Winter's Refuge
Chapter One Hundred Eighty-Seven
HEYES
I made a list of the things Chrissy does for us daily and came to the conclusion that she is the one that keeps Phoenix functioning. I never gave her enough credit. At our family meeting after dinner, everyone took on new chores. Joy and Nettie are going to take over gathering the eggs each morning. Auntie assured us that they have been doing that under Chrissy's supervision for awhile now. Little Diane Francis and Josiah have the job of picking up all the toys in the living room after dinner. My sweet Angie wanted to take on more duties, but I reminded her that Dr. Aiden made her promise to take it easy and keep that leg elevated, either in bed, on the couch, or in the living room chair with a footstool almost all day. She volunteered to take some of the ranch paperwork from me. Chrissy already gave her the breeding calendar and this year's correspondence to handle. The Kid will wake us all up and Hortencia will come over and make the school lunches. It was a productive meeting, but it made us all miss Chrissy even more.
When the kids were in bed, I took the letter we got from Dr. Aiden today out of my pocket. Me and the Kid read it quickly when it came and agreed it is something all the adults should hear. Juan is still here, but his wife and boys went home. The Kid will take Rocky to the Josephs in the wagon later.
"Greetings Phoenix Family,
I know Miss Chrissy has already written to you. I just want to assure you that we got here safely and are settled into our small house. Miss Chrissy is doing well and hasn't had any 'thinking' moments of which I am aware. On the contrary, she seems happy and curious. I have insisted that she gets her rest and takes a nap during the day. She and the unborn child are healthy.
Miss Chrissy and I took Ruth Ann to school for the first time this morning. The child was very excited to be going to school like Martha and Michael. Miss Chrissy and Ruth Ann packed her bag together. When all the paperwork was completed, Miss Chrissy hugged and kissed the child goodbye and left. When her teacher took her hand, Ruth Ann wiggled away and banged on the closed door and yelled, "MA!" She turned to me and signed, "Ma, come back now. Now!" She banged on the door again.
"Dr. Arden, it would be best if you go find your office. It is down the left hallway. Leave us alone with Ruth Ann," her teacher, Miss Ellen, told me firmly. I knew how Miss Chrissy must have been feeling. I'm sure she could hear the child through the closed door. Ruth Ann had sat down on the floor and was kicking at Miss Ellen when she came near. Knowing this is the best thing for her, that's how I left her. As I walked down the hallway, I heard Ruth Ann howl like a wolf.
When he drove us to Bridgeport, Jed told me about Nettie telling him that Ruth Ann heard a wolf howl. He hadn't thought anything about it until she howled again on the wagon ride to Bridgeport. And now another howl here at school. I asked the teachers if she was able to hear the wolf and the consensus answer was YES! I observed older classes today and was impressed. I know this school doesn't believe in physical punishment or withholding food. They work from a basis of kindness, and I'm impressed with the students here.
I picked up dinner from the small cafe at the end of our street. Walking down the street, I saw Miss Chrissy in the front yard gardening. She is delighted with the white picket fence that she's read about in her books and the rose garden lining it. It was hard telling her the school's first impression of Ruth Ann. They said what we consider head strong, they call spoiled. We, all of you including me, have let her have her way because we feel sorry that she can't hear. They have to undo that but assured me it was common with children new to the school. Chrissy was disappointed because she cannot have lunch with Ruth Ann this week. Miss Ellen did say if all goes well, she can spend Sunday with us. I will be able to see Ruth Ann every day and will keep you informed of her progress.
After dinner, Chrissy and I sat on our small front porch and nodded to our neighbors as they took their evening constitutionals.
I received a letter from Miss Denise telling me Ajay, Joyce, and her are well but they missed me. If you are in town, please stop in and see them and say hello. Miss Chrissy and I are looking forward to Phoenix updates from each of you.
Sincerely,
Dr. Aiden Arden"
"How dare they say that sweet child is spoiled," said Auntie when I finished reading.
"We do baby her and she thinks she can do what she wants," the Kid said firmly. "She proved that when she ran away with Nettie and thought she was a good girl. If that's what they call spoiled, she is." He sighed deeply. "I was so scared that day. Wish I was with Chrissy now to comfort her. This must be hard for her."
"Why don't you write her a letter?" Angie suggested. "In fact, Heyes, get some paper and we'll all write letters. The children can write theirs in a couple of days so she always has letters coming. Juan can post them when he drops the twins off at school tomorrow."
JED 'KID' CURRY
I stared at the blank paper and it stared back at me. I didn't want to write a letter to my wife; I wanted to hold her in my arms. Finally, I wrote that I loved her and agreed with the school that our darlin' Ruth Ann was most definitely spoiled. I asked if she was learnin' to cook and what she did with her days. I didn't know how to write the emptiness I felt without her, so I just wrote that and I miss her and her smile. I signed it Love, Your Jed. It looked like so few words to express what my days and nights were like without her.
HEYES
For the next few days things ran better at Phoenix, until the big twins got too busy to help Auntie do their new chores every day. We all missed Chrissy, but especially the Kid. He's trying to do everything for everyone. But I can see he's hurting. Nettie misses her playmate and can't understand why, if she went to school, she doesn't come home with Martha.
Rocky is the exception to letting his new tasks slide. He's doing more than we asked and spends all his free time helping Auntie. He sees her with different eyes than I do. I see the vibrant woman who came to Lillian Trevor's funeral and never left. He sees an older lady with a bent back and failing knees and eye sight that tires easily. And he helps her whenever he can.
And then four days later, two letters arrived, one from Chrissy and one from Aiden. I gave the Kid his wife's letter to read to us. Like the first one, the last part is private, just for him. We read them after dinner at the table. The Kid took his wife's letter out of his pocket.
"That paper was a very nice gift, Rocky," Auntie noted. We all nodded as Kid started reading:
"My Dear Family,
I received your letters and I'm relieved that everything is going smoothly at Phoenix. I was afraid that some things would not get done in my absence, but it sounds like everything is covered. I have not been able to see Ruth Ann this week, but Aiden will write to you with the updates about my spoiled, stubborn daughter. I am told she will be able to spend Sunday with us and has been signing to Aiden and Miss Ellen about swinging in the tree swing in the backyard here.
I've been working in the gardens around this house, and I find some enjoyment in that. I have found that except for breakfast, I am not a cook. And will never be. But life provided an unexpected answer to my spare time and our dinner.
Aiden and I sit on the porch in the evenings and nod to our neighbors. Our next-door neighbor is Roberto Malone. He is a painter and often sits in his yard with his easel and paints. Aiden came with me and we arranged for him to teach me drawing and painting. I am enjoying my lessons. I wanted to pay Roberto for the lessons, but instead he asked to cook Aiden and me dinner each night, if Aiden would buy the food and supplies. Turns out he was a cook in his parents' restaurant before he came here. His parents died suddenly and he took the opportunity to move to Denver and follow his other passion of painting. He sells his paintings in a gallery downtown and he's quite good. He even gave me one. But he's alone out here and misses cooking for people. He said it's not the same when it's just for yourself. So, Aiden opened a tab at the grocery store and Roberto cooks marvelous dinners for us and paints during the day. I think while he enjoys cooking our dinners, he is lonely. He's made few friends in Denver.
I am just learning to draw this week and have enclosed a picture of Fall's Destiny I did from memory in this letter. It's not very good, but Roberto says I am improving."
The Kid unfolded a paper from the envelope and passed around a pretty good likeness of our beloved horse. I didn't hear it in the Kid's voice, but his eyes told me this letter was bothering him as he continued reading.
"Michael and Martha, I was glad to hear that you have taken on more chores to help. Make sure you're still doing all your homework. I love and miss all of you. It's very quiet in this house after Aiden leaves in the morning.
Sending you all of my love,
Chrissy Curry (Ma)"
JED 'KID' CURRY
When I finished readin', I folded the letter and returned it to its envelope. The words Chrissy had written at the bottom of the page were few. It said, "My Jed, I hold you in my heart all the time and think of your face when I fall asleep. I miss your touch. I love you. CC"
I was thinkin' about Roberto, her next-door neighbor, and her spendin' time with him everyday learnin' to paint. I put the thought out of my head and got all the kids to bed before the rest of us listened to Heyes read Aiden's letter.
"Greetings from Denver,
I am finding my time at the Denver School for the Deaf fascinating…and trying. And I hope that the young Doctor Crehan is finding filling in for me is just as fascinating. At first, Ruth Ann proved difficult for everyone. She refused to do anything for anyone, just signed and signed for her ma to come get her. By the second morning, she was happy to see me and ran into my arms when I arrived. She signed that she didn't like school and wanted to go home. I had been prepared for this by her teacher, Miss Ellen. I told Ruth Ann that she would go home when she finished learning. This continued the next day, but by the fourth day she made a friend and started to learn. Her progress since then has been steady if not perfect and she will be allowed to spend Sunday with us. She wants to ride the tree swing in our backyard and that's what she will do.
Miss Chrissy is doing well. That second day, our first without Ruth Ann, while she was gardening, she noticed our neighbor looking at her and painting. She was curious and quietly sneaked around behind him to see what he was painting. When she saw that it was her gardening, she surprised him with a loud, "Oh my!" and ran home and into her room. That's how I found her when I got home, in the rocking chair in her room staring at the wall. I thought maybe she was upset that Ruth Ann was having a hard adjustment to school. I sat on her bed next to her and was silent until she finally looked at me and told me what had happened. About that time there was a knock on our door. Our new neighbor, Roberto Malone, with an Italian mother and Irish father, stood at our doorway. Chrissy stood back where he couldn't see her.
He brought the finished painting he had been working on as a welcome to the neighborhood present. He's a very talented young man and the picture is beautiful. He captured Chrissy's shy smile and mountain green eyes. I've learned he's earning a reputation and his work is getting valuable. Miss Chrissy was cautiously curious and wanted to see the picture. Walking cautiously to stand next to me, she studied it silently. "Mine?" she asked.
"Yes, it's yours, Ma'am," Mr. Malone answered.
"Jed will like," Chrissy said and took it to her room.
I talked to Mr. Malone for a moment and when he left, I went to see Miss Chrissy. She had propped the picture up on her dresser. She sat opposite it. Without looking at me, she told me that she always dreamed of learning how to paint real art. Malone had seemed like a lonely man, also new to Denver. Without hesitation, I took Miss Chrissy's hand and knocked on his door. He seemed delighted to give her painting lessons. She was so excited she didn't sleep that night.
Do not be worried, I have checked out this man and he's well respected. Miss Chrissy wanted to pay him for her lessons, but he countered with the offer to let him cook us a fine dinner each night in return, if I pay for the food. He is a noted chef in Chicago, but hates cooking for one. So, this has worked out well for all of us. And my first perception of him was correct, he is a shy, lonely man.
Miss Chrissy has shown some talent in drawing and painting and it keeps her days filled after her morning lesson with Malone. I found her one afternoon sitting on the ground, legs straight out in front of her, in the backyard trying to draw the bloom of a rose just so. And she didn't stop until she was happy with it.
Be assured that Ruth Ann is making progress, even if it is just that she's learned that she's not the center of the world. And Miss Chrissy's health continues to be good as she continues in her condition. Painting seems the perfect hobby for her and Malone's meals are delicious and healthy.
I do thank you all sincerely for stopping by and visiting with my wife. And a special thanks to Martha for taking Ajay outside to play every day. A boy of almost four has limitless energy and this gives Miss Denise time to nap when baby Joyce naps. Please keep it up.
We are both looking forward to Ruth Ann coming home on Sunday. I had the tree swing checked out and found that it is sturdy and safe.
Sincerely,
Dr. Aiden Arden"
I didn't know quite what I was feelin' when Heyes was readin' Aiden's letter. But when I thought about it, I knew…jealousy. My wife was happily spendin' time with another man, a talented painter and cook, and not me.
HEYES
After the letters were read, the Kid left. I found him in the barn gathering his tools together. And I had two guesses what he was doing.
"Hi Kid, you going to make a tree swing or build a white picket fence?" I asked.