Other Brother

by Dooley, Lena Nelson

  “It’s a deal.”

  Gustaf loped off, seething inside. The cheeky cabby thought he was coming for his own lady, not for his brother’s castoff. If that didn’t cap the day. Gustaf hurried toward the wharves, where he saw several ships docked. There was the vessel she had sailed on. Quickly, Gustaf scanned the scattered clusters of people near the North Star. Not one of the women looked like Olina. What if she hadn’t boarded the ship? What if he had made the journey in vain? Gustaf’s anger built even higher than it had been—if that were possible. Had he wasted all this time and money for nothing?

  ❧

  Once again, Olina looked around the large wharf area. Where was Lars? She didn’t know what she would do if he didn’t come. She had so little money left. Johanna had insisted that they book passage in second class. She didn’t want to travel in steerage, where everyone was treated like cattle, sharing rooms and bathrooms and who knew what else. Olina had enjoyed the relative luxury. She knew it was not like first class, but she had never known that kind of life, so she didn’t miss it. But she would have missed the money it would have cost. Olina didn’t have that kind of money to start with. Now she almost wished she had talked Johanna into steerage. At least she would have enough money to make her way to Minnesota on her own if Lars was unable to meet her in New York.

  “I wonder what’s keeping Lars.” Olaf turned from his conversation with Johanna to talk to Olina. “You could go with us to the hotel. I’m sure there’s another room available. Of course, tomorrow we’ll be leaving for Cincinnati, but we’d be glad to have you with us tonight.”

  Olina looked at Johanna, clutching her husband’s arm as if she would never let go. She knew that the young couple didn’t need her tagging along on their first night together in over a year.

  “Lars wouldn’t know where to find me if I went with you.” Once again Olina looked around the wharf. “I think I’ll wait a little longer.”

  “We can’t leave you here alone.” Johanna took Olina’s arm. “It wouldn’t be proper, and you might not be safe. I would worry instead of enjoying my husband.” She smiled a secret smile at Olaf.

  That smile made Olina uncomfortable, so she quickly looked away. That’s when Olina noticed a man who seemed to be looking for someone. He was built like Lars, strong and muscular, and blond hair stuck out from under his navy blue cap. He looked a lot like Lars, but he was taller than she remembered Lars being. Maybe it was Lars. He could have grown taller since he had come to America. All that work and good food in the land of plenty. Maybe he had grown. Lars, or whoever he was, started toward them. Now he was close enough for her to see all of his face.

  Just as Olina realized that, she looked into icy blue eyes. Sky blue and cold as the ice in the fjords in winter. They jolted her. But it wasn’t Lars. His were gray, not blue.

  ❧

  Gustaf recognized Olina’s eyes the moment he saw them. It was a good thing. He would never have known who she was otherwise. She stood as if she were holding herself upright by the strength of her will. She was slender, with curves in all the right places. Instead of the braids he remembered encircling her head, her upswept hairdo was topped with a fashionable small hat that had ribbons and feathers and a small veil that was turned up. Wispy curls brushed her cheeks and neck.

  Gustaf didn’t know a lot about fashion, but he knew that the traveling suit she was wearing was fashionable. Olina had changed, all for the better. But she was fragile looking, as if the journey had worn her out. As if she would wilt if given the chance. He couldn’t tell her what he had come to tell her until she had rested. He would have to wait for the right time. But what was the right time to tell a woman who had come halfway around the world that she had been jilted?

  Two

  “Gustaf?” Olina was surprised she hadn’t realized who he was right away.

  He nodded as he glanced at the luggage. “How many of these are yours?”

  “Those two trunks and this carpetbag.” After Olina pointed out the pieces, she looked past Gustaf, scanning the thinning crowd. “Where—?”

  “I have a cab waiting. We need to hurry.” Gustaf hefted one trunk up on his back.

  “Wait.” Olina’s hand on his arm stopped him. “I want you to meet my traveling companion and her husband.” She turned toward the Nordstroms.

  Olaf held out his hand. “I’m Olaf, and this is Johanna.”

  “I’m pleased to meet you.” Gustaf let the trunk slip back to the dock before he shook Olaf’s hand.

  “Do we have to hurry to catch the train?” Olina had a lot of questions she wanted answered. “And is—?”

  “No,” Gustaf interrupted. “Our train doesn’t leave until in the morning.”

  “But where will you spend the night?” Johanna sounded worried.

  Olina smiled at her. How like Johanna to be more concerned for her friend than herself.

  “I hadn’t thought of that,” Gustaf answered. “I guess I was planning on waiting at Grand Central Station tonight.”

  “Why don’t you come to the hotel with us?” Olaf said. “I’m sure they have another room.”

  Gustaf looked angry, but he agreed. “We can share my cab if we hurry. The driver said he wouldn’t wait long for us.”

  Each man picked up a trunk and started toward the cabstand, leaving the women to guard the other luggage. When they returned for the other two trunks, Olina and Johanna went with them, each carrying a carpetbag, as well as their reticules.

  The cab was crowded. Olina had to sit very close to Gustaf. After they had gone a couple of blocks, she leaned close to his ear. “Where is—?”

  “That’s our hotel.” Olaf pointed toward a three-story building with a red brick facade.

  When the three men had unloaded the baggage, Olaf and Gustaf went to the front desk.

  “I booked you a room on the same floor as your friends, but on the other side of the hotel,” Gustaf told Olina when they returned. “My room is on the next floor.”

  As they walked across the lobby to the staircase, the carpet softened Olina’s tired steps. It was a good thing Gustaf had brought her here. Olina wouldn’t have been able to afford a hotel room at all in this big city. New York City. It was so confusing and noisy.

  After the baggage was stored in the three hotel rooms, the four went to the restaurant on the ground floor. Another time, Olina would have enjoyed the beauty of the place, aglow with gas lights on the walls, as well as candles on each table. Delicious smells wafted through the room, making Olina aware that she had not eaten much that day. She had been too excited, knowing they were landing in New York. She was supposed to see Lars waiting for her. That had added to her excitement, but that had not happened. Now here she was in a hotel restaurant with Gustaf. Maybe he would soon tell her where Lars was and why he didn’t come to meet her.

  As soon as they were seated, a young woman in a long black dress with a white apron and cap served them. Gustaf and Olaf were able to converse with her in English. Neither Olina nor Johanna understood anything they said. But the two men sounded as if they had spoken the language all their lives. Olina hoped she would be able to learn the strange way of speaking. It felt uncomfortable being an outsider. Surely Lars could speak English as well as Gustaf. Lars would help her learn. He wouldn’t want her feeling uncomfortable around others.

  The meal was congenial, but Olina waited for Gustaf to bring up Lars’s whereabouts. Lars hadn’t even been mentioned during the meal. Gustaf seemed rather aloof. Maybe he didn’t want to talk about Lars in front of the Nordstroms. Olina was beginning to worry. She hoped Lars was not sick or injured. Just wait until Gustaf walked her to her room. She would get to the bottom of this.

  ❧

  All through the meal, Gustaf was distracted. He tried to carry on a sensible conversation with his companions, but his thoughts were otherwise engaged.

  Here they were in a hotel, using up more of the hard-earned money he had brought with him. He felt each dollar as it slipped throug
h his fingers, his precious store dwindling at an alarming rate. He had better get Olina back to the farm quickly, before he ran out of money. Why had he not brought more with him? He had enough put away that it wouldn’t have hurt to bring extra so he wouldn’t feel the pinch, but he had been angry. He only wanted to get the trip over with. He hadn’t wanted to spend one penny more than was necessary, and he had planned to send Olina back to her parents. Besides, he would need his money when he and Anna married.

  Gustaf hadn’t thought about spending time at a hotel. He was going to go back to the train station and wait for the train to Minnesota, even if it took all night. When he first saw Olina standing there, he knew he couldn’t treat her that way. Now look at the mess he was in. It was a good thing Fader had told him to buy both tickets before he left home. He had planned to turn Olina’s ticket in and get his money back after he put her on a ship to Sweden. Now he barely had enough money for food until they got to Litchfield.

  Gustaf hadn’t even mentioned Lars to Olina. How could he bring up his name without exploding with anger? She didn’t need to see that, not in her condition. She was so tired; she looked as if she was having a hard time staying awake. There was not one detail of her actions or appearance that escaped him.

  If he could get his hands on Lars right now, he would likely hurt him. How could Lars do this to Olina? Why couldn’t he be man enough to face this on his own?

  Olina said she was hungry, but she didn’t eat like the farm girl of his memory. She ate more like his mother did, with grace and poise. She had stopped eating before her plate was empty. She insisted the food tasted good, but she left some, as his mother often did.

  What was he doing comparing her to his mother? Was he mad? How was he going to tell her about Lars? He would have to wait until the right time.

  ❧

  When Gustaf finished the last bite on his plate, Olina stood up. “I’m tired.” She looked right at him. “Will you walk me to my room?”

  Olaf stood when Olina and Gustaf did. Then he sat back down with his wife.

  At the top of the stairs, Olina could wait no longer. “Where is Lars?” she asked as they walked down the hall.

  “I’m not sure.”

  Olina stopped and placed her hands on her hips. “What do you mean, you’re not sure? Is something the matter with him?”

  Anger blazed from Gustaf. “Yes, something’s the matter with him. He’s married.”

  Olina couldn’t believe her ears. Surely he hadn’t said what she thought she heard. “Married?”

  She didn’t realize she had voiced the question until she saw the expression on Gustaf’s face. He reached toward her, but she stepped back from him.

  “Olina, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to tell you this way.” He took her arm, but she pulled away.

  “How could he be married?” The question ended on a squeak. Here she was worried that Lars was sick or hurt, and he had done this to her. Olina clutched her arms around her waist as if something inside hurt. And it did. Everything hurt. She felt as if she couldn’t stand up another minute.

  Gustaf must have realized this, because he put his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. Olina began to sob. What was she going to do now?

  Gustaf helped her walk to her room. “We need to talk. If we leave the door open, I can come in for a few minutes.”

  He eased her into a chair and hunkered on the floor beside her. Olina didn’t look at his face. How could she? She didn’t want to see pity there. First Fader rejected her, and now Lars had jilted her. How could God have let this happen?

  “What am I going to do?” It was hard to get the words past the lump in her throat.

  “What do you want to do, Olina?”

  “I don’t have the money to go back to Sweden.”

  Gustaf stood and walked over to the window. “I came to take you to Litchfield with me.”

  “Do your moder and fader want me to come?”

  Gustaf turned from the window. He looked at her, but she didn’t read pity in his expression. “Yes. They’re not happy about what Lars did.”

  Olina sat up straighter. “What exactly did Lars do?”

  “Didn’t he write you at all after he went to Denver?”

  “Denver?” Olina quickly stood and paced across the floor. “The last letter I received from him contained the money for my passage.” She stopped walking and turned toward Gustaf. “What is he doing in Denver?”

  “I don’t want to talk about Lars right now.” Gustaf stomped to the window again. “He’s always making messes and leaving them for me to clean up. You are one of those messes, and I will take care of you, as I have all the others.”

  Olina could hardly believe her ears. “Did you just call me a mess?” She stood a little taller, the starch returning to her backbone. “I’m not sure I want to spend any time with you.”

  “Well, you’re going to have to. . .until we get to Minnesota, at least!”

  Why was he shouting at her? Did he want everyone in the hotel to know what had happened to her?

  Olina walked over to the door. “I’ll thank you to leave my room.”

  “All right. I’ll go, but I’ll be here to pick you up early in the morning so we can catch our train.” At least he had moderated his tone. “When we get to Litchfield, you and my parents can decide what to do.”

  After Olina closed the door behind him, she resumed pacing the floor, sure she would never be able to sleep tonight. Everything in her life had turned to darkness. Fader had rejected her because she wanted to come to America to marry the man she loved. She stopped by the window and stared out, unseeing.

  How could Olina love a man who could do that to her? How could she turn off a love that had consumed most of her life? Here she was in a strange place where she couldn’t even speak the language. Tomorrow she would board a train with the most insufferable man she had ever known.

  Olina didn’t remember Gustaf much from when they had been in Sweden. He was older than Lars and she, so he hadn’t paid much attention to her, or she him. She never noticed him acting the way he was now.

  Olina walked over and sat on the side of the bed. It had been so long since she slept in such a soft one. She had been looking forward to it, but with what had happened today, she didn’t know if she would sleep a wink.

  Olina didn’t like to feel helpless, but that was what she felt right now. Helpless and alone. Alone and unloved. How much worse could it get? She didn’t want to know. She wished she couldn’t feel anything. That’s what she could do. Stop feeling anything. Then maybe the hurt would go away.

  Olina knew she could trust no one except herself. She would have to face this alone.

  ❧

  Gustaf had been quiet at breakfast, and then he rushed her to Grand Central Station. What a large place it was! So fancy with arches and columns and all kinds of mosaic tiles. Olina had never seen anything like it. The ceiling seemed to be a million miles above them. People were everywhere, all talking in their own languages or the language of this new country. Occasionally, Olina heard a Swedish word as they made their way through the throng. It was like music to her ears, even though it was buried in the multilingual cacophony. The place was so large, they had barely made it to their train on time.

  Olina was fighting a headache. The clackity-clack of the train was much louder than she had expected. Some people carried on conversations, which only added to the confusing din. She pressed her fingers to her temples as she tried to ignore all the noise.

  This America was big. They had traveled for two days, and they hadn’t reached Minnesota yet. At first Olina looked out the windows to see everything. . .and to keep from looking at Gustaf. Although she tried not to feel anything, every time she saw him, it brought all those feelings back; so she ignored him as much as she could.

  There was a lot to see. Before they left the state of New York, Olina saw lots of trees—tall trees, many kinds that were new to her. As they traveled across other states,
hills gave way to prairies with tall grasses blowing in the wind. Soon vast fields of wheat and other crops were interspersed with farmhouses and barns.

  The train passed through small settlements as well as a few cities. It often stopped to let off and take on passengers. Soon the cities all looked a lot alike. They had crossed several states—Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana—before they reached Chicago, Illinois, which was the largest city since they left New York City.

  Every so often, she sat back and glanced at Gustaf in the seat facing hers. Every time she looked at him, Gustaf was reading the newspaper he bought in Grand Central Station. . . or he was asleep. . .or he was reading from his Bible, which he had in the carpetbag he carried. The only time he talked to her was when he needed to tell her something about the trip or when they were getting something to eat. That was fine with her.

  Although Olina tried not to, she missed Lars. She also missed Mor. . .and her brothers. She could not even keep from missing Fader, even though he had hurt her so much. Maybe if she closed her eyes and rested her head against the back of the seat, her headache would go away.

  ❧

  Gustaf glanced up when he heard the soft breathy sound. Olina’s head rested on the window beside her. Her eyes were closed, and her lips were slightly parted. She must be asleep, because the soft sounds that came from her small mouth were almost snores, but not quite. Gustaf wished he sat beside her. If he did, he would ease her head from the hard glass onto his softer broad shoulder. He would love to cushion her sleep there.

  What was he thinking? He loved Anna, didn’t he? The sweet honey smell of Olina had teased him when they were in the cab, but he had tried to ignore it.

  Gustaf pulled his Bible out of his carpetbag again. His thoughts were not the thoughts of a man who planned to ask Anna to marry him the next time they were alone together. The sooner he got this mess with Olina fixed, the better for him. Gustaf leafed through the book, trying to find something that would ease his mind. But he went from one verse here to another verse there without gaining the peace he was seeking.