The Brandywine Prophet

1.5 Two Years Earlier: William Carmel Hears the Voice

Sarah wasn’t much of a cook. The few things she made well--chili, green beans with brown sugar, carrot cake--were some of Will’s favorites, but he never really cared for food. Breakfast was irrelevant, lunch got in the way of real work, and dinner was just an excuse to spend time with his ladies.

Sarah served spaghetti from a fancy china bowl. Will often joked that their most humble meals were eaten off the “good-good” china since it was only removed from the buffet when the normal dishes were dirty.

“We’re out of cheese,” Sarah said, placing a platter of garlic bread beside Janie. The “garlic bread” was actually burnt hamburger buns left over from the picnic and sprinkled with garlic powder.

Will stood, pulled out Sarah’s chair, and kissed her head. “Dinner looks incredible.”

The dining room was lost in a perpetual stage of redecoration. Will’s father and grandfather laid the brick wall in the early thirties and soaked the rocky pores with lead paint. Since returning home, Will repainted the brick eight times at the call of his creative whims. When Janie was a toddler, he and Sarah took extra precautions to check the carpet for hazardous, multicolored flecks of lead.

“Janie,” Sarah said, “do you want to tell Dad what you decided tonight?”

The day in the sun had accentuated Janie’s freckles and she looked more like her mother than ever. “I want Miss Kayla to be my next dance teacher,” she said. She smiled at Will as if she’d just won a battle he didn’t know they were fighting.

“I thought we agreed that Miss Alice would be your teacher.”

“Yeah, but Dad, Miss Kayla is really cool and she has a brand new studio and it’s right next to the coffee shop and Meg and Becca already signed up.”

“Perfect timing for new neighbors,” Sarah added.

Will took a bite of burnt bread and mulled over his response. “I guess I always thought my little girl was better than the other kids; always at the top of her class... the best at anything she put her mind to. But if you want to sacrifice your talent for friends and a coffee shop, I guess that’s the decision a little girl should make.”

“Real nice, Will.”

“What? I’m sure Kayla’s sweet, but she’s not as talented as Alice.”

“Miss Alice is old,” Janie said, crinkling her nose.

“That means she’s a better teacher,” Will replied. “She has the trophy case to prove it.”

The phone rang. Sarah stood. She wiped her lips and glared at Will. 

“What?” he mouthed, but she left to get the call.

Janie leaned to her father and whispered, “I think I agree with you.”

Sarah answered the phone. “Carmel residence... Yes, she’s here... No, she’s fine. Why?” The concern in Sarah’s voice was apparent. “What’s your name?” she paused and waited for a response. Nothing. She looked at the phone, then hung it up.

“Well?” Will asked as she took her seat.

“Some girl just told me my daughter has cancer.”

“I don’t have cancer,” Janie said.

“I know, honey.”

“Just a prank?” Will asked.

“I guess so. She sounded younger than Janie.”

“Odd.”

Sarah didn’t miss a beat. “Janie only has a few close friends and they all moved to Miss Kayla’s new studio.”