Musing #8 - "In His Hands" Chapter 3

Howdy, everyone! Welcome to Ellen's Musings! If you're new here, here's a little info on my musings and me :-).

I started this blog in 2018 to write stories and poems (or whatever I'm "musing"!), all for the glory of our Savior. If you'd like to become more familiar with my blog, here's the link to my first post - My First Musing,  and here is the link to the first chapter of my book, In His Hands.  I am posting this book, chapter by chapter, on this blog.
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Okay, without any further ado, I present my third chapter of In His Hands. Enjoy!

Chapter 3

It wasn’t long before the train began to chug away from the station.

Rosie squealed her excitement and, wrapping her arms around mine, held on tight. Eliza pressed her nose to the window.

Clank, clank, clank went wheels against tracks as the train picked up speed.

“This is so exciting!” Eliza flopped back against her seat and dug her heels into the floor to keep from sliding around as the train jerked and thundered along at rocketing speed. “I think I’m going to like travelling,” she declared.

“Me, too!” Rosie chimed in.

“That is…” Eliza shot me a sly grin. “If we can have a little something to eat. I’m starved half to death.”

I grinned at her. “Why not? Mama’s full picnic basket sounds better to me by the minute, too.”

We pulled out the wicker basket and rummaged through it.

“Cheese sandwiches!” Eliza smacked her lips. “And chocolate chip cookies, and apples, and—”

“Sourdough bread and plum preserves,” I joined in. “Hard-boiled eggs with salt and pepper.”

“And dark cake!” cried Rosie excitedly.

Eliza and I laughed. “Do you mean chocolate cake?” I asked Rosie. “You can’t have any of that until you’ve eaten your supper.” I handed her a cheese sandwich wrapped in a napkin.

“Remember, we have to eat this sparingly,” I reminded my sisters. “Mama packed us enough to last several days, and she also put in two jars of canned goods for Grandmother and Grandfather.”

Mouths full of gooey cheese and Mama’s good homemade bread, Eliza and Rosie nodded.

I helped myself to a sandwich and munched contentedly. So far, so good.

***

The next week and a half passed uneventfully. The girls were excited to sleep in the different trains we continually boarded. They enjoyed eating their meals while watching the scenery whizz by outside.

To pass the time, we played games and took walks up and down the aisle of the passenger car. I kept careful watch over Eliza and Rosie, and all in all it wasn’t as dreadful as I’d worried.

Rather, I found it to be as fun as I’d first looked forward to.

“We’ll soon reach California,” I happily informed the girls.

It was early Saturday morning. It was predicted that we’d reach California the following Monday, and the girls and I were at the next train station (what number it was, I don’t know; I’d lost count some time ago), waiting for the train.

I was feeling rather proud of myself. If only that conductor from the first train could see me now!

An hour crawled by, followed slowly by another.

“Where is that train?” I wondered aloud.

“I don’t know, but I’m tired of waiting.” Eliza slumped in the bench and swung her feet. “I’m hot and hungry.”

“Excuse me, sir!” I called, waving to the uniform-clad stationmaster who walked by just then.

He hurried over. “Yes?”

“We’re waiting for the train—”

“Oh, yes. Many are. We received word that it ran into some unexpected difficulties, but it should be here soon, ma’am.”

“Thank you.”
            He nodded and walked off.

I fell down beside Eliza and sighed.

“Is the train coming soon, Sue?” Rosie climbed up on my lap. “Me tired.”
            "Yes, sweetie," I replied. "It’ll be here soon enough.”
            Rosie leaned her head on my chest and closed her eyes. Her arms encircled my neck. “Me take a nap?”

“Sure.” I held her close and whispered to Eliza, “This’ll keep her nearby.”
             Too many times recently I’d had to pull Rosie back before she walked off. Although she did her best to stay close beside me and hold onto my hand at all times, she couldn’t completely banish her curiosity and still tried to wander when something interesting caught her eye.

But not for anything will I lose her, I thought determinedly, snuggling my little sister closer. I promised Mama I’d be responsible, and I told Pa that all three of his girls would be found, safe and sound, at Grandmother and Grandfather’s ranch. I intend to keep both promises, not just for their sakes, but for mine. I don’t know what I’d do without my smiley, adorable little sisters.

Before Rosie could fully doze off, a loud train whistle sounded. Her head jerked up, and she blinked. “What was that?” she asked, stuffing two fists in her eyes.

“The train,” I answered. “It’s almost time to go.”

I stood and Rosie slid to the ground. “Help me get the bags,” I instructed Eliza.

For what must’ve been the hundredth time, we closed our hands around the worn handles of the heavy carpetbags. Hefting them up, we started forward.

The train pulled into the station with a great deal of show. Huge amounts of thick smoke poured out from beneath the wheels. Clang, clang, clang!

“That’s the bell!” Eliza announced. “C’mon; time to board!”
            “Hold your horses,” I told her, quickly reaching out to grab her sleeve. “Wait for Rosie and me.”

The three of us mounted the metal steps and entered the passenger car. Throwing ourselves down on a row of seats, we set down our bags and relaxed.

Another train conquered, I thought proudly. We’re all here.

***

After we again sank into the rickety racket of the train’s motions and were as comfortable as could be, I pulled out my sewing kit.

“I need to mend your Sunday dress,” I told Eliza. “I still haven’t sewn up that tear, and I want you looking your best for Grandmother and Grandfather.”
            Eliza nodded. Leaning over, she yanked out her bag from under her seat. She dug through it and grabbed her dress from somewhere deep inside. Holding it out, she said, "Here."
            “Thank you.”

I spread the dress out on my lap and searched for the tear. Finally coming across it, I began to thread my needle.

“What can I do while you sew?” Eliza wanted to know.

I licked the thread and puckered my brow. The eyes of needles are so small! It didn't help any that the white thread was being just as stubborn. Deep in concentration, I muttered to Eliza, "I don't know. You can read, or play with Rosie."

“I don't feel like reading, and Rosie is asleep.”

I fastened the knot in my thread and looked over at my little sister. Sure enough, Rosie lay curled in her seat, fast asleep. Her curls had fallen over her face and her dress was rumpled.

Hiding a smile, I turned to Eliza. “You could always help me sew. It is your dress, you know.”

A look of “No, thank you,” settled over Eliza’s eyes, and she whipped around. “Uh…no, thanks, Sue. I’m good. I’ll watch the scenery go by.”
           “Whatever you say.” Grinning, I bent over my work.

In and out. Out and in. My needle fluently made its way along the tear. I worked quickly and soon only had one more seam to stitch.

Suddenly, with no warning, the train stopped.

“Ouch!” I yelped my pain as the needle missed the fabric entirely and instead pierced my finger.

Rosie awoke with a start as the jolt sent her flying. I thought fast. Flinging the dress aside, I reached out and caught Rosie before she tumbled to the ground. Eliza, meanwhile, shrieked and pitched forward. On reaching out to catch herself, she succeeded only in striking her hand—hard—on the window.

“Sue!” she hollered, staggering to her feet. “What on earth was that?”

I shook my head and held tightly to Rosie, who was crying. It takes a lot to scare my little sister, but when something does frighten her, she immediately bursts into tears and isn’t easy to console.

Eliza climbed up into her seat, breathing hard.

“Are you all right?” I asked her.

“Yes…I think.” She held up her hand, and I grimaced. Already, a dark-purple bruise was forming around the knuckles.

“Oh, Eliza…”
            “It’s okay, really. Not broken. Just bruised.” To assure me, she wriggled her hand and flexed her fingers. “See?”

The rest of the car was also in confusion. All around me, I could hear luggage falling, people scrambling back into their seats after a nasty run-in with the floor, and children screaming.

I rubbed Rosie’s back and, closing my eyes, breathed a quick yet heartfelt prayer, “Thank You, God.”

Eliza’s bruise, my bleeding finger, and Rosie’s scare paled next to what could’ve happened. We could’ve fallen on our arms and broken them, or twisted our ankles, or—

I shuddered and reminded myself that none of that had happened. I was fine. My sisters were fine. God had kept us all safe.

           “Ladies and gentlemen!”

Eliza, Rosie, and every other passenger in the car, including me, snapped to attention. The conductor had entered the car, and his large, burly voice boomed over the chaos.

“We’re sorry for this inconvenience,” he apologized. “We’ve again run into some unexpected maintenance issues. We shall be back on the tracks shortly, I assure you.”
          “Inconvenience!” cried the lady that sat in the row across the aisle. She was slicked up in city clothes—a frilly dress with a corset and high-heeled boots. She held up her fancy bonnet.

 I cringed. The black lace dangled. The delicate green material was squashed and beyond repair. 

“Look at what this ‘inconvenience’ has done to my bonnet!” the lady wailed.

“I’m sorry, madam.”

“Sorry?” she snapped. She plopped the bonnet on her head and tied the strings.

I choked, trying not to laugh. The ruined bonnet looked absolutely ridiculous on the pile of curls she had heaped on her head.

“Look—just look at me! I’m a ruckus,” whined the lady. She sat down and folded her arms. Her pretty lip formed an ugly pout.

“I’m sorry, madam,” repeated the conductor. “Truly, I am.”
           “It was an accident beyond his control,” a woman, who was sitting next to the disturbed lady, spoke up.

“I don’t care! It’s still…ruined.”

“Well, we’ll buy you another.”

“Really, Agatha, I never—”

I didn’t listen to the rest of the ladies’ conversation. As the conductor left the car, I returned my attention to Eliza and Rosie. Rosie’s sobs were growing louder.

“We need to distract Rosie,” I told Eliza. I had to shout to be heard over the ruckus of the car.

Eliza clapped her hands over her ears. “I want out of this noisy car, myself. Can we go outside?”

I pondered. Why not? We could just step out on the platform right outside the car and stay there until the train started up again. We had already done it many times before, on the other trains we'd boarded.

With railings on all sides and only one opening, the platforms were safe and somewhat silent. Besides that, fresh air and sunshine always did us a world of good, and the girls and I loved it.

Seeing that it would be useless to say anything amidst all this ruckus, I nodded to Eliza.

The three of us rose. Last minute, I remembered Eliza’s Sunday dress. It lay in a heap on the ground. I flung it over my shoulder. I’ll sew that final seam while we’re outside, I decided.

The girls and I waded through the chaotic car. So many people were panicky that they didn’t ever notice us when we walked by. I carried Rosie and Eliza held onto my skirt. I didn’t want to take any chances.

Reaching the end of the car, I nodded my permission, and Eliza opened the door. Stepping onto the platform, we shut the door after ourselves.

“Oh! Fresh air!” Eliza did a quick twirl and caught herself on the railing. She breathed deeply. “This feels so good!”
            “Be careful,” I cautioned her. “Don’t fall off.”

“I won’t,” she promised.

“Rosie.” I lowered my sister to the platform floor. “Look, sweetie. We’re outside.”

For a few minutes, Rosie whimpered and refused to let go of my neck. Finally, however, her curiosity got the better of her, and she let me go so she could explore.

“Oh, Sue.”

My sister's sudden exclamation made me jump, startled, as I hadn't been paying much attention to her. My eyes had only been on Rosie. "Eliza!" I turned to her. "What's wrong?”

“Nothing serious, Sue. It’s just…look at those flowers! Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?”

I looked where she was pointing and had to admit I hadn’t ever seen anything so beautiful. The clusters of bright-colored flowers were breathtaking. There were so many, I couldn’t even identify what kind they were. There seemed to be a variety.

“Let’s pick some! Please?” Eliza tugged my dress.

I bit my lip. “No—”

“Oh, c’mon, Sue. The train is stopped. I want something all my own to give to Grandmother.”
             I laughed. “They’ll be all droopy and dead by then, Eliza. You know that.”
           “Not if I use that empty preserve jar,” Eliza argued. “We finished off the plums in that one, remember? I’ll fill it with water and keep my flowers in there. If they still start to die...well...I’ll press them. I brought along paper and a heavy book. Please, may we pick them? Please?”
            “I don’t know, Eliza.”

“We’ll be right here, beside the tracks,” Eliza persisted. “If the train starts to go, we’ll simply leap on.”

I sighed. Why was it so hard to have the role of older sister and caretaker? Eliza’s reasoning did seem logical, and she really wanted those flowers. What would it hurt to pick a few?

“All right,” I agreed. I held up a finger. “But quickly.”
            Eliza squealed her joy and wasted no time. She climbed down from the platform and stood on the tracks, then held up her arms. 

I lowered Rosie into her arms and hopped down onto the train tracks. Taking Eliza’s torn dress, I tucked the needle inside the fabric and tied the dress’s sleeves around my middle. That’ll keep it in place for the time being, I figured.

“C’mon,” I urged. “Hurry, now.”

We trekked our way across the tracks and into the grass. Our hands quickly filled with sweet, fragrant blossoms.

“I think we have enough to make a nice bunch,” I said. “Let’s get back in the train. Rosie—”

I turned. “Rosie?”

My heart dropped like lead in my stomach. I felt sick.

Rosie was nowhere in sight.

In His Hands © 2018 Ellen Senechal 

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