God Hath Given, and He Hath Taken Away

 by Faith Stevens (Ages 10-13)                                       

Chapter 1

Couples twirled around the dance floor to the tune of Let Me Call You Sweetheart.

“May I have this dance, Sweetheart?” Chad asked holding out his hand to Ellie.

Ellie giggled, “Of course, you may.”

She handed Thomas to Lucy and allowed Chad to lead her to the dance floor. Ladies’ skirts swished as they went around the dance floor and guests laughed as they enjoyed Mother’s refreshments.

“It was so nice of Mother to plan this party for us.” Ellie murmured.

“That’s Mother, for you.” Chad said.

As the dance ended Mother walked up to the front of the room.

“Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please?” Mother asked.

 Everyone looked over and Mother smiled.

“Thank you. I want to dedicate this next dance to Chad.”

She glanced around the room until she saw Chad and smiled.

“As you well know, when Jim died Chad took over being the ranch boss. If he hadn’t done that, I don’t know what we would have done. I thank him so much for what he did. So, again I want to dedicate this dance to Chad.”

As guests walked to the dance floor, men clapped Chad on the back. Chad smiled and looked around the room for Mother. He spotted her and mouthed a thank you. Mother nodded and smiled back.

 

Chapter 2

It was a cool morning and Ellie had decided to make cookies with Susie. Susie loved making cookies but, she usually ended up with most of it on the floor. Ellie looked at Susie and laughed. Susie was covered from head to toe in flour.

“I think I had better clean you up before I let you go play,” Ellie laughed.

Susie giggled and nodded. Soon a very clean Susie went to the barn to play with the kittens. Ellie worked to clean the house, with Mother’s help. All to soon it was time to stop what they were doing and go fix lunch.

“I think I’ll go check on Susie,” Ellie stated.

Mother nodded. As Ellie walked to the front door, she noticed a change in the weather. The wind had picked up drastically and thunder rumbled, shaking the windows. Ellie stepped on the porch and cried out. There heading straight for the barn was a black funnel.

Ellie screamed, “Susie!”

Mother, Luisa, and Nila rushed out of the house and gasped. Chad, who was riding into the yard, heard Ellie’s scream and looked towards the barn. He dismounted Sky and raced towards the barn.

“Chad, no!” Ellie screamed.

As Chad raced towards the barn, he realized it was too late. He stopped running and walked to Ellie’s side. The horses screams filled the air, but one scream was heard above the others. And that was a scream for help!

 

Chapter 3

“Mama! Papa! Help me!” Susie screamed.

But there was nothing they could do to help their beloved daughter. Chad and Ellie stood together weeping. They watched in horror as the funnel tore through the barn, sending wood flying everywhere. They heard Susie’s final call.

“Mama! Papa! Please help me!”

Susie’s cry broke Chad’s heart, but he could do nothing. Just as quickly as it had begun, the tornado disappeared. Everyone watching was stunned. Chad looked over the ruins of the barn and cried to God for help and strength.

Lord, why did this happen? I don’t understand why you let this happen. I do understand, however, that it was in your plan. I don’t know why you would want to take her from us. I don’t know what you’re doing, but we will trust in you. Please give us strength, Lord.  Amen.

Chad looked at Ellie, who was in Mother’s arms weeping.

“Let’s go to the parlor,” Chad said.

Before anyone could move, a baby’s cry was heard. Ellie wiped her eyes and raced into the house. As they were getting settled in the parlor, Mitch raced in.

“What happened to the barn? Is everyone alright?” he asked.

“Mitch,” Mother warned.

She motioned him to the next room.

“Mitch, Susie was in the barn when a tornado hit it. Oh, Mitch!” Mother cried.

Mitch held Mother as she cried.

Why had this happened to sweet little Susie? he wondered.

After Mother stopped crying, Mitch made a decision.

“I’ll go tell the others,” he said.

 

Chapter 4

Mitch’s hand rested on the handle of Justin’s law office door. He sighed. By the time he had finished the telegrams to Kate and Jem, he had been close to tears. He entered the office and looked around.

Tim sat at his desk, looking annoyed. Tim stood up and walked to the doorway of Justin’s office. “You’ve already been here once today, Mr. Carter, and you didn’t have an appointment.”

“Please I need to see Justin. It’s important.” Mitch tried.

“No!” Tim refused.

Mitch grabbed ahold of Tim’s vest and slammed him against the wall. “You let me see him or else.”

“Fine,” Tim said.

Mitch let go of Tim’s vest and Tim straightened it.

“I’m sorry, Tim. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.” Mitch apologized.

“That’s quite alright, Mr. Carter. I shouldn’t have told you; you couldn’t see your brother.” Tim said.

Mitch smiled slightly as he turned to enter Justin’s law office. He knew telling the family would not be easy.

 

Chapter 5

Relatives and friends gathered under the big oak, mourning the loss of Susie. Everyone wore black and no one spoke. Rev. Harrison’s voice broke the silence as he preached Susie’s funeral service.

Mitch and Chad had found Susie’s body a few miles away. Chad stared at the  wooden casket that held his five-year-old daughter. She had always been an angel to those who met her. Pictures of little Susie flashed through his mind. He would really miss her radiant smile and her angelic character. There were so many things I didn’t get to do with her, he mused. 

Chad clenched his jaw as Sid walked to the front to say a few things. “Susie always brought joy into the life of everyone she met. Often, she would come to me with a kitten and sit down to talk with me. She was so sweet and I regret the times that I told her to run along because I had lots of things to do,” Sid cleared his throat trying not to cry, “Someday, Susie, we will see you again.”

                                                    ***

As the last of the sympathetic towns people left, Justin came up to Chad.

“Chad, I’m sorry,” Justin said. “If I could make Susie come back, I would. But I can’t.”

Chad said nothing. Justin sighed inwardly and left. Chad looked at the fresh mound of dirt that covered Susie’s casket. Ellie squeezed Chad’s hand and headed for the house to take care of Thomas. Chad looked at the headstone next to Susie’s.

  

“You take care of her, okay?” Chad said, “You were always a good father to me, so I know you’ll be a great grandpa to her.”

He gave one last loving look at the graves, before returning to the house.

  

Chapter 6

Susie fixed the long flowing skirts of her wedding gown and smiled when Chad entered the room. Her hair was tucked into a bun at the back of her head. A few strands of her auburn hair curled around her face.

“You look so beautiful. Pretty soon you’ll be a married woman. I still remember when I first looked at my little girl. Now she’s all grown up.”

Susie’s face shone, “Oh, Papa! I’ll always be your little girl.”

 

Chad sat up in bed, tears streaming down his face.

“Chad?” Ellie asked.

“I’ll never get to take her to school,” he cried.

Ellie sat up in bed and rubbed his back.

“I’ll never get to walk her down the aisle or have her dance with me, while she’s standing on my feet…” Chad’s shoulders shook as he cried. Ellie wrapped her arms around him and cried. The silence of Chad and Ellie’s room was broken by a sob.

                                                        ***

Chad sat in the barn thinking of Susie. The family and close friends had rebuilt the barn, so the horses wouldn’t have to stand in the hot California sun. Chad sat against the barn wall, hands folded and head on his knees, crying. Mitch walked into the barn leading Chase.

When he saw Chad, he stopped. “Chad?” Mitch ventured.

“It was my fault,” Chad cried. “If I had been here sooner this might not have happened.”

“No, Chad. Most likely you would have died too. It wasn’t your fault.” Mitch squeezed Chad’s shoulder. “Not yours, not Ellie’s, not anybody’s.”

The brothers hugged and walked towards the house.

 

Chapter 7

Ellie walked into Susie’s room. She had finally gotten baby Thomas to sleep. Susie’s bed was just as Ellie had left it. She picked Susie’s bear, sat on the edge of the bed, and started crying.

Mother was walking past and looked in. “Ellie?”

“It was my fault.” Ellie cried. “If I had told her she couldn’t go out to the barn, she might still be here.”

“It wasn’t anybody’s fault.” Mother comforted. “It was God’s will. We have to accept what has happened.”

“I don’t know why God would want to take such a wonderful little girl from us.” Ellie said. “Why would He want to cause us such pain?”

“I don’t have all the answers to your questions.” Mother was crying.      

“Maybe God just needed her smile in heaven. God has given and he hath taken away.”

Ellie nodded and hugged Mother.

                                                        ***

As Chad rode into the yard, Diego walked over and took ahold of Sky’s halter.

“The Senora Ellie asks you to come to the east pasture.” Diego said.

“Gracias,” Chad said.

As he rode off, he wondered what Ellie needed.

 

Chapter 8

In a few minutes Chad spotted Ellie under an oak tree. She looked up when Chad dismounted. Ellie had a picnic basket in the middle of a blanket. Chad sat down and looked into Ellie’s eyes.

“Susie and I used to come here, gather daisies, and make daisy chains.” Ellie said.

Chad dropped his gaze.

“We’d tell stories and share secrets…” Ellie was crying by now.

Chad grabbed Ellie’s shoulders and looked into her dark brown eyes. “She may be gone, but we will hold the memories we have and treasure them in our hearts.”

When Ellie nodded, Chad sighed. “I always wondered why God had taken her. I said , why? Then one day Mitch talked to me and told me things I needed to hear.”

Tears ran down his cheeks.

“God knows what we’re going through. He gave His Son to die for us, so we could go to heaven someday. He’ll help us through this. Just trust Him. He will help us!”

By now Ellie was weeping. Chad and Ellie held each other and thanked God far the time they had, had with Susie.

“Now let’s eat some of the lunch you prepared! I’m starving!” Chad said.

Ellie laughed, something she hadn’t done for a long time.

Chad and Ellie healed, with time and with God’s help.