A Dream Unfolding (2 page)

“After Mr. Davis was shot,” Barnes continued, “all three men took off, leaving the money behind.
 
A few pedestrians noted the direction.
 
We followed the trail and it led us to the Rogers’ house.
 
We arrested all three men.
 
Like I said, they are in jail and will remain there until a judge decides what is to be done.”

Drew looked over at Hannah.
 
Her eyes widened with concern.
 
Thomas rebelled for years, though never so boldly.
 
Disappointment washed over Drew, quickly follow by guilt.
 
If only he had been able to get through to Thomas.
 
Maybe this would not have happened.

Ever since their father died, Drew’s brother could not contain his restless spirit.
 
Thomas started hanging out with the Rogers brothers and things went downhill from there.
 
The Rogers brothers bullied classmates during their school days and as they aged, they got worse:
 
petty theft from the mercantile, vandalizing businesses, and picking fights with anyone who would pay them mind.
 
When Thomas started staying out late and carousing with Sam and Ed Rogers, Drew did not hesitate to warn Thomas of the dangers of his actions.
 
Closing his eyes, Drew clearly remembered the day he confronted his brother.

---

Drew woke to a thudding sound on the stairs.
 
Sitting upright, he remained completely still, trying to determine if what he heard was real or imagined as his heart pounded against his chest.
 
Thud.
 
There is it was again.

Slipping from the bed, Drew carefully crept to the closed bedroom door.
 
Slowly he cracked it open, just as a muffled curse reached his ears.
 
Thomas!

Stepping from the room, Drew pulled the bedroom door closed behind him, so as not to wake Hannah.
 
At the top of the stairs he made out Thomas’s limp form lying prostrate across several of the stairs.
 
The stale cigar smoke and sickening sweet smell of whiskey clung to his brother’s clothing.
 
As Drew approached, Thomas looked up and cursed again.

At first, Drew thought Thomas was merely drunk again—a frequent occurrence.
 
But when he tried to help him up, Thomas recoiled and moaned in pain.
 
Drew led him down the stairs and into the surgery room for a quick examination.
 
Lighting the oil lamp, Drew saw the extent of his brother’s injuries.
 
Besides the swollen black eye, his face and knuckles were covered with numerous cuts and scrapes.
 
His ribs were also bruised.
 
This must have been his worst fight to date.

“You must stop this Thomas,” he warned his brother, keeping his voice low.
 
“The drinking, the gambling—it is only going to lead to trouble.”

“What do you care?” Thomas roared.

He grew weary of the familiar accusation.
 
Thomas always thought Drew did not care—Drew always tried to show his concern.
 
He was letting him live here.
 
Wasn’t that proof enough that he cared?
 
As his anger rose, so did his voice.
 
“Look at yourself.
 
Night after night you come home drunk or—”

“You have no right to lecture me!
 
I’m old enough to take care of myself and do as I please.
 
Mind your own business!”

“It is my business, as long as you are living in this house!” Drew volleyed back.
 
Taking his brother in had been a mistake.
 
He thought providing a home and some structure would help Thomas give up his wild ways.
 
Instead, no matter what Drew did, Thomas threw it in his face.

“Don’t act like you are doing me a favor, Drew,” the hatred poured from his brother’s lips.
 
“I know what you are doing.
 
You just don’t want to feel guilty for leaving me here while you went to medical school.
 
But you should!
 
Living with Uncle Peter was awful!”

“Uncle Peter did his best to help you grow up with some discipline,” Drew countered.

“Don’t defend that selfish old man!”

The argument escalated until Hannah appeared in the doorway.
 
When she looked from Drew to Thomas and back again, Drew shut his mouth mid-sentence.
 
Thomas frowned, cursed, then turned and stormed out into the night.

He never saw his brother again, except once in passing on the street.

---

Hannah’s dainty cough brought Drew’s attention back to the discussion with Barnes.

“Dr. Anderson,” Barnes continued as he stood and walked to the front door, “I suggest you consider getting legal representation for your brother.”

Closing the door behind Barnes, Drew snorted.
 
He refused to bail Thomas out of trouble again.
 
Aware of the waiting patients, Drew ushered Hannah back to his office and closed the door, wondering just how much they overheard.

“What are you going to do?” Hannah asked, her anxiety evident.

“What can I do?” Drew replied, acknowledging his own helplessness in this situation.
 
“He is a grown man and he is not my responsibility any longer.”

“Will you get an attorney as Mr. Barnes suggested?” she asked, her voice full of compassion.

“No,” he answered angrily.
 
Seeing the shock on Hannah’s face, he quickly explained, “At some point Thomas must choose his own way.
 
Well…he already has.
 
He made that clear more than a year ago.
 
There is nothing I can do or say that will change anything.”

Drew ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
 
His heart broke again as he thought of how disappointed his father would be.
 
Perhaps his father passing on was a good thing.
 
At least he would not witness his youngest son’s destructive behavior.

Sunday morning, Hannah put the finishing touches on the roast and slid it into the oven.
 
Bounding up the stairs she quickly untied the apron from her waist.
 
Standing before the mirror she brushed out her long strawberry blonde hair then twisted it into a chignon at the base of her neck inside the decorative black netted hair piece.
 
She smiled, pleased with her appearance.

“You look lovely,” Drew commented as his pale blue eyes surveyed the light blue calico dress before resting on her eyes.
 
Color flushed her face with the intensity of his appraisal.

“Come here,” he added, pulling her close.
 
“Your eyes look bluer than the sky in that dress.”
 
He brushed lips lightly across hers in a brief kiss.

Releasing her, he asked, “Looking forward to Emily’s visit?”

“I can hardly wait,” Hannah answered giddily.

As Hannah preceded Drew down the stairs, she could not contain her excitement over the planned Sunday dinner guests—Levi and Emily Werner.
 
It had been two months since Hannah had seen Emily.
 
Earlier this week, Levi stopped by the clinic to let Hannah know Emily would be back to church this week, having sufficiently recovered from her morning sickness.
 
Hannah quickly extended an invitation for dinner, missing her best friend dearly.

Emily and Hannah grew up on adjoining farms several miles outside of Cincinnati.
 
Hannah could not remember a time when she and Emily weren’t friends, despite being such opposites in looks and personality.
 
With her dark curls and flashing nutmeg brown eyes, Emily charmed everyone, from the most reserved students to the toughest bullies in their school.
 
As she grew older and began filling out her dress, boys noticed her long before noticing Hannah—not that any had noticed Hannah in school.
 
Walking to and from school together, Hannah often found herself in the role of quiet listener to Emily’s constant chattering about what Amanda Taylor wore that day, or how the pigs on the farm gave birth to a large litter, or who danced with who at the last barn dance.
 
Perhaps if Emily had set her mind on memorizing her lessons at school and not on such things, she would have made higher marks and Hannah would have spent less time trying to help her catch up.

Besides helping Emily with her school work, Hannah found in her a friend with whom she could confide her deepest sorrows, especially following her mother’s death.
 
Even when her father sent her away to live with her aunt, she wrote letters to Emily almost weekly.
 
When Hannah moved back to the farm with her father, years later, she easily picked up her friendship with Emily.
 
Sadly, she was the only constant person in her life.

As Drew pulled the phaeton carriage to a stop down the street from the large whitewashed church building, Hannah scanned the crowd for her tall friend.
 
Spotting her, she threw her arm up for a quick wave after Drew helped her to the ground.
 
Emily turned without acknowledging Hannah and entered through the large dark wood doors.
 
Perhaps she just didn’t see me.

Placing her hand in the crook of Drew’s arm, Hannah smiled, confident nothing could ruin her good mood in anticipation of a wonderful afternoon.

Once inside the church, Hannah watched as Emily and Levi took their seats in their normal pew.
 
Drew led Hannah to the same pew.
 
As soon as Drew and Hannah sat, she leaned forward to greet Emily, who immediately, without word, stood and followed her husband out of the pew.

“Emily, wait—”

“We’ll talk later,” Emily hissed, glancing back over her shoulder with a frown.

When Levi and Emily took a seat on the other side of the sanctuary, Hannah couldn’t help but feel hurt by her friend’s angry response.
 
Had she unknowingly done something to offend Emily?

Feeling Drew’s body stiffen, Hannah peeked his direction.
 
The couple on the other side of Drew stood and moved elsewhere.
 
Soon, the pew in front of them emptied, as long time friends scattered to the edges of the room like marbles spilled on the floor.

Looking up at Drew she saw the stoic expression etched on his face.

“What’s going on?” she whispered, still trying to determine in what way she or Drew might have offended so many people.

Drew shook his head curtly.

When the music started, she shifted her gaze to the words in the hymnal, not needing to read them, but needing to hide her growing sadness over the rejection of her friends.
 
Her voice sounded forced as she tried to sing praises to her God.
 
Inside, she felt anything but gratitude.

Hannah shifted in her seat as the service dragged on.
 
Her attention waned, not really hearing the words of the pastor.

As the last strains of the final hymn echoed in the wooden room, the pastor stood and gave a blessing.
 
The sound of booted feet heightened as the crowd exited the church.
 
Not waiting for Drew, Hannah hurried to catch up with Emily outside.

“Emily, we’ve been sitting together for years.
 
Why did you move this morning?”
 
Hannah asked as her friend tried to dodge her for a second time.
 
“Aren’t you coming to dinner?”

“No, we are not,” Emily replied emphasizing each word, not looking Hannah in the eye.

“Are you not feeling well?”

“I am feeling fine,” Emily said, glaring at Drew as he came to stand next to his wife.

Hannah held her breath, hoping Emily might elaborate on her strange behavior.

“If you’ll excuse us,” Emily snapped as Levi started leading her around Hannah again.

Confused and hurt by Emily’s behavior, she reached out, placing her hand on Emily’s arm.
 
“Please tell me, what have I done that offends you?”