Cora's Deception (9781476398280) (34 page)

The words stayed on her heart all during the
next day until finally, Cora found the truth. “Mother do you feel
like talking?”

“Of course.” Mother smiled, her eyes
searching Cora’s face.

Cora slipped from the chair by Mother’s bed
to kneel beside her. “I’ve been thinking about what you said the
other day. I think I’ve found the truth.”

Mother nodded.

“Everything in the Bible seems to point to
Jesus. He said a man cannot come to the Father, except by Him.”
Cora watched her mother’s expression. “Jesus is the truth, isn’t
He? His truth has pointed out my sins of rebellion, envy, anger,
and even neglect to come to Him.”

Tears filled her eyes. “There’s so many and
I want them gone. I’m tired of fighting. I want to know Him. I want
to be born again, Mother, but I don’t know how.”

Mother’s face brightened as her eyes shone.
She stroked Cora’s hair. “I promise to tell you the truth this
time, Cora. I can tell you how to be born again.”

Later, Mother laid back, a smile on her
lips. “Cora, you and Ben are safe in the fold now. The others will
come in soon. I only wish I could see it.”

“You will, Mother.” Cora clung to her
mother’s hand. If only she could give her strength.

Mother’s hand in Cora’s was hot. “We’ve had
enough lies, Cora.”

Cora touched her mother’s forehead. “I’ll
get a damp cloth, Mother. You’re burning up.”

“I know.” Mother closed her eyes, but a
smile clung to her lips.

Two days later, Cora cried with the rest of
her family when Mother slipped away to go home with her Lord.

Chapter 26

C
ora sat on the sofa beside Eliza and Nora. Father gripped the
arms of Mother’s rocker where he sat, his head down, his shoulders
slumped. He rocked back and forth as if the others weren’t there.
Cora wiped a tear from her eye.

Vickie knelt by his side. “Father, I want to
take Nora home with me.”

His head lifted, but his eyes didn’t appear
to focus.

“No.” Eliza pulled the baby close. “We can
take care of her.”

Cora’s heart went out to Eliza. She didn’t
want to give their little sister up, either. The sweet, innocent
baby had filled all their hearts with love. She deserved the best
they could do for her. Would she be better off with Vickie where
Father’s sorrow wouldn’t touch her?

Eliza turned to Cora. “Tell her, Cora. You
and I can take care of Nora.”

Cora met Eliza’s gaze. “I know it hurts, but
Vickie won’t take her far. Father doesn’t need a baby to worry
about right now. Let’s give him time to heal. Just a few weeks
until we all feel better. Nora needs to be away from the disruption
she’ll feel if she stays here.”

“Cora’s right, Eliza.” Vickie looked across
the room. “It won’t be permanent. I’m offering this for Nora. We
want what’s best for her.”

Tears welled in Eliza’s eyes. “All right,
but as soon as we can establish some sort of normal life again, she
comes home.”

Eliza hugged her baby sister close, then
Cora took Nora. With her snuggled in her arms, Cora buried her face
in the baby’s soft neck and blinked away her own tears.

Vickie stood and crossed the room. She
lifted Nora from Cora’s arms. “Can you gather her things?”

Cora nodded. “Eliza, come and help me.”

After Nora left with Vickie and John, the
house seemed empty, as if no one remained. For the next few weeks,
Cora tried to hold to the love her mother had given the family and
to bring peace from their sorrow.

Lenny began disobeying even the smallest
order. He refused to wash his hands before he ate unless someone
made him. When told to do something, he acted as if he couldn’t
hear. One day he ran outside to get away when Cora asked him to
fetch a pail of water.

Cora stood at the table trembling after a
hard won battle with her little brother. “What’s wrong with
him?”

Ben shook his head. “He doesn’t understand
what’s happened. Only that Mother’s gone. We’ll have to continue
praying for him. He’ll come around.”

“I feel as if I’ve about prayed out.” Cora
shook her head. “No, that isn’t true. I’ll keep praying. It’s all I
have.”

Father came in from outdoors and stood in
the middle of the floor. He turned from one side to another then
sighed. Finally, he looked toward them. “Ben. Esther.”

“Is there something we can do for you,
Father?” Ben stepped forward.

“I want you to have the bedroom. I can’t
sleep there anymore.” His face twisted with emotion. “If you don’t
want to trade with me, I’ll sleep in the barn.”

Esther crossed the room and touched his arm.
“Of course we’ll trade. If there’s anything else we can do to help,
just let us know.”

Father nodded. “When I’m gone, the farm will
be Ben’s. I want you to consider the house yours now. If you don’t
like the way things are, just move them until they suit you. The
girls will want to divide their mother’s keepsakes, but we’ll turn
the rest over to you and Ben.”

Esther gave him a kiss on the cheek and a
quick hug. “Thank you, Father, but everything is fine the way it
is. I’ll switch the bedrooms this afternoon.”

Father’s defeated tone
brought fear to Cora’s heart. Surely, they wouldn’t lose him
too.
Lord God, please don’t take him away.
He doesn’t know You, and we still need him. Touch his heart and
bring him peace.

Cora and Eliza helped Esther trade the
bedrooms, wiping even more of their mother from the house. If
Esther and Ben took over, where did that leave the rest of them?
How could they live in their brother’s house?

With each day that passed, the house Cora
loved became less and less her home. Not that Esther made any
changes, but an unsettled feeling that everything had changed
occupied the place. How many times had she asked Esther what to
prepare for dinner? Eliza did the same thing, no doubt feeling as
displaced as Cora.

Christmas would soon be upon them. It’d been
more than four months since Aaron left. Mother had been gone over
two months. Cora’s heart longed for both, but she set aside her
feelings, and tried to enter into the holiday preparations. One
cold, snowy December afternoon, while the house was quiet, Cora
climbed the ladder to her room. Her heart ached. She needed comfort
that only her Mother’s Bible could bring.

Muffled sobs reached her as she stepped on
the higher rungs. She peeked into the room to find the crumpled
heap of her sister on the bed.

Cora sat beside Eliza, placing her hand on
her sister’s back. “Eliza, what’s the matter?”

“Nothing.” Eliza’s answer came garbled and
muffled.

Cora rubbed little circles on Eliza’s back.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”

Cora pulled back as Eliza rolled over, her
face wet with tears. Damp hair clung to her cheeks. She brushed at
it. “Oh, Cora, everything’s wrong. I miss Mother so much.”

Eliza had always been closest to Mother. As
much as Cora missed her, Eliza must miss her even more. Cora’s
heart ached for the pain on her sister’s face. “I know it’s hard,
but Mother’s in heaven. Someday we’ll see her again.”

Tears rolled down Eliza’s face. “Every
morning I wake up expecting to see her, and she’s not here. Father
is hurting too. It’s so hard to watch him pull inside himself.” Her
eyes closed for a moment. “Cora, I haven’t seen Ralph since
Mother’s funeral. When I need him the most, he isn’t here.”

Cora hadn’t noticed Ralph’s absence. “I
don’t know why Ralph hasn’t been here. I don’t know why Mother had
to die. Eliza, I do know Someone who can give us comfort in our
troubles.”

The longing in Eliza’s eyes touched Cora as
she whispered. “Who?”

“Jesus.”
Please let her accept Your salvation.

Eliza looked away. “I know. Mother told me
before she—went away. I’ve watched you and Ben, and I do see you’re
different from before.”

Cora smiled. “Eliza, are you ready for a
change in your life?”

Fresh tears fell as Eliza nodded. “Yes,
please help me.”

Joy from the Lord filled Cora’s soul as she
explained God‘s plan of salvation and prayed with her sister. They
shared a hug while both cried cleansing tears. Cora laughed and
wiped her eyes. “We may never be sisters-in-law like you wanted,
Eliza, but now we’re double sisters. What more could anyone
ask?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all.” Eliza laughed. “I
feel so different from before. As if my heart is full now, when it
was empty.”

~*~

Early the next morning, Cora caught Ben
alone in front of the barn. “Isn’t it wonderful about Eliza?”

He grinned, an empty bucket in his hand.
“That leaves Father and Vickie, and I think Father’s not far from
receiving his salvation.”

“Don’t forget John, and Lenny’s young, but
he needs the Lord. Mother said they’d all be brought in. That was
her wish and her belief.” Cora touched Ben’s hand. “We’ll continue
praying for them, but I’m still concerned about Eliza.”

His eyebrows lifted.

Cora sighed. “It’s Ralph. He hasn’t been to
see her since before Mother’s funeral. Now that Ivy’s married,
Ralph’s living alone in their cabin. You don’t suppose something’s
happened to him, do you?”

Ben frowned. “It’s possible.” He nodded
toward the creek. “Tell you what. As soon as I get the stock
watered, I’ll head over that way and see what I can find out.”

Cora smiled. “Thank you, Ben. I won’t tell
Eliza you’re going. Let’s wait until we know something.”

~*~

Just before noon, Cora looked out the window
and saw Ben riding through the field toward the house. She slipped
her coat on and met him at the barn, where he was unsaddling his
horse.

“What did you learn?” Cora closed the barn
door. The musty smell of hay and warm animals assailed her
senses.

Ben’s brows drew together. His jaw clenched
as he jerked the saddle from the horse. He hung it on a nail before
he spoke. “Ralph’s fine. He’s not living alone.”

Cora’s heart slammed against her ribs. What
did that mean? Was Aaron back? Why hadn’t he let her know? His name
slipped past her lips. “Aaron.”

“No.” Ben reached for her. “No, Cora. I’m
sorry. I didn’t mean that. Ralph’s married.”

Cora stepped back as if Ben had pushed her.
“Married? Ralph?”

Ben sighed. “Right after Mother’s funeral.
He and Anna Hanson went to Brother Tim and had a very private
ceremony. They haven’t told anyone. I doubt if Ivy even knows.”

Cora’s mind whirled, trying to understand
everything he said. Poor Eliza. How would she take the news? “I
don’t understand. Why would he marry Anna? I thought he liked
Eliza.”

Ben closed his eyes. “He didn’t have much
choice.”

“Why not?” Even as she asked, the answer
dawned on her. Anna was carrying Ralph’s child. Her heart sank. She
turned toward the door. “Don’t bother answering that. I understand.
I’ll tell Eliza.”

“Cora, Eliza will be fine. Be sure to tell
her for me, everything works together for good to those who love
the Lord. Tell her I’m praying for her.”

Cora nodded and slipped from the barn. As
soon as the cold air hit, she began praying for her sister. Eliza
would be hurt, but she’d be fine, just as Ben said.

~*~

The early spring sunshine warmed Cora when
she stepped from the house. Aaron had been gone nearly nine months,
yet he was constantly on her mind. Ben and Father stood talking in
a field not far from the garden where Cora and Esther had been
working all morning. They seemed to be having quite a discussion.
As Cora watched, her father knelt in the plowed ground behind his
team. Ben knelt and placed his hand on Father’s shoulder. Both
bowed their heads.

Tears sprang to Cora’s eyes, and she began
praying for her father. Aaron would be so happy for her and her
family as one by one they came to the Lord. However, Aaron wasn’t
here. With each month that passed, her longing for him became
stronger. Where was he? What was he doing? Did he have enough to
eat? Did he have shelter? A place to sleep? Was he still serving
the Lord? Had he found someone else to love? Her heart ached for
him and the love they’d once shared.

Her father stood and threw his arms around
Ben. Praise God. Father claimed Jesus as his Savior.

She ran toward the field to share the joy.
Surely, Mother was also rejoicing in Heaven. Her feet sank into the
soft soil as she raced across it. “Father. Ben.”

“Cora, come and celebrate with us. Father’s
found the way home.” Ben called out.

Father opened his arms for her, and Cora
fell against his chest laughing and crying at the same time. “Oh,
Father. I know Mother is so happy. We all are. She said we’d all be
born again. Only Vickie and John remain.”

“We’ll pray them in.” Father’s face beamed
with the wide smile Cora thought she’d never see again. “I waited
too long to do this. Too stubborn and thought I knew more than I
did.”

Cora nodded and stepped back, wiping her
eyes. “Yes. I’m so happy for you. I came out to tell you we got the
early garden in this morning. I think I’ll take a walk before noon.
I feel as if I’ve been closed up all winter long, and I need some
fresh air.”

Ben grinned. “Planting a garden isn’t enough
air for you?”

Cora laughed. “It helped, but didn’t do much
for stretching my limbs. Besides, I love walking in the woods.”

Father chuckled. “That’s my Cora. Just be
careful.”

“I will.” Cora tied the dangling bonnet
strings under her chin and set off across the open fields. She
entered the woods, taking the familiar path toward the Stark’s home
place. It’d been a long time since she’d gone this direction. Even
before Aaron left. Sometimes, they’d walk here together and stand
above the spring to look out over their special meadow. A
bittersweet longing rose within her as she remembered those times.
She’d like to see the meadow again.