Robin Lee Hatcher by Loving Libby

Author:Loving Libby
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Anna knelt on the lush lawn and attacked the earth with her trowel, turning the soil, cutting the weeds. She enjoyed the feel of the mild sun on her back, the smell of the freshly turned earth, the buzz of bees as they hovered over budding flowers.

In another month, the temperature would climb and humidity would make being outdoors miserable. June, when everything came to life again, was Anna’s favorite month of the year to work in the garden. June brought vibrant colors. The promise of new beginnings. Renewed hope.

The yellow silk gown had arrived that afternoon. Anna had placed it under her bed, still in its box. What was she going to do with it now? She sat back on her heels and looked at the sky. Cumulus clouds soared into the heavens. Like bushy hydrangeas.

She smiled as she returned to work. She and Olivia had often played that game, trying to decide what the clouds looked like. They would lie on the lawn, mindless of grass stains, and stare up at the sky, Olivia’s head on Anna’s stomach. Olivia would point and call out an animal or a bird or a country, and Anna would agree with her, even if Anna couldn’t see it.

Of course, they never played such games when Northrop was around. Northrop didn’t believe in filling a child’s head with nonsense.

Olivia would have liked her mother’s new yellow gown.

“Oh, my darling daughter. I miss you.”

Anna drove the trowel into the ground with sudden anger. How could she have been such a fool? Why had she allowed Northrop to be so cruel to his daughter? For years, Anna had hoped that her submissive behavior might win her husband to Christ. But now she wondered if her adherence to one part of Scripture had made her disobedient to others. How often had her actions denied her faith in God because of what Northrop demanded of her?

Was it pride that kept her living this way? Or was it fear? Fear of Northrop? Fear of the unknown?

After Olivia disappeared, it was too late for Anna to leave Northrop. Her parents were long since dead and buried. She had no money of her own, no place to go, and no one to go to.

Father God, what should I do? I want to be obedient toYou above all else. And please, Lord, keep Olivia safe and free.

She dropped the garden tool into her basket, followed by her soil-stained gloves, then lay on the lawn, her arms stretched above her head as she stared at the sky.

“There’s a horse!” she shouted. “And there’s a giant strawberry!” Then she laughed, but it was the laughter of an anguished heart.

Fleetingly she thought that if Northrop were to see her, he would have her confined in an institution. Perhaps that was his aim after all these years. To drive her mad. Maybe he wanted to be rid of her, and this was his way of going about it.

But she knew it wasn’t true. Northrop was proud of her, in his own cruel way.

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