Glimmers of Change (10 page)

Zeke shook his head. “So they don’t know where it comes from, and they don’t know why it leaves?”

Janie shrugged. “So much of medicine is still unknown,” she murmured. “Advances are being made every day, but I don’t know that we’ll always have all the answers.”

Zeke took Susie’s hand. “Me and Susie got to talk and think about it,” he said finally. He managed a weak smile. “We sure appreciate your telling us about it, though.”

“Janie!” Amber’s voice broke into their conversation.

Janie pushed aside her heavy thoughts and summoned up a bright smile for the excited little girl. “Hello, Amber!” She waited until Amber put down the plate she was carrying and then pulled her forward into a tight hug. “Are you sure you’re only thirteen? I declare, you get bigger every time I see you.”

Amber giggled. “And smarter too,” she proclaimed. “I’m the best reader in my class,” she said proudly. “And I’m even making sense of arithmetic.”

Janie lifted up the little girl’s chin so she could gaze into her eyes. “That’s wonderful. I’m so proud of you.”

Amber nodded. “Daddy and Opal are too,” she said happily. “I like making them happy. And I really like going to my Quaker school. Everybody be so nice.”

“Everybody
is
so nice,” Susie corrected gently.

“Right. Everybody
is
so nice,” Amber said, her grin spreading across her face. “Pretty soon, I will be able to speak just like you and Carrie and Rose, Miss Janie.”

“And
me
?” Susie asked, pretending offense.

“Well, of course,
you
,” Amber retorted. “But you don’t count, ‘cause you’re just my sister.”

Susie chuckled as she shook her head. “I get absolutely no respect here.”

Janie laughed as she pulled her plate of sweet potato casserole closer to her, leaning down to take a long sniff. “No one makes sweet potato casserole like Opal,” she said happily. She took a bite, savoring the explosion of flavors as she chewed and then looked at Amber. “Will you ask Opal to fix a whole casserole for me to take home? I know my housemates will love this.”

“You bet!” Amber responded. “Sadie just got here from school. She and my sister are working on more of them right now. I’ll tell her to make one for you special.”

“Tell her she doesn’t have to cook it,” Janie added quickly. “I’ll put it in the oven when I get home.”

Amber nodded, gave her a quick grin, and dashed toward the kitchen. She was only halfway there when the front door flung open.

“Fire! The roof is on fire!
Fire!
”

There was a moment of horrified, stunned disbelief that held everyone in place. It quickly dissolved as yelling and high-pitched screams filled the air. Everyone jumped from their tables and pushed toward the door.

Janie remained frozen in place. A loud crackling sound caused her to gaze upward. Sparks from the woodstove had ignited the roof. She stared, fascinated, at the orange flames beginning to lick through the wooden roof.

“Janie!” Zeke hollered, reaching over to yank her out of her chair. “Get your coat. We have to get out of here!”

Zeke’s voice pulled Janie from her fascinated trance. She had heard about the terrible fires down in this part of the city, but she had never dreamed she would see one first hand. Another glance at the ceiling told her the fire was spreading quickly. She reached for her coat, but Zeke had already yanked it from the hook beside the table.

He grabbed her hand and began to pull her through the restaurant. Many of the patrons had already spilled out into the road. Gusts of cold air blowing in through the door fed the flames. They roared more angrily as they consumed the roof and began to work down the back wall. Angry crackling mixed with the hiss of the flames.

Janie gasped as the cold air hit her. It was suddenly all real. She turned toward the door and realized how many coats were still hanging on hooks. She had a quick vision of terrified people freezing on the sidewalk. She jerked away from Zeke’s hand and began to grab coats as quickly as she could. “Help me,” she cried. “Those people out there will need these!”

Zeke’s eyes were wide with fright as he stared at her and then glanced back at the gaping door leading to safety.

Susie pushed him in the back. “We have enough time,” she yelled. “Help her. I’ll go in the back to make sure Daddy, Opal, and the kids get out. Hurry!” she yelled over her shoulder.

Screams and calls continued from outside as the last people pushed through the front door.

Janie flashed through the restaurant, horrified as she watched pictures on the back wall be devoured by flames, their bright images dissolved in an instant. When her arms wouldn’t hold any more, she turned and rushed to the front door. She stepped outside, dashed far enough away to safely dump her load, and then looked around frantically.

Opal, Eddie, and the kids were nowhere to be seen. Janie and Zeke exchanged a terrified glance and then turned as one to dash back into the building, ignoring the screams of the patrons telling them to stop.

Just as they stepped into the building, they saw Eddie and Opal run from the kitchen, their hands full of pots and pans. Susie was right behind them, pulling Amber and Carl with her.

“Sadie and Sadie Lou?” Zeke hollered over the flames as the back wall caved in on itself and began to devour the wall behind the kitchen.

“They were right behind me,” Susie cried. She whipped back around, pushing Amber and Carl toward Janie. “Get them out of here!”

Janie grabbed the terrified children’s hands and pulled them toward the door. She knew there were only minutes before the flames reached the huge vats of frying oil. What was already a nightmare was about to get worse.

Zeke plunged into the kitchen with Susie.

Janie plowed into Eddie and Opal just outside the door as she emerged with the children.

“I have to go back inside,” Eddie hollered. “The Sadies are in there!” His eyes bulged with terror.

Janie blocked his way, pushing him and Opal away from the building as she pulled Amber and Carl with her. “You will do no such thing,” she said firmly, trying to swallow her own terror. “Zeke and Susie will get them out of there.” She could only pray she was right.

Two men ran forward and wrapped a coat around the children. Another man grabbed Eddie’s arm and pulled him further from the building. Two women, tears pouring down their cheeks, took Opal’s arm and hauled her away from the flames.

Opal’s screams could be heard over the flames. “Sadie! Sadie Lou!”

Janie gulped back tears as she stared at the door, willing the four of them to appear. She could hear the clanging bells of the fire wagon in the distance but already knew they wouldn’t arrive in time to save any part of the restaurant.

“Get out!” Eddie hollered. “Get out!” He struggled to break free from the two men holding him, but they held him tight, knowing he could do nothing to help.

Carl and Amber cowered between the two men, their eyes wide with fright.

“Sadie!” Susie yelled.

“Sadie Lou!” Zeke hollered, their voices devoured by the roar of the fire.

Susie covered her hand with her mouth, trying desperately to penetrate the wall of smoke pouring from the kitchen. “Sadie!” she screamed. “Where are you?”

“Get down on the floor!” Zeke yelled. “The smoke won’t be as bad!”

Susie dropped immediately, just able to see enough to push through the kitchen opening. She crawled forward, searching for the girls. They had been right behind her. What could have happened?

“Susie…”

Susie spun around as the whimper reached her. “Sadie Lou!” she gasped, reaching out for her sister. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

Sadie Lou nodded toward her leg crushed beneath a section of the kitchen wall that had fallen. “I can’t move,” she whimpered, her eyes wide with terror and pain.

“Where is Sadie?” Susie asked as she began to tug at the timber, ignoring the pain from the flaming wood.

Zeke leaped forward to help her, looking frantically for something to pry the timber from Sadie Lou’s leg.

“She fell,” Sadie Lou cried. “She fell right in front of the stove. I tried to go back to get her, but the wall fell on my leg.” She gazed up at Zeke, tears pouring down her face as she gasped for air. “You have to get her!” she cried. She screamed with pain as the flaming timber caught her dress on fire.

Zeke moved to jump over her and stopped. He looked at Susie. The look in her eyes told him she had seen it, too.

The flames were licking at the vats of cooking oil.

Zeke knelt down and grabbed her hand, reaching for Sadie Lou at the same time. “I love you!” he shouted.

Susie gripped his hand tightly, never looking away. “I love you too.”

A sudden explosion rocked the ground and sent flames shooting higher into the air.

“No!” Opal screamed. “No!”

“My children!” Eddie hollered, suddenly going slack against the men holding him. “My children!” His voice trailed away to an agonized whimper.

Janie stared in disbelief as flames shot high into the frozen air. A sick bile rose in her throat as a sudden silence fell on everyone watching. They all knew no one could have lived through the explosion.

Suddenly Opal squirmed free of the women holding her and raced toward the inferno. “Susie! Sadie! Sadie Lou! Zeke!” She stumbled and almost fell. “I’m coming! Hold on. I’m coming!”

Janie reached her just before Opal ran into the flames. “Opal, no!” She grabbed the sobbing woman’s arm and pulled her back. Two men added their strength and hauled her back from the roaring fire.

“My children!” Opal screamed. “My children!”

Janie, tears pouring down her face, pulled Opal close into her arms and held her tight. “I’m so sorry,” she groaned. “I’m so very sorry.”

She stepped back when Eddie approached, letting him take Opal into his arms. “They’re gone, Opal,” he croaked, his eyes red with agony. “Our children be gone.”

As they rocked in each other’s arms, Janie looked around frantically for Carl and Amber. She finally saw them, safe in a circle of customers who had pulled them to safety. She ran to them, completely understanding the looks of shocked disbelief on their faces.