Destiny - The Callahans #1 (17 page)

They quickly resumed their seats on the buggy
and headed farther up the street, stopping where Sister Mary
indicated and dropping off the boxes. After a number of additional
stops, their last parcel was gone. “Back to a warm bed, Mr.
Callahan,” she laughed, as Tom started the mare toward South Temple
and the gentle climb back toward the hospital.

“Remember now, Mr. Callahan. This night’s
work is just between us.”

“Then these families would be some of our
Catholic neighbors, Sister?” he queried.

She turned to look at him, her eyes sparkling
in the crisp early morning starlight. “I’d not be knowing, Mr.
Callahan.”

“Sister?” Tom said, a quizzical expression on
his face.

She smiled broadly again, pulling the blanket
around her and tucking it in behind her knees. “We do God’s work,
Mr. Callahan, wherever it is needed.”

Tom continued to drive the buggy east, again
past Temple Square and up the hill toward the hospital. “Sister,
I’m a bit confused. With the church . . .”

“Mr. Callahan,” she interrupted, “we have, as
I indicated earlier, reached an accommodation of sorts in this
valley. You’ll come to understand that, and to appreciate the need
for each of us to do what we can. Continually, we have new
immigrants, and our population grows constantly. God’s work knows
no boundaries. In answer to my prayers, God has never asked me
where the people attend church, and I am pleased to serve Him where
and how I can.

“Let me tell you something, Mr. Callahan. God
sent you to us for a purpose. I knew that the moment you entered
Holy Cross Hospital. I don’t know why, and I can see, neither do
you. But in good time, Mr. Callahan, He will reveal himself unto
you. Until then, we are pleased to have your services.”

Tom drove silently for a few minutes, his
thoughts flitting back to Katrina’s comment about the Lord’s
purposes for him, and how she would not be concerned about his
welfare. “And if that direction leads toward the Mormon way,
Sister?” he asked, turning to see her face in the moonlight.

“As I said, Mr. Callahan, they are good
people.”

Tom pulled up to the entrance of the hospital
and assisted Sister Mary down from the seat. “As are you, Sister.
Thank you for allowing me to assist.” Tom said.

She reached for and held his hand momentarily
as she parted. “It is an elderly Mormon gentleman who provides us
the food, Mr. Callahan,” she smiled. “And he doesn’t ask who
receives it. We all work together for the common good. Twice a week
we shall make these distributions, God willing.”

“Count on me, Sister. It will be my pleasure
to help.”

“Thank you, Mr. Callahan. And God’s blessings
to you,” she said, leaving Tom to unhitch and stable the horse and
to contemplate the evening’s work.

Ye knew when ye sent me here, didn’t ye,
Father O’Leary? Aye, that ye did.

Tom saw Katrina and Andy before either of
them spotted him. Standing off to the side of the temple building,
Tom allowed them to pass before stepping out onto the foot path. He
followed at a distance and watched as several groups of people
greeted the couple. A number of young men in particular made
certain to say hello to her, and Tom saw that Katrina had
apparently become popular. He noted that she carried herself
confidently, and it suddenly became very apparent to him that there
was a broad social gap between him and the vivacious young woman.
It occurred to him how little he had to offer her, and he briefly
considered turning around and leaving.

Though she was clearly the same young woman
he had known, standing now only a few feet from Katrina, Tom
experienced a strange sensation that he didn’t know her, that she
bore little resemblance to the woman whose image he had entertained
in his mind for nearly a year. And now that she was within reach,
he hesitated, not certain how to proceed. Still, he had worked hard
to achieve this moment, and the Irish in him gave him the
determination to see it through. He hurried to catch Anders and
Katrina, and as the couple approached the entrance to the
Tabernacle, he closed to a few feet, and spoke softly.

“Katie?”

At the sound of her name, she turned. A look
of astonishment turned to pleasure as she recognized Tom. She had
imagined for so long what it might be like if he ever came. She had
pictured herself running into his arms, but now she didn’t know how
to react. She just stood there, looking into his face with
amazement and clinging to her brother’s arm. Then tears began to
well up in her eyes, and she didn’t trust herself to speak, even if
she had known what to say.

Tom moved closer, smiled at her, and reached
without looking away from Katrina to shake Andy’s hand. For several
moments Tom and Katrina stood looking at one another, while Andy
stood by, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the
other.

“’Tis a vision of loveliness I see this
evening,” Tom finally said, trying to grin but not succeeding very
well.

Katrina recognized the first words Tom ever
spoke to her, standing together on the deck of the
Antioch
that first morning at sea. But she still stood speechless, trying
to gather her senses and continuing to cling tightly to Andy’s
arm.

“May we have a few moments, Andy?” Tom
finally asked, shifting his gaze to Anders. “I’d like to walk with
Katie for a while.”

Andy looked at Katrina. She let go of her
brother’s arm and somewhat tentatively took hold of Tom’s.

“I’ll meet you here after the concert,
Klinka,” Andy said.

The couple walked to the north, toward the
gated exit from Temple Square, and then turned west on North Temple
as they left the temple grounds. They walked without speaking for a
minute or two, following the outer perimeter of Temple Square and
mingling with those headed for the concert.

“You look well, Thomas,” Katrina finally
said.

“As do you, Katie. Utah seems to have been
well suited for your new home. Andy tells me you are attending the
university, training to be a teacher.”

“Yes,” she smiled. “I really enjoy my
studies. How about you, Thomas? What have you been up to this past
year?”

Tom laughed—a hearty laugh that answered
Katrina’s question almost without words.

“Finding your way to Utah, I guess,” she
said, embarrassed. “And when did you arrive?”

“I got to Salt Lake the day of statehood,” he
replied. “I was in Ogden for a day or two before that, finishing up
some work.”

“You’ve been here that long?” she asked.

Not knowing quite how to defend himself, Tom
didn’t answer immediately. Then he said, “I’ve been busy getting
settled. I didn’t know for a while whether or not you were actually
living here.”

Katrina scarcely heard Tom’s reply. Her mind
had gone back to statehood day and Harold’s proposal of marriage.
She’d been in constant turmoil since then. Now her worst fear and
her strongest desire had come face to face. Tom had, indeed, come.
But he had arrived too late. Just three days earlier, while on a
horse-drawn sleigh ride with Harold, he had asked Katrina if she
had given his proposal due consideration. She had made him almost
deliriously happy by simply saying, “Yes, Harold. I will marry
you.” Now, she was firmly caught between both of them. A promise to
one, and a promise to the other. The realization of what she had
done brought a sudden feeling of embarrassment, that bordered on
panic. She didn’t know what to say, and they walked in silence for
a while longer.

“Have you found a place to stay and
work?”

“Aye. I live and work at Holy Cross Hospital,
up on Tenth East. It’s a good situation for me. Sister Mary
Theophane, who hired me, is a wonderful person and a good
friend.”

Katrina nodded as they continued to walk
around the square, cutting through the center a couple of times and
reversing their path. After nearly an hour and a half of
conversation about Utah, Salt Lake City, and other pleasantries,
Tom led Katrina to a bench north of the temple, where they sat
together for a few moments without speaking.

Tom broke the silence. “I’ve not forgotten
you, Katie. Not for a moment this past year. But Anders has told me
that someone else has entered your life.”

Katrina looked down at her feet, uncertain
how to answer. Not wanting to hurt Tom, and not entirely certain of
her own feelings, she had no reply.

“It’s not my intent to cause you worry,
Katie, or to interfere in your life if indeed you’ve found someone
else. But I know from your face when I first spoke to you tonight,
that you were glad to see me. Surprised, but glad. Do we have the
time to finish what we started on the boat? Do we have the time to
see what fate has in store for us, Katie?”

“Oh, Thomas, I’m so confused. I waited and
prayed for you to come for so long, and then I didn’t know if you
would. I just didn’t know what to do. Poppa wanted me to . . . ,
well, he hoped I would find someone and get married, but I was
angered by his insistence. I suppose Anders has told you about Mr.
Stromberg?” she asked.

“Some,” Tom said.

“He really is a nice man, Thomas,” she
offered, biting her lip as she realized that a litany of Harold
Stromberg’s good traits were of no interest to Tom.

Tom remained quiet for several minutes. “Will
I not have the chance to see you, then, Katie?”

“Thomas, Harold has asked me to marry him. In
fact, he’s asked several times over the past few months.”

“And what was your answer, Katie?”

“Oh, Thomas,” she whimpered, the tears now
overflowing her eyes. “I . . . I’ve given him my answer. I told him
I would marry him.” Rushing her words to finish her explanation,
she continued, “I didn’t know if you would come, Thomas, and
Christmas came and the year was up, and . . .”

Tom stood abruptly, leaving Katrina seated,
tears now freely flowing down her cheeks. “I do understand, Katie.
Perhaps it’s best I go. I didn’t come to Utah to disrupt your life.
If you have found someone else, maybe we should each get on with
our lives.”

“Thomas, do you see this temple behind us?
You just asked me if we had time to see what fate had in store for
us. I want to know what the Lord has in store for me, Thomas. I
told you on the boat that I was concerned about my religion too,
and . . .”

“I understand, Katie, I truly do.” He didn’t
intend it, but he sounded curt. A hollow ache in his chest
threatened to bring on tears of his own, and he wanted to
leave.

People were beginning to exit the Tabernacle,
and as Anders came out of the building, he spotted Tom and Katrina
and began walking toward them. Not wishing to put on a happy front
and afraid he would not be able to mask his emotions, Tom said,
“I’ll say good-bye now, Katie. Andy is coming.”

Tom turned to leave, waving briefly to Andy
and heading quickly for the north entrance to Temple Square. By the
time Andy reached Katrina, Tom was just rounding the gate post. He
looked back briefly before disappearing behind the wall.

Without speaking to Andy, Katrina jumped to
her feet and ran to the gate.

“Thomas, please, wait. Thomas!” Clearing the
gate, she turned east in the direction Tom had gone. He stopped and
turned to face her.

“Oh, Thomas, I do care for you. Truly I do,
and I am so sorry for the trouble I have caused. When you suddenly
appeared tonight, it was as if all my concerns had surfaced at
once. Can you understand?”

He reached out to touch her hair and looked
into her eyes. He was smiling sadly. “Katie, the Lord has a purpose
for us all, Catholic and Mormon, and we must follow our hearts in
whatever direction He leads us. I’m sure He knows your heart, too.
I told you I didn’t attend church, but I never said I didn’t
believe in Him. Sister Mary has . . . Look, Katie, I’d best say
good-bye now,” he whispered, feeling his eyes beginning to
water.

“Oh, Thomas, I’m so sorry. Please
understand.”

“I do, Katie, and I’ll never forget you, or
your loveliness,” he said, gently stroking her cheek with the back
of his hand. “God’s blessings on ye, Katie, me darlin’.”

21 January 1896

Dear Nana,

My heart is pounding so hard tonight, Nana, that I
can scarcely breath. He’s come. Thomas has come to Utah. I knew the
moment I saw him again that I love him. I love him, Nana. I love
him with all my heart, but I have agreed to marry Harold. Oh,
please help me, Nana.

Jeg elske du,

Katrina

On St. Patrick’s day, March seventeenth,
Sister Mary and a couple of the nursing sisters surprised Tom by
decorating his room in the basement of the hospital. Coming back
that afternoon from an errand Sister Mary had contrived to get him
out of the hospital, he went to his room to pick up some tools and
found various green and gold decorations covering the walls. The
picture of the river Shannon flowing gently through County
Limerick’s countryside stopped Tom dead in his tracks, and he stood
staring at it.

The light tap on his door broke his thought,
and he quickly wiped the tears from his cheeks before opening the
door.

“Happy St. Paddy’s day, Thomas Matthew
Callahan,” Sister Mary exclaimed. Sister Mary immediately sensed
something was wrong, and she stifled her enthusiasm as she tried to
discern Tom’s mood. Stepping into the room, she closed the door
behind her.

“Thomas, what is it? What’s wrong?”

“Aw, ’tis nothin’, Sister,” he said, turning
away and moving a few things on his make-shift dresser. “Just a bit
of homesickness, I guess.”

Sister Mary took the single chair, placed it
against the door, and took a seat.

“Mr. Callahan, I’ve noticed lately, and so
have several of the nursing sisters, that you’ve been rather
quiet—not your usual self. Is it something you’d care to talk
about?”