Nan's Journey by Elaine Littau

Author:Elaine Littau [Elaine Littau]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781602478329
Goodreads: 2969116
Publisher: Tate Publishing & Enterprises
Published: 2012-07-09T14:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Nate and Martha were sitting at the dinner table eating the noon meal when they heard the scraping of boots on the back porch. “Land sakes Nate, who could that be?”

“Well lookie here, it’s our Fred and the younguns! Hey, boy, what are you doing in these parts? Is everything alright?”

Martha noticed the small boy sleeping in Fred’s arms. Little Elmer was painfully white and still. “Fred honey, what is wrong? Bring that child in here and lay him on the little bed in the front bedroom. Let me turn down the covers! Oh mercy me, he looks bad!”

Martha made short work of preparing the child for rest under her clean covers in the small bed. Turning a quick eye to Nate, she instructed so gently yet urgently, “Dad, we must get the doctor in here to look at the little feller. Can you go fetch him, please? …And Papa take care of their animals!”

“Surely Mother, I will make haste. Fred sit there and take a rest. My goodness Nan, you better sit down too! What happened to you children?”

“Papa, I’ll see to them, just get the doc as soon as he can get here!”

Martha felt the fevered brow and hurriedly went into the kitchen. Fred and Nan heard her rustling around the kitchen getting water from the pump, but both were exhausted and glued to the spot. In no time Martha returned to the small brightly colored room and administered a cool wet cloth to the patient. When she was satisfied that the child was breathing a fraction more easily, she looked into the faces of her precious son and the girl that sat next to him. “Children, come to the kitchen table and I’ll get you some sustenance. You look beat.

Meekly they followed her to the table, which was set for two. “I’ll get a couple of plates and get you some of this stew. I wondered why I made so much of this today, but I guess God knew that I would have family in today. I think I will make a little potato soup for Elmer… yes, that might set better in his little tummy. Don’t you think? Oh listen to me chattering, Fred, you and Nan can go ahead and start. Papa already asked the blessin’. Land sakes let me get some milk and more bread put on. Lord knows I’m so glad to see you.”

Obediently the two travelers quietly started eating the hearty dinner. Nan decided that she had never tasted anything so warm and comforting. She wished in her heart that she would not ever be required to speak while she was here. It was so healing just to hear Martha fussing over them and the one-sided banter made her feel that she could really rest and not have to think.

Martha stopped in mid sentence, “Fred, what is wrong with Elmer?”

Fred wiped his mouth with the cloth napkin from his lap and cleared his throat. “Ma, he is hurting so bad. His head has been hurting without stopping for days.

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