A New Day Rising (8 page)

On a "Ja, Mor," Thorliff flew out the door, whistling for Paws as he went.

"Would you care for more coffee?" Ingeborg stood to pick up Andrew. His head lolled on her shoulder and one finger made its way to his mouth.

"I could go help Thorliff."

"If you like. I'll clean up the kitchen and then show you around the farm. The sheep are Thorliff's special charge, so he will delight in introducing you to his friends."

Haakan pushed his chair back. "Mange takk fer'matten."

"Velbekomme." Ingeborg was alrealy bending over to lay the sleeping child in one of the beds.

Haakan followed Thorliff outside. The haunting song of geese passing on their way north made him look up. Just to the east, silhouetted against the deep blue of the sky, the flock in V formation seemed to stretch from one horizon to the other. Never had he seen so many waterfowl flying north as he had since he entered the Red River Valley. His fingers itched to take one of the pieces of wood from the rafters and begin looking with his carving knife for the flying goose imprisoned in the wood.

Ingeborg kissed the baby's soft cheek and laid him gently on the rustling corn-husk mattress. "Sleep well, den lille guten, sleep well." She stood and kneaded the small of her back with her fists. Andrew was getting awfully heavy to carry like that. Most of the time he climbed up in bed by himself, but then usually he didn't fall asleep at the dinner table with his face in his plate. She returned to the work counter and took a damp cloth back to wipe off his face.

"Uff da," she muttered as she straightened again. "What kind of a mother are you?" She shook her head and stopped at the table to stack the dishes. Knowing the water was cold in the dishpan on the bench outside, she went to bring it in. Haakan was cranking the handle at the well to bring up the full bucket, with Thorliff setting the empty pail on the well's rim.

The song of the wild geese attracted her attention, too, and she shaded her eyes with her hand to see better. She knew if they'd set down close enough, she could bring home fresh meat for supper. The thought of striding through the woods on a hunt set her heart to thrumming. Even though hunting wasn't considered part of women's work, she had become very good at bringing home game, thus leaving the men free to break the sod. While Roald had tolerated her hunting, Carl had been the one to teach her how to shoot the heavy gun and where to find the game trails. While it didn't take a great hunter to find sufficient game in this region so rich with wild life, Ingeborg knew she was better than the average marksman. Wasting shells had earned her a stern reprimand from Roald, so she took careful aim before shooting.

Perhaps today was not a good day to hunt. If this man was really going to be here for the summer, she'd best not shock him too soon. It might keep him from staying, she thought. Now if I really want to drive him away, I'll just don my britches, and he'll head back for the north woods fast as his feet can carry him.

Back in the soddy with her hands in the sudsy water, she allowed her thoughts to turn back to Roald. He would have been more than pleased to have a cousin come and offer to help for the summer. He would try to talk the man into staying, unable to understand why anyone would not want to homestead in Dakota Territory. Of course, if Roald were here, Haakan would never have arrived. Had Roald known of this relative in the new world? Of course, the Bjorklund family tree had so many branches around Nordland, it would take a genius to keep track of them all.

She finished drying the dishes and put them away. After a glance at Andrew to make sure he slept on, she went outside, grateful for the warm sun that nearly blinded her in its intensity. She raised her face to the heat of it. Why did the sun of spring feel so much more friendly than the sun of winter?

She brought the last of the kerosene lamps inside to fill and trim the wicks later. The chimneys now gleamed like they hadn't all winter. Polishing them in the sunlight revealed streaks to buff away not visible in winter's dimness.

On her way back and forth with the small chores, she smiled and waved, letting Thorliff show the guest around the farm and introduce him to the livestock. The sod barn was bursting at the corners with all the animals that now shared its protection and the corrals at either end. Ewes with their lambs-Thorliff had already docked all the tails-and now the grown sheep were due for a shearing. The lamb crop had been good this year, reminding Ingeborg of the time she finally turned back to the Lord to beg forgiveness and accept His gift of love and healing. Her winter had indeed been a long and dark time of the soul. She still missed Roald, of course, sometimes deeply; but the pain of it had lessened, and the bitterness she'd harbored those many months was gone. Praise be to God!

Finished inside, she joined Thorliff as he took Haakan outside to meet the oxen, the horses, and the lone mule-the other had died with Roald in the blizzard. The three milk cows-two heavy with calf while the third was still producing-and the six-month-old calf came to have their heads scratched and stretched their necks for the stroking they so loved. This year they would have two sows, since they'd kept one of the gilts to breed come spring. They shared a boar with the Baards, as they did a bull and machinery. One neighbor to the north had a heavy stallion, so Ingeborg's dream of providing stock for the families heading west was becoming close to a reality.

"We have seventy acres ready to plant," Thorliff said proudly. "Mor can bust sod good as any man."

Ingeborg gave a wry smile at the raised eyebrow from their guest. "You do what you have to in this country."

"And we ain't going to lose our homestead, are we, Mor?" Thorliff puffed his chest. "Since we now got a ride-on plow, soon as my legs are long enough to reach the pedals, I can plow, too. I already know how to drive the team."

They leaned on the slender tree trunks, stripped down for poles, that comprised the corral for the cows and horses. Out across the prairie they could see more rich brown dirt appearing through the snow.

"You have a good start here." Haakan rested his chin on his hands, his hat tipped back, and a curl of blond hair caught on his forehead. He nodded and put one foot up on the lower of the four rails.

Thorliff nodded in return, as if talking man to man like this was an everyday occurrence.

Ingeborg felt her heart bursting with pride in this son of hers who worked so hard and had assumed a man's responsibilities long before his time. She knew he seemed so much older than eight, with a seriousness that left little room for the boy to come out and play. He needed someone his own age, like the Baard boys when they all met for schooling.

She heard a lusty wail from the house. "Andrew is awake. Why don't we go over to Tante Kaaren's now and share our letter and our new relative."

"Tante Kaaren bakes the best cookies in Dakota Territory," Thorliff added. "You'll like her and Lars."

Andrew sat howling in the middle of the bed, but the minute he saw his mother, he clamped off the tears and waved his arms, ready to be picked up. While he could walk well enough, Ingeborg was grateful he hadn't taken to climbing out of the bed and coming to find her. She even thought about creating a gate to put in the doorway, so if she didn't hear him right away, he couldn't get out and get lost on the prairie.

"Den lille guten," she said with a smile, always telling him what a good boy he was. She had come too close in the winter of her rebellion to giving both boys away to Kaaren's care. "Come, let us go visit Tante Kaaren." She scooped him up in her arms, took the letter off the table to put in her apron.pocket, and headed out the door. Each time she went out again, she marveled at the warmth that hadn't yet penetrated the soddy. The thick dirt walls kept the house cooler in the summer and warm in the winter but didn't change temperature easily. Perhaps by the fly and mosquito season, they could put a screen door in place and another screen over the window. Such a treat that would be.

"I could carry him for you." Haakan turned from his study of the western horizon when she came out the door.

"I ... I don't know. He's not used to strangers." Ingeborg looked from the man to the child who clutched her around the neck. "He can walk, but it takes so long to go the distance with his toddling steps. Besides, he gets mud all over."

"1 can ride him piggyback." Thorliff stopped throwing the stick to Paws long enough to volunteer.

"Here, den lille guten, come for a ride." Haakan extended his hands, palm up.

ingeborg thrilled to hear him use her very words for this little one, the first child of her own womb. She held Andrew loosely and leaned slightly forward in encouragement.

Andrew studied the face of the man, as if trying to learn his character through the inspection. He wiggled in his mother's arms, clamping an arm around her neck for an anchor and waving a pudgy fist in the air.

"Go on, son, it's all right." Ingeborg spoke softly, laying her cheek against his.

Andrew sighed as though he'd made a major decision and leaned forward, grasping Haakan's thumb with one hand. The grin showed all five of his teeth and was accompanied by the incessant drool that went along with teething.

Haakan settled the baby on his hip, wrapped in a strong arm, and they headed across the field to the sod house about a hundred yards away.

"The boundary line between the two homesteads goes right down the middle here, and this way we are able to help each other more quickly. The first year on the homestead, we all lived in the one soddy we built later that summer. Roald and Carl first spent all the time they could breaking sod, since a house wasn't as necessary."

"What did you live in?"

"The wagon. Once we could sleep on the ground, it was much easier. Baby Gunhilde was born on the ship coming over, so that first winter in the soddy we had four grown-ups and two children."

"And you are still friends?" Haakan shook his head in amazement.

"More than friends. Kaaren and I are deeper than sisters. We saved each other and fought together for our sanity-and our salvation." Ingeborg didn't elaborate any further. Instead she pointed to a spiral of smoke still farther north. "It is easier now with more neighbors. Why, Kaaren taught school during the good days of fall after the harvest was done and during the winter. Agnes Baard taught us all to speak English."

"You do speak English?"

"Ja, somewhat. But Norwegian is much easier yet. There are so many words I do not know, and those I learn, I soon forget."

"Then we will speak English." Haakan bounced the baby to make him laugh.

"Velkommen. Velkommen." Kaaren met them before they'd even reached the door.

The greeting almost took away the concern Haakan's statement caused. Why was it men had a habit of always giving orders like that? Could a man help her and not take over? Was it possible?

Ingeborg returned the greeting and introduced their new relative, but the questions kept bubbling up like stew set on the stove to simmer.

Norway

cannot bear to let him go."