As We Forgive

 by Lucy Salzman (ages 14-17)

To my BFF Mia: Thank you for your tips and inspiration. Love you forever!

 April 1883 (Before the events in The Last Ride)

          Nobody else knows what I know, and it could mean big trouble for me. Anna Harmon’s turbulent thoughts swirled around in her mind, keeping her awake late into the night. She had been lying in bed for a whole hour thinking and worrying about all the valuable things that had gone missing from her house. Even worse, she alone knew who had stolen them.

         Anna never would have thought it of Daniel. He seemed so nice, and he came from a respectable family. She had known him for a long time, and had once had hopes that Father and Mother would allow them to court. But just a week ago she had caught Daniel slipping her parents’ most treasured possessions into his pocket.

         Anna’s mouth fell open. “Daniel?” she asked in a surprised voice. “What--? Why?”

         Daniel jumped, whirled around, then marched over to Anna and grabbed her by the shoulder. “Don’t you dare tell a soul about this! You never saw me here! If you blab, you and your family will face dire consequences. Got it?”

         Anna nodded vigorously. “I understand!”

         Daniel’s secret had weighed heavily on her since last week. She couldn’t just do nothing about it, but she was scared that Daniel would find out if she told somebody. Then she remembered what had happened that afternoon.

***

         Anna had met with her best friend Elsie Knox for ice cream that afternoon. Anna normally enjoyed these times as much as Elsie, but today she was so worried by Daniel’s threat that she was only picking at her ice cream.

         Elsie noticed. “Anna, banana splits are your favorite. What’s eating you?”

         Where do I begin? Anna thought. Out loud she said, “You know my beau Daniel Carter?” When Elsie nodded, she took a deep breath and continued hesitantly. “He--I--he’s been stealing from my parents. He told me to keep quiet about it or else.” Anna nearly burst into tears at this point.

         “I wouldn’t worry about it, Anna,” Elsie said with a wave of her hand. “What can Daniel possibly do to hurt you?”

         Anna suddenly startled. “Elsie, we need to leave right now! Don’t ask any questions yet,” she said in a low voice.

         Elsie got up from the booth and silently left with Anna. Anna hoped her best friend wouldn’t think she had gone paranoid.

“Why did you make us leave so soon?” Elsie asked when they were outside.

         Anna turned a distressed face to Elsie. “Because I saw Daniel watching us from another booth.”

         Anna was scared to death. Did Daniel know what she had told Elsie? What would he do if he knew? And would Daniel try to hurt Elsie too?

***

         Anna finally fell into a troubled sleep, but seemingly minutes later was jerked awake by Father shaking her. “What time is it?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.

Father didn’t seem to hear her question. “Get up, Anna! The house is on fire! Your mother is already waiting outside. Go with me through the kitchen and escape out the back door!”

         Anna’s blood froze. She got out of bed and inched her way to the staircase, all the while gripping Father’s hand. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Anna saw the red-orange blaze raging in the next room. Her heart pounded so loud she was sure Father was able to hear it. Her hands shook violently at the thought of going any farther. The fire came closer by the second! Anna trembled all over.

         “Don’t worry, honey,” Father whispered in her ear. “I’ll make sure you get safely outside. Get down and crawl to the back door. Stay close to me.”

Anna went down on her hands and knees and crawled close behind Father. Smoke clogged her eyes and nose. Hot air rushed around her. Her lungs were burning. Just a few more feet. But it was getting hard to stay right behind Father. Anna couldn’t go on anymore. She collapsed; she was fading away.

Suddenly she felt a painful jerk. She was being dragged from the burning house. Every step Father took shot pain through her body. Finally, they were outside. Anna gulped breath after breath of the cool night air.

“Anna!” Mother shouted and ran over to hug her daughter.

Anna shakily got to her feet and threw her arms around Mother. The next instant, she heard the thunder of horse hooves and a blaring alarm bell. Two fire wagons were barreling towards the house. The firemen rapidly uncoiled the hose stored on one of the wagons and hooked it up to the pumper on the other one. Soon, the inferno was quenched. All Anna could do was stare at her half-burned house.

“Anna!” came a sudden shout.

Anna turned around and saw Mr. Knox helping Elsie down from her family’s buggy. Anna rushed over to her, and they hugged tightly. “Oh, Elsie!” she cried. Then, whispering so no one would hear, she said, “I never thought Daniel would do something so lowdown like this.”

“You think Daniel did it?” Elsie squeaked.

“I know Daniel did it,” Anna said gravely. “Remember how I told you he threatened me? The fire must have been what he was talking about.”

Elsie turned and looked at the damage done to Anna's house. “It looks bad,” she commented.

Anna nodded. “It is bad. The fire didn’t spread much, but the first floor is so scorched that our house will be unlivable for a while.”

“Well, I have good news for you, Anna,” Mr. Knox spoke up. “I offered your parents a free stay in my hotel until your house is repaired, and they have accepted.”

Anna breathed a sigh of relief. Mr. Knox owned one of the fanciest hotels in Central Park. Her family was sure to be comfortable there. “Thank you, Mr. Knox. You’re too kind.”

“It’s my pleasure,” he assured her. “I see your father is hitching up his buggy to follow us back to my hotel. You’d better get going, too.”

“Yes, sir.”

Anna started to walk back to her parents, but Elsie pulled her aside. “Are you going to tell your parents that you suspect Daniel?” she asked.

Anna was silent for a moment. She looked again at her charred house. She had gotten into enough trouble because of Daniel and she wanted nothing more to do with him.

“No,” she said at last. “I’ll never breathe a word about this to anyone as long as I live.”

***

Three years later

 

Elsie should be here by now, Anna thought as she tapped her foot impatiently. It was unseasonably hot for September, and she wanted to go inside one of the shops instead of waiting for her friend outside. But Elsie had made Anna promise that she would stand by the street corner until Elsie came with her birthday surprise.

         Just then, she arrived. “Hello, Anna! Sorry I’m a little late.”

         Anna feigned indignation. “Elsie Knox, you should have been here five minutes ago! I’m seriously offended.”

         Elsie held up her hands as if to shield herself from Anna’s words. “Hey, I said I was sorry! I know your twentieth birthday’s a big deal, and I would never forget--”

         “Elsie! I’m kidding you! I’m not mad at all!” Anna laughed and wiped sweat from her forehead. “But I do want to go inside. It doesn’t matter where. Anything to get out of this heat.”

         It was Elsie’s turn to giggle. “Well then, let’s go inside this bookstore.”

         “What about my surprise?” Anna asked.

         “Your surprise is in the bookstore,” replied Elsie with a grin.

         Brimming with curiosity, Anna followed her inside. A bell above the door jingled merrily as they entered.

         “Pick out any book you want, and I’ll buy it for you,” Elsie said, grinning even more. “Happy birthday, Anna!”

         Anna’s eyes sparkled with glee. How did Elsie know she treasured a good book more than anything? She clasped her hands and all but shouted, “Oh, Elsie! I don’t know what to say! Thanks a million! This is the best surprise anyone could ever give me!” She squeezed Elsie’s hand and began the very difficult task of selecting a book.

         Anna pored over the bookshelves, and at long last, she made her decision and showed it to Elsie.

         “Around the World in Eighty Days. Good choice,” she commented.

         “Did you find everything you need?” the cashier asked when Elsie paid for the book.

         “Yes, thank you, sir,” Elsie told him.

         “Daniel? Daniel Carter?” Anna’s voice was barely above a whisper, but the cashier still heard his name. He turned his gaze toward her and gave a subtle nod.

         Anna plunged into a tirade. “Do you realize the sorrow you caused me and my family? The fire you started damaged our house so badly that it took almost a year to repair it! Until then we had to live in a hotel! And from what I’ve heard about you, your troublemaking didn’t stop there. When you were sent out west to stay with family, you robbed stores and caused an accident that nearly killed your own cousin!” Anna crossed her arms. “I can’t believe I was so taken with a thief and scoundrel like you!”

         Daniel sighed. Anna read deep regret in his sigh. “I’ve changed, Anna. When I was in jail, the chaplain visited me often. He talked to me about Jesus. His words spoke to my heart. He helped me become a Christian and gave me a Bible. It felt more wonderful than words can say to be forgiven by Christ. When I was released, I got a job here. I’ve wanted to find you and ask your forgiveness for over a year. Now I have that chance. Will you please accept my apologies for all I’ve done to harm you, and forgive me?”

         Bitterness was welling up inside Anna. She felt anew the hurt and the suffering Daniel had made for her. “No!” the word burst out. She clenched her fists. “I can never forgive you, Daniel Carter!” Anna spun around and hurried out of the bookstore, tears blurring her vision.

         She rushed across the street as fast as she could, and nearly tripped when someone grabbed her hand. Anna jerked her head around, ready to give the offender a piece of her mind. Her eyes widened when she saw it was Elsie. She opened her mouth, but Anna didn’t give her a chance to speak.  “Leave me alone!” she yelled. “I’m going home!”

         “Don’t you want your book?” Elsie asked. “I just wanted to make sure you had it.”

         Anna ducked her head. “Thanks, Elsie,” she said in an embarrassed whisper. She took the book and once again broke into a blind run toward home.

***

         “Anna, it’s horrible the way you treat Daniel,” Elsie told her friend at church a month later. “He’s been trying to reconcile with you, but you ignore him.”

         A hot flush came over Anna’s face. How dare her best friend lecture her like this?

         “Anna,” Elsie said gently, “God tells us to forgive others just as He has forgiven us. I know you’re a Christian, so you can forgive Daniel with God’s help.”

         Anna knew that was true, but she didn’t want to believe Daniel had been saved. “People will set foot on the moon before I ever speak to Daniel again! He doesn’t deserve my forgiveness!”

         She instantly regretted her harsh words. She felt ashamed, and hung her head. “Maybe I just need more time to cool down,” she muttered. But how much time? she wondered silently. It’s been a month since the incident in the bookstore. Why can’t I let go of my grudge against Daniel?

         The question swirled around in Anna’s mind all the way home from church. She didn’t want to think about it, so as soon as she got in the house, she went up to her room and pulled what she thought was Around the World in Eighty Days from her bookshelf. She settled on her bed and did a double take. “My Bible?” But she didn’t put it back. She opened it to the ribbon marker and a verse in Matthew 6 jumped out at her: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

         All Anna’s pride came crashing down. It was her duty as a Christian to forgive others, to show God’s love to them. And what had she done to Daniel?

“I shut him out,” she thought miserably. Elsie’s words came back to her. “Daniel deserves forgiveness from God as much as I do. Yet I refused to have anything to do with him. I’ve done wrong in having bitterness against Daniel! I need to make things right.”

         Anna went back to the bookstore where Daniel worked the next morning. She paused outside the front door and prayed no one else would be inside. She entered, and to her relief, it was deserted except for Daniel.

         At the sound of the bell above the door, Daniel looked up. His mouth dropped open, but he quickly closed it.

He probably thinks I would never come back, Anna thought. She began, “Daniel, I finally forgive you for the ways you hurt me in the past. And I have a confession to make.” She wrung her hands and felt  her heartbeat speed up, but she couldn’t stop now. “It was wrong of me to refuse to forgive you that day a month ago. It wasn’t Christ-like; it was completely selfish. I know God has already forgiven me for my bitterness towards you, and I hope you will too.”

         Daniel smiled. “Of course I will.” Then his smile faded. He spoke again, hesitatingly. “Do you think we can just start over with our relationship? No hard feelings, no resentment. Let’s just completely bury the hatchet between us.”

         Anna nodded. “I’d like that very much.”

***

         It was a warm August twilight a year later. Anna and Daniel sat on a bench in Central Park. Their parents had been in complete agreement of their courtship. Anna smiled to herself, remembering the happy tears in her mother’s eyes when she told her about Daniel’s request.

         Daniel’s voice brought Anna out of her reverie. “Anna, you forgiving me of all my offenses against you and your family is the brightest spot in my life. But I think we both know what could be even better than that.”

         A tingle ran down Anna’s spine. Did Daniel mean...?

         She was about to find out. Daniel got up from the bench, knelt down in front of her, and produced a small box from his pocket. “Will you be my wife and be the very best thing that’s ever happened to me?”

         Anna was temporarily speechless. She put her hands over her mouth and tears of joy came to her eyes. “Yes, Daniel! Yes!”

Daniel slipped a gorgeous ring set with an emerald on her finger. Anna brushed his cheek with a quick kiss as he stood up. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

         “By God’s grace,” Daniel said tenderly.