Beau and Arrow
A maternal gift
“Time to get up.” Ma’s touch and voice woke me from my dream.
“Yes, Ma.” I lay in bed a moment more, reliving what I could remember. A tiny heart and peace within my soul, which was sorely out of sorts right now.
I had no time to talk to Ma privately until after breakfast, when my youngest brother started his chores. Usually, he’d ignore what we talked about, but this would be the time he would take notice and be asking Pa what it all meant.
Ma sat cutting up potatoes and carrots I had peeled, then placed them in the pan around the roast we would have for supper. She was pregnant again and would need my help even more when the baby came. She wasn’t young anymore.
I bit my lip. “Do you believe dreams can tell your future?” I asked.
She didn’t look up. “Do you mean the kind you have at night or the fancy ones you have when you are young?”
“The night kind. I had a vivid one last night. Seemed so real.”
“Did it scare you?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Care to tell me about it?” Ma finished up the last of the carrots.
“A figure stood before me, all golden-like. A man’s hand showed me a heart, a tiny one. Then he said, ‘found you’. Then you woke me.”
“Sounds nice.” Ma stood and reached for the roaster.
“Let me do that.” I stoked the fire underneath the oven, opened the door, and put the roast in.
“It’s a nice day,” Ma said. “Shall we do the mending on the front porch? I’d like to enjoy some spring before I’m confined.”
“Let’s open up the doors and cool the house down.” I opened up the back door, gathered up the mending pile and the sewing basket. I sat in the rocker next to Ma. “I need to stay here and help you. Who’s gonna feed everyone, do laundry, and clean after the baby comes?” I grabbed a shirt and threaded my needle.
“Are you worried about Pa giving you to Mr. Schummer?” Ma was working on one of Pa’s pants.
“Yes. He’s at least twice my age.”
“He’s a nice man. Treats women with respect and works hard.”
“But he’s got all boys. There’s nobody else to help around the house. It’d just be me.”
”Honey, you’re able to manage a household. But your Pa and I aren’t marrying you off.”
“Seems like it to me. And I want to be here for you.” I stared out at the prairie as Pa guided the mule across the field. Three of my brothers picked up rocks and broke up the clods of dirt. Hard work, but not any harder than mine.
I still worried about Mr. Schummer. He’d been talking with Pa a lot after Sunday services. It had been six months since his wife died in childbirth. Both his sisters had taken turns to help, but the last one needed to go home. Given he had young children, those hereabout would ignore the yearlong mourning period.
“I had a vision about your Pa too,” Ma said.
“Really?” This was the first time I was hearing this.
“It’s not something I talk about. People can be superstitious about the oddest things. My ma had something similar as did her ma.”
“What was your vision like?”
There was no answer.
“Ma?”
I looked up from my sewing. She’d fallen asleep soaking up the sun. I knew I had heard her up in the night. I continued to sew quietly until early afternoon and let her be.
Russ yelled from the back of the house, “Look Ma.”
Ma jolted awake.
Darn Russ.
“Ma, where are you?” Russ hollered.
“Front porch,” I called back.
“I caught fish.” Russ stood at the front door. “Can we have ’em for supper?”
“Most likely.” Ma said sleepily, “Are they gutted?”
“Yep. All ready.”
“Only if you liked ’em raw. What about your chores? Pa won’t be pleased if they aren’t done,” I said.
“I’ll put them in the sink.” He turned, and then I heard running steps in the backyard.
“Thank you for finishing.” Ma reached out and took my hand. We sat and rocked as we watched Pa and my brothers work. I gathered up the mending and sewing basket and put them safely inside.
I scaled the fish. Russ didn’t seem to like that part, though I thought it was easier than gutting them.
Sometime after, Pa and my brothers came stomping in the back door, still damp from washing up. “We finished the plowing early. I want to spend some time with your Ma. Boys, get to helping.”
They scattered, and soon they had the table set. Pa had insisted that the boys knew how to do the basics. At times, I felt he took us women for granted, but he did right by us most of the time.
I tried to listen to what Pa was saying to Ma on the front porch. I peeked out, “Do you want me to fry the fish up, Ma?”
“That would be nice.”
Pa kept his eyes on me until I left. He made sure what was said stayed private.
I poked the roast with a fork. Almost done. The fish wouldn’t take long to fry.
When dinner was on the table and Pa had said grace, there was a knock at the door. Pa got up and opened it, then he stepped outside and closed the door. We could hear voices, but the words were muffled. Oh God, please don’t it be Mr. Schummer. My stomach churned.
We waited, eyeing the door as the aroma of roasted pork and newly fried fish engulfed us. Stomachs growled.
Ma swatted Russ’s fingers away from the potatoes. “You just wait.”
“But Ma,” his stomach growled again.
Finally, Pa opened the door, and a young man entered behind him holding his brown hat. “Set another plate, Rachel.” He was tan and tall as Pa, his long sleeves hugged his arm muscles tight. Looked like he needed a bigger shirt.
I stood, got what I needed and placed them on the table end next to me. One of my brothers got a chair.
“Have a seat, Gabriel.” said Pa as he sat down.
Gabriel placed his hat on one back corner of the chair.
I picked up the meat platter, hesitated a moment, then handed it to Gabriel. Our hands touched and his smile lit up his face. He wasn’t bad looking. I smiled back.
We served guests first, but who was Gabriel anyway? I’d never seen him in these parts before.
Nosy Russ blurted out, “You visitin’ around here?”
Gabriel took several slices, then passed it to my brothers. “I’m helping my cousin over the spring and summer.”
I passed him a serving bowl with potatoes and carrots.
Russ continued the interrogation. “What’s your cousin’s name? We know everyone around here.”
Gabriel blushed.
The red emphasized his sun-bleached hair. But it was strange. Why get embarrassed by that?
“Her name is Suzanne. Suzanne Holt.”
Russ mused, “Holt. Suzanne Holt. Oh, you mean Miss Suzie. Her husband died last year. Two child-”
“How do you know all this?” I asked.
Russ smirked at me. “I talk to people when we’re at church. Not like you, who tries to hide.”
“I don’t hide. I’m just shy.”
“She’s the nice lady with the blue hat that sits three rows back on our left.” Russ turned to look at Gabriel. “You either just arrived or you don’t go to church.”
All eyes went to Gabriel. “I got here on Tuesday. I’ll be at church on Sunday with her and the youngins.”
We passed the meat and vegetables around the table, several times, using our best Sunday manners. Pa would give us a lecture later if we hadn’t. Russ talked about the fish in the creek, and he could get more if Ma wanted.
Pa looked at Russ and cleared his throat. “What are your plans tomorrow?”
“I got my chores in the morning. Do you need help sowing?”
“No. I need you to show Gabriel around the east edge of our property after chores.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m asking you to.”
“Okay, Pa.” Russ heard the ‘don’t question me’ tone in Pa’s voice.
“Rachel, I need you to make a bed in the barn.”
“Yes, Pa.” I’d heard the tone too. Pa wasn’t telling us anything about why Gabriel was staying over. What was going on?
I gathered the dishes and silverware and put them next to the sink. I went to the hope chest in my bedroom and pulled out two quilts. Hay always scratched me without something in between me and it.
I escorted Gabriel to the loft ladder. He took the quilts from me and headed up. “The outhouse is out the door and to your right. There’s a lantern on the bench. Back porch has a pitcher and basin if you need to wash up.” I headed back before he could answer.
Pa was reading the good book to the others when I got back. I did the dishes and got porridge started for the next morning. Would I dream again tonight? How many visions had Ma had before Pa came along?
The next day dawned cool with some clouds. I hauled water from the spring to fill the washing tub, chopped wood for the fire and lit it under the big kettle, all before breakfast.
“I need all your dirty clothes before you go, please,” as everyone prepared to leave. Ma would have her and Pa’s clothes ready.
Pa and my brothers left for the fields. Russ was talking up a storm as he and Gabriel left. Did he get his chores done? I did breakfast dishes, prepared fixings for supper, then gathered the laundry.
“Ma?”
“What Rachel?” She shifted in her chair on the back porch. I suspected she was trying to get comfortable.
“Let me move you to the shade.” Ma stood, and I moved her chair out of the sun.
“Tell me about your vision while I wash the clothes.”
Ma eased back into her chair as I put the washboard in the tub and added hot water from the heated kettle. I grabbed the first shirt, rubbed soap under the armpits, and scrubbed. I glanced at Ma. She had her eyes closed. Had she fallen asleep again?
Ma coughed then began, “My younger sister, your Aunt Clara, was eager to marry, but my pa wouldn’t let her until I was. My sister was on a tear trying to get rid of me. She was prettier than me and I was a bit worried — I wasn’t keen on marrying the local boys or widowers.”
I finished up one shirt and tossed it into the nearby empty tub and grabbed another. I’d rinse them when it was full.
Ma continued, “I remember waking up from sitting in the sun just like now, seeing a shimmering man walking towards our house. I couldn’t see clearly, so I shaded my eyes and then he was gone. I stood and looked out across the open prairie. There was no place to hide. I figured I was seeing things, like you do in the summer heat.” She went quiet again.
“Then what happened?” I tossed another shirt and grabbed a dress.
“A few days later, as I was cleaning the house, Clara comes a running in. Says there is a man talking with Pa. Maybe he’ll be your new beau.”
Before I could ask any more questions, Russ’s voice interrupted us as he came around from behind the barn with Gabriel following. He carried something I couldn’t make out.
Russ waved and came running. “We got to chase the neighbor’s cows out of our fields and Gab helped me fix the fence. And we found his arrow, and he found an arrowhead. It’s real pretty.”
It always amazed me how many words Russ could get out before taking a breath. But what did he mean they found his arrow? And an arrowhead?
I looked at Ma. She just shrugged.
Gabriel blushed. Again.
What is his problem?
Gabriel began, “I had a dream if I shot an arrow into the air, I’d find my bride where it landed.”
Russ blurted, “We found it on our land.” He pushed the dirt around with his shoe toe. “Don’t know why he wants to get married, though. Girls are yucky.”
“Just wait till you’re older.” Ma said. “You might just change your mind.”
“I doubt it. Anyway, right next to the arrow was an arrowhead. I’ve been there plenty of times but never seen it before.”
Ma looked at Gabriel. “Young man, you’ll have to speak to my husband if you’re serious.”
“Yes. ma’am. I’ll do it now.” He turned to leave.
”Before you go,” I asked. “May I see it?”
I stood and wiped my hands on my apron. The sun was bright in my eyes, making it hard to see when I looked up. All I saw were blue feathers.
Really? “The arrowhead.”
“Sorry. Here it is.”
There appeared a golden hand with a tiny arrowhead worn in the shape of a heart.
