Granny's Legacy

By C.L. Heintz

A tragic accident leaves two small children to be raised by their aging grandmother. When she dies years later, they aren't sure whom to trust. They must learn to survive with expected help from God and unexpected help from newfound friends. Mysterious strangers, new friends, missing documents, kidnappings, unknown family, and many more adventures face Katie and Kyle as they discover God's truth as well as Granny's Legacy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9781641409667

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Granny's Legacy

C.L. Heintz

Copyright © 2018 C.L. Heintz

All rights reserved

First Edition

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc

New York, NY

First originally published by Christian Faith Publishing, Inc 2018

ISBN 978-1-64140-965-0 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64140-966-7 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Introduction

Throughout the ages, death has been a hard reality that every living creature must learn to cope with; some sooner than others. The young children of the Riley family were no different. In a quiet settlement located in the eastern part of a still growing America, the spring of 1870 brought this harshness to a seven-year-old girl and her little brother as they watched in frozen disbelief as their parents were brutally killed in a freak wagon accident. Soon after the tragedy, they were uprooted from their home in the small, close-knit community and sent to live with their only known relative—their aging grandmother. Her modest, mountainside ranch was just east of a small town called Stonewall, nestled in the mountains of the Colorado Territory.

Their granny was healthy and energetic for a woman in her seventies living alone in the mountains. She had accomplished much in her lifetime, and now she felt that she had the opportunity to give her only grandchildren a good start in their lives. She had been expecting the entire family, but with word of her son’s and daughter-in-law’s deaths, she vowed to raise her grandchildren as their parents would have wanted. Over the next ten years, the children grew strong and happy under their granny’s loving tutelage: everything from caring for the livestock and chopping wood, to sewing and cooking, to reading and writing skills. Twelve-year-old Kyle could cook right along with his seventeen-year-old sister, Katie, while she could nearly out-chop her brother at the woodpile.

During the past several months, however, Granny’s health had begun to fail; her now eighty-two-year-old body was giving way to time. Granny had tried on many occasions to tell her grandchildren of her past, their past, and of people they didn’t even know existed. But time after time, she could not bring herself to reopen that part of her life—giving it to the next generation. In her last days, however, she felt a terrible sense of guilt for not sharing past hurts of family lost and then found again and of dangers that lay in their path. She knew she had done what she could to make their future a good one. She had saved enough money to help them in the coming years, she had enlisted the aid of a long-lost son, and most importantly she was secure in the knowledge that her grandchildren would be safe in the care of the Lord and whomever He saw fit to send into their lives.

As she lay on her deathbed, feeling the life draining from her aged, worn-out body, Annabelle Riley felt convicted to try once more to give her grandchildren some idea of what lay in store for them. She could not give them much in the way of a long explanation, but she had to give them an indication as to where to find what they needed to survive when she was gone. She must try.

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The room was still as each person in it was enveloped in their own thoughts. Dr. Browning stood near the head of the bed, waiting to do anything to make the dying woman’s last moments easier. His wife sat in the far corner of the room ready to provide her support when the moment came. Kyle stood at the foot of Granny’s large, four-poster bed, letting his finger run aimlessly along the loops and lines of the beautifully carved pattern in the wooden frame. He had known this time would come; it was just not something he had planned on being present for and was unsure what to do. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Katie was ever so gently stroking Granny’s thin arm as she hummed Granny’s favorite song, Amazing Grace.

My dear Katie, Granny’s soft breath came as only a sigh from her failing lungs. Katie took Granny’s emaciated hand gently in her own and bent her tear-stained face low to hear Granny’s last words. With a flutter of her eyelids, Granny whispered, Take care of you brother and give yourself a happy life. Always hold God close to your heart. He will guide your way. The intense wheezing that followed made it difficult for Granny to continue. Breathlessly she went on, Katie, you will always find what you need in God’s Word. God will take care of all your needs, just as He did for Ruth and Naomi. With her dying breath, she uttered, My darling Katie, look to the book of Ruth, she emphasized. You will find what you need there. With this last, struggling effort Granny’s eyes glazed over then closed. Another low, raspy breath, and she was gone.

Dr. Browning, who had been tending to Granny during these last days, checked the tranquil body for any last signs of life and then gently pulled the sheet over the peaceful face. Katie could not let go of the withered hand just yet. With one finger, she tenderly stroked each vein that no longer pumped life through the bony fingers. The doctor’s wife tried to lead Kyle from the room, but he pulled away and went to stand next to Katie. After several quiet moments of silent good-byes, they left their Granny’s side. They could not find it in them to cry for her, not just yet—they were too numb.

Chapter 1

Early March 1880—Colorado

The tears came to Katie the next morning as memories of her parents’ funeral rushed in. Her confused thoughts took her from her childhood to the present and back again. One moment she could see the caskets of her mother and father being lowered into the deep chasms of the graves, and the next moment she was trying to choose the garments for her granny’s body to be buried in. Katie had been blindly going through her regular morning routine, though not remembering any of it. Now she was trying to think clearly about the task at hand. Granny had lost so much weight during her last weeks that her frail body seemed to be lost in the nightgown. Katie had searched for the smallest dress Granny owned so as not to overpower the petite frame.

As Katie’s befuddled mind played tricks on her, she saw herself just a day earlier holding the emaciated hand of the dying woman and stroking back the pure white hair from the life-weary face. As she stood here now, looking at her Granny’s colorless but serene features, Katie’s mind was in a fog. All of her senses had dulled; she had seemingly lost the ability to focus on the task at hand, and her thoughts wandered aimlessly from the past to the present and back again. Katie’s memories were floating back to what seemed like only yesterday when she and her brother had arrived here to live with their father’s elderly mother. But the sound of wagons approaching the house on this sorrowful morning jolted her back again to the present.

Mrs. Browning led several ladies from town to help with the preparations, and when they entered Granny’s room, Katie willingly stepped aside, allowing them to assume the task of preparing the body for burial. Katie had been caring for Granny’s personal needs for some time, but she was relieved to not have to dress her lifeless body now.

She meandered down the hallway, past the parlor, and into the kitchen, knowing that she should try to find Kyle. She first took a cool drink of water from the indoor pump and splashed some on her tear-stained face. Snatching the wrap from the hook on the kitchen wall, she walked outside into the fresh air of spring. Though the sunshine felt warm, the air was still crisp and cool in the Colorado Mountains. She pulled the wrap close around her shoulders, closed her eyes, and breathed deeply, trying to clear her nostrils of the closed-in smell of death. Feeling a little more refreshed, she set out to find her brother.

There were wagons scattered around the area between the house and barn, the teams of horses stamped the ground, conveying their already growing impatience at being left here with no hay to munch. Katie maneuvered through the obstacles to the corral that held her own team of horses and the milk cow. After giving each of the three animals a loving rub on their noses and sugar cubes taken from the kitchen, she continued her search for Kyle.

As Katie rounded the corner of the barn, she saw activity along the tree line within the confines of a small white picket fence. Granny had created this lovely fenced-in area with raised, though empty, gravesites that the children could visit. Their parents’ remains had been buried in the town cemetery where they had been killed, so Granny had given her grandchildren this place as a memorial to her son and his wife. Katie saw that the men from town had relieved her brother of his self-appointed job of digging the grave. As she slowly ambled toward Kyle, she noticed that he was gazing blankly at the small hole that he had so gallantly begun. In short order, it was turning into something that would soon be the final resting place of their dear Granny. Katie came up beside her brother and, though he was almost as tall as her, managed to put her arm around his already broadening shoulders and said quietly, Granny will like it here. She will finally have the rest she so deserves. Without saying a word, Kyle leaned into his sister and finally cried.

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As they stood here now, silently sharing their deep sorrow, surrounded by people honoring their grandmother, Katie’s thoughts once again returned to the past. Ten years ago their parents, Luke and Karen Riley, made what was intended to be a quick trip to a nearby town, leaving the children, then seven and two, with a neighbor. Late in the day while she played outside with her little brother, Katie heard a wagon coming around the hill near their home. Knowing it just had to be her parents, she ran to the front gate to greet them. But when she heard her mother screaming in terror and her father yelling at the horses, she froze; something was not right. Just as their wagon appeared, it was clear that it could not make it around the curve of the hill at that speed. At that moment, the wagon twisted and tipped violently. The sickening sound of the wagon snapping and the sight of the entire wagon, its two passengers, contents, and horses tumbling and splintering into a million pieces, would be etched in Katie’s mind forever. Katie stood motionless at the gate as people ran to the remains of the wagon. Even at that tender age, Katie knew that her parents could not have survived. She was numb as she watched the chaos unfold.

The first people on the scene had to turn away; some retched at the carnage that lay before them. One bold woman, who said she could help, insisted on pushing through the gathering crowd, stopped short, and let out a blood-curdling scream. Katie felt a scream building in her own body, but just as she thought it would surface, two quick shots rang out. This chilling sound made Katie’s vision blur and her hearing fade; she knew that someone had put the horses out of their misery. Katie barely felt herself being led into the house and into a back bedroom, along with her brother who was now crying for his momma. The door was closed, and as Katie huddled on the oversized bed, cradling her sobbing baby brother, it felt as if they had been forgotten in a very big world.

Katie’s thoughts once again focused on the present as Granny’s body was laid to rest in the cold, dark earth. Though she knew most of the people in Stonewall, she didn’t see the faces of the people there today. She focused on the preacher, standing at the head of the grave, solemnly saying loving words about death and about life. She vaguely felt movement of people around her as she and Kyle stood like stone statues, watching the dirt being piled onto the handmade coffin. Once again she felt forgotten and alone in her grief even though many hands reached out to comfort them.

When the funeral service was over and Granny was laid to rest and a customary luncheon was served to all, Kyle stayed around his horses while Katie attempted to be sociable. People began heading out in the early evening, hoping to arrive home before dark. Katie and Kyle stood nearly motionless as the wagons formed a mass exodus, stirring up dust along its wake. They had received offers from several of the townspeople, inviting them to spend a few days at various homes in order not to be alone. Katie politely turned them all down, saying that she and her brother needed time to grieve and that they would be fine on their own. They did need grieving time, but she just wanted to be done after the day’s events. She was relieved that people nodded their heads in understanding and turned to go without pressing the issue.

As the last wagon rolled out of sight, Kyle turned to his sister, I’m gonna do the evenin’ chores ’fore it gets too dark, he muttered.

Would you like a hand? Katie offered

Nah, he replied with a strained but sheepish grin appearing on his face. I need my time to grieve. Kyle had always been the one to add laughter to the day, no matter what the circumstances.

Katie knew this attempt at humor was what they both needed, and she knew that they both needed some time alone with their thoughts. She returned the grin and gave him a knowing hug. Okay, I’ll go fix something for us to eat and start cleaning the house. It must be a mess after all those people. And with that, they headed in separate directions. Katie turned to see Kyle pick up a rock and throw it at nothing in particular. He slowly turned toward the corral to feed the stock and finish up with the rest of the evening chores. She turned back to the empty house and breathed deeply. Things would be different. But she promised herself that she would continue to make it a home for her and her brother.

Katie stepped into the kitchen, fully prepared to clean a frightful mess and assemble a simple meal for the two of them. She stared in disbelief at the vision before her. Spotless! Not a dish or linen out of place. The ladies, how dear of them! she said aloud to herself. Her eyes scanned the kitchen; a pot of stew sat warming on the back of the stove, its comforting aroma lifting her spirits as she inhaled deeply. On the table sat two place settings and wrapped in a towel was a loaf of bread along the knife to cut it. Katie felt as though she had been hugged by the town. God bless them, she murmured.

Well, she continued to talk aloud to herself, since dinner is ready, I’ll go clean up Granny’s bedroom. This was not a job she looked forward to, but she knew it needed to be done. As her unhurried steps took her through the empty house, she saw that the kitchen was not the only room left spotless; she silently thanked the women who came today. She had a feeling that Granny’s room had been cleaned as well. She took a deep breath to bolster her courage and turned the doorknob to Granny’s room. Just as she thought, the sweet ladies had been thorough in their care. Cleaned away were all signs that death had been here. She looked around, longing for Granny’s physical presence, yet she saw Granny in everything here. She ran her hand lovingly over Granny’s big Bible, remembering the times Granny had read to them from its pages when she was little. It had been much too big for her and Kyle to handle, so Granny had sent away for two smaller Bibles, one for each of them. As Katie meandered back to the kitchen, she ran her hand softly along the wall, wondering what would happen to this house, to them. Granny had never talked to her grandchildren about what to do when she was gone—just to live happy. Right now, it was all Katie could do just to live.

When she turned the corner into the kitchen, she saw Kyle standing just inside the doorway, with the same expression she must have had upon seeing everything finished. Katie thought fast, Well, I’m all done with my work, how ’bout you? She jokingly scolded as she pretended to dust her hands off from working.

Kyle’s face relaxed, and his shoulders came up in mock defiance. You did not do this. I know the women did all this just like the men did all my chores before they left! he retorted.

They giggled at each other. Well, Katie said boldly as she rubbed her stomach, I guess all we have to do tonight is eat! After washing in the basin, they ladled the steaming, hearty stew into their bowls, leaving the pot on the stove, and took their places at the table. Before digging in, Katie gave the evening prayer, Father in heaven above, You are a mighty God, wondrous in all Your ways. You have given Granny a wonderful life, for which I know she was grateful. We are thankful to You for giving her to us when we needed her most. We know you will provide for us now as well. Thank You, Lord, for our neighbors. They are good people. Bless them. Guide us in the path You have chosen for us. You are our most wonderful God. Amen.

Amen, repeated Kyle.

The meal was quiet, each absorbed in their own thoughts and memories. They worked together in cleaning up after and then sat down at the table to share in their evening Bible study. Neither was able to truly concentrate, rereading the same verses over again. Kyle finally gave up and announced his intention to try to get some sleep. Katie agreed. The night, however, held restlessness and insecurities for both of them.

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The first week after Granny’s funeral was filled with the normal chores and studies as well as the feeling of emptiness that comes from the loss of a loved one. Each day, however, one couple or another from town would make the two-hour-long trip out to check on Kyle and Katie. Some of those times Katie thought, How nice of them to take the time to see that we are all right. Other times she thought, Why can’t we be left alone? Regardless of these mixed feelings, Katie was always polite, and she was thankful that there were people who cared. Both she and Kyle always put on the brave face everyone expected to see. During the second week, the visits tapered off until they stopped coming altogether, which Katie didn’t mind at all.

One quiet evening after the meal was finished and chores done, they sat in the stove-warmed kitchen having their evening Bible study. They had chosen Psalm 91, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God; in Him will