by Walsh, Dan
“I’m not surprised,” said Allison. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he made up some excuse to stay there well into the evening.”
“But I can’t stay here all evening. Evelyn is expecting me home for dinner.”
“Does she know what’s happened? About John?”
“She should. I sent her a note with the driver.”
“Is she coming here?”
“I don’t think she should. You know Mother barely tolerates her. Didn’t want to add any more pressure to Mother’s already fragile condition.”
They both sipped their coffee a few moments. “Well,” said Allison, “I’ve always liked Evelyn.”
“Thank you,” Joel said.
“Excuse me, Mr. Foster, Miss Allison.” It was Beryl standing in the veranda doorway. “We have a guest, a young gentleman. He says his fiancée was a survivor from the Vandervere. He says he has news of great concern to the Foster family.”
Joel stood up, then Allison. “See him to the library, Beryl. I’ll meet him there.”
“Very good, sir.”
“May I come?” Allison asked. “Please, Joel.”
“It could be difficult news to hear. It may be about John.”
“I’m not a child, Joel. Please.”
“All right.” He took a final sip of coffee and left the veranda.
They walked quietly to the library. Beryl had wisely closed the door. Joel opened it, stood aside to allow Allison to enter. Standing between an upholstered chair and the bookshelves was a tall young man in his early twenties. He immediately turned and walked toward them, holding out his hand.
“Mr. Foster, my name is Tom Hayward.”
“Pleased to meet you. This is my sister, Allison.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
“I understand you have some news for our family?”
“I do.”
“Let’s have a seat. Can we get you something to drink? A glass of water, some lemonade?”
“Water would be nice, thank you.”
Joel nodded to Beryl. He walked out and closed the door.
“Did your fiancée know our brother John?” Allison asked.
Joel cast her a look that said: “Let me handle this.”
“No, she didn’t. And please, may I express my condolences for your great loss. I was there on the dock this morning when they announced the news.”
“As was I,” said Joel. “So what news do you have for us?”
“I’ve been trying to think of different ways to say this, but there’s just no easy way.”
“Please, speak freely. It’s been a trying day. If there is more we need to hear, I’d like to hear it now, not later.”
“My fiancée—her name is Melissa—was onboard the Vandervere when it went through the hurricane. She was among the women and children rescued aboard the Cutlass. On the four-day voyage here, Melissa became good friends with a woman named Laura Foster. Do you know her? Have you ever heard of her?”
“No,” said Joel. “She bears our family name, but I don’t know anyone named Laura.”
Allison shook her head no also, but Joel noticed her expression had changed, something close to joyful anticipation.
“I thought you might not,” said Tom. “Then here is my news. Your brother John had married this woman, Laura. This was, in fact, their honeymoon voyage.”
“What?” Joel said.
“How wonderful!” said Allison. “What’s her name again?”
“Laura,” Tom said. “I am told John had made you aware he was coming but had decided to keep this news a surprise.”
“I’ll say he did,” said Joel. “He only sent one letter, about two months ago. The first we’d heard from him since he left two years ago.”
“I don’t know anything about that. I’ve never met John, and I’ve just met Laura today.”
“What’s she like?” asked Allison.
There was a knock on the door. “Come in, Beryl,” Joel said. He walked in silently, handed Tom a tall glass of water, and left.
“Laura seems very nice,” said Tom, “but of course, I’m meeting her under the most trying time in her life, I’m sure.”
“When can we meet her?” Allison asked.
“Allison, please, let the man finish what he came to say.” Joel could hardly comprehend what he’d already heard. He wondered if this news wouldn’t send his mother tumbling over the edge.
“As of now, Laura has no plans to meet you. She doesn’t even know I’m here.”
“No, that . . . that can’t be,” Allison said. “She’s family.”
“Allison.”
“She’s all we have left of John. She can tell us all about him, what he was like in San Francisco.”
Joel ignored her. “With respect, Tom . . . if Laura doesn’t plan on meeting us and doesn’t know you are here . . . why are you here?”
“Melissa and I both felt it was the right thing to do. Your family has a right to know this information. And we both felt Laura is too overwhelmed with grief and sorrow right now to make sound judgments.”
“I appreciate your courage to do the right thing.” It felt like the right thing to say. Though Joel wasn’t completely convinced he believed it.
“But why would Laura not want to meet our family?” Allison asked.
“I feel very awkward telling you. It seems entirely inappropriate that I should even know this. And please understand, I’ve formed no judgments about your family.”
“Please, go on.”
“It would appear that John kept all of this hidden from Laura as well. She didn’t find out until this morning that you didn’t know she and John were married.”
“How is that possible?” asked Allison. “I thought they parted four days ago.”
“John had written her a note, which he gave her when they parted. But she didn’t read the note until this morning when the Cutlass came into port.”
“There was something in the note that caused her to decide not to meet us?” Joel asked.
“Apparently, but nothing explicit. He said something implying uncertainty as to whether your family would accept her. He sought to protect Laura from the hurt that might come, should your family react negatively to the news of his marriage.”
“I can understand that,” said Allison. “Perfectly.”
“Allison, please. Do you have any suggestions as to how we should proceed?”
“Mr. Foster, I assure you, I wouldn’t begin to advise you on matters of such importance. I don’t want you to feel obligated to tell me any of your family’s plans, either now or in the future. I simply wanted to leave this with you and trust you to do whatever you deem best. I will go back to our hotel, and Laura will know nothing of my visit here this afternoon. If you choose to contact her, you can find her at the Metropolitan Hotel.”
“She’s staying at the Metropolitan?” Joel said. “Please, how much do we owe you? It’s the least we could do, to pay for her expenses.”
“You owe me nothing,” Tom said. “The hotel has offered to let any Vandervere survivors stay there for free.”
“That’s very kind of them,” said Joel. “Do you know how long she plans to stay?”
“I don’t. I believe I heard her say at least a few days, but I don’t think she’s had time to form any plans.” Tom stood up.
Joel did as well. “Can I give you some money for clothes? I would imagine she would have lost her luggage when the ship sank.”
“Mrs. Foster has no need of financial help, as far as I can see. I saw in her possession a bag of solid gold nuggets, worth well over a thousand dollars, maybe two.”
“What?”
“Would you expect her to be in need?” Tom said. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that.”
“As I said, my brother John only sent us the briefest note. I have no idea how he fared out West.”
“Well, Melissa told me he had become a wealthy merchant. They had traveled the entire voyage in first class.”<
br />
“Is that so?”
Allison looked at Joel, so excited by this news. “We must go at once to meet her, Joel. Please say we will.”
Joel walked over and shook Tom’s hand. “Thank you, Tom. You have served our family well. I shall not forget your kindness and discretion.”
“My pleasure,” he said and walked out the library door.
“Joel, we must visit Laura.”
“I know how you feel, Allison. It’s just all so much to take. I need a few minutes to think.” He sat down in the chair again. “There’s more to consider than just doing what you or I want to do.”
But really, only one thought rose to the surface. That is, how to break all this to their mother.
47
Against Allison’s wishes, Joel had waited two more hours before waking their mother. Of course, there was no sign of their father coming home, so the responsibility once again had fallen on him. He had absolutely no premonition of how she’d take it. But he was certain he stood the best chance if she was properly rested.
As he walked the main stairway, he thought about the part of the news that he found the most surprising, and unsettling: that John had somehow become a wealthy merchant. That he’d traveled here from San Francisco in first-class accommodations. That his wife carried with her a large bag of gold. There was nothing Joel had ever detected in John that would have led him to believe his brother could become a success. He seemed to have almost despised the family business and, at best, showed total indifference to business chatter between Joel and their father at the dinner table. He’d never once joined them in the library for brandy and cigars when the talk became too much for the ladies.
Joel reached the top of the stairs and turned left across the balcony leading to his mother’s room. As he neared the doorway, he heard her snoring. No need to knock. He opened the door quietly and saw her lying on her back, the covers up to her chin, her nose pointed at the ceiling. He closed the door hard, hoping it would save him the task of waking her.
It did not.
“Mother,” he said loudly. She didn’t awaken. He felt sure the staff made terrible fun of her behind her back because of this, the ones who took turns waking her for breakfast each day.
He reached her bedside and shook her. “Mother, wake up. Mother, it’s me, Joel.” He used the same volume one would use calling down from the stairs. A few more times and finally her eyes opened.
“Joel . . . did I fall asleep? What are you doing here? What day is this?”
He sat on the empty spot beside her. “You’ve just had a nap, Mother. Remember?”
“Oh yes . . . John.”
Her eyes were puffy. He almost didn’t have the heart to go through with this. “How are you feeling?”
She inhaled deeply and sat up. “A little better, I think. I don’t know. It all seems so unreal. Doesn’t it seem that way to you?”
“Yes. And even more as the day unfolds.”
“I’m sorry I’m so useless. I haven’t even considered how you and Allison are doing. You’ve had the same shock as I.”
“Don’t worry about us, Mother. We seem to be doing fine. Allison is still downstairs. I think she’s having dinner.”
“I’ve slept through dinner?”
“No, there’s still plenty. But I have some more news to tell you.”
“News?”
“We’ve had a visitor this afternoon, while you slept.”
“Who . . . who was it?”
“A young man whose fiancée was aboard the Vandervere. She was among the survivors who came ashore this morning on the Cutlass.”
His mother sat up straight. “Truly? Did she know John, did she have any news about John?”
“Well, yes, in a manner of speaking.”
“Tell me.”
“It’s . . . well, I’ll just say it. She didn’t know John, but on the rescue ship she became good friends with John’s wife.”
“What!” she yelled.
The volume startled him. But her expression was more like Allison’s, something closer to happiness. “It appears John was planning to surprise us by bringing home a wife.”
“Did she survive?”
“Yes, she’s here in New York, staying at the Metropolitan Hotel.”
“My goodness, how wonderful!” She got up out of bed. “This is the most wonderful news.” She walked toward her vanity, sat down, and started brushing her hair. “What is her name?”
“Laura.”
“Laura . . . a wonderful name.”
Joel saw tears streaming down her face through the reflection in the mirror. Over the last day she had become a woman he had never known.
She turned to face him. “Part of my sorrow was never knowing what had become of him after he left. What his life was like out West, what kind of man he had become.”
“Well, here’s another surprise then. It appears John had become a wealthy merchant. I’m not sure doing what, but they traveled here in first class. The young man said John’s wife carried a bag of gold worth a great deal of money.”
“So he did well? I was so worried he’d come back to us like you said, like your father said.”
“I am more surprised than you on this point.”
“But why is she staying at the Metropolitan? Why didn’t she come here?”
Joel walked over and stood behind her. “This part of the story might be harder to hear.” He spoke softly but shared with her all that Tom had conveyed, about John’s note, about the hesitation in John’s heart of them returning, the concern that the family might reject him and his new bride.
“Oh, John,” she said as he finished. She bent over and sobbed. “It’s true. His fears were not unfounded. I’m such a horrible mother.”
“No, you’re not,” he said. He leaned over and patted her on the shoulder.
“Yes . . . I am,” she said, her head still in her lap.
“Do you want me to go and get her?”
“Yes, we must.” She sat straight up. “Would you? You must bring her here. You must convince her she will be welcomed and accepted completely.”
Joel stood up. “Then I will.” But he wondered if he could properly convince John’s wife. “I’ll bring Allison with me.”
“Yes, do. Allison will help her see. Can you ask her to come up here? I want to tell her myself. She needs to know how much I want this. It’s not a time to be proper or guarded with our words.”
Joel could hardly believe what he was hearing.
“Go, Joel. Get Allison. I won’t be long with her. You get the driver ready to leave as soon as I am through.”
“Very well,” he said. He kissed her forehead and headed out the door. He called out over the balcony, “Allison.”
“I’m here.” She was sitting on the upholstered chair closest to the stairway.
“Mother needs to speak with you,” he said. He was relieved his mother had handled this new development so well, but he was thoroughly confused.
48
John had seen many fine sunsets out on the water these past many weeks, but none to rival the one he saw now. It wasn’t the dazzling array of colors that spread across the sky. Its most remarkable feature was the dark silhouettes that ran along the base of the scene.
Buildings and steeples, ship masts and trees, low rolling dunes.
It was Norfolk. He was seeing land.
Seeing it now brought fresh thoughts of glory and gratitude to God, for John had firmly concluded he would never see land again. But here it was, drawing nearer each moment. Within the hour they would dock.
He would step onshore, sharing the same body of land as Laura, separated only by hours and minutes of travel, not by the veil of eternity.
49
It felt so strange, walking the earth.
Micah had been on that ship so long, almost forgot what it felt like. For the first few blocks, he’d keep looking back, sure someone was coming after him. Till he finally realized what it was. This was the
first time he been by hisself on land when he wasn’t running away or being chased. But Cap’n said he could find Mrs. Foster, if he could get back before the ship sailed tomorrow.
And Micah would keep his word.
But he talked to the Lord each time the feeling come to break that word. It be strong. And it came many times already, ’fore he even got three blocks from the ship.
He didn’t have a plan to find her. Just stop and ask the colored folk he met along the way, hoping somebody knew something. So far no one did. He came to this one street, called Broadway. Biggest street he ever saw. It was already getting dark, but this street had lampposts, all up and down. Bright little lights flickering behind glass.
He thought about Crabby and that sad look she give him as he left her tied up on deck. She got that look as if he never coming back. She all sad and whining. But he had to tie her up. All the men coming back and forth, no one paying her any mind. She’d take her first chance, come flying down that gangway, pick up his scent. She run out one of these roads, smack-dab into one of these carriages. Then where would he be?
Up ahead, he saw a shoeshine boy. That’s what they called ’em, even though this boy looked as old as he was. He weren’t shinin’ no one’s shoes presently. “’Scuse me, suh.”
The man looked at him. “You call me sir? No one call me sir. The name’s Obadiah. Sounds like you from down South.”
“That’s right, but mostly I’m out on a ship these days. The name’s Micah.”
Obadiah looked up and down the street. “Seems like everyone’s shoes shiny enough for another day.” He smiled real big when he said that, then sat down on his shoe-shining chair like he sitting on a throne.
“Can you help me?” Micah asked.
“I’m fixin’ to call it a day.”
“I don’t mean for you to do my shoes, just need help findin’ someone.”
“They lost?”
“Not exactly. You heard about that big ship sunk a few days ago?”