Chapter 3

Chapter 3
The Stranger


Megan had helped me sweep up my mangled red curls and kissed me on the forehead before she made her way downstairs to tend to her now screaming daughter. I pictured Roger’s bewildered and relieved look as she retrieved the screaming child from his arms. The house was once again filled with silence except for the clanging of Mama gathering up the supper dishes and the soft husky sound of men talking. I checked myself one more time in the mirror. I realized that this was the first time in a long time that I had even cared about my appearance and I wondered why. With another very large sigh, I set my shoulders, straightened my posture, raised my head, and turned on my heels to traverse the stairs to help Mama with clearing the dishes and to meet our mystery guest.

My heart caught in my chest as I made the last few steps of the staircase and turned into the dining room. There standing by the window was the silhouette of a man that looked almost like my William. He had his back turned and his tuft of black hair, broad shoulders, and strong back made me lose my breath. I hadn’t realized I had said William’s name out loud until both men turned to look at me. Papa with concern and sadness in his eyes, the stranger with understanding that put me sore at ease. “Jeremy, this is my youngest daughter Cindy. Cindy, Jeremy is what you might call a traveling man. He is planning to stay in town for a few weeks and see what work the town might offer him.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Jeremy” I said still trying to catch my bearings with every nerve standing on edge. “The pleasure is all mine Ms. Langston,” as he strode two steps and took my tiny hand in his two large ones. Our eyes met and the same look crossed over them. It wasn’t pity at all, or sadness, or fear that at any minute I might disintegrate right there on the floor. No, it was a comfortable feeling like hot chocolate, a warm blanket, and a hot fire after a long play in the snow. His smile brightened a room and I found myself having to turn away from the kindness, my cheeks burning. After all the dishes were dry and put away I lay in my bed and thought of the stories Jeremy told of his travels, I couldn’t stop thinking about him, and I felt a flutter rush through my stomach, a feeling I thought long dead since William.

The days passed quickly and as the time for Christmas approached the house was full of excitement. Jeremy had become a staple in our home and the town. He had found odd jobs with the Sallanger’s, at Mrs. Grafferty’s Diner, and repairing the old roof of the Presbyterian Church before the first real snow storm hit. Everyone in town loved him, and he was never short on a job, kind word, or warm meal. I felt a sort of honor about having him in our home, and was proud of Papa and Mama for their kindness. Jeremy and I had spent many a Saturday doing the much needed grocery shopping at the local market, and once he found out I liked ice cream it was a must that he buy me some after each market excursion. It was joyfully easy to talk to him and I felt transported back in time with gentle shoves and childish jokes. His intelligence was hidden by his sense of humor, but there was no denying that there was a depth to this man that commanded a gentle respect. He genuinely cared about people and the work he did. He took the time to get to know folk personal like. He wasn’t all concerned about himself, but allowed others to tell their story in such a way that he became a very small thread in their tapestry. It was beautiful to watch, and I found myself standing slightly back each time he interacted with another person just to see it unfold.

It was Saturday December 13th, and Christmas was less than two weeks away. Mama had sent Jeremy and me off to the market as usual. We were to pick up as many non-perishable items for the Christmas festivities this weekend for fear of the store not having them with the Christmas rush. Papa had allowed Jeremy to drive the car into town. It was a beautifully crisp and dreadfully cold day, but I had coaxed Jeremy into rolling down the windows so I could feel the wind on my face. He protested at first, “You will have icicles forming on your nose little miss.” But in the end he simply let out a little laugh, rolled his eyes as his hand cranked the windows down. I had worn my beautiful brown coat, and brown hat that Sally had given me that birthday which seemed so long ago. I had chosen white gloves that fit my small hands beautifully. I also had spent a dreadful time placing my curls just so for the journey, a point I hadn’t thought through fully when I asked Jeremy to roll down the window. I had come to take more care of myself when I knew Jeremy and I would be spending time together. Mama had seemed to pick up on it to, and squeezed my hand just a little harder with those blue eyes of hers laughing with joy each time we left. I was completely annoyed and also a little disturbed at the thought of a new love blooming. If Mama had picked up on it others must have to, and I just couldn’t help to think that I might have been betraying William in some way.

My nose was indeed red after the journey and I tried to turn away to rub it with my white gloved hand. “I told you that you were going to have icicles forming off that pretty little nose of yours.” “Jeremy really, I have no such thing. It’s just a little cold, but I’ll warm up quick enough in the store with all that hot air roaming around.” With that I gave him a smart punch in his side and scuttled up the walk and into the Market doors. I almost ran smack dab into Mrs. Mullings. “Well, I never…” I heard her exclaim in her plum colored coat, and bright yellow hat atop a mound of grey curls. She looked like a round, oddly decorated Christmas ornament, and I giggled under my breath as I quickly tried to find a hiding place for Jeremy to hunt me.

I scrunched up behind the bin of potatoes put my gloved hand over my mouth to keep the giggles from disclosing my whereabouts and just when I was sure all of me was hidden I heard someone speak my name. I turned to see someone’s knees and looked up, my hand still covering my mouth, to see Nathaniel Simms staring back at me.

“Hello Cindy, how are you this fine day.”

I found it so odd that Nate Simms would respond to a girl hiding in the floor behind a bin of potatoes that way, but that was just Nate. He was the shyest of boys, but one of the kindest. He kept to himself, and had worked in his Grandfather’s store since he was knee high to a grasshopper. He always knew the best produce and items to purchase. He cared about the people of this town and treated them more as guests in his home than as customers in his store. His Grandfather had left the store to him after he died and it seemed to suit him just right. Nate was two years older than my William would have been. Nearly 6’1”, with a thin yet fitting build, a light tan, dirty blonde hair, and soft eyes that matched his hair color to a ‘T’. He was extremely handsome, but his shyness which seemed to come on extra strong around girls had kept him, in my opinion, from being married. However, I always found it a delight to chat with him. In fact, I remember right after William died he was one of the only people I could talk to. He never looked at me with sadness, but went about chatting on how the pickled pears were exceptionally good this time of year. I do however, remember the care he put in packing the things I needed, and the way he squeezed my hand as I left. Nate was a peculiar sort of man and I was blessed to know him.

Forgetting my hiding place and Jeremy I stood to my feet, removed my hand from my mouth, and extended it to Nate, “I’m fine Nate, what a brilliant day it truly is, how are the pickled pears this time of year?”
“Oh, now I tell you Ms. Cindy we have a real fine bunch of them all fixed up real nice, but I think the pickled peaches are a much better choice this time of year.”

“Well, Nate you know best, I’ll take two jars of the peaches home to Mama. I’m sure she can make a fine dessert out of ‘em.” Nate nodded with a grin and headed to gather up the best two jars of pickled peaches he could find.
Jeremy had slipped through the store a few minutes before and when he saw Nate talking to someone in the floor he knew. He had stayed a ways back, but when I popped up he looked at me in the most amusing way. I tried to give him a stare to mind his own business. He chuckled and went around picking up a few sweet potatoes that would keep in the root cellar until Christmas.

Andy’s little hands reached high into the air as his mouth opened wide in a yawn. Smacking his lips properly after the good stretch he gave his muscles he snuggled under his Grandmother’s arm and fluttered his tired eyelids. Cindy looked at Audrey and saw that her eyelids seemed to be pulled down by tiny sandbags as well and she fought to keep them from doing their job.
“All right you two, it’s off to bed. We can finish this story tomorrow night.”

“Awww! Grandma!” both protested in a loud sleepy moan.
“Nope, no arguments, you two are about in dream land as it is. Besides we have some grocery shopping of our own to do tomorrow, and in two days your Mom and Dad will be arriving for Christmas, and I don’t want them to think I’ve been keeping either of you from those visions of sugarplums dancing in your heads.”

Cindy tussled Andy’s hair and he yawned again as he scooted off her lap. She tapped his behind and began to lead the almost sleeping boy up the stairs to his bedroom. Audrey gathered up the dishes to take them to the kitchen and soon followed her brother to dreamland. The story of how an angel came for Christmas would just have to keep until tomorrow night.