by Janette Oke
By the time we finished with the paperwork Joe was there. He seemed properly impressed with the new car and walked around and around it, studying each feature, especially those that his older model did not have. He didn't say much, but he grinned and he admired and he ran a hand over the black metal now and then.
We all climbed in for our first spin around town. I sat up front with Joe so I might learn all the procedures for driving. Grandpa and Uncle Charlie settled in the back. It was hard to tell who was the most excited.
Mr. Hickson gave it a good crank, we started off with a bit of a jump, and I heard Grandpa gasp, but then we moved out onto Main Street past all the stores and people.
We made quite an impression, you can be sure of that. Heads turned, people stopped, store owners came out of their shops, curtains fluttered at windows and dogs barked and chased us on down the road.
The farther we went the faster we went. It wasn't long until we were whizzing along. It fairly took the breath out of me, but Joe seemed to know just what he was doing, and he maneuvered the car like it was no problem at all.
When we got out in open country he suggested that I give it a try. I was so nervous that my hands shook, but I crawled behind the steering wheel and did just like Joe had showed me. Well, almost. I let the clutch out a bit too quickly, and the Ford bucked like she'd been spurred. It killed the motor and Joe had to get out and give it a crank again. The next time worked better and soon I was steering down the road like I'd been driving all my life.
By the time we got back to town and dropped Joe off, I was getting pretty good. We decided to wheel around to Nat and Lou's and show off just a bit. I was hoping Nat would be home. A car like this would sure save a pastor some calling time.
Nat was there all right, and we had to show him everything on the Ford that moved. He studied it over and over again, making contented clicking noises and grinning from ear to ear. I felt my buttons pushing at my shirt front. I felt pretty proud and even more grown up than when the farm was signed over to me.
At last we pulled away from our admirers and headed back out on the street again, Jon howling behind us. He wanted to go too. I had already taken them all for a little spin, but I guess that wasn't good enough for young Jon. He wanted to go wherever the car was going.
When we got back to Hickson's, Grandpa climbed out and went to untie the horses from the hitching rail. Uncle Charlie began to climb out too, maybe a little reluctantly. I guess Grandpa must have sensed it. "Why don't you jest go on home with josh?" he said. "Don't take two of us to drive this poky of team:'
Uncle Charlie didn't argue. He settled back on that leather seat and took a big breath of the autumn air. Then he pulled out his pocket watch and sat studying the face of it.
"Okay, josh," he said, and there was a glint in his eye. "Let's see how long it takes 'er to make the trip to the farm:'
I grinned, then nodded. I put the Ford into gear and we started out. Once we cleared the town streets I opened her up a bit more. The breeze fairly whipped in the open windows. Way back at the edge of town we could see Grandpa just turning the team and buggy onto the road for home. Then the dust from our wheels blocked him from view, and Uncle Charlie and I were off.
We didn't try to set any records. I drove as sensibly as I knew how. But even with my caution at the wheel, the trip home took only eleven minutes and thirty-seven seconds. Uncle Charlie chuckled gleefully as he held the watch out for me to see.
We turned into our lane. I could hardly wait to show the girls the new car. Then I looked with dismay at the dust that already clung to her shiny exterior and wished there was some way I could quickly polish her up before the introduction. But I realized that would never work, for already Mary was running to meet us.
CHAPTER 6
A Caller
I had plenty of time to show Mary the car, take her for a ride, and wash and polish all the metal and leather before Grandpa pulled into the yard with the team.
I had learned one lesson on the way home. The feel of the fresh autumn air blowing in the open windows might be invigorating, but on our dusty country roads it was not practical. I decided that from now on when the car was on the move, the windows would be kept up. I said as much to Uncle Charlie as he watched me polish and clean.
After Grandpa had gone off to Mary's kitchen with the groceries she had ordered, I settled the team and went back to shining the car. Reluctant to leave the new Ford, I was finally coaxed into the kitchen for tea and cornbread.
As soon as the kitchen clock told us that school would be letting out, we all climbed into the car and set off to pick up Matilda.
"I can hardly wait to see her face when we pull into the school yard," Mary said warmly.
I drove very slowly. I didn't want to get the car all dusty again before Matilda had a chance to see it. Even so, we got a bit ahead of ourselves according to Uncle Charlie's pocket watch and had to pull to the side of the road just over the hill from the schoolhouse. We didn't want to arrive before Matilda was free to dismiss her students.
At last Uncle Charlie gave us the go-ahead, and I hopped out to give the car a crank while Grandpa pulled and pushed the necessary buttons and levers. Joe had said a man could start the car all by himself, but we weren't sure we had the hang of it yet.
We met some of Matilda's students as we chugged up the last hill to the school yard, so we knew that school was over for the day.
If we had expected Matilda to be excited, we weren't disappointed. As we pulled into the school yard, we saw her appear at the window. She probably wondered what the strange sound was. For a moment she stood as though stunned, her eyes wide and hands over her mouth. At Mary's wild waving, Matilda finally came to her senses. She fairly exploded from the door and took the front steps as though they weren't even there.
"It's here! It's here!" she was screaming as she ran toward us. "Oh, josh, it's here." I decided not to point out that I was well aware of that fact.
She never even stopped to admire the shiny metal I had just worked so hard to polish. She didn't look at the gleaming glass windows. She never slowed down for a moment, just hurled herself at the door, climbed right over Mary in one swift motion and shuffled to settle herself right between the two of us.
"Show me!" she squealed. "Quickly-show me."
"You can't see much scrunched in here;' I said a bit sourly, trying to shove over enough to give Matilda room. "You gotta do most of your lookin' from the outside;' and I moved to open my door.
But Matilda was shaking her head so vigorously that her curls were coming unpinned. "No," she wailed, grabbing my hand from the door handle. "Show me how to drive."
Grandpa snorted and Uncle Charlie chuckled. Mary just shrugged her slim shoulders and smiled. I was stunned. I sure wasn't prepared to give Matilda a driving lesson in my new car. I'd barely learned how myself. I stalled for time.
"We've come to take you home;' I informed her. "Are you ready to go?"
For a moment she seemed not to understand. She took a few gulps of air and then answered me almost sanely, "No, I have to get my books and clean the blackboards and lock the school"
We all piled out. Mary cleaned the blackboards while Matilda gathered her books. Uncle Charlie and Grandpa studied a map on the wall, but I just wandered around picturing the room as it had been when I was a student there.
In the row over by the windows had sat Avery, then me, then Willie-I could see him yet. His mop of unruly hair spilling over his forehead, his freckles scattered across the tip of his nose, his face screwed up in a frown as he worked on an arithmetic problem.
I turned abruptly and walked from the room. Even yet the memories were too painful.
"I'll wait outside;' I said with as steady a voice as I could manage and I closed the schoolhouse door rather firmly on the memories.
It didn't take Matilda long and we all climbed back in the car and started down the country road.
We rearranged our load. Mary climbed in the backseat
between Grandpa and Uncle Charlie. It was a bit crowded but they didn't seem to mind. Matilda rode in the front by me. Her eyes did not travel over the polished leather upholstery. Instead, they stayed glued to the steering wheel and the controls, watching every movement I made. I knew Matilda would never let me rest until she had been taught how to drive my car.
However, I was not ready to share the driving with anyone just yet. Not even Matilda.
"Why don't you settle back and enjoy the ride?" I urged her. "Remember, it won't be every day that we come and pick you up from school:"
I guess she got the message. She sighed and did sit back. Sort of. Though I could still feel her eyes on my hands.
It wasn't long before I relented and did give Matilda a few driving lessons. We did not venture out on the road, only up and down our long farm lane. She caught on quickly, I must admit. I offered to teach Mary how to drive, too, but she just smiled and said she would just as soon let me do it.
The car was certainly an asset and time saver in driving back and forth to town. We looked forward to the family drive each Sunday. It was a bit crowded, but no one complained.
And then the winter snows came deep enough that the car was no longer practical. I drove it into the shed I had built for it and we started using the team again. Never had the trip to town seemed longer than when we were forced to travel it again by sleigh.
The dog was making an awful commotion one evening, and we all rose from our places to look out the window. We hadn't been expecting any callers. The evening was chilly, but not inhuman. There was no sharp wind blowing and the moon was bright. Still, we couldn't figure out why anyone would be making house calls on horseback at such an hour. I had a momentary pang that something might be wrong in town and Uncle Nat had come to inform us.
But it wasn't Uncle Nat. Relieved, I realized the traveler was a stranger. Well, not exactly a stranger. I had seen him once or twice, and from the greetings later in our kitchen, I came to realize that both Mary and Matilda had met him before.
But when Grandpa had answered his knock and opened the door, he didn't seem to know who the young man was. He extended his hand cordially anyway and offered for the young fella to come in.
"Don't believe I've had the pleasure," Grandpa was saying as he shook the hand firmly, and the man answered cheerily enough, "Sanders. Will Sanders. We bought the place just over yonder;' and he nodded his head to the east.
"Sanders;' repeated Grandpa. "Thought I'd met Sanders." Grandpa looked a bit perplexed. "Thet weren't yer pa, were it?"
"No, sir. My oldest brother. He bought the place. My pa's been gone for nigh unto seven years now."
"Sorry to hear theta' Grandpa said sincerely. "Come in an' sit ya down. Is there something we can be a helpin' ya with?"
The young man smiled easily. "Thank you, no, he answered evenly. "Just callinHe made no move toward a chair.
All of this conversation had taken place while the rest of us looked on. I guess Will figured it was time to change all that. His eyes traveled around the room. He nodded briefly to Uncle Charlie, studied me for a moment and then turned his gaze toward the two girls. That was the first he smiled. He reached to remove his hat and with a slight nod in the girls' direction said, "Hello, Miss Turley, Miss Hopkins"
That was when I began to study the man before me.
A little taller than me, his shoulders were broader, hips slimmer. Even in the lamplight I could see the waves of dark hair and the deep-set dark eyes. His jaw was rather square and his nose straight. When he smiled he showed a row of even, white teeth. Even I was smart enough to know that ladies would consider him a good-looking man. I stirred uneasily as Mary and Matilda acknowledged his greeting. Both of them had a flush on their cheeks and shine to their eyes.
Mary was the first to move forward.
"Won't you come in, Mr. Sanders," she greeted him cordially. "Here, let me have your hat and coat:"
Will Sanders passed Mary his hat and took off his heavy winter coat. Mary took both to a peg reserved for visitors' wraps in the corner.
I had never seen Matilda silent for so many minutes before.
"I didn't realize you were staying on;' she finally ventured with a shy look in Sander's direction.
"Well, I had thought about going back to the city for the winter, but my brother said he could sure use some help with the choring."
I shifted uneasily again.
"Have you met josh?" asked Mary, returning from hanging up the man's hat and coat.
The eyes shifted to me. He studied me for a moment before saying slowly, rather deliberately, "I don't believe I've had the privilege;' and he smiled a bit too familiarly, I thought.
I stepped forward and extended my hand. It seemed like the neighborly thing to do. He shook it firmly. I wondered if he was trying to make me cringe under his grip. I found my fingers tightening around his. I wanted the man to know that other men had strength in their hands as well.
For a moment our eyes locked, and I could see in his expression some sort of challenge. I wasn't sure what it was all about, but I sure felt ill at ease.
After just sitting around for a spell thinking up things to talk about like weather and cattle feed, Matilda suggested that we play some Chinese checkers. We moved our chairs into position around the table. The game went well enough. For some reason I can't explain, it was very important to me that I win. I did. But just. Then the next game was won by Mary. That didn't bother me a bit, but it did bother me some that young Sanders came in second.
Mary fixed a little snack, and Grandpa and Uncle Charlie joined us around the table. Matilda carried most of the conversation. She and Sanders chatted on merrily, and occasionally he turned and offered some comment to Mary and she responded. I didn't pay too much attention to it all. I couldn't see where it concerned me much anyway. Then a comment of Matilda's caught my ear.
"Josh has a new Ford, but with the snow so deep he has it put away for now.
I felt my pride swell a bit. Here was one area where I had an edge on the city slicker fella. But his words quickly cut me down to size again.
"I have a silver Bentley, but I left it in the city. I wasn't sure of the country roads and I didn't want it damaged. I'm thinking of bringing it on out in the spring."
I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Mary said nothing but Matilda swooned. `A silver Bentley! I saw one of those in an advertising pamphlet. They are just gorgeous:'
The young man nodded matter-of-factly as though a silver Bentley was really the least of the "gorgeous" things he possessed.
After a lot of small talk, mostly centered on Will Sanders, he finally decided to go. If he expected an argument from me, he sure was mistaken. But as he took his leave, he promised to be back. Not "may I" or "by your leave" or anything like that. Just "I'll drop back again the first chance I get" I cringed inside.
After he'd finally gone I went up to bed as soon as I could tactfully excuse myself. Even with my door closed I could hear Mary and Matilda talking and giggling like a couple of schoolgirls. The whole thing disturbed me so much I could hardly concentrate as I read my nightly Bible passage and tried to pray. Yet I couldn't put into thoughts or words just why I felt as I did. I tried hard to shove the uneasy feelings aside and get to sleep, but it was too big a job for me. I tossed and turned until I heard the clock strike three-still sleep eluded me. I slammed my fist into my pillow and wished fervently that I had never laid eyes on the guy.
CHAPTER 7
Changes
I awoke still tired and grumpy from my lack of sleep. I had never felt quite so disturbed in my entire life, and I couldn't make heads or tails of it. I knew it had something to do with that young whippersnapper Will Sanders, but what he might have done to merit such feelings on my part I had no idea. He seemed like a decent enough chap, and he certainly had behaved himself in gentlemanly fashion while he had been a guest-though an uninvited one-in our home.
No one else seemed to
take offense at his sudden appearance, and some members of the household actually seemed to favor his visit.
Somehow I knew he had touched on a raw nerve. After pondering the situation, I realized I resented the attention that Matilda and Mary had given to him. I had no reason to resent it, but the feeling was there. I felt challenged-backed up in my own corner. But what was I trying to defend? And why did the presence of the new neighbor put me on the defensive?
I shoved the whole thing aside, for it was more than I could deal with in my present mood.
I finished the chores and returned to the house for breakfast. I was later than usual in coming in and the table was nearly cleared and empty.
"Matilda had to eat so she could get to school on time," Mary explained without a hint in her tone that my lateness had made it difficult for anyone else.
Mary dished out two plates of pancakes and bacon and poured two cups of coffee, which she brought to the table.
"Grandpa and Uncle Charlie joined Matilda;' she continued. She did not comment on the fact that she had waited for me.
I just nodded to Mary, and when she joined me at the table I said the table grace as usual.
"Anything wrong at the barn?" she questioned.
For a moment I didn't follow her, and then I realized she noticed I had taken an unusually long time with the chores.
"No;' I replied hurriedly. "Just the usual. Guess I was just plain slow this mornin. I didn't sleep too good last night for some reason."
I figured the matter was explained sufficiently and could be dropped, but Mary's eyes searched my face.
"You're not comin' down with somethin, are you?" she asked, her eyes troubled.
"Me? No, just-just somethin' I ate, I s'pose. I'm not used to eating so much before I go to bed"
Mary let it go but I could still feel her eyes on me. I didn't dare leave any of my breakfast on the plate like I wanted to.
We continued the meal in silence-there wasn't much I wanted to talk about anyway. Mary, sensing it, didn't try to involve me in meaningless conversation.