Chapter 18 - Grandpa Curry

About a week after the boys started school, Elizabeth received a letter telling her that her parents were coming to meet their new grandchildren.

She was sitting holding the letter, gazing off into the distance when David walked in and saw her. "Anything wrong?"

"I got a letter from my parents. They're coming to visit. They should be here next Friday and they plan to be here for a month."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Although David had his own feelings about his in-laws, he knew Elizabeth loved her parents.

She bit her lip. "They're coming to meet the boys."

"So?" He sat down and took her hand.

"I wonder what they'll think. I know they hoped… Well, they didn't expect their grandchildren to be adopted. I can't help but wonder if they'll be disappointed in me."

David leaned in and hugged her. "Sweetheart, it's not your fault. It's nobody's fault. Sometimes, these things just don't happen. You know that, so do they."

She sighed. "I suppose."

"And look at our boys! They'll love them, just as we do."

Even as he spoke, David felt a moment of worry. The Sheffields were very hidebound in their ways. They believed there was a right way to do everything. Tom was going to be enough of a problem with his easy American manners, so different from their strict English upbringing. He could only imagine what they would think of Han, who was so rough around the edges.

He could tell that Elizabeth was thinking the same thing when she slowly answered, "Yes…"

Their lives turned upside down from that moment. Elizabeth began desperately to try to get her house and her family ready to face the scrutiny of her parents.

Everything had to be cleaned. Windows were washed, furniture polished and floors scrubbed. Linens were washed and aired, and silver and brass polished until it gleamed.

It didn't end there.

Every mealtime became an ordeal. Even Tom and David faced criticism about the way they ate and spoke, but it seemed to Han that nothing he did was right.

He kept tryin' (trying, corrected Elizabeth's voice in his head) to hold his fork correctly, to make sure that he didn't eat with his hands and to remember to use his napkin, but it didn't end there.

He needed to sit up straight and not fidget. He shouldn't put his elbows on the table. He should only speak when spoken to and, when he did speak, he should never speak with his mouth full. He needed to talk and eat more slowly. The list seemed to be endless, and even Tom and David were tired of it.

Han was dreading the visit.

When Francis Curry heard through the grapevine about the Sheffields planned visit, he thought it sounded like a fine idea. He wanted to see his family, but was getting too old to feel comfortable travelling on his own. The two families still lived close to each other, so he took himself over to the Sheffields house. Turning the conversation to the visit, he soon managed to invite himself along. When they discussed it later, neither of the Sheffields could quite work out how it had happened.

Maggie was delighted when she heard about it. She loved her father-in-law, and the children would be happy to see their old grandpa. She made up two straw ticks for Adam and Joseph to sleep on in the hayloft so that Grandpa Curry could have their room.

Elizabeth heard her plan and decided to do the same thing with her boys. The two mattresses were placed in the hayloft in readiness for the day that her parents would arrive. She would sleep in Tom's room and David could take Han's usual spot on the sofa. She did curse her laziness in not clearing out the other room yet, but Han seemed happy where he was, and she really didn't know where she would put everything without that room for storage. She made a mental note to talk to David about building on to the house, once everything had settled down again.

She felt happier when she knew where she could put everyone. Now all they had to do was wait.

Three days before their expected date of arrival, she was surprised to see a wagon pulling into the yard. She ran out to meet them.

A young man she recognized from town helped everyone down and unloaded their bags, and she waited patiently as her father handed him some coins.

As the wagon rode away, she kissed them both and turned to the third member of their group.

"Mr. Curry, how lovely to see you again," she said insincerely. She had never cared much for Caleb's disreputable father. He and Joseph Heyes had been great friends and she had heard about some of their exploits.

She called for Tom. He appeared quickly from the kitchen, where he had been eating a slice of apple pie.

"Mother, Father - this is Tom, your new grandson."

Tom stepped forward, tall and beautiful, his hair gleaming gold in the sunshine. She beamed with pride.

Tom held out his hand. "Mrs. Sheffield, Mr. Sheffield, it's lovely to meet you,' he said, exactly as Elizabeth had taught him.

Elizabeth was delighted to see that they were as taken with the boy as she was.

Her mother held out her own hand, "Dear boy, please call us Grandmother and Grandfather. We're delighted to meet you."

They looked around. "Where's David and the other boy?"

Elizabeth's smile dimmed a little. "We didn't expect you so soon! David is out tending to the cattle and Han is cleaning out the barn with Jed. Jed Curry, that is," she explained, turning and giving a smile to Mr. Curry.

He perked up instantly. "My grandson's here? Good! I haven't seen him in a long time. The barn you say?"

He turned and started to walk in that direction and to her horror, her parents began to follow. She had planned on taking them inside and giving them tea, while Tom found Han and gave him a chance to clean himself up.

As they approached the stable, they could hear shouts of laughter from inside. Through the open door, Francis Curry saw his grandson duck away as another boy threw a pile of straw in his direction. Curry stepped back just in time; but the Sheffields moved closer to see the cause of the commotion, just as the hay flew through the doorway.

It landed directly on top of them.

There was a moment of horrified silence, broken by Curry's loud bark of laughter. Elizabeth stared in horror as her parents stood there, covered from head to toe in straw.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She started to brush the straw from their clothes and hair as Curry bellowed with laughter and Tom bit his cheek to stop himself from joining in.

Jed rushed into the arms of the laughing man. "Grandpa Curry!"

Curry lifted the boy into his arms and squeezed him affectionately. "Jed! Why, you're growing like a weed!"

Han stood back, stricken. Over the past week, Elizabeth had drilled it into him that he had to be on his best behavior when her parents arrived, and the first moment he had seen them, he had showered them in hay.

As Curry returned his grandson to the ground, he saw the other boy and his breath caught for a moment.

He moved forward and lifted the boy's chin so he could see his face. "Well, as I live and breathe. If you aren't the spit of Joe Heyes!"

He saw the boy frown at the unfamiliar expression. "Haven't Maggie or David ever told you that you look just like their father?"

The boy nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Call me Grandpa Curry, that's what all the children call me."

Han smiled. He'd never had a grandpa, but if he had, this man, with his laughing eyes and easy manner, was exactly what he would have wanted.

Elizabeth stepped forward. The nervousness she always felt in front of her parents made her tone sharper than it should have been. "Han, what on earth were you doing? Look at what you've done!"

Han couldn't do anything else but look, as his new grandparents stood before him, covered from head to toe in hay.

He hung his head. "I'm sorry. We were playing and I didn't think…"

"Evidently!" injected Mr.. Sheffield. "Elizabeth, the child should be beaten! Look at us!"

Curry turned to them in shock. "Reginald, he didn't do it deliberately - the boys were playing! We weren't even expected today, how could he have known we'd suddenly appear?"

"Nonetheless, the boy was playing when he was clearly meant to be doing his chores."

Elizabeth stepped between the two men. As annoyed as she was by the whole incident, she didn't intend to beat the boy when he had been hard at work. She was very aware that cleaning out the stable was one of Tom's chores and he should have done it three days ago.

"Actually Father, cleaning out the stable isn't one of Han's chores. He was just trying to help."

Han shot her a look - grateful, but disbelieving. She found herself wondering at his surprise. Did he really think so little of her that he thought she would beat him for an accident? She knew that she should have been better about making Tom do his chores, and she appreciated that Han was cleaning so that Tom wouldn't have to.

'Han, come here."

He stepped forward reluctantly. His hair was tousled and he had dirt on his face. His clothes were covered in dirt and straw. Han wasn't a boy that could stay tidy for long at the best of times and cleaning out the stable was a messy job.

Elizabeth put out her hand and saw his hesitation. She saw that his hands were filthy. Taking a step forward, she grasped his hand firmly, pulling him forward.

"Mother, Father, this is Han. Han, these are my parents. You can call them Grandmother and Grandfather."

She held his hand firmly in hers. If he couldn't offer it, they couldn't refuse to shake it.

Disastrously, Han forgot everything he'd been taught. He stared at the ground and muttered, "Hello."

Elizabeth's parents stared at him in distaste and he wilted even more under their gaze.

Curry felt his blood boil, but making sure that his annoyance couldn't be seen, he stepped forward and embraced the boy. "I imagine the others will want to clean up a little; but I'll stay here and help you boys, if that's alright, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth nodded, grateful for his intervention. She surprised everyone, including herself, when she planted a small kiss on the top of Han's head before she led her parents away.

Curry turned back to the boys. "Well, boys, let's get this job finished! Jed, what have you been up to?"

Jed proceeded to tell his grandpa all his news. Curry couldn't help but notice that Han's name came up a lot in his stories. It reminded him of the friendship he had shared with his old friend Joe. After a while, Han seemed to feel comfortable enough to join in and the stable was filled with laughter, as the three of them shared stories.

David came back and heard the laughter in the stable. Grinning, he walked inside only to be surprised by the sight of Curry. "Francis Curry! What are you doing here already?"

"I persuaded the Sheffields to leave a few days earlier. They're inside."

"Elizabeth's parents are here? I should go and say hello." He frowned. "Han, why aren't you inside with the rest of them?"

Han lowered his head. "I… I was playing with Jed and I… I…"

David felt his heart sink and he sat down on a nearby bale of hay. "What happened?"

Han lowered his head even further and reddened. "I threw some hay at Jed and... and..."

"And?" He knew he didn't want to hear this.

Curry stepped forward and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Jed ducked out of the way just in time. Unfortunately, the Sheffields weren't so lucky."

David groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Oh, Han!"

"Sure, it wasn't the boys fault. They were only playing."

David lifted his head and tried to smile. "I know that. It's just… Well, you know what they're like."

Curry nodded. "Didn't I just travel all the way from Ohio with them?"

David held out a hand to Han and the boy shuffled forward, only to be pulled into a hug.

"Are you alright, Han?"

Han nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Grandpa Curry's right, it's not your fault." He winked at Jed. "If it's anyone's fault, it's obviously Jed's fault for ducking at the wrong moment!"

They all laughed and David pulled Han onto his lap. "All the same, I'm afraid you're not going to have the best time of it now. They're not the easiest of people to get along with."

That might have been the greatest understatement David had ever uttered.