Читать книгу Holly Jean and the Box in Granny's Attic - Bonnie Compton Hanson - Страница 6

Heart pounding, Holly Jean reached for the mysterious box. But just then, Bear started barking wildly. And from down the road came a shout: “Ee-haw!”

Pastor Jake and Aunt Kate!

Quickly she dropped her dust cloth and rushed to the open attic door. Yes! They were back!

The carriage gleamed in the evening sun. So did the now-thirsty horses, as sweat poured down their backs. Jake Morgan stopped the buggy by the creek side so the weary beasts could get a drink. Then he gently helped his passenger down from the buggy seat.

By that time, both Holly Jean and Granny Nanny had rushed out to meet them. “Weren’t that a great homecoming party today?” her grandmother asked. “So thrilled for Daisy, I am.”

Then Holly Jean noticed something amazing. Aunt Kate and Pastor Jake were holding hands!

He cleared his throat. “Miz Roberts,” he announced formally, “this beautiful young woman has agreed to be my blushing bride. I hope we have your blessings.”

Well, of course—with hugs all around!

Thank You, dear God, thank You!

“A wedding!” Holly Jean shouted. “That means another party! Oh, I just love parties! Wait till we tell Aunt Bea!”

After that, they all sat on the front porch and talked and talked and talked, with an adoring Bear curled up at Holly Jean’s feet. Finally, the sun slipped down behind Razorback Ridge and some fireflies sparkled around them. The hens clucked sleepily on the attic ladder. Frogs and crickets and whippoorwills joined in an evening sing-along.

Then at last Pastor Jake said his good-byes. “Good night, sweet Kate,” he called as his carriage headed back down the road. “See you all in church tomorrow!” Then he was gone.

“Lord love a duck!” Granny Nanny exclaimed. “Look at the time! I think I hear Star and Morgie a-wailin’ for their supper. The chickens, too, poor things.”

“I’ll go feed them, Granny Nanny,” Holly Jean offered.

“And I’ll do the milkin’,” added her great-aunt.

Granny Nanny nodded. “Then I’ll get us some vittles a-going afore we starve too!”

Starve? After today’s big feast, Holly Jean wasn’t sure she could ever eat again!

She and her great-aunt headed across little Catfish Creek on their way to the barn. Towering sycamores lined each side of the road, with fields of half-grown corn and green pastures stretching out beyond. Inside the barn, Kate carefully lifted off her new sunbonnet and reached for the milk bucket, while Holly Jean pitched fresh hay for the old mule and cow.

Then as she gave Morgie a good petting, she said cautiously, “Aunt Kate, I found a box up in the attic today, addressed to Papa Joe. Do you know anything about it?”

But boxes and attics were the last thing on her great-aunt’s mind.

“Oh, Holly Jean,” she replied dreamily, “don’t you just love my Jake’s eyes and his deep, deep preacher’s voice?”

“Uh, why, sure, Aunt Kate. You’re lucky to have him, and he’s lucky to have you.”

“And he asked me to marry him. He finally asked me! Oh, I just want to dance circles ’round this here cow and sing hallelujah!” And she gave a startled Star a big hug.

So much for talking about boxes!

Just then Holly Jean noticed something. While Bear relaxed at Morgie’s feet, little Domino slipped out from beneath a pile of hay. Very, very cautiously the kitten stepped over to the big dog and sniffed him.

Bear opened his eyes but didn’t move. Then little Domino reached up and kissed him on the nose!

Bear whimpered with delight and thumped his nail. At that, Domino climbed right up on his back. In a moment, all the other kittens were tumbling over Bear, too. Why, the big dog practically purred with delight!

“See,” Aunt Kate pointed out, as she finished her milking, “even Bear’s happy for me!”

Back at the house, Granny Nanny was busy preparing dinner. “Here, girl,” she said to Holly Jean, “could you stir the taters for me while I dish out the beans?”

While she stirred the potato slices, Holly Jean tried again. “Granny Nanny, today I saw a box up in the attic and—”

“Well, of course you did!” her grandmother snapped. “That place is plumb full of boxes. You know that’s where we store everything. Oh, gotta get some more water.”

And out she headed to the well. So much for that!

Holly Jean was still thinking about that mysterious box the next morning as they walked the half-mile down Hickory Hollow to the Morgan Mills church. She tried several more times to talk to Granny Nanny and Aunt Kate about it without success. But someone must know who sent that box and what was in it. Maybe it was something very important Papa Joe should know about!

The morning air was still cool and pleasant. Aunt Kate wore her new outfit again—having touched up the wrinkled spots with an iron. But Holly Jean had changed to the green jumper and white peasant blouse Aunt Bea had given her on her birthday.

As they neared the church, Holly Jean looked to see if any cars were parked out front. Would Miss Linda, Tad and Tammy be there today? What about Mr. Curtiss? What about Max and his family, including Ben Dunn, who had just arrived home yesterday? And what about those dozens of other folks at the party the day before, along with the ones riding in Tom’s truck? People she didn’t even know!

But all she saw out front were a couple of mules, including Pastor Jake’s. He must have taken his father’s old carriage back to his brother Max’s barn.

How disappointed the faithful preacher would be at such a poor turnout! But as Papa Joe used to say…the folks at Morgan Mills loved their church, but figured being there every single Sunday could wait till they were laid to rest in its cemetery.

Sadly, Holly Jean walked up the church steps. It’s not fair, dear Heavenly Father! People should be filling this church to overflowing every week—the way they did at my church back in the city.

No, the Morgan Mills church was certainly not over-flowing. On the other hand—

“Miss Red Hair!” cried two little boys at once. Yea! Tim and Jim!

Their mother smiled and waved. Next came the three Anderson teenagers. Then, Aunt Tillie. Then that elderly Mr. Mitchell she met yesterday, the lady with the baby and little girl Holly Jean hadn’t met, another older woman she didn’t know—and, yes, Max Morgan, with Moon, Miss Daisy and Mr. Ben!

And more came—some walking, some riding mules and horses, some in cars or trucks. Oh, thank You, dear God! They did come! Your House is full, after all! Yea!

Now if only Tad could be here to play the piano for everyone!

And soon he was—late, but there. Miss Linda and Tammy too!

“We had tire trouble,” Tad whispered to Holly Jean. She nodded. With rubber so hard to get during the war, tires usually wore patches upon patches!

What singing began! With Aunt Kate and Miss Daisy to lead them, and Tad to keep them in time and on key, their combined voices soared. Especially since now they all had hymnbooks to sing from, and a newly repaired piano, thanks to donations from the July 4th pie social. Moon accompanied Tad on his comb. Oh, how Holly Jean wished she’d brought her flute! Even Moon’s father, who couldn’t see the hymnbooks, sang right along from memory.

“Hallelujah!” Pastor Jake cried. “Heaven come down and glory done filled my soul!”

Then he preached from Matthew 28:20, about how Jesus—just before He went back up to Heaven after His resurrection—told His disciples to go share His Gospel with the whole world. “And, lo, I am with you always,” Jesus said.

Holly Jean read along silently from the much-used Bible Mama Jean had given her for her eighth birthday.

Just then Moon stood up. “That’s right, Mr. Uncle Jake,” he said. “Lookee how Jesus done been with my pa all the time he’s been gone. And done brought him back too.”

Jim nodded. “Then maybe he’ll bring our pa home from the big war,” he said out loud.

What a wonderful promise! Yes! Jesus would always be with Holly Jean and never, ever would leave her, even though her mother had to. And maybe He’d also make sure Papa Joe came back, just as Moon’s father had! Thank You, Jesus! I never want to leave You either!

After the service, everyone seemed to talk at once—especially about Aunt Kate and Pastor Jake. “When’s the wedding?” Tootsie cried. “Who’s going to lead it, since Pastor Jake can’t marry himself? Are they going to have a party and a big belling? Am I invited?”

Holly Jean laughed. “I don’t know! They just got engaged yesterday. How did the news get around that quick? I don’t even know what a ‘belling’ is!”

Then the others explained that it was customary around there for folks to celebrate a wedding by holding a big party for the newly married couple on their wedding night. There’d be lots of food to eat and lots of cowbells to ring as part of the celebration.

“Oh,” Holly Jean joked. “Then maybe we should bring Granny’s cow along so she can ring her own bell!”

Afterwards, Max Morgan invited his brother and Jake’s new fiancée to ride back up the hill with them for Sunday dinner. “We’uns got a whole lot of catching up to do after all these years, right?” asked Max. “Might as well do it on a full stomach ’stead of an empty one.”

On the way home from church, Granny Nanny and Holly Jean stopped by Uncle Tom’s store to check on their mail and give Uncle Tom a hug. (He usually stayed back at the store during church services, keeping it open in case his neighbors needed food or gasoline.)

Just then Uncle Tom’s phone rang.

Aunt Tillie grabbed it. “Maybe it’s my Willie!” she cried. “Lord, I miss that young’un so much!”

But, no, instead of Cousin Willie calling from somewhere in the South Pacific war zone, it was Aunt Bea.

“Hi, there, Tillie,” she said. “Could you please put Miss Holly Jean on the line? I have someone here who wants to talk with her.”

Holly Jean caught her breath. Who could it be?