Hannah and the Great Meadows
Disclaimer: I don't own Witch of Blackbird Pond.
The hot poker burned against Hannah Tupper's cheek and she bit hard on her lip to keep from screaming. Her Thomas had raised his hand several times to push the poker away from her, and she didn't want to make it worse for him. He knew the Lord had asked them to "turn the other cheek," but sometimes Thomas struggled with that when it was Hannah's cheek being struck.
With a grim expression, the man then pressed the hot poker to Thomas's cheek. "Quakers," the man spat. Hannah's eyes filled with tears as she watched Thomas's skin burn.
OOOOOOOOOO
The whip hit her back again, making her skin bleed. Hannah had lost count how many times she'd been hit. Even worse, Thomas was hit as well. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see blood dripping from him as well.
"Move, Quakers," the men driving the card demanded, as they struck her back again. Hannah forced her feet to move forward, although she didn't know how she had the energy. They'd barely been fed anything in the jail.
She wanted to push the whip away. She wanted to stop walking. She wanted to tell these men "enough! It's too much." But she couldn't. Lord, help me to forgive them and see them with thy eyes, she prayed.
Hannah looked into Thomas's brown eyes as the whip hit him again. She knew he was praying, too. Despite how difficult it was for her to see Thomas bleed, she knew they could do anything if they were together. They'd already proved that.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
At some point, Hannah and Thomas finally left the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The whipping stopped. They rested under a group of trees with little green leaves that whispered in the spring breeze.
"I think we should follow the river," Thomas said, pulling her closer into his arms. Her back still stung a little when he touched it, but she didn't care. She needed him. "Someone told me there should be room for us in the Connecticut Colony. Their political leaders aren't also Puritan Ministers. They may be more tolerant."
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Hannah tried not to gulp down the wild berries she'd found on the trail, but she was so hungry. She and Thomas picked berry after berry until their hands were covered in red berry juice. And then they ate more. And more.
Unfortunately, those berries didn't agree with Hannah's stomach as she vomited several hours later. But Thomas stayed with her, so she knew she would be fine.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
The Indians were suspicious of Hannah and Thomas. They stared at them for several minutes without saying a word.
She and Thomas did their best to smile as gently as possible. "We have no wish to harm thou," Thomas said to the man with the feathers decorated all over him. "I only wish for some food for my wife."
The man with the feathers looked at them strangely. Did he understand English? Hannah pointed to the food in one of their huts and then at her and Thomas. "I would cook it myself," she offered, making stirring motions and pointing to herself again.
The man with the feathers spoke in his language to several of the others. Some sounded pleasant, others sounded cross. Still others sounded neutral. But eventually the man with the feathers nodded.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
Hannah and Thomas stayed with the Indians for a week. Hannah helped the women with the cooking while Thomas helped tend to their corn. Her stomach finally felt full for the first time in months. But better yet, Thomas looked healthier as well. They even learned some words in the Indian language while the Indians learned more English words from her and Thomas.
These Indians really were wonderful people who had accepted her and Thomas more than most of the Englishmen in Massachusetts. Hannah and the other women sang songs while they cooked and Thomas always returned from the fields smiling.
But Thomas eventually decided it was time to go. "They art great friends to us, but they are not of the Lord," he explained. "And the Inner Light came to me last night. The Lord reminded me of the time Abram took his family to a new land."
"Then thee will take me to a new land," Hannah smiled. How could she argue with the Lord's Inner Light?
Before they left, the Indians thanked Thomas and Hannah for helping them and even gave Thomas enough corn seeds for a first crop.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
Once again, they followed the river. Eventually they reached the town of Wethersfield, but despite the fact that their statesmen weren't Puritan Ministers, the leaders took one look at the brand on their foreheads and told them there wasn't any land available.
So, they followed the river again, praying land would somehow appear. Thomas was with her and that was what was important.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
And then they saw it. Hills of greenery as far as the eye could see, nestled in the marshes of the river. Oak trees lined the edges of the marsh. With the sun shining down on it, it was beautiful.
"Hannah," Thomas breathed deeply as he looked all over the meadow. "Tis wonderful. Reminds me of my home when I was a boy, in Kent. The 'garden of England. This is where we should stay." For the first time since they'd been put in the jail all those months ago, he looks truly at peace and Hannah loved it.
OOOOOOOOOOO
Thomas worked hard to build them a strong house out of the oak trees and planted the corn the Indians had given them. Meanwhile, Hannah cleaned the house and cooked for both of them. In the evenings, they would read the Bible together, meditating on passages. Occasionally the Inner Light would even shine on them. None of the other citizens paid attention to the Tuppers, but they didn't care.
"They are leaving thee alone, Hannah, and that's what's important," Thomas said once after dinner. "I hated how they placed you in jail in Massachusetts." His eyes darkened for a brief moment, as he seemed to still struggle to forgive. "I have heard they've hanged Mary Dyer for being a Quaker."
Hannah sighed. "She's a wonderful martyr to our faith, but I must admit, I'm happy to be still here, with you." She leaned over and met his warm lips with hers.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
Thomas grew more and more corn every year. One day he brought home a spinning wheel from the money the corn had provided. "I know thee make beautiful thread, Hannah, and I would love to see thou use it to make yourself new clothes," he told her with a soft smile.
Hannah glanced at their tattered clothing for a moment. "I suppose I might make new ones someday. Thee could certainly use them."
Thomas chuckled.
OOOOOOOOOO
One spring, they woke to find their house knee – deep in muddy water. "Oh, Thomas," Hannah sighed. "Our house. Tis ruined." The floor, the chairs, and especially the lovely spinning wheel he'd bought her were all covered with swamp filth. And what was even worse was the horrible odor that now filled the house. She struggled not to breath it in, it was so vile.
"We'll have to leave," Thomas told her, leading her out of the house out of the swamp in his determined manner. "Now I know why we were allowed to settle here," he grumbled a bit as they made their way into the forest and the swamp disappeared.
"Twas useless land," Hannah agreed, looking back at their house. She shook her head.
But Thomas shook his head, his brown eyes staring straight into hers. "No. Tis not. The land is wonderful for farming. And I made thee a strong house that will withstand anything the Lord gives us, least of all a bit of flooding. The Puritans can't defeat us, Hannah."
Hannah nodded. "Thee are right."
Still the spring wind whipped around them, hitting Hannah in the face. They would need to find shelter until the flooding ceased. They thought about returning to their Indian friends, but they found an abandoned barn nearby instead. It was old, with chipped wood, and there were no beds or tables, but it was still warmer and drier than their house for the moment.
Hannah also discovered a young yellow cat living in the barn. At first, the cat would hiss and snarl at her when she came near. Once the cat almost bit her. But Hannah continued to speak gently to the cat and approach her carefully, until one day she allowed Hannah to pet her.
They stayed in the barn until the waters in the meadows disappeared, and then they returned home, along with the yellow cat. Thomas was right. All it took was a bit of cleaning, and their house was fine, and the farm land was perfect for planting. They couldn't be defeated. Not as long as they had each other.
OOOOOOOOOO
Hannah wondered if Thomas may be working too hard sometimes, trying to care for all his corn by himself, but he never agreed. "The Lord gave me corn to provide for thou, Hannah," he told her. "I shall do so."
But one day, it happened. Hannah went outside to give Thomas a bit of cornbread for lunch, and he lay passed out on the grass. He wasn't breathing nor was his heart beating.
Her Thomas was dead.
How would she live now? Everything she'd ever had to do, everything the Lord tested her with, she'd been able to do because she had Thomas. Their house flooding, being thrown in jail, and even being flogged was nothing compared to losing her Thomas. She knew he was now in heaven, but that was no comfort to her now.
"I can't, Lord," Hannah cried, throwing herself at the mercy of the meadows just outside her house. "I can't live without him. Why did thou take him from me?"
OOOOOOOOOOOO
It was harder to live in the little house without Thomas farming, but Hannah would never leave the Great Meadows. Looking over the beautiful greenery, she finally saw what Thomas had seen. It was as if the meadows were speaking directly to her with their wisdom. It was home.
Although most of the residents of Wethersfield still ignored Hannah, some were willing to bring their flax to her to spin for a small fee. Hannah lived off that income, although it wasn't it still often wasn't enough to fill her stomach.
But she hated to complain to Thomas about it. He was a lot older than he used to be, after all. He was still with her, and that was what was important.
OOOOOOOOOOO
It was late spring. Hannah didn't know exactly which year it was, but that didn't matter. Birds chirped in the nearby oak trees as they made their nests. The Great Meadows turned a beautiful shade of green once again.
But laying on the top of the meadows was a young boy, crying as if his heart was broken. Hannah immediately felt a kinship to the boy, as she had done the same thing when her Thomas died. Perhaps the Great Meadows spoke to this boy just as they spoke to her, and as they had once done with her husband?
No matter the reason, this boy needed someone to comfort him. "Would thee like something to eat? I only have cornbread, but it's rather tasty." The boy looked up at her nervously. There was grass in his hair, and his eyes were still red from crying, but Hannah ignored that. "No matter what is troubling thee, things are always better with food in thy stomach."
The boy shook the grass off his head but still didn't answer.
"Come," Hannah instructed again gently. She couldn't leave this boy alone. Not when he was so upset. Looking closer, she noticed his legs were covered with scrapes. They needed tending.
As the boy ate the cornbread, he explained that he had been raised on his father's ship The Dolphin. His whole face lit up as he spoke of that ship and everything he did on it. It was obvious the ship was the boy's home. "But now, Father has decided I need to be educated!" He passed and stuffed another piece of cornbread in his mouth.
Hannah's cat, always sensing when a person needed comfort, rubbed against the boy's legs under the table. The boy petted the cat. "He says I must go to school on land," the boy sighed.
Hannah nodded, understanding the boy why the boy was upset. He was losing something precious to him. She knew exactly what that felt like. "But thee must realize thy father wants what is best for you," she told him gently.
The boy shrugged. One of the kittens slowly approached and looked at him. Hannah picked up the kitten and put him in the boy's lap. A small smile appeared on his lips, which grew bigger and bigger as he watched the kitten.
By the time he'd finished the cornbread, the boy was ready to return to his father, so long as Hannah allowed him to take the kitten as well. She couldn't wait to tell Thomas about the boy. Hannah was certain he would care about the boy as much as she did.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
To Hannah's delight, the boy did go to school and returned to see her often. His name was Nathaniel Easton, "but my friends and family call me Nat," he told her with a grin as he munched on another piece of cornbread one day.
"Thou look like a Nat," Hannah agreed, feeling her heart grow as she looked at him. The only child she'd ever had had died in infancy, and Hannah had been heartbroken. But perhaps here was a child she could assist in the holy conversion and teach him piety, faith, and love? Of course, Nat already had a mother, but surely, she could help him. As a friend.
After all his visits helped her a great deal since her Thomas had died.
As Nat grew older, he returned to work on his father's ship. But whenever The Dolphin arrived in Wethersfield, he would visit. Each time he brought a present. Some of them were exotic, showing how far the sailor traveled. Strange vegetables for her garden, coral from the Caribbean Sea, even a strange flower all the way from the Cape of Good Hope.
Others were more practical, such as a pair of goats which now supplied Hannah with butter, cheese, and a bit of milk. But Hannah loved them all because of the person who gave them to her.
Still, Nat's visits were even more precious than his gifts. She loved to hear news of the kitten she'd given him and of his father's plans for travels on The Dolphin. Most precious was the warm laughter that escaped his throat when he remembered something funny.
As a young man, Nat spoke of buying his own ship in the future. "I love being a sailor," he told Hannah, his eyes wide with excitement. "And if I could captain my own ship, like my father does and sail everywhere… " His smile grew to his ears at the thought.
Hannah smiled back at him, her heart growing and breaking at the same time at how grown up he appeared. "Tis a fine plan."
"Don't worry, Hannah. I'll still visit thee after I've become a captain," he looked into her eyes as he said that.
"Yes, thee will," Hannah agreed.
"Thomas, hasn't Nat become a wonderful young man?" she asked her husband after he'd left that day.
OOOOOOOOOO
Hannah heard movement just outside her house. "Does thou think Nat has come again, Thomas?" she asked her husband. The young man had visited a couple of months ago, but perhaps he'd returned anyway. She felt her heart skip a beat at that happy thought.
But her visitor wasn't Nat.
Laying on the grass was a girl, several years older than Nat was when he'd first come to Hannah, appearing just as heartbroken. Hannah immediately felt close to this girl, who was also trying to soothe her heart with the wisdom of the Great Meadows. "Thee did well to come, child. There is always a cure here when the heart is troubled."
The girl lifted herself from the grass and stared at Hannah. "I know," she continued. "I've found it here myself. Tis why I live here." Hannah's mind flashed to all the times she'd found comfort in these meadows after Thomas died.
The girl continued to stare straight at Hannah's face.
Did she, like everyone else in Wethersfield, dislike Quakers? Surely not. Lovers of the Great Meadows were meant to be friends, just like Hannah and Nat were friends. "Folks wonder why I want to live so close to the swamp," Hannah spoke softly, so not to scare the child. "But I think thee knows why. The Meadow has spoken to thee, too, hasn't it?"
"I always meant to come back," the girl finally spoke, much to Hannah's relief. "But today I seemed to get here by accident.'
"Come," Hannah suggested, remembering how much better young Nat had felt after a bit of cornbread. "I will give thee something to eat." The child was lucky today, as she had blueberry cake today, instead of just cornbread.
But the girl shook her head, bits of grass falling everywhere. "I must get back," she said. "I must have been gone for hours."
Hannah looked at the girl's appearance. Bits of grass covered her dress and bonnet. Smudges of dirt covered her face and her eyes were still red from crying. "Thee better not go looking so," she said with a smile. "And thee will feel better with food inside." With that, she led the child to her home.
First, Hannah showed the girl where she could clean herself. Afterwards she placed a piece of blueberry cake in front of her as they continued to speak. Hannah told the girl about Thomas. How they'd left Massachusetts together and headed for Connecticut, but found no one wanted Quakers here, either. But Thomas had found the Great Meadows which reminded him of his childhood home and built Hannah a strong, sturdy house of love.
As the child munched on the blueberry cake, she noticed something that appeared strange to her. A beautiful piece of coral, sparkling in the sunlight. "How did it get here?" the girl asked.
Hannah smiled, thinking of all of Nat's special gifts. "I have a seafaring friend," she said. "Whenever he returns, he brings me a present."
"Perhaps this comes from my home," the girl said as she studied the piece of coral. "I come from Barbados, you know." Then she proceeded to describe how beautiful her island home in the Caribbean was. The girl's eyes shined with longing, and Hannah began to understand why the child had been so heartbroken before.
"Thee has been homesick," Hannah said.
"Yes," the girl said. "I suppose I have. But mostly I miss my grandfather so much."
Hannah nodded, understanding the true depth of this girl's problem all too well. Her heart still ached for Thomas even after all this time. "What was thy grandfather like, child?"
The girl's eyes brightened as she discussed the man who had raised her and the life they'd lived together. "I hate it here," she said when she finished describing the life she'd had before. "I don't fit in."
Hannah understood that very well, too. There seemed to be no place for a Quaker in Connecticut, but Thomas had helped her find her place, here in the Great Meadows. If the girl tried, she could find her place in Connecticut, too. "Come. I have something to show thee."
In the back of her house, a bright red flower had blossomed. "It's like one of the flowers at home," the girl said, staring at it in surprise. "I didn't know flowers like that grew here."
"It came all the way from Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope," said Hannah with a smile, remembering the day Nat had presented her with the bulb. "I wasn't sure it would grow here, but it seems determined." Did the girl understand her message? That she could find her place in Connecticut if she tried hard enough?
OOOOOOOOOOO
Several weeks later, Hannah decided to save the last of her berries. "I think The Dolphin will be in soon and Nat always likes something to eat when he comes to visit," she told her husband. He didn't answer, which was not uncommon. The older they became, the less Thomas spoke, but Hannah didn't mind.
Instead, the girl she had met several weeks ago appeared. This time the child's clothing looked neat and her face wore a soft smile. "I've made my peace," the girl said.
"I thought thee would," Hannah said with a smile. It was wonderful the child was beginning to find a place in Connecticut. This time, she was even willing to say her name. It was Katherine Tyler, but she preferred to be called "Kit" Hannah hoped this was a sign that the child wished to be friends with her. She looked forward to having another occasional visitor and assist another young person in the holy conversion by teaching of piety, faith, and love.
Hannah finished spinning the flax on the wonderful spindle Thomas had bought her while she and Kit spoke. Suddenly they heard the door open and Nat stood, nearly tall enough for his head to reach the top of the doorframe. It still amazed her how much he'd grown since she'd first saw him.
Hannah's grin widened as she looked at Nat. She had been correct. The Dolphin had come in today! "Kit, this is my seafaring friend that I told thee about."
"Mistress Tyler and I already acquainted," Nat said, his own grin widening as he sat down at her table.
"Nat, I saved these berries for thee," Hannah told him pushing them in his direction. "I just knew The Dolphin would come in. I said to Thomas that we should save them just for you because I was certain you would arrive soon."
Nat smiled and munched on the berries, but Kit gave Hannah a sad, confused look that Hannah didn't understand.
Fortunately, Kit soon recovered, and she and Nat exchanged stories about how they met Hannah. Then they all spoke of the healing wisdom the Great Meadows had. It was wonderful that all three of them were now friends.
OOOOOOOOOOO
Not long afterwards, Kit brought Hannah a new visitor. A young girl by the name of Prudence who was about the same age as Nat when Hannah first met him. Prudence was quiet and withdrawn when she first arrived, but with a bit of blueberry cake, she was soon smiling as much as Kit and Hannah were.
Young Prudence also wished to learn to read, so Hannah and Kit assisted her. First from Kit's old hornbook, and then from Hannah's trusted old Bible. With Hannah's eyesight not as clear as it once was, it had been several years since she'd been able to read the Bible. It was wonderful to hear sacred scripture again. Hannah often meditated on the passages after Prudence left, hoping for the Lord's Inner Light to come to her once again.
But no matter what, the Lord had blessed Hannah that autumn. Three regular visitors were more than she'd ever had. Her heart was so full, she almost didn't even feel the constant ache of missing her Thomas.
OOOOOOOOOO
One day that Kit and Nat visited, Hannah's heart was particularly full. They both insisting on fixing her leaky roof, despite her protest that it wasn't necessary. But Hannah enjoyed watching them work together from a distance. Kit gathered the grass while Nat cut them to an appropriate size. They both grinned while they labored together like two halves of a whole. After a while, they began talking amongst themselves and Hannah could even hear them chuckling occasionally.
How different Kit was from that child who Hannah had first met, who didn't know how to live or fit in the Connecticut Colony. She fit well here.
In fact, the was the young woman and Nat worked together almost reminded Hannah of her and Thomas, taking care of the house and the corn together before he'd died. But of course, that was silly. Kit and Nat weren't married. They weren't even courting. Twas wishful thinking, simply because Hannah cared so much about both of them.
Still, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to pray about this. The Lord's Inner Light may tell her something.
OOOOOOOOOO
Hannah did pray but nothing seemed to come of it, as Kit and Nat missed each other every time they visited. Still, Hannah was very happy to have Kit, Nat, and Prudence visiting her regularly.
Still, the visits were tiring, and it wasn't unusual for Hannah to fall asleep before she every climbed into her bed. Once such night, she woke to the sound of Kit's voice and a hand on Hannah's shoulder.
"Wake up," the girl said in Hannah's ear. "Thee must come with me, quickly."
Hannah eyes opened slowly as she struggled to understand what the problem was. "Is there a flood?" she asked.
"Don't talk Hannah," said Kit. "Just put on this." She wrapped a shawl around Hannah's shoulders. "Where are thy shoes?" Before Hannah could even answer, Kit had shoved Hannah's feet into her old worn – out shoes. Then Kit took her hand and guided her to a secluded spot behind a few oak trees and a bush.
As they huddled together, Hannah heard voices in the distance. Lots of voices. What was happening? Nerves crept through Hannah's body like an anxious field mouse. Before she knew it, she was clutching to Kit as tightly as she could. "Why are those people coming?" she couldn't stop herself from asking.
"Hush, Hannah!" Kit whispered back in the darkness.
All at once, Hannah understood. She'd been through this before, although it had been many years. "They are coming for Quakers."
"Hannah – " Kit began whispering again, but now that Hannah knew what was going on, she knew what she had to do.
"Shame on thee, Kit," said Hannah. " A Quaker does not run away. Thomas will take care of us." Hannah's mind flashed to all the times people had attacked her in the past for her faith. She had endured it then because of Thomas, and she could do so again.
But where was Thomas now?
Suddenly Hannah's heart jumped in fear and she clutched Kit once again, twice as firmly as before. "Don't let them take me again," she said. "Where is Thomas? I can't face this without Thomas."
Vaguely, Hannah felt Kit drag her to a better hiding place behind a larger bush, but all she could think about was Thomas. Why wasn't he with her, with his strong arms making her feel secure?
Suddenly Hannah saw her house go up in flames, amidst the terrible shouts of those Quaker hunters.
She stared horrified that the strong, sturdy house that Thomas built her was being destroyed. As the house burned, Hannah remembered something even more terrible. Her husband was gone, and he wouldn't return to save her from these Quaker hunters. He was dead.
Hannah looked out into the dark, empty night, too sad and shocked to even shed a tear. Nothing mattered anymore. Her Thomas and her home were gone.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Hannah had no idea how long she and Kit stayed, huddled behind the bush. Time had no meaning to her after that. But at some point, early the next day, Nat Easton miraculously appeared, ready to taker her aboard The Dolphin.
Hannah agreed, on condition that she could bring her cat with her. After all, she no longer had a home on The Great Meadows, nor a husband. She would have to find another reason to live.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
The last year was one of the hardest years of Hannah's life. There was a constant ache in her heart with the lost of Thomas and her home in the meadows. But Nat's grandmother in Saybrooke, Constance, was very kind, so Hannah accepted her invitation to live with her.
And Hannah's cat still purred at her feet.
But things improved slowly. The next spring Nat became Young Captain Easton, as he finally owned his own ship and Hannah loved seeing him achieve his dream. Even better yet, that fall both Nat and Kit visited her in Saybrooke as a newly married couple. There was nothing better than seeing two people she cared about being so happy together.