by Al Lacy
Margie held her adopted daughters close to her and smiled at Sam.
“You tell Jody we’ll be over to see her in a few days. And tell Josie we are looking forward to meeting her.”
Sam grinned as he climbed onto the wagon seat. “I will convey those messages, Margie, and we’ll look forward to having the Lakin family visit us.”
It was just after lunch at the Circle C when Sam helped Emma onto the wagon seat, then climbed up beside her and took hold of the reins.
Emma glanced back at the mattress. “It sure was nice of the Lakins to loan the mattress to us, honey.”
“Sure was,” said Sam.
Ed, Sarah, and Josie stood beside the wagon.
Ed said, “Sam, I’ll go to work on that broken gate on the west side of the corral.”
“Just wait on that, Ed. You and I can work on it together later, after we have Jody home.”
“Papa, I’ll help Uncle Ed fix the gate,” Josie said.
Sam grinned, thinking that his tomboy, Jody, would have offered to help Ed. But not wanting to make Josie feel unneeded, he said, “Okay, honey, you help Uncle Ed.”
The trio stood together in the Wyoming sunlight and watched the wagon pull away, then Ed said, “Well, Miss Josie, let’s go fix that gate.”
“I’m ready!”
Sarah laughed. “You two have fun. In the meantime, I’ll do some work around the house.”
“I’ll help you, Aunt Sarah,” said Josie, “as soon as Uncle Ed and I get the gate fixed.”
Sarah grinned and patted her new “niece” on the back. “You’re an industrious little squirt. Maybe after you and Uncle Ed get the gate fixed, you should sit out here on the porch swing and rest a while.”
“If I help you with the housework, then we’ll both be able to sit out here on the porch swing and rest.”
Sarah pinched her cheek. “We’ll see. Go on now and help your uncle.”
When Ed and Josie were heading around the corner of the house, Sarah went inside and paused to consider what she might do first. She knew that a great deal of Emma’s time the last month had been taken up with the care of Jody at the clinic. She decided her first priority would be to set some bread dough rising, and while that was in process, she would make sure everything was ready in the girls’ room.
A quarter-hour later, with the bread dough in a large bowl on the cupboard, Sarah went upstairs and entered the room Jody had occupied alone since she was very small. She set her eyes on Jody’s bed and smiled at the image she got of Jody back in her home where she had been so sorely missed the past month. She decided the furniture in the room could use some polish and the floor could use a scrubbing.
For the next hour—while humming a nameless tune—Sarah polished the furniture to a glossy shine, then picked up the throw rugs and mopped the hardwood floor.
She went outside to tend to Emma’s flower garden. After hoeing some weeds, she pumped water into a bucket from the well behind the house and watered all the flowers. While enjoying the beauty of the prairie around her, she picked a bouquet of bright-colored flowers for Jody’s room. She put them in a vase, added some water, and carried the vase upstairs to Jody’s room.
After positioning the flowers where she felt they would best be seen, she put the throw rugs back in place on the floor and looked the room over once more. Satisfied that the room was ready for the girls to occupy, she returned to the kitchen.
The yeasty scent of the bread greeted her. She formed several loaves, placed them in pans, covered them with a clean tea towel, and left them to rise.
Sarah took stock of what was in the pantry, and set about preparing a celebration dinner in honor of Jody’s return home. Knowing that Jody’s diet would of necessity have to be quite simple, she would cook up a kettle of chicken broth and a custard pudding. She remembered that custard pudding was Jody’s favorite dessert.
For the rest of the family, she would make her special chicken and dumplings and chocolate cake. Humming her tune once again, she went to work.
Three hours had passed when Ed and Josie walked together toward the back porch of the house from the toolshed. When they stepped up on the porch, the sumptuous aromas coming through the kitchen windows met their nostrils.
Josie smacked her lips. “Mmm! Sure smells good, Uncle Ed.”
“That it does, my little tomboy! That it does.”
Sarah was at the stove when she turned to look at the pair, and noticed Ed shaking his head in wonderment and grinning. “Get the gate fixed?”
“Sure did,” replied Ed.
Sarah frowned. “What is it, honey? What’s got you looking like that?”
“Not what, sweetie … who.”
“Pardon me?”
“It’s Josie. You talk about a tomboy! I mean a genuine, down-to-earth, lock-stock-and-barrel tomboy. This little gal is the real thing!”
Josie smiled.
Sarah was still frowning. “Ed, what do you mean?”
“Honey, this girl actually knew some things about repairing a gate that I didn’t know. And she’s good with a hammer and a screwdriver.”
Surprised, Sarah looked at Josie. “How do you know about repairing gates?”
“Well, Aunt Sarah, as I explained to Uncle Ed out at the corral, my papa was not only a construction worker on bridges and such, but he also did odd jobs on the side, repairing just about anything that needed repairing around the neighborhood. I worked with him a lot, and believe me, yard gates need a lot of repairing in New York City. I learned by working with Papa.”
Ed grinned and shook his head in wonderment again. “What do you think of that, honey?”
“I think it’s marvelous. And Sam and Emma will too.”
“While Josie and I were working on the corral gate out there, I jokingly called her a tomboy. She told me about herself. She told me all about how she played roughhouse games with the boys in her neighborhood—including wrestling matches—and informed me of a bunch of other tomboyish things that were part of her life.”
Josie set her bright eyes on Sarah. “I know Jody and I are going to get along good, Aunt Sarah, because Uncle Ed told me what a tomboy she is!”
At that moment, they heard the pounding of hooves and the rattle of a wagon out front. They rushed through the house and out onto the front porch. Sam was pulling rein, with Emma sitting in the wagon bed beside Jody, who lay on the mattress.
Josie looked down at her soiled dress. Oh, this is just a great way to meet my new sister! My hands are dirty and my face is sweaty.
Trying desperately to put some order to her tousled hair, she took a deep breath, trying to calm her fluttering heart. Oh, well, she’ll see me at my worst … but it can only get better from there. Jody will understand, I’m sure, because she would’ve been working on the gate if she were here.
Putting on her brightest smile, Josie stepped off the porch with Ed and Sarah, and approached the wagon.
Sam hopped to the ground, opened the tailgate, and helped Emma out. He reached into the wagon, picked Jody up, and cradled her in his arms. “Dr. Traynor says she’s doing well.”
“Praise the Lord!” Ed and Sarah said in unison.
Jody’s smile was a bit weak, but it was there as she said, “Aunt Sarah! Uncle Ed!”
Both of them stepped up close. Sarah kissed Jody’s cheek, and Ed did the same.
Josie could hardly believe how much she and Jody resembled each other, though Jody’s face was obviously thinner than usual. Their hair was the same color and the same length, and their eyes were almost the same color.
Emma’s face was beaming as she took Josie by the hand and led her up to the girl in Sam’s arms. “Jody, here’s your new sister!”
Josie felt tremendous relief when Jody smiled at her. “Josie, Mommy and Daddy told me all about you. And we sure do look alike! People who don’t know us will think we’re sisters for sure. I’m so glad the Lord sent you to live with us!” Even as she spoke, Jody extended her frail arms toward J
osie.
Josie stepped up and hugged her. “Oh, Jody, I have always wanted a sister. And I’m so happy that I have one now!”
“Me too!” said Jody. “I’ve prayed for a sister for a long, long time.”
Sam waited till Josie stepped back. “Well, let’s get this sweet little girl in the house!”
Ed said, “There is something else Sarah and I learned about Josie today. She is a tomboy, just like Jody.”
Jody set her tired eyes on him. “I want to hear about it, Uncle Ed.”
Emma patted Jody’s arm. “He can tell you after we get you on your bed, sweetheart.”
When they entered the girls’ room and Sam laid Jody on the bed, he said, “All right, Ed, let’s hear about this tomboy named Josie.”
Everybody gathered around the bed.
When Ed was finished telling how Josie helped him repair the corral gate—and even knew some things he didn’t—and told them Josie’s tomboy story, Jody lifted her arms to Josie.
“Oh, Josie, it’s so wonderful to have you for my sister! We’re going to be so happy together!”
Sam took hold of Jody’s thin hand, and while holding Josie’s hand too, said with a smile, “Isn’t God good? Now I have two tomboys!”
A day and a half after the orphan train had stopped in Rawlins, Wyoming, it rolled into Austin, Nevada.
A relatively small group of prospective foster parents were waiting to interview the orphans and look them over. When they had passed inspection by the sponsors, the children were placed in line as usual, and the interviewing began.
True to form, Lance Adams stood close by Jimmy Kirkland.
As one young couple came upon Jimmy, the woman smiled and said, “Oh, Ben, look at this darling little boy!”
Ben smiled from ear to ear, bent over, and put his palms on his knees. “He’s a handsome one, all right. What’s your name, sonny?”
Jimmy was hesitant to speak, knowing from past experience that it would cause the man and woman to pass him by.
“Come on, honey,” said the woman, “tell us your name.”
Lance’s heart went out to Jimmy as he said, “M-my n-name ith J-Jimmy Kirkland.”
The brows of both people furrowed.
“And how old are you?” queried the man.
Jimmy held up five fingers. “F-five y-yearth old.” He ran a sleeve across his mouth to wipe away the saliva.
The man stood erect and looked at his wife, shaking his head. She nodded, and they walked on.
Lance saw Jimmy’s face twist up and redden. He stepped to him, wrapped his arms around him, and picked him up. Jimmy began to cry.
Patting his back as he held him, Lance said, “Don’t cry, little pal. The Lord is going to give you a good home.”
Jimmy started to say he wanted to go home with him, but was cut off as Gifford Stanfield’s voice filled the air: “Okay, everybody, that’s it! Let’s get back on the train. We had three more children chosen by foster parents. That means there are twenty-nine left. But don’t any of you worry now. We still have three stops!”
Lance carried the child into the boys’ coach and put him on his usual seat. “There you are, Jimmy. Now, like Mr. Stanfield just said, don’t you worry. There are three more stops.”
Jimmy was staring at the floor.
“I’ll see you at the next stop.”
Jimmy nodded and looked up at him, his features pinched.
As Lance left the coach and headed for his own, he said, “Lord, I remember what Job said when he was perplexed and needed to know Your mind: ‘Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!’ He wanted to come to Your very throne, Lord, and talk to You face to face so he could get his questions answered. So, You know how it is with us humans. I’m wishing that I could talk to You face to face, so You could tell me if You are working on Carol’s heart. Jimmy’s still on the train. I know if You wanted it differently, he would have been chosen by someone. Please, Lord, help me not to waiver in this, but to trust You completely, even though I don’t know what Your will is about Jimmy coming into our home.”
When he was back in his seat, Lance took out his Bible and turned to the book of Job.
The next day at Reno, Nevada, the foster parents took home eight children, leaving twenty-one on the train. Lance Adams tried to comfort little Jimmy Kirkland, who had been spurned once again.
When the train crossed the California border, Lance was silently begging God to change Carol’s mind about adopting a child, so if Jimmy was still on the train when it arrived in San Francisco, she would agree with him to take Jimmy into their home.
The train made its slow crawl over the towering Sierra Nevada Mountains and arrived in Sacramento on Friday evening, June 26.
The next morning, the twenty-one orphans lined up once again to be interviewed and inspected by prospective foster parents. Lance Adams was on the platform a few feet away from Jimmy Kirkland, as usual.
Every time the train had stopped and the children had been interviewed and inspected, Lance had watched the sweet little boy put his best foot forward. On that morning, there seemed to be a fresh supply of hope and anticipation in his eyes.
Lance watched as three couples paused to talk to Jimmy, and each couple passed on when they heard him stutter and lisp. By then the light of hope in Jimmy’s eyes had vanished.
A fourth couple stepped up. They both bent down closer to Jimmy’s eye level, and the man said, “Hello, there. My name is Howard Wells. What’s yours?”
Fear was evident on Jimmy’s face as he met the man’s gaze. “J-Jimmy Kirkland.”
“How old are you, Jimmy?”
The child held up five fingers once again, but refrained to give his verbal answer.
“Five? Is that how old you are, Jimmy?”
Jimmy nodded.
The woman smiled. “I’m Jeanne Wells. Are you nervous, honey?”
Jimmy nodded, his eyes avoiding contact with hers.
Jeanne cupped his chin in her hand and tilted his face upward. “You don’t need to be nervous with us, honey. We love children, and we want to take one home today to live at our house. Tell me what your favorite food is.”
Lance felt sorry for the child as he finally had to speak more than his name.
Jimmy licked his lips. “I—I like j-jutht about any k-kind of f-food, ma’am.”
Jeanne’s brow furrowed. “Do you like soup?”
“Uh-huh.”
She looked at her husband, then back at Jimmy. “Say it for me: ‘I like soup.’ ”
“I—I l-like th-thoup.”
Standing erect, Jeanne met her husband’s hard gaze. “He’s a precious boy, Howard. He can’t help he has this impediment.”
Howard pulled his lips tight. “Yeah, but—”
“Being Christians, we can be such a blessing to this child, Howard. Remember how we’ve prayed ever since we knew this orphan train was coming? And we prayed this morning before coming here that the Lord would guide us to the child He had chosen for us. I believe this is that child, honey. I want to take Jimmy home.”
Jimmy’s heart jumped in his chest at her words.
Lance kept his eyes on the couple as Howard shook his head vigorously. “Jeannie, do you realize the problems we’re facing if we take him?”
“God can overcome problems, dear. I really believe this is the child we are to take home with us.”
Howard looked down at the boy, then at his wife. “I really doubt that it’s supposed to be him. I say let’s go back and talk to Freddie.”
While this discussion was going on, Lance saw that Jimmy’s face showed the familiar fear that he was going to be rejected, that Howard Wells was going to win out.
Lance whispered, “Lord, I want Your will to be done.”
Suddenly the discussion was over, and Howard wheeled and moved back up the line to one of the older boys they had talked to earlier.
Jeanne bent down to Jimmy’s level again. “I’m sorry, honey.”
With that, she turned and followed her husband to the older boy.
Jimmy began to whimper, and instantly Lance had him in his arms.
The boy wrapped his arms around Lance’s neck and wept, with his tears moistening Lance’s face. While holding Jimmy and speaking words to comfort and encourage him, Lance saw Howard and Jeanne Wells talking to Tabitha Conlan, who was making notes on her clipboard. It was evident that they were taking the older boy.
Jimmy was still in Lance’s arms a few minutes later, when the Wellses walked away with the older boy, along with a number of other foster parents who were taking orphans with them.
Lance let his eyes run the line and he could tell that the choosing in Sacramento was over. Lord, You could have let Mrs. Wells convince her husband to take Jimmy home with them if You wanted to. But You didn’t. The next stop is home. Are You going to let Carol and me have him?
Chapter Twenty-one
The four sponsors and Rachel Wolford gathered at the spot on the depot platform where the two orphan coaches connected.
Laura Stanfield’s attention was on Lance Adams as he held little Jimmy Kirkland in his arms.
Gifford raised his voice and said, “All right, children, it’s time to get back aboard the train. Things went well, as you can see. Fourteen orphans were taken into foster homes. We now have seven of you left: four boys and three girls. I have no doubt that all of you will find homes in San Francisco. Let’s get aboard.”
Laura was still watching Lance and Jimmy as Lance carried him toward the boys’ coach.
Holding the boy close, Lance said, “Jimmy, I’m sure someone in San Francisco will take you, even as Mr. Stanfield just said.”
Jimmy looked at Lance through a film of tears. “Y-you live in Than F-Franthithco, Mithter Adamth. Pleathe. Won’t y-you t-take me? I want t- to g-go to y-your houthe and l-live with you.”
Once again, Lance relived that day in March when he suggested the idea to Carol that they adopt a child, and the way she looked at him and spoke in return. There was no way he could know at this time if God had done a miracle in Carol’s heart and changed her attitude about it. “Jimmy, I really wish I could take you home, but I can’t.”