Despair and Hope
There was a swollen silence in the air. Tears dripped down the faces of the congregation. The atmosphere was damp and musty. It felt like ages before the pastor stood up and walked to the old wooden pulpit to speak. He spoke on the life of the man in the worn coffin. On how he was a good friend and brave man and how he lives on through his children. The man had five children. Two had died as infants, and the other three sat in the stiff pew comforting their mother, who was all they had left in the world.
Verity Moore became very sickly after the birth of her youngest daughter Elizabeth. She had been mute since she was a child, but no one bothered her about it. “It was just God’s will” was what they said. Her oldest child was 18 years old brown-haired Annabeth. She was smart and strong and mild-tempered. Next to her sat 15-year-old Sarah, who had light blond hair and piercing blue eyes like her mother. The youngest child was 2-year-old Elizabeth but called baby El by her family. She had curly red hair and looked much like her father with her big brown eyes.
After the pastor finished speaking, the body was carried out to the graveyard. As Annabeth walked out supporting her mother, she thought of her father. He was a strong man who was very religious. He spent his nights studying the Bible and his days tending his crops. He had left his family at a young age to start over in New England. She loved her father, but he was very strict and solemn. He had no sons, so he taught Annabeth how to farm and do things that most people would consider inappropriate for a woman. Now she could tell that she had a lot of work ahead of her and was grateful for her father’s instructions.
While walking, the Mayor’s wife Prudence Matthews, a small stout woman with a narrow face and gray tangly hair, came walking over. She said, “It’s a real shame about your father; he was a good man. I do hope you can find a husband soon to support your family.” Annabeth replied, “Thank you for your condolences and suggestions, but we need time to grieve.” “Of course,” she said, backing away. Sarah followed them, carrying Baby El. When they reached the gravesite, Verity collapsed. “Mother, wake up! Please, someone help!” yelled Annabeth holding her mom in her arms. Many people rushed forward and helped support her. They carried her to her house.
While the doctor cared for her, El started crying. “Shh, calm down, little one,” Sarah said soothingly. “Here, let me take her,” said Annabeth, taking her into her arms. “Poor child,” Prudence remarked. “How do you mean” Annabeth questioned? “She’ll be an orphan, having to spend her whole life relying on the kindness of others. She probably won’t remember what her parents, what a shame”. “Our mother isn’t dead, and she will remember our father because we will remind her of him,” Annabeth replied, annoyed at her. “Don’t become angry at me when I did nothing; you have cursed yourselves with your wickedness,” She said, standing up and leaving the room.
“She is like a disease,” Sarah uttered, standing up. “Annabeth, you have to tell her to leave us in peace. She can bother everyone else but don’t let her bother us. She is old gossip. Watch soon she’ll be telling everyone you were horrible to her just for defending father and mother”. “Sarah, calm down; you need to show grace to her.” “You would let her walk all over you? Treat our family like criminals tell us we have caused this ourselves? Everyone knew our father was a deeply religious man. The thought of him dying because of his sin is unthinkable. The lord has called him home and condemned him to death. That snake has got to be taught a lesson!” “Who will do it, will you and make a fool of yourself doing it? No, you will remain silent and gracious. You are only taking this way because you are hurt. We all are, Father is dead, and mother is dying”. “She’s not dying,” yelled Sarah. “Sarah, calm down, please. Go rest, I will put Baby El to bed”. “I won’t be able to sleep,” Sarah said, walking out.
Annabeth took a deep breath resting her tired head on the back of her wooden chair. She went over the events of the day. Her father’s funeral was very draining, but she was also worn out with her mother’s bad condition. Though she agreed with what Sarah said about Prudence, she knew silence was best. She then stood up with El in her arms and walked to their bedroom. The three girls shared a bedroom. When she walked in, Sarah looked over at her but didn’t speak. She was already in her nightclothes. Annabeth walked over to El’s crib and slowly set her down. Then El began to cry. “Momma, daddy,” she wailed. “Hush, baby El,” Annabeth said, picking her up. “It’s okay, you can sleep with me tonight.” Then she set her on the bed and changed into her nightgown.
The cold air hit Annabeth’s skin like a dagger. It was late February, and snow still covered the ground. Annabeth had a fire lit in her mother’s room, but there was not enough wood to have a fire in their own room. The doctor was staying with their mother to watch over her. All that Annabeth could do is rest. She climbed under the covers of the bed and pulled El close to her. She could hear the wind howling in the night and clung to El tighter. The darkness surrounded her like a cold mist that she couldn’t see past. She could not tell what lurked in the mist, but she felt as though her wildest dreams could not imagine what was lurking in the darkness. She couldn’t tell how to escape, and everything seemed hopeless. Her fears kept her from sleeping. Instead, she laid awake in the night, hoping that the next day might be better.
As the night dragged on, she suddenly found strength when she heard the gentle chirp of the birds. She carefully got out of bed, trying not to wake El. “Where are you going” whispered Sarah sitting up. “To chop firewood,” She responded while getting dressed. She wrapped her shawl around herself and slipped into her boots. Then she walked out of the room and passed her mother’s room. She stopped for a second hesitant whether or not she should go in. Then she decided to let her mother rest. She quietly walked down the stairs and out the door. The sun was not up yet, but there was a dull blue glow in the sky. She could still see some of the stars in the sky.
Some woods surrounded the house, which was a good place to gather firewood. She entered the woods, and a feeling of peace surrounded her. Here she felt free. The sound of the birds filled her with joy. She almost laughed at the fear and dread she had felt during the night. She took her time walking through the woods when she came across a place she had never seen before. It was a small pool surrounded by white flowers and a big oak tree. In this place, the coldness of the morning faded, and instead, it felt like summer here. She walked up to the water and touched it. The water wasn’t frozen like the other pools and lakes in the area but was warm and felt almost heavenly. She felt as if she could spend hours at this special place. She sat at the edge of the pool, took off her boots, and carefully placed her feet in the water. The pool reflected like glass, and in it, she could see all the stars.
Then she noticed a ripple and looked up to see a deer drinking from the pool across from her. It was the most beautiful animal she had ever seen. Suddenly it seemed to notice her and lifted its head towards her. In its eyes, she saw the goodness and compassion of the world. Then she became aware of the ax in her hand and stood up to leave. The deer made no move. The sun had already started to come up. She realized she must have been gone for hours. She still had wood to chop as well. Then sorrowfully, she left the pool and felt the cold surround her again.
Annabeth found a small dead tree and started to chop the wood. By the time she was finished, it was already light out. As she carried the wood bundled on her back, all the worries of the night came back to her. Her burden had become heavier, and she stumbled around.
Finally, the house came into sight. For a second, her spirits lifted, but then her tiredness got the better of her, and she collapsed. She needed to move, but she had no strength left. She tried to call out but she couldn’t. The cold air numbed her and the snow soaked into her clothes. She felt like this was the end for her. Then he heard a voice call her name. She couldn’t respond, though. Light filled her eyes, and her vision blurred. Suddenly strong arms lifted her up. Then everything went black.
