Anna’s Courage

I Love Her Too

Nadie was the first one we saw as we walked up the hill to the mission. She looked at us for a second and then took a second and longer look as we approached the top of the hill. I introduced her to Chesmu and Knoton; the three of them politely exchanged greetings. She was unusually quiet as she walked us to Henry’s wigwam. “Is everything okay, Nadie?” I asked.

“Yes, everything is fine,” she murmured, unconvincingly.

Leon tapped me on the shoulder and whispered in my ear, “I think she is taken with Chesmu.”

“No kidding!” I took a second look and noticed a little blush in her cheeks. Interesting!

We spent one week with the family. Leon was right. Nadie was beside herself with Chesmu. We all noticed, but no one said a word. Even Henry and Anna were mum on the subject. Peter said to me when we were alone, “They say it will wear off.” I just laughed.

“That sounds like Anna speaking,” I said.

“It’s wishful thinking on her part, I’ll bet.”

“I think you may be right on that, Peter.”

You never know, I thought. For some reason, I reflected back to one of Ralph’s daughters. She was in her early twenties and quite mature. Like her mother, she had worked hard at making all of us comfortable. I saw elegance in her nature. Why I reflected back on her was beyond me.

Henry was impressed with Peter’s role in our new company but asked, “You aren’t going to leave us now are you, Peter?”

“No, not yet, Henry.”

Leon and I looked at each other and wondered what that meant. We gave Henry and Anna our total tithes. “No tithes for the priests?” Henry ventured to ask.

“No, Henry, we may not return there until it is safer to travel. Leon and I have prayed about it and feel it’s what the Lord wants us to do.”

“Okay! Then let me pay you for our supplies.”

***

On the way home, Leon and I had some time to talk while the boys were in the wigwam sleeping. He asked me, “What do you think about Ralph’s daughters?”

“Which daughter are you asking about?”

“Lindy, the younger one, of course,” he exclaimed. I laughed.

“What’s funny?”

“For some reason, when you told me Nadie was taken with Chesmu, I thought about Rachel.”

Then he laughed and admitted, “That was when I thought about Lindy.” We both chuckled.

“Is there anything else you want to know?” I asked.

“No, that’s it for now.”

“All right then, let’s go back inside and call it a day.”

***

It had been an unusual trip to Back Bay Mission this time. Just as we approached our home, Chesmu asked me what I thought about Nadie. “I love her. She’s a great sister and is now almost a woman,” I said.

“I … I love her too,” he stammered. I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything. We just smiled at each other.

Our home was in great shape. Istu and his nephew had cleaned the house from top to bottom. There wasn’t a speck of dust or dirt anywhere. And the barn was almost as clean. We thanked them and invited them to supper.

During supper, we were enjoying some open, candid discussion—that is, until Knoton mentioned Chesmu’s new girlfriend, Nadie. Suddenly the mood changed. Chesmu tackled Knoton. They both went under the table and everything on it hit the floor. It was a mess! Leon and I pulled them apart and told them to stop it. In a few minutes, they shook hands and things were back to normal. Chesmu was serious. He did love Nadie; and if she felt the same, it wasn’t going to blow over quickly.

Everybody helped clean up and then we decided it was time to get some shut-eye. Istu and his nephew headed for the wigwam, Chesmu and Knoton headed for my room, and Leon and I headed for his as we flexed to our larger family’s needs. I had used up all my energy, so it was time I got some sleep. After I said a prayer, I was out.