Ben, a good night’s sleep under his belt, filled with hot oatmeal and good-will toward men, walked toward the lodge in the early morning sunshine. He could hardly wait to see what new things might transpire today. Being around Katherine, Moriah, and Nicolas was nearly as good as having television, except it was real people dealing with real problems. He genuinely wanted only the best for all of them.
When he arrived at the lodge, Katherine was bustling around the kitchen and she was humming. That was new. She was dressed in her buckskin outfit again, so he supposed she was going to work today. Nicolas was standing over a skillet of scrambled eggs with a spatula in his hand. He was wearing khaki pants with a plaid shirt. His shirt was not tucked in. For Nicolas, this was casual in the extreme.
Moriah came in about the same time as Ben. She was ready for work, dressed in a brown flannel shirt and jeans, her hair pulled back into a tight braid. He searched her face. She didn’t look like she had slept well.
“There’s fresh juice in the fridge if you want some,” Katherine said. “We’ll have breakfast ready in a jiffy. Are you eating with us, Ben?”
Ben could smell bacon in the oven. Suddenly, hot oatmeal didn’t seem like nearly enough breakfast to get him through the morning.
“Sure!”
“By the way,” Katherine said, “I called Sam Black Hawk early yesterday morning. He specializes in snakes. Sam promised to come take a look at our little problem under Cabin One.”
“Does he think he can help?” Moriah asked.
“He said not to worry; he can take care of it.”
“Great. I was beginning to think I'd have to burn down the cabin and start all over.”
“I don't think he has anything that drastic planned.”
“Will it be expensive?”
“Probably not. Your grandfather was a good friend to Sam, and I helped his mother get through some difficult times. He seemed happy for a chance to help us.”
“That’s a relief.”
The radio was playing soft, classical music as Katherine pulled the pan of crisp bacon from the oven and plated it. Nicolas dished out the eggs; Ben made himself useful by pouring out the juice. Moriah buttered the toast, then brought out the plates and silverware. Katherine made fresh coffee. The morning sun poured through the windows.
Everything was lovely as Katherine asked Ben to say grace. He did, with thankfulness pouring from his heart. As they ate, he felt blessed to be sitting with these people in this room at this moment. Life was good until Moriah spoke.
“Why did you lie to me, Katherine?”
Ben sighed inwardly. Things had been going so well.
“My love for Nicolas was a painful memory.” Katherine said. “I had no desire to relive it by sharing it.”
“I’m not talking about Nicolas.”
Katherine looked puzzled.
Moriah carefully laid her knife and fork on her plate. “Tell me about my mom and dad’s death.”
Katherine hesitated. “Your parents died in a plane crash on their way to do mission work. You know that.”
“Why was I not with them?” Moriah asked. “You told me last night that you were in medical school. My grandmother was already gone. Even though my grandfather was always kind to me, I doubt my parents would have left a five-year-old alone with him for an extended period of time. Why was I not in the plane with them?”
Ben watched Katherine struggle for an answer. Moriah’s logic had blindsided her. She had no ready explanation.
“You were the one person in the world I trusted completely,” Moriah said, when Katherine didn’t answer. “Why did you feel the need to lie to me about how my parents died?”
“She was afraid you would stop talking again.” Nicolas intervened. “She couldn’t bear to see you re-traumatized and was afraid that’s what would happen if you knew.”
“If I knew what?” Moriah crossed her arms. “What exactly were you afraid that I would find out?”
“She’s a grown woman now, Kathy,” Nicolas said. “She deserves to know the truth.”
“I was there, wasn’t I?” Moriah said. “I actually saw my parents being murdered.”
It took a moment for Katherine to answer, but when she did, her voice was low and steady. “You were a child. I did what I thought was best for you.”
“I’ve been an adult for a long time.”
“You seemed to remember nothing,” Katherine said. “Considering the horror of what you had been through, I thought that was a good thing. I was grateful. The last thing I wanted was to bring any of it back to mind. Even your doctor thought it best not to bring it all back up. I believe his words were something along the lines of letting sleeping dogs lie.”
“I think those sleeping dogs have awakened,” Ben said. “Tell them what happened yesterday at the lighthouse, Moriah.”
She described the nightmare in all its horrific detail.
When she was finished, no one said anything or wanted breakfast anymore, not even Ben. When no one made any comment, Moriah got up and walked out of the room. Nicolas quietly cleared the table. Ben went to the porch and watched Moriah walk away along the water’s edge. It did not seem wise to him to follow her, but he could keep an eye on her from this vantage point. Katherine came to stand beside him, also watching. Every now and then, they would see her stop, stare at the lake and then start walking again.
“The bodies were too mutilated and decayed to bring home,” Katherine said. “Who tells a child something like that? I certainly couldn’t. I bought a headstone to put in the church cemetery with the names of Jacob and Mary Ann Robertson on it. I wanted to create a place where Moriah could lay flowers on her parent’s grave, but nothing is there except the headstone. I did what I thought was best. Maybe I was wrong.”
Katherine shook her head with regret, then walked back inside the lodge.
For the first time since arriving on the island, Ben almost wished he was back with the Yahnowa. He hated to see such suffering. Especially when there was nothing he could do about it.
After a while, he saw Moriah turn back toward the lodge. Her steps were steady. There was a determination to her pace. Apparently, she had come to some sort of a conclusion during her solitary walk.
He went inside the lodge where Nicolas and Katherine were washing dishes. “She’s coming back.”
“Thanks for warning us,” Nicolas said.
The three of them were seated in the great room when she entered. All three were steeled to answer whatever she asked. They heard her mount the wooden porch steps. Then the door swung open. She stood there with her feet braced. Hands clenched. Cheeks flushed. Her hair had come loose from its braid. She had obviously prepared herself to face whatever they told her.
“So, what happened?” she said. “I’m not five anymore and I need to know.”