Chapter 33 – Summer Projects

Monday afternoon when Elizabeth was working with Bo, his father came home. Carl heard Bo make a mistake. Elizabeth didn't mind, she gently corrected Bo and tried to get him to see the difference, but Carl was angry. He threw his hat down and stormed in the house.

"That are you doing, Miss Thatcher?" Carl asked. "What is this about?"

"We were just working on some reading exercises." Elizabeth said.

"What exercises?" Carl demanded. "All I heard about was some test."

"Carl." Martha said. "Don't scold them. I gave Miss Thatcher permission to start working with Bo."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Carl asked.

"Cause." Martha said. "I didn't want you to nicks it before it even had a chance to help, that's why. He needs this."

"Bo." Carl said. "Would you go upstairs, please. I need to have a word with Miss Thatcher."

Bo nodded to his father, stood up and left. Elizabeth wasn't sure what was going to happen, but she felt Bo's chances of getting help slipping through her fingers. Elizabeth stood before addressing Mr Grady.

"Please, Mr Grady." Elizabeth said. "These techniques are going to help Bo learn to ready. I am just sure of it."

"Look." Carl said. "I don't mean to be ungrateful, Miss Thatcher, but I did hear what was going on in here and your fancy techniques didn't make an ounce of difference. Bo just memorised what you wanted him to say and then he recited it back to like he's always done. 'Till you change it up on him and then he couldn't do it."

"It might take some more time." Elizabeth said. "But the research says that with repetition …"

"I am sorry." Carl said. "But I'm not going to let you get his hopes up for something that is never gonna happen."

"Mr Grady." Elizabeth said. "Why are you do afraid of letting Bo try this?"

"Because I love my boy." Carl said. "And I know how cruel this world can be and I don't aim to see him crushed by it."

"As long as you're not the one doing the crushing." Martha said.

"His birthday is the end of next week." Carl said. "If you have him reading by then, I'll let him stay and continue his schooling. If not, he's coming to work in the mine with me."

"That is not enough time." Elizabeth said. "We have to find the right combination, it's, it's like picking a lock."

"I am sorry." Carl said. "But that is all the time you have."

Carl stepped back and showed Elizabeth the door. She picked up her things and left. She wasn't sure what she was going to do. She knew that Bo was smart, she just had to find something that worked. She looked to Martha and she gave her a small nod to leave at the moment. Elizabeth smiled and left. She wasn't sure what she was going to do, but she had to find a way. Elizabeth was determined not to let the mine swallow another child, especially one that she knew was very bright and could do anything he wanted if she could just break through to him. Elizabeth headed home that afternoon in frustration. She needed to find a way to get through to not only Bo, but show his father that it was possible. Actually, Elizabeth wanted to talk to Abigail about it things, but she was gone again when Elizabeth got back to the house. She was really worried about Abigail, but she had bigger things to worry about.

Elizabeth went back to the books that she had gotten from her former professor and started looking for another way to reach Bo. Elizabeth heated up some leftovers up for supper and it was late when she heard Abigail come in. She was going to let it go for the night since she herself was tired, but if Abigail wasn't home at a reasonable hour the following night then she was going to have to talk confront her. Monday night, Elizabeth had trouble sleeping. She woke a few times with nightmares. She kept seeing the children walk into the mine and never come out. Elizabeth knew that miners were needed, but she didn't understand how people could allow fifteen and sixteen year old children walk into a mine to work. After the second nightmare, Elizabeth got up and turned the lantern up. She knew that she was being unreasonable since she knew that all the children wouldn't go into the mine and that in reality those that did would more then likely come home each night. She grabbed her journal and wrote out why she was afraid and then said a small prayer. Afterward, she felt better, but she still wanted to find a why to help Bo.

Tuesday, Elizabeth slept a little later then she normally did. When she came downstairs, Abigail was gone and there was a note, that there were fresh biscuits for breakfast. Elizabeth had some with the eggs that she made. She decided that she would try to sit out in the sun and read. Elizabeth was sitting under one of the oak trees when she saw Bo. Before Bo could reach Elizabeth, Emily Montgomery ran up.

"Miss Thatcher." Emily cried. "I finished the book that you let me borrow, I was wondering if you have another."

"I can look." Elizabeth said. "If I find another, I can leave it at your house."

Elizabeth looked up and saw the look on Bo's face. He looked at little Emily almost with some jealousy. He was glad that she could read, but he also wished that it came as easy for him. Bo sat with Elizabeth for about an hour trying to read, but got frustrated. Elizabeth knew that he wasn't trying.

"How about enough for today." Elizabeth said. "We will try something different tomorrow."

"Okay." Bo said sadly.

He got up and headed back to his house. Elizabeth got up and left her books at her house. She grabbed her basket and coin purse. She was headed to the mercantile. She wanted to check and see if she had any mail, as well as order some more books for the younger children. She knew that there were at least two more books in the series that Emily was reading, but she didn't have the last one and wanted to see if she could order it. Elizabeth asked about Abigail, but no one had seen her. She also looked for Jack, but he didn't seem to be in town. Elizabeth headed back home after picking up what she needed. Instead of going straight home, she walked by the pond. She needed to think and felt that being outside would help. By the time that Elizabeth got back to Abigail's she thought she had figured out at least one thing – she knew that she needed to talk to Jack. She knew that she wanted to give them another chance, but they were almost starting over and didn't want to move to fast at the moment.

Elizabeth had gone back to her books looking for something that could help Bo. She lost track of time while she was reading and before she realized it, it was supper time and Abigail wasn't home. She was determined to stay up and talk to her. After eating and cleaning up the dishes, Elizabeth went back to her work. She thought she had an idea on how to help Bo, but she wasn't sure that she had time to get it done. She knew that he saw things like the model planes and could make them, so maybe there was something about the way that he could see things in three dimension. Before she knew it, it was getting late and Abigail still wasn't back home. Elizabeth was worried, but she wasn't sure who could help her and then she remembered what Jack said. Elizabeth grabbed her shawl and headed into town to talk to Jack. Elizabeth was sure that he must know where Abigail was. It didn't take long for Elizabeth to head into town. She was glad that the glow of the lanterns were still bright in the Mountie office. She lightly knocked on the door.

"Elizabeth." Jack said in surprise when he opened the door.

"I am sorry." Elizabeth said. "I know that it is late."

"What's wrong?" Jack asked with real concern on his face.

"It's Abigail." Elizabeth said. "She had been coming home late every night and tonight she didn't come home at all. She says that she was working on a project, but she seemed really depressed. I am worried."

"I think I know where she is." Jack said.

"You do." Elizabeth said.

"Yeah." Jack said. "Come on, I will take you to her."

Jack grabbed a lantern and walked Elizabeth over to the old cafe building. Jack opens the door and looks around, they saw Abigail asleep at the large table in the kitchen.

"I have a feeling." Jack said. "That this conversation is better between just the two of you."

"Thank you." Elizabeth said.

Jack left and Elizabeth waited a moment before going and gently waking Abigail.

"Abigail?" Elizabeth said touching her hand.

Abigail started to stir and Elizabeth backed up just a bit.

"Abigail." Elizabeth said. "What are you doing here?"

"Elizabeth." Abigail said as she starts to wake. "How did you know where to find me?"

"Jack bought me." Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth grabbed the other chair that was against the wall and sat down.

"Jack." Elizabeth said. "Says you have been here every night for the past week. What's going on? I have been so worried about you."

"Well." Abigail said. "Actually this is all your fault."

Elizabeth laughs at Abigail. She had no idea what is going on and why Abigail would say that it was here fault.

"The other day." Abigail said. "When you were enjoying my biscuits and scones, and you said all those fancy chefs at home had never concocted anything finer, I got to thinking – What if I could reopen the cafe? It would be a great new start for me."

"Oh, Abigail." Elizabeth said. "That is a wonderful idea."

"I met with Gowen to try and make a deal." Abigail said. "Of course he is betting against me and he isn't going to make it easy. As part of the deal, I have to give up the row house and move into the rooms upstairs."

"Your home?" Elizabeth asked softly almost afraid.

"I had a week to decide." Abigail said. "If I don't change my mind by tomorrow, then we will have to live upstairs. Then he wants me to have the cafe open by the time school starts again. I just don't know if I can do it. I know that it is a steep price to pay."

As Elizabeth listened to what Abigail was saying, she was surprised, but she also had faith in Abigail and thought that the cafe was a great idea. Elizabeth didn't care where they lived as long as they still had each other. Elizabeth knew that living above the cafe might present some challenges, but she knew that both her and Abigail had faced bigger things.

"At first." Abigail said. "I wanted to say no, but then I realized that Noah and Peter don't live in that house anymore. They're with me wherever I go, and I need to find a new purpose in my life. I need to find a new reason to get up in the morning."

"I understand." Elizabeth said. "And I know that you would be a huge success. But why keep it a secret?"

"Fear." Abigail said. "Nobody in town has ever tried anything like this before. I didn't want you to think that I was crazy."

"I could never think that." Elizabeth said. "My family thought I was crazy for wanting to come out here and try something different. I would never do that to another person who was trying to follow their dream."

"Well." Abigail said. "Maybe you should."

The two of them sat there and laughed for a moment and then Elizabeth looked around a little better and thought that they could really make it look great.

"Gowen is betting against me." Abigail said. "I don't know what I will do if I fail. I wonder if it is too risky for a foolish dream."

"You won't." Elizabeth said. "I would never tell you what to do, but you are one of the most remarkable women I have ever met. You didn't think that you could help Carla deliver those twins, but all three of them wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you. And none of those widows would have their home if hadn't led them into the mine. I believe in you. I believe that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to."

"Thank you." Abigail said. "That means a lot. So you wouldn't mind moving?"

"No." Elizabeth said. "As long we are together, it will be fine."

"I was going to bake some cookies for the kids." Abigail said. "But I fell asleep and the dough went bad."

"They are adorable, these shapes." Elizabeth said with a giggle.

Elizabeth looked at the cute shapes that she had cut out and suddenly she knew how she was going to get through to Bo. She had thought of three dimensional letters, but didn't think that she would have time to get them made or even order them if something were already made.

"Do you have any more of this dough?" Elizabeth asked.

Elizabeth went on to explain what she was thinking about and Abigail helped her to make a bunch of the letters. Enough to spell out a could of the sentences that she had been working with Bo on. They were at the cafe until late, but Elizabeth made sure that she was up when the miners headed to work. She wanted to give the letters to Bo right away that morning. When she walked out of the house, she was disappointed to see Bo walking with his father on the way to the mine.

"Bo." Elizabeth called out.

Bo and his father both stopped and looked at Elizabeth. His father didn't look to happy, but he didn't say anything.

"I will catch up, Pa." Bo said.

"Don't be late." Carl said before walking on.

"Your going into the mine?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, Miss Thatcher." Bo said.

"But." Elizabeth said. "But I just found something. The research says that people with word blindness think in three dimensions. That is why you're so good at building your models, they make sense to you."

"Miss Thatcher." Bo said. "I don't even understand what you're saying."

"Let me explain." Elizabeth said. "The reason that you can't remember the words and the letters is because they are squiggles and shapes on the page. But look …."

Elizabeth reached into the bag that she was holding and pulled out a c that was shaped like a cat. She was hoping that they would help Bo remember the letters because they were something tangible that he could hold.

"This is a 'C'." Elizabeth said holding up the shape. "I made it into a cat. Now, the sound for 'C' is 'Kuh, kuh –."

"I already made my decision." Bo said. "I am going to be a miner. Pa agrees."

"Please Bo." Elizabeth cried. "We still have time before your birthday. Please let me try and help you."

"This is the best." Bo said. "Thank you for trying to help me."

"Bo." Elizabeth said softly and filled with sadness.

"This is for the best." Bo said.

Elizabeth watched Bo walk away and she was filled with sadness. She had hoped that she could get through to him. She decided to still leave the letters on the porch of him and hoped that they would actually help him. She hated to see him walk into the mine when she thought she still had time to help him. Martha saw Elizabeth leaving the bag on the porch.

"What is this?" Martha asked.

"Something I made for Bo." Elizabeth said. I know he says he wants to go into the mine, but I still think he should still have this. I made them for him so he might as well have them."

"Thank you." Martha said. "I will leave in his room for him."