Twelve

When Gustaf stopped the wagon in front of the mercantile, Marja and Sophia Braxton hurried out the front door. They must have been as eager as Gerda and Olina, since they had been watching for them.

“Mrs. Braxton.” Gustaf doffed his cap. “Should I take the girls to the hotel? Their bags are in the wagon.”

“What a wonderful idea.” Marja clapped her hands. “Sophia and I’ll walk over right now.”

“I’m sorry I can’t offer you a ride.” Gustaf gave a rueful smile. “The wagon seat is full. If you want to wait, I can come back for you.”

“It’s not far, and the walk will do us good.” Sophia waved them off.

Gerda’s eyes sparkled as she looked around. “I’m so excited. I didn’t think Father would let us do this.”

Gustaf chuckled. “You’re a grown woman, Gerda. Father wants the best for you. He’s just careful because sometimes there are rough men in town.”

“I know.” Gerda put her hands around his powerful arm and looked up into his face. “We’ll be careful.” She turned to look at her friend. “Right, Olina?”

“Of course.” Olina made the mistake of looking at Gustaf. His gaze was fastened on her, and when she looked at him, she was drawn to those blue eyes. Sometimes, they could look so icy, but now they held the warmth of a sunshiny day. That warmth reached all the way to her toes. She couldn’t look away, even if she had wanted to. But she didn’t want to. That warmth was melting something deep inside her, as the sunshine melted ice in the fjords back home.

Home? Where was home? Was it in Sweden? Or was it right here in Minnesota with people who accepted her for who she was. People who didn’t try to change her. Yes, it was starting to feel like home. With a tremulous smile, Olina finally looked away from Gustaf’s mesmerizing eyes. Today was a new day. Minnesota was her new home. Olina was going to make the best of it.

Child, let Me help you.

Olina almost heeded the quiet voice. Almost, but not quite.

❧

When Olina smiled, Gustaf could feel it touch his heart. It felt like the wings of a butterfly as it flitted across the flowers Gerda planted around the front porch. Soft, gentle, but a smile nonetheless. Olina needed to smile more. Maybe this was the start of something in her life. She looked as if she had made a discovery. . .or a resolution. Gustaf didn’t know which. But whichever it was, it would have far-reaching consequences in her life. He hoped those consequences would include him. Please, Gud.

❧

Adolph Braxton was waiting in the hotel lobby for them. He took them up to the third floor, the top floor. “We wanted to be away from the noise in the street.”

He opened the door to a large room that was at the back corner of the hotel. Windows on adjoining walls bathed the interior with sunlight.

Olina walked over to check the view. Since the hotel was taller than the building next door, she could look across the rooftops. The hotel was at the end of Main Street, so the windows at the back overlooked an open field.

Olina turned around. “This is a wonderful room. We’ll have lots of light to work by.”

Just then, Marja and Sophia walked in. Marja smiled and clapped her hands. “We thought this would be just right. Sophia and Adolph moved next door so you girls could have this room.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Gerda exclaimed.

“Nonsense.” Sophia put her arm through her husband’s. “This room is the largest in the hotel. It’ll give you plenty of space to work. Our room is nice, too.” She smiled up at her husband. “Right, Dear?”

Adolph nodded. It looked to Olina as if his fair skin blushed a little under his bushy sideburns.

“We’ll bring the sewing machine up later today,” Marja said.

“Mrs. Braxton.” Gustaf walked to the door. “Would you like me to bring it in my wagon? I would be glad to.”

With a harrumph, Adolph said he would help Gustaf, and the two men left. Olina looked around. Heavy drapes hung at the windows. Olina walked over and discovered ties hanging high beside the window. She used them to hold the drapes open and allow the maximum of light to enter the room. Gerda went to the large canopy bed that was in one corner of the room. She sat on the side. Olina turned and surveyed the room. Even with the substantial wardrobe on the wall near the door and the table that sat against the other wall without a window, there was lots of space. There were even two straight chairs by the table. This would be a wonderful place to work.

“This room is as large as some people’s houses,” Gerda said as she walked to one of the two rocking chairs that flanked a small round table.

Sophia sat in one of the rockers. “That’s why we wanted you to have this room. You can spread out all over while you are working.”

While they were waiting for the men to return, Olina and Gerda showed their drawings of the clothing to the two Mrs. Braxtons. Sophia exclaimed over most of them.

“How am I ever going to choose which dresses for you to make for me?”

Marja Braxton sat on one of the straight chairs. She folded her hands in her lap. “That is a real problem. When Gerda and Olina made my new dress, I had only seen the one style.”

Olina stood looking out one of the windows at the back of the hotel. She could see a cluster of trees in the field. As the wind gently blew the branches, birds flitted in and out among the treetops, much as the birds at the farm had. It would be pleasant to watch them when she needed a break from the tedium of sewing. But maybe it wouldn’t be quite so tedious when they used the treadle machine. She hoped not.

Olina turned back toward the other three women. “I have an idea, Mrs. Braxton.”

“What?” Both women spoke in unison.

Marja laughed, then added, “You should call us Marja and Sophia. It would be a lot easier.”

Sophia nodded. “I agree. Now Olina, dear, what was your idea?”

Olina spread the drawings out on the table. “You should pick your favorite drawing. Bring us the fabric you want to use. We’ll start on that dress. Then you can choose the next favorite. That’ll give you a little time to decide what fabric to make it from while we are working on the first. We’ll make as many as we have time to this week, doing them one at a time like that.”

Marja clapped her hands. “What a wonderful idea. Olina, you are a smart girl. I’m so glad you came to Minnesota.” She pulled Olina into her arms and hugged her hard.

That hug reminded Olina of her mother. Maybe the people here did accept her for who she was. She could make a home for herself. Perhaps in time, she would find peace in her heart again.

When the men returned with the sewing machine, Olina was amazed. She had never seen anything like it. The black iron machine was attached to a small wooden table with iron legs. Under the table, a mesh contraption near the floor was attached to the machine above it. She had no idea how it could work, but she was eager to find out.

“Where is the manual?” Marja looked at the two men.

“Right here.” Gustaf pulled a booklet from his back pocket and handed it to her. “Sorry I had to fold it, but I couldn’t carry it and the machine at the same time.”

Marja gave it to Olina. “Tonight you girls can read this and try to see how it works. Sophia and I will come in the morning for you to take her measurements. We’ll bring the first fabric and notions.” She clapped her hands. “Oh, I’m getting so excited.”

“So am I,” Sophia agreed as she took Marja’s arm. “We need to go look at the fabric in the store. I have my eye on a couple of those drawings.” Adolph quietly joined the two women as they walked down the hall, chattering about the different dresses.

Gustaf turned to Gerda, but he watched Olina out of the corner of his eye. “Could I take you and Olina to lunch downstairs?”

Gerda stood up. “Is it noon already? Where has the morning gone?”

“One, it took awhile to get to town.” Gustaf counted on his fingers. “Two, we had to move your bags into your room. Three, we brought that heavy machine up two flights of stairs. That took time.”

“Oh, you.” Gerda playfully hit his arm. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know.” Gustaf laughed with her. Then he turned to Olina. “May I escort you to lunch?” When Olina nodded, he continued, “We’ll let my sister come with us, if she’ll behave herself.”

Olina couldn’t help herself. She burst out laughing with them. It felt so good to share a fun time. Maybe her heart could heal.

In the dining room, they were served a rich beef stew with hot corn bread slathered with fresh butter. While they were eating, several people from church stopped to visit. When they found out that the girls were staying in town for a week, they issued many invitations. Gerda and Olina wouldn’t have to eat at the hotel very often, and they would have time to renew acquaintances and establish new friendships.

“I guess we’ll not be sewing all the time.” Gerda smiled at Olina.

“We need to sew a lot.” Olina kept thinking about the money they would earn.

“I know that Marja and Sophia won’t expect us to sew all our waking hours as if we were slaves.”

When the waitress brought apple cobbler for dessert, she asked if they had heard about the brush arbor meeting that was going on that week. Olina didn’t know what she was talking about, so Gustaf explained.

“We don’t have many of these since we have our own church building. Traveling evangelists hold meetings in an open-air structure with a roof made out of tree limbs. I’ve heard that wonderful things happen at them.” He got a faraway look on his face. “I’ve always wanted to attend one, and I hear this preacher has a powerful message.” He looked back at the young women. “I think I’ll come to town for the meeting tomorrow night.” Turning toward Olina, he asked, “May I escort the two of you?”

Before Olina could decline, she heard Gerda accept with eagerness. How could she not agree to accompany them? Maybe later she could think of a way out of it.

❧

Thank You, Father. On the way home late that afternoon, Gustaf was glad he had a reason to come to town tomorrow. He would have thought up some excuse, but this meeting was a good opportunity. He couldn’t imagine worshiping out in the open like that. The services in their church were formal. This sounded as though it would be a chance to relax and worship with abandon. Of course, he sometimes did that when he was out working in the fields. He would take a break and sit under the shade and sing praises to the Lord. He had even been known to walk around praising the Lord with a loud voice, but only when he knew no one was near.

Gustaf had heard people talk about the old-time brush arbor meetings and how they would contain a lot of praise and worship; the ministers presented the gospel in a forceful, but understandable manner. Gustaf wanted to hear that kind of sermon. And he wanted to see Olina touched in a service. Maybe this meeting would be the time God could reach her in a new way, bringing healing to her wounded heart.