Tender Journeys Read online

  David noted the emotion in her voice. “You must hold a great anger for Apaches.”

  It was a simple statement, but Jenny nearly dropped her coffee when David spoke the words. “I hate them. I hate all Indians. They are vile, hideous people who have no souls!”

  A heavy silence fell between them as David silently prayed for God’s direction in how to minister to the hurting girl.

  “Tell me about Mrs. Morgan,” David suggested, changing the subject.

  “Natty?” Jenny questioned without really expecting an answer. “Natty Morgan is a hard, determined woman. She knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. As far as Natty is concerned, everything is a commodity to be bought, sold, or worked. She has her own ideas about life, and none of them are very encouraging.”

  “She must be hard to live with,” David offered.

  “Yes and no. I think the hardest thing to live with is the negative attitude. She’s a pessimist by nature, always seeing the bad and expecting the worse. But as long as you do what she wants and don’t cost her too much time or money, she’s content to leave you be. Though,” Jenny said and paused thoughtfully, “I wouldn’t want to cross her. She used to run a brothel in Texas, and rumor has it she never needed a strong man to handle the customers when things got out of hand.”

  “I see,” David said, startled by Jenny’s casual reference to a house of ill-repute.

  “So you do the laundry, and Mrs. Morgan does what?” David finally questioned.

  “As little as possible,” Jenny laughed. “I think she’s used to being taken care of. But the laundry makes us good money and I don’t mind.”

  “But what about school?” David questioned.

  “School? I’ve had some schooling. Enough to learn to read and write. And I can do sums and figures, too. Ma used to work with me on the trail.”

  “Do you like to read? I have a lot of books, and you’re welcome to borrow them anytime.”

  “I’m not sure I’d ever have time, but it’s awfully kind of you to offer,” Jenny replied gratefully. He barely knew her and yet he treated her as though she were some long lost friend.

  “Do you go to church?” David questioned, wondering if he could interest Jenny in coming to hear him speak on Sunday.

  “No. Natty’s always seen it as a waste of time. She sleeps through the morning while I work. As much as Natty hates working with dirty clothes, I never have to worry about her hanging around me much, so it’s kind of peaceful. Besides, it gives me time to think.”

  “Think about what?” David asked gently. Jenny seemed so fragile, and David was afraid the wrong question might cause her to bolt and run.

  “I think mostly about my parents and my brothers,” Jenny added.

  “You must miss them a lot.”

  Jenny nodded and took a sip of the coffee. “It used to be I’d be doing something and I was certain I heard my mother calling me. I’d get up and start to go to her, then remember she was gone.” The sadness in her voice made her sound years younger.

  “Sometimes I remember our last morning. I can smell the smoke and hear the screaming. Almost every night it’s the same thing.”

  “Nightmares?” David questioned.

  “Uh huh.” Jenny nodded. Thunder cracked outside and she shuddered.

  “You’re safe here,” David said softly. He longed to put a supportive arm around the girl and drive away her fears.

  Jenny gave him a sad smile. “Maybe so, but I can’t stay here forever.”

  “You can have safety and peace no matter where you go,” David said determined to share the way of salvation with Jenny. “God’s peace is something nobody can take from you. It’s the kind of security you can count on no matter where you live or go.”

  “My mother believed in God. She was a Christian and read the Bible to us every night,” Jenny whispered. She finished the coffee and put the cup on the table. “I really should go.”

  “Why?”

  “Natty will be expecting me, and soon it’ll be time to get supper on.” Jenny realized her words sounded like an excuse.

  “Will you come back, maybe even come for church on Sunday?” David asked softly as he reached out and put his hand over Jenny’s. “I’d like to be your friend and maybe introduce you to a friend of mine.”

  “I’ll think about it,” she said and pulled her hand away. Getting to her feet, Jenny retrieved her shawl and allowed David to help her with it.

  “You’re welcome to stop by here any time you like,” David said as he opened the back door. “In fact, I’d like it very much if you would. I’d like to get to know the city better, and since you’ve been here five years, maybe you could show me around.”

  “Maybe,” Jenny whispered. The rain had abated, but the sky still looked heavy and dark with low hanging clouds. “I’d best go before it starts in again,” she said as she hurried through the door.

  As Jenny made her way down the street, she couldn’t stop thinking about David Monroe. Something about him had seemed so different, so kind. He seemed to genuinely care about her, and that was something Jenny hadn’t enjoyed since the death of her parents.

  He wanted her to come back on Sunday. Jenny wondered if he’d be giving the sermon. As she entered Natty’s house, Jenny was caught up in dreams of sitting in the congregation, listening to David.

  She was just hanging her shawl up when Natty’s grating voice sounded from the front room. “Where have you been?”

  Jenny went to a drawer and took out a brush. “I was delivering clothes.”

  Natty came through the doorway, fussing with the button on her well-worn black skirt. “You shouldn’t have taken so long. Just look at yourself.”

  Jenny glanced down at her wet clothes and then looked up at the gray-haired woman. Natty was biting her lower lip in concentration, struggling to secure the button at the waist of her skirt.

  “Let me help,” Jenny offered. Natty didn’t argue as Jenny pushed her pudgy hands aside and took hold of the skirt.

  “You’ll have to suck in,” Jenny said and pulled the skirt together. “There, it’s buttoned.”

  “Well, it’s about time. Look, I’m going out, so you needn’t fix supper and waste heating the stove. There are biscuits left over from breakfast, and I’m sure you can make a meal on them,” Natty said and pulled on a waist jacket. “I won’t be back until late.”

  Jenny waited until Natty was gone to heave a sigh and sit down. No doubt Natty was headed out to one of the gambling houses and wouldn’t be back until the wee hours of the morning.

  It was of little concern to Jenny. Her mind was still back at the church, fixed fast on David Monroe.

  Chapter 3

  When Sunday arrived, Jenny managed to sneak out of the house long enough to slip into the back pew of the Methodist Church. She kept her head covered and tried to stay hidden behind a stout man.

  David took his place in the pulpit and immediately noticed the dark-haired girl who tried so hard to hide from him. He couldn’t suppress a grin as he welcomed those who were regulars as well as those who were visiting for the first time.

  Jenny tried not to be pleased, knowing he was referring to her perhaps more than anyone else. But in truth, it made her feel warm and happy to know he cared enough to notice her presence.

  The time passed quickly, and Jenny listened intently as David spoke of God’s love for the world—love that Jesus had demonstrated when He died on the cross to pay the penalty for the world’s sins. Jenny felt a bit uncomfortable when David began to speak about forgiveness. How could God forgive anyone for taking the life of His Son? It would be no different than people expecting Jenny to forgive the Indians for killing her family.

  David took his Bible and stepped down from the pulpit. He moved toward the first row of pews and stopped
.

  “ ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep,’ ” he read from John 10:11. “The world didn’t take anything from Jesus. He gave it all. He gave His life and love so you and I might live forever in forgiveness and reconciliation with our heavenly Father.”

  A few people in the crowd murmured “Amen,” and Jenny wondered at their enthusiasm. The congregation seemed to be in perfect agreement with David’s words.

  To emphasize his meaning, David read more from John 10 and concluded with verses 17–18: “ ‘Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.’ ”

  Jenny couldn’t take in the meaning of the words, but she thrilled to David’s rich, confident voice. When David concluded the service and asked everyone to bow their heads for the benediction, she quietly slipped out the vestibule door and hurried home. Feeling confused about David and his words, she was too nervous to face him.

  Throughout the next week, Jenny worked hard to forget her feelings for David. As she scrubbed clothes at the washboard, she could almost see his sweet smile in the soapsuds. Hanging the laundry on long lines in back of the house, Jenny hummed the melody of the song they’d sung at church Sunday. She couldn’t remember the words, except for the line about Jesus paying for her sins. She mingled this with her thoughts of David and a Savior’s love for his people.

  When Friday arrived, Jenny realized she could no longer put aside her thoughts of David and decided to go for a visit. By the time she had carefully finished ironing the last of the laundry and placed it in a huge basket, Natty was still sleeping off the night before.

  Jenny briefly examined her appearance in a small mirror. She wished she looked older. Jenny studied the red gingham dress she wore and noted with satisfaction that it made her look more mature. Her brown hair was tied back at the neck and fell long and straight to her hips. She whirled around and watched as the skirt of the gown fell perfectly into place.

  Jenny smoothed the eyelet lace that trimmed the square-necked bodice and pinched her cheeks even through they needed little help to be rosy. She then pulled on her wrap, secured the basket on her head, and went on her way to make the deliveries.

  So excited was Jenny about the prospect of seeing David, she could scarcely remember where each bundle of clothes belonged. She hurried through town, barely pausing to say hello to the people she passed. She avoided the Indians who had gathered to trade their wares. It didn’t matter they were Pueblos, known for being peaceful and friendly. They were Indians.

  When she’d delivered the final bundle of shirts to Father Martinez at one of the missions, Jenny nearly ran to the Methodist Church.

  David had questioned Pastor Ed about Jenny Oberling. Ed knew a little about the girl and had utilized her laundering services when he could spare the money for someone else to wash his clothes.

  “She lives just down the street. I’m not sure which house it is, but it shouldn’t be hard to find. Why don’t you try to find her?” Ed asked as he helped David finish putting away the breakfast dishes.

  “I’d like to try,” David said as he considered the possibility. “I know she needs a friend. It doesn’t sound like she has any real companionship.”

  “No, I suppose not,” Pastor Ed agreed. “The woman she lives with has a less-than-sterling reputation. Natty Morgan has a flare for the wilder side of life. I’ve spoken with the woman on several occasions and always met with a stone wall when it comes to church and Christianity.”

  “Do you suppose she would forbid Jenny from coming to church on a regular basis?” David questioned as he replaced the dishtowel on a peg.

  “Nothing would surprise me,” Ed replied. “Perhaps there is a way to get on Mrs. Morgan’s good side, but I’m not familiar enough with the situation to know how.”

  David nodded. Just then a light knock at the back door caught both men’s attention. David opened the door and couldn’t hide his pleasure.

  “Jenny!” he exclaimed. “We were just talking about you.”

  “About me?” Jenny questioned as she set her basket on the ground beside the door and let her shawl fall away from her face and onto her shoulders. “Why?”

  “I was just explaining to Pastor Ed that I wondered if I would see you again. You didn’t tell me where you lived, so I couldn’t stop by to invite you to join us for Sunday services,” David replied, uncertain what else to say.

  He didn’t feel comfortable enough to tell Jenny it was really his concern for her well-being that made him want to call. Then again, David wasn’t sure it was only Jenny’s well-being that drew him to her.

  “Please come in and sit down,” Ed said as he came forward and offered Jenny his arm. “You’re out awfully early today. Have you been making your laundry rounds?”

  “Why, yes,” Jenny said sweetly as she allowed Ed to offer her a chair. “Pastor Monroe—”

  “Call me David,” he interjected.

  Jenny raised her liquid brown eyes to his and felt her heart beat faster. “David,” she spoke softly, “asked me to show him around the city. I thought if he had time we might walk this morning.”

  David glanced briefly at Ed before accepting Jenny’s invitation. “I’d be happy to.”

  “Good,” Jenny said feeling a bit awkward.

  “You know, Jenny,” Ed began, “we have a gathering for our local youth. You might enjoy coming and meeting some people your own age. They meet here at the church on Sunday evenings. Sometimes they have outings and sometimes they just get together to study God’s Word.”

  “I’ll think about it,” Jenny replied and lowered her gaze. “I’m not sure it would be all that easy to get out Sunday evenings. Natty usually has friends over and often needs me to put together refreshments.”

  “Don’t feel pressured, Child. I just wanted you to know you’re more than welcome.”

  “Thank you,” Jenny said and raised her eyes only enough to meet David’s.

  “Well, if you’re ready,” David said with a smile, “I’ll put on my coat and take you up on your offer.”

  First, Jenny led David to the city’s adobe square, pointing out local oddities and points of interest. The day had warmed, and the cloudless sky was an intense blue. David listened to Jenny speak of the rich Spanish history of Santa Fe, noting she avoided discussing the Indian population.

  He was sorry when Jenny led the way back to the church with the announcement she was needed at home.

  “Will you come for the service on Sunday? I’m not speaking that day, but Pastor Ed does a wonderful job and I know you’d like him.”

  “I’m not sure,” Jenny said nervously. How could she explain to David that the Christian faith confused her? She didn’t like confronting her anger and her past, and Christianity demanded she do both.

  “I hope you can. Especially on Sunday evening. There are quite a few people your own age,” David said. Jenny turned quickly to pick up her basket, hoping to hide her disappointment in David’s reference to her youth.

  “I’ll think about it,” she murmured. Securing her basket atop her head, Jenny made her way down the walkway.

  “Well, think real hard about it,” David good-naturedly called out to Jenny’s retreating form.

  Jenny didn’t make the services on Sunday morning or Sunday evening. Natty Morgan was in a fierce mood about the money she’d lost during one of her gambling parties. Jenny knew better than to cross her, and when Natty announced she was throwing a card party on Sunday night, Jenny didn’t argue.

  As Jenny prepared the refreshments, anger surged within her. She didn’t know which infuriated her more: the thought of not getting to see David at the service or the fact that
he looked upon her as a child.

  Jenny finished spooning jam into the tarts she’d baked earlier and set the buffet for Natty’s friends. Everything was in place, so Jenny made herself scarce as Natty’s boisterous guests began arriving.

  Slipping out the back door, Jenny took a seat in their small courtyard. The night sky was filled with stars, and a huge harvest moon rose just over the horizon.

  Inside the house, Jenny could hear the raucous laughter of Natty’s drinking friends. How she hated her life with the vulgar woman. Jenny relaxed against the cold iron of the chair and sighed.

  She tried to imagine the gathering at the Methodist Church. What would it be like to mingle among people her own age, as David had called them? Long into the night, Jenny sat and dreamed about the church group and David Monroe.

  The next morning, scarcely an hour after Jenny had started her morning tasks, she was surprised by a knock on her door.

  “Good morning, David,” Jenny replied shyly. “What brings you here?”

  “I wondered if you would have time to walk with me this morning? I know you have your chores and all, but I wondered if you could spare a few moments.”

  “I suppose I could,” Jenny said as she went to the peg where her shawl was hanging. “Only I can’t stay away too long.”

  “That’s fine,” David replied with a grin. He held the door open for Jenny and offered his arm to her as he walked beside her.

  Jenny hesitated for a moment. She longed to pretend he could see her for the mature young woman she was and not the child that sixteen conjured in his mind. If only she could make him aware of her maturity. Shyly, she accepted his arm and cherished every moment as he led her down the street.

  David and Jenny walked down to the river, and when David suggested they sit and talk, Jenny eagerly agreed. Perhaps now she could prove herself to be older and wiser than David Monroe realized.

  “It’s really beautiful down here,” David said as he took a seat on the ground beside Jenny. “I happened down here the first day I was in town. I’ve been coming back whenever time allows.”