Lightning and Lace

chapter 8

The house seemed strangely quiet that night at dinner. Michael Paul and Lydia Anne said little even though Juanita had prepared their favorite chicken and dumplings. It was Zack’s favorite too. Bonnie’s bite of dumpling hung in her throat until she sensed she’d be ill. The forlorn looks on the children’s faces told her they weren’t faring much better. She needed to reassure them about their brother but not tell them what might happen if Zack didn’t learn to respect others and himself.

“Will Zack get food while he’s at Brother Whitworth’s?” Lydia Anne said.

“Of course he will,” Michael Paul said a bit gruffly.

Bonnie had to address their worries. “Don’t you want your brother to be nice like he used to be?”

Lydia Anne nodded, but her gaze stayed fixed on her plate. “I don’t remember when Zack was nice all the time. But I miss him.”

“I miss him, too, but unless he learns to have respect for us and mind those who are older and wiser, all of us will be miserable.”

“You mean Zack’s not happy, either?” Michael Paul said.

“What do you think?”

He seemed to ponder her question for a moment. “No, he’s not. What can the new preacher do that’s different?”

“I’m hoping a man of God can help him see where he’s wrong, and in turn, Zack will want to change.”

“Then he’ll come home?” Lydia Anne said.

“Of course. Our family needs to be together.”

“What if Zack likes being miserable?” Michael Paul said. “Will he go to jail?”

A knot tightened in her stomach. She understood that unless Zack found purpose in his life, his future held no hope. “We will simply pray that God is able to reach him.”

“I’m going to pray every night,” Michael Paul said. “Zack hits me and says bad things, but I don’t want him in jail.”

“Me, either,” Lydia Anne said with a dainty shrug. “Sometimes he’s a little nice. Just most times he’s not.”

“When can we visit him?” Michael Paul said.

“Brother Whitworth will let us know.”

Her younger son frowned. “He’s not our father. I don’t think Zack will listen to him. At least I’ll see him at school.”

“Brother Travis is planning to teach Zack.”

Michael Paul stared at her curiously. “Is he already in jail? Zack is going to be real mad. Maybe run away again.”

Bonnie’s heart plummeted. Her threat of military school bannered across her mind, and now she must follow through. If she backed down from this, Zack would never respect her. This was all so very difficult. Even her other children doubted Brother Travis could make a difference.

*****

Travis shared dinner with the reverend and Mrs. Rainer without Zack. The boy had cursed in the presence of his grandparents, and Travis had ordered him to his room without the benefit of a meal. The boy had simply grown angrier.

“You did the right thing,” the reverend said at dinner. “I wanted to take him out behind the woodshed.”

“Not as badly as I did,” Mrs. Rainer said. “Where on earth did he learn those words?”

“Maybe the ranch hands,” the reverend said. “Hard to say. May have picked them up at school.”

“You took on a big job with our grandson.” Mrs. Rainer leaned in closer to the table. “Morgan and Grant had their rebellious moments, as most boys do. But neither of them compared to the ugliness I see in Zack.”

Travis wondered if he’d lost some of his God-given good sense to try to help Zack. But the boy despised him, and his actions could cause a preacher to lose his faith.

“I’m sure God will give me direction,” Travis said.

“More like a coat of armor.” The reverend half chuckled. “Seriously, he didn’t used to be this way.”

Travis nodded. “Pretty close to his father?”

“They did everything together,” the reverend said. “Zack didn’t cry at the funeral and has been like this ever since.”

Mrs. Rainer dabbed at her eyes. “Bonnie lost her papa at his age, too. I feel sorry for Zack, but he’s shutting us all out from his life. I pray military school won’t be necessary. Then I’m afraid we’ll lose him for good.”

“I’m not familiar with any to recommend, and,” Travis paused to carefully form his words, “I’m not family. My intentions are not to interfere but to help.” He hesitated. “Since Zack lost his father, I really don’t want to see him lose the rest of his family, too.”

“I agree,” the reverend said. “The problem is if he doesn’t learn to control his temper, Michael Paul, Lydia Anne, and Bonnie will not be safe. Sure glad Morgan settled the problem with the saddle. For once, Zack might have told the truth.”

Travis silently agreed. He started to apologize for continuing an unpleasant topic during dinner, but someone knocked at the door.

Mrs. Rainer excused herself to answer it. Most likely she was pleased not to discuss her grandson’s wild ways.

“Evenin’, Grant. Are you alone?”

“Yes, just me, Mama.”

“How about some coffee and pie?”

“Sounds good. I need to talk to the reverend and Brother Travis.”

“You can do both.”

While greetings were made and pie and coffee served, Travis noted that Grant resembled his mother with light coloring, although his hair was darker than hers and Mrs. Kahler’s. Worry lines furrowed Grant’s forehead.

“We had another problem at Heaven’s Gate last night.” Grant nodded at Travis. “That’s a home where women can find shelter from ways of life that don’t honor God.”

“The reverend mentioned it to me. I believe your wife, Morgan’s wife, and Mrs. Hillman oversee the home.”

“Yes. We’ve had a few instances of late that alarm us.” He glanced at his mother.

“Go ahead, Grant. I know what’s been happening there,” she said.

“The same girl who was beaten about six weeks ago was beaten again.” He laid his fork beside the plate. “I treated Rosie. Tried to get her to tell me who’d hurt her, but she refused to give me a name. She has to be covering up for someone, but who? And why?”

“You want me to talk to her?” the reverend said.

“I’d appreciate it. I’m afraid she might not survive another beating. If we could find out who’s responsible, then we could have him arrested.”

“Do you mind if I ask a question?” Travis said. Once Grant and the reverend affirmed him, he braved forward. “So this young woman worked in a house of ill repute?”

“Yes, but she’s been living for the Lord almost a year,” the reverend said. “She’s barely twenty years old and has been attending church. Bonnie and Jenny have been teaching her how to read and write, and she’s been doing housework for Sylvia Hillman. Now that is a good woman. She volunteers more than Bonnie and Jenny. She wanted to take Rosie home with her, but the girl refused.”

“Do you have a suspect?”

“I don’t,” Grant said. “No one has seen any men around Heaven’s Gate, unless she’s slipping out at night.” He leaned back on the legs of his chair. “There’s no reason to keep the man’s name secret unless he’s threatened to kill her.”

“I remember the last time,” Mrs. Rainer said. “How badly is she hurt?”

Grant set his jaw. “Ugly. Makes me want to tear someone apart.”

“I can tell by the look on your face that I need to leave the room.” She stood from the table and picked up a few of the empty dishes. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”

“Thanks, Mama.” Grant waited until the door between the dining room and kitchen closed. “I’ll be real honest here. Whoever is beating Rosie is careful not to damage her face. She’s black and blue from the neck down, and her left arm is broken.”

“She must be frightened to death.” The reverend shook his head. “Is she back at the home or with you and Jenny?”

“Heaven’s Gate. I don’t think she’d have sought help if one of the other girls hadn’t found her. I talked to Eustes, and he plans to have one of his deputies keep an eye on her.”

Travis wondered what kind of man purposely hit a woman. A weak one, at best. “I’d be glad to talk to Rosie,” he said. “Maybe a new face might help the situation. The reverend here has wisdom and the look of a father figure.”

“The last time Jocelyn went with me, Rosie wouldn’t breathe a word of what happened.” He paused. “Brother Travis, I’d like to check on her in the morning. Mind going along?”

“Be glad to.” A hammering in Travis’s head nearly blinded him. The past always seemed to attack him when he least expected. Trying to help a woman who once lived in a brothel? The thought made him shake to his shoes.

“Thanks.” Grant took a sip of coffee. “Where’s Zack?”

“I’m getting Jocelyn,” the reverend said. “Brother Travis can give you that story.”

A few moments later, Grant stared into Travis’s face. “Sure glad I stopped over here tonight. Military school, huh? I’ll visit with Morgan tomorrow. I imagine he knows more about those things than I do. Like you, Brother Travis, I want to see Zack like he used to be.”

“I think that expecting him to be the happy boy y’all knew when his father was alive is unlikely. It’s impossible to lose someone and then behave as though it never happened. He can find happiness, but he has to trust God again and understand he has a good life ahead of him. The change would be a blessing for all of you.”

“And we’d owe you a tremendous debt,” Grant said.

“If we are blessed to see a change in Zack, it is God who is owed the thanks.”

Later on, as Travis finished reading in his room at a small desk, he pulled out paper and pen to figure out how he was going to school Zack. He already knew the main textbook would be the Bible. Within the covers of those pages, he hoped to build lessons that would help Zack in reading, writing, spelling, ancient history, geography, and hopefully, spirituality. Tomorrow, Travis planned to visit the schoolteacher for help in math. He’d learned she didn’t want the boy back in her class. He shrugged. The idea of teaching Zack a little Greek and Latin had crossed his mind. For a moment, Travis wondered if the education he’d received in seminary had been intended for more than preaching the gospel.

Travis believed God knew all along about how he’d fail at his church in Tennessee and all the horrible gossip and lies that followed. And God knew about the problems here in Kahlerville and his taking on Zack Kahler. Travis blew out an exasperated sigh. The idea of teaching and parenting a twelve-year-old scared him to death. He’d rather take on a town full of heathens. At least he’d have an idea where to begin. God, if You had this all figured out, then You must have a plan in this, too.

His thoughts trailed to Zack’s mother, but no sooner did the image of her face rise in his mind then he pushed it away. His work in Kahlerville did not involve anything to do with a woman, other than tending to the needs of her soul. He stood from the chair and stretched. Before he went to bed, he needed to make sure Zack understood his commitment—whether Zack wanted to hear it or not.

In the darkness, he made his way down the hallway to the boy’s room. Travis knocked once, twice. No response. He twisted the knob and stepped inside a dark room, half expecting him to be gone.

“I have nothing to say to you, Preacher.”

“Good. I came to tell you something.”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

“Then cover your ears, because I intend to say my piece. I’m your last hope—me and God—if you want to stay in Kahlerville and not be sent to a military school. I’m giving you my word that I will do all I can to help you.”

“I don’t want your help.”

“I thought you weren’t listening. Anyway, tomorrow morning you’ll be up at five o’clock. We’ll have early devotions together, then take a walk before breakfast to discuss what God said to us during our Bible reading. After breakfast begins school. While I’m your teacher, we’ll work on the same things your teacher taught. You’re mine until I give you a break. I also plan to teach a few different subjects.”

“Like what?”

“Learning carpentry, hunting, and fishing for starters.”

Silence. But then Travis didn’t expect an answer, and maybe he’d planned all this because deep down he wanted to be that father figure for Zack. Why, he had no idea.