rose’s eyes and knew she was thinking the same thing. He felt the dregs of his apprehension ebbing away as the spirit of the town flowed around them. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Maroney.”
“Jonathan.” The balding middle-aged man reached out to grasp his hand, and then shook Rose’s. “I can tell already that your family is going to be a fine addition to our town and our college. Welcome to Oberlin.”
Moses had questions he wanted to ask, but they would wait. It was time to get his family into a warm, dry room. He glanced down the road, grateful there was a clear path along the sidewalk that wasn’t swallowed by the mounds of snow. The wind was blowing, but the buildings and the trees blocked enough of it to make it endurable.
“It’s only a few blocks,” Jonathan assured him. “I would take you in my wagon, but I have another train coming in soon.”
“Not a problem,” Moses assured him. “Thank you for the welcome. It’s good to be here.”
*****
Carrie gazed at the thousand or more people who had gathered for Biddy’s funeral. There was not a church in Moyamensing large enough to accommodate them all, so Thomas and Abby had offered the factory. Carrie had overseen the transformation. It had been a herculean effort to clear the factory floor of tables and machines and replace them with chairs, but not one person had complained. The factory and their jobs existed because of the woman who had fought tirelessly for the Irish of Moyamensing.
“She would laugh if she could see the fuss.”
Carrie looked at Faith, who was standing next to her, watching as the building filled. “Surely she knew what a huge impact she had on so many lives. There are even more people standing out in the cold. We simply can’t fit another body in here.�
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Faith smiled. “Biddy was never one to care about appearances. She did what she believed was right.”
“She changed my life,” Carrie murmured.
“And she changed mine,” Faith agreed. “She lived by the Bregdan Principle. She truly believed every life she touched would cause ripples throughout history. That was what gave her the joy that kept her alive through all she suffered.”
“What will you do now?” Carrie had waited to ask the question, but now seemed the time.
“I’m going to stay right here,” Faith replied. “I loved Biddy with all my heart. The best years of my life were the ones I spent as her friend.” Her eyes softened. “Biddy gave me her house and everything she owned. I’m to pass it on to Arden when I die, but she knew I would use the resources the same way she would have. She knew her time was coming and had already told me what she wants to see happen in Moyamensing. I’m going to make sure it happens. These people are lighter skinned than me, but they have become my family, too.”
Carrie grinned, certain she could hear Biddy laughing from heaven.
Faith looked over the hordes of people for several moments and then turned to Carrie. “Biddy wants a homeopathic clinic in Philadelphia. She wants you to run it.”
Carrie stared at her, searching for how to communicate that she was greatly honored, but couldn’t imagine living in Philadelphia. The last five days, while she was glad to be here to honor Biddy, had drained her.
Faith laughed gently. “Don’t worry, Carrie. Biddy knew you wouldn’t want to live in the city. She wanted you to set up the clinic and hire homeopathic physicians that will treat the Moyamensing residents the way they should be treated. The money she has left will pay for it. When you get back from New Mexico, of course.”
Carrie considered the request and smiled. “I can do that,” she promised. If she chose the right people, it wouldn’t be hard to oversee. Abby and her father owned the factory, but they were seldom here because they had hired such competent people. She had never really considered doing such a thing, but she had considered very little of what she was doing with her life right now. What did one more unexpected thing matter?