“We'll see.” Even though they were going to go to different schools, Sarah would still meet Greta, Shane and Vivian Thompson at the first covered bridge on the Old Wagon Road so they could all walk into town together.
Vivian, who was thirteen years old, thought herself too grown up to really pal with them. She just walked ahead and paid little mind to what they said or did. Greta, who was ten, had long white-blond hair that reminded Sarah of what she imagined angel's hair must be like. It was so fine and silky. The sunlight danced through it causing tiny beams of light to sparkle around her head.
Her brother Shane, who was a year older, had blonde hair too, but his was not as white as Greta's. Yet, it sparkled just the same and so did his large, sky blue eyes. Especially when he was around Sarah.
They walked down Main Street past Hamilton House and saw Mrs. Hamilton fixing the display in the window of her dress shop. She smiled and waved at them.
As they came upon the free school Sarah said, “I'll see you later.”
“I don't see why you have to go to that snooty school,” Shane huffed. “It's full of idiots.”
“Momma said I have to try it, that's why.”
“Well, just don't let them turn you into a snoot.” Greta laughed.
“Never!” Sarah walked on down Main Street toward the red brick building. The school yard was empty. She slowly opened the door and walked inside. It didn't take her long to find out that Eagleton School wasn't the place for her. She was like a new chick in the old hen house.
As soon as Sarah walked in Trissy Eastland looked over at her and smirked. “Do my eyes deceive me, or do I see Sarah DuVal coming to the real school?”
“I've heard that her whole family is a bit off,” another girl sneered.
“They're a lot off. In fact, they spend all their money on nigras just to turn right around and set ‘em free.” Trissy rolled her eyes.
Sarah hated this school. She especially didn't like that snooty Trissy Eastland! Despite all of her frills and bows, this girl had a sour demeanor and nasty attitude that no amount of finery could cover.
When the long, dreadful school day had ended, Trissy looked at Sarah with a sly grin, “See ya tomorrow.”
“No you won't. I wouldn't come back here if it were the only school on earth!”
“That's a good girl, you did learn something today, didn't you? Stay with your own flea-bitten kind!”
Sarah stomped away. She might have to put up with this kind of torment at home but she wasn't about to put up with it at school too! She would just quit.
Sarah noticed Trissy watching her as she met up with Greta and Shane. Knowing that the girl liked Shane, she smiled slyly at her as she curled her arm around his. Sometimes it really didn't pay to be rich and snooty. Oh, how Trissy would love to be walking home with Shane Thompson, Sarah knew she really did like him,
fleas
and all!
Later that evening Sarah sat at home feeling both furious and heartbroken. Her school days seemed to be over. She felt like she couldn't take up a spot in the free school and yet Eagleton School was out of the question. She'd rather die a long, tragic death than to go back around that Trissy Eastland!
“If you're not going to do anything but pout around all day, go on back to the free school. I'll give them the money we'd have had to pay for you to go to Eagleton,” Marion said.
Sarah's face lit up. “Do you mean it?” She ran to her mother and threw her arms around her.
“Yes, yes. Settle down now and do some work.” Marion broke free of her embrace.
“Yes, ma'am.” Sarah backed away.
The next morning, Sarah eagerly ran to meet up with her friends. “Hey you two!” she called out. “Guess what? I'm coming back to the free school!”
“Really?” Both Shane and Greta's faces lit up.
“Yeah! Isn't it wonderful?”
“I knew you wouldn't like that other school!”
“It was bad enough not having you two there, but having to put up with that mean miss prissy girl Trissy made it even worse.” Sarah looked around, “Hey, where's Vivian? Isn't she coming to school today?”
“No, she's not coming to school again, ever!” Shane announced. “She says that now she's thirteen she's done with school.”
“Learning isn't something you can grow out of,” Sarah replied.
“She never liked school much anyway. She'd rather court,” Greta said.
“It's still sad, though.”
“No, it's not. I like that she's not in school anymore... gives us some relief from her bossy self!” Shane laughed.
Sarah thought about it. What if Nathan and Cora were in school with her, too? She remembered how happy she was that they had chosen not to go. School was a place just for her. “I know how you feel,” she said. “I like it that my sister and brother choose not to come, too!”
The three somewhat liberated friends walked on toward school together. They talked about digging for the lost treasure. Rumor was, that fifty some odd years ago a stingy man had buried his life savings in three old churns. Then he took the fever and died without ever revealing his hiding place. Everyone knew the churns were buried somewhere around these parts. But just exactly where, no one could figure out. One fellow had dug the lower end of his pasture slap off, creating a deep gorge.
“I know where I'd like to dig,” Shane exclaimed. “No one has ever thought of this place and no one ever would,” he proudly boasted.
“Where different would you dig?” Sarah asked.
“Don't tell anyone. It has to be our secret. You two promise not to tell?”
“We won't tell.” They assured him. Shane leaned in and whispered.
“In the stream bed. The old man's house wasn't far from the stream and who would ever have thought to look there?”
“You just did.” Greta giggled.
“That's because I'm smart!”
“Wouldn't the constantly moving water have uncovered them by now?” Sarah asked.
“No, not if he placed big boulders on top of them or something like that.”
“It wouldn't be in that hard of a place, Shane. They say he'd go and get money out of them as he needed it. I don't see anyone moving boulders every time they want to go buy something,” Greta reasoned. “That would be too stupid.”
“You two just watch, I'm going to find them. They're in that stream! I know it! I just feel it in my bones!”
“Well, it can't hurt to look,” Sarah chimed in. “Let's go today after school. We might find it. It could very well be there.”
“Yeah, it's exciting to think we could find it. Shane could be right, stranger things have happened,” Greta pointed out.
They could hardly wait for the quest to begin. When school was over, they tore from the building as if it were on fire. At the stream they walked up and down the bank looking for large boulders to move. Greta spotted a suspicious one. It was sitting alone in the middle of the stream. Just like someone had placed it there. “Mother Nature didn't do that!” She pointed. They took off their shoes and waded into the cool waters. Tiny little perch and minnows scattered. They all got on one side of the boulder and began to push it. It didn't budge. Again they pushed with all their might. Again, nothing.
“This one isn't going anywhere.” Sarah breathed heavily from struggling with the firmly planted rock.
“One more time Sarah, Please!” Shane begged.
“All right, one more... but that's it. If it don't move this time, I'm calling it quits.”
“Ready, on the count of three again... one, two, three!” Shane called out, and they pushed at the boulder again. They felt it give a little.
“We're doing it!” Greta sang out. “We're really moving it!”
“I can't believe it's finally moving!” Sarah squealed.
Again they all gave a mighty last push and the rock gave way so suddenly that they all fell into the water. Shane's hand landed on something slimy and cold. Suddenly they saw what looked like hundreds of water moccasins swarming up from that boulder hole. “Snakes!” Shane yelled as he took off splashing and running through the water with Sarah and Greta close on his heels. They screamed and ran till they knew they were safe. They all three fell to the ground, far away from the stream.
“Is anyone bit?” Sarah asked.
They all checked themselves. They were fine.
“It's a miracle none of us were bit!”
Fear made Greta's words come out wrong as she said, “
Mater woccasins
will kill you dead in minutes!”
“Gosh, that was a narrow escape!
Mater woccasins
might even be worse than water moccasins!” Shane rolled laughing.
Sarah burst out laughing with Shane. “Yeah!” she spoke through her laughter. “I'm never going in that stream again, I don't care how much money is buried in it. How can you spend money if you're dead from a dreaded
mater woccasin
bite?”
They continued laughing.
“All right! I know! I said it wrong. You both sound like some blasted laughing hyenas.”
“Are you sure it ain't
haughing lyennas
?” Shane rolled again as they all burst out laughing.
It was decided that treasure hunts should end, but the adventurous trio didn't sit still for very long. Another idea, mystery, happening or scheme would soon sweep them into action. Like spying on Nathan who always went to the swimming hole alone, or making a sled for the goat to pull them on. They even tried to become invisible by finding a lizard under a moonflower vine late in the evening when the sun and the moon shines together. Ester had told them that if they found such a lizard and caught it for her, that they could become invisible. She had an invisibility potion that only needed that certain lizard. They'd wait for the sun and the moon to shine together so they could go looking for lizards and moonflower vines.
Saturday, when the field work was done, Thorney and Thomas were coming with Sarah, Greta and Shane to build a secret place in the woods. It would be their special hideout, but Sarah found out on Saturday that there would be no games with friends for her.
“Sarah,” Marion said. “You will have to do the inside housework today. I'm going to tend to the widow Smith. The twins can weed the vegetable garden. Nathan will be helping Poppa in the field, so make sure you have lunch ready for them. Cora, you come and help me today.” Marion laid out their chores.
The widow Smith had been under the weather ever since she'd had her last baby. Her title made her sound much older than twenty-one years old. She had been only sixteen when she'd married the fifty-year-old Mr. Smith five years earlier. He'd just been killed two months ago, leaving the pregnant young woman alone with three other children. But most thought she was better off without him. He didn't do much of anything but work her to death, plant her full of babies and beat her. He had money, that's how he got her. Her parents pushed her into marrying rich... or their idea of rich... and she'd been black and blue or pregnant ever since. When she wasn't big and pregnant, he was jealous of her. Now that he'd been killed in a barroom brawl perhaps the young woman could get some peace.
“I'll see you all tonight,” Marion said as she picked up her basket of breads and preserves then left with Cora. They walked down the hill toward the Smith place, about three miles away. The house was in a lovely setting amid a grove of apple trees. When the trees were in full bloom, the view was breathtaking.
Greta and Shane stopped by the house to get Sarah. “I can't go today. I've got to help around the house. Momma had to go help the widow Smith.”
“All right. We'll see you later.” Greta shrugged as she and Shane left.
Once her friends were gone, Sarah continued her chores washing the breakfast dishes and putting them away. She then wandered up the stairs into Nathan's room to make his bed and gather his dirty clothes. She checked the bed to see if it was wet. Even at fifteen, Nathan still hadn't grown out of taking his, ‘night baths’ as John had called it. She was glad to find it was dry. She wouldn't have to sun the mattress, so heavy and awkward to drag outside. She made his bed and took his dirty laundry and added it to her pile.
The twins had made their bed. They were quite responsible six year olds. Sarah took their dirty pinafores. Then lastly, she checked her parents’ room. It was spic and span, so she took her bundles to the wash tub and scrubbed them. After hanging them in the warm sun to dry she went in to fix the noon meal. She took a loaf of fresh baked bread, sliced it and placed it on the table with some plum preserves. She added butter, a platter of fried chicken and a pitcher of tea. Just as she was setting the tea down, Nathan came into the kitchen.
“Poppa sent me to fetch our lunch.”
“Sit down and have a glass of tea while I fix y'all up a basket.” Sarah reached for several cloth napkins and the basket. She packed it with care. Nathan huffed as he waited for her to get through.
“You stupid nit-wit! You knew I'd be coming for our lunch at noon... why didn't you have it ready when I got here?”
“Now, how was I supposed to know you and Poppa wouldn't be coming in to eat? If I had known this little turn of events, I'd have had it ready for you.”
“Don't try being sassy you, Injun witch... it'll get you in trouble.” He snorted. “Give me the basket.”
As Sarah handed him the food, Nathan jerked it from her hand so suddenly that it fell to the floor spilling everything. He grabbed Sarah and whipped his fist across her face. She cried out and put her hand over her face.
“Oh, shut up,” he snarled. “You'll live.” He took some food then turned to leave. “If you go tattling on me, I can make it worse next time. You know that, don't you?” Sarah shook her head as she held her aching face. “Now, get this mess cleaned up.” He walked out, slamming the door behind him, and strutted off toward the field.
Sarah watched him go. The tears were stinging her eyes and when he was far enough away, she quietly began to sob. She couldn't let anyone know what had happened, no matter how badly she wanted to tell on him. She believed Nathan could, and would, make it worse next time. She cleaned the mess from the floor and washed her face. Then she took several deep breaths before calling the twins in for lunch. They had probably gotten through weeding the small vegetable garden long ago, but stayed out to play in the dirt. They loved digging and making villages of sticks, rocks and mud. They wouldn't come in on their own.