The Dream Bucket by Mary Lou Cheatham

Author:Mary Lou Cheatham [Cheatham, Mary Lou]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-12-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Four

Zoe longed to rejoice in the Lord’s house on Sunday despite all their losses. She placed her hands on her middle. No one would be able to see she was carrying a child if she stood straight and wore loose clothes. Nothing mattered to her as much as her children did, even if people suspected her condition and even if tongues wagged about how she had no right to go out in public when she was in the family way, especially without a husband. Furthermore, she kept showing up with a man during the time when she should be mourning.

She wanted to comfort Samuel. His heart was broken. She wondered what she could say to make him feel better. She longed to hold him the way she held Trudy and Billy when they needed comfort, but he would get the wrong impression for good reason—her feelings were like a loud musical composition being performed by the town band. How could she keep him from noticing? She didn’t know how to silence her heart.

She had another serious problem for which she knew no solution. Billy’s feet had outgrown his shoes. Only impoverished children went to church barefoot. William Cameron would never have allowed his son to appear in public on Sunday without shoes. “Wear these thin socks, Billy.” His development over the last few months had amazed her.

“My feet hurt, Mama.” He yanked at his shoes.

“I’ll take you to the Mercantile and work out something with Mr. Jake.”

“I can take more corn and peas.” The boy’s words ripped into her brokenness.

Samuel had all the pain a person should have to bear, but he still wanted to help her. He was a good neighbor giving them a ride to church. She wished she didn’t have to depend on him. Pretty soon she wouldn’t be able to accept a ride from him.

Her feelings were like a run-away horse. She couldn’t trust them. What she felt was wrong. She needed to use common sense.

She considered other ways they could go to church. They had two other alternatives: to walk through the woods or to hitch up the wagon. To walk to Taylorsburg and then to Friendship Church was too far. If they walked through the woods, they’d have to rely on the angels to protect them. They’d have to walk a log to cross Lost Creek. It was impossible to go over Logans’ Ridge. The unruly dogs would tear into them. If they took the farm wagon, they’d arrive too dirty to be comfortable in God’s house.

Billy, sitting on the bench by the table, stared out the window.

“We could go to Calhoun Church in Hot Coffee, but we’ve always gone to Friendship. It wouldn’t feel right,” Zoe said.

Billy dropped his head between his knees and sobbed audibly.

“Son, the Lord is going to get us through this. I promise you’ll have a new pair of shoes by next Sunday. Get up and wash your face.”

Trudy crept from person to person. Billy elbowed her. Zoe failed to hug her.

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