Changes in the Wind- last part

Ok fellow readers!  Here is the last part to "Changes in the Wind".  It is rather long, I am afraid.  I wasn't able to do my regular 'post-a-day' as we had some things come up.  Any way, I hope you enjoy!!! Let me know what you think! Oh, and the post below is just the whole story, that way I had it in one link...



    Months had passed, winter was at it’s deepest, Mary and Clara had resumed their normal life activities. Hannah, as good as ever, was their backbone. She helped to cheer up the dreary nights with her delightful concoctions and humorous stories of her childhood.

   Clara was slowly regaining her usual chatterbox conversation and cheerful attitude. When they had received word that their father had died, Clara had gone into a sort of slump. Nothing seemed funny to her, nothing could make her smile. She walked around the house with a dole face and sorrowful eyes.
    Mary and Hannah did their best to get her to cheer up, but it wasn’t until months later that she finally started coming out of her shell.
    Now she would join in on the lively conversations around the fireplace, jokes, and other things throughout the day. Though these weren’t as frequent like before, it was still an improvement.
    Mary, Clara, and Hannah were sitting around the small fireplace one cold and windy evening, enjoying a cup of tea after a supper of soup.
    “I still think it might work.” Mary was saying.
“Yes, but will it work for a living?” Clara responded, her green eyes questioning.
    “To be sure! Why, twill be the golden apple of the day.”
Mary smiled at Hannah’s description. “I am not sure it will be the ‘golden apple’, but if folks around here are willing to buy it, well… I think it will work.”
    “Will we look for new plants, or just use our good old ones?” Clara now asked.
“I think,” Mary said thoughtfully. “That we should keep the old ones. Everyone knows what they are, and that would make it easier for us. No advertising for new ones.” Hannah and Clara nodded.
    “As soon as Spring comes, we must get right to work. I still have some lavender left over from last spring. It is hanging in the loft. Perhaps we could sell some of that.”
    “Be sure to keep a bit of it for medicinal purposes,” Hannah reminded.
“Well,” Clara said as she stretched out her feet towards the warm blaze. “I suppose we will be fine for the rest of this winter with the money Father had leftover.”
    “Mm, yes. If we are careful with it. You will need a new dress before long, Clara. Yours is worn thin.” Mary eyed the overly patched dress skirt with a solemn face.
    Clara waved her hand. “Posh, you need one more than I do. This one is only a year old, whereas yours is two! I can live with this old thing for a bit longer. Besides,” She pinched the worn fabric between her fingers. “I have grown attached to it. I don’t think I part with it, even if I wanted to.” She let the fabric fall about her ankles again and smiled at Mary.
    “Well, I be thinkin’ lately, Miss Mary,” Hannah said after a pause in the conversation. “That I could find a bit of work elsewhere. Oh, don’t worry, I won’t leave you,” she said quickly at Clara’s shocked face. “I only mean to work a few days. I can spend the rest here, but I can get some money to add to our box.”
    Clara jumped off of her chair, threw her arms around the older woman’s neck, and kissed her on the cheek. “You are wonderful, Hannah!”
    Mary smiled. “I had hoped you would, Hannah, but I hated to ask. Are you sure?”
“Quite, and there won’t be no changin’ of me mind.” Hannah nodded.
    “Yes, but hate to have you go and work two places!”
Hannah shook her finger at Mary. “I won’t hear none of this nonsense. Twill be what it twill be.”
    “You are too good for us, Hannah.” Mary stood and kissed the older woman on the cheek.
“We are family, aren’t we Mary? You, Hannah, and me.” Clara smiled at them and laid her head contentedly on Hannah’s shoulder.
   

    “Clara?” Mary said a few weeks later as they sat in the kitchen preparing supper. Hannah had found some work in the nearby village and was gone for three days. She spent the rest of the week with Mary and Clara.
    “Yes, Mary?”
“I was wondering…” She paused for a moment as she thought of how to form her words. “You went to school and got some good learning. Well, I never set foot in a school in all my life. I don’t know how to read.” She waited to see what Clara would say.
    Clara, sensitive to what Mary was saying, said nothing in reply and simply waited.
Mary took a deep breath. “Would you mind teaching me to read?” She turned and faced Clara.
    Clara took a moment to think about it. “I suppose I could. I don’t know how good of a teacher I would be. But, Mary, I don’t have any books!” Clara finished, wide eyed at the sudden thought.
    “Yes, I know. However, I saved a few of Father’s. I don’t know if they are good for teaching with, but I suppose something is better than nothing.”
    Clara smiled and was silent for a moment.
“Mary, why did you never go to school?” She asked softly.
    Mary looked down at her hands, which were busy peeling potatoes, and swallowed hard. She looked up at Clara. Clara stood, waiting patiently.
    “When I was old enough to go to school, Father didn’t have very much money. Mother often had sick spells and I had to help take care of her. Hannah had many other household duties to take care of. When you were born, I was once again busy helping Mother. When she died, Father was heartbroken and never even thought about sending me to school, or if he did, he never said anything. I never brought it up. When you were old enough to go, I took my savings from odd jobs I had done for neighbors over the years, and made sure you could attend that year. No one should go without some education.”
    “And yet you did.” Clara commented softly.
Mary looked up and gave Clara a shaky smile. “No, but I have lived without it. Now I have a fine scholar for a sister who can do the teaching.” Mary continued to peel potatoes.
    “I suppose that the evenings would be best?” Clara said as she reached for a potato. Mary nodded. Instead of taking a potato, Clara squeezed Mary’s hand.
    “Thank you,” She said simply. "Thank you for all you did."




    Clara and Mary had just finished up a reading lesson and were now working on some sewing by the fire.
Hannah, who was gone to her other employer’s house, was sorely missed at this time. She could always bring a little cheer to the boring evenings with just about anything.
    “I think it is my turn to make supper tonight,” Clara commented after about a half hour of sewing.
“Oh, don’t worry, Clara. I can get it tonight.” Mary started to stand.
    “No, no. You have done most of the work lately. I can cook supper tonight. You keep your feet up and don’t worry about it.” Clara placed a kiss on Mary’s forehead, then skipped out of the room.
    Mary smiled and shook her head.
An hour later, Mary suddenly woke. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. “I must have fallen asleep.” She rubbed the crick out of her neck and shoulders and looked at the clock. A whole hour had passed! Where was Clara?
     Mary stood and went to the kitchen. When she entered she found quite the chaotic mess. Clara was a sight to see, indeed. Her hair was dismantled and she was covered in flour up to her elbows and tiny spot on her cheek. She looked up when Mary entered and gave her a woebegone look. Mary started to smile, then she started to laugh; a soft laugh at first that bubbled out of her, and then it turned into a out right laugh.
    Clara, who didn’t exactly see what was so funny, simply stared at her, then at herself.
“Oh, this really is dreadful, Mary! I have been in here all evening trying to make these dumplings.” Clara held up a bowlful of some kind of mush. This made Mary laugh even harder.
    Clara set the bowl down with a hard thump and looked at Mary.
“Oh,” Mary gasped as she reached for a chair and held onto her stomach. “I am sorry, Clara. I don’t mean to laugh so. It is just too.. funny!” She sat down and started laughing again until the tears rolled down her face.
    Clara, who had been examining her flour covered arms and apron, started laughing too.
After the two had calmed themselves, Clara said, in a once again doleful tone, “Oh, what am I to do? I am such a mess.”
    Mary walked around the table and gave her hug, then pulled back and chuckled when she realized that she, too, was now covered in flour.
    The two set to work and had the kitchen cleaned up and a slightly more edible dinner simmering in a pot.
“Mary, since I am giving you reading lessons, I think it would be a good idea if you taught me to cook.” She looked at Mary, who stared back, then they started laughing again.




    “Clara, I just don’t think you should go out.”
“Mary,” Clara said, exasperated. “I have bundled up warmly. I can’t stay here tonight knowing that the poor Hump children are cold and starving. They only live on the outskirts of the town.”
    “Yes, I know. However, that is three miles away!”
When Clara showed no sign of removing her coat, scarf, and mittens, Mary huffed.
     “Fine, I will at least go with you.” Mary reached for her coat.
“No, you promised Hannah would get the washing and ironing done.”
     Now faced with another problem, Mary bit her bottom lip.
“Look, I can be there and back before nightfall. Besides, if I go I won’t have to help you with the work.” Clara’s beautiful green eyes twinkled with merriment.
     “Alright, you may go. Only be sure to be quick and stay warm!”
Clara was out the door in a flash, with her basket in hand and scarf flying behind her.
     Mary set to work on the washing and ironing. In the winter, all the clothes had to dry in the warm kitchen. It was like a maze, trying to get around all the hanging laundry.
    When all of that was done, she sat down to work on some needlework. She had been trying to knit up some new socks for Clara, but was having problems with the pattern. She was soon engrossed in her work, and, forgetting the time, let the whole of the afternoon slip away.
     It was when she stretched from the uncomfortable position she had been in that she realized what time is was.
    “Clara,” She murmured as she moved towards a window and looked out. It was dark, and worse yet, snowing.
    She waited a bit longer, moving to different positions, trying to find something to do, and yet still watching all the windows for any sign of Clara.
    When another half hour had passed, she decided to go look for her.
Putting on her warm coat, scarf, and mittens, she stepped out into the black night. The snow hit her face furiously and stung. She pulled the scarf around her head so that only her eyes were peeping out.
     As she walked, she kept looking back towards the cottage to keep it in view. Just a few yards in front of her, she could make out something on the ground. She got closer and realized it was a body.
    “Oh, no. Not Clara!” She ran as fast as her legs could carry her and reached the form.
It was indeed Clara, freezing cold past the point of shivering.
    “No!” Mary screamed. “Clara, wake up! Oh, please wake up, Clara!” She shook Clara’s shoulder but got no response.
     Panic started overtaking Mary. I must think, think Mary! She screamed to herself. The Cottage, where is it? She looked around and saw the faint flicker of light from one of the windows.
     Oh thank you, dear Lord. Please, please keep her alive. Please don’t let her die! Up until now, Mary had not much prayed, or even cared really about God. Her Mother had talked much of God and His goodness, but Mary always felt like God had turned His back on them when Mother died. Now, she surprised herself by calling to Him.
    She struggled to lift Clara off of the cold ground. After several tries, she finally fell exhausted next to her sister.
    Please, dear God. Don’t let us die. Help me…help me.
She breathed heavily for a moment, and then felt her strength renewed. Standing again, and lifting Clara with some difficulty, she tried once again to make it towards the cottage.
    The minutes that passed felt like hours to Mary. She didn’t know how or when, but she suddenly found herself at the cottage door. She opened it and stumbled in. Then, half dragging, half carrying, she moved Clara into the little living parlor and laid her next to the fire.
    Mary fell to her knees and got to work getting Clara’s frozen clothes off of her. Then she stoked the fire into a better blaze and set to work rubbing the cold and lifeless hands.
    Clara’s face was tinged with blue already, and her hands felt like ice. Mary kept rubbing them and planting kisses on the slim fingers.
    “Please don’t die, Clara, please. I can’t live without you. Oh please Clara, wake up! Don’t leave me like this!” She kept talking to Clara, trying to get a response.
    Oh, if only Hannah were here! She would still be gone for another day.
An hour passed, then two, then three and still no sign of life in Clara’s form. Her face had slowly lost the blue tinge, and her hands had started to warm.
     Mary had put some water over the fire and let it heat slightly. Then, she took rags and kept putting the warm water on Clara’s face and any other exposed skin.
    When the sun started to rise, revealing a beautiful white wonderland, Mary had fallen asleep, exhaustion having overtaken her.




   When she woke, someone was shaking her shoulder. She jumped. “Where is Clara?” She frantically looked around the room. Two strong arms grabbed her shoulders and helped to stand.
    Hannah made Mary face her. “Shush, child. She is in her bed.” Hannah had tears in her eyes.
“Oh, Hannah, you’ve come!” Mary fell into the comforting arms and let her tears flow. Hannah held her as if she would never let her go.
    When Mary had calmed down a bit, Hannah held her out at arms length. “The doctor is here with Clara.” Her grey eyes met Mary’s brown ones.
    Mary swallowed hard. “Oh, Hannah. Please tell me she will be alright.” She looked searchingly into Hannah’s face. She held her head in her hands when Hannah gave no indication that everything would be alright.
   “May I see her?” She asked after a few minutes. Hannah nodded.
Creeping silently up to the loft, Mary peeped in. The doctor was bent over Clara’s thin form and was examining her.
    Mary tip toed over and knelt down beside her sister.
“Will she be alright, doctor?” She asked hopefully.
     The doctor looked kindly into Mary’s eyes. “There is no use hiding the truth, young woman. Your sister is very ill. She has suffered quiet a freezing. As to whether or not she makes it, well, I can’t promise anything. I would suggest that you prepare yourself.” He patted her on the shoulder and climbed down the loft, leaving the sisters together.
    Mary gently took Clara’s hand and pressed it to her cheek. She stared lovingly down at the pale and worn face. Oh the poor girl! She was so thin.
   “Oh, why did I ever let her go?”
“Don’t go blamin’ yourself, child.” Hannah chided as she came up beside her. “She would have been fine if it hadn’t gotten stormy, and you couldn’t control that.” Mary rested her head on Hannah’s shoulder while still holding Clara’s hand.
    “I won’t let her die, Hannah. I won’t. God can’t take her from me so soon. Look at her. She is so beautiful. She could have married and had children of her own. She is so young, she doesn’t deserve to die.”
    “All of us deserve to die, me love. You know that. You also know that Jesus came and died for us so that when we did die, we could live in Heaven with Him if we accepted Him as our savior. We are but sinners and need Him.”
    "Hannah, I don’t think God even thinks of us. Ever since Mother has died, everything has gone wrong. First father dying, and now maybe Clara. Oh, I can’t stand it!” She started to cry again. Hannah held onto her as her own tears mingled with Mary’s.




    Days had passed and Clara seemed to be getting no better. She lay as if in a coma and never stirred. Her breathing was slow and shallow. How Mary’s nights haunted her. If only she hadn’t let Clara go. If only she had gone with her. If only.. but it was no good wondering what might have happened ‘if only’. Right now was what was happening and she had to face it.
    As Mary rolled over in her bed for the fifteenth time, she thought she heard Clara groan. She quickly threw back her covers and crawled over to Clara’s cot and listened. Clara seemed to be gasping and wheezing.
    In the cold, pale moonlight that shone through a little window above Clara, Mary could see the perspiring face of her beloved sister. Mary felt Clara’s forehead. She was burning up!
    Mary threw off Clara’s quilt and listened to her breathing again. Yes, she was definitely gasping. Gasping for air? Mary bent close to her sister’s ear.
    “Clara? Clara, wake up.” She said softly. No response.
The gasping seemed to be getting worse. Tears rolled down Mary’s cheeks. Was this the end? Was Clara making one last struggle?
    Mary bent over and placed her arm under Clara’s thin shoulders. Lifting her, Mary was amazed at how light she was. Mary held Clara close to her as Clara’s breathing got worse.
    “Oh, God!” Mary sobbed. “Please! Please don’t let Clara die. I can’t live without her! I can’t!” She paused and sobbed for a minute or two before pulling herself together.
    “God, I know that I have refused you again and again. I am sorry, please forgive me. Please, don’t take Clara’s life for my sins! Forgive me, Lord. Please, forgive me.”
    Clara suddenly flailed her arms, gasped one more time, and thin was totally still.
Mary lifted her enough to move her into the moonlight. She looked at the pale face. It was still. No sign of anything.
    “Oh, Clara,” Mary let her head fall on Clara’s chest as she sobbed.






Five months later, on a sunny day, much like one many months before, Mary was sitting on the same low, stone wall where Clara had found her to read her their father’s letter.
     The flowers were blooming, and birds were singing, and Mary felt like god was smiling down upon them. She drank in the scenery and let the warm sun kiss her face.
    “Mary?” A sweet voice called.
“Over here!” Mary answered. She turned and smiled as Clara came slowly around a rose bush. A shawl was about her thin shoulders, but her face was as beautiful and radiant as ever.
     Mary scooted over a bit and let Clara sit beside her.
“Mm, isn’t today beautiful, Mary?”
    “Yes, it certainly is, but it is so much better because I have you.” She hugged Clara close.
They held onto each other for a moment more, then Clara pulled back. “I told Hannah I wanted to help do the laundry today.” She smiled at Mary as she rose from her sunny seat.
     “Don’t work too hard!” Mary called after her. Clara waved.
Mary sighed contentedly as she looked around and saw everything with new eyes. The beautiful stream that babbled along it’s course, the rose bush with it’s many butterflies that fluttered about it, the little cottage that held so many memories. She looked over and watched Hannah and Clara as they laughed and hung the laundry.
     Perhaps change wasn’t so bad after all. It brought new life to things. It taught love and patience. It held new things to discover. Yes, perhaps change wasn’t so bad after all, and was, in it’s own way, rather good.

The End!!!

Love,
Sarah