Winter's Refuge

Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Six

HEYES

I checked that all the doors and windows were locked before me and Angie retired to our room for the night. It's been almost two months since the tornado and we still haven't started the major repairs here at Phoenix. Like the Kid says, "There's a lot of people that need our help." It was a phrase I remember Gramma Curry using.

After checking the downstairs is locked up, as usual, I went upstairs. I don't disturb the Kid and Chrissy, but I check the kid's room. Nettie still sleeps with the old doll, Daisy, and shares a bed with her cousin, Ruth Ann. The two have become close now that Joy follows Martha around wanting to be one of the big kids.

Their windows were latched tight. When our house is locked up tight, I can sleep. And I'm certain that it was locked up when I crawled into bed and took a sleeping Angie in my arms.

Plans for our remodeling took over my thoughts around dawn and I knew I'd slept all I could for the night. It's a small luxury I appreciate after the locked cell doors of prison, getting up and walking around when I feel like it. I was thinking about starting some coffee when I noticed it…the back door was open. In the dim light from outside, I looked at the lock. It had not been picked from the outside; someone must have opened it from inside. My fear for my family exploded in my body. I just left Angie and Alexander sleeping and heard Auntie snoring as I passed by her room. So, I ran up the stairs, yelling, "Kid, Kid!"

He met me at the top of the stairs, drawn gun in his hand. "Heyes, what's wrong?"

"Kitchen door open from inside," I managed, as I ran past him and into the kid's bedroom. Enough morning light was coming through the windows that I could see an empty bed - Ruth Ann and Nettie were gone.

We had made enough noise to wake Martha and Joy. "Pa, Uncle Heyes, what's wrong?" Martha said, eyes closed, resisting letting her dreams go.

"Nettie and Ruth Ann are gone. Do you know where they are?" I asked urgently.

Wide awake, she sat up in bed. "Last night Nettie wanted to go find her 'Key' as she calls Rocky. But they wouldn't try to walk there…would they?" Martha asked.

"It's less than a mile, but they don't know the way," I said, worried about two little ones wandering around alone.

Joy spoke up. "Kenny's pa took us there in his wagon last week."

The Kid was already running down the stairs before I turned around. "Get dressed, Martha. Need you and your brother to help find them. Wake your ma."

JED 'KID' CURRY

I left Heyes to organize a searchin' party with our family. I grabbed two lanterns and started on the trail to the Joseph house. Near our house there were too many overlappin' footprints to distinguish. As I got farther away, I found what I was lookin' for – little footprints of two kids walkin' side by side. I kept the light on them as I walked.

"Nettie, can you hear me? This is Uncle Jed," I called. Then I stopped and listened. What at first had looked to me as the bright first light of mornin' now seemed dark and full of danger. I called for Nettie because Ruth Ann couldn't hear me. This is why we always have someone watchin' her. If she wanders away, she can't hear us callin' her.

"Nettie, it's Uncle Jed!" I called again. We didn't know how long they had been gone. One side of the road is a corn and wheat field. Both crops have grown and are taller than two little girls. A the road got firm and harder, the footsteps disappeared. The other side was lightly forested and where we did huntin'. And I'd seen some evidence of a wolf, lone or a pack, I didn't know. Me and Heyes had talked about hirin' someone to kill it, but never got around to it.

"Pa, we've come to help you!" Michael and Martha came runnin' down the trail.

"Good, thanks." I straightened up from studyin' the ground. "Lost their footprints around here. Nettie, we're not mad. Please let us know where you are," I called. Puttin' my finger to my lips so the twins will be quiet, we listened. There was a light wind movin' through the crops. And a small animal moved on the other side, but no answer from the girls.

"See if you can find their footprints. They might have gotten scared and turned off the road," I said.

"Yes, Pa," Michael answered as he took one of the lanterns. I watched as our big twins studied the ground on each side.

"Nettie, Ruth Ann, where are you?" Martha called. She knows her sister can't hear, but is callin' her anyway. She's always been sweet.

HEYES

Everyone at Phoenix is up and alert. Juan quietly told me that Vince and him were going to walk along the stream, just in case. I didn't want to think about that option. Not for our sweet little girls. I heard a wolf howl and beat myself up about not finding someone to catch it. I'll never forgive myself if something happens to them because of me.

Chrissy asked Angie to watch the little twins and Catherine and flew out the kitchen door heading for the stables.

"Chrissy, where are you going?" I asked, running after her.

She stopped and stared at nothing for a long quiet moment before saying, "Ma go look for girls on Spring's Moirai. Curry Road to Main Road to Josephs Road. I go now." She ran to her horse and started to saddle her.

"Here, I'll help you. I don't think they would have gone that way, but it would be good to alert Ken and Mary," I told her. And she rode quickly away. The areas near our house, barn, stables, and corrals were searched thoroughly. Vince found Nettie's doll, Daisy, near the entrance to the trail to the Josephs' and right near the river. I ran downstream along the river as far as I could. Juan was on the other side of the stream doing the same thing. We didn't find the girls.

JED 'KID' CURRY

We were at a disadvantage because we didn't know how long the girls had been gone. Michael finally found two small sets of footprints goin' into the trees. Looks like they sat on a log here and rested. One of them made a pile of rocks. But they were gone.

We moved further down the road. "Pa, I found footprints here," Michael told me. "But…"

"But what?" I asked, lookin' at what he'd found. And took a deep breath…there was only one set of footprints.

I turned around and followed the footprints backwards. They came out of the corn. I moved the crops aside to follow the trail. The girls were so small they didn't leave a path through the corn where they walked.

"Nettie, can you hear me? It's Uncle Jed," I called.

"Nettie?" Michael echoed my call, even louder.

"Quiet!" hissed Martha.

"Unc Jed?" Nettie's voice came from the corn somewhere to my left.

Martha ran to the voice. "Nettie!" she exclaimed and I heard Martha start cryin'. "What happened?"

Martha, carryin' Nettie, emerged from the corn and handed her to me.

"Unc Jed, Ruf take me to Key. I want Key." My cryin' niece hugged my neck tight. "Owie," she said, showin' me her feet and I realized the light slippers she was wearin' were torn. Her little feet were bleedin'.

Martha reached up for her. "Pa, let me take her home. I'll take care of her feet."

I kissed Nettie on the forehead. "Martha's gonna help your feet. Where's Ruth Ann? Is she in the corn, too?"

"Ruf hear wolf. Hide me in corn. Get help," she answered.

"Martha, you got her?" I asked.

"Yes, Pa. I'll take care of her. You and Michael go look for Ruth Ann," my capable oldest daughter said. She's ten but sometimes seems so much older.

Michael had been followin' the single set of footprints. "Pa, remember that stack of rocks we saw where they rested on the log? How they were all whitish?"

"Yeah," I said, watchin' Martha carryin' Nettie in the other direction.

"I think Ruth Ann is leaving a trail, like in Hansel and Gretel." he said.

And I saw a white rock placed directly in front of one of her small footprints. We didn't need the light from the lanterns anymore; the sun was out. We followed the path of footprints and an occasional white rock. At one point, we found a rock by the side of the road by the wheat.

"Looks like she sat in here, Pa, and then went back on the trail," Michael said.

I looked into the distance. I could see the outline of Ken's house. Squintin' into the sun I studied the trail ahead. And I saw her, sittin' alone by the side of the trail, half hidden by the tree she was leanin' against…and lookin' so tiny. She had her arms wrapped around her knees and she kept lookin' up and down the road.

"Ruth Ann," I yelled, even though I knew she couldn't hear me. I took off runnin' as fast as I could and Michael stayed even with me. I swept my daughter up in my arms, huggin' her as I let my tears of relief fall.

"Papa," she said and hugged me quickly and pulled away and started to sign. I must admit Michael is quicker to read her signs than me.

He nodded to her.

"Somethin' about baby?" I asked.

"She said baby Nettie got hurt. They heard a wolf but Nettie couldn't run so she hid her in the cornfield and went for help," Michael said.

"Nettie good," I signed to her.

"No, we go get baby Nettie. Scared," she signed back.

"Martha has Nettie," Michael signed back. "Look!" He pointed down the road. Chrissy on Spring's Moirai was headin' toward us. Michael went to help her off the horse but she didn't wait for him. I wish she had. She's four months pregnant. She hugged me holdin' our daughter.

Then she got a very serious look on her face. "Why did you sneak out of the house?" she signed.

"Nettie wanted to see Key. I take her to see Key." Ruth Ann pointed to Ken's house. "Almost there." She smiled.

We heard the wolf howl again, this time farther away. We all turned toward the sound and the child in my arms shuddered, at my abrupt movement.

"You know you are not allowed to go there alone and never at night," Chrissy signed.

But Ruth Ann smiled proudly and pointed to her chest. "Good girl. Take baby Nettie to Rocky. Brush her hair first."

"No, you're not," Chrissy signed and said, "You are not a good girl." And she swatted her bottom.

Ruth Ann looked offended and confused. Our headstrong daughter wiggled to be put down and ran to Ken, Kenny, and Rocky walkin' toward us. Chrissy must have alerted them. Ruth Ann pulled Rocky's arm to follow her. "Ruth Ann good girl. Bring baby Nettie to see her Key," she signed.

"NO!" I said loudly, startlin' everyone but Ruth Ann. I grabbed her from the back and picked her up. I wanted to swat her bottom again but didn't. "No, no, no," I signed…and got a blank look in response.

HEYES

The Kid is going to drive Aiden, Chrissy, and Ruth Ann to Bridgeport this morning to catch the noon train to Denver. The School for the Deaf there agreed to take Ruth Ann as a student for a month, even though at almost four she's younger than most of their pupils. The fact that she already knows sign language was a plus. But the real reason they took her, I'm sure, was Aiden's passionate plea in his letters to teach him how to teach her not just 'no', but also right and wrong. Chrissy was torn between wanting to be with Ruth Ann and staying in her safe place, Phoenix. Her mother's heart won. She would be able to see Ruth Ann two days a week for lunch at the school. And if Ruth Ann makes progress, Chrissy will be allowed to take her all day on Sunday.

The night before we left, Aiden came out to Phoenix bringing some long awaited catalogs. The barn and the outbuildings have been repaired as well as Auntie's house, but we haven't begun on our house. Jeff sent away for the catalogs with pictures of ideas for houses and additions right after the tornado. We're all going to look at them with our contractor, Mr. Russell.

Me and the Kid sat in the living room and made the final plans for the trip with Aiden and Chrissy. Aiden leaned forward and said, "I worried thinking about you, Miss Chrissy, in a hotel room alone all day with nothing to do. There's a lot of strangers to deal with there. Instead, I've rented a small two-bedroom cottage two blocks from the school for us."

Chrissy froze for a minute. "Have yard Ruth Ann play?" she finally asked.

"Well, yes, it does, but remember she will only be home on Sundays," Aiden reminded her.

"Yard good. Chickens?"

"Yes, a few laying hens. I should have asked before. Chrissy, can you cook for us?"

She smiled a playful smile. "Breakfast, eggs, and bacon good. Mashed potatoes and grilled meat for lunch and dinner good," she answered. "Miss Marina cook at Winter's Refuge. First Jed and Heyes then Auntie and Angie cook here. Chrissy no cook much."

Aiden leaned back against the couch not knowing what to say. "I was going to introduce you as my housekeeper and cook."

"I learn to cook. I'll bring Auntie's cookbook. It will be fun. Make us dinner every night," she said with enthusiasm.

From the look in the Kid's eyes, I could tell he was remembering a picnic he told me about long ago where Chrissy didn't remember to boil the eggs and I laughed to myself. But the look on his face was serious.

"Here's the address of the cottage." Aiden left a paper on the table. "Mail will get delivered to us."

Chrissy hadn't been listening. "Cottage have little white fence in front?" she asked.

"I believe it does." Aiden smiled.

"Maybe I should go with you, too," the Kid said.

"Jed, I'll watch out for Chrissy. She'll be fine. You're needed here. Three Birds is still recovering," Aiden told him. "Nothing for you to do in Denver. Maybe you can visit one of the weekends."

The Kid looked…unsettled. I knew we would talk about this later

JED 'KID' CURRY

"Heyes, I'm worried about her alone in Denver," I said, as we sat in Heyes' temporary office in the corner of the stable with a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. His office in the barn is now Vince's room.

"I'm more worried about you here worrying about her there. We got a lot of work to do around here. And the town needs your leadership, not to mention your hinges and locks to replace what was lost. You ain't had time to make them. And someone's got to parent that bushel of kids you got running around here," Heyes argued.

"I know, Heyes, I know, but she ain't really been away from Phoenix without me for too long since I brought her here," I said, while takin' another drink. Neither of us drink much anymore, but I thought the whiskey might calm me. It wasn't calming me; it was makin' me anxious and melancholy…and that's not good.

Pickin' up the bottle, Heyes put it back on the top shelf. "Aiden will take good care of her, Kid. You know that."

"I do," I answered. "But I'm sure gonna worry about her and miss her. She's my life, Heyes."

ASJ*ASJ

Ruth Ann and Chrissy rode in the back of our wagon and Aiden next to me on the driver's seat. The goodbyes had been emotional, full of tears, hugs, and wishes of good luck. I said Ruth Ann rode in the back of the wagon; actually, she refused to sit down and kept walkin' from side to side, excited. When Chrissy hugged her close to get her to sit down, she howled like a wolf. Yes, a wolf. I didn't think anything about it then, but when we found Nettie, she told us that Ruth Ann heard a wolf. Those were her words, heard a wolf. And now she's makin' a sound real close to a wolf's howl.

"Aiden, do you think Ruth Ann could hear a wolf howlin'?" I asked.

He turned around and looked at my fearless little girl. "I suppose she might be able to hear certain unique high sounds like that. I'll have to ask at the school."

Still held in her ma's arms, Ruth Ann let out another howl.

"Sure sounds kinda like a wolf to me," Aiden answered.

ASJ*ASJ

Chrissy wrote her first letter home that night in Denver on her new scented yellow stationery. Rocky had gone into Three Birds with me the day before they left and surprised her with the paper before she left.

"Mrs. Curry, my sister has pretty paper like this and I thought you could use it to write letters home and let us know how things are going," he said, shyly.

Chrissy fought tears as she took the gift and hugged him tight. "Thank you, dear boy," she said, which made Rocky look away from all of us, probably to hide his own tears. The boy doesn't have much money yet he spent some of his meager funds on the paper for my wife. I'm not allowed to pay a parole apprentice for his blacksmith work, but me and Heyes slip him some money for the extra tasks he does around here. I do put a fair wage into an account for him in the bank each month so he'll have money when he's a free man.

I read the letter quickly and then put it next to my place at the dinner table. When Martha helped Auntie serve dessert, I read it.

"My Dear Family,

I'm writing to let you know we arrived safely in Denver and are settling into the little cottage Aiden rented. It is the fourth house from one corner and the sixth from the other. I have never lived on a city street with houses close and all lined up in a row before. This is an adventure for me, as well as Ruth Ann. I'm taking care of myself and, with the special clothes I brought with me, I don't think you can tell I'm four months with child unless you know.

Ruth Ann has finally fallen asleep for the night and Dr. Aiden (he's asked me to call him that and not The Good Doctor anymore) is reading a medical journal in our small living room.

Our daughter was excited to ride the train, but soon was bored with staying in her seat and looking out the window. I bought her a new dolly of her own in Bridgeport and that occupied some time until the motion of the train rocked her to sleep.

I must admit I am facing this trip with excitement and trepidation. Never in my life have I had free time to myself. Phoenix is my home and you are all there.

Dr. Aiden was right about our cottage. It has the cutest whitewashed fence surrounding the front yard and roses by the porch. Ruth Ann is staying with us tonight and has fallen asleep in my bed. There is a diner close by and the doctor bought us food for dinner. I will make scrambled eggs for breakfast tomorrow to go with the sweet rolls he bought. Those I know how to make without Auntie's cookbook.

Tomorrow I'll take our baby and leave her at the School for the Deaf. We have told her repeatedly that she will be sleeping there and we will visit her. I don't think she understands. She's so young. This breaks my heart but I am convinced this is the best thing for her. And it's not for long. And I will be close.

I will finish for now and write again soon. The post office, as they call it here, is down at the corner so I can easily mail my letters. Rocky, I thank you again for your thoughtful gift of this beautiful paper. It makes me feel as if I'm someone special when using it.

My heart and thoughts are with all of you at home. Martha and Michael, help Auntie watch out for the little ones. Make sure Aunt Angie stays off her sore leg and help take care of Alexander. I miss you all already!

Chrissy Curry (Ma)

PS – Jed, this part is for you. Don't read it aloud. I don't want to go to bed because you are not there to share my thoughts and fears. I have trouble sleeping if I'm not in your arms. This separation won't be for long and is the best thing for Ruth Ann. Don't try to take everything on your shoulders. Let Heyes and the family help. I love you. Please write soon. Chrissy Darling

I reread the private part again before I put it in my pocket. When the kids were put to bed, I sat up downstairs by the fire reading until I fell asleep in the chair. Then I forced myself to face my empty bed. But reality hit me as I opened the door to my room and realized Catherine or one of the little twins definitely needed a diaper change. Chrissy usually lets me sleep and handles this, but for the next month this is my responsibility. I tried to be quiet. Heyes, Angie, and Alexander sleep in the room on one side of us and the kids on the other.

"Kid? Heard you come upstairs," said Heyes, stickin' his head in the door. "Oh my, which one needs a diaper change?"

"Don't know yet," I answered.

"Let's change them all, just in case," Heyes suggested, and that sounded good to me.

"No need to change a sleeping, dry baby," Martha whispered from the doorway. "They were hard to get to sleep tonight. They miss Ma." Without waking them, she checked their diapers, finally pickin' up Josiah and handin' him to me. "Just change him. The others are dry."

"Goodnight, darlin'. Thank you," I said, kissin' the top of her hair. I got a small wave as she left.

HEYES

The first morning, everyone but the Kid overslept. He was up at dawn practicing shooting. Chrissy usually gets up and moving in the morning right after the Kid leaves their bed. And her movement wakes the rest of us. I heard the Kid return from his practice and he called loudly as he hurried up the stairs. "Past time to get up. Michael, Martha, get ready; you needed to leave for school ten minutes ago."

At his voice, babies, upstairs and downstairs, cried. I picked up Alexander and started to change his diaper. Angie reached for her cane. "Stay there. I'll change him and give him to you to feed," I said. Diaper pins usually take me time, but today they cooperated and I gave a dry baby to his ma.

Auntie was bustling around the kitchen making the twins lunches and I heard a knocking on the kitchen door. "Chrissy usually figures out what goes in their lunches the night before," she complained.

There was another quick knock on the kitchen door and Juan entered. "Twins ready to go to school?" he asked, looking around for them.

"Coming. We're coming," yelled Michael from upstairs. "Can't find my homework or Martha's pencil. Ma always puts them next to our books if we leave it somewhere."

"Found them," Martha said a few seconds later as the two of them raced downstairs. I didn't have the heart to tell them no running on the stairs today. "Ma usually lays our school clothes out for us."

I started making a list in my head of the things we needed to do until Chrissy comes home. And all day that list grew. We needed to have a family meeting after dinner tonight and get this all figured out.