Thirteen

When Marja and Sophia arrived the next morning, the four women spent an hour learning to use the sewing machine. It wasn’t as hard as Olina had feared it would be. Then Olina and Gerda measured Sophia. After Sophia showed them which dress she wanted them to make out of the fabric they brought, she and Marja left the young women to their work.

Olina and Gerda cut out the bodice first. While Gerda cut out the rest of the dress, Olina started sewing the bodice, using the machine. By lunchtime, the dress was far enough along that the girls were sure they could finish it that day.

With a spring in their steps, Gerda and Olina started down the stairs to see what the restaurant was serving for lunch. Before they reached the bottom step, Merta Swenson came through the front door.

After greeting them, she asked, “Have you eaten yet?” When they shook their heads, she continued, “I want you to come to my house for lunch.”

Merta served them chicken and dumplings, followed by gingerbread. This visit was the break from sewing that Gerda and Olina needed. After they were finished eating, Merta accompanied them on the walk back to the hotel.

“Remember how you said that you would like to move to town and be dressmakers here?” Merta asked as they reached the hotel.

“Yes,” Gerda answered, and Olina nodded.

Merta pointed to a house down the road a ways, but still clearly visible from town. “The Winslow house is for sale. An older widow lived there, but her son wanted her to move to California with him, so she did.”

Gerda studied the cottage for a minute. “From here, it looks as though it’s in good shape.”

“It is,” Merta agreed. “Everyone in church made sure she was taken care of. Some of the men are still taking care of things at the house until it sells.”

Olina could tell that it was a nice place and not at all small. She turned to Merta. “Do you have time to walk down there with us?”

“Please do.” Gerda stepped off the wooden sidewalk. “We could look around, couldn’t we?”

Merta took Olina’s arm and pulled her with them. “It’s not far. It won’t take long.”

The three young women walked along talking as they approached the cottage, set back from the road and surrounded by trees. When they reached the gate, Olina opened it and walked up on the front porch. It covered over half of the front of the house, with the front door at the end by whatever room projected beyond the porch. Olina stood in one of the two arches of the porch, which were held up by columns. She liked the shrubbery growing at the end and flowers beginning to bloom in the flower bed in front.

“I like this porch.” Olina turned and looked back toward town. “It would be pleasant to sit out here in the cool of the evening.” She slid down to sit on the top step. “I wish I had the money to buy this house, but I don’t.”

“Neither do I.” Gerda sat beside her. “Maybe Father and Gustaf could work out a deal with the owner. I would like to move closer to town. This is far enough out from town to be away from all the noise, but close enough to be safe and convenient.” She stood up and stepped away from the house. After turning, she looked up at the second story. “Merta, have you ever been inside?”

“Oh, yes.” Merta joined her and looked up, too. “The second floor has two bedrooms in the front. There are two smaller rooms behind them. She used them for storage.” Merta pointed to the room that was beside the porch. “That is the parlor. On the other side, she had a library. I think she used to be a schoolteacher, so she had lots of books. Behind those two rooms are a kitchen, with a large area for a table and chairs, and a big pantry.”

Olina stood up and looked back toward town. “It sounds perfect. If only. . .”

“We need to pray about this. Maybe the Lord wants us here.” Gerda took hold of both Olina’s hand and Merta’s. Then she asked God to provide a way. . .if He wanted them to live in this house.

❧

Just as Gerda and Olina sewed the last button on the dress, a knock sounded at the door.

“That must be Sophia.” Olina was glad for the opportunity to get up and move around. She stretched her arms over her head for a minute before she opened the door. “You’re just in ti—” She was startled and stopped with a gasp.

“Well, what a welcome.” Gustaf’s laughing gaze met her startled one. “I didn’t know you were expecting me.”

Olina could feel her cheeks redden. She wanted to hide them, but she couldn’t look away from him. She liked to see the merriment in his eyes. Was that something more? Whatever could it be? She shook her head. Why did Gustaf have this effect on her? Maybe it was because she had not expected to see him filling her doorway.

“We thought you were Sophia.” Gerda jumped up and came over to hug her brother. “But I’m glad you’re here, even though I don’t know why.” She stepped back. “Come in.”

Gustaf seemed to fill the room, too. Olina turned back to the dress they had dropped in a heap on the bed. She picked it up and started folding it as she listened to Gustaf and Gerda.

“Do I have to have a reason to come see my little sister?” With his finger, he flicked a curl that was drooping on her forehead.

Gerda playfully hit him on the arm. “You are a big tease. Isn’t that right, Olina?”

Olina looked at Gerda. “Yes, he does tease a lot.”

“So what brings you to town?” Gerda came over to help Olina finish folding the dress.

“Remember yesterday at lunch, I said I would be coming into town for the brush arbor meeting.” Gustaf looked from Gerda to Olina. “I came a little early. I wanted to check on the two of you so I can assure Father that you’re all right.”

Gerda rolled her eyes.

“I thought maybe you two lovely ladies would join me for dinner before the meeting.” Gustaf looked at Olina, waiting for her to answer.

They did have to eat. Olina picked up the dress and moved it to the table. With her back turned from Gustaf, she answered, “We could do that.”

All afternoon Olina and Gerda had been smelling roast beef cooking. “I think we are having roast.” Olina sniffed the air. “It smells like they are cooking yeast rolls. It should be good.”

Their meal was a congenial affair. Gustaf and Gerda kept up a lively conversation. Although Olina was quieter, she enjoyed listening to them.

“Gustaf.” Gerda sounded excited. “Merta, Olina, and I went to the Winslow house today.”

Gustaf swallowed a mouthful. “Why did you do that?”

“It’s for sale.” Gerda buttered a hot roll.

Gustaf looked at Gerda, then at Olina. “Why would you be interested in a house that’s for sale?”

“I know that we don’t have the money to buy it.” Gerda put down the roll and clasped her hands in her lap. “But Olina and I would like to move closer to town.”

Gustaf raised his eyebrows. Olina looked down at her plate, but she peeked at Gustaf through her eyelashes. He turned toward Gerda.

“Why is that?”

“Oh, Gustaf.” Gerda placed her forearms on the table and eagerly leaned toward him. “There’s no dressmaker in Litchfield. Olina and I think we could make a living here.”

Gustaf looked thoughtful. “You might be able to.”

“It’s no use to think about it though.” Gerda sighed and picked up her forgotten roll. “Father would never let us do it. But the house would be perfect for us. The woman who lived there was a teacher, and she had a library with lots of windows. That room would make a wonderful workroom for us.”

Just then the waitress brought their dessert to them. In a moment, she returned with a large pitcher of water to refill their glasses and a cup of coffee for Gustaf.

When they had finished eating rice pudding with raisins and cinnamon, Gerda wiped her mouth with the napkin. “I would like to go to the meeting with you, Gustaf.”

“I had hoped you would say that.” He turned toward Olina. “What about you?”

“Of course she’ll go. She won’t want to sit alone in the hotel room.” Gerda got up from her chair. “We need to go freshen up before we leave. What time does it start?”

“You have plenty of time.” Gustaf helped Olina push her chair away from the table. He walked them into the lobby. As he watched the two go up the stairs, he called after them, “I’ll be waiting right here for you.”

When the young women came back down the stairs, August had joined Gustaf. The two men looked as if they were praying together. Surely they weren’t doing that right there in the lobby of the hotel. They must be having a private conversation.

“Wonderful.” Gerda pulled Olina across the lobby. “August is here, too.”

The two men glanced up when they heard Gerda’s exclamation. August grabbed her in a bear hug and swung her feet off the floor. When he put her down, he turned toward Olina. “You look nice tonight. I’m glad Gustaf talked me into going with the three of you.”

Olina looked at Gustaf. Once again, she felt a blush rise to color her cheeks. She had known other women who didn’t turn red every time a man looked at them. Why couldn’t she be like them?

The evening was cool but pleasant when they arrived at the structure covered with fresh branches. Olina hoped that the four of them would sit on the back bench, but Gustaf led them down the center aisle. He stopped about halfway between the back and the front. He motioned for August, Gerda, and Olina to precede him on the bench, leaving him sitting on the aisle. He probably needed to sit there so he would have somewhere to put his long legs. The benches weren’t far apart.

Olina wondered if many people would come to the meeting. Soon most of the benches were full, and men stood outside the arbor, looking in. Olina was glad. At least they wouldn’t be conspicuous. When everyone was crowded into the structure, it warmed up a bit.

A large man with snow-white hair stood from the front bench and stepped onto the short platform. When he turned around, he unbuttoned his black frock coat and raised his hands. All talking ceased. His booming voice led in an opening prayer. Olina had never heard a prayer like the one he prayed. He sounded as if God was his friend, not just someone who lived in heaven and kept His distance. In the Swedish church they attended here, as well as the church back in Sweden, God had seemed far from Olina.

She used to love Him. She had liked learning about Him, but she hadn’t thought of Him as a friend. When this man said “Father,” his voice held love and warmth, not just awe. Olina didn’t know what to think about that.

After the man finished praying, he started singing a song Olina had never heard before. However, the words and the music touched something in her that she had been hiding. The first line, “Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heaven to earth come down,” awakened a longing. Olina felt uncomfortable. If she had been sitting on the back bench, she would have slipped out and returned to the hotel room. The longer the singing continued, the more uncomfortable she became. Her mother had always told her not to squirm in church, but the wooden bench was hard even through the layers of her clothing.

When the first song ended, the leader started another, without announcing what it would be. That didn’t bother the other people. By the second word, most of them were singing with him.

Olina didn’t sing along. She had never heard this song, either. She didn’t want to “survey the wondrous cross.” Olina didn’t want to think about Jesus dying for her. She didn’t want to think that He loved her. By now she was fidgeting a lot. Maybe she could tell Gerda that she needed to use the necessary.

When the singer started the third song and everyone joined in, Olina couldn’t shut the words out of her mind. “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.” How she would like to believe in that amazing grace, but she knew that God had not protected her from grievous hurt.

❧

Gustaf was attuned to Olina’s every move. He could tell that she was uncomfortable. Maybe it would have been better not to bring her. He and August had prayed for Olina while they waited for the two young women to come down to the lobby. Perhaps it wasn’t the time for God to speak to her yet.

Gustaf had been humming along after he caught on to the melody of the songs. The words had gone right to his heart, making it joyful, but that didn’t seem to be the case with Olina. Maybe he should offer to walk her back to the hotel. But something stopped him from asking her.

❧

The last song started. Holy Spirit, Truth divine, dawn upon this soul of mine; Word of God and inward light, wake my spirit, clear my sight.

Those words calmed Olina. Could the Spirit of God clear her sight? By the time the song ended, she had stopped fidgeting. She let the music pour over her, hoping it would indeed bring her lasting peace. But how could she trust God?

When the singer finished, he returned to his seat on the front bench, and another man stepped onto the platform. He was a small, wiry man carrying a big black Bible under his arm. He turned and looked out across the group that was gathered. It seemed to Olina that his gaze stopped when he reached her. For a moment suspended in time, he continued to look at her before he continued on across the crowd. She felt as if he could see everything in her heart. Why was he interested in her?

He stood there for several moments. The crowd was quiet except for a mother in the back, shushing her fussy baby. After the long pause, the preacher cleared his throat, pulled a large white handkerchief from his pocket, and mopped beads of perspiration from his forehead. Then he opened the Bible near the middle.

“I’m going to read to you from the book of Jeremiah, the twenty-ninth chapter, verses eleven through thirteen.” Once more, he cleared his throat before continuing. “ ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ ”

When he once again cleared his throat, the singer moved to the platform and handed the preacher a tin cup of water. After taking a swig, he gave it back to the man with a whisper of thanks. “I’m also going to read the first part of the fourteenth verse: ‘And I will be found of you, saith the Lord.’ ”

Olina didn’t remember those words from the Bible. Maybe it was because she didn’t really like the Old Testament. It was harder for her to understand than the New Testament. She hadn’t paid much attention when Fader read to the family from the Old Testament. But she thought she would have remembered those words. They had lodged in her heart after the preacher read them.

“I believe God is talking about His plans for us.” The preacher closed the Bible and walked back and forth across the small platform. “God has plans for us, and they are plans that are good, not bad. He knows what He wants to happen in our lives. Sometimes it doesn’t seem that way, but in the end, the good He intends will come to pass.”

Could this be true? Olina didn’t know. She only knew that God had allowed so much to happen to her. If He wanted good to come from it, when was it going to happen? Olina didn’t hear any more of the preacher’s sermon, but his opening words kept ringing through her heart and mind. God had plans for her good. Did He? Could she trust Him to bring them about?