Where Tomorrow Waits

Chapter 1Have you ever thought much about California, Penny?""California?" Penny Sayres glanced at her sister-in-law, who was picking berries beside her. "You mean about the gold rush?""No, not exactly that" Thea shook her head "about the place itself?""Only what I''ve read in school mostly. About Balboa discovering the Pacific Ocean. But I''ve forgotten most of it.""I mean about going.""Going? To California? You mean on a wagon train?""Well, yes, what it might be like""Not really." Penny paused for a minute and stared at the slim, dark-haired young woman. "Why do you ask?"Thea shrugged. "Just curious, I guess."They went on picking berries for a few minutes more until Penny exclaimed, "Whew! It''s sure hot for this late in September!" She whipped off her broad-brimmed straw hat and fanned herself to cool off. "Don''t you think we have enough? Look." She held out her nearly full basket."I guess so." Thea sounded uncertain."Oh, I''m sure it is." Penny declared. "Anyway, I''m quitting. Come on, let''s go on home and get us something cool to drink. We''ve picked plenty to make a nice batch of jam. Grams will be pleased as punch.""Well, if you say so," Thea said even as she added a few more to her almost overflowing basket before setting it down. Then she turned to her plump, fifteen-month-old baby girl sitting on the blanket on the grass behind them. "Come on, Belinda, honey. Let''s go see your daddy''s grandma," she said, lifting her up into her arms."Grams is at Mrs. Bristow''s. Quilting bee this afternoon," Penny told her, then made a silly face at her adored niece to try to make the baby smile. "Want me to carry her?""She''s getting to be quite a load," Thea admitted."Here, you take my basket, and I''ll give her a piggyback ride." The exchange was made, and Belinda crowed with delight as her aunt swung her around, settled her securely, and started jogging across the meadow toward the white frame farmhouse nestled under tall oak trees. When they reached the porch, Thea set down the baskets and took Belinda."Are you and Grams planning to go to the church service this evening?" Thea asked."Oh, I don''t think so," Penny replied. "Grams has had some trouble with her hip lately, and sitting too long on those hard benches gets to be a trial.""It''s not going to be just the ordinary Wednesday night prayer meeting. Tonight there''s going to be a special speaker just come back from California. He''s going to talk about the need for missionaries to the Indians in the western territories.""So that''s why you were asking me about California?" Penny smiled. "Frankly, I''m not much interested in that.""Please, Penny, come with us!"Penny, surprised at the urgency in her sister-in-law''s voice, repeated, "Come with you?""Yes. I''d like you to hear what the man says too, because Brad''s all excited about it.""Brad?" Penny said in surprise, knowing her brother had never been an overly zealous churchgoer. "Don''t tell me Brad''s interested in" She halted, then asked in obvious disbelief, "You don''t mean being missionaries!""Oh, my, no!" Thea shook her head. "It''s the West he''s interested in hearing about." Penny listened in amazement. Thea continued, "In fact, he''s been reading all about it in all those pamphlets about how glorious everything is in the West.""I''ve seen those posters in town, all about wanting emigrants to settle in the West. I''ve even read some of those frontier romances! But I don''t believe any of it. Surely, Brad doesn''t?""Oh, no! Not the romances!" Thea sounded shocked, then both of them laughed. "But he has read some of the written accounts about the real journey and about California. And he''s interested in hearing the speaker tonight, because he''s actually made the trip twice."They went inside. The house felt cool after the warmth of the afternoon and the exertion of rambling among the berry bushes."But what''s that got to do with Brad wanting to go to church tonight?" Penny tossed her straw hat down and went over to the small mirror hung above thePeart, Jane is the author of 'Where Tomorrow Waits', published 1995 under ISBN 9780310412915 and ISBN 0310412919.