All My Tomorrows

by Al Lacy

  When Johnny stepped into the room, he told himself the Bostins must have been expecting to take in a boy, for sure. A green, red, and blue plaid quilt covered the dark oak bed, and a small desk and chair of the same wood stood against one wall. A dresser with a mirror stood opposite the bed, and a closet was nearby.

  The small table next to the bed held a lantern, and there were paintings of outdoor scenes on the walls, some with horses and cattle in the foreground. Drapes of the same green, red, and blue as the bedspread hung beside the window, with sheer white curtains that were brightened by the afternoon sunlight.

  With eyes round as saucers, Johnny breathed out, “Wow! This is really something! I’m really gonna love living here!”

  The new parents shared a happy smile, then Clay said, “Honey, I’ve got to get to the office. I’ll be there the rest of the afternoon.”

  “I’m sure there’s a lot of paperwork to catch up on,” said Mary.

  “For sure.” Then to Johnny he said, “On my way to the office, I’ll stop at the general store and buy you a Bible.”

  “Thank you, Sh—I mean, Dad. It’ll be great to have my own Bible.”

  At that moment there was a knock at the front door of the house.

  Clay went up the hall toward the front of the house.

  Johnny said, “I’ll help you do the dishes, Mom.”

  When Clay opened the door, he found Pastor Dan Wheeler and his wife, Madelyne. He welcomed them. As they moved through the door, Pastor Wheeler said, “I’m glad to see you home, Clay. Mary told us at the service last week about your pursuit of the outlaws who had abducted one of the orphan train boys, and asked us to pray for you and the boy. Madelyne and I have been checking each day with Mary, and that’s why we’re here. What about the boy?”

  Clay smiled. “He’s right here in the house.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Mm-hmm.” Clay turned and called toward the rear of the house, “Mary! It’s Pastor and Mrs. Wheeler! Bring Johnny, will you?”

  Mary and Johnny appeared quickly and made their way up the hall. When they drew up, Clay introduced the Wheelers to Johnny Smith. Clay told them how he rescued the boy, and that he had been able to lead him to the Lord on the way back to Colorado Springs.

  The Wheelers thought this was wonderful news.

  Clay said, “Mary and I are taking Johnny into our home. I’m going to talk to Judge Ackerson tomorrow and have him draw up the adoption papers.”

  “Great!” exclaimed the pastor.

  “That’s really wonderful,” said Madelyne. “I understand now why neither of you had peace about the orphans you’ve looked at in the past.”

  Mary nodded. “Right. The Lord had Johnny all picked out for us.”

  Johnny looked up at the preacher. “Pastor Wheeler?”

  “Yes, Johnny?”

  “Sheriff Bos—I mean, Dad showed me in the Bible that I need to be baptized, now that I’m saved. He said I would have to talk to you about it. Can I be baptized Sunday?”

  “You sure can. I’ll be glad to baptize you.”

  Madelyne smiled at Johnny. “I’m eager for our children to meet you.”

  “I’d like to meet them. How many do you have?”

  “Three. Cliff is fifteen. Eddie is thirteen. And Priscilla is eleven.”

  “I’ll look forward to meeting them on Sunday, ma’am.”

  That evening when Clay came home, he presented Johnny with a beautiful new Bible. Johnny was thrilled with it and said he would read it every day.

  The next morning, Clay Bostin went to Judge Howard Ackerson and told him the story. The judge began the paperwork so the sheriff and his wife could make Johnny Smith their adopted son.

  Clay then headed for the Western Union office to send a wire to the Children’s Aid Society and let them know that he and Mary were in the process of adopting Johnny. When he entered the office, agent Gerald Pearson greeted him with a smile.

  “Hello, Sheriff! I was about to bring a telegram to you. It just came ten minutes ago.” He picked the envelope up from the desk and handed it to him. “It’s from Charles Loring Brace.”

  “Oh, good!”

  Clay opened the envelope, took out the telegram, and smiled as he read it.

  Pearson grinned. “I thought you’d like what he said.”

  Clay was pleased that Brace said since he was the El Paso County sheriff, he and his wife would not need to sign any papers. The telegram was their official notice that the Children’s Aid Society was granting permission for them to become Johnny Smith’s foster parents.

  Clay looked up. “I sure do like what he said, Gerald. Only now I need to send a wire and inform Mr. Brace that Mary and I are going to adopt Johnny; and that Judge Howard Ackerson is now preparing the official papers.”

  “I’ll get it right on the wire for you, Sheriff,” said Pearson.

  Two hours later, when Clay was busy at his desk in the sheriff’s office, Pearson came in and handed him a telegram from Charles Loring Brace, congratulating the Bostins on the adoption.

  Johnny was busy sweeping the back porch of the house for his new mother when the back door opened and he looked up to see his new father.

  “Hi, Dad! I didn’t realize it was time for you to be home.”

  Clay grinned. “Well, it’s five-thirty. That’s when I usually get home.”

  “Mom told me that, but I guess I’ve been so busy, I didn’t realize how late it was.”

  “She tells me you’ve been working hard today.”

  “Yeah, and I like it.”

  “Good! We’ll always have something for you to do around here. Of course, we’ve got to get you enrolled in school. That’ll keep you busy too.”

  Johnny grinned. “Sure will.”

  Clay pulled the telegrams out of his shirt pocket. “I need you to come inside. I’ve got some telegrams for you to read. I already showed them to Mom, but she wants to be with you when you read them.”

  “Okay.”

  They stepped into the kitchen, where Mary was busy at the stove. She turned and smiled. “Did you tell him who the telegrams are from?”

  “No. I wanted you to see his face when I tell him, as well as when he reads them.”

  Johnny raised quizzical eyes. “Who are they from, Dad?”

  “Charles Loring Brace.”

  Johnny’s young features brightened. “Really?”

  “Mm-hmm. Here, the first one is on top.”

  The boy’s face beamed even more as he read the first telegram.

  Clay said, “Go ahead and read the other one.”

  When he had finished the second one, Johnny’s countenance glowed. “Wow! This is great! A few weeks ago, I never would have dreamed that I would be living in the West and about to become the adopted son of a sheriff!”

  The Bostins shared a happy smile at Johnny’s exuberance.

  Suddenly a serious frown puckered the boy’s brow. Both Clay and Mary saw it instantly, and Mary’s heart skipped a beat. A feeling of dread overtook the happy moment.

  Clay put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “What’s the matter?”

  Johnny looked meekly at Clay, then at Mary, and cast his eyes down to the floor. As he tried to speak, the words caught in his throat.

  Clay squeezed the shoulder gently. “Johnny, what is it? You can talk to us about anything. We’re a family now, and your feelings are important to us.”

  Johnny took a deep breath and cleared his throat. “Well, it’s just that I love you both very much already, and I’m so pleased to be your son, but—”

  Mary caressed Johnny’s head. “What is it, honey?”

  Johnny swallowed hard. “I … I still love my real parents too. I will never forget them and the home I had with them. The memories will always be with me.” He looked up at both of them hesitantly. “W-would that be okay with you?”

  Mary hugged him. “Johnny, dear, we would never want you to forget your real parents. They are the special ones who gave you life
. Dad and I will always be grateful to them for raising such a wonderful son.”

  “Johnny, we would like very much for you to share anything you care to about your real parents. We want to help you keep them alive in your heart.”

  Johnny’s voice cracked as he looked up at Clay. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “Yes, really,” put in Mary. “We will go on from here, making good memories for you, but we also want you to bring along the memories from your life before you came to us.”

  Johnny sensed a special new bond between himself and the Bostins. Running his gaze between them, he said, “I’ll be so proud to have the same last name as you. I’m glad that I have all my tomorrows to be Johnny Bostin.”

  Mary smiled. “That’s a beautiful way to put it, Johnny. ‘All my tomorrows.’ Did you make that up?”

  “No, ma’am. Those words came from Dad the night he saved my life at the cave. When I thanked him for staying on our trail and for saving my life, he said, ‘I wanted you to have all your tomorrows.’ ”

  More tears flooded Mary’s eyes. She put an arm around Clay and the other around Johnny. “I’m thankful to the Lord and to my husband, son, that you will indeed have all your tomorrows.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  On Saturday at breakfast, while her two men were wolfing down pancakes and maple syrup, Mary Bostin said, “Clay, dear, I’ve been thinking. I’d like to have the Wheeler family for Sunday dinner after the morning service tomorrow.”

  Clay swallowed a mouthful of pancake. “Sure, honey. Be all right with me. Any special reason, or are you just wanting to have them again since it’s been a while?”

  “Well, it has been a while, but I do have a special reason for doing it tomorrow if they can come. Johnny will meet Cliff, Eddie, and Priscilla at church in the morning, but I would like for him to get to know them better. He’ll have a better chance to get acquainted with them over dinner.”

  “Good idea, sweetheart. That sound all right to you, son?”

  Johnny said around a mouthful of pancake, “Sure, Dad. I want to make new friends as soon as I can.”

  “Good,” said Mary. “Honey, will you stop by the parsonage on your way to the office this morning and invite them?”

  “Be glad to. And should they already have other plans, I’ll swing back home and tell you.”

  “Fine. If I don’t see you by nine o’clock, I’ll figure everything is all right, and I can begin making extra bread and such.”

  When the Bostins arrived at church the next morning, Madelyne Wheeler had her three children with her on the porch, watching for the Bostins and their new son to arrive.

  As the trio made their way up the steps, Madelyne and her children moved up to meet them.

  “Good morning!” Madelyne said.

  “Good morning,” came three voices in unison.

  “Johnny,” said Madelyne, “I want you to meet my children. Cliff, Eddie, Priscilla, this is Johnny Smith, soon to be Johnny Bostin.”

  Cliff stepped forward first and shook Johnny’s hand. “Glad to meet you, Johnny. Welcome to Colorado Springs and to our church.”

  “Thanks, Cliff. I’m glad to be here.”

  Eddie was next. As he shook Johnny’s hand, he smiled. “Hi, Johnny. Mama said you’re twelve, right?”

  “Sure am.”

  “Well, I’m only a year older than you. Cliff thinks he’s big stuff, since he’s fifteen. Maybe you and I can do some things together, okay?”

  “Swell!”

  Cliff put on a disgusted look. “Eddie, I’m not too old to do things with you and Johnny. Maybe we can go fishing. Would you like that, Johnny?”

  “Sure, Cliff. I’ve never been fishing before, but it sounds fun.”

  There was a feminine clearing of throat.

  Cliff looked around. “Oh, excuse us. Shall I introduce her, Mama?”

  Madelyne nodded. “Go ahead.”

  Cliff took his sister by the arm and pulled her up to Johnny. “This is Priscilla.”

  She offered her hand and Johnny took it gently. “Hi, Priscilla. I’m glad to meet you.”

  “I’m glad to meet you too, Johnny. I’m eleven. Since I’m just a year younger than you, we can be pals, can’t we?”

  “Of course,” said Johnny, releasing her hand. Cliff and Eddie both had blond hair. He was amazed that Priscilla’s hair was black like shiny velvet. She had a sweet smile, and she was very pretty. Johnny thought she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen.

  As they entered the building, Madelyne told Clay and Mary how much they were looking forward to Sunday dinner.

  Johnny was guided to the Sunday school class of twelve- to fourteen-year-old boys by Eddie.

  Later in the morning service, Johnny was sitting with the Bostins in their favorite pew, and periodically glanced at Priscilla, who sat with her brothers across the aisle. Their mother was in the choir.

  After a few hymns were sung, Pastor Dan Wheeler stepped to the pulpit and made his regular announcements. Before taking the offering, he had Johnny stand up and introduced him to the congregation. He told Johnny’s story in brief, then explained that Sheriff Clay Bostin had led him to the Lord after rescuing him, adding that the Bostins were going to adopt him.

  There were amens among the crowd, who had prayed earnestly for the boy while the sheriff was riding to the rescue.

  There was another hymn sung, then the choir did a special number. The pastor preached the sermon, and when the invitation was given, Johnny walked the aisle and presented himself for baptism. Pastor Wheeler asked him to give his testimony of salvation to the congregation, which he gladly did. He was baptized immediately.

  At the Bostin house that afternoon, Johnny had opportunity to get to know the Wheeler children better. He liked the boys very much, and they felt the same about him. Though Priscilla talked less than her brothers, Johnny felt her warmth toward him. He noted that every time he looked at her, she graced him with a smile. He already felt that she was a special pal. He glanced at her often, just to get another smile.

  That night when Johnny and the Bostins arrived home after the evening service, they sat down at the kitchen table for a light snack. While they were eating, Clay said, “Hey, son, I noticed something today.”

  “What’s that, Dad?”

  “You seem to have eyes for Priscilla. Not only were you looking at her quite often at dinner, but in the service tonight, you kept glancing across the aisle. I don’t think you were looking at her brothers.”

  Johnny’s face tinted. “Well, ah … she is a real nice girl. And I have to say that I don’t think I’ve ever seen one so pretty.”

  Mary smiled. “I think she has eyes for you too, Johnny.”

  Johnny’s face turned a deeper shade of red than before.

  In San Bernardino, California, when the choosing had been done by the prospective foster parents, there were two girls and three boys remaining. All five were showing their dejection when Royce Nelson came running from the terminal building with a smile on his face.

  The children and the sponsors saw him coming and waited to hear his news.

  Drawing up Royce said, “Praise the Lord! The terminal manager just showed me a telegram from Mr. Brace. Johnny Smith has been rescued! It was Sheriff Clay Bostin who rescued him. And guess what! The sheriff and his wife have taken him into their home and are going to adopt him!”

  The three remaining boys were Teddy Hansen, Jerry Varnell, and Clint Albright. Though the boys were feeling dejected because they had not yet been chosen, they rejoiced to learn that their friend had been rescued and was going to be adopted. As the orphans boarded their respective coaches, the girls also showed their relief that Johnny was all right, but their sponsors could easily read the disappointment they were feeling about their own state.

  The train pulled out, heading for its last stop—Los Angeles. In the girls’ coach, Lorinda Radcliff, Shelley Nelson, and Mandy Hillen did their best to encourage the girls. They pointed
out that Los Angeles was a large city, and that there were always a good number of couples at the railroad station seeking orphans to take home. Certainly they would be chosen this time. The girls were encouraged, and their countenances brightened.

  In the boys’ coach, though they were glad for the good news about Johnny Smith, Teddy, Jerry, and Clint were battling their own dejection.

  Dale Radcliff and Royce Nelson were trying hard to encourage them, using the same reasoning the women were using with the girls.

  Dale put a big grin on his face. “And, fellas, you ought to be glad that all three of you are still together! At least this way, when you’re chosen in Los Angeles, you’ll be near to each other and can see each other periodically in the years to come.”

  Dale’s words served to perk up Teddy. Eyes suddenly sparkling, he said, “That’s for certain sure, Mr. Radcliff!”

  Teddy, like the other two boys, had lived the entire trip in fear that they would be separated. Now it seemed that even if they weren’t all chosen by the same family, they would at least live in the same vicinity.

  Suddenly an uninvited thought invaded Teddy’s mind. His eyes lost their luster and a deep frown creased his brow.

  “What is it, Teddy?” Dale said.

  The boy cleared his throat. “I just thought of something.”

  “What?”

  Clint, Jerry, and Royce looked on.

  “Well, what if one or two of us aren’t chosen in Los Angeles? We would be sent back to New York and probably never see each other again.” His lower lip quivered as he tried to stop embarrassing himself by crying.

  Dale laid a hand on his shoulder. “Teddy, keep this one thing in mind. God is in control of each of our lives, and he already has a plan for all three of you. Don’t fret so. God knows what you and Clint and Jerry need, better than you do.”

  Teddy wiped his sleeve over his eyes and his ever-ready smile replaced the frown. “That’s for certain sure! He will take care of us, won’t He?”

  When the train pulled into the Los Angeles depot, the two girls and the three boys formed their short line and the prospective foster parents began their inspection. Indeed, there was a long line of them.