The sobbing slowed but she said nothing.
Lacy waited a minute and knocked. It’s just me. Won’t you please come out?”
“Just you?” A shaky voice asked in broken English. “Just you?”
“Yes. Just me.” Lacy said softly.
The door opened a tiny crack and brown eyes peeked out. Suddenly Mei Le was in her arms clinging to her.
“Come. We’ll go to the living room, just you and me.”
Lacy sat down with Mei Le still clinging to her and anytime a fork hit a plate or one of the guys, spoke she jumped. Mei Le quickly shot over to the chair in front of the window so she could keep her eye on that doorway.
“They won’t come in. Just you and me.” She said and tried to make eye contact, but never did. Mei Le just twisted her hands in her lap and stared at the doorway.
When chairs scooted across the old linoleum and the door slammed, Mei Le tensed and watched through the window as the truck went down the lane.
“They are gone?”
“Yes, they are gone. Miss Kippy is in the kitchen okay?”
“Okay. All are gone. None hiding?”
“No,” Lacy assured her and took her hand to pull her to her feet.
Still the girl clung to her and the closer they got to the doorway the tighter Mei Le hung on. Lacy had to show her no one was there and brought her to the open doorway.
Mei Le’s eyes darted this way and that. “No hiding?”
“No hiding.”
The rest of the afternoon was spent reassuring the young girl that no one was going to take her away from Miss Kippy.
“They not come to take me back?”
“No, honey. No one can take you back. No one.”
The ladies watched her relax, but at every noise she jerked, the muscles in her arms tightening.
After a while, the stress was too much. “Come on honey, we’re going home.”
“Sorry, Miss Lacy, but she’s better off at my place. It’s taken her a week just to realize that every car that pulls up into the drive isn’t someone trying to take her back.”
“That’s all right, Mei Le. You and Miss Kippy can come next week and we’ll finish then.”
Lacy spent the rest of the day working inside. Kippy was right. If it got any hotter, there would be fresh popcorn in her fields.
The urge to transform the old home set in. She needed a change. Lacy walked around the house and began repurposing the existing decor . The Victorian picture of a little girl sitting in a field of wildflowers in the hallway looked much better in her new sewing room.
She considered the space in the dining room. This would give me plenty of room for sewing and a reading nook. She pictured shelves on the south wall on either side of the large window. Perhaps built-ins would provide much needed storage. Immediately she called Rob Van Arsdale and left a message. With a new vision for her life, she began to peruse the house for things that could be set up to hold all the sewing items and material she’d need if she had three girls living here.
Then scolded herself. She hadn’t even asked Kippy what it would take to bring a Chinese girl to America, much less if she would be qualified to be a guardian or parent. Would the girls be allowed to drive in the States? Could she even afford to educate them? Did they have passports and how did one go about getting them free from the city streets?
That was for another day. Dreams were not made in a day, she sighed.
One thing she did know; she would paint the sewing room a lovely soft aqua. Mother loved that color. It would remind her of the days she spent sewing with her. White curtains would adorn the windows; chocolate brown would be the base color and bright orange and lime green would be great accent colors.
Lacy wondered if having the girls would make her a mother. She shrugged and decided to brave the heat on a bike ride so she could think. Sometime around four o’clock in the afternoon, she pulled her hair back with a rubber band and slipped into shorts and a tank top.
She needed to move after being cooped up in the house so long. There was no one to cook for or wait for in the evenings, and now she did not have to be walking down the lane to Gannon’s place either. The bike needed air in the tires so she did that and headed out, wishing she could talk to Redd. Or Allison. Or Gannon. Or Thad.
The shady lane was perfect for riding today and she kicked up dust as she pedaled. Hardly any cars came down the lane off the main highway. She loved that the lane connected the Gannon Farm and the Linden Farm. Somehow it made her feel a little less lonely, except now she was the only one left.
After a time she, heard a vehicle around the small bend. She knew by the slight rattling that it was Rob Van Arsdale’s van. He was the town handyman. Widowed two years ago and very handsome. Of Dutch descent, he was smart and industrious. He could fix anything. Build anything. This was the man she wanted to build her shelves.
“Well, if it’s not Miss Lacy Linden.” He stopped and let the dust settle. “How goes it with you on this hot September day?” He took his hat off, smoothed his blond hair and put it back on again.
“Hot,” She smiled. His wife died of cancer over two years ago and the single women at church hung out to see if he might choose one of them. He was in his late thirties, maybe even forty by now. Had two boys, ages 14 and 12.
“Got your message; you caught me just in time. I was heading home to get supper for the boys. What can I do for you?”
“I was wondering if you might put me on your schedule? I’d like some built-ins.”
“When were you thinking?”
“It’s inside work if you want to wait until winter, I still have to get my ideas on paper.”
“So you’re fixing up the old place huh?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Been almost four years for you, hasn’t it?”
“Yes, four years. Are the boys doing all right?” She held her hand up to shade her eyes against the burning sun.
“As well as can be expected, I guess.”
Lacy noted he looked away for a moment, then back again.
“Well, you just let me know when you’re ready, Miss Lacy, and we’ll set up a meeting. Heading up to Gannon’s place right now for a measurement. Thad has me doing some work for him inside his grandfather’s place. Heard the old man is doing pretty well. And Thad is doing well for himself too.”
“All true,” Lacy smiled. “Well, you’d better get going. Can’t make money talking.” She laughed and set her foot on the pedal.
Rob waved and drove slowly down the lane toward Gannon’s place.
“Well that was convenient, Lord.” She whispered as she went her way. It felt good to be talking to the Lord again.
Chapter 22
The bike ride was good exercise, but left her sweating. As she opened the fridge to pull out the lemonade pitcher, the phone rang. It was Thad calling from the airport.
“Say I wanted to invite you to come to California, see my place if you want.”
“Really?” Lacy was shocked by the invitation. Plus she’d only flown one time.
“Yeah, I’ll send you the air fare if you’ll come. Ocean is right outside my back door,” He taunted. “Ever seen the ocean?”
“Yeah, once when we went camping in New York.”
“Well, it’s beautiful here Lace. I think you’d like it.”
“Thanks, Thad. Right now I have enough to do, but who knows.” She didn’t want to turn him down.
“Ah, Lacy, about the kiss . . .”
“That’s okay.” She said too quickly and knew her voice sounded high. He was apologizing for kissing her. Probably just overwhelmed and couldn’t help himself, she reasoned. Now she knew for sure he had not meant it.
“You gonna pray for me?” She heard his voice half teasing, half asking.
“Sure. I always do. You’re like family,” She said brightly.
“Thanks,” Lacy thought she noted disappointment in his voice. “Well, plane’s loading. Say those prayers and I’ll see
you. Unless Gannon needs me or you decide to come out. You’ll call right?”
“You know I will Thad,” She said seriously and that was the end of their conversation.
“Bye, Lace.”
* * *
She putzed around the house feeling a little down, a little relieved and totally confused. Maybe she needed to get out more. Go on a date. Stop being scared someone was going to hurt her again. After Mei Le’s behavior last Thursday Lacy knew what had happened to her had been bad enough, but nothing like what little Mei Le must have gone through.
It was time to buck up and find a life of her own. Everyone she loved had taken leave and that meant she needed to call Kippy to find out about that group of folks who met to help bring young girls out of the trafficking trade. At least she could do something.
The phone rang.
Kippy called about a meeting at the church that night about trafficking. And she wanted her to be there. Lacy knew this was no accident.
“I’m coming Kippy. Go ahead and start if I am not there on time. I’ll get cleaned up and be there as soon as I can.”
She showered quickly and slipped on a shirt and her brown sundress over it. Sandals strapped, she grabbed a biscuit from the oven and microwaved a Bob Evans sausage patty, made a sandwich and ate it on the way to the meeting. As she pulled into the parking lot, she wisped the crumbs off her skirt and checked her teeth.
Satisfied, she made her way to the meeting. Only six people were present, two young couples and Kippy and Mr. VanArsdale. And she made seven.
What was he doing here? What if he thought she was following him around? She moved to the opposite side of the table.
“Well, nice to see two new people. Lacy, Rob. Welcome. You know why we are here…”
Lacy listened to Kippy and wrote notes. She learned so much that her head was spinning. The young couple kept talking about web sites to visit and that sort of thing. She must get a computer and have Mei Le teach her how to use Google. She stayed behind to talk to Kippy, hoping she would not meet up with Mr. VanArsdale, but as they talked, she noted he was waiting off to the side.
After she had no more reason to delay, she excused herself.
Rob greeted her and said he was waiting to talk to Kippy.
Glad, she shot for her car. Halfway home, she realized she was doing it again. Running from men. She pushed that thought out of her mind and thought about the requirements on the list.
First thing was to get a computer. She could use a corner of the new sewing room. There were pocket doors that would close it off from the rest of the house, which was perfect for a sewing room–slash-office.
The meeting did nothing to calm her mind. In fact she was thinking of a hundred different ways she could use the property. The house for the girls to live in. Maybe she could get a couple of horses and Allison could show the girls how to ride. Not to mention the fact that they could help plant and harvest a garden. If they would like to learn how to can vegetables and fruits, she could show them that.
Suddenly her world seemed brighter and more focused. Maybe this was her calling.
Maybe bad things that happened to people could be turned around.
That thought rested in her heart, bringing her comfort. Despite past experiences, she was free to do as she wished. That was far more than the enslaved girls were allowed to do. She felt compelled to make a difference.
She jumped when her cell chimed.
A text from Thad. He had arrived safely.
She wrote back. “Glad. Prayers answered.”
* * *
September quickly became November. The leaves had been raked clean around her house just in time for the first light snow.
Rob Van Arsdale was coming today to start the work in the dining room and she was a bit nervous. They had both attended the September and October meetings. He sat next to her and she had been uneasy all evening, worried he might get fresh while he was working at her house. She felt vulnerable not having anyone around.
She decided to call Kippy to see if Mei Le might come and help her paint. That would put two of them in the house.
Kippy agreed, glad to have some free time. “My girl clings to me, Miss Lacy. She’s still afraid and I don’t know what to do with her.”
“Oh. Do you think she’ll be all right? Rob Van Arsdale is coming to work on my built-in.”
“My, my, that might be a problem. She knows him from the meetings, but you just never know when she gets a memory and freaks out,” She said discouraged. “Let me bring her and if she doesn’t do well, call my cell. I do have to make a trip to Bensen for some new bedding. That girl just loves purple and I’m going to surprise her for her 19th birthday, which is November 9, by the way.”
“That’s just a week away. Maybe we could get some material and sew her a pretty dress.”
“Oh she loves dresses. That’ll keep you two busy!” Kippy burst out. “Then maybe I can get her gifts without her knowing. I declare that girl is right behind me all day long and waits for me right outside the door when I’m in the bathroom!
Lacy couldn’t help herself. She laughed.
“You laugh, but just see if she doesn’t do the same with you. Mind you it’s all day every day.” Kippy laughed aloud.
“Come on over when you can and we’ll see what we can do.”
“Bless you. Bless you.” We’ll be there in a couple hours. We’re finishing laundry at the moment.”
“Come whenever you can.”
‘I’m bringing a casserole for the two of you. I’ll get it ready while she folds the clothes. Gotta keep her busy ya know.”
“See you in a bit.” Lacy smiled as she hung up the old phone.
Problem solved. Mr. Van Arsdale would have two ladies to work around today. Relief brought a spring to her step as she walked to the kitchen. Chocolate chip cookies for her guests today. And the oven would warm up the area. The old windows let in so much cold.
New windows would have to wait another year. There was money from the insurance company that had been sitting there since the settlement four years ago. She nor Allison had wanted to touch it. She often thought how her folks could have gone on that cruise they always talked about with that money. Somehow it seemed sinful to touch it.
But one thing she knew. Her folks would be proud to know she’d kept the farm and that it would be used, God willing, to help those girls. And new windows would be necessary if she was to have them in the house.
Mr. Van Arsdale pulled up in his white company van and parked close by. She could see him from the kitchen window as she pulled out the last batch of cookies. She greeted him at the door.
“I’ll bring my stuff in. Mmmm! Smells good in here.”
Once he disappeared back outside, she piled warm cookies on a plate and set them on the table.
He stomped his boots free of the light dusting of snow, hung his jacket on a hook in the mudroom.
“Here’s my sketch based on my measurements from the other day.” He laid a long white paper with numbers and lines neatly drawn across the dining room table. “We’ll have to get the furniture out of the room so I don’t damage anything and lay down something to protect these original wood floors. I have some large carpet pieces in the truck and blankets to hang in the doorway. It’ll get dusty in here.”
“Won’t be the first time,” She smiled. “Grab yourself some cookies and I’ll help you get the table into the living room.”
“Sure thing.”
Lacy had already carried the small stuff from the room, but the big old-fashioned dining table had not budged from that spot since the day her father set it there.
“I’ll get the chairs.”
“I’ll get them.” He pushed the rest of his cookie into his mouth and dusted his hands on his pants. “I’ll need help with the table. Leave the rest to me.”
She stood back feeling a little helpless. She could carry dining room chairs.
When he had the chairs in the living room, he cal
led. “Think you can carry one end all right? Without hurting your back? This thing is nothing if it isn’t heavy. All the wood carving.” He stood back to look at it, running skilled hands alongside the wood trim. “It’s beautiful workmanship.”
“My father made it.”
“He did?” He leaned down to take a closer look. “Man, he meant business. This table is one-of-a-kind, Miss Linden.”
“Call me Lacy,” She said, regretting it instantly. Better to keep things formal.
“We may as well get this moved. Be careful not to bang the walls. Wood dents. Don’t want that to happen to this fine table.”
He put on gloves and lifted. Between the two of them, they walked the heavy table into the living room.
“Thanks. Now you go on about your business and I’ll get started.”
She smiled, appreciating his professionalism, and did just that.
Sawing, hammering, drilling holes did not make for a peaceful sewing experience upstairs, especially when he was working directly below her. She could feel the walls vibrate when he hammered.
With all the noise, she missed Kippy’s knock at the door. Until she heard Kippy yelling “Yoooo hoooo” up the stairs.
Mei Le stood close to Kippy, staring at Rob. Lacy thought for sure that Kippy would not be going shopping alone. But somehow she managed to peel the young girl off her arm and gently pushed her to Lacy. She scooted out of the house with few words over her shoulder. “See you girls later. I’ll be back soon, Mei Le.” She waved without turning around.
Lacy had to laugh a little. “Let’s go upstairs.”
Mei Le walked up right next to her instead of behind her.
“We okay?”
“Yes, we are okay. Would you like to help me sew?”
“You have sewing machine?”
“Yes.”
“You keep it?”
“Yes. I keep it. Would you like to sew?”
“Oh yes, I like. My mother sew. Her machine very old. Must use foot to make it sew.”
“Then you will like the foot on this one.” Lacy was glad they had found a common interest.
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