Chapter 46

“Cathy you can’t set out here all the time” said her mother Betty.

“I’m going to wait right here until he comes back,” she said as she pulled the heavy blanket around her. It had been cold for several days and it looked like it might even snow.

“It’s warmer inside by the fire,” Betty said.

“He’s out there somewhere . . . and its cold where he’s at . . . so I’ll wait right here.”

“Alright . . . I’ll get you some hot chocolate to drink.” The woman turned and walked back inside the house to go to the kitchen. She set the pot on the stove to boil the water. She looked around at the house which had been her home for nearly forty seven years. Some how, it looked old and barren with out her husband, John, there to help brighten it for her. Her thoughts of the good and bad times ran though her minds as she looked around. The whistle on the pot sounded off, but she was years away in remembrance of those days. Her mind at the moment was locked onto the little girl who was trying to walk across the floor as John held out his hands to catch her.

“You better take care of that before it all boils away,” said a strong voice in the door way to the dinning room. She looked up into the face of Jane, a neighbor, who came to stay with her while Cathy was away. Jane was a little younger than her and she had a voice more like a man than a woman. She was a widow and lived by herself at the edge of town; she did odd jobs to survive. By moving in with Betty, life for both of them would be much easier.

“I was just making some hot chocolate for Cathy,” said Betty.

“Let me do that before you boil away all the water,” said Jane.

“Why don’t you make enough for us all,” said Betty as she took a seat at the dinning table.

“She . . . still out there?”

“Yes . . . I’m afraid she’ll never come in now.” Betty placed her face into her hands and began to sob.

“It’s been almost four months since we’ve heard anything about him,” said Jane. “I wonder where he could be.”

“John used to ask that ever sundown,” Betty said “I’m hoping Chris is still alive, for Cathy’s sake.” She wiped at the tears on her face.