Author's Note:
Hello, dear readers. There is a reason this story hasn't continued for so many weeks.
My beloved mother suddenly became severely ill and family flew in from afar to stay with me and spend a week together with Mom. The day after my brother and sister-in-law departed, Mom's condition worsened and she died that evening, a few days before her 96th birthday. I was with her that day and evening and we are so thankful that she didn't suffer and that we had those precious times together. My life centered around her, her comfort and her care for many years, so it is an enormous adjustment for me. I've been taking care of "business matters," as well as sorting her belongings to donate, etc., so there has been little time to write.
Today, I offer three new chapters which I hope you enjoy. Although I cannot promise when, the next group of chapters will begin with a very special Christmas Day, so there is so much more story to tell!
Many thanks to those who have written requesting an update and/or expressing your concern regarding me and my family. I have welcomed your caring inquiries and appreciated the prayers of many of you. In spite of sorrow, I have assurance and joy in the anticipated heavenly reunions to come! Though grieving here on earth, I am grateful and blessed beyond measure. Again, thank you. Eilie
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Chapter One hundred twenty-four
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Jack's Big Birthday
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Arising early, Elizabeth met Bill walking to the kitchen while Jack was still sleeping soundly, meeting Allie entering the back door, all smiles. The welcome aroma of coffee greeted them, proving that Carol Collins truly was one step ahead of her family of houseguests. Bill had frosted the rich chocolate cake yesterday afternoon and, after Jack was in bed, Allie piped a train track from dark chocolate drizzle to prepare for the installation of the engine. Following Allie's directions, Elizabeth carefully lifted the gingerbread base and the set the handsome engine in place.
Allie had piped both white and dark brown accents on the engine and it appeared as if it was straight out of a book of folktales. Nathan had crushed some red hard candies to line the edges of the tracks and embellish the engine in a couple of places and the cake was ready to surprise Jack after lunch. Peter hid the cake back in their bedroom while Carol started the pot roast and Bill and Elizabeth peeled carrots and potatoes to add in a few hours. Meanwhile, Nathan prepared breakfast items and packed a picnic basket of foods wrapped in linen towels to bring up to the main house in readiness for baking and setting on the table. After greeting everyone, Peter drove to Depot to collect Zachary.
Ruth and Archie emerged to join the preparations and while Ruth set the table, Archie went to awaken the birthday boy.
Standing at the doorway, Archie began to sing the "Happy Birthday" song to Jack. The young fella awakened with a start and a gleeful yelp.
"It's my birthday today! Yay!" Jack hopped out of bed and was ready to run out the door when Archie scooped him up into a hug, making Jack giggle.
"Whoa Buddy! Don't you think it would be good to get dressed?" Archie tickled Jack's tummy. "Look. Your Mommy has your clothes all set here on the trunk. May I help you?"
"Yeah. Where's Mommy?" Jack wiggled down to the floor and began to unbutton his pajama top.
"Your mommy is working in the kitchen, so I thought I could help you, Son." Archie smiled widely.
"Can you close the door, Grandpa? I don't want any girls to see me." Making sure his grandfather-to-be understood, Jack added, "I'm five now you know."
The door now shut, Jack got dressed and allowed Archie to help straighten the buttons as in Jack's haste he had mismatched the sides of his shirt. Jack giggled when Archie took him to the mirror to show him the problem and was happy for the assistance.
"Let's brush your bedhead, Jack! Can you do that?" Archie handed him the brush and Jack tried but got caught on a snarl. Guiding the boy to stand between Archie's knees, he gently worked out the snarl and pronounced Jack ready to have a great birthday.
As Jack started to run down the hallway, Archie warned. "A birthday boy is heading towards the living room! Beware!"
Popping out of the kitchen, Nathan caught Jack from behind. "Where are you going, big fella? You owe all of us hugs and kisses!" Nuzzling his face into Jack's neck, Nathan produced the giggles he was hoping for. "Happy Fifth Birthday, Son!"
"Hi, Daddy Na'tn!" After a quick hug, Jack leaned back and put out his hand, fingers splayed. "I'm five today!"
"And so you are! How about we find Mommy and Allie and Uncle Bill and all your grandparents!" Nathan chuckled. "You have people waiting in line to hug you, Buddy!"
Arriving while the pans of Dutch pancakes were in the oven, William and Hudson were joined by Zachary and Peter, who had returned after getting Zach from Depot, and the four men unloaded a few large boxes from the trunk of the vehicle. Grace and Julie each carried a basket covered with towels. While Jack was deep in conversation with Allie, the adults managed to place Christmas boxes in the hallway and tuck birthday items under the piano before greeting the birthday boy.
As Zachary entered the house and stood from depositing the boxes, he was engulfed with hugs from his brother, parents, niece and the rest of the family. The only introductions required were meeting Hudson, William Thatcher and the birthday boy himself.
Squatting down, Zach reached out his hand to shake Jack's. "Happy Birthday, Jack! I am Uncle Zach. Can you say Zach?"
Speechless with wonder, Jack looked from Zachary to his grinning Daddy Nat'n and back to Uncle Zach.
"Ah ha! Do I look like my brother? Eh? That big, tall chap right there?" Zach grinned and put his hand on Jack's shoulder to guide him to look at Nathan. "Who looks the most like the other?"
Not realizing it was an impossible question, Jack offered. "Daddy Nat'n looks the most, but you look like him too. How come?" Jack reached out to touch Zach's hair.
"Your Daddy Nathan is my big brother, so that happens sometimes that brothers and sisters look like each other." Zach explained with a half-smile directed at Nathan. "May I give a hug to the birthday boy?"
Satisfied that his new uncle was a part of his family, Jack willingly opened his arms.
William then stepped forward to shake hands. "Zach, it is truly a pleasure to meet you! I am thrilled you will be joining us for these two special days. I do believe your presence makes them extra special to us all!" William patted Zach's shoulder.
"Thank you, Sir. I am the one who is most blessed, I believe." Zach answered softly.
"And there you are incorrect, Son. My wife has told me how much she enjoyed your company as you attended Allie's concert, so my assessment is the correct one. There is just one problem, Zach. Would you be willing to use my first name, William, as well as my wife's name, Grace? As family we need not be formal." Nodding to encourage Zach's agreement, William added. "What do you say?"
Blushing and quickly glancing at Nathan and back, Zachary agreed. "It is an honor to do so, William."
"Come here young man and let me give you another kiss." Grace stepped towards Zach and patted his cheek as he bent to be kissed. "Happy Christmas, Zach!"
Ruth stood by with teary eyes, holding her husband's arm. Archie was uncharacteristically quiet as he observed these people of great renown welcoming his son. In spite of a brief discussion with Ruth the previous night, Archie was still surprised by and a bit hesitant to engage with William Thatcher.
Peter spoke up and invited everyone into the living room until the meal was ready.
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A short time later and announcing with a loud voice, Nathan stood in the entranceway of the dining room while making the sound of a drum roll. He then cried out, "Hear ye, hear ye. Today is a special day! Today we celebrate a young man's fifth birthday! Who you ask? Master Jack Thornton, Junior! Let's gather around the table for breakfast, shall we?"
Allie pointed Jack to his seat of honor in the middle of one of the longer sides of the table and made believe she was bowing.
Jack was delighted as he climbed up on top of a thick encyclopedia.
With a flourish, Nathan bowed as if he had a hat in his hand to which Jack responded pronouncing, "You are silly, Daddy!"
As the family settled in their assigned seats amidst applause, Elizabeth spoke up. "Nathan, would you please give thanks this morning?"
"Gladly. Let's join hands?" With a wink and a smile to Elizabeth, Nathan reached to take Jack's hand on his left and Allie's on his right. "Let's pray."
"Dear Heavenly Father, We have so much to celebrate today and this morning we celebrate Jack. Thank you for his precious life, for five years of growing up! A little too fast according to his Mommy, but we parents are powerless to slow the growth of our children. Still, we recognize Your guidance and blessing on Jack's young life and pray for continued blessings in the coming year. Thank you for all the family who are present to celebrate together and bless this food and our fellowship today. We pray in Your Wonderful Name, Amen."
Beginning the song, Nathan grinned around the table and was soon joined by everyone gathered.
"Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday, dear Jack.
Happy birthday to you." (*74)
Clapping to the music, Jack declared to everyone's delight. "Let's eat!"
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Having previously discussed the scheduling, everyone gathered in the living room after the dishes were washed and the kitchen was set back in order.
"Jack, Honey. Would you like to open a couple birthday gifts now?" Elizabeth smiled knowing the answer to come.
"Yes! Presents!" Jack practically danced in excitement. "Please!"
Seeing Elizabeth's surprise at Jack's polite affirmation, Nathan commented. "Good for you, Son. That was a very polite answer."
William and Hudson conferred beside the piano and pulled two large boxes into the center of the room while Jack watched intently.
"Are those my birthday presents?"
"They sure are. How about you have Daddy' Nat'n help you open those?" William suggested as he sat on the edge of a chair.
"Shall I help?" Nathan retrieved a folding knife from his pocket as he scooched towards the boxes.
Nodding, Jack agreed. "These are really big." He watched Nathan cut a slit along the top, then once the knife was pocketed again, Jack began to rip through the wrapping paper. As he opened the box, he saw there were smaller boxes inside which Nathan helped him lift out.
"A train! Another train!" Jack squealed with delight. "This is big too. A lot of cars! I love it!"
"Jack, do you know what Grandaddy and Grandmommy have given you? It's an electric train set!" Nathan exclaimed with enthusiasm although he had known about the gift. "Here let's open each box and set the train on the carpet for now, okay? We have to be very careful with this set."
After unpacking the black locomotive Jack was overwhelmed to also discover a coal car, a passenger car, a box car and a caboose. By now, William, Bill and Archie, Peter and Zachary were on the floor beside them assisting Jack with the unpacking of the other large box.
"Do you know what this is, Jack?" William handed him a curved wooden section with metal on it. As Jack shook his head indicating no, William explained this is a train track. See what your Uncles are doing?" William pointed to Bill and Zach. "They are attaching the track and once we get it all connected we can set the train on it and watch it go around!" William Thatcher was nearly as excited as his grandson.
As a matter of fact, the ladies in the room were enjoying the boyhood delight of all six men as well as the birthday boy.
William checked with Peter and Nathan if they should build it around the base of the Christmas tree.
"Let's do that for today, but tonight we'll remove the actual train until after all the gifts are opened tomorrow?" Nathan explained. "We don't want to take a chance and damage the railcars amidst boxes and wrappings, okay?"
"Good thinking, Nathan!" Bill agreed.
Zachary offered, "Here, let me climb behind the tree and you feed me the portions of track while I am back there."
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Originally planning on the elder Grants watching Jack in the Cottage during the morning hours, Elizabeth, Nathan and Allie decided that Jack was so enthralled with his train that he probably wouldn't even notice their activity decorating the dining room. They were correct! While Nathan and Bill hung streamers and blew up balloons, Elizabeth, Allie and Julie set the table and added place cards, greens and oil lamps.
A low arrangement of greens, pine cones, holly and red ribbons adorned the length of the table, interspersed with oil lamps in their clear and sparkling globes.
Julie took a couple photos of Jack and the men enjoying the train and of Allie and Nathan teasing each other as they added balloons around the dining room. She even caught a look of adoration between Nathan and Elizabeth, when they thought no one was watching.
Busy in the kitchen, Carol, Ruth and Grace cut raw vegetables and stacked them for Allie to arrange on platters for after the Christmas Eve service. When Allie and the other ladies joined them, they followed her instructions in preparing tea sandwiches of ham and chutney, turkey and apple and, having found watercress greens at the grocer's, making Nathan and Allie's favorite tea sandwiches. Julie added artistic garnishes to enhance the platers of vegetables while Allie decorated the sandwich platters and prepared carrot curls and radish roses to add later. Damp linen towels were carefully tucked around the items and they were placed in the apartment's icebox.
Cubes of cheese were piled awaiting a circle of crackers, while platters of Christmas cookies were prepared to finish the buffet with a dessert treat. Nathan alternated between checking on the ladies and sampling a mini-sandwich, to clearing up the scattered boxes and paper in the living room. Having gotten the train running, William sat back to enjoy the awe he could read on Jack's face. The little boy squatted on one side and then the other, mesmerized as the train circled around the tree, disappeared and returned on the other side. After one derailment incident, Archie and Hudson kept watch, reminding Jack to stay back far enough for the train to stay on the tracks.
While the men watched, they shared stories of train journeys they had experienced in their lifetimes. Included were stories of major snow storms when the brakeman and conductor had to clear off the plow on the front of the engine to get through the sticky snow and clear the lanterns to see ahead, and journeys that took many hours longer than they should because of pelting spring rains.
Having rejoined the menfolk in the living room, Nathan leaned on the piano and added a condensed version of a train robbery he and a couple other Mounties had once thwarted and another time when he had to ride along the rails on Newton to discover why a train had not arrived. He discovered the train was delayed because an enormous tree had fallen across the track. He assisted the railroad employees and male passengers in chopping it up and removing the trunk and branches, clearing the way for the train to continue.
"I never realized how varied a Mountie's responsibilities were, Son." Archie listened, admiring Nathan and looking to Zachary added. "And you will encounter some of these scenarios as well I guess?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Zach responded. "They are training us to be prepared for many situations, but I hadn't thought of those you describe, Nathan."
"I don't think we can anticipate all we will encounter in our careers, but the basic skills we learn can be applied under many different circumstances. Many wilderness survival skills are useful in ranching and vice versa, but you may never experience any of those issues if you are assigned within a city or at Headquarters." Nathan sat down near his brother, while keeping an eye on Jack. "I imagine you are realizing that we have to know basics, be flexible and think strategically to problem solve. However, there is a lot that people don't realize is involved in service in the RCMP. Peter and Bill know this and I'm certain have many and varied stories to tell."
Peter shared, "I had to chuckle when we visited the Samuels the other day and their teenager asked probing questions about gunfights and catching criminals. If he only grasped how many days don't include anything as exciting as that!" Laughing, Peter explained more. "Plus, how grateful we are for those uneventful days when we only deal with law-abiding citizens!"
From where he was seated, William observed Archie's discomfort as the conversation began to include discussion of criminals. The man withdrew and seemed embarrassed and William's heart was stirred. He had noticed that Archie was reserved when with the men and that didn't fit with the stories he had heard of this charming and gregarious Scotsman.
Aware that their father might not feel included in this conversation, Nathan and Zachary looked at each other and with a barely perceptible nod from Nathan, Zach stood and moved to sit next to his father. Quietly engaging him in a conversation about any train experience he had to share, Zach was able to redirect his father's thoughts while Nathan silently prayed.
Both Elizabeth and Allie had observed the conversation, Archie's reaction and Nathan and Zach's barely perceptible communication. With a questioning glance at Elizabeth, Allie made her way to her Grandpa, sat and threaded her arm through his on the opposite side of Zach. Silently she rested her head against Archie's shoulder, comforting and supporting by her presence.
Watching his daughter's thoughtfulness, Nathan caught Elizabeth's eye and visually spoke their gratitude for and pride of Allie.
Carol had felt the dynamic in the room change after Peter had spoken and took a moment to realize what he had said, so decided to redirect the conversation. "Ruth? Grace? Could you help in the kitchen? I think it is time to add the vegetables to the pot."
Grateful to give the menfolk some time to work things out, the ladies rose and followed their hostess. In the kitchen, Carol and Grace showed their support by placing their arms around Ruth's waist and shoulder, even while Carol asked a quiet question. "Do you think Peter's mention of criminal activity offended Archie?"
With teary eyes, Ruth nodded. "I think so. Really it shouldn't as it is a fact of his life and he has repented and been forgiven, accepted and loved, but I think that added to…" Ruth held back, looking at Grace. "Ah… Arch feels inferior to William and that comment just added to his discomfort."
"Oh, Ruth... Why does he feel inferior?" Grace questioned softly.
"Wealth, status, William's success in business contrasted to the decisions Archie made and his failings in our family." Ruth wiped her eyes. "Then the gifting of this house, and two Mountie sons, and… As much as he loves being here, he is finding it difficult. Overwhelming even."
Carol squeezed Ruth's waist and rested her head on her friends shoulder. "Let's go to the apartment for a few moments and pray, okay? I'll just add the vegetables and be right there."
As Ruth and Grace departed, Carol quickly dumped the vegetables into the pot and turned up the burner. On the way to the apartment, Carol stood so only Peter could see her and motioned him to come.
She whispered, "Peter, I know you didn't mean it, but when you mentioned criminal activity I believe that hurt Archie. I think he is feeling quite vulnerable with our house guests and with all of us this trip. Maybe you can make it right?"
Distressed, Peter immediately recalled what he had said. "Oh no! I didn't think of him when I spoke, but he may have felt that was directed at him, nonetheless. Thank you, Honey, I will talk to him."
"I knew you would. We ladies are in the apartment for a short time. Could you ask Elizabeth to check on the roast in a few minutes?" Carol patted Peter's arm. "I'm praying for you both, Sweetheart."
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(*74) Published as "Good Morning to you" in 1893 by Patti Hill and Mildred Jane Hill. Revised as "Happy Birthday to you" and published in 1912. Public Domain.
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