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"Nothing." said Meg continuing to laugh.
"It' can't be nothing!" stated Amy.
"I was just remembering the time it poured rain like this and we all went out side and Jo convinced us that the rain was a potion concocted by our evil neighbor and that if it touched your skin it would leave a lasting red mark. The mark of the devil she told us." laughed Meg.
Jo could not help laughing as she remembered what came next in the story.
"And after that she told us that every time the thunder clapped someone was being murdered." continued Amy.
Everyone laughed out loud until the room vibrated with the sound of it. Just then thunder clashed close by startling them all out of their laughter.
"Wow that was close." said Nick pulling Jo closer to him.
"Did you hear about the convict that escaped jail two days ago?" asked Laurie. Nick shifted uncomfortably as he always did when reminded of him time spent behind bars.
"What was he convicted for?" asked Meg.
Laurie paused, sorry he had even brought the subject up. "Murder." The second he said the word 'murder' a loud crack of thunder rumbled close by shaking the house. The house shifted and the windows rattled in their panes.
Just then Nan come thundering down the stairs her face as pale as a sheet. "Nan what's the matter?" asked Jo alarmed at the look on the girls face.
"I saw someone!" she said.
Nick stood up." Where did you see someone?" he asked carefully trying not to upset or worry Nan.
"Outside by the bard door." she said.
"Come here Nan." said Jo taking the girl into her arms. "Maybe you just saw a shadow or something. Lightning can play tricks on our eyes."
Nick and Laurie both went over to the window and waited for the next flash of lightning to illuminate the darkness of the night.
Nan shook her head. "There was some one I know there was." she said walking over to the window. Just then the lightning flashed and both Nick and Laurie jumped. "Did you see him?" asked Nan.
Nick walked into the hallway followed by Laurie and everyone else. "Nick what are you going to do?" asked Jo.
Amy tried to convince them not to go out but they both pulled on their coats Nick grabbed a lantern and they disappeared in to the storms furry.
A half an hour later. Jo and Meg and Amy heard foot steps on the porch. Three pairs of feet. The door flew open and in stumbled Nick and Laurie and another figure clad in black. "Jo get some blankets and Nan make some tea to warm him up." said Nick pulling heavy wet layers of clothing off the mystery man.
Jo came back with an arm load of blankets in her arms and Nan with a pot of hot tea. Jo was wrestling with the curiosity of who this man was but could not ask as he was apparently not in any way able to talk at the moment. Jo looked at Nick. He sent her a gaze that said 'Don't worry, just be patient." Finally the man seemed to warm up. He rubbed his large hands together. He seemed like he wanted to say something but did not know where to begin.
Nick noticed this and asked "What is your name?"
For the first time he lifted his head and to green eyes peered out from his curly red hair." Adam Harding." The room was silent for a moment.
Nick thought it best to move on before anyone jumped to conclusions."Why are you out on such a night as this?" Nick asked.
"I was looking for Plumfield." he said.
"This is Plumfield." said Jo even more confused then before.
"Why?" asked Amy.
"I have a sister here." he said hiding his face behind his mug of tea. A bang of thunder vibrated the house. Silence rained. No one knew what to say but everyone knew that this sister he was talking of had to be Nan. Everyone looked at her to see if she had put two and two together.
She had she was shaking her head slowly whispering "No that's impossible." Adam looked like he wanted to take back what he had just said. He looked like he would like to be anywhere other than there at this moment. "I have no brothers or sisters." said Nan to Adam. "You're lying."
Adam looked hurt. "I assure you I'm not! I am your brother! Your father is my father! Your mother was my mother. I am your brother!" he repeated.
Nan shook her head. "How can this be?" she asked. "You look like me and you say your last name is Harding but I don't have any brothers or sisters." she said. Meg and Amy and Laurie got up and left. Jo thought it best if she and Nick stayed to listen.
"I ran away from home when you were born." he said doubling up as a fit of coughing over took him.
"Why?" asked Nan still trying to absorb the thought that she was not an only child.
"Because I did not want to share my parents with you and when they told me that they were going to have another child I left. It was very selfish of me and I have never lived a day without regretting what I did. Regretting that I was not there when mother died. But especially I regret not meeting you." Nan shook her head and stood and ran from the room. This was too much to take all at one time!
When Nan awoke her head throbbed. It reminded her of how she had fallen asleep last night, crying. The unexpected news that she had a brother would have been welcome news if not for the fact that he admitted that he did not want anything to do with her.
Bess was already awake and gone. Nan did not want to get up she never wanted to get up again, she just wanted to die!
Jo peaked her head inside and said "Nan can I come in?"
Nan nodded. "Your brother is downstairs waiting for you. He wants to talk to you." said Jo.
"Well I don't want to talk to him!" said Nan angry hot tears falling down her cheeks.
"Nan he is trying to make it right. Give him a chance."
Nan shook he head. "He deserted my parents and me and he does not deserve to be forgiven. I wish he never had come here!"
Bess gazed into his cat like green eyes. She had never seen such beautiful eyes, and his hair the color of sunshine.
"You're drooling." said Dan his arms crossed across his chest.
"Am not!" she said still not taking her eyes off of him. "Where did you say you are from?" asked Bess.
"No where really. I just wander." he said helping himself to another piece of bacon.
"That sounds soooo romantic." said Bess.
Dan rolled his eyes and snorted. "Everyone is from somewhere."
Bess turned a look of reprovement upon him. "So what are you doing here?" she asked.
"I'm Nan's brother." he stated. Everyone looked to Jo for an explanation. She only nodded her head.
"Wow." said Bess smiling her biggest smile.
"Oh brother." said Dan.
"That's what I said" laughed Adam. I'm her brother."
Bess laughed a fake forced laugh. Dan silently got up and left the table.
Nan sat at her desk her arms crossed defiantly across her chest. She was angry. Angry at the world.
"I want all of you to make a memory book." said Franz with a knowing twinkle in his eyes. I want at least one memory of someone in your family and one memory of something to do with your time spent here at Plumfield. I know this will be hard for some of you who don't have any family so I will accept two memories about Plumfield but one of them must involve Mr. or Mrs. Riley."
Nan rolled her eyes. " Oh great!" she thought.
Bess leaned over and whispered to Nan, "Bet you'll write about meeting your brother. He is so dreamy!" she said.
Nan was taken aback. She only smiled and turned her head away from Bess. "Great now Bess is in love with him."
"I really appreciate your help in here today." said Nick as he through another fork full of hay into the corner. "Sometime there seems too much work for even one man."
Adam stopped shoveling and looked at Nick. "I envy you." he said. "You have a wonderful family. A loving wife two adorable sons. You're surrounded by blessings."
Nick nodded. "I do admit I am a lucky man! But it was not always like that for me. I never had a home. For as long as I can remember I wandered here and there. Stealing so that I could eat and live. Some nights I had only the blue vastness of the sky as a roof over my head. I remember times that I did not eat for 3 days at time. I was desperate and did many terrible things that I will always be ashamed of." Nick felt he had already said too much. He continued tossing hay at a more furious rate.
Adam smiled. Here was one who had been through what he had. Who knew what desperation could do to a man. Who understood what hunger and loneliness really was."Thank you." he said looking at Nick. Nick knew what he meant and they shared a moment of understanding that brought the two of them closer together than Adam had ever allowed himself to be with another man since he left home.
Just before supper that night Nat cornered Nan and said "So how do you feel about your brother coming here." Nan looked into his grey eyes and any polite untruthful answers fled her mind she could only ever tell him the truth."I hate him I wish he had never come!" she exclaimed.
"No you don't." stated Nat.
"Oh yes I do!" argued Nan.
"How can you? I would give anything to have a brother or sister!"
"Even if he left home when you were born because he did not want to share his parents with you. If he hated you even before he knew you?"
Nat reached out to squeeze her shoulder but she backed away. "We have all made mistakes. What matters is that we try to make them right." he said.
Nan flew away into the dinning room. The first thing she saw was Bess's hand inside of Adams large ones. She was laughing and smiling and showing off her ring to him. Nan turn and fled up the stairs and onto her bed. Hungry or not she would not eat at the same table as HIM!
Everyone else was seated at the table when Nick came in. He looked around the table. Nan was not there. Just as he predicted. He saw the look of pain on Adams face and knew that he was glad he did what he did!
That night as Jo finally crawled into bed beside Nick. Nick said. "I saw Mr. Harding in town today and told him to come. I think Nan needs him here."
Jo nodded. "What's he like? Adam."
Nick smiled in the darkness. "He is very sweet and kind and a good worker. He told me about his travels on the street. He's had a very hard life."
"I thought as much." said Jo.
"He's dying." said Nick.
"Dying? Of what?" asked Jo astounded.
"He has tuberculosis. He told me his time is getting short. He wants his sisters forgiveness."
"Nan should be told!" said Jo.
"No. She needs to forgive him from his heart not because she feels sorry for him." Jo and Nick fell asleep holding each others hands listening to the rain and praying for Nan to 'come to her senses.'
Nan sat at her desk tapping her pencil on her head as she watched the rain fall in sheets to the ground. She was trying to work on her memory book but her heart was too full of hatred and pain to let any words or memories come. The only thing she could think of was the one thing she wanted to forget, her brother.
Jo came in. "Nan. I want you to know that you are acting very childish about this whole thing."
Nan turned away. Just what she needed.
"He wants to get to know you, he wants your forgiveness." said Jo in a pleading tone. "Look past what he did. Put it behind you where it belongs. It's in the past! What he did was wrong yes but he needs you to forgive him."
Tears came and fell down Nan's cheeks. "I can't."
Jo hung her head and left. Time was running out for the two of them, fast!
Dan wandered outside to the barn. He had looked everywhere else for Bess. "She must be in here!" he said.
He heard Bess laughing and ran into the barn. He found Bess with Adam grooming the horse. Both their hands were inside the brush. Dan felt his face grow red. He clenched his fists tight by his side. "Who do you think you are to come in here and steal my girl friend?" he asked.
Both Adam and Bess wheeled around. "I'm-m-m-mm sorry." stammered Adam between fits of coughing.
"Well you should be!" exclaimed Dan.
Adam doubled over. Pain gripped his chest. He gasped for air. "Now look at what you've done!" said Bess helping Adam outside.
"What I've done?!" exclaimed Dan kicking the barn door. "What I've done!"
"Let's go on a picnic!" said Jo at breakfast the next morning. As it was Saturday and had finally stopped raining Jo felt the need to go on a picnic.
"Yeah, down by the river." suggested Nat. Everyone agreed it was a splendid idea!
Nan sank into her seat. "I think I'll stay here." she said.
Jo frowned. "But Nan it's such a beautiful day!" said Jo.
"I know but I need to get some homework done I'm behind." Jo knew this was not true. Nan was never behind. But she relented. Nan had to come to her senses by herself. Jo was relieved to here that Adam would stay behind as well. Jo had not been able to get the thought of the escaped murderer out of her mind since the night of the big storm.
Jo took another bite of fried chicken and stared off into the deep forest. "She'll come around." comforted Nick.
"You always know what I'm thinking don't you?" said Jo putting her head on his shoulder.
Nick hoped so time was growing shorter by the moment! Nick and Jo held to each other watching the other children push each other around in the water. Jo looked into Nicks eyes. "How come people wait until the last possible moment to say what's in their heart?" asked Jo.
Nick looked down into her brown eyes. "I don't know. I only know time is precious and that," he paused. "I love you."
Jo smiled and surrendered to the warmth of his lips. "I love you too."
Nick looked up into the sky. Dark clouds had embanked. "Looks like rain." said Jo.
Nick nodded. "We should go. If that hill becomes wet and muddy than there will be no getting home."
Jo nodded slowly. "I hate to break up their fun." she said looking at the children.
Nick did too. "We'll give then ten more minutes."
Nan threw her book on her bed. "I hate rain!" she commented to the silence of her room."I hate rain I hate my brother and I hate my father, and I hate memories!" She paced like a cadged animal back and forth. "Why didn't they tell me I had a brother?" she shouted into the silence.
"Because they thought it would be better if you did not know." Nan wheeled around. Adam stood in the door way of her room. He reminded Nan so much of her mother it hurt her to look at him. To look into his eyes was like looking at her mother.
"I don't feel like talking!" she exclaimed turning to face the window.
"I know but times to short to just sit in silence." he said. He continued on too quick for her to question the peculiarity of his statement. "I hurt mother and father very badly when I left. I think that they felt it would be easier for them to just pretend I never existed. And what would they tell you? That I had hated you before I even met you? That I ran away because I was selfish?"
Nan had never thought of it that way. She had been blaming her parents just as much as Adam. But what they had done could be explained away. What Adam had done could never.
"I want to ask your forgiveness." Nan's heart quickened her skin grew sweaty. She went to light a lamp as the dark rain clouds made in near impossible to see. Forgive him? How could she. "Adam .....I . ."
"Children let's go now!" demanded Nick. Huge drops of rain were already falling upon their heads. They had waited too long. Rain began pouring down."It's too late." whispered Nick in Jo's ear. "We will never make it up the hill now and the river is rising fast." Jo looked from the muddy hill to the river below. "We're trapped."
"Shh! Listen!" exclaimed Adam. Nan froze. Some one was on the porch trying to get inside. Adam grabbed Nan by the hand and pulled her down behind him. Once they were down stairs he pulled her into a corner where she could not be seen from any window. Adam went and looked out the window. Who ever was out there wanted in. And who ever they were they were dressed all in black.
Adam did not like this situation. He had heard his father talking about an escaped murdered. There was not doubt in his mind that this person weather he was the murderer or not should not be let in. He went back to Nan. She was as white as a ghost. "Here is what we need to do. Who ever is out there does not think there is anybody in here so we need to let him know that there is. We need to make him think that there is a hole house full of people here. So this is what we are going to do."
Nick had gathered every one together in a circle on the ground he tried to explain what the situations was. "The hill is to muddy climb. No one would ever make it! The river is too swollen to cross."
"So what do we do now?" shouted Dan over the din of the pouring rain.
"We wait."
Nan lit the final lantern in the house while Adam was lighting the final fire in the dinning room. She hated to admit it but she was glad Adam was here. Then they tried to make as much noise as was possible for two people. They went from room to room as fast as they could talking and shouting and laughing. They opened and closed doors quickly they banged pots and pans in the kitchen. They put music on and began to dance.
Nan laughed in spite of herself. This carried on for a good hour then as they began to dance again Adam stopped and said, ''Listen!"
Nan stopped it was silent. There was no sound at all, even the rain had quit! "We must have scared the pants off of whoever that was!" laughed Nan.
Then the heaviness was gone. Nan knelt in tears beside her brother. Just at that moment Jo and Nick and the others returned. Jo burst through the door and stopped dead in her track at what she saw. Nan had Adams head on her lap and was holding his hand in hers. Jo knew he was gone.
The day of his funeral was gray and raining. Nan dressed in black stood in the comforting circle of Jo's arms. Nan cried the entire time the preacher spoke. Her heart was broke. She was still angry but this time at herself. This time she had been the selfish one. She had not forgiven Adam when he asked for it. She had held on to her anger and now it was too late. That was the one thought that kept going through her mind. It's too late. Everyone left except Nan. She stood there and opened her memory book.
"Adam I want to read you something. It's called A Dance With My Brother. I never knew I had a brother or I would have gone looking for him. Instead he came looking for me. I only met him a few days before he died so I only have one memory of him and this is it. During a time when I was scared and lonely my brother and I turned on all the lights and then we turned on some music and
we danced and we laughed, just him and I. It was then I realized how much I loved him and wished that I had spent more time with him while I could. As I look back upon that moment I realize it was then I forgave him then I let myself love him. I will never forget the one memory we share together.
"The laughter and music will play on in my heart forever. It is worth more to me than a dozen other memories to have this one with my dear brother Adam. I will never forget it, never!" Nan knelt in tears by the fresh mound of earth. "Adam I'm so sorry I never forgave you. I do now. I wish I had gotten to know you while you were here in my life. I just want you to know that I love you with all my heart!"
Jo came over and pulled Nan up and into her arms. Nan again melted into tears. "I just wish I could have told him that I forgave him that I love him."
Jo smoothed Nan's red hair out of her eyes. "He knew. He knew." Jo handed her an envelope. Nan opened it and pulled out a letter. It read.
Dearest Sister,
I know that if you are reading this letter I am no longer alive. I want you to know that sometimes people do things they regret. Sometimes they do things that they don't really want to do but do and then spend a life time regretting it and trying to make it right. I also want you to know that
running away from home was the most selfish stupid thing I could have ever done. I caused you and mother and father a lot of pain. I want to let you know that I loved you your entire life and that I'm sorry I was not there to share it with you. I thank God for letting me see what a fine woman you have become. Mother, I know, would be so proud of you as I am. I'm thankful that you're my sister. I will watch you and love you from heaven. Make me proud! I love you so much!
Love your brother ALWAYS,
Nan linked her arm in Jo's as they walked back to the carriage, "Your right," she said smiling, "He knew."
* * *
The End!
Adam.
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