Monday morning Travis wanted to play with Beth again, but I wasn't comfortable having him go over there, after the way her father had acted. I was able to distract him for a couple of hours by letting him help me bake cookies. I should have known he wouldn't forget that easily.
"I bet Beth likes cookies. Can I take some to her?" he asked.
I couldn't tell him I didn't want him to go over there, because I knew I wouldn't be able to come up with a satisfactory answer to his whys. I looked down the street and didn't see a truck in their driveway. With any luck, Beth's father was at work. I might have a chance to get meet her mother and find out if there was any cause for concern.
"We'll take a plateful for her family."
The house looked deserted. The drapes were drawn across the windows of the front room and, standing on the porch, I couldn't hear any activity inside. I rang the doorbell anyway.
There was a movement at the window and I saw a little face peeking out. It disappeared and a few minutes later a gaunt woman opened the door. Her eyes darted around before she met my gaze for a few seconds.
"Hello!" I said, summoning up a smile I didn't really feel. "I'm Anne Barrett. My son, Travis, was playing with Beth the other day, and I thought we should get to know each other."
The woman was silent. Beth peered around her and gave Travis a tentative smile. I held out the plate of cookies.
"We made these for you!" Travis proclaimed. "They're really good. Want one, Beth?"
A tiny hand sneaked out and snatched a cookie.
"That's mighty kind of you, Mrs. Barrett." The woman accepted the plate of cookies and stood there silently, shifting from foot to foot, not inviting me in but not slamming the door in my face, either.
"Please, call me Anne. I live in the manse. My husband is the minister." I babbled on in the face of her reluctance to say anything.
"Maybe Beth would like to come over and play at our house."
"Joe don't like her going away from home."
"I assure you, it's perfectly safe. I'll watch her carefully."
"Please, Ma, can't I go?" Beth tugged at her mother. Her mother looked at her, and her expression softened slightly, but she shook her head.
"Why don't you both come?" I suggested.
The woman shook her head again. "Joe don't like me going nowhere neither."
I sent a silent prayer that God would forgive me, then suggested something contrary to God's word about a woman obeying her husband.
"I won't tell him if you don't. Just for a little while. You can be back before he gets home. What time does he come home?"
"He won't be home 'til 'bout five o'clock. But he'll be wantin' dinner ready when he comes."
"Oh, you'll be back in plenty of time to make dinner. Just come for an hour or two."
I could see she was wavering so I pushed a little.
"For Beth."
She gave a brief nod. "Fair enough. Beth, you go put these on the table. Put them on one of our plates, mind, and bring Mrs. Barrett's plate back here." Turning back to me, she said,"Begging your pardon, Mrs. Barrett, but Joe don't like people coming over, so I'd just as soon he didn't know you were here. He'll think I baked the cookies."
Beth reappeared a moment later and squeezed past her mother. With a last glance around, her mother stepped out and shut the door behind her. Travis took Beth's hand and they ran ahead of us to our house.
YOU ARE READING
A Soldier's Heart
General Fiction"Travis was a soldier with heart. His love for his family, his country and his community is unquestioned. He never hesitated to put his life on the line for those he loved- and he loved many and deeply." So begins Travis Barrett's eulogy. A true her...
