The Journey Home

by K'Anne Meinel

  Stephanie turned down the lamp until it was off and slipped into bed. Leaning over she gave Cass a peck on the cheek. “Thank you,” she said quietly. It was such a simple word but it felt inadequate. She wanted to say so much more and yet didn’t know what.

  Cass understood but the kiss unsettled her, maybe it was the thoughts she had had just that day but she wanted to turn her head and capture Stephanie’s lips with her own. She restrained herself but she had a restless night despite her fatigue. It took her a long time to fall asleep.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Cass cut another couple of fields and Stephanie and the boys helped her after it was baled. Timmy drove the well trained horses or so he thought and Stephanie would try to stack the heavy bales that Cass lifted onto the hay wagon. Tommy would play nearby with the dogs and the baby would be in the protected shelter under the wagon seat in a basket, a cheese cloth over the basket to protect her from the dust and hay. Timmy climbed over to help his mother pull and push the bales. Beyond a second stack high they couldn’t manage but it was nice to have the help and the company and Cass didn’t mind stacking them higher herself.

  Cass let the animals out into the newly cut fields as they gathered the last of the foodstuffs in the fall weather. The days were hot but the nights were cold. Frost had killed off the growth of the last of the vegetables in the garden. They had gathered the last of the tomatoes, both red and green before that first frost. Stephanie was canning non-stop.

  “We need more canning jars, I don’t know how your mother ever filled all these but amazingly we have,” Stephanie told Cass one night at dinner.

  “Yeah, we need to make a trip into Merrill, start a list, we should stock up for winter and I see Cal left a few stacks of furs for trade.”

  “Cal was around?” Stephanie asked surprised.

  Cass shrugged; she was used to his ways. “He comes and he goes as he wants,” she said.

  “He might have stopped by for a meal,” Stephanie said concerned. She wasn’t used to a man as stand-offish as Cal.

  “He probably wanted to offload his furs and get set for winter himself. We won’t see him until spring,” Cass informed her.

  “Didn’t he need supplies or anything?”

  “Didn’t you notice the things missing from the cupboards or the cellar?”

  Stephanie thought for a moment and then realized they had gone through a few things faster than she had thought they would. A few of her jars had gone missing too. That explained it. “What about hunting, didn’t you say he usually leaves a couple of deer for you?”

  “Yep, that he does, he probably will too before heading deep. I should scout around once the crops are all in and set a trap line myself.”

  “You trap?” Stephanie asked surprised.

  Cass nodded amused, “It brings in extra money, I can’t rely on Cal for money, it’s his work, and it’s his money. I can actually hunt and trap as well as he does, I just prefer not to.”

  Stephanie was thoughtful as to what else they could both do to bring in money. The little she had been able to bring in on butter and cheese wasn’t much but every little bit counted. She needed to buy things for the boys and her daughter now; she couldn’t have Cass paying for everything.

  “I want to pick a few bushels of apples and pears before we go, we can sell those too,” Cass commented. Then she smiled in pride, “They said you can’t grow pears this far north but Grandpa said you could if they were sheltered. They are doing fine up against the tree line on the far side of the orchard.”

  Stephanie smiled at her pride. “How did your mother manage to can it all?”

  “I think she dried out a lot of it too.”

  Stephanie flushed, she hadn’t thought of drying out the fruits and vegetables and putting them up that way. It would have saved a lot of room on the shelves. Having dried apples and pears around would be a delicious treat in the winter. She resolved to do a lot more of that.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Over the next few days they picked bushel after bushel of apples and pears. There wasn’t nearly the number of trees of pears as apples but Stephanie pointed out they could grow more of the trees from cuttings and seeds if they planned it out. Cass was pleased that Stephanie thought things like that as she did herself.

  “You should get a pig, we could have ribs, ham, and bacon,” Stephanie commented as she filled one of the baskets she had made during harvest.

  “I do have a pig, a whole litter. They run wild in the woods so I don’t have to feed them,” Cass replied.

  Stephanie was pleased and surprised, “When do you bring them in?”

  “After the first snow, I don’t want to butcher until we have somewhere to keep it all cold. No point in wasting any more than we have to. I’ll invite some neighbors and share in the work and the meat. Maybe I can get a deer or two to add to the pot.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  The back of the wagon was full of bushels of apples, two of pears, flats of eggs, boxes of honey, a pile of furs, and they were ready to head to town. Stephanie had been careful of her list but Cass had warned her there would be no going to town once it snowed, it was too dangerous to be so far from home and winter could come early so they had to stock up now. With more of them, she wouldn’t be stingy; they weren’t just down the block from the nearest store. Stephanie wished they could go to Wausau for the bigger selection but knew that wasn’t feasible with the distance. Cass promised they would go in the spring when she picked up her order; she was planning on getting her own bull depending on what the cows had and possibly the turkey’s this next year. Cal had said she could use some of his money.

  Stephanie was surprised to see Cass in a dress for the first time. It was blue with white flowers. She looked very…pretty for a change from the overalls she normally wore. She had hitched up the horses and parked the wagon in front of the house before going in and changing. Since neither the boys nor Stephanie had seen Cass in a dress before they all stared. She smiled at their reactions.

  “What? You would think you’ve never seen a woman in a dress before,” she laughed.

  She helped Stephanie up over the wheel before handing her the basket with the baby which they tucked under the seat. She helped both boys over the back to settle in a spot either could find amongst the boxes and baskets, it was a tight fit.

  “Stay,” she said to the eager dogs who were looking to go along, “Guard,” she added and wondered if the pups who were nearly full grown now even understood that word. She had worked with them over the summer and fall as she was able but they were still very young. She knew Shia would do as commanded and the pups tended to follow her lead. They had turned out fine, big and strong, and gave her hope for a new generation. She hoped for pups from them next spring. “Let’s go Stella, let’s go Stanley,” she called to the horses. Stella’s foal followed the length of the pasture before it called with a forlorn whinny that it was being left behind.

  “Sammy isn’t happy,” Timmy told Cass worriedly.

  “Sammy isn’t getting her way, that’s why she’s unhappy. She has to learn to let her mother go to town without her,” Stephanie told her son with a lesson in the response.

  Cass grinned sideways at Stephanie realizing she was teaching her son without making it obvious.

  As they rode along Cass pointed out some deer to the boys who were easily distracted. They pointed out birds, chipmunks, and squirrels. Cass pointed out a lazy porcupine and explained that it’s gnawing killed trees as it ate the bark. Every chance she had she taught the boys about everything around them.

  The five miles to town was covered happily and pleasantly and they were soon pulling up in front of the general store. “Why Cass, don’t you look fine,” Hank said when he saw her.

  “Thank you Hank, I just felt like dressing up for a change,” she responded.

  “Thought maybe you were going to go to church,” he teased.

  She rolled her eyes at him as they began to discuss the load in the back of
the wagon. He had a helper and between the three of them they soon had things unloaded. “Those bushels look mighty tasty,” he told her complimenting her on the apples and pears.

  “Ah, you haven’t seen nothing,” she indicated the boxes of honey with its rich golden coloring.

  “Liquid gold,” he breathed reverently knowing that he would make a lot of money off of it. “Make any cider yet?”

  Cass shook her head, “Haven’t had time, just harvesting. Gonna have to get a move on, it feels cold early this year. Don’t want it to go to waste.”

  “That would be a shame,” he answered.

  Stephanie was busy picking out things in the store that she needed out at the house. “Boys, don’t touch,” she repeated as the boys looked at things in the store. Their eyes were wide as they took in everything.

  “Stephanie,” she looked up at Cass, “I’ve got some business to take care of, you pick out what you want and I’ll be back.”

  Stephanie nodded as she went back to picking out things.

  Cass walked over to the leather shop and called, “Jack?”

  “Hey Cass, my don’t you look pretty,” an old man greeted her.

  She smiled at the comment, “I need to order boots; I think I wore a pair out this year.” She pulled up the bottom of her long skirted dress and showed her work boots underneath.

  Jack started to laugh; only Cass would wear a nice dress with work boots underneath. He quickly took off her boot and measured it against a sole he had on the wall showing her boots over the years that she had ordered as her feet grew. They hadn’t changed and he nodded thoughtfully. “Cal picked up a pair,” he mentioned conversationally.

  Cass nodded, “Yep, I told him to come in and see you.”

  “He said to make another pair and he’d pick them up next spring,” he mentioned.

  “Well, that makes sense don’t it? He goes through one pair a year.”

  He nodded, “Yep, that’s right it does.”

  Their business concluded, he promised her a new pair in two weeks. She ordered another pair for herself thinking of giving them to Stephanie for when she worked outdoors and then thinking she ordered a smaller pair for Timmy for Christmas, describing his feet and what they were for. Jack said he’d get a gander of the boy and size him up without him letting on so he would be surprised.

  Cass left the leather shop after ordering a few odds and ends for the horses and headed for one of the local bars. A distasteful place but she could see there was no business this time of day. Most of the farmers in the area would still be gathering their crops and the city boys weren’t off work yet.

  “Hey Leo,” she called poking her head in the door.

  “Cass, why Cass Shiemer! Come on in here!” he called from the bar where he was polishing the glasses. His eyes opened wide at the sight of Cass in a dress. “Well lookee here, Cass Shiemer in a dress!” he smiled at the sight, what a fine looking woman, usually hidden by men’s clothing.

  “You got those boxes of bottles for me?” she asked ignoring the reference of her being in a dress. It was why she had chosen to visit now before too many more would see her in it.

  “Why shore enough I do, out back all stacked up, it’s pretty high too, whatcha gonna do with all them old bottles?” he asked.

  She shrugged, “Well you can find a use to store things in em,” she told him. “I’ll bring my wagon around after I get my supplies from the store.”

  “That’s fine, you take all you want, I just throw em out in the garbage otherwise, was getting ready to do that if you hadn’t come along for them.”

  “I’ll take them all and thank you. I’ll save you a big barrel of cider from our first pressing,” she smiled.

  “Hey, that’s right neighborly, for that I’ll keep saving them.”

  She smiled her thanks as she shook his hand and promised to be right along after her shopping. She stopped by the printers and asked about some printing she wanted done. They quoted her a price. “Can you keep this quiet?” she asked the owner Stella Johanssen.

  “Why sure enough I can, is this a secret?” Stella asked.

  Cass shrugged and smiled, “I don’t know if this is gonna work but I don’t want to be embarrassed if it doesn’t. I’d like to keep it a secret until I know if it’s gonna work or not.”

  Stella nodded, she understood. “I’ll print them myself so no one else knows,” she promised.

  “I’ll be back in town in two weeks for some things; could you have them ready then?”

  “You betcha,” Stella promised.

  Cass paid her and left with a thank you.

  Getting back to the general store she could see Hank and his helper loading sacks of sugar and flour and salt into the back of the wagon. She was surprised at the amount of sugar. They had honey, what did they need so much sugar for? When she asked Stephanie though she told her she planned on putting up a lot of fruit and berries and that required sugar. It made sense then.

  “Do you think Timmy is too young to start learning to read and write,” Stephanie asked Cass as she finished up her purchases.

  “Not at all, we’ve been scratching in the dirt on things already,” Cass answered. “Why not get him a slate and some books, maybe a tablet and give them to him for his Christmas present.”

  “Well his birthday is coming up first,” Stephanie replied.

  “That’s even better.” The purchases were soon added and hidden from the boys who were gazing intently at a red bicycle and a sled.

  “Ever sell one of those around here?” Cass asked Hank pointing with her thumb at the bicycle.

  He laughed. “Actually a couple.” Bicycles were rare around this rural area but now and then he did sell one, especially to town dwellers.

  Their purchases were soon done and loaded and Cass settled up with Hank. She was pleased that she came out ahead, not by much but enough that she made a profit. She drove the horses further down the block once they were all settled back in the wagon, the boys in the back with candy in their mouths to keep them quiet.

  “Where are we going?” Stephanie asked as they made their way into the back alleys.

  “I’ve got to pick up some boxes,” Cass told her mysteriously.

  Stephanie and the boys wrinkled their noses at the smell of liquor coming off the boxes of bottles she loaded into the back of the wagon.

  “What’s them for?” Timmy asked.

  “What are those for?” Stephanie corrected him.

  “Yeah, what are those for?” he repeated as Leo came out the door having heard the rattle of the bottles being load and began to help Cass load the stack to the back of her wagon.

  “Got enough room for all of these?” Leo asked.

  “If we stack them two high and put the extra in the middle,” Cass replied and then they proceeded to do so.

  “Don’t forget my cider,” he reminded her as he waved her off when they were all loaded.

  “I won’t, thanks Leo!” she smiled as she climbed back on the wagon and told the horses to walk.

  “What are all those bottles for,” Stephanie asked, she was relieved the wind was blowing the smell away from them as they walked down the alleyway.

  “You’ll see,” was all Cass would say mysteriously.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Back at the farm she changed her clothes before she unloaded the full wagon. The bottles she put out by the well house, stacking them outside the doors. The foodstuff she put into the pantry, effortlessly carrying the sacks of sugar, flour, and salt.

  “Could you put those boxes of jars here in the kitchen,” Stephanie asked as she came from putting the baby in the living room. She had been so good, no fussing the entire time in town but on the way home she awoke wet and hungry and they had to stop to change her. Stephanie had fed her as they trotted along, handing the boys and Cass sandwiches she had packed.

  Cass brought everything in including the huge bags of sugar. She hoped it would be worth it. She didn’t have any idea of using
up that amount of sugar but she trusted Stephanie would know what to do with it all. She had never bought that much sugar before.

  “We have to get the rest of the harvest in,” Cass said that night at dinner. “The rest of the apples and pears have to be picked including those two big trees in the front yard and there’s the berries before the bears get them all. Then the corn and squash including the pumpkins or the deer and other critters will get them.”

  “I asked Hank for your mail, it’s there on the counter,” Stephanie told her, “I was reading the paper, there’s a fella that contends that you can grow corn in the swamps if they aren’t too deep. Didn’t you say you had a section that was swampy down the road?”

  They discussed it and Cass said she’d read the article, it sounded like a good idea. It would bring in the wild geese and ducks and that would be good for hunting.

  “Maybe you could net them,” Stephanie suggested.

  “Net them?” Cass asked confused.

  Stephanie explained how some of the smaller birds were netted and put down baked and stored in butter. It was a tasty meal but she could see netting the big Canadian geese and wild ducks, it would be an excellent source of food and they would have to kill less of the ducks and geese that Cass was raising. Cass was pleased and surprised at Stephanie’s suggestion.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Cass made a sling for Stephanie to carry Summer on her back so they could all work, Summer was usually in a basket nearby but with her on Stephanie’s back she could look around, just like the Indian babies and was content, at two months she was a lot more alert, with the warmth and familiarity of Stephanie against her she went right back to sleep and could be put back down in the basket.

  Cass wore the shotgun across her own back, just in case.

  They took the dogs along to warn them about bears and fortunately there were no incidents. They were gathering the same wild berries after all and Cass was relieved. “Timmy, don’t eat all those, we won’t have any for winter,” she warned, he was eating as much as he was putting in his basket. Tommy was worse; they found him digging in with both hands in the full baskets.