The Mandie Collection (26 page)

“Oh, thank you, Grandmother,” Mandie interrupted.

“And I think you should ask Liza to help out with this. She would be really good at taking care of the children,” Mrs. Taft said.

“Do you think so?” Mandie asked, and when her grandmother nodded she added, “I’m not sure she can keep a secret. Maybe you could explain to her that no one else is to know what we’re doing. She would listen to you.”

“I’ll see what I can do, but right now I think we’d better go downstairs for supper,” Mrs. Taft said as she rose.

Mandie jumped up and exclaimed, “Supper! Oh, Grandmother, what will I do? Joe and I can’t both eat supper downstairs at the same time.”

“Then now is the time to find Liza and send her over to the church,” Mrs. Taft said. “I’ll wait here while you go get her, but make it snappy. Your mother will be wondering where we all are.”

“Yes, Grandmother,” Mandie said, rushing out the door.

Mandie didn’t have far to go. She found Liza folding linens in front of an upstairs hallway closet.

“Quick, Liza, my grandmother wants to talk to you,” Mandie said, reaching for the young girl’s hand.

“Yo’ grandmama?” Liza asked as she allowed herself to be propelled down the corridor to the door of Mrs. Taft’s room.

“She’ll explain,” Mandie said, pushing open the door and motioning for Liza to enter the room.

“Lawsy mercy, Missy ’Manda, whut’s I done went and done now?” Liza whispered loudly to Mandie.

Mrs. Taft was waiting just inside the doorway and told Liza, “We need your help, Liza. Amanda has some children staying in the basement of the church, and we would like for you to watch them while Amanda and Joe eat supper, since you won’t be having your meal until later.”

“Chillun in de church?” Liza questioned as she fidgeted and looked from Mrs. Taft to Mandie.

Mandie knew Liza stood in awe of her grandmother. “That’s all you have to do for now,” Mandie assured her. “I’ll go with you over there.”

“But Aunt Lou—whut she gwine say if I run off like dat?” Liza asked.

“Never mind about Aunt Lou,” Mrs. Taft said. “I’ll fix that. You just run along now with Amanda, and as soon as we have supper she will come and get you.”

Mandie knew that Liza considered Mrs. Taft the top authority in anything she was involved in. She watched as Liza shrugged her shoulders and turned to leave the room. “Let’s us hurry and git dis ovuh wid,” the girl said.

———

Joe was pleased to see Liza when Mandie opened the door to the basement at the church.

“Liza, we sure need your help,” he said to the girl.

Liza ignored him and walked over to look at the four children playing in the corner. “Where you git dese heah chillun? Who dey be?” she asked Mandie.

“They’re orphans,” Mandie said—and then she remembered that Liza didn’t have any parents either—“Just like you. They don’t have mothers or fathers. We’ll explain everything after a while. Right now, please be sure they don’t get too close to the heater and they don’t go outside. Joe and I will be back just as soon as we can get away from the supper table.”

“Dem po’ lil’ chillun, no mamas and no papas,” Liza said. She bent to push back the long dark hair of one little girl. She looked at Mandie and Joe and said, “Y’all jes’ git outa heah. We be jes’ fine.”

Mandie and Joe looked at each other and smiled. “We’ll be back real soon,” Mandie assured her as she and Joe went out the door.

“I just hope no one goes into the church while we’re gone,” Mandie said as she and Joe hurried back toward the house.

“There’s no reason for anyone to,” Joe said.

“You’re right. There’s nothing scheduled until Sunday, December twenty-second, when we give the play,” Mandie agreed.

———

Supper went smoothly. No one seemed to miss Liza, who usually helped wait on the table. Aunt Lou, Uncle John’s housekeeper who always supervised, assisted Jenny, the cook, in serving the meal.

As they began eating, Uncle John remarked to Joe, “I suppose your father and mother will be here tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir, they should be,” Joe replied as he hastily ate.

“And, Amanda, I had a message that Uncle Ned would be visiting us the weekend before Christmas,” Uncle John told Mandie.

“Oh, I’m glad, because then he’ll be here to see our play that Sunday,” Mandie said excitedly, as she thought about what assistance they might need from the old Cherokee.

Elizabeth, Mandie’s beautiful young mother, asked, “And this play, Amanda. Have you and Joe decided what you’re going to do?”

Mandie and Joe quickly looked at each other. Mandie replied, “Oh, you know, it will be just a regular Christmas play, the usual Christmas story.” She cut her eyes at Joe as she hurriedly ate the peas on her plate.

“And will you be needing very many participants?” Uncle John asked, and then added, “In fact, have you two got everything prepared?”

Mrs. Taft looked at Mandie and spoke hurriedly, “From what Amanda tells me, they have it all planned out and it should be enjoyable.”

“Fine,” Uncle John said. “Then y’all don’t need my help.”

“Oh, no, thank you, Uncle John, we can manage . . . and you’ll be busy with Joe’s parents and everything,” Mandie said with a big smile.

Uncle John frowned and said, “There is one thing. I have asked Jason Bond to go with the two of you when you get ready to bring in a Christmas tree.”

“Thanks, Uncle John. We’ll let him know what day we need to get it,” Mandie said.

“We’ll have to cut two trees, you know,” Joe said to Mandie. “One for the play and one for your house here.”

“And some holly and mistletoe,” Mrs. Taft added with a big smile.

“I just hope we don’t get a heavy snowstorm before we get everything in,” Mandie said, glancing at Joe. He nodded agreement.

“Why, Amanda, you always wish for a white Christmas,” Elizabeth said.

“I know, but if it will just wait until we get everything together for the play and the house decorated,” Mandie said, drinking the last of her coffee.

“And our play will be on Sunday, and Christmas isn’t until the following Wednesday,” Joe added as he ate hurriedly.

“But, remember, we are supposed to go Christmas caroling on Christmas Eve night,” Elizabeth reminded them.

“I think you’d better count me out this year,” Mrs. Taft said. “I’ll stay here and take care of any carolers who come while you’re all gone.”

Mandie quickly looked at her grandmother. Mrs. Taft had always insisted on participating in everything they did at Christmas time, so she wondered if the lady was up to something.

“Are you not feeling well, Mother?” Elizabeth asked.

“Oh, I’m fine. I just have lots to do. I still haven’t purchased all the gifts for everyone, and then I’ll have a chance to wrap them without anyone peeking,” Mrs. Taft said with a little laugh.

Mandie didn’t believe that was the reason. She would just have to keep an eye on her grandmother to find out why she was refusing to go caroling with them.

Supper was finally over, and when Mandie stood up from the table she asked Aunt Lou, who was busy with the coffeepot on the sideboard, “Have you seen Snowball, Aunt Lou?”

“Dat white cat, he done be eatin’ his supper in de kitchen whilst y’all been eatin’ in heah, my chile,” the huge old Negro woman said with a big smile.

“Thanks, Aunt Lou, I’ll go see about him,” she said, and looking back at Joe she whispered, “I’ll take him over for the children to play with.”

“Yes, and Liza has to come home and eat,” Joe reminded her.

“Mother, Joe and I are going over to do some things at the church,” Mandie said to Elizabeth.

“But, dear, your grandmother just got here. Aren’t you going to visit with her a while in the parlor with all of us?” Elizabeth asked.

“No, no,” Mrs. Taft quickly told her daughter. “We’ve got plenty of time to visit. After all, I’m going to be here at least two weeks.” The old lady looked back at Mandie and winked.

“We won’t be gone long, Mother,” Mandie promised. “And I’ll see you later, Grandmother.”

“Well, all right then, but don’t be too late,” Elizabeth said.

Mandie and Joe hurried to the church and, when they opened the door to the basement, they found Liza and the four children sound asleep. Liza had pushed the benches up against one wall and placed mattresses on them. The two little girls were curled up under a quilt on one mattress and the two boys on the other. Liza herself had gone to sleep in the large chair that was used by a teacher for Sunday school. The lamp in the corner was lit and the heater was crackling away.

“Well!” Mandie whispered as she looked around the room. She smiled at Joe and said, “Liza has done a good job. Let’s don’t wake them.”

“Yes, but she has to go have her supper,” Joe reminded her.

Mandie softly walked over to the sleeping girl. She put her hand on her arm and shook her gently. “Liza!” Mandie whispered.

Liza quickly jerked away as she woke up and looked around. She jumped up and said, “Lawsy mercy, Missy ’Manda, I done been asleepin’.” She rubbed her eyes and stretched.

“Liza, you need to go back to the house and eat your supper,” Mandie said. “When you finish, come on back over here. We want you to spend the night with the children.”

“Me spend de night in dis heah spooky church?” Liza asked, her eyes widening as she looked at Mandie.

“Liza, this church is not spooky. It’s God’s house,” Mandie reminded her.

“But I cain’t see God. How does I knows He be heah? S’pose de Devil he be heah, too?” Liza said.

“Oh, Liza, the Devil wouldn’t dare come into God’s house,” Mandie said. She looked up at Joe and wondered what they would do if Liza refused to stay at night with the children. “Remember, these little children need you. They don’t have any mothers or fathers.”

Liza sighed deeply and looked at the sleeping children. “But, Missy ’Manda, I’se jes’ plain skeered to stay in dis heah place all night less’n y’all stays too.” She moved nervously around the room. “And all dem dead people out dere in de graveyard . . .”

“I’ll tell you what, Liza,” Joe said. “As soon as everyone in the house goes to bed, I’ll come over and sleep in the next room if you’ll stay in here with the children.”

Liza looked at him and reluctantly replied, “Well, I s’pose me and dese heah chillun be all right if you sleeps in de next room—but mind you now, if I wakes up and you done gwine left dis heah place, den I be leavin’, too.”

“Liza, I’ll come and stay anytime Joe is not here,” Mandie promised. “We won’t leave you alone. Now hurry and get your supper before Jenny puts all the food away, and then come right back.”

“Well, I guess I be back,” Liza said, quickly putting on her hat and coat. She gave them a doubtful look as she went out the door.

Mandie sighed and looked at Joe as soon as the girl had left. “I didn’t think about Liza being afraid at night here in the church.”

“She’ll be all right if she knows one of us is here,” Joe said.

“If you want to, we can take turns staying here at night. I could stay tonight, you tomorrow night, and then me, and on like that as long as we have the orphans here,” Mandie said as she walked across the long room to keep from waking the children.

“Why don’t I stay tonight? You need to talk to your grandmother about a few things, I’m sure,” Joe offered. “And then tomorrow night my parents will be here.” He followed her to the window where she was standing.

“Yes, I haven’t had a chance to let you know that I told Grandmother what we’re doing, and she promised to help—I don’t know how, but she promised,” Mandie explained.

“Why don’t you go on back to the house now? There’s nothing else to be done tonight, and I’ll get one of those mattresses and a quilt and fix me up a place to sleep in the next room,” Joe said.

“All right then,” Mandie agreed. “But if you need me, let me know. In other words, if Liza has trouble with the children I’ll come back and see what I can do.”

“Good-night, see you for breakfast,” Joe said.

“Bright and early,” Mandie replied as she slipped out the door.

Later that night Mandie had a talk with her grandmother in Mrs. Taft’s room.

“Sit down, dear,” Mrs. Taft told her. She was sitting in the chair by the fireplace again.

Mandie pulled up a stool and waited for her grandmother to begin the conversation.

“You may not like this, but I had to take Aunt Lou into our confidence in order to clear things for Liza,” Mrs. Taft began.

Mandie gasped and said, “You told Aunt Lou! Oh, Grandmother, you promised not to let anyone know our secret!”

“There was no other way we could get Liza to help,” Mrs. Taft replied. “You know very well that Aunt Lou supervises Liza’s duties and has to know where the girl is. But anyhow, Aunt Lou can keep a secret and she thinks you are doing something worthwhile.”

“I’m sorry, Grandmother, but I didn’t think about Liza’s work here in the house,” Mandie said, smiling up at the old lady. “And I think our secret is safe with Aunt Lou.”

“Now your mother and your Uncle John will be busy shopping and making visits to their friends in preparation for Christmas, so I asked for the use of that rig they keep in the barn and never use. That way they can use the buggy and we’ll have the rig anytime we want it. I couldn’t figure out how to ask for use of the wagon, but the rig is better anyway.”

“So I suppose Abraham will harness it up for us when we get ready to use it,” Mandie said. “Joe and I want to go out into the country tomorrow and try to find more orphans.”

“That’s fine,” Mrs. Taft said. “Liza can watch the children and I will check on her now and then, and Aunt Lou has offered to help in any way we need her. Your mother and your Uncle John will be gone to the Lawsons all day. And I’ll be here when Dr. Woodard and his wife arrive.”

“Grandmother, Liza was afraid to stay all night in the church, so Joe has to sleep over there tonight and I will tomorrow night, and we’ll take turns until we have the play,” Mandie said.

“You and Joe are going to have a job returning all those orphans to their homes if you bring in too many,” her grandmother warned her.

“Well, we thought since the play is on a Sunday and Christmas is not until the following Wednesday, we would just keep the children in the church until after Christmas,” Mandie told her.