by Ali Spooner
“Oh my good gracious,” Miss Betty said. “I can’t believe you have done this.”
“Missy would have wanted this, so I think it’s a perfect arrangement. Once Terri and Lexie move on to a place of their own, if you feel comfortable enough to help another woman out, please do.”
Sister Frances was beaming with a smile.
“Tomorrow, Lexie and I will start cleaning up the garden for you, and Terri has agreed to help with cleaning the interior. I figure if we work together we can move your furniture and personal stuff back into the house Sunday or Monday, if we can rent a moving truck.”
“I can ask the men from the church to move my stuff back in after church on Sunday,” Miss Betty said. “I only have one bed though, so we’ll have to find beds for Terri and Lexie.”
“I will take care of that. If there is anything else you need to set up the home, let me know. Does this all sound acceptable to you?” she asked Miss Betty.
“Oh yes, Cadin, you have made my dreams come true.”
“I think we can all work together and get the house cleaned and ready to go tomorrow,” Sister Frances said.
“Lexie and I went inside this afternoon and it’s not bad. Needs a good cleaning, but otherwise it’s in good shape,” Cadin said.
Miss Betty stood and walked over to Cadin and hugged her. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“You already have, Miss Betty, by showing me your kindness. Now ladies are we ready to eat?” she asked.
The conversation around the table buzzed with excitement, as they discussed plans to clean the house and grounds. Miss Betty’s eyes remained full of tears of joy, and each time she looked at Cadin she smiled brightly, her heart filled with love and renewed hope.
Chapter Four
The group spent the next two days preparing Miss Betty’s home for occupation and by the end of Friday, they were satisfied with the results.
Cadin and Lexie worked hard to reclaim the garden plot and were surprised to find several of the plants bearing vegetables. They picked what they could and trimmed the weeds and vines back from the plants. They had created a huge pile of trimmings that one of Miss Betty’s church friends would come to haul off for her.
When Miss Betty called an end to the workday, Lexie and Cadin climbed into Terri’s car for the short ride home. “You two got a lot done today,” Terri said.
“Yeah we did, but there’s one more thing I want to do with the garden,” Cadin said.
“What’s that?” Terri asked.
“I want to rig up an irrigation system so Miss Betty just needs to turn on the faucet to water the whole garden at once.”
“How long will that take?” Terri asked.
“Several hours once I get the hoses and sprinklers from the store,” Cadin said.
“Why don’t you see if you can borrow a car tomorrow and get the supplies and take them to the house? I go in late on Sunday, so Lexie and I can both help on Sunday morning,” Terri said.
“You want to go shopping with me tomorrow?” Cadin asked Lexie.
Terri chuckled. “Do you really even have to ask?”
“I sure do,” Lexie said.
†
After showering and dressing in clean clothes, Terri went to the kitchen to see if she could offer Sister Frances any help. Cadin and Lexie stretched out on their beds to relax.
“Will you help me with something tomorrow?” Lexie asked her.
“Sure, what do you need?”
“Mommy’s birthday is Monday, so I’d like to use the money Sister Frances paid me to buy her a nice present.”
Cadin smiled. “Is there anything in particular you have in mind?”
Lexie rolled onto her stomach and propped her head on her pillow. “There’s a little jewelry shop on the square and there is a bracelet that Mommy likes in the front window. I’d like to see how much it costs,” she said with a grin.
Cadin knew no matter what, Lexie would leave that store tomorrow with that bracelet and a smile came to her face. “Let’s get up early then and get the supplies bought and delivered; then we can go to the jewelry store.”
“Thanks,” Lexie said. “Mommy never gets anything for her birthday.”
“Why don’t we see if Miss Betty will help you make a birthday cake too?”
“Do you think she would?”
“I bet she would love to.”
“When do you think we will move into the house?”
Cadin looked at Lexie. “I think the plan is to be there Monday if everything gets moved Sunday.”
“It would be nice to have a party in our new home.”
“Yes, it would. Why don’t you talk to Miss Betty tomorrow morning and see what you can get planned.”
“I will,” Lexie said. She grew quiet. Cadin knew Lexie wanted to ask something else, but she waited for the question to come.
“Will you be leaving us soon?” Lexie asked after a few minutes passed.
“Probably next week, I think I’ve done what I was sent here to do,” Cadin answered.
“Will I ever see you again?” she asked, tears pooling in her eyes.
“Yes, you most definitely will, but I can’t tell you when,” Cadin assured her.
“I love working with you,” Lexie said.
“It’s been a lot of fun, hasn’t it.”
Lexie nodded as she wiped a tear from her cheek.
“I will be calling to check on you,” Cadin said. “Soon you will be starting school and making all kinds of new friends.”
“I know, but I’ll be missing you.”
Cadin felt a lump form in her throat. She hadn’t anticipated how hard saying goodbye would be for her. “I’ll miss you too, but there are still things I have to do before I go back home.”
“Where will you go next?”
“I’m not sure yet, maybe you can help me with that?”
“How can I do that?” Lexie asked.
“For starters, run over to the house and ask Sister Frances for a roll of tape,” Cadin said.
“I’ll be right back.” Lexie raced from the room.
†
Cadin pulled out her duffel and dug through it until she found her road map and the container that held her lucky dart. She was unfolding the map when Lexie returned with a tape dispenser. “Tear me off a small piece of tape, please.”
Lexie handed a small piece to Cadin who taped one top corner of the map to the wall. “I need one more piece, please.”
Cadin taped the other corner and then opened the dart case. “This is the fun part,” she said as she moved to the end of her bed. “Step back, in case my shot is wild,” she teased.
Lexie moved to stand behind her.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, she threw the dart at the map. “Let’s go see where it landed.”
Lexie rushed to the head of the bed. Her face screwed up as she looked at where the dart had landed.
“Bogalusa, Louisiana,” Cadin said.
“That’s how you decide for real?” Lexie said.
“Yes, you see this little hole here?” she said, pointing to the small hole next to Greensboro on the map. “That’s how I got here.”
Lexie cocked her head to the side as she looked at Cadin. “I’m so glad you came here.”
“So am I,” she admitted. “I’ve enjoyed being here.” She pulled the dart from the wall, and placed it in the case and removed the map from the wall. “Now that that’s settled, are you ready to eat?”
“Yes ma’am,” Lexie said.
“Can you take the tape back to Sister Frances? I’ll put my stuff away and be right there.”
“Sure can, Cadin,” she said and left the room.
She watched Lexie rush off and smiled. “Bogalusa, here I come,” she said and tucked the map and dart case back into her duffel.
†
The next morning she and Lexie took Miss Betty’s car to the local hardware store and bought the supplies she needed for
the irrigation system. They then dropped them off at the garden and rode back into town. Lexie pointed out the jewelry store and Cadin found a parking spot.
As they walked up to the store window, Lexie frowned. “I don’t see the bracelet,” she said.
“Maybe they just changed out the display. Let’s go inside and see if it’s still for sale,” she said.
“Good morning,” an elderly man said from behind the counter as they stepped through the door. “What can I do for you ladies this morning?”
“Tell him what you are looking for, Lexie.”
“My mommy likes the bracelet you had in the front window and I wanted to buy it for her birthday, but I don’t see it in the window anymore.”
“Let’s see. I just changed out the window this week and I put the bracelet back in the case over here,” he said as he led them toward a large display case.
“Do you see the one she liked in here?” he asked.
Lexie moved closer to peer into the front of the case. She looked them over and then her eyes lit up when she spotted the one she was looking for. “That’s it,” she said. “The one with the green stone.”
Cadin looked down at a gold and emerald bracelet. She watched as the man pulled the bracelet out of the case and handed it to her. “Is this the one?”
“Yes sir, that’s the one,” Lexie said. “Isn’t it pretty, Cadin?”
Cadin bent down to examine the bracelet and saw the two-hundred-dollar price tag dangling from the clasp. “It’s perfect for your mom,” she said.
“How much is it?” Lexie asked.
The man smiled at her and asked, “How much do you have?”
Lexie started digging into her pocket to pull out her money. Cadin held up a credit card to show the man, and held up two fingers and then formed a zero with her index finger and thumb to tell the man to only take twenty dollars from Lexie.
The man smiled and nodded his understanding.
“I have this much,” Lexie said, straining to place her money on the counter. “Is it enough?”
The man looked over her hard-earned cash, and selected a twenty-dollar bill. “This is just fine,” he said. “Would you like it gift wrapped?” he asked.
“That would be great,” she answered.
“You two look around and I’ll get this wrapped for you,” he said, taking Cadin’s credit card.
They moved from case to case looking at the variety of jewelry. Cadin’s eyes fell on a gold chain with a small Saint Christopher charm. “Would you wear a necklace if I bought you one?” she asked.
“Yes, I’d love one,” Lexie said.
Cadin pointed out the charm she was looking at. “Saint Christopher is the patron Saint of Travelers. He watches over people to keep them safe. He can protect you after I’m gone,” she said.
“It’s beautiful,” she said.
“We’ll take this necklace too,” Cadin said, much to the shopkeeper’s delight.
“Would you like it wrapped?”
“No, I think she can wear this one out,” she said with a wink.
The man took the necklace from the case, removed the price tag, and handed it to her. “Here you are,” he said.
She knelt down in front of Lexie and placed the necklace around her neck. “There, just perfect for you.”
Lexie reached forward, wrapped her arms around Cadin’s neck, and kissed her cheek. “Thanks Cadin,” she said.
“You’re very welcome,” she said and signed the credit card slip.
“Here’s your present. I hope your mommy likes it,” he said.
“Thanks,” she said as she cradled the small box in her tiny hands.
“Thank you for the business,” he said to Cadin.
“You’re welcome,” she said as they walked to the door.
On their way back to the car, she asked, “You still need to talk to Miss Betty this morning, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. I thought I’d do that when we get back,” Lexie said
†
Lexie barreled into the sleeping quarters just as Cadin was drifting off for a nap.
“Everyone is ready to go to the dove hunt,” Lexie rattled excitedly.
“I guess I had better get a move on then,” Cadin said as she sat up and slipped her feet into her boots.
Cadin stood and stretched, then followed Lexie out into the midday sun. They walked over to the car where Sister Frances and Miss Betty were waiting.
“I hope you can wait another thirty minutes or so for some lunch,” Sister Frances said. “We’ll have lunch at the hunt.”
“That’s good for me,” Cadin said as she slipped behind the wheel and started the car.
As Cadin approached a stoplight, Sister Frances said, “Cadin, pull into that liquor store on the left.”
Cadin’s foot slammed into the brake and the car screeched to a halt. “Wh...what did you say?” she asked with a stutter.
“The liquor store, just ahead on the left, will you stop in there?” she repeated.
“But, but, Sister Frances, you…you’re a nun,” Cadin said in total shock.
Sister Frances and Miss Betty burst out laughing in the backseat. Cadin and Lexie turned to look at them. The blaring of a horn from the car behind her brought her attention back to the stoplight, and she drove through the intersection, pulled into the small liquor store lot and parked the car. She turned in her seat and looked at Sister Frances for an explanation.
Tears rolled down the women’s cheeks as they struggled to regain their composure. Cadin’s shocked look threatened to send them into another round of laughter. “What is going on here?” she asked.
“You really think Sister Frances is a nun?” Miss Betty said, elbowing her friend.
“Well yes, the Sister part has me thinking she’s a nun,” Cadin answered.
“Dear child, I’m not even Catholic,” Sister Frances said, still chuckling.
Cadin’s face revealed she was still confused.
“Sister is just a term of respect,” Miss Betty explained to a perplexed Cadin.
“I never thought of that. I just assumed with the shelter and all that you were a nun on a mission.”
Sister Frances chuckled. “I am on a mission and right now, I wish you’d go inside, buy a bottle of Gentleman Jack for Miss Betty and me, and get whatever you’d like to drink today,” she said as she handed Cadin a fifty-dollar bill.
Cadin shook her head as she emerged from the car and walked into the liquor store. “I sure missed that one,” she mumbled to herself. She picked up a fifth of Sister Frances’s requested liquor and since she was responsible for driving everyone home later, she settled for a six-pack of Corona. She carried her items to the counter.
“It must be dove hunt time,” the young clerk said. “That’s the only time I’ve ever seen Sister Frances drink,” she added.
“Yes, we are headed there now,” she replied.
“Have a great time,” she said as she placed her purchases in a bag.
“We will,” Cadin answered, taking the change and returning to the car.
She opened the back door and handed the bag to Miss Betty. Climbing back behind the wheel, she looked into the rearview mirror asking, “Are there any more stops?”
“Nope, let’s go hunting,” Sister Frances said with a grin from ear to ear.
†
Cadin turned off the highway onto a narrow tree-lined lane, and when she crested a hill, her eyes fell upon a field filled with a variety of vehicles from beat-up trucks to shiny sports cars. “I take it we have arrived?”
“Yes, we have,” Miss Betty said with excitement.
Women of all ages, sizes, and color filled the yard. A dozen or more young girls were playing a game at the bottom of another hill, which caught Lexie’s attention.
“Go ahead and introduce yourself,” Miss Betty said.
Lexie looked up at Cadin who nodded and said, “Have fun.”
“I will,” Lexie said and took off at a run.
“Welcome,” JC said. “I hope you will make yourself at home here.”
“Thanks. I have no idea what you’re cooking, but it smells great.”
“We’re working on smoking a couple of pork shoulders here, but there’s some beef brisket for sandwiches inside if you’re hungry. Miss Betty, will you show Cadin around and introduce her?” JC asked.
“It will be my pleasure,” Miss Betty said as she took Cadin’s arm and introduced her to several groups of women before taking her inside. The women inside preparing sandwich plates were of an older crowd, the eldest, a sprite woman in her eighties, introduced herself as JC’s grandma, Sue.
“Can I get you girls a plate of food?” she asked.
“Make it three please,” Miss Betty said. “Sister Frances is out chatting with JC.”
“It’s good to see you ladies,” Sue said. “There are so many of you I don’t get to see but one time a year,” she said as she poured chips onto three plates filled with steaming sandwiches.
“I know, we really should get together more often,” Miss Betty said. “Time just seems to slip away.”
“A whole lot faster for some of us,” Sue said with a wink. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“I think Sister Frances is working on that,” Miss Betty said as she accepted two plates. Sue handed Cadin a plate.
“Thanks,” Cadin said and followed Miss Betty back outside. Every television inside and out was tuned to one football game or another as they left the house.
Women in their twenties covered the deck as they enthusiastically cheered for a favored home team. “I think we’ll pass on this crowd for a while,” Miss Betty said as she led Cadin to several picnic tables strategically placed safely away from the rowdy football crowd. “I think it’s safe to eat here.”
“Here they are,” Sister Frances said as she and another woman arrived and took seats.