Tag: grass-fields

Prairie Roots

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excerpt

…after chores and supper, for a few hours of fun. When
the moon illuminated the snow on crisp, clear nights we would
run and play and wrestle on the snow banks, or in the straw piles
created by the threshing crew. After getting our fill of the night
air it would be time to thaw out with hot chocolate and finish the
evening off with a game of cards. And then the walk home to be
in by ten o’clock and to bed.
This too was an experience in the winter. After our second
house was built our bedroom was the attic itself, unheated except
for whatever warmth found its way up the narrow stairway. So
the first one in warmed up the bed and resisted sharing the heat
with whoever was to share that bed.We slept in pairs, compatibility
being established by various methods including by dictates
from the parents—when all else failed. And it failed often. Scraps
broke out on minimum provocation and disagreements could last
an hour, a day or weeks.
Piling into a cold bed with a brother who was after your hide was
risky business. You were as likely as not welcomed by a smelly fart
which stopped you from getting your face under the covers to take
advantage of body heat. Instead it was necessary to tuck the feather
tick tightly under the chin to prevent any vapours from escaping
upward, at the same time to gently lift the edge of the tick with a
foot to provide an outlet for the smell. And no touching or bedlam
would break loose and one or the other would be downstairs pleading
his case in long johns before the court of last resort, mother, to
be specific.Mother’s justice was gentle enough and, by comparison
with Pop’s justice, downright benevolent. Pop would resolve our
disagreements by following a policy of no-fault resolution or, to put
it more accurately, all fault resolution whereby we were all equally
guilty and therefore all received equal punishment. It worked. We
usually went to mother to be the mediator. At least with her we
were given a chance to develop our case.
There were many things one could not do in our attic bedroom.
One could not take a glass of water up to the bedside; it froze by
morning.One could not kick off the covers; one froze by morning.

https://draft2digital.com/book/3562900

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0980897920

Fury of the Wind

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…housewives and excited children. After checking off the names of
volunteers who manned each booth, he moved on to the next. Few
of the women had time for more than a glance and a nod in his
direction, but preparations appeared to be progressing well.
As he approached the bake sale table, an annual endeavour of the
Anglican Church ladies group, he spotted his wife working at the
table with Mrs. Carson and Mrs. McKinnon. But before he could
greet them he heard his name called. Will turned to see Mrs. Draper,
a director’s wife, hurrying towards him.
“Oh, Mr. Andrews,” she said breathlessly, “I’ve been looking all
over for you. Janet Peterson was supposed to be helping me with
the preserves booth but her husband just told me she’s sick and
won’t be here.” Beads of perspiration from her forehead were sliding
down each side of her moon-shaped face. “I can’t handle it on
my own, there’s so much coming in, and that judge from Bradshaw
doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
“All right,” Will said, “you go back to the booth and I’ll send
someone over.”
Muriel Draper extracted a crumpled handkerchief from the
puffed sleeve of her cotton dress. She mopped her face, muttering
as she turned away, “And it’s already so hot. I don’t know how we’ll
survive in this building all day.”
Will thought if Mrs. Draper calmed down she wouldn’t feel the
heat so much. As he turned back to the bake table, he wondered
idly how poor Charlie Draper could stand his wife’s whining day
after day.
“Molly,” he said, after nodding briefly to his wife’s companions,
“will you go over to the preserves section and help Mrs. Draper?
Her partner isn’t coming and she’s snowed under. You know how
excited she gets.”
Molly gave him a sour look. “Really, Will, can’t you find someone
else? You know I’m needed at this table to help with pricing and
sales.”
“I’ll find someone else to come here then,” Will said firmly, “but
there’s no one else who knows how to arrange exhibits like you
do.”
Mrs. Andrews, not in the least mollified by his compliment,
shrugged her shoulders irritably, picked up her purse from under…

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981073530

Wellspring of Love

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She bent her back to the task again, covering the seeds she had just
planted with the rich loose loam. As she worked she let her thoughts
drift. As usual they returned, like a dog gnawing on a bone, to both
Rachael and Millie Harper. Tyne had tried, over and over, to leave
them in God’s hands. But time after time, she had taken them back
to worry over them herself, as if she could do better than God could
in making things right for them.
She felt a sudden longing to talk to the one friend who had been
her closest confidante since the day they entered nurses’ training
almost twenty years earlier. Maureen Hall, better known as Moe to
her classmates, continued to be a constant in Tyne’s life, although the
years had separated them in distance. Moe and her husband Ken lived
in the city of Calgary, where they operated their own thriving plumbing
business. Moe had left her work in the pediatric department of
the Holy Cross Hospital before giving birth to her first child. Now
Ken and Moe had two – Elizabeth and Brian – and Tyne wished the
families could get together more often.
She decided she would call Moe tonight when the kids had gone
to bed, and the house was quiet. By that time, she suspected, the Hall
household would have settled down as well.
Again she glanced at her watch. It was almost half past three and
the girls should be coming down the lane at any moment. She had
expected Rachael to hurry the twins on their way when they saw the
threatening sky. The older girl was as aware as anyone of the fury of a
prairie storm, and Tyne trusted her to be responsible.
Gathering her tools, she threw them in the wheelbarrow just as
the sky lit up with a fork of lightning. As she hurried to the garden
shed, she looked towards the lane. Relief flooded over her when she
saw Susie and Katie streaking towards the house almost as fast as the
lightning bolt. A thunderous roar overhead put even more wings to
their small feet.

https://draft2digital.com/book/3562917

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763327

Fury of the Wind

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“Andrew McNeill, Dave’s grandfather, had the house built when
he brought his young family from Scotland,” Penny explained as
they made their way downstairs. “He spared no expense. Farming
was profitable at the turn of the century and building materials
were cheap. Dave’s father took over the farm from his father, then it
was left to Dave to carry on when Dad died. Alan isn’t interested in
staying at home to farm.”
“But he seemed quite happy to be doing whatever he was doing
with the tractor when I drove up,” Sarah interjected.
“Oh yes, he’s a good help when he’s home. He still thinks of this
as his home, and it will be, for as long as he wants it that way.”
Sarah had been carrying little David in her arms but now, because
he was beginning to fuss and squirm, she handed him to his mother.
“He’s getting tired,” Penny said, “it’s nap time. Why don’t you go
and sit in the parlour, Sarah, while I put him down.”
“Thanks, but I’d better go home,” Sarah said, glancing at the
watch on her wrist, “I’ve already been here longer than I intended.
I’ve enjoyed it so much that the time has flown.”
“But I haven’t had a chance to ask if you’ll come to the fall fair
with us at the end of September.” Penny bounced the fussing baby
on her hip. “I know it’s weeks away, but it’s the event of the year in
Nimkus, and we start planning our exhibits early.”
“Oh, do you exhibit?” Sarah asked, her interest piqued.
Penny laughed. “Oh my, yes, I’ve become a regular country girl
with my garden produce and homemade bread and canning. And
Dave shows his best animals, wins lots of prizes, too. It’s fun, Sarah,
we’ll have to get you started on it next year.”
“I’d like that. Yes, I’d love to go to the fair with you.” She paused,
then added, “Maybe Ben will go, too.”
Penny shook her head. “I doubt it, he never does. But who knows?
Maybe he’ll go now that he has you to go with him.”
“Yes, I hope he will. I’m sure it’s been very lonely for him having only
his mother for companionship ever since he was a very young man.”
Penny glanced at her quickly, and Sarah had the momentary impression
that the look was one of surprise. But she said nothing
and, after warm goodbyes, Sarah went out to the yard where she
found Flicka waiting for her. Alan had tied her in the shade of a
large old maple near the horse paddock…

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981073530

Still Waters

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And why shouldn’t she be happy? She had just committed to marrying
a wonderful man, who obviously adored her. They were of the
same faith … no problems there. And Morley had found a woman
who shared his faith … no problems there, either. So why should she
not be literally dancing with joy?
I’m tired, that’s all. Tomorrow, I’ll be fine. Just let me go to bed now,
and I’ll be fresh as a daisy to take Cam to church tomorrow … my church
… his church. Thank God, no more conflict with Mom and Dad. Aunt
Millie … what will Aunt Millie say? She’ll be happy, of course, even if
she has always favoured Morley. No more worries, Tyne.
She was jolted from her thoughts by the others making a move to
leave the table, and she heard Cam say to her dad. “I’d like a word
with you, sir, if you have a minute.”
Oh no, Cam, not tonight, let’s wait a day or so. She knew he planned
to ask her dad for her hand in marriage. Why did he always have to
be so formal, his manners so impeccable? Now she would be obligated
to stay up and join them all in the living room after Cam had
his talk with her dad. There would be hilarity, maybe even toasts. Jeff
Milligan would declare he must break out his best bottle of wine. He
always professed to have one on hand for joyous occasions, although
Tyne had yet to see him open one.
She got up quickly to help her dad out of his chair but he was
already on his feet, grasping the corner of the dining table with one
hand and his cane with the other. He waved her away when she offered
to help him into the living room, but she noticed that he took
Cam’s arm and let the younger man guide him through the doorway.
No indeed, no more worries. She had done the right thing by accepting
Cam’s marriage proposal.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763068

Wellspring of Love

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Picking up a dry twig, she started to draw lines and figures in the
dirt around her. Her childhood did not seem as far away now as it
had just last week. Maybe Lyssa was right, maybe she was still a baby,
and maybe she needed to grow up. But if growing up meant going out
with guys and drinking and making out in the back seat of a car like
Lyssa did … well, did she really want to?
Rachael had overheard a group of girls from her church talking in
the school corridor. She had been about to close her locker door and
go over to join them when Julia spoke in a voice that carried further
than she probably realized.
“Well, I don’t think she should be hanging around with her cousin
so much. Everyone in school knows that Lyssa’s fast.”
Rachael knew they were referring to her and her cousin. Who else
would they be talking about? Fast? What exactly did that mean? She
wished there was someone she could ask. She could hardly broach the
subject with Lyssa, her closest confident. She’d like to ask her mom,
but then she would have to reveal what she’d heard, and that would
only add to her parents’ already poor opinion of Lyssa. Maybe she
should ask Ronnie; he wouldn’t squeal on her even if he guessed the
reason for her asking.
She heard a sudden thump on the wooden bridge. Looking up she saw
Tim Buckley striding in his lumbering gait from his side of the stream.
She sat up straight and waited until he was within hailing distance.
“Hi, Timmy. Whatja doin’?”
“Lo, Rachael.” He grinned as he lowered his large frame to the
ground beside her. His big face registered delight as he looked at her
then shifted his gaze to her schoolbag. “Comin’ home from school?
Whatya doin’ here then?”
Rachael shrugged and looked across the creek where two crows
danced among the debris from fallen branches. “Just thinking.”
“Yeah? I think all the time.”
She turned to look at him, smiling at his boyish naivety. “What
about, Timmy?”

https://draft2digital.com/book/3562917

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763327

Water in the Wilderness

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Tyne sat on a chair across from her. Several seconds passed in silence. Tyne did not intend to make it easy for the woman.
Finally Ruby said, “I know you’re mad at Bill and me because the kids ran away. I know you didn’t want us to have them in the first place. But we … I did my best for them.”
“Did you?”
Ruby looked up sharply. The fire that Tyne remembered from their encounter in Emblem Hospital had returned to her eyes. “Yeah, I did, no matter what they … what Rachael says.”
Tyne sat forward, her eyes riveted on Ruby’s face. “And was doing your best making Rachael work like a woman in the house? Letting your daughter bully her – even going so far as to mutilate the doll? Telling her that she and Bobby would be sent to an orphanage?” She took a deep breath. “Was that doing your best for her?”
Ruby sat straight, ready to defend herself. “I didn’t know a lot of that stuff until later when Lark told me. And anyway, I can’t see it’s any of your business because they’re not your kids. You’re not even related.”
“No,” Tyne said quietly, “we’re not. But your sister left them in our care, and I promised to look after them for her. And both Morley and I have grown to love them which is what you don’t appear to do, even though they’re your own flesh and blood.”
Ruby’s face turned red and she lowered her head. “I do love them,” she whispered, “an’ I’m sorry about what Lyssa did. I try, but I don’t have any control over her.”
Tyne tried to quell the unexpected twinge of compassion. “Okay Ruby. I’m sure it’s difficult at times. But what about Ronald? You don’t deny his dad beat him?”
Still looking at the floor, Ruby shook her head from side to side. “No, I don’t deny that. Bill is hard on him, always has been.”
“Couldn’t you stop him?”
There was a long pause, during which Tyne became aware that someone stood nearby. She looked up to see a middle-aged woman hesitate in the doorway, then move on when Ruby spoke. “I tried to stop him at first, but he’d turn on me. I couldn’t stand up to him; he’s a big man.”
Tyne felt revulsion. “Did he hit you?”

https://draft2digital.com/book/3562884

https://www.amazon.com/dp/192676319X

Still Waters

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Tyne pursed her lips and looked down at the table. Several seconds
passed in silence while she moved her mug of tea in circles in front
of her. Then she looked up. “All right, Auntie, tell me what I’ll have
to do.” She could not hide the excitement in her voice. 
She attended her first meeting of the Furnishings Committee of
the Emblem & District Hospital the following Thursday evening at
Millie’s home. Three other members greeted Tyne with enthusiasm.
“Your help will be invaluable, Tyne,” Laura Charters said. “I’m so
glad your aunt persuaded you to come. How’s your dad, by the way?”
“He’s doing well, thank you,” Tyne told the mother of the girl who
had been her best friend through high school. “He’s determined to
fight this thing, so that helps.”
Jennifer Sears, a young school teacher whom Tyne had not previously
met, nodded her head in agreement. “I’m pleased to hear he’s
getting better, Tyne. I met him when he came to see me about Jeremy’s
grades. I like your dad.”
Goodness, could this be one of Jeremy’s teachers? She looked far
too young.
The third member of the committee was the wife of the Royal
Bank manager. Edith Siebold was getting on in years being, it was
said, at least ten years older than her husband. Tyne had always had
the greatest respect for her, and regarded her as one of the most
charming and cultured women she knew.
Tyne helped her aunt serve coffee as the women gathered around
the kitchen table. Then Millie called the meeting to order. Catalogues
with information on everything from hospital beds to overbed tables
to stainless steel supply carts were spread out over the Formica top.
Even after the first hour Tyne was overwhelmed by the number
of decisions and the amount of research the committee had to face.
She wondered how they even knew where to begin, but was pleased
when, a number of times throughout the evening, they called on her
for advice.
“After all,” Laura Charters pointed out, “who is better equipped to
deal with these things than a recently graduated nurse?”

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1926763068

Fury of the Wind

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them in soap and water and set the table with them. She had stoked
up the fire in the range to prepare a casserole of scalloped potatoes
and warm up the pork shoulder Mrs. Thompson had cooked during
the week.
Yesterday, with the intention of making a pie, the two women
had gone out to the bushes north of the farm to pick Saskatoon
berries. But when they came to make the pastry they could not find
any lard in the house, so there would be fresh berries with sugar
and thick cream for dessert.
When Ben came in he looked surprised to see no meal laid out
on the kitchen table. But he did not wear his usual scowl when
something upset him. Taking this as a good sign – and in a moment
of coquettishness – Sarah took him by the hand and led him to the
front room. He did not withdraw from this first gesture of intimacy
they had shared. A faint smile crossed his face when he saw what
she had done with the table.
“Long time since we had a tablecloth and nice dishes in this
house,” he said.
She hoped he would change back into the suit he had worn for
the wedding but he sat down at the table in his overalls. Because she
promised herself she would not start off their married life by nagging,
she let it go. But she still wore her white dress. Removing her
apron, she tossed it over a chair and sat down across from him.
He appeared to enjoy the meal but he ate in silence, as usual. Sarah
longed to talk about the wedding ceremony, but fear of invoking
his anger towards the townspeople in general, and Mr. Andrews in
particular, made her hold her tongue. Ben had been less than complimentary
about the station agent as they drove away from the
church, saying in a loud voice, “Interfering old bastard.” Sarah had
quickly rolled up the truck window.
She tried to think of a safe topic of conversation, and finally decided
to ask about his family. “You told me your mother died three
years ago, Ben, but what about your father? When did you lose
him?”
“He died when I was seven years old. Killed in the first war.”
“Oh, how terrible for you.”
“Didn’t bother me none. I hardly knew him. All I remember is
that he was tall and skinny. He left when I was four…

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981073530

Fury of the Wind

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When she recovered from her grief over Danny, Sarah accepted a
teaching post at Corkum in the northern part of the province. But
her tenure there was short lived. In the spring of 1942, Mrs. Roberts
suffered a stroke. Sarah applied for a leave-of-absence to take care
of her mother during her convalescence. But Mrs. Roberts never
did convalesce satisfactorily, and Sarah was forced to admit that her
mother had won. For five years Sarah found herself tied to the neat
brick house in Tillsonburg – nursing, cooking, cleaning, gardening
and doing everything except that for which she had been trained.
Apart from trips to the store to purchase their meagre supplies,
Sarah went nowhere. She saw no one except Margaret and Elizabeth
and, since the former was preoccupied with wedding plans
and the latter was nursing in a hospital in Toronto, she didn’t even
see much of them. Visitors to the Roberts’ home were few because it
hadn’t taken Mrs. Roberts long after her husband’s death to alienate
almost all of their friends.
There was no hope of meeting a man. The veterans began to
drift back to town when the war ended, some with brides, some to
the sweethearts they had left behind. But even the unattached ones
seemed to have forgotten that Sarah existed, or maybe they still regarded
her as Danny’s girl. Soon, almost all of the young men had
married or had drifted off again to more promising venues.
When her mother died Sarah applied for teaching posts but the
school year had already started and a shortage of teachers was a
thing of the past. She had been out of the profession for more than
five years, as had most of the teachers who were now returning to
it. But ex-servicemen and women were, naturally, given preference
over someone who had been caring for a sick parent.
On a grey, cold day in October, three weeks after her mother’s
death, Sarah sat dumbfounded in the office of Roger Corbett, her
parents’ lawyer. She was trying to understand what he had just said
but she felt too numb to take it in.
“I’m sorry, Sarah,” Mr. Corbett continued, “I wish there was
something I could do. Twice during the past year I went to see her,
as you know. And I went specifically to suggest that she change her
will. But she acted as if she didn’t understand what I was talking
about.”

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981073530