by Sally Laity
When her grandfather stomped his boots on the outside mat and came in, Ken stood to his feet.
The old man paused at the sight of him and narrowed his eyes.
Rosa quickly came forward. “Grandfather, this is Ken Roberts. He has come to ask after Nick.”
“And I invited him in,” her grandmother added purposefully.
At that news, his stance eased slightly.
Rosa let out a barely discernable breath of relief and turned to Ken. “Ken, I would like you to meet my grandfather, Abraham Azar.”
“It’s a great honor to meet you, Sir,” Ken said, extending his hand. “Some of my friends have told me of the fine goods they have purchased from your wagon.”
After a slight hesitation, the peddler grasped his hand and shook it politely.
“The food is ready,” his wife said. “Come to table now.”
Rosa indicated which chair Ken would be using, and after seating her, he took his own, while her grandparents took their seats.
“Ken likes to pray before he eats,” Rosalind announced. “If that is all right.” She looked from one guardian to the other.
“Is fine,” Mrs. Azar said, and they bowed their heads.
“Our dear Father in heaven,” he began, “we thank You for Your wondrous goodness and love for us all. Thank You for this loving home and all who dwell here. Please bless this food You’ve provided and the hands that prepared it. May Your blessing rest upon us all this day. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
“Amen,” came Rosa’s whisper.
“This sure looks delicious, Mrs. Azar,” Ken remarked, observing the attractive assortment of food before him.
When Rosa passed the garden salad, their fingers touched. . . followed by their gazes. Then they quickly broke eye contact.
A platter of roast chicken came next, and after that, some cooked greens Ken didn’t recognize. He took some anyway and found them to be tasty. Sliced fresh peaches and warm bread came last of all.
Mr. Azar cleared his throat. “Do you work long in mines?”
“Seems like forever,” Ken admitted. “My father was a miner, and when he was killed, I had to step into his shoes. But someday I hope to work in a different field.”
“Which field is that?” Rosa’s grandmother asked.
Ken smiled. “I’ve been studying engineering lately. And the more I read, the more challenging it sounds, to build roads and bridges and design buildings. The coal mines won’t last too many more years, since many people are converting to gas and electricity for heat and fuel. All the miners will need to find different work then.”
Mr. Azar, regarding Ken intently throughout the meal, merely nodded in thoughtful silence.
After clearing his plate, Ken barely had room for the baklava that Rosalind served while her grandmother poured strong coffee into each of their cups. But remembering how much he’d enjoyed those honey pastries, he gladly took one and smiled his thanks.
All too soon the meal was over, and Ken knew it was time to take his leave. He stood and offered Mrs. Azar his hand. “I thank you, gracious lady, for the delightful meal. It was so kind of you to invite me to have dinner with you.” His glance included all of them. Then he held out his hand to Mr. Azar and was relieved that there was no hesitation this time before the man clasped it warmly.
“It was good. . .your help for Nick,” the old peddler said.
“May I see Ken to the door, Grandfather?” Rosa asked.
He nodded, but not without reservation.
She kept her distance as they crossed the room. “I am glad you came,” she murmured as he stood in the opening. Her sable eyes said far more than that, but their message remained unspoken. “Take care.”
“You, too, Rosa,” he said, his chest burning with words that could not be spoken. “God be with you.”
Ken’s hope went up another notch, and his spirit overflowed with silent praises as he left the dwelling. But before he got very far, he sensed someone following him. He glanced around. Abraham Azar. Ken halted and waited for the old man’s approach. “Sir?” he said politely.
The peddler’s bearing indicated he had something to say, but it took a moment before he spoke. “It was good of you to care about Nicholas. We do not condone his act. Any of us. But. . .it would be better if you did not come back again.”
Ken’s spirit deflated and plummeted to his feet. He retained just enough composure to nod. “As you wish. God be with you and your family.” Without another word, he pivoted and left the encampment.
And Rosa.
Fifteen
Two weeks later, Ken brought home a paper that had been sent to the Hudson Coal Company office and presented to him by his boss. He handed it to his mother and waited for her to read it.
“You’ve made assistant mine foreman on the first try?” Ma’s face beamed as she perused the official certificate with its gold seal and dignitaries’ signatures. “We’ll have to get a nice frame and hang this on the parlor wall.”
“Yeah,” he said, trying not to look too proud. “As a section foreman, I’ll have forty or fifty guys working under me, once an opening comes up. Not to mention a nice raise. Our bill at Murphy’s will be history pretty quick after that.”
She shook her head in wonder. “I don’t know what to say. For so long we’ve barely had two nickels to rub together, and soon. . . I know your pa would’ve burst his buttons. We’ll have to celebrate. While you take your bath, I’ll run down to the store and get some ice cream for after supper. Sound good?”
“Sounds great, Ma.” He bent and kissed her cheek. The only thing that would have crowned the day would have been to share the good news with Rosa. But the only possible way now would be to leave her a message in the log, come Saturday. The thought brought little consolation as he headed down to the tub.
The weekend arrived at last. Ken couldn’t remember a more glorious mid-August day. Quickly getting his chores out of the way, he whipped off a quick note to Rosalind and tucked it into his pocket. Then he set off for the woods, not bothering with books or a lunch. It would be a short trip. Even his haven had lost its charm now that he had to spend his time there alone. One of these days he’d seek out another nice spot, one that didn’t make his heart ache just being there. The only thing that kept him going back was the slim hope that he and Rosa could maintain some semblance of contact by way of messages. But her poem had been the only attempt she’d made. He wondered how long it would be before she’d find the note he’d leave today.
He hoped things had changed for the better for her since he’d delivered Nicholas home after the mine incident, and he wondered if her grandparents were still adamant about marrying her off. If so, perhaps the rascal’s despicable conduct would compel them to use more caution in choosing a possible husband for their beloved granddaughter, at least. . .even if it had to be some other Lebanese man.
Ken appreciated the hospitality they’d shown him when he’d called to inquire after Nick. If only he could have gone back a few times, showed up often enough to give them a chance to get used to him. . . . He let out a ragged breath.
Preferring not to dwell on life’s disappointments, he focused instead on the good things happening in his life. His new job responsibilities would start in the near future. Hannah was planning a late September wedding, and soon Ma and Tim would have an easier life. He’d imagined the house would seem empty without his sister, but if her plans for Ma and Tim panned out, he’d be the only one left at home. That would take some real getting used to. Funny how things worked out.
Just outside his thicket, Ken almost stepped on a young rabbit in the path. He stood still and watched the timid little creature hop away into the brush, its little white tail bouncing.
When he turned his attention forward again, his heart lurched.
Rosalind sat on the log, her violet skirt draped over its contours, an incredibly dreamy smile on her lips. “Hello.”
“I wasn’t expecting to find you here,” he said
inanely, trying to gather his wits.
“As I recall, that was my line not too long ago,” she said teasingly, a glorious light sparkling in her eyes.
He glanced around them, toward the encampment, not wanting to cause her any trouble.
“It’s all right,” she said, her gold bracelets tinkling as she fluttered a hand. “I have permission to be here.”
“Maybe. But. . .with me?”
She nodded. “You made quite an impression on my grandmother. So much so, that she took my side against Grandfather for the first time in my whole life. She’s been your champion ever since. He finally gave up and tore the marriage contract he made with Nicholas into shreds. He has agreed to allow us to be friends. And more than that. . .if you still care.”
“If I still. . .” With a smothered moan, he reached for her, and she rose into his open arms. “My beautiful Rosa,” he said huskily, crushing her to himself. “Even with all my prayers, my faith was too weak to believe this would ever happen.”
“Mine was not,” she said, smiling up to him. “I would have waited forever for you. I am just glad it did not take quite that long.”
Those luscious lips were far too tempting to resist. Ken leaned his head down and claimed them, and his heart soared higher than the tallest trees. When he finally drifted back to earth, he cradled her face between his palms. “Then we have only one bridge left to cross. Tonight you will have supper at my house.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, her expression doubtful.
“Absolutely. We’ll let your grandparents know first, though, so they won’t worry. I sure don’t want to start off on the wrong foot.”
❧
Rosalind sensed more than a few inquisitive gazes as she and Ken walked hand in hand down the length of his street. She had no idea which house was his, but when he turned at the next to the last one on the left, her heart hammered in her throat. Would his family receive her with at least half the warmth with which her guardians had welcomed Ken this day? Such a miraculous change. Her heart swelled at God’s power to turn things around. She hoped and prayed He had been at work in Ken’s family, too.
She closed her fingers more tightly around the bouquet of wildflowers she’d picked along the way and checked to see that the gathers of her embroidered blouse looked neat. His encouraging squeeze came just at the moment she would have taken flight, and it eased her disquiet as she accompanied him to the back door.
Rosa tried not to gawk too much at the interior of the kitchen as they entered, but couldn’t help noting how tidy and efficient it was, how modern. And such a lovely stove. How Grandmother would love it.
A fair-skinned young woman of slight build looked up from cutting biscuits. She wore her hair in a fashionable loose topknot, and her face bore a close resemblance to Ken’s. Her eyes, however, were not the silver-gray of Ken’s, but azure like the sky. . .and friendly.
“Hannah,” Ken said, “I would like to introduce Rosalind Gilbran. Rosa, this is my sister, Hannah.”
She brushed her floury hands on her half apron and smiled as she reached out to Rosalind. “Please forgive me for being such a mess. It’s nice to meet you, Rosalind. I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”
“Thank you,” she murmured. “I am glad to meet you, too.”
“Where’s Ma?” Ken asked.
“She just went upstairs. She’ll be down in a second.”
The words were barely out of Hannah’s mouth before an older woman of similar build came in from the next room. Seeing Ken and Rosa, she blanched and stopped dead, her blue eyes wide with shock.
“Ma,” he said, unperturbed, “I’ve brought Rosalind Gilbran to meet you. Rosa, I’d like you to meet my mother, Elen Roberts.”
Rosa swallowed, then hesitantly offered the colorful bouquet. “I am honored to meet you, Mrs. Roberts.”
Ken’s mother swept a quick glance over her, then equally reserved, accepted the flowers, her demeanor gradually taking on gentler lines. “Thank you.”
She reached into her skirt pocket and drew out a small packet. “I have also brought some mint sprigs for your tea. And my grandmother has made an embroidered cozy for your teapot.”
She accepted the gifts with the graciousness Rosa had hoped and even seemed pleased at the beauty of the intricate design Grandmother had stitched so carefully. “Why. . .thank you. That’s very nice of you. Both of you.”
“You are most welcome.”
“I’ve invited Rosa to have supper with us, Ma,” Ken announced. “We’ll be in the parlor.” And with that, he led her through the dining room and into the larger room at the front of the house, where comfortable chairs and a large upholstered sofa faced each other from opposite walls. Rosa admired the floral-patterned rug occupying the center of the wood floor, then turned her attention to framed photographs on the walls and lamp tables.
“Pretty wild-looking bunch, huh?” Ken said teasingly.
“Not at all. Your family looks. . .kind.”
He nodded. “They are, too, for the most part. Even Ma. So don’t worry so much, just be yourself.”
“Are you sure she will not hate me?”
“Quite. You’re just, well, different. She takes awhile to get used to the unfamiliar. But once she does, nobody in the world will change her mind.” He turned the radio on and twisted the dial to one with quiet music, then dug out another album of pictures and brought it to Rosa. “This is a picture of my pa, and next to him is my older brother, Matt, who died with him. . . .”
When Hannah called them to supper half an hour later, Rosa saw that a lace tablecloth had replaced the checked oilcloth she’d seen earlier in passing, and china dishes with blue flowers sat at each place. A glass vase in the center held the bouquet she’d brought. She met Mrs. Roberts’s eyes and smiled shyly, receiving one in return.
Ken introduced Rosa to Tim, who looked a little frozen in place as he uttered a quiet hello. Then Ken seated her and asked the blessing on the food and their gathering. His calm voice instilled her with badly needed confidence. And the meal began.
“Ken tells me that during your visits, the two of you talked about the Lord, Rosalind,” Mrs. Roberts said, dishing out some mashed potatoes and passing the bowl on to Hannah.
“Yes, that is true. I did not know much about God until I met your son. His strong faith and his kindness made me want to come to know the God he loved. After Ken gave me a Bible and I read about Jesus for myself, I became a believer. I am still amazed at the peace inside me.”
“And your. . .family? I believe Ken said you live with your grandparents.”
She smiled and nodded. “I am still working on them. I think Grandmother will soon come to know God. Grandfather is much more stubborn. But he has a good heart and a good mind. I am praying that in time he, too, will understand and believe.”
“It didn’t take the two of them long to realize what a prize chap I am,” Ken said with a mischievous grin, and everyone laughed.
Rosalind was amazed at how quickly the conversation warmed after that, as Tim related some amusing experiences at the breaker and Hannah related plans for her upcoming wedding. Rosa finished her peas and carrots, then enjoyed another sip of lemonade.
“Would you care for more roast beef?” Ken asked, passing the platter.
“No, thank you. I cannot eat another bite. It was very delicious, Mrs. Roberts. I have often enjoyed your cooking.”
“How is that?” she asked, her face questioning.
“Ken shared his lunch with me when we visited.”
She chuckled. “I wondered where he was putting all that food.”
Another laugh made the rounds.
Despite her reluctance to eat more, Rosa managed to sample a small portion of the delicious strawberry shortcake Hannah made with the sweet biscuits she’d been working on at their arrival.
“Well,” Ken announced at last, “daylight’s fading pretty fast. Time I take my beautiful lady home.”
Rosa stood and bowed her he
ad graciously at Ken’s mother. “Thank you so much for allowing me to enjoy a meal with your family. I enjoyed meeting all of you, and I wish you God’s best blessings.”
“It was nice to have you here, Dear,” Mrs. Roberts said sincerely. “And from what our Ken tells us, we’ll be seeing a lot of you from now on. That’ll give us all a chance to hear more about you and your life before you met Ken.”
The walk home to the encampment never seemed shorter. Ken switched on a flashlight when the path became too dim to see their footing, but Rosa knew she couldn’t have tripped over anything. Not with Ken’s firm grip on her hand.
“Do you really think she liked me?” she finally had to ask.
“Ma? Oh, yeah. But how could she not?” Sliding an arm around her waist, he kissed the top of her head. “Now me, on the other hand. . .” He stepped in front of her and wrapped his other arm about her. “I will always love you, Rosa Gilbran.”
“And I love you.” She raised her lips to his and reveled in the tender reverence of his kiss, one that deepened as they clung together for a breathless moment. “Mmm,” she sighed as they drew apart and continued walking. “It is as I wished, but hardly dared to dream.”
“What is?”
“To let myself be lost inside the wonder of your kiss. . .”
He smiled, hugging her against himself. “I hope you know that I intend to make the rest of your beautiful poem come true, too, my love. That is. . .if you truly will do me the honor of becoming my wife.”
“The honor will be mine,” she murmured. “The answer is yes. I could ask for nothing more.” She rose to tiptoe and kissed him with more abandon.
When they eased away, Ken’s expression turned serious. “You know, even though our families may be ready to accept the thought of our being a couple, not everyone we meet will be so gracious. But with the Lord’s help, we’ll face them, you and I. Our days of hiding in the shadows are over. From now on, we’ll walk together in the sunshine, for all the world to see.”