Page 36 of Hope’s Enduring Echo
Jennie
Jennie picked at her sandwich, dropping little bits over the edge of the table for Rags. Mama watched her do it but didn’t say anything, a sure sign that Mama’s thoughts were far away.
One thing Jennie’d say about Mr. Cambrie was he knew how to get things done. Men showed up at their door early yesterday evening with a stretcher. Daddy was so shocked, he didn’t even make a fuss, and the men carried him down the rise to the train. She and Mama had never spent a night in the cabin alone before. Odd how unsettled it had left her. She’d slept very little, aware of every creak and moan. She wondered if Mama had slept, but she didn’t ask.
Usually, Mama kept their front door open to allow in the breeze, but today it was closed. All morning long, men had walked up the rise from the pipeline and utilized the family’s outhouse—another unsettling situation. Mama assured her Mr. Cambrie wouldn’t hire dangerous people to work on the pipeline, but she still closed their door. Which meant Mama found their sporadic coming and going unnerving, too. Jennie wished they’d all been taken to town when Daddy went.
But she and Mama had work to do. The men who came for Daddy also brought a cartful of empty crates and a bundle of rags for packing their belongings. During the morning, Mama had packed most of their small items from the sitting room and kitchen, except necessary items for meal preparation. Jennie sorted and boxed everything from her bedroom. She’d made certain the bones Mr. DeWeece had left for her to sketch were separate from everything else.
She put the bones and the finished sketches in the box Leo had used to send the cake and strawberries for Daddy way back in June. More than a month ago. Hardly any time at all in the grand scheme of life, but so much had happened in those five short weeks, it seemed she’d lived half a lifetime.
“Jennie, if you’re not going to eat, you might as well toss the sandwich out the front door and let Rags have it.”
Mama’s weary voice pulled Jennie from her ruminations. She looked at Mama in surprise. “You told me to keep Rags inside so he wouldn’t bark at the workers.”
“Well, I don’t want him eating in here and making a mess.”
Now Mama’s tone turned sharp. She rarely lost her temper. Jennie reached across the table and put her hand over Mama’s. “You didn’t sleep well last night, did you?”
Mama slid her hand free, picked up her napkin, and wiped her eyes. “No, I didn’t, but that’s no excuse for snapping at you. Forgive me, Jennie.”
“It’s all right. I miss Daddy, too.” Maybe it was best they couldn’t send Daddy to the hospital in Pueblo. If the doctor said he had to stay, Mama might drift into melancholia, pining for him. Daddy and Mama…they were meant to be together. She sent up a silent prayer for them to be reunited soon.
She stood and patted her leg. “Come on, Rags.” The puppy pranced alongside her to the door. She opened it and gave the sandwich a toss. Rags dove on it as if he’d never seen food before. She chuckled at his ill manners, left the door open, and returned to the table. “Mama, why don’t you go in and take a little nap? I’ll clear the table and wash these things. I’d like to wash our laundry and get it hung so it’ll be dry enough to pack. No sense in packing dirty clothes.”
Mama rose, her movements slow and weary. “I should say no, but I believe a nap is exactly what I need. Thank you, sweetheart.” She gave Jennie a hug on her way to the bedroom. “Wake me in half an hour, will you?”
Jennie nodded, but she intended to wait an hour. Mama deserved a good rest.
Rags wandered in, crumbs caught in the fur on his chin, and flopped onto the braided rug under the table. Jennie considered closing the door, but the breeze felt good. She’d leave it for a little while and let the cabin air out.
She sang to herself—her favorite hymn, “Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It”—while she worked. The perky tune and encouraging words bolstered her spirits, and some of the morning’s dreariness melted away. As she placed the last cup on the shelf, Rags suddenly bolted to his feet and began furiously barking.
She spun toward the door, expecting to find someone on the stoop, but there wasn’t anyone there. Even so, Rags continued his racket. She reached for him. “Rags, hush,” she hissed. “You’re going to wake Mama.”
The dog skittered away from her hands and darted out the door. Jennie dashed after him on bare feet, calling, “Rags, come back here!” He took off in the direction of the footbridge. Jennie ran partway after him, then slid to a stop. No wonder he was barking. But not angry barks. These were excited barks. He ran straight to Leo, who was leading a small group of people up the rise. Mr. DeWeece was with them, and the others were probably Leo’s parents and sisters. Leo glanced in her direction and waved, his smile bright.
Jennie offered a little wave and curled her bare toes into the grass. She rocked in place, comparing her baggy trousers and worn chambray shirt, dusty from the morning’s work, to his family’s fine clothing. She’d never been so embarrassed, but there was nothing she could do about it now. She waited while each member of the party gave Rags a pat or scratch. When they began ambling in her direction, she forced her feet to scuff forward and meet them.
Leo swung his arm toward her, smiling at the group. “Father, Mother, Myrtle, Daisy…this is Jennie Ward. Jennie, this is my family. You already know Mr. DeWeece.”
Jennie bounced a quavering smile across each of them. “It’s very nice to meet all of you. And to see you again, Mr. DeWeece.” She scooped up Rags and held him against her hip. “I hope he didn’t jump on you and snag your clothes. He hasn’t learned his manners yet.”
The smaller of the sisters stepped forward and cupped Rags’s face in her hands. She delivered a kiss on his nose, then beamed at Jennie. “He’s so cute. He can jump on me all he wants to, because Mother says this dress is nearly in tatters already. That’s why she brought it along. So I can climb the mountain with Leo and Father and Mr. DeWeece. We’re going to look at the dinosaur bones Leo found. Myrtle and Mother aren’t going. They don’t want to”—she rolled her eyes upward for a moment—“overexert themselves. But I don’t mind getting overexerted. Are you coming, too?”
Leo chortled and put his hand on Daisy’s shoulder. “You might say Daisy hasn’t learned her manners yet either.”
Daisy crinkled her nose at him, then shrugged. “It’s my birthday. I can do whatever I want today.”
Reverend Day leaned down and spoke into Daisy’s ear. “Within reason, young lady. Birthday or not, manners are not optional.”
Myrtle snickered and Daisy’s grin turned sheepish. “Yes, Father.”
Jennie put Rags down and took a step toward the cabin. “Would you like to come in? My daddy isn’t here, but Mama will want to meet all of you.”
Mr. DeWeece adjusted the large backpack hanging from shoulder straps. “I believe I’m going to head up to the site. Leo, I’ll see you a bit later, yes?”
“Yes, sir.” Leo watched after Mr. DeWeece for a moment, his brows tipped together, then turned a worried look on Jennie. “What happened? Where’s your daddy?”
As they walked up to the cabin, Jennie explained about the Water Works Department president arranging for Daddy to receive care at Dr. Whiteside’s place. “He’s where he needs to be, especially if he has a concussion, but Mama and I sure miss him. It doesn’t feel right out here without him. And…I’m a little embarrassed by the state of the cabin. Mr. Cambrie is moving us into town while the pipeline is repaired. He wants the workmen to stay out here. We’ve been packing, and…” She paused at the stoop and gave them what she hoped was an apologetic smile. “Well, it’s something of a mess.”
Leo’s mother stepped forward and curled her gloved hand around Jennie’s arm. “My dear, we didn’t come to see the cabin. We came to see you.”
Jennie didn’t know if that was better considering how she was dressed. She twisted her raggedy braid. “Thank you, ma’am. Please come in.”
As they entered the cabin, Mama emerged from her bedroom. For a moment, surprise registered on her face, but then a smile replaced the startled expression. She walked forward, her work-roughened hands held out in welcome. “Leo, how nice to see you again. May I assume this is your family?” She reached Leo’s mother first. “I’m Etta Ward, Jennie’s mama.”
Leo’s mother clasped Mama’s hands. “I’m Martha Day. It is wonderful to meet you. Leo has told Paul and me so much about you and your family that I feel as if we’re already friends.”
Jennie now knew why Leo was so personable. He’d inherited the trait from his mother, who exuded warmth and friendliness.
Mama’s eyes glistened. “Thank you.” She gestured to the settee. “Please, won’t you all sit down? I’ll make a pot of coffee, and—Jennie? Aren’t there some cookies left in the jar? I imagine these pretty young ladies would enjoy an oatmeal-raisin cookie.”
Daisy licked her lips, and Myrtle turned a hopeful look on her father. “May we?”
Reverend Day held up one finger.
Mama laughed. “One each. Jennie, fetch the cookies. We have canned milk, or we can offer a cup of cold water.”
Jennie brought down the cookie crock from the shelf and set it on the table, then laid out a stack of napkins in case the others wanted a cookie, too.
Daisy danced in place. “Ma’am, may I eat my cookie on my way up the mountain? Mr. DeWeece has already gone. Leo is going, and so is Father, and so am I. I want to see the dinosaur bones in the dirt.”
Jennie cringed. In what shape would the bones be? She hoped Daisy—as well as Mr. DeWeece and Leo—wouldn’t be disappointed by what they found.
Daisy swung her eager gaze on Jennie. “Are you coming, Miss Jennie? Leo said you found the first bone and gave it to him and that’s why he knew this was a good place to hunt for more bones. So you should come, too.” She grabbed Leo’s hand. “Right, Leo?”
Something in Leo’s dark-blue eyes as he met Jennie’s gaze captured her fully. He didn’t say a word, but she knew he wanted her to go with them. He wanted her at his side when he reached the site. And she wanted to be there, to offer sympathy if needed or celebrate if the bones were still intact.
He still hadn’t said anything, but Jennie turned to Mama. “May I go with them? I’d…I’d like to…” She hoped Mama read the meaning behind her senseless babble.
Mama nodded. “Go ahead, and take some cookies to eat on the way.” She glanced at Jennie’s feet. “But first put on your shoes.”