Higdon's Corner
a novel by
Lois Higdon Rice
Chapter Six
Next morning Lawrence whistled merrily as he drove the milk cows into the big red barn to milk them. Robert Higdon glanced curiously at his usually slow moving son and wondered what had gotten into him. He was having trouble keeping up with him today. "That dancing must agree with you, Lawrence. You sound in a great mood. Did you have a big time last night?"
"Sure did. Those German folks up at Okarche really have a good time at their dances. I'm going back next Sunday night."
"The way you're whistling around here I'd wager you met a pretty girl at that dance last night," Robert teased his son, which was not something he did often.
"There were a lot of them there all right, and they all seemed to like dancing with me, but there weren't any that special at the dance," Lawrence answered truthfully, but glad not to have to say he had met a pretty special one somewhere else.
When the milking and separating was done, Lawrence hooked the team up to the go-devil and headed for the field, going about the days work cheerfully and counting the days until next Sunday night.
Lawrence hadn't been very hungry at breakfast, but by noon he was famished. He could smell the navy beans cooking as he took the team to the cement tank and they drank deeply of the fresh well water that had been pumped into it by the whirling windmill. He dutifully fed his faithful team before heading for the back porch to wash up. His mouth watered as he passed the clothes drying on the lines in the gusty Oklahoma wind, whitening in the warm sunshine.
"Lawrence, before you sit down, would you run down in the cellar and get some butter?" his mother asked.
He did her bidding without hesitation. Inside, he sat down as his mother served the regular Monday cuisine, Navy beans, home canned tomatoes and home-made light bread and sweet cream butter. After two full helpings he was ready for the wash-day special, buttermilk pie.
Mary Higdon was radiant as she watched Lawrence eat heartily, never forgetting to thank God for returning her handsome son from the war unharmed. Life was good, so very good. Her daughters, beautiful and educated, all married to fine men, and now Lawrence was home to help his dad make the farm prosper. She looked lovingly at her good husband as he faithfully recited the prayer after meals, "We give thee thanks for these and all the benefits we have received from your bounty through Christ our Lord. Amen."
"Yes," Mary said quietly to herself as she cleared the table," I do give you thanks for the many blessings you have bestowed on us."
Lawrence poured the steaming water in the big wash tub, then added enough cold to make it comfortable before getting into it for a bath. As he sat in the warm water and soaped himself good, preparing to go Okarche to yet another dance, where he hoped once more to see Nellie Schaefer again. His sisters were all happily married, his old friend Maurice Thompson was married now to Blanche and it looked as if his friend Truby was headed to the alter with Marie. " Everyone I know is either married or in love. Why is it everyone can find someone but me? I'm wearing my car out going to dances at Okarche, hoping to see that Schaefer girl again, but she never shows up. Somehow I've got to get those pretty, shy, blue eyes out of his mind. If she doesn't show up tonight, I'm going to go by her house again. Her papa seemed to like me and I could just go by to see him. I wonder if she would go with me if I asked her." he said, talking to himself as he relaxed in the steamy bath.
Lawrence had hoped Truby would suggest they stop at Petes on the way, but he couldn't think of anything but picking up Marie. Lawrence tried to maintain an optimistic attitude, but it was dwindling when they arrived and he saw Nellie was not there again. He had no trouble getting dance partners, as he was becoming a better dancer all the time, and it was very obvious that many a girl would be glad to go out with this handsome 27 year old bachelor from Calumet. Consoling himself that it was to be another fruitless evening he got lost in the dance and had almost forgotten his real reason for being there, when he caught eye of Nellie, dancing by with a tall, straight, bushy headed man.
His hands went clammy as he continued to maneuver the young lady he was dancing with around the floor, and his heart seemed to be beating out of control. He hoped no one would notice how distraught he was, or see that he was glancing her way at every opportunity, but when Truby and Marie danced by, his good friend winked and smiled a knowing smile. Lawrence's faced turned red and his collar seemed to be choking him.
When the dance finally ended he returned the girl to her friends and sat out the next dance, devoting his energy to getting up enough courage to approach Nellie. His dilemma was short lived when the fiddler called, "Everybody circle, ladies on the inside and gents on the outside." He wasted no time when he saw Nellie join hands with the other girls and he joined ranks with the men.
"Please God, let the music stop when she is in front of me," he prayed to himself as she shashayed in front of him, looking even prettier than he had remembered her. She wore a crispy blue cotton dress with a full skirt and a blue ribbon held part of her chocolate brown curls back from her face. He was sure she even smiled slightly at him as he was pulled rapidly by with the chain of other men. The first few calls, "Everybody dance," found him on the other side of the room, but finally when the dance was almost over, he stood face to face with Nellie when the music stopped again. When he put one arm around her waist and took her hand in his he wondered if she could feel him shaking inside. He wanted to say something to her, but his mouth had turned as dry as cotton. When the dance ended and the caller said, "Intermission" Lawrence pulled the courage from he knew not where to ask, "Would you like to have a cup of punch?"
Barely lifting her eyes Nellie responded, "Yes."
They stood awkwardly in line as they waited their turn at the punch bowl and Lawrence was grateful he had gotten a drink down when Truby and Marie approached.
"Let's go outside for some fresh air,' Truby said with ease.
"Would that be all right with you or are you with someone?" Lawrence managed, fearing the answer.
"I just came with my cousins and sisters. Some fresh air would feel good."
The four friends stood outside and chatted. Between the nervousness and the punch Lawrence felt like his bladder was going to burst, but wasn't about to leave Nellie. He was so grateful when Marie said, "Nellie, do you want to go to the toilet with me?" leaving Lawrence and Truby to go behind a shed to relieve themselves.
He was even more grateful that the fiddlers were starting to play as they returned to the house and it was natural to ask Nell for another dance. It was hard to believe they had danced every dance when the song Goodnight Sweetheart signaled it was time to leave.
Good friend Truby, so friendly and easy, said, "Why don't we all get together for the next dance?"
"Would that be all right with you, Nellie? We could pick you up at your house." Lawrence was quick to cease the opportunity.
"Yes, I'd like that," Nellie replied before she left to join her cousins.
"We'll see you next week," Lawrence called after her, glad to see she had glanced back at him one more time.
****
The days dragged by to Lawrence like a child waiting for Christmas, though he was busy as could be. He and his dad worked in the fields all day, milked the cows, then after one of Mary's hearty meals sat on the big front porch, reading until his parents went to bed. Lawrence often took his book into the bathroom when it got to dark outside to see and sat until the wee hours reading. Little wonder he dragged around as he hitched the team to the go-devil and headed for the fields next day. On Saturday night he drove into Calumet and watched the people who had come into town to replenish their weeks supplies. After what seemed like eternity, Sunday finally arrived. He cranked the Model A and with his parents, went to Mass at St. Anthonys at Calumet, all of them still looking quite elegant in the fancy attire they had purchased the year before for all the weddings.
"Do you want to go up to see your sisters with us today?" Mary asked on the way home and Lawrence's heart skipped a beat.
"I don't think so today. I'm going up to Okarche tonight to a dance. What time will you be back?" Lawrence asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but scared to death they would make him late for his date with Nellie.
"Oh, we'll be back in time to milk tonight," Robert Higdon reassured his son, sensing his more than usual concern."
"Are you sure you won't change your mind? We're going up to Mildred and Johnny's' and Margaret and Richard and Loretta and John are coming out, too." Lawrence's mother asked.
"Not today. I think I'll saddle up the horse and ride over to the river for a while."
Lawrence answered, relishing the thought of being alone for a while.
"What is that young man's fascination with rivers?" Mary asked her husband as they drove out the drive past the seven sister rose bush, which was starting to bud out.
"Well, Mary, he grew up on that North Canadian. I know you thought of it as a pain in the neck, with the mildew, the hard water and the Springtime threat of it getting out of it's banks, but to our children it was a virtual paradise. Life doesn't get much better for a youngster than being able to sit for hours and build sand castles, or catch a fish on their own, or just being almost hypnotized by the steadiness of the running water, and then the unbelievable awe you feel when it is rushing out of control. Your son learned a lot of lessons from that old river, Mary."
"I declare, Robert, I believe you could find the good in the devil himself." Mary said before she turned her thoughts to the beauty of the spring day.
*****
Lawrence was making the most of his day alone. He saddled the young bay horse and rode through the Springtime west to the 12 mile corner, where he tied his horse to a tree, and then just sat pondering what the evening would be like with Nellie. He had had his share of dates before, but he never remembered being so nervous going out with a girl before today. Lying on the grass in the warm Spring sunshine with his wide brimmed straw hat shading his prominent blue eyes he dozed off to sleep. When he awakened he felt as if he had been asleep for hours, and rubbed his face to be sure he hadn't picked up a sunburn. "Wouldn't I look great tonight with a red nose?" he said aloud as he took cigarette paper from the small package in his pocket and then carefully filled it with tobacco from the little draw string pouch from the same pocket. Cupping his hands to protect the flame, he lit the cigarette with a big kitchen match he struck on the bottom of his shoe. He inhaled the nicotine deeply, as he had done since he was 13 years old. When he finished he threw the short butt to the ground, careful to snuff any lingering flame by twisting it into the damp sand with his shoe. He untied his horse, led him to the river for a drink, then headed for home.
He hadn't gone far when he met his friend, Claude Moberly, riding toward the river with his fishing pole in hand. "You catch anything?" Claude asked, not noticing Lawrence had no fishing equipment along.
"No, I wasn't fishing today, just out enjoying the pretty day. Hope you catch some." Lawrence answered , then continued his journey home.
Checking the clock when he got home he was amazed to see it was already 4:00. He quickly made a bread and butter sandwich for himself and went out to drive the cows in to milk. He looked anxiously down the road for the car that would bring his parents home. "Please, God, don't let them be too late," he prayed nervously as he got his buckets and the little three legged stool and began the twice a day ritual he had done for years. "I hope my dad won't be angry that I started the milking a little early," he said to himself as the milk pinged against the empty bucket and then changed to the sound of a slush as the bucket filled with the rich creamy drink. He poured bucket after bucket into the waiting cans and became more anxious by the minute. He was just letting the cows out when he heard the motor of the Ford.
How relieved he was when his dad said, "Since you did the milking by yourself, why don't you go ahead and get cleaned up and I'll take care of the separating?"
Lawrence gladly accepted the offer and sat the heavy cans in the milk house and went in to dress. He was grateful his mother was full of conversation from her visit with her daughters and didn't pay to much attention to how meticulous he was being dressing tonight. She even neglected to tell him to stay away from booze.
At last he was on his way. In his excitement he hadn't even thought of the gas gage until he started the pull up Hansen Hill. When he did glance at it he was grateful for his efficient dad, who had made sure he'd left the tank nearly full. The little car perked along the road, leaving a trail of dust behind. Lawrence felt exhilarated as he saw the sandy dark tilled fields where the cotton was just planted, turn into the red clay fields only a few miles north, and the bright green of the wheat fields, coming back strong after pasturing hungry cattle in the early spring. He had traveled this road many times the past few years, but never had it seemed so vibrant.
******
The sun was bidding it's farewell to the day as Lawrence and his friends drove up the long drive to Schaefers. "Marie and I will just wait in the car," Truby said as Lawrence pulled to a stop.
Lawrence left the engine running so he wouldn't have to crank it again. He ran his hand over his head to smooth the hair, then walked to the south porch and knocked on the door. A frail, brown haired woman came to the door, and any fears Lawrence had dwindled when she smiled the warmest smile he had ever seen, her eyes twinkling as she said, "You must be Lawrence Higdon, come right in. I'm Mary Schaefer."
"How do you do, Mrs. Schaefer," Lawrence said comfortably as he took her extended hand, then followed her into the house.
Pete laid his pipe down and rose to greet his guest, while Aggie, Joe and Josephine stood close by him. As Nell and another grown, beautiful girl came downstairs Lawrence knew before Pete introduced them she must be Marie. 'Truby was right, all those Schaefer girls are beauties.' Nell looked even better than he had remembered her, wearing again the blue dress and bow that held her curly hair back from her round face.
"Would you like a glass of water, or maybe a glass of wine before you go?" Mary asked.
"No thank you, Mrs. Schaefer. My friends are waiting in the car for us. We'd better be on our way." Then turning to Nellie, he asked, "Are you ready?"
"Yes," she answered simply, walking first to kiss her Papa, then her Mama good-bye.
"Drive carefully," Mary Schaefer said after Lawrence had made the proper good-byes.
"Don't worry, I'll bring her home safely," Lawrence reassured the nervous mother.
******
It seemed those words were barely out of his mouth until it was time to do just that, take Nellie home. 'How could this evening that seemed to take a month to get here go by so quickly?' he thought as the musicians played Goodnight, Sweetheart.
'How could they have danced nearly every dance and he didn't even feel tired? How could this girl who had seemed so shy just a few weeks ago be so easy to talk to once you got to know her?' Lawrence's mind raced with questions, but only the one he asked out loud really mattered, "Would you like to go out with me again next week, Nellie?"
"Yes, I'd like that." she answered in her forthright way.
Things moved quickly after that. Lawrence knew now why he had envied his sisters and friends as they fell in love. That little Ford traveled those miles to that farmhouse 4 miles west and 2 miles north of Okarche many times that summer, and before it was over, Lawrence was bringing Nell to his home to meet his family and friends. No one was surprised when by the first of September they said they planned to wed in January, 1922. Robert and Mary Higdon were happy Lawrence had found a 'good girl of his own faith' and Peter Schaefer expressed his own and his Mary's feelings by saying, " I'm proud our Nellie has found a 'goot, upright, Catlick' to marry."
*******
Lawrence was especially happy that his dad liked Nellie so much. All of his life he had sought his father's approval and somehow always seemed to miss the mark just a little. Now he felt happy that he had come back home for these few years after his Army tour, because he had the opportunity to know his father from an adult perspective. They were a great match on the farm, Lawrence, a strong and steady worker, and Robert, a quick and energetic thinker.
*********
"Lawrence, do you think you could drive me into town this afternoon to pick up the groceries?" Mary asked her son as he came in from the fixing fences for his noon dinner.
"Sure," Lawrence replied, glad to go to town instead of mending more fence.
"Are you going with us?" he asked of his dad.
"Not today, It's time to service the lighting system. I sure want to keep that in good shape. It would be might hard to go back to coal oil lamps after getting spoiled to these great lights. You and your mother go along without me today.
As they drove to and from town Mary and Lawrence talked about the upcoming wedding and where Lawrence and Nellie would live. Lawrence had his eyes open for any house that might be available, no matter how small. Maybe they could live in Calumet for a while and he could continue to farm with his dad until he was able to get a place of his own. They were chatting like a couple of magpies as they pulled the little Ford past the fading pink rose bush and up to the yard.
"What in the world are all the turkeys gathered up in the yard so close to the house for?" Mary wondered aloud as Lawrence pulled the car to a stop. "I've never seen them do that before. There is nothing in the yard to bring them up here," she continued as she quickly got out of the car determined to shoo them back where they belonged.
Lawrence picked the groceries out of the car and as he turned to follow his mother to the house he saw her drop to her knees and scream, "No, no, no---oh, please God, no!"
As Lawrence hastily reached his mother he saw her lying her sobbing head upon what was left of her beloved Robert's chest, wilding waving her arms to shoo the turkeys away from his shattered body where they were picking away at his blood.
"Come, Mother," Lawrence said as he pulled the hysterical woman from her dead husband, wondering where his own strength and courage were coming from.
Soon two neighbors came from the house with a bed sheet to cover Robert's body. "Thank God, you are home. We heard the blast and came over. We didn't know what to so we had gone in your house to get something to cover him with."
Soon neighbors from all around were coming by, helping to pick up the pieces of Robert's body and bring it onto the porch. Other neighbors were getting the turkeys out of the yard and getting shovels to cover the blood that was spattered everywhere. Never had this little community seen anything so horrible.
Lawrence took his mother to the north bedroom and insisted she lie there while he went to call his sisters. Too weak from shock to argue, Mary lay alone on the bed she had shared so many years with her husband, repeating over and over, "No, no, no."
"Richard, I'm glad you answered the phone. Something awful has happened," Lawrence related through his sobbing voice.
"What is it, Lawrence?" Richard encouraged his brother-in-law to continue when the sobbing prohibited him from speaking.
Finally Lawrence collected himself enough to finish, "It's dad. He's dead. It's just too bad to talk about. An explosion, a terrible explosion, he's dead, blown to bits."
"What happened? Is your mother all right?" Richard questioned further, turning now and then to respond to his pregnant Margaret's questions, " Just a minute, I'm not sure yet."
When Lawrence heard Margaret's voice in the background saying, "What is it? What's the matter?" he broke down until he could barely speak at all.
He finally recovered enough to say, "Mother's not hurt, but she needs the girls badly. Just get Mildred and Loretta and come quickly."
More and more neighbors were coming as Lawrence hung up the telephone and he automatically responded to their expressions of sympathy as he wandered around in a daze, grateful that one of them called the undertaker and that others were attending to his mother.
No matter how horrifying an experience you have, necessities of life have a way of bringing you back to reality. As darkness approached Lawrence was scurrying around to find the lamps that hadn't been used since the fateful gas system had been installed. How dim they seemed when the neighbors brought oil and new wicks in their efforts to help.
Lawrence then remembered the cows had to be milked and was ever so relieved to find his good neighbors had thought of that before him and were almost finished with the milking when he went out to the barn. "How good these people are," he said aloud as he felt the relief of that responsibility off his shoulders.
His sisters and families had now arrived and Lawrence basked in the hugs and kisses they bestowed on him and tried to explain what happened, though he knew little himself. With his mother and sisters at his side he watched the undertaker take the body of his father to prepare it for burial. Then they all adjourned to the bedroom and knelt beside the big bed and prayed, "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth." The cadence of the repeated Hail Marys filled the rooms of the old farm house as the rosary continued, each decade ending, "Eternal rest grant unto him oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine on him." The mostly Protestant neighbors worked quietly in the adjoining rooms, not understanding the ways of their Catholic friends, but respecting their religion just the same.
The little church was packed full as the whole community of Calumet came together to pay their respects to this fine citizen and friend. As Lawrence followed the black draped casket from the church, he felt strength from seeing his beloved, beautiful Nellie, as she sat between her tall, straight father and frail little mother, lift her down cast face and look soberly at him with those incredibly blue eyes.
Lawrence was astonished to see a whole row of Indian men sitting in the back pew. He knew it was probably the first time any of them had entered a white man's church and it warmed his heart that they had made this effort for the friend who had been so faithful in helping them interpret letters and read legal documents. Robert was one of the few in the community that had bothered to learn their language.
Then the long 14 mile journey to El Reno where Robert would be laid to rest began. Lawrence sat near his mother, who was numb with grief, and little Mildred clung to her husband Johnnie, trembling with sobs. How glad Lawrence was to see his sisters had such loving husbands, as he watched Richard cradle his beloved, very pregnant Margaret in his arms and Johnnie Heinen tenderly consoling Loretta.
*******
The days that followed were unreal to Lawrence as he dutifully went about his work on the farm and patiently watched his mother cry, saying over and over, "It's all my fault: if only I hadn't pushed him to put in that fancy gas lighting system." No matter how many times he tried to tell his mother it wasn't her fault, she persisted in her guilt.
He had talked to Nellie and they decided they would likely have to delay their planned January wedding.
Then one Sunday in October, when Oklahoma Fall produced one of those Indian Summer days that could outshine even the darkest thoughts, Lawrence said to his Mother, "I'm going to ride my horse down to the river for a little while."
He rode bareback on the faithful mare to the banks of the North Canadian and got down and just sat looking at the river. What a healing, wonderful, day it was for Lawrence, as he watched the water slithering slowly over and through the sand until he felt almost hypnotized by it. " How many times in my twenty eight years have I sat on your shore, Old River, trying to figure out what life is all about. Why do we humans fight it so hard, when all you do is just keep rolling along? Floods come and fill you at times until you can't contain the water, and it spills over and cuts away at your banks, sometimes to point of changing your course a bit, and you roar and push , but just keep rolling along. Then on days like today, you are quiet and calm, and still just rolling along, following the course God has directed for you. That's it, isn't it, Old River Friend, I've got to take what life sends, and just keep rolling along. I knew you'd understand. Thanks."
Lawrence threw his sturdy leg over his waiting mare and trotted off with new resolve, saying to himself as he rode, "I don't know where we're going, Nellie Schaefer, and I don't know what course will be cut for us, but I've waited 28 years for you and I'm not waiting any longer. We're getting married in January."
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