In an America that might have been, two war orphans from a divided nation, one in the north and one in the south, meet across a vast battlefield, striking out to forge a future together in the west. It's 1892, the fourth and bloodiest year of the Ci...
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Kay and Charity picked up their laundry and went to the women's club, where Myka looked at their dresses and decided what could be done. Myka wasn't a professional seamstress, so she found it difficult to estimate the time necessary to make the alterations, but she would bring what she had to the club the next day. Kay found a book, something called Wives and Daughters. And that was it. Really, it was a rare, delightfully uneventful day.
The next day they went to the club early and helped sweep and scrub. The tub was drained, cleaned, and refilled. The coal box for the boiler was shoveled out. Plants were watered and trimmed, shelves dusted and restacked, and from the kitchen in back, good smells began to drift about.
There wasn't a single dish that Kay had ever tasted before. There was corn, but not like she had ever seen it. It was roasted with spices. There was fry bread, assorted beans, and chicken flavored with herbs she didn't recognize. They had berries and cream for dessert! It had all been spicier than she was used to, but she enjoyed it. They ate together at a long table and then worked together to clean up.
Myka had finished a dress for Kay, and it fit, so now she had two she could wear. And after lunch they were introduced to Anpo, who washed clothes at the Jefferson Barracks hospital laundry.
"I can take you there tomorrow if that is a good day for you." She had a small quiet voice, but her eyes seemed to smile.
"Please," Charity said.
"It's not a nice place. Really. Do not wear clothes that you care about." She seemed to look at them with concern.
"Is it far?" Kay asked.
"Yes. I'm hoping to go by boat. My brother fishes and usually takes me there and back in his boat, but this won't be the usual day and he may not want to. I will know tonight."
"We can pay him," Kay said.
"With him, that may help." She stopped for a second in thought and then looked at them again. "Please be sure you want to do this."
"I have to know," Charity said.
And Anpo looked down and nodded.
They had good fortune to find a guide. Saint Louis was one of the gateway cities to the west and in the best of times was large and busy, but it had swelled with the arrival of the Army. And the Army, always hungry for transport, took everything it could. So finding some form of transport to the hospital was fortunate. Boats and stretchers were about the only two ways left to get there.
They met Anpo the next morning.
"My brother, he will do it for three dollars." Kay didn't know if this was a lot or not. The carriage to the train station had cost her thirty five cents, but this was all day and a long way.
