Free Since You've Been Gone by Carlene Thompson Page A

gingersnaps when Jonnie and Rebecca visited and the children stuffed themselves. Esther loved and understood children. When she was young, she had taught grade school for years and had been a great favorite among the children for her patience and sense of humor.
    Half an hour later one of Esther’s employees came to the door to tell her about a problem. Esther turned to Rebecca. I have a lot of loose ends to tie up before I go to the hospital. I’ll hurry.”
    â€œTake your time,” Rebecca said. “I’ll walk Sean around the grounds. I haven’t seen them for a long time.”
    Rebecca hoped Esther didn’t see how often Sean lifted his leg as they hurried past the two greenhouses and back toward the pond. It hadn’t been dredged for a few years and water lilies grew on its surface. Rebecca remembered her and Jonnie’s delight and the sound of spring peepers in the evenings as they ran around catching fireflies in jars, then freeing them after they’d seen who’d caught the most. Now, large dragonflies hovered over the pond and tall cattails and sedge edged the murky water. Rebecca wondered if Esther had not dredged the pond because her funds were low. She had always refused to take money from Frank, but it was a shame to let this beautiful spot slip into neglect because she was too proud to accept a little help from relatives.
    She turned Sean’s leash loose, knowing he wasn’t fond of water and wouldn’t jump into the scummy pond. Instead he ran aimlessly for a couple of minutes, then headed toward the log cabin about fifty yards from the pond. Rebecca followed him, recalling how the cabin had intrigued her, Jonnie, Doug, and Molly. Built around 1770, it had shelteredone of the first families in the area, a couple named Leland who farmed the land and reared three children to adulthood and lost two more to smallpox.
    Rebecca tried the cabin door although she knew it would be locked. She peered in one of the windows that had replaced the greased paper used by the original Lelands. The inside was bare except for an old wooden table in the middle of the main room and a rocking chair in the nearest corner. Along one wall sat a stone fireplace and in the opposite corner was a built-in china cabinet. Rebecca doubted if the Lelands had had much fine china to display. Perhaps the cabinet had been built in anticipation of luxuries to come. A garden spider had constructed an impressive web between a juniper shrub and the door frame.
    Rebecca turned away from the cabin. Sean bounded happily toward her, stood on his hind legs, and wrapped his forelegs around her waist. She bent to hug him and dropped a kiss on the top of his head, touched by his affection for her in spite of his general fear of humanity. He dropped down and headed for the pond, seemingly entranced by the few brave sunfish that remained. He dipped a paw in the water, then fastidiously drew it back.
    The movement sparked a memory in Rebecca. She had been eleven and devastated when she’d awakened to find her hamster Melvin dead. Frank had brought her and Jonnie and their Irish setter Rusty to Esther’s, knowing how much Rebecca loved the nursery. In spite of everyone’s attempts to cheer her, though, Rebecca had continued to droop. Then Jonnie abruptly stripped off his T-shirt and jeans to reveal garish bathing trunks. He dived into the pond, displaying the aquatic acrobatics at which he’d excelled since age four while Rebecca remained unable to swim more than two feet without sinking straight to the bottom. In the midst of his showing off, 100 pounds of dog leaped in beside him, mistaking his whoops of delight for cries of despair. The two flailed until Rusty got a firm hold on Jonnie’s arm and pulled him, protesting and gasping, through the weeds to the shore. While Jonnie lay helpless with giggles, Rustyshook vigorously then looked around proudly at Rebecca, Esther, and Frank, clearly