Free Good Heavens by Margaret A. Graham

yard, I leaned my head out the window and yelled down to him, “How long can we keep him?”
    â€œLong as need be,” I heard him say.
    I thanked him, still shocked at what was happening, and put the car in gear. Dora flicked the reins, and we were on our way. I drove at a snail’s pace and kept looking in the rear through that little gap to make sure Dora was coming along okay. Even bareback, she was riding as natural as if she and that horse were lifelong friends.
    Once I was sure we were underway okay, I tried tothink of what I would tell Ursula. She might just make us turn around and take the horse and plow right back to Lester. Of course, I had to believe this was the Lord’s way of helping us make a garden, but convincing Ursula of that would take all the gumption I had got.
    As we were rounding those curves climbing back up the mountain, suddenly all this struck me so funny I started laughing historically! I could just see us riding up at Priscilla Home with all those girls sitting on the porch watching—wide-eyed and open-mouthed, probably wondering if they were having the D.T.s. This had to be about the funniest thing that had ever happened at Priscilla Home, and if this didn’t make them laugh nothing ever would. At least we would give them some excitement.
    But Ursula? Ursula would never see anything funny about this.

5

    When we arrived back at Priscilla Home and the women saw Dora riding that horse in back of the Chevy, they came sailing off that porch like a flock of wild geese and followed us around to the back laughing their heads off. “Hey, Miss Ursula, lookee here!” Linda hollered. Ursula must have been in her office and not able to hear Linda.
    â€œWe didn’t find a tractor,” I told the girls, “but Dora here can plow with this horse, so we borrowed it for a few days. Here, can you help me get the plow out of the trunk?”
    They were quick to get hold of both ends and heave it over the end of the trunk. Evelyn lifted out the tackling. Even though her meat and drink, vodka, had reduced her to skin and bones, she always jumped to do her share of the work, and that made me worry that she would do too much and get down sick.
    Dora slid off the gelding and led him in back of the garage to where there was water. “He needs a rest,” Iexplained. “Besides, Dora can’t start plowing until we clear out the rocks in that patch.”
    â€œNot me!” Linda exclaimed.
    â€œYes, you,” I replied. I told myself, There’s no way that big strong girl is going to shirk doing her part . “And now’s as good a time as any to get going on it.”
    â€œI didn’t come here to do farm work,” she argued.
    â€œNeither did I,” I told her, “but your stay at Priscilla Home is free, so it’s little enough to ask you to help out wherever you’re needed.”
    â€œThat’s right, Linda,” Angela told her. “Every other rehab costs a lot of money, and since you don’t have insurance, where do you think you could go? You ought to be glad there’s a place like Priscilla Home.”
    â€œAw, shut up!” Linda said as she picked up a hoe and followed along behind the other girls. They were headed for the place by the road where we planned to plant. Once they got started working, I went inside to face the music.
    Ursula was on the phone, so I went in my bathroom to wash up. In a few minutes she called me. “Esmeralda, Dr. Elsie is on phone.” Oh, I was glad to hear that; I was very anxious to talk to her. Ursula handed me the receiver and left the office.
    â€œDr. Elsie?”
    Always to the point, Dr. Elsie answered, “Esmeralda, I called to tell Ursula my check is in the mail. We’ve been busy here, and I neglected to send it on time.” She paused; I tensed up; more was coming. “Esmeralda, you can help that girl, Ursula. She’s a newborn Christian, came to