"Thank you so much," said the elderly man as Jo ladled beef and vegetable soup into the bowl he was holding.
"You're welcome," Jo replied. "May God be with you."
She and Dieter were volunteering at a soup kitchen in Concord. At the gathering in Cleveland, the leaders had discussed different areas of the country that needed assistance, and when Massachusetts was mentioned, Jo was quick to volunteer her services there.
"I've always wanted to see the Walden Pond that Henry David Thoreau wrote about," she explained to Dieter.
"I never knew you were so knowledgeable about American authors," he responded.
"I studied it in school," she lied.
"Very well. If it will make you happy, we'll go there instead of Pennsylvania."
And so here she was, just a couple of blocks away from the neighborhood she'd grown up in, serving soup to its neediest residents while her sons played at her feet.
The sun was sinking fast. It would be dark soon, and she knew if she wanted to satisfy the urge which had been niggling at her since her arrival, it would have to be now. Without saying a word to anyone, she fetched Freddy's stroller and settled him into it, then took Paul by the hand.
"We're going for a walk," she told him.
"Isn't Papa coming with us?" he asked.
"Your Papa is very busy," she replied. "We'll only be gone a minute or two."
Pushing the stroller, she slipped out a side door and made her way down the sidewalk toward the street.
A light snow had fallen, covering the surroundings with a thin coat of sparkle like confectioner's sugar. She turned at the corner, walked along another sidewalk, turned another corner.
Disheveled old buildings gave way to charming houses with neatly manicured lawns. She stopped at the next corner, her heart pounding madly. Did she dare?
On the other hand, how could she not?
Determined, she took the plunge. She drew hearer, nearer. She was almost there.
And then - there it was. looking much as she remembered it. The curtains at the window were a different color now. Who lived here? She looked around for a mailbox with a name but didn't see one.
What she did see was a small boy of perhaps five or so, bundled up in a heavy coat, blond curls framing its cotton-lined hood, blue eyes dancing with mischief. He looked right at her and gave her a cheeky grin.
A woman of about thirty came barrelling out of the much grander house next store - the mansion with all the pillars in front. She was similarly bundled, her cheeks were red, and her eyes were blazing.
"James Lawrence, you come right back here this minute!"
James Lawrence. Teddy's grandfather.
Jo felt weak and dizzy as she turned the stroller around to head back toward the mission.
"Who was he, Mama?" asked Paul as she pulled him along.
"Nobody," Jo mumbled. Feeling as if she might pass out, she stumbled along, praying she'd remember the way back.
As the mission came into view, she gave a huge sigh of relief. Dieter was right there at the door, holding it open for her.
"Martina! Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you!"
"I'm sorry," she said. "I just stepped outside for a bit of fresh air. I guess I must have lost track of the time."
Paul ran to his father, who picked him up and held him.
"Are you all right?" Dieter asked his wife. "You look like you just saw a ghost!"
Dieter, Jo, and several others remained in Concord for awhile, helping the homeless and destitute there any way they could, and then Jo and Dieter journeyed south with Lemuel Jackson by train. They went as far south as New Orleans, where they took a break to see the sights.
On Bourbon Street, they strolled along the sidewalk, taking in the restaurants, voodoo shops, pool halls, lounges, and pharmacies.
It was like no other town Jo had ever seen before.
On a street corner, a young African-American musician was playing a saxophone. Jo, Dieter, and Lemuel stood and listened for awhile.
"Can you play that well?" Dieter asked Lemuel.
"Not quite," said Lemuel. "You know I'm mainly a pianist, like you."
The challenge proved to be finding a place where they could all eat lunch together. A department store lunch counter had a sign prominently displayed which read 'Whites Only.' Dieter went through the lunch line twice to purchase their meals, and they found some benches outside at which to sit and eat.
"It's nicer sitting out here in the fresh air, anyway," Jo remarked as they were eating. The two men agreed, but Jo could see the hurt in Lemuel's eyes which he tried to hide, and it made her feel very sad.
After lunch, they went to see the French market, where they looked around at the gourmet foods and crafts, and Dieter bought Jo a pair of earrings in the shape of crosses. It was almost twilight by the time they got to the St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square.
By that time, the boys were exhausted, so they rented hotel rooms for the night before returning to the train station.
Dieter and Jo were still in the United States when a huge flood decimated Kansas in July. Many people had lost their homes and everything they owned and were living in tents in areas where higher ground was located.
Jo and Dieter organized food and clothing drives to help these people. They worked tirelessly, going house to house in the less affected areas, asking for donations.
Little Freddy turned two on a Saturday. Dieter took a break from his work to take his family to Wyandotte County Lake Park for a picnic.
"I feel just a little bit guilty having a nice day out while all those people are still suffering so," Jo remarked as she spread butter on a ham sandwich for Paul.
"There's no reason for you to feel guilty, darling," Dieter reassured her. "As hard as you've been working, you deserve a little relaxation and family time."
"You too, Dieter,' she replied, and he kissed her. The children giggled.