Sunday, November 19th, 1939

In their family pew, Jedidiah sat on the end with an arm around Catherine, and Aunt Becky next to her. Myrtle was left to keep the boys separated. As people arrived, a few familiar faces from last Sunday said hello. He was feeling comfortable with the church congregation and the local people.
      The service was on being thankful, which was very appropriate for today with the dinner following. During service, Jedidiah noticed Michael and Franklin squirmed, but for children they were very well behaved. With the closing prayers said, the service was over. Priest Adler made the announcements regarding Thursday’s special Thanksgiving Day service and next Sunday’s service before it was Catherine’s turn to speak.
      “Before we bless the food that we are about to partake of, I would like to ask a returning member of our congregation to come up and give a little speech about her recent travels,” said Priest Adler. “Mrs. Russell and her husband were founding members of this church, but chose to travel and aid people less fortunate than themselves in other countries. I've asked her to tell you a little of what they came across as they traveled. Mrs. Russell.”
      Jedidiah stood up and assisted Catherine to her feet as Aunt Becky placed a gentle arm around her waist. Sitting down, Jedidiah looked at his mother from the back and realized Catherine had the slim figure of a young woman. A young man might mistakenly follow his mother until he saw her face. Aunt Becky stood next to Catherine at the podium or altar, Jedidiah wasn’t sure what the church called it.
      “Thank you, Priest Adler,” nervously said Catherine, not sure why she was thanking him. Becky had told her to start with the thank you. “Today is the church’s Thanksgiving dinner, and like most of us in this country, we will go downstairs and partake of the food and enjoy talking with our friends. Which is wonderful, and we should be very thankful that we can do this in our country. But in other countries, the people aren’t as blessed. I couldn’t see the hungry and starving people, but I could hear and smell it. While we traveled, we met many missionaries of different faiths. Some had the knowledge and know-how to help the people improve their drinking water and sanitation, and others didn’t. My son and husband would help the people by organizing them to improve their drinking water and sanitation. My husband and son didn’t want to do all the work themselves. They wanted the people living there to understand how to help themselves. They would rig different devices for the people and show them how they worked. The missionaries were always very grateful for the help. My son and husband were also very good with cars and other devices like that. When a car doesn’t work, it's a piece of junk until somebody comes along who can repair it. They could usually repair it, and again the missionaries were very grateful.
      Becky said I should tell you this, even though I couldn’t see it and only heard it, and trusted my husband and son. But the food isn’t very clean. Before I could eat a piece of fruit, my husband or son would clean the fruit of any bugs resting on it for me. I was told the meat was the same way. While cooking the meat, bugs would land upon the meat and be added in with the meal. They would be cooked along with the meat. My son and husband told me it was extra meat and couldn’t hurt.
      The roads aren’t nice and smooth like our roads. My husband would tie me into a seat and I would hold on and try not to bounce all over. It could be scary at times. One time there was a big splash and then the car didn’t move. I was untied and put in the driver’s seat and told to hold the wheel steady and push only so far on the gas pedal. Becky helped me with some of the words. At the time, my son only moved my foot over something and told me to press slowly down. I did as told and the car moved out of the water with my son running next to the car and telling me I was doing fine. Then he jumped in behind me and took control of the steering wheel while I operated the pedal. There weren’t people around, so it was safe for me to drive. I don’t drive around here.” Hearing soft laughter from the congregation. Becky told her what she had done was funny and a few people agreed. “I think that is all I have to say. We have a lot to be thankful for as we go downstairs to eat, and should remember all the hard working missionaries spreading the Word of our Lord in the poor conditions of the world. Thank you.”
      Catherine stepped toward Becky and felt Becky place an arm around her waist. She had said her speech and felt she said it right. Feeling her way into the pew, Catherine remained standing as she heard the rest of the congregation stand. Priest Adler said a thank you prayer for the food and to remember the hard working missionaries. The Thanksgiving dinner could begin.
      “You did great!” exclaimed Aunt Becky, giving Catherine a hug.
      “It was very good and I could hear you clearly,” said Jedidiah, stepping out into the aisle. A couple of men shook his hand, saying what he and his father had done was wonderful. The ladies were telling Catherine it was wonderful speech. Seeing the extra movement of the people near her was confusing her, Jedidiah took his time with moving Catherine downstairs. If they brought up the rear, she would be more comfortable.
      “Did you really cook extra bugs with your meal?” asked Franklin, looking up at Uncle Jed and not liking the thought.
      “Oh, yes,” replied Jedidiah, remembering the bug infested markets.
      “Some places the flies completely covered the meat hanging in the market.”
      “Yuck!” exclaimed Franklin. “Mom, can I talk with Quinn since we haven’t been to Sunday school for awhile?”
      “You may and you can tell him you’ll return to Sunday school after Christmas,” said Myrtle. Her son disappeared among the people ahead of them.
      “I’m sorry the boys stopped with Sunday school on account of me,” said Catherine, stopping to talk with Myrtle.
      “Mother taught Sunday school, but she didn’t know how sick you were, so she asked for someone to take her place until you were better,” explained Myrtle. Aunt Catherine had known that. 
      “After Christmas, the boys will return to Sunday school, and I’ll sing in the church choir, so you can stand with me.”
      “Becky,” thoughtfully said Catherine, turning to look where she thought her friend stood. “How very thoughtful you are. I'll try to sing in the choir, but I’m not very good with the words. Maybe I can hum along.”
      “You do what you can,” said Becky. Myrtle would return to the choir and Catherine would try also to sing in the choir. “Let’s start walking again.”
      By now they were the last ones to enter the church basement. They found a table and Catherine sat down and was told to wait for them to return with the food. As Jedidiah got a plate of food for Catherine and himself, he saw a few ladies sit down around Catherine and talk with her. Her little speech had been very good, thought Jedidiah choosing foods Catherine could easily eat in public. With his return to the table, the ladies stood to leave.
      “I’m Megan Adler,” one of the ladies introduced herself. “Priest Adler’s wife. Your mother gave a wonderful speech. We were asking her which missionaries she spoke with, and we think one of them is supported by this church. Do you remember meeting a Mr. and Mrs. Greco in Africa?”
      “Yes,” replied Jedidiah, placing the plates of food on the table. “A charming couple with a deep love for the people and country. When you write to them, tell them the Russells say hello and ask if the truck is still running. You may want to tell them about my father’s death. He got the truck running. Do you know that a bicycle is sometimes nicer to have than a truck? You might want to make sure they have a couple of bicycles in case the truck quits on them again.”
      “I will, sir,” said Mrs. Adler. “I’ll tell my husband and the church elders.” She left to join her husband for dinner, allowing Jedidiah to sit with Catherine. Aunt Becky, Myrtle and the boys sat around them and began to eat.
      “I spoke with Ogden about the clubhouse,” said Aunt Becky, enjoying the meal. “He said what you said. And I reminded Keith to come over tomorrow. What did Megan say?”
      “She discovered we met a missionary that the church supports,” said Jedidiah, eating. Catherine barely touched her food. “Catherine, do you want me to help you?”
      “No,” replied Catherine, shaking her head. She had been thinking about the different people they met while traveling. Jedidiah wanted her to eat, so she ate some more.
      Priest Adler stood and clanged his water glass to stop everyone from enjoying his or her meal. He wanted to say something.
      “With us enjoying our Thanksgiving dinner, we should remember our missionaries in the less fortunate countries,” said Priest Adler. “My wife spoke with Mrs. Russell, and she met Mr. and Mrs. Greco, one of the missionaries the church supports, and they need bicycles and a new truck. We can’t personally ship these items to them, but through your donations and the main church office, these essential items can be purchased. Who would like to start off the donation?”
      The room fell quiet and Jedidiah looked around the room. He saw Pete and Repeat sitting with family, Ogden with his family, Doris with her husband, Ernest, sitting with Lance, Holly and Keith, young Darren, Faith and Jeffery, and Fairley, the bartender from the hotel, along with many people whose names he didn’t know. If he made the first donation, perhaps the rest would follow.
      “I’ll pledge one hundred dollars from my family,” said Jedidiah, hearing a couple of ‘ahs’ from people.
      “I’ll bring it next week,” he said, knowing he might have to explain this to Catherine.
      After that, everyone gave what they could, thought Jedidiah, listening to everyone pledging in the room as Priest Adler wrote down the pledges. The business owners equaled Jedidiah's generous pledge, but no one went over the hundred dollars.
      After the dinner Jedidiah walked Catherine out to the car while the boys played with friends and Becky and Myrtle spoke with other ladies.
      “Are we alone?” asked Catherine, sensing the lack of other companions. “May I speak freely?”
      “For a little while,” replied Jedidiah, stopping because Catherine stopped walking.
      “I understand what you did for Mr. and Mrs. Greco,” whispered Catherine, not sure how alone they were. “It started the donations, but do we have the money?”
      “We have the money and I haven’t touched the you know what,” whispered Jedidiah, liking the way his mother looked up to his face and placed a motherly hand lightly on his chest. “After Christmas, we’ll be better off. When I purchase a motorboat you'll know we’re ahead. And before you bring up Aunt Becky’s car, it’s made all from scrap. The only thing I paid for was Repeat putting it together. Any other questions?”
      “No,” said Catherine. “I guess you’re doing fine. Becky really likes the car.”
      Myrtle stood watching mother and son talk. She could see it was a private conversation by the way Aunt Catherine stood so close to Jedidiah. The woman may not be able to see, but she thought about business, decided Myrtle, not wanting to interrupt the conversation. Aunt Catherine had given a very good speech, and Jedidiah starting off the donations had turned the Thanksgiving dinner into a success for the Missionary Fund. Noticing mother and son walking again, Myrtle knew the conversation was over.

Returning to her family home after losing her husband at the end of their thirteen year trip to Africa, Aunt Catherine is frail and confused. Blind since birth, Catherine now has to cope with new surroundings and unfamiliar relatives. And only she and her middle son Jedidiah, who accompanied his father and mother on their travels, know the contents of her late husband's will, and of the keepsake trunk, stored all these years awaiting her return. When Catherine disembarks from the ship in October of 1939, she is welcomed by her childhood friend Becky, and Becky's daughter Myrtle. Myrtle has also experienced loss; her husband and her father both died in a boating accident two years earlier, leaving her with two small boys to raise.
    A few weeks later, when Catherine is feeling stronger, she is asked by the pastor of her hometown church to speak about her time in Africa.