Chapter 8

The following day, the sun rose to reveal a clear blue sky. Samuel took Charity and Ezekiel back out to empty the traps. They had caught a single squirrel that morning. They worked together to dismantle the traps because they were hoping to move on later that day or early the following morning if the river had subsided enough. They returned to the house and ate breakfast together.

After breakfast, Charity approached her father as he washed his face at the rain barrel.

“Father? I was hoping you would have an answer for me,” said Charity.

“An answer?” asked Samuel looking puzzled. Then his face cleared in understanding. “Oh, yes! An answer.”

Samuel grunted and looked around. “I have been thinking and praying. I must ask you to be patient a little longer.”

With that, Samuel turned and walked away. Charity watched him go. Only a lifetime of training to contain and conceal her emotions prevented her from showing her frustration. She shook her head and went to find Ezekiel.

Samuel walked down to the bank of the river and stared at the swirling water, hoping for a sign from God.

Charity and Ezekiel spent time skinning and boning the squirrel they had caught. They rubbed it in salt to preserve it for a few days so they could have meat as they travelled.

While they were working, Prudence had walked along the ridge with Hope on her hip. She saw that an ironmonger had driven his cart into the village. Prudence walked back to the house and left Hope with Ezekiel. Then Prudence and Charity walked down to the ironmonger carrying one of their pots which had a hole in it. For a small fee, the ironmonger agreed to mend the pot later that morning along with several others which had been produced by other villagers.

Charity noticed that in amongst the pots and pans hanging off the cart was a collection of other items which were for sale. This included a small number of books which the ironmonger had picked up during his travels. She picked up a book and started flicking through it. Her eyes opened wide when she saw that it was a medical book and contained page after page of illnesses with a description of symptoms and the suggested treatments. Another book contained detailed descriptions of treating wounds and simple surgeries. After briefly haggling with the trader over the price, she bought both books. The trader was surprised for surely only a doctor would be interested in those books and doctors were men. But Charity’s money was as good as anyone’s, so he was happy to sell the books which were otherwise taking up space.

Down by the river, Samuel was staring at the water as it swirled past him. He saw a large branch that had obviously been carried downstream by the river, but it was now wedged firmly in the mud at a bend in the riverbank. The water lapped against the branch, pushing and tugging on it but it was too firmly stuck in place and was not moved by the swirling water. As Samuel watched, a bottle floated down the river. It was the kind of small glass bottle that was used to hold gin or whiskey and obviously someone had thrown it into the river upstream after emptying it. Now the bottle bobbed and swirled along with the water as the river swept it along.

“So,” said Samuel to himself, “Perhaps God is asking if I am to be like the branch, sturdy and strong but stuck so securely in the mud that I cannot move. Or am I to be like the bottle, afloat and moving but swept along by the torrent with no control over my own destiny. Neither choice seems like a good one.”

Samuel sighed. He didn’t know what to do. As a farmer, his life had been straightforward. He had learned the proper times to plough and sow and harvest. He had learned how to care for the soil and read the weather. It was hard work each and every day, but the decisions were never complicated. The last week had upended his life and now everywhere he turned he encountered new things he didn’t know how to respond to.

Samuel climbed back up the ridge and returned to the house. Ezekiel was sitting on a blanket in the front of the house and playing with Hope. Samuel sat down and joined in, once more discovering the simple joy of playing with an exuberant child.

Later in the morning, the ironmonger sat beside his cart and busied his hands with constructing a small furnace from bricks he carried in his cart. He then melted pieces of iron in a crucible so that he could mend the pots. A small crowd gathered around him and asked for news from outside the village. Charity and Prudence listened with the rest as they heard how the new King in England, King Charles, the second of that name, had restored the Church of England. This was bad news for Reformists here in the colonies since King Charles wanted all the colony churches to revert to Church of England as well. Most of the colonies were refusing to change and nobody knew what was going to happen next. They also heard stories of the latest depredations by the natives living near the borders of the colonies. Some of the local tribes were friendly but some were not and one of the unfriendly tribes had been raiding farms just to the north.

Then the trader went on to tell the story of the village of Fastness, not too far from here, where a woman had been hung for murdering her husband and the woman’s family had packed up and fled. A number of the villagers turned and looked at Charity and Prudence. The two women didn’t know what to do. They looked at each other and decided to leave the group. They took their mended pot and Charity’s new books and walked away without saying anything. Immediately the crowd started asking the trader for more information about that story.

When Charity and Prudence returned to the house, they told the others what was happening down in the village. They all looked at each other with concern. There was little they could do. They were stuck until the river crossing was safe. They decided to pack as much as they could onto the wagon, so they could leave quickly if they needed to. Everyone was nervous and kept looking down at the village. Samuel kept reassuring his family that none were accusing them of doing anything wrong so they should be safe but they all nervously stayed close to the house and to each other.

It was early afternoon when they saw a small group of villagers climbing the ridge and heading towards them.

Samuel watched them for a moment and then growled. He walked around to the cart and retrieved a pitchfork from along the side of the cart.

“What are you doing?” asked Ezekiel.

“I am doing what I should have done last week,” replied Samuel. “I am protecting my family.”

Samuel stalked back to the front of the house and planted himself in front of the threshold. He held the pitchfork upright with the butt of the pitchfork resting on the ground beside him. Ezekiel watched him and then nodded. He took a short-handled scythe from the cart, the type used to cut hay or long grass, and walked over to stand beside his father.

“What are you doing?” asked Samuel.

“A son’s duty to his hearth, given to him by God, is to stand at the threshold and guard it from the thieves and the brigands who would despoil his home,” said Ezekiel.

Samuel grunted and nodded. The two of them stood side by side and waited for the approaching group. Neither of them was holding their weapon in a threatening manner but both were clearly holding something that could be a weapon.

The approaching group halted about ten paces short of the pair. None of them held weapons.

“There is no need for weapons,” said Jebediah, the older man they had met when they first reached the village. “We only came to talk.”

Samuel grunted. “That remains to be seen.”

“The ironmonger told us of a woman who had been found guilty of murdering her husband and hung,” said Jebediah. “Are you her family? Why did you flee?”

Samuel stared back for a moment with his face impassive.

“Some of your facts are incorrect,” said Samuel finally, in a voice tinged with sadness. “There was no trial. They would not wait for a judge. The villagers, in their anger, descended into a mob. They decided my daughter was guilty and they hung her without a proper trial.”

There was some murmuring in the group behind Jebediah as they heard this.

Samuel continued. “My daughter was innocent of that crime. She swore her innocence before God and my daughter was not given to falsehood. We left because the rest of my family could not be safe in such a place. We left because we could not live with people who would do such a thing.”

Jebediah glanced sideways at the others who stood with him and then nodded to Samuel.

“Perhaps what you say is so,” said Jebediah. “Our concern is for the child. The ironmonger said the woman was the mother of an infant. We have all seen the child with you. By law that child belongs to the family of the husband. Why do you have it? For you to take the child from his family is kidnapping.”

Ezekiel stirred and was about to make a comment. Samuel laid his hand on his son’s shoulders, signaling for him to be silent. Samuel stared back at Jebediah for a moment. He wanted to protect the family secret, but he could not lie outright.

“Symeon’s family accused my daughter of adultery. They claimed her child was not his. They cast her out, her and her child. They did it publicly. Many in the village saw this happen. They renounced their claim on her and her child. My son, Ezekiel, took her in and adopted her child as his own. This was done before God and witnesses. The child belongs to us now.”

Jebediah looked troubled. “This is too complicated for me. Perhaps we should hold the child here and call for a judge.”

“Hope is my daughter!” exclaimed Ezekiel. “Morally, legally and in the eyes of God, she is mine. If any of you lay so much as a hand on her, you will feel the sharp edge of this blade.”

Charity suddenly appeared beside Ezekiel, brandishing a meat clever. Her eyes flashed with anger. “And this blade as well,” she shouted. “I warn you not to reach for Hope or you will lose your hand and more besides.”

Samuel kept his face impassive, but he shifted the pitchfork so that he held it two-handed across his body. The three of them had formed a single line in front of the doorway and all stood aggressively ready to defend themselves and each other.

Prudence stepped to a position in the doorway with Hope sitting on one hip. In the other hand she held a carving knife. “Hope is ours and nobody will take her from us!” She spoke in a cold voice that sent shivers down the spines of those who heard her.

The group of people in front of them looked alarmed at the sudden threats. Jebediah looked confused.

“I did not know the child was only a girl,” said Jebediah. “Perhaps we have been hasty. There is no need for threats.”

“I think we have had enough talk,” said Samuel in a firm voice. “You should go before any blood is spilled. To threaten to take a child from its family is a serious thing. You would do well to think more carefully before threatening such a thing again.”

Patience, Isaiah’s first wife, pushed her way forward and stood beside Jebediah.

“Their daughter was a murderess,” she snarled. “The stink of such Evil hangs around them like a cloud. They should leave before our whole village is cursed.”

There were murmurs of agreement from behind her.

Jebediah turned to the family. “I do not accuse you, but it would be best if you left.”

“The river is still too high,” said Samuel. “We are stuck here until it falls.”

Jebediah nodded. “It will fall further overnight. By tomorrow morning the ford will be open.”

Samuel grunted. “We will leave at dawn.”

Jebediah turned and gestured at the others to leave. “Go home now. I am satisfied and so should you be satisfied. Go to your homes. They will leave and are no longer our concern. Let God be their judge if they have done wrong.”

Gradually they all backed away and then turned and made their way down the hill. There was much discussion as they went.

Isaiah stayed behind, looking troubled. Once the rest of the group had moved beyond earshot, he looked at Samuel.

“I can see that you are Godly people and that you have experienced a terrible misfortune. It seems to me that my wife has fallen into the same error as those in your previous village. I am sorry for the words that were spoken. It is a man’s duty to God to teach his family how to hold God in their hearts. I shall remind Patience that Jesus died on the cross so that we may have our Sins forgiven. And I shall remind her that Jesus said, ‘Let he who is without Sin cast the first stone.’ Then together we shall pray that God may guide you safely on the path He has placed before you.”

Isaiah paused for a moment and looked at the group of angry people before him.

“You were invited to stay as guests in our village, and I invited you to stay as guests in my brother’s house. I see no reason to withdraw that invitation. Please continue to enjoy the use of my brother’s house until it is time for you to leave.”

Samuel grunted and bowed his head to Isaiah.

“Walk with God in your hearts,” said Isaiah.

“Walk with God,” said Samuel.

“Walk with God,” said the others.

Isaiah turned and walked away down the track towards his own house.

The family held their positions until Isaiah and the rest of the group were out of sight. Then they all breathed out and relaxed. The withdrew inside the house. Samuel took the pitchfork inside and carefully propped it up beside the door. Ezekiel watched him do that and then placed the sickle next to it.

Charity and Prudence returned their knives to the kitchen area and then hugged each other with Hope still on Prudence’s hip. Ezekiel burst into tears and ran to scoop Hope into his arms. He was then enveloped in a hug by Charity and Prudence with Hope securely nestled in the middle.

Samuel watched them, hesitating for a moment. Then he strode over and put his arms around the others, gently rubbing backs and speaking soft words.

After a short amount of time, Ezekiel had himself back under control and the group broke up.

Samuel led them all to the center of the room. “We should give thanks!” he said quietly.

They stood in a circle and joined hands, except for where Ezekiel held Hope on his hip. Charity stood next to Ezekiel and looped her hand through his elbow.

“Praise God, we thank Him for protecting us from harm on this day. We thank Him for allowing us to keep Hope with us. We pray for those who stood against us. We seek forgiveness for picking up weapons in anger.”