The Land(80)

“Well, maybe he was thinkin’ same as me,” said Nathan, “so he keepin’ his words to hisself.”

Caroline turned on him. “Was I talkin’ to you?”

Nathan laughed. I smiled. “You said flowers would brighten up the rocker. Well, you were right.” I left my bench and went to take a closer look. The flower garden was spread all across the headboard. It was wild, alive, and inviting. “You do good work,” I said.

“Thank ya,” she said. “So do you.”

I smiled at her again, then walked around the chair. “I’ll put several coats of linseed oil on it to bring out the natural beauty of the wood, and when it’s dried, it’ll be ready for you to give to your mother.”

“How long that gonna be?” asked Nathan.

“Could be several weeks for a good linseed stain. To me, linseed oil on wood looks better than shellac.”

Caroline’s disappointment showed on her face. “I was hopin’ we could take it home t’day.”

“It takes a while for a good coating,” I said, “and I want to make sure each coat is totally dry before applying another one.”

“Well . . . we want it right.”

“I’ll bring it out when it’s ready.”

“You ain’t gotta do that. We can come get it.”

“That’s all right. I’ve got some business out that way I’ve been thinking on taking care of, so it won’t be any trouble. I’ll just check with your daddy about it when he comes back.”

“Well, whenever you bring it, we’ll be ready for it.” She smiled happily now. “I can’t hardly wait!”

I returned her smile.





When I finished staining the rocker, I spoke to Luke Sawyer about taking it to Sam Perry, and he said that was fine by him as long as I collected the remaining money that was due. I said I’d take care of that. Luke Sawyer told me to take his wagon, so I covered the rocker with a tarp and set it in the back of the wagon and tied it down. Then I headed out for Sam Perry’s farm. I didn’t tell Luke Sawyer I had other reasons for wanting to deliver the chair. I wanted to see Caroline again, but I figured to keep that to myself.

When I got to the Perry place, I halted the wagon some distance from the house and went on foot to find Mister Perry. I wasn’t sure how he wanted to present the rocker to his wife, and I didn’t want to spoil his surprise. I came across Nathan first. I asked him to get his daddy for me and told him I’d wait at the wagon. Nathan ran off to do my bidding, and when he returned, not only was his daddy with him, but several of his brothers and sisters, including Caroline.

“Ow, let’s see it!” said Caroline joyously, clapping her hands together like a little girl.

I smiled at her and untied the rope as all the Perrys crowded near. I lifted the tarp from the rocker and a raucous shrill rose from them all.

“Ah, my good gracious, that there’s sho’ fine! That there sho’ is!” exclaimed Sam Perry as he walked around the wagon admiring the rocker from every angle. “Can’t nobody say nothin’ ’gainst yo’ work! Ya done us proud!”

Callie had words too. “Ain’t never seen no furniture this fine and pretty,” she said. “Mama’s gonna jus’ love it!”

“It sho’ is a beauty, all right,” joined in Nathan. “Jus’ look at that wood!”

“Just look at the flowers,” I said, and looked pointedly at Caroline. Caroline beamed back at me.

“My girl, she sho’ done dressed it up, ain’t she?” said a proud Sam Perry.

“That she did,” I agreed, my eyes still on Caroline, but she seemed not to notice now as she competed in chatter with her sister and brothers about the rocker.

Amidst it all, Sam Perry dispatched Nathan and another of his boys to get his wife, who, I learned, was with Risten at her place. “Tell her I need her here now, nothin’ else!” he ordered. He also sent someone to gather the rest of the Perrys from the fields to the house. Then he laid his hand on my shoulder. “Why don’t you and me finish up our business,” he said. I nodded and pulled out the bill Luke Sawyer had written and handed it to him. Sam Perry glanced at it, then called to Callie and Caroline to come over. With no embarrassment, he openly admitted, “Can’t read. All my younguns of school age can. I done seen t’ that.” The young women read the bill to their father, and Sam Perry nodded in agreement to the balance due, then pulled out a tiny sack from his pants pocket and counted out the money due. “Can’t read,” he laughed, “but I sure ’nough can count!” I smiled and wrote “Paid” across the bill, along with my signature, and handed it to him again. “Now, you don’t mind, Mister Logan, let’s drive on up t’ the house and put this here rocker on the front porch. I want it there waitin’ when my Rachel show up!”