Hannah's Journey

by June Venable

  She peppered Miss Sutton with questions, wanting to know the names of the flowers and why she could see no houses, and if the weather was always so warm and sunny.

  “Give me a moment, Hannah, and I’ll answer your questions.” Miss Sutton smiled. “The flowers are called bluebonnets. People in Texas are very proud of them. There are many houses just a short distance away. And, I’m sure Texas has plenty of cold, rainy days in the winter. Not as cold as New York, but still quite chilly.”

  “Oh, how I wish Teddy could see this.”

  The sound of voices caused Hannah to turn back to the station platform. A group of people walked toward the remaining children. Hannah was anxious now to find a home in this lovely part of the country. The sooner she found a family, the sooner she could start her search.

  She watched as the people approached. Deciding to meet them halfway, Hannah stepped forward. Several smiles seemed to disappear as she limped toward them. Embarrassed at the thought of taking another step, Hannah stood rooted to the spot, twisting her hands, her face hot.

  A light touch on her shoulder made Hannah look up into the loveliest face she had ever seen. Holding out her hand, this vision smiled and said, “Hello, I’m Margaret Logan, and I’m very pleased to meet you.”

  Hardly daring to hope, the girl answered, “How do you do? I’m Hannah Monroe.” How beautiful, Hannah thought. Could she be the one? Biting her lip and holding her breath, Hannah stared into eyes that looked like dark brown velvet.

  “Could we sit down and talk, Hannah? I’d like to know all about you.”

  Hannah managed a nod. Her eyes never left Mrs. Logan’s face. Sitting on the station bench, the two soon chatted like old friends. Once more Hannah repeated her story. Mrs. Logan looked sympathetic as Hannah recounted her sad week. The kind face caused Hannah to pray again. This time, in the hopes this lady would choose her. Then, Mrs. Logan looked past Hannah and waved. “Now you’ll meet the rest of my family.”

  Hannah turned and saw a tall man coming toward them. He held the hand of a little girl of about five. “Why, you two look alike sitting there,” he said.

  Blushing, It delighted Hannah to think that she looked like this pretty lady. Introductions made, Mr. Logan picked up the conversation. “Looks like you’ve made a choice, Margaret. How about you, Caroline, what do you think?”

  The child smiled shyly and curtsied to Hannah. Everyone laughed. Mrs. Logan looked at Hannah and said, “It seems as if we’ve made a decision, Hannah, but what about you? Caroline needs a companion and we’d like you to become a part of our family.”

  Hannah caught her breath, not believing her good fortune. “Oh, yes, I think I’d like that very much. Thank you.”

  With the paperwork complete, Hannah said goodbye to Miss Sutton.

  “I wish you much happiness, Hannah. The Logans seem like very nice people, and you deserve a good family. Remember, you have my address if you ever need me.” Hannah threw her arms around the matron, who was on her way back to New York City to help a new group of children locate homes.

  “Thank you for everything, Miss Sutton. I’ll write often.” The matron touched Hannah’s hand and boarded her train.

  “We have a carriage, dear, and if you’re ready, why don’t we go home? You haven’t changed your mind have you?” Mrs. Logan asked.

  “Oh, no, I haven’t changed my mind. I want to stay. I have a friend who might come to Texas someday.” It made her feel closer to Teddy when she spoke of him. She didn’t mention her father right away.

  Outside, she saw a fine carriage drawn by a reddish colored horse. In New York she had only seen horses pulling milk wagons. “How beautiful,” she cried. “May I pet him?”

  “Of course,” Mr. Logan replied, “Major is very gentle, and loves children.”

  Hannah nodded, too overcome to speak. How fortunate I am. She hoped wherever Teddy went, he’d find as nice a family as this.

  The next surprise made Hannah gasp. For a small family, their home looked huge. The two-story house sat amid a garden of colorful flowers and shrubs. It looked like heaven.

  Several hours later, Hannah’s mind still whirled. She’d met Cinnamon, Caroline’s pony, eaten a wonderful lunch and now stared in amazement at the beautiful room that was hers. Surely she must be dreaming. Her bedroom in New York had been small, dark and cramped, its one window looking out on the brick wall of the flat next door. It seemed like a fairyland. The bed felt soft to her touch with a pink cloud-like coverlet. White lace curtains stirred in the spring breeze. How Mama would love it here.

  She turned to Mrs. Logan. “It’s beautiful! I can’t believe it’s all for me.”

  “Indeed it is, Hannah, and we hope you’re very happy here. Caroline’s room is just next-door. I hope you girls will grow to be very good friends.”

  “Oh, I know we will. I’m so happy you chose me, Mrs. Logan.”

  “We’re the lucky ones, Hannah. I think we found the perfect companion for Caroline. But why don’t you rest now? It’s been a big day for all of us.”

  Hannah fell asleep right away. The images of this unusual day became entwined with dreams of her father standing in a field of blue. There was a boy in the dream too. He waved from the platform of a moving train as it sped away into the distance.

  CHAPTER THREE – THE SHOPPING TRIP

  Hannah opened her eyes and looked around. Early morning sun bathed the bedroom in a golden light. Delicate curtains swayed in the scented breeze, and the murmur of voices reached her from downstairs. Thinking of yesterday’s events, Hannah almost missed the soft knock on the door.

  “Come in,” she called, wondering about her early morning visitor.

  Caroline’s dark curls appeared around the door. “Get up, Hannah. We’re going with Papa in the carriage.” The child tiptoed into the room and whirled around on her toes.

  “We’re going to have ice cream, strawberry ice cream,” she chanted.

  Hannah laughed and reached out to stop Caroline before she bumped into the four poster bed.

  “Hurry up, slowpoke. Get dressed so we can go.”

  “I can’t believe I’ve been asleep since yesterday afternoon.” Hannah caught the enthusiasm that swirled around Caroline. She dressed quickly and followed the child downstairs.

  “Good morning, sleepy head,” said Margaret Logan. “Did Caroline tell you about our plans for the day?”

  “I heard something about ice cream,” Hannah said, smiling.

  Mrs. Logan rolled her eyes. “You can see what’s important to Caroline. Yes, that’s true. We’ll have ice cream, but how about a shopping trip for some new clothes first?”

  “That sounds wonderful,” Hannah agreed.

  As soon as they finished breakfast, the family got into the carriage and Mr. Logan drove into Lafitte. On the way, he described the various sights and gave Hannah a little history of the town. Hannah’s eyes widened when she learned how the town got its name.

  “Jean Lafitte, a notorious pirate known primarily in New Orleans, is said to have also come to Texas and stirred up a lot of trouble. Perhaps we can take a trip to Galveston and find some of the gold they say he buried there.” David Logan’s eyes twinkled as he told the story. “Would you girls like that?”

  Both Hannah and Caroline said, “Oh, yes,” at the same time, and laughed at themselves.

  “Well, that’s settled then. We’ll try to plan a trip for early summer. Now, as soon as we reach town, I have some business to take care of. Will you ladies do all right alone?”

  “We’ll be just fine, David,” Margaret Logan said. She smiled at her husband. “Let’s meet at the Crystal Tea Room for lunch, shall we?”

  “Only if I don’t have to eat those tiny finger sandwiches.”

  Tying up the horses when they reached town, Mr. Logan set off to the building where he practiced law. Mrs. Logan led the girls to the next block and entered a small but lovely shop filled with clothes to delight any child’s heart.

  Two hours later
, Hannah stood surrounded by boxes filled with school dresses, cool summer outfits and two pairs of shoes with shiny buckles. The Logans attended the large white church that Mr. Logan pointed out to Hannah, so two beautiful frocks for wearing to services had gone into the growing pile. One of the dresses was pink with white lace, the other a soft, green organdy with small flowers around the hem of the skirt. The large brimmed straw hat with an emerald green band went perfectly with either of the dresses.

  Caroline wasn’t left out. She wanted a hat just like Hannah’s and a new pair of shoes. Her mother laughed and said, “Your father will probably have to build a new closet after today, Caroline.”

  With the shopping over, Margaret Logan suggested they walk to the Tea Room to meet Mr. Logan. They left the numerous packages at the shop to be picked up later. Halfway there, they spotted him coming from the other direction. David hurried to meet them.

  “I didn’t expect to see all of you empty handed. Was nothing found that suited you, Hannah?”

  Margaret Logan smiled at the girls. “Oh, we found a few things we’ll collect later.”

  The Crystal Tea Room looked unlike anything Hannah had ever seen. As they stepped through the doorway, Hannah felt a magical change. The room was quiet except for the soft, tinkling notes of a piano out of their sight. The tables sparkled with white linen cloths and napkins. Gold-rimmed crystal matched the china and each table held a small bouquet of spring flowers.

  Hannah breathed in the whole setting. What would Teddy think of all this? She smiled, thinking how surprised he’d look to see a Tea Room rather that a corral full of horses in Texas. She must remember to ask Mr. Logan about the cowboys.

  A waiter soon appeared to take their orders. While the ladies had the finger sandwiches, David Logan ordered a chicken dish, the house special.

  As Hannah slipped her napkin from its ring, she thought of her mother. Although Lily Monroe and her husband John had very little, she knew it was important to learn the correct way of doing things in this world. She wanted Hannah to know how to cope with all kinds of situations.

  Among the few books she possessed, Lily had a worn copy of an etiquette book. She poured over it in the evenings, then taught Hannah everything she learned. Lily had studied dressmaking, and fashioned lovely gowns for ladies who brought expensive fabric to the small flat. Hannah often went to sleep at night lulled by the whir of her mother’s sewing machine. Often, the ladies urged

  Lily to keep the leftover fabric. When she did, she created beautiful outfits for Hannah and herself before she became ill. She had even begun to teach Hannah the art of sewing.

  While they waited for their orders, Hannah turned her attention to the young woman who sat at the piano. A large plant had hidden her from view when they entered. Noticing her interest, the piano player smiled at the young girl.

  “What would you like to hear?” she called softly.

  Margaret Logan leaned over and said, “Why not Beautiful Dreamer,” she teased Hannah, “since you didn’t want to wake up this morning.”

  Hannah smiled and nodded. She surprised herself by going over to the young woman and asking for the tune Margaret Logan had suggested. When the song started, Hannah couldn’t seem to move. She stood beside the piano and watched the slender fingers move over the keys. When the song ended, the girl asked Hannah if she knew how to play.

  When Hannah shook her head, the girl said, “If you are interested in learning, I give lessons. You might want to talk to your parents about it. Hannah started to correct this wrong impression and then stopped. It felt good to think she belonged to the Logan family. “Thank you. I’ll ask. I think I’d like very much to learn.”

  Walking back to the table, she thought how much her mother wanted her to play the piano. Lily had played as a young girl, but after she married, money was scarce in the Monroe household. There was no way to afford a piano. Hannah’s chances of learning the instrument had been remote.

  With lunch over, the four set out for the park. Flowers bloomed everywhere and the park held a small zoo. The girls had fun petting the animals and spent a delightful hour making friends with a baby lamb. Margaret and David Logan sat close by, watching the girls as they enjoyed the perfect spring day.

  At last, it was time to leave. Before going, Mrs. Logan suggested that Hannah decide on a name for them. “Mr. and Mrs.

  Logan seems so formal. Is there any other name you would like to call us?”

  Hannah thought for a moment. “Would you mind if I called you Uncle David and Aunt Margaret? I never had any relatives, and I always wanted an aunt and uncle.”

  David Logan beamed and his wife clapped her hands. “That’s perfect, Hannah. You’ve solved the problem. Caroline, that makes you a cousin.”

  “Goody,” Caroline said, then she looked puzzled. “What’s a cousin?” Everyone laughed as they piled into the carriage.

  The girls chatted on the way home, with Caroline asking Hannah questions about New York. The Logans, in turn, answered Hannah’s questions about Texas. Hannah thought this had been one of the most amazing days of her life. A shiver of delight ran through her when she remembered the many boxes that held her new clothes. Images of the day, from the tales told by Uncle David to the reluctant farewell to the baby lamb, raced through her mind. Suddenly, she recalled the young piano teacher and vowed to speak to Aunt Margaret and Uncle David about piano lessons. Perhaps she could do some chores to help pay for lessons.

  The sun’s rays lengthened as they drove home, casting shadows on the road before them. The girls could barely hold their eyes open for a simple meal before tumbling into bed.

  Hannah only took the time to look once more at the piano teacher’s card before she placed it into her bureau drawer. It read, Miss Sylvia Cooper, Piano and Voice Lessons. Hannah’s fingers explored the raised letters. Mama would be so proud of her if she mastered the piano.

  Slipping into bed, Hannah whispered a heartfelt prayer of thanks for such a wonderful day.

  CHAPTER FOUR – SCHOOL DAYS

  On Monday, Hannah awoke to delicious smells wafting from the kitchen. Delia, the Logan’s maid, had fixed fluffy pancakes and spicy sausages. Caroline and Hannah giggled when Caroline’s father drew faces on their pancakes with the thick, brown syrup. Hannah already considered Delia an ally. The first day of her arrival, Delia hugged her and said, “anytime you need to talk, child, you’ll find me in the kitchen or in my room just down the hall from the kitchen. I have a nice easy chair in there and we can talk to your heart’s content.” Hannah knew she had made a friend.

  “You might want to come to my church sometime, young lady. I sing in the choir at Sunday night services. We’d be happy for you to visit. You just tell me when you’d like to go.”

  Hannah was thinking of Delia’s kind offer when Uncle David made a surprise announcement. He set his coffee cup aside and turned to her. His words made Hannah tremble inside.

  “Although it’s only a few weeks until the end of school, we thought you’d like to meet the other students and your teacher. I took the liberty of calling Mr. Dobbs, the principal, last night. He agreed that you could finish out the school year. In that way, you’ll get to know the other children and have friends to visit with this summer. What do you think of that?”

  Everyone looked expectantly at Hannah.

  She hesitated, frightened at meeting children her own age. What would they think of the brace on her leg? Would they make fun of the way she talked? Her happiness in this new place dimmed, but she couldn’t disappoint the Logans. They had treated her so kindly.

  “That sounds fine,” she said, as her heart sank.

  An hour later, Uncle David pulled the carriage up in front of the neat, red brick school. He got out of the carriage and went around to help Hannah down. “I’ll pick you up right here at three o’clock, Hannah. Everything will be all right,” he said as he patted her shoulder.

  A handful of girls stood around the schoolyard. They looked at her as she limp
ed toward them. Two of them moved to block her way. No one said a word. Hannah trembled, but remembering her promise to herself, smiled and said, “Good morning. I’m Hannah Monroe and I’m in the eighth grade.” She gazed at the group of girls expecting a reply.

  Still they kept silent and continued to stare at her. At last, one of them stepped away from the group. Taller and heavier than Hannah, she had bright red hair. She held a rock, shifting it from one hand to the other. The rest of the crowd watched, their eyes moving between the two.

  Hannah started toward the building, trying not to limp.

  Tossing her bright mane, the redhead finally spoke. “Hey, new girl, where do you think you’re going?”

  Hannah stopped. She looked to the other girls for help, but all eyes fastened on their leader as she raised the rock and aimed. Time seemed to stand still. Save for the chirping of the birds and the faint shouts of boys playing on the other side of the school, only quiet reigned. Colors stood out sharply. The green of the grass and the puffy white clouds that sailed overhead etched themselves in Hannah’s mind as she waited for the blow.

  At that moment, a woman stepped from the building. Her navy serge skirt swirled in the strong breeze. Her white starched blouse had long sleeves and a high collar. Her dark braids coiled around her head. In her hand she held a bell that she rang vigorously.

  The red-haired girl dropped her arm and the rock slid from her fingers. Moving close to Hannah, she whispered, “Teacher saved you this time, but I’ll get you later. You just better watch out!” With that, she skipped ahead to join the other girls.

  As she followed them into the building, Hannah wondered what had caused her first day to begin so badly. Stopping at the door to the classroom, Hannah saw a row of girls on one side of the room, and the boys on the other. The bright hair of the bully caught her eye. The girl frowned and her eyes narrowed as she returned Hannah’s look.

  The teacher smiled and motioned to Hannah. “Please come in. I’m Miss Trent.” She indicated a seat near the front of the room. Facing the children she said, “Class, we have a new pupil who joins us today.” Turning to Hannah, she continued. “Will you introduce yourself and tell us where you’re from?”