Writing to glorify God

“Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.”

― Robert Heinlein

Preacher’s Kid was sitting at the table, watching Esther bring in plate after plate. He heard Robert and Roger arguing upstairs. His mother was so happy that he was ‘making friends’ that she didn’t even wonder why he left the house so early on a Saturday, before even eating breakfast. And so, for the price of helping with a few chores he got to sit here and watch Esther bring in all of this wonderful food.

She had on a new nightgown, probably her Aunt Rosemary had sent it to her. Her uncle had felt rather guilty for abandoning the Bobtails… and well he might, however well it had turned out. And so the Aunt was forever sending ‘something’ for them, a new jacket, some books, or even a new nightgown. She wore her nightgown for breakfast now that Mrs Thacker had her doing pretty much all of the cooking, and Roger taking over her barn chores.

“Letter!” he heard, and turned to see little Ruth coming in the front door. “Where Mommy?”

“Esther’s in the kitchen, and, umm, Aunt Grace is still upstairs. She seems to come down a lot later now she is married and pregnant and all. Let me see the letter, Ruthy.”

“Ok, Peacher’s Kid,” she said, grinning, and came over and handed it to him.

“This isn’t a letter, Ruthy, it is a telegram. Run upstairs and tell Aunt Grace she got a telegram.”

Little Ruth ran off and Geoffrey stared at the telegram. It was from France! Who in France…? Then he remembered… Mrs Thacker had relatives there from her first husband.

He grinned as he heard Ruthy piping out her message, and Mr Thacker saying that they would be down in a minute. He guessed he had told that old judge guy the truth, Mr Thacker and Mrs Livingston were doing fine together. Although she had gotten rather sick with the new nipper, and wasn’t at all pleased how funny she looked with her stomach all bulging out.

“What’s that?” he heard, and turned to see Little Boy.

“Telegram for your ma,” he said, holding it up. “From France.”

“Really?” Robert said, coming over and taking it. “Wow. Can you read it?”

“Me? I’m not the one that is studying French. I mean, I can read a few words from some of the books that we’ve been studying.” He grinned, “I can tell you what ‘outré’ means.”

“Yeah, so can Roger.”

“What is it?” they heard, and turned to see Esther.

“It’s a telegram from France, and it says “outre”,” Roger said.

“No it doesn’t…”

“Papa say they come minute,” Ruth said, from the doorway.

“Good job, Ruthy,” Geoffrey said. “Here, you hold it and give it to Mommy-Aunt-Grace.”

Ruth cocked her head at him but took the telegram.

“She doesn’t say that any more,” Esther said. “She calls me mommy sometimes, but mostly she just calls Aunt Grace mommy. I mean Mrs Thacker. I mean…”

“We know who you mean,” Robert said, his face a bit red.

“Well, where is this telegram?” Mr Thacker asked, coming in.

“Here, Papa!” Ruth said, holding it up to him.

“Well, it’s from France but that’s all I can make out! Wife?”

“Coming!” Aunt Grace said.

“We might as well sit down,” Mr Thacker said, and everyone sat down and started passing out food. They had just about finished when Mrs Thacker came down and Geoffrey did his best not to stare at her, with her nightgown and swollen belly.

“Preacher’s Kid, please pray,” Mr Thacker said.

God our Father, Lord, and Savior

Thank you for your love and favor

Bless this food and drink we pray

And all who share with us today.

Amen.

Geoffrey said, and everyone dug in. After he had a few bites in Mr Thacker handed the telegram to Mrs Thacker. “Can’t make head nor tails of this myself,” he admitted.

“Oh, dear,” Mrs Thacker said, reading the telegram silently. “My aunt… that is my first husband’s Aunt Maria has died. Apparently after a short decline. Well, she was very old.”

There was a brief silence and then she said, “Oh!”

“Well?” her husband asked.

“I have recieved an inheritance. Because of my first husband, you understand.”

“What is it?” Roger asked, “A house?”

“What, no. No, it is some money and… and… well, that is awkward.”

“What?”

“I am to recieve the families special cheese recipe, and starter. But it says I will have to recieve it in person. The family will not allow it to be mailed. they are very secretive about it. I suppose I will have to refuse. I can’t be going all that way…”

“Nonsense,” Mr Thacker said. “We will all go.”

“What?” Mrs Thacker said, her eyes wide. “We can’t.”

“Certainly we can. My son can handle the horse breeding. Get himself a couple of boys to help maybe. And we can just tell your customers they will have to go without cheese for a while. It will make them all the more eager when you get back.”

“Oh, but, the trip!”

“I’m sure increasing women cross the ocean all the time. Read a book once about a boy who was born while they were passing some island or something and they named him after it. Poor child.”

“It will be good for the children, I’m sure, to visit their relatives and to see a bit of Europe.”

Mrs Thacker stared at him for a few seconds and then turned back to her eating. Sure was funny the way she went from being so bossy to being so… so willing to be obedient. Course, most of her bossiness was teaching nippers to be obedient, so that made sense.

“I’ll get my son to keep my business going, and we can ask that new couple to come live here while we’re gone, keep an eye on the house, do barn chores. We’ll parcel out your cows, give them free milking while we’re gone, can’t see a family with small kids objecting to that. Or bigger kids, come to that. I think Maisies folks could milk two, easy, and you know they could use the food. Free food.”

Mr Thacker looked around the table. “Anything else to think about?”

“School?” Roger asked.

“No problem. You’ll all be learning French and we’ll bring along some books. Lots of time to read on the trip, I reckon. School’s not that important anyway. Can always catch up.”

He looked around again. “Clothes?” Esther asked.

“You and your ma should go over all of our clothes today, or tommorrow, and see what we have and what we will need. We aren’t going to go fancy, anyway. They can take us in the clothes we have.”

He looked around again. “Money?” Robert asked. “How much will it cost?”

“Well, your mother said that it came with some money, but your aunt is so frugal we have lots saved up. Don’t worry, I won’t touch your marriage money, Big Boy.”

Robert grinned and Mr Thacker looked around again.

Suddenly Geoffrey noticed Mr Thacker’s eyes were focused on him. “Well, Preacher’s Kid, would you like to come with us?”