A Time To Love

Chapter 1: "The Tragedy"

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice
in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love never fails.
~~~~
"Do you think he's going to ask her to marry him?" A bright eyed, Emily, asked as she
stared out the bay window, watching her big sister take a stroll alongside a handsome
man, with her three elder sisters next to her, doing the same.
"Emily, they just met each other. It would be too soon to get married already. Surely,
Katherine will have some sense and keep her options open. Imagine all the
potential beaus she could have!" Irene said it dreamily, placing her hands over her
face, as to cover the blush now appearing on it. "Oh, how I wish to have many
suitors when I'm older."
"Oh, Irene. You're such a romantic."
The middle daughter, Audrey, spoke up, "Listen, you two. It's entirely up to
Katherine. She can marry whomever she wishes. Mother told me that her and father
got engaged only after a month of courting, and they've been together for 26 years.
There's no rules or formula to it. You'll know when you know. If Katherine is to
marry Mr. Baldwin, then she will. God will work it all out, I'm sure."
"Well, sometimes people fall in love with the wrong people, Audrey." Rachel, the
second oldest, added, with a sour note in her voice. "Love isn't always like those silly
stories you read."
"I didn't mean it like that, Rachel. It won't always work out the way we think it
should, but I know it'll always work out the way God wants it to. We just have to trust him. In the good, and in the bad-"
Rachel got up in defiance, looking to exit the room. Audrey called after her, "Oh,
Rachel. I didn't mean any harm by what I said. Come back here, would you?"
Love was a bitter topic for Rachel. Four years ago, at the tender age of 17, she had
fallen in love for the first time in her life. The man had swept her off her feet, and
promised himself to her. Their love story came to a tragic end, though, when he
never showed up on the day of the wedding, leaving behind only a letter, stating that
he had fallen in love with another woman, who was more beautiful and surely more
wealthy than Rachel was. Rachel had never been the same since. Audrey, being not
only Rachel's sister, but also like her best friend, knew better than anyone that she
wasn't the same cheerful girl she had been before. But, Audrey and Rachel, who had
been such kindred friends before, were now distant from one another. Audrey, the
sweet, bubbly, zealous sister, reminded Rachel too much of her former self. Too
much of the naive, young lady, who fell in love, and had her heart broken. Audrey
never quite understood what had happened between her and her dear sister, but all
she did know, was that her sister was hurting and was too stubborn to admit it.
It didn't take long for the eldest sister, who had been the topic of her little sister's
discussians just prior, to enter the room. Irene, Audrey, and Emily hurried over to
her, with curious expressions. Her sisters didn't have to say anything for Katherine to
know what they were going to ask.
"He asked for a courtship." She stated in her usual static tone.
"Oh my! How wonderful!" Her sisters hugged her and kissed her, estatic by the
news.
"Oh, Kat, he's a wonderful man. I'm sure you'll be happy!" Audrey had tears in her
eyes. She was so thrilled for her sister.
Katherine looked around and noticed something askew, "Where is Rachel?"
"She left to her room in a huff." Emily told her. "Audrey said something to anger
her."
"I didn't mean to!" Audrey cried, "I never thought that she'd be offended by it."
"Well, Rachel seems to be offended by most things in recent years, so it's not a big deal." Katherine assured. "She'll come around. Are mother and father still in the sun
room?"
Irene was the first to reply, "Yes, they are. I'm surprised they haven't come out yet,
what with our celebratory shouts."
"I'll go talk to them. You three stay out here, will you?" Katherine headed off to the
sun room, to tell her parents what had occurred. She was nervous about what they'd
say, but she'd never admit to that.
~~~~~~
The Harris household had been in a giddy and boisturous state since the
announcement of Katherine's courtship to the young and handsome Lake View
school principle, Henry Baldwin. Barbara and William Harris had worried that their
eldest daughter would never marry, for she was already 24, and prior to that year,
she hadn't many suitors. Katherine never minded. She was content with her life. She
had been at the top of her class in her school days and went on to do what she
always dreamed of; a school teacher. She had met Henry during a school district
meeting. Although he was most certainly handsome, he never caught her eye, but
her, on the other hand, had most certainly caught his. It didn't take long for them to
get aqquainted, and it seemed the courtship came in record time as well, for they
had only known each other for three months, and they had only seen each other in
person about four times prior, but that was enough time for both Henry, and even
Katherine, to know they could be something. Katherine wouldn't easily say so out
loud, but she had fallen in love with Henry, not because of his looks or his status,
but because of the intelligence he beheld and the kindness he had continually
shown her.
Barbara and William would've loved to stay and celebrate the happy young couple
with a meal, or a party, or something of the sorts, but they had had an anniversary
trip planned for themselves, and they surely couldn't miss it. They promised they'd
all celebrate once they returned though. And so, the girls were left to take care of the
home for the next three days, and they couldn't wait to have the whole place to
themselves, without any parent supervision. Although, it only really meant that they
could run around the house, be as loud as they wanted to, and stay up past their
curfew. It would be pure bliss!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first two days of their parents' trip had flown by, and they'd be returning in the
afternoon of the next day. The girls couldn't wait. That afternoon, the sisters had
gone downtown to the florist, and bought some beautifully fragrent flowers to dress
up the house with. They wanted their mother and father to have a pleasant surprise
when they returned home. That evening, they had gone to work, and by the time
they were done, it was as though it was a new house altogether. They went to bed
that night with their heads high. They were mighty proud of their work.
While all the other girls laid soundly asleep, Audrey couldn't sleep a wink.
Something felt off, so she did what she knew best. She prayed,
"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will
be done, on earth as it is in heaven...."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mr. Dunham, the loyal chaufer for the Harris family, had gone to pick up William
and Barbara that morning, but he had still not returned that late afternoon.
"Do you think something happened?" Irene broke the silence that had formed
among the worried group of girls, "Maybe an accident, or something?"
"Don't say such a thing!" Emily reprimanded, nearly in tears as she said it.
"I'm just saying what everyone is thinking. It's not like I want it to be true!" Irene
shouted at the youngest. Now Emily really was in tears, and promptly being
comforted by Audrey.
Katherine gave them both a stern look, "Both of you, that's enough! We're all
worried here, and the last thing we need is for everyone to be upset with each other."
"Katherine's right. We need to be here for each other." Audrey added in, "Besides,
we could be worrying for nothing."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Time kept ticking by until finally, the phone rang out, no one wanted to answer it,
for fear of what they would hear. Katherine was the one who took the step of
courage, though.
"H-Hello?" Her voice trembled as she answered. It was Mr. Dunham on the other
end, he gave her the devestating news. Her parents were being treated at a hospital
for an illness that had now been diagnosed at listeriosis. They weren't doing well. It
would seem that the beautiful flowers were in vain, for they were not destined to
make it home to see them in the end, nor would they be able to see their lovely
daughters again either.
Katherine wailed, for the first time in her life. They didn't need to know what had
happened, the rest of the girls already knew, and they couldn't help but follow suite.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The flowers laid upon the caskets were tragically beautiful. Once a sign of precious
homecomings, was now a dark reminder of two lives lost. Katherine, Rachel, Audrey,
Irene, and Emily, were devestated. How were they to carry on without the two most
important people in their lives. How were they supposed to sleep at night, knowing
they never got to say goodbye. They knew this day would eventuallly come, when
they'd have to lay their parents to rest, but it just didn't feel right. This shouldn't be
happening. Not to them.
Henry Baldwin had come the moment he heard of the situation, he had been a
steady support for the Harris girls the last few days. His heart ached for them. He
adored Katherine, as well as her sisters, as though they were his own.
After the service, when there was finally a quiet moment, Henry pulled Katherine
aside.
"What is it, Henry?" They stood under an oak tree, shaded by it's branches from the
hot July sun.
Henry took Katherine's hands into his, and gently said to her, "Would you marry
me?"
"What?"
"I want to marry you, Katherine. My parents have several properties in Maple Grove,
and there's a particular one that would be big enough, not just for you and me, but
also for your sisters. I want to take care of you. It wouldn't be right not to." He
expressed sincerely.
Katherine didn't know what to say. She knew that she should accept, but something
felt wrong about it. Shouldn't a proposal be something blissful, instead of a
desperate measure? Just when she was about to decline though, she thought of her
sisters. She couldn't bring them more harm than they had already suffered. They
needed to move on, and try to find a way to live a somewhat normal life, and
Katherine would never be able to provide that on her own.
"Okay." She forced out. "I'll marry you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two months had passed, and more had changed in those two months, than in the
last two years. Katherine and Henry got married the following August, and the
Harris sisters packed up their bags, and moved from their small town of Oak Valley,
to the neighboring town of Maple Grove, where Henry had been born and raised. It
was smaller than a city, but most certainly bigger than Oak Valley. Henry told them
that everyone calls it the 'big town'. It didn't really seem to snuggly fit in to one
category, it just sort of hovered at the crossing of both.
Henry wasn't kidding when he had said that the house would be big enough for all
of them. It was an old Colonial style home, two and half stories, fit with six
bedrooms, although, one was on the main floor, and had been designated as Henry's
office, and another room, which was the only one on the top floor, was left empty
after Henry jokingly said the room was haunted, for none of the girls wished to sleep
up there anymore after that. So, the arrangements were as followed, Henry and
Katherine got the master suite, Irene, the prissy 16 year old, received her own room,
Emily, who had not long ago turned 15, finally got her own room for the first time,
although for the first few weeks in the new house, she found herself cuddling in with
one of her sisters for the night, for she didn't want to be alone. And, lastly, Rachel
and Audrey shared a room, like they always had. They had previously joked that this
might be the first time they would get their own seperate rooms, but for one reason,
or another, it turned out the same way it always does.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Audrey didn't know if she'd ever get used to it. She had come to terms with her
parents death, and found peace in knowing they were now in the arms of their Lord,
but she didn't know if anything would stop the constant acheing in her heart; The continual yearning to see them again, hear them once more, to hold them close, and
tell them of how much she loves them, although she knew she'd get the oppurtunity
one day. Somedays she thought it would be better to join her parents in the presence
of God, but she knew she had so much more living to do for God, and she was
determined to do just that. She'd go on living. Living for mother and father, for her
sisters, and for the One Most High.