The Journey Begins by Dennis Adair

Author:Dennis Adair
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: janet rosenstock, dennis adair, road to avonlea, adair, rosenstock
Publisher: Davenport Press

Chapter Nine

The wood stove in the kitchen burned slowly, and inside its oven a large chicken browned to golden perfection. Next to the chicken a ring of huge Prince Edward Island baking potatoes sizzled in their scrubbed jackets.

Aunt Hetty, dressed as usual in her dark tailored skirt, spotless white blouse and clean starched apron, shelled peas from the garden. Each round, hard pea hit the bottom of the big iron pot with a resounding “ping.”

Olivia stood by the stove stirring the gravy round and round so that lumps wouldn’t form and it wouldn’t stick to the bottom of the pan as it grew thicker and richer.

“You’re going to stir that gravy to death,” Hetty observed with annoyance, her words emphasized by a chorus of peas “pinging” on cast iron.

“I’m upset. Hetty, I think there are other ways to deal with this situation. I’m afraid that poor Sara is starving herself to death. She’s as thin as an iron railing.”

“I am a teacher and I do know how to deal with children, Olivia. I wouldn’t have any control in my classroom if I didn’t make rules and enforce them. If you don’t let them know who’s boss right off the bat, they’ll run all over you.”

Olivia stopped stirring. “This is not just any child, Hetty. This is Ruth’s daughter.”

“Yes, precisely. Consider the facts, Olivia. First Blair Stanley ruined Ruth’s life, and now he’s unable to care for their child. He’s sent her to us, and in so doing has cast her out as if she were a pebble on the beach! Well, we couldn’t help Ruth, Olivia, but we can help Sara. We can repair the damage he’s done.”

Olivia didn’t answer Hetty. She knew her sister well enough not to argue. Hetty wasn’t entirely made of stone, and Olivia knew that Hetty, whatever she was planning, certainly had Sara’s best interests at heart.

Hetty finished the last of the peas and went to the sink pump to rinse her hands. Looking out the window, she saw Sara and Peter come running up the driveway. “Here comes Sara now,” Hetty announced. “Her face is red from running. That means she’s had a good bit of exercise, so I imagine she’s about ready to eat.”

“I hope so,” Olivia said softly. “I really don’t want her to get sick.”

The back door opened and Sara came in. She smiled at Olivia but turned away from Hett

“So you’ve decided to grace us with your presence! I suppose you’re hungry, aren’t you?” Hetty raised one eyebrow and looked smugly at Sara.

“Not in the slightest,” Sara lied. The chicken smelled delectable, and her mouth watered at the thought of potatoes with hot chicken gravy, warm rolls, peas and milk. But she pressed her lips together and willed herself not to give in to the aroma of supper, nor the hunger she still felt in spite of the blueberries and pears she had eaten.

“You haven’t eaten enough in the past two days to keep a bird alive,” Olivia fretted.

Sara passed them both and headed into the hall.

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