Wallpaper Paste: 26Th in the Prairie Preacher Series

By PJ Hoge

Matt and Diane Harrington were settling into their newly married life. Diane’s past had been hampered by a dysfunctional childhood, an abusive early marriage, and physical violence at the hands of her in-laws and even her own mother. Now she had a good, happy marriage, a relationship with her brother and her wonderful friends, and a great relationship with Matt’s family. All she needed to complete her happiness was to have a child.

She had been pregnant while she was married to Dean. After a beating with a fireplace poker from her then mother-in-law, Diane not only lost her infant son but sustained serious damage to her ability to have another child. Matt was supportive, and he understood her position. He told her that she was more important to him. They could adopt. He didn’t want to lose her.

She had always craved to be like the other girls. To her, this was the most important thing. She wanted to fix up a nursery, talk about baby showers, and then have the pride of handing a child to her wonderful Matt. Matt was reluctant, but he relented. He knew how much it meant to her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 13, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984571618

PJ Hoge

P J HOGE grew up in Washington state and North Dakota. After attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, PJ worked as a Cytotechnologist for many years. PJ’s family farmed in central North Dakota until the mid-1980”s when they relocated to Nevada, where she still resides. PJ is the author of the Prairie Preacher series.

Book preview

Copyright © 2019 by PJ Hoge.

Library of Congress Control Number:        2018914734

ISBN:       Hardcover       978-1-9845-7163-2

                 Softcover         978-1-9845-7162-5

                 eBook               978-1-9845-7161-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 12/12/2018

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CONTENTS

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

With

special thanks to Mike H

and dorie

1

After the service, Matt and Diane Harrington left St. John’s Catholic Church in Merton, North Dakota right behind Matt’s brother, Ian and his family. The baby, Toby, was in the nursery, but little Tater, who was just five, sat with his Gramps two rows over. Tater loved sitting with his Grandparents, Carl and Mo Kincaid, especially when his parents weren’t nearby. He loved his folks, a lot, but liked being grownup. He still had to sit behave, but Granny Mo had the coolest notebook in her handbag that she let him draw in during service. Today he drew a big boat full of animals for her.

As the Harringtons were leaving, Ian gave his pregnant sister-in-law a hug, How’s my little nephew or niece?

Good today. It even let me eat breakfast and keep it down. The brunette with soft brown eyes answered, I really appreciated that.

Ruthie, Ian’s wife, giggled, I remember that. Isn’t interesting how some women gain so much weight when they are pregnant? I was almost starving when my baby was born! When the nurse asked if wanted to feed my baby, I said, No. I want to eat myself!"

Ian laughed, I brought her a box of caramels and she snarfed up the whole thing before I got a kiss on the cheek.

Ruthie, a pixie of a person, teased, Try throwing up for nine months and tell me how amorous you’d be.

No thanks. Harrington, as Ian was known, laughed. I got to live with you. That was enough. Poor Tater was worried she might croak on us.

Weren’t you worried? Diane asked,

A bit. I had to find out where she put all my stuff, in case she wouldn’t be around to get it for me. She always hides it, Harrington laughed. Speaking of which, I hope that we have a big meal at the clan dinner, because I’m hungry today.

Matt frowned, When have you ever walked away from a clan dinner hungry?

In the car on the way to Schroeders, where the Engelmann Clan met every Sunday for dinner after services, Matt asked, Isn’t the morning sickness supposed to subside in a month or so?

Yes, Diane answered, But that’s not how it really works. Some women never get any morning sickness and some are sick for nine months. Ask Carrie. She was sicker than a dog. Oh, did I tell you? She and Kevin are expecting in early August.

No, you didn’t. When did you hear?

Jeannie told me yesterday when we were milking. You know, Carrie is Jeannie’s sister-in-law.

That’ll be nice. I hope she feels better this time.

So far, I guess she has been good.

Diane, is everything okay with you? I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I worry. Doctor Willis said you need to be careful. That injury to your uterus will cause problems, and I don’t want you covering anything up. Matt was quite serious, I know how much you want a baby, but I am worried sick about this.

Matt, it will be okay. Honest. Dr. Willis said that I just needed to be careful the last six weeks. Right now, the baby is small enough so there is not an issue. That surgery that I had to have when Mrs. Waggoner went after me with the fireplace poker left a big scar, but it will only effect things when I get further along. We have already planned to have the baby early by C-section, so everything else is fine. She shot a determined look toward her husband, I know you love children and I will not let that old bag take away my chance to give you a child of your own.

Matt squeezed her hand, I understand, but like I told you before we married, I am fine with it. I love you and I don’t ever want to lose you. I have never been happier than I have been since we’ve married.

Me, too. And that is even more reason to share our love with a child.

I still worry.

Please, be happy. Diane said softly, Sometimes I wonder if you wanted us to have a baby. You don’t seem very excited about it.

I am and I’m very glad that you are. I don’t want anything to happen to you.

Diane kissed his cheek, It won’t.

Matt knew how much having a child meant to Diane and he didn’t want to deny her that. She was great with children and would be a wonderful mother, but he couldn’t set aside his apprehension. When her previous mother-in-law whacked her with the fireplace poker, she was almost eight months pregnant. She nearly bled to death, the baby died, and she had to have extensive surgeries. She had lost one ovary and her uterus was nearly severed by a third. It now had a mass of scarring and the doctor told them that she would not be able to survive labor. They would have to take the baby before it became very large, since the capacity was not available for full term. Matt was deeply concerned, but it meant so very much to Diane.

Her marriage to Dean Waggoner had been riddled with violence. After his death and the death of their infant son, she was living with his parents. Mr. Waggoner was a sick drunk and tried to rape her. When she fought back, he threw her down the long wooden stairs, nearly breaking her neck.

She and Matt had become friends since they both taught at Merton Public School and had mutual friends, Darrell and Jeannie Jessup. Jeannie taught at MPS, too, and Matt lived in the cabin on their property. Darrell had offered him the place in return for help with the dairy. Matt loved it, and them.

It was just what he needed. He had recently left the Catholic priesthood and was trying to find where he belonged in the world. Darrell and Jeannie were always there for him and they became fast friends. When he and Diane married, she moved into the cabin just about half a block from Darrell and Jeannie’s house. The four were inseparable.

It was good that right after Diane found out she was expecting, Jeannie got their good news. The Jessups were expecting about a month later. The girls were very happy about that and seemed to relish having someone to share it with.

Darrell and Matt both loved their wives and children, so they were happy, too. It was good times on the Jessup dairy. Darrell’s heart problems had settled down and he hadn’t had any angina for some time. The doctors thought that maybe the kink in the blood vessel to his heart was finally straightening out and the damaged valve was working. He had severe heart problems when he was a junior in high school and had a couple surgeries since. The doctors had put stints in some of the vessels, but for some reason, likely genetic, his blood vessels had a tendency to collapse or kink. He never smoked and drank very little. He was careful about staying away from viruses as much as possible and got plenty of exercise. He had a positive, good-natured attitude and other than Jeannie, Matt and Diane, few people realized that he still had issues with his heart. Most thought the last surgery had corrected it.

Since Clarence, a neighbor boy who was ten, was at their home alot, he knew, too. Clarence didn’t know all the details, but he did know what to do if Darrell got chest pain. Clarence loved it at Jessups and idolized Darrell. Now, he even liked it better there. Darrell’s parents lived nearby and they had new folks living with them. Vance Edmonds and his wife, Amanda who was usually called Friday, and their two kids lived with the older folks. The oldest one was a girl, Arianna, and the other one was a boy, Gabe. He was about the same age as Clarence. Now they were each other’s best friend. Neither had a best friend before, so this was way cool!

Vance and Gabe came over most days to help with the milking, as well as Jeannie’s sister, Joallyn, and her husband Josh. Sam and Joey Jessup came over most of the time, until Sam got married. He and his wife moved closer to the power plant since Bonnie, his wife, worked up there too. Joey had planned to move away, but now he was building between his parents place and Darrell’s. He and his wife, Beth, were going to live there, and they would come over to help, when they had time. Those that helped also got all their milk and cream from the dairy.

Darrell milked almost a hundred and fifty cattle and goats twice a day, so they needed the help. Even though Matt had been a priest and was now a school teacher, he had become quite the dairyman.

In his early thirties, Matt was a content and happy man. He had a nice home, small and maybe too small for when the baby came, a small greenhouse, a good and loving wife, dear friends and jobs that he loved. He felt truly blessed. A few years earlier, he had struggled with leaving the priesthood. A priest in the neighboring parish was a pedophile who had caused a disruption in not only Matt’s parish, but also that of his best friend, Jeff. When a boy in Jeff’s parish committed suicide because of the sexual abuse and was then denied a high funeral mass, Jeff and Matt went to the bishop. It had not been the first time they had complained about the pedophile priest, Butterton, but this time they were determined to get him removed at the very least.

Instead, the Bishop suspended both young men for what he called undisciplined behavior. He said he was handling the situation with Butterton, which is what he had said over the last two years. Nothing ever changed. The Bishop did not like having his authority questioned by anyone. When they threatened to take it over his head, he told them to take a suspension and use the time to rethink their calling. Jeff resigned immediately and Matt waited until almost the end of his suspension before he resigned. He came to North Dakota where his mother, a widower, had married Carl Kincaid. That is where he started his new life. It was not an easy transition for him, but now that it was past, he was glad he had made the choices that he did.

Jeff Wilson had come to visit Matt that first Christmas from his home in New Mexico where he had an interim job at a Reformatory there. When he heard about an opening in North Dakota, he applied. He got the job and moved there that spring. He lived with Matt’s parents. He was now engaged to Kathleen Finch. They would be getting married in a couple weeks and then moving to Bismarck. It was closer to Jeff’s job and Kathleen would be starting her job with a local psychiatrist, who was also a clanner, in the capacity as a Family Psychologist. She had done the work before she was in a major car accident. Matt would be in Jeff’s wedding, since they had been great friends since their college days. Matt was pleased that Jeff was so happy. It seemed that life had indeed blossomed for both of them.

When they pulled into Schroeder’s yard in front of the big old farmhouse, Matt looked around at all the cars. Before he turned off the car, he observed, Where would we have ever been without all these people?

Diane looked around, I know, huh? Elton and Nora were the best parents I ever had. I wonder if Grandpa Engelmann ever realized how large his hodge-podge family would become? He and Grandma Katherine only had one son who was killed in Korea. Now look. When his Engelmann clan comes for dinner, it fills the yard with cars! How many of us are there now?

Golly, I don’t know. Elton used to say about sixty, but it is larger than that. I think that he and kids bought Nora two more tables of twelve this year for her birthday.

We have hit 96 a couple times, but that includes guests. Diane giggled, Of course, when you have this big of a crew, there are always guests.

Matt chuckled, Admit it. A guest is just a clanner in waiting, in most cases! Let me help you carry our share of the buffet in.

Inside was the gathering of the Engelmann Clan. They met every Sunday after church at Schroeders. Elton and Nora’s children had built an addition on the house a few years earlier for a dining room that could accommodate the clan. The rest of the clan helped out with dishes and furnishings for the dining room that now boasted of eight oak tables that seated twelve each! There were also matching stools and high chairs. It had become a massive undertaking to set up folding tables every Sunday, so they just made it permanent.

Schroeder’s dining room was the clan headquarters. The clan included Byron Ellison, the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church and Elton Schroeder, farmer and mechanic. They had both been surrogate sons to Lloyd and Katherine. The rest of the clan just grew. They were friends and family of the other two. Before long, it was second generation, and they were a rather prolific outfit. The clan was sometimes called the tiyospaye, the Sioux word for extended family, but whatever it was called it included a variety of folks. The glue of the organization was their love and concern for each other, the willingness to help out, and the joy of having good, clean fun. Good times and bad, they were there for each other. They mourned, celebrated, hugged, laughed, and cried together. Mostly, they loved each other.

Matt came through the door of the kitchen and Grandma Katherine gave him a hug as she took the three bean casserole he brought. Everyone brought something if they could, and so it wasn’t a big burden for one family to provide the entire meal for everyone. Nora and Katherine coordinated the offerings, so they had some great meals.

Nora came over to give him a hug, Could I ask you to speak with your God-daughter. She is all bent out of shape and we can’t figure out what her problem is.

Matt raised his eyebrows, Where is she?

In her room. She has been like this since breakfast.

He took off his coat, Sure. I’ll go see what’s up.

Matt knocked softly on the door of her room. She shared the room with her little sister, Kitten, who she usually slept with Grandma since Grandpa Lloyd died. So, five-year old Clarissa Grey Hawk had the room to herself. That didn’t make her very happy, since she was afraid of banshees. So, she slept with Campfire, an Alaskan Klee Kai, dog that was her constant companion, even though Campfire originally belonged to another clanner, Kid Effan. Since the dog had expert banshee fighting capabilities, he was now her dog. And it was successful. She had not been attacked or haunted by banshees since Campfire slept in her room every night.

Matt entered the room, even though Clarissa hadn’t said come in. When he saw the little girl, curled up and crying on her bed with Campfire in her arms, he was taken back. Clarissa was exuberant about everything. She was either extremely happy, or dreadfully sad. She was never calm or ordinary.

Matt sat beside her on the bed and put his hand on her shoulder. Clarissa jumped because she had been so involved in her tears that she hadn’t heard him come in. When she saw him, she clambered into his arms, Oh Mister Matt. Did you hear? Isn’t it the most awfullest ever in the whole wide world?

Hear what, Clarissa? What has you so upset?

About those two ropes and now they have to move away? Then she broke down in tears again, I just hate it the most! I mean it is good that they aren’t burning everything up anymore, but I want my tiyospaye here, unless it is for fun stuff. And they don’t get to call because about the phones don’t always work there. It is just the worstest thing!

Honey, Matt consoled the little girl as best he could and rubbed her back, I don’t understand what you are talking about. Can you explain it to me?

Well, they found those pieces of rope and now it is over. So now they have to move. Didn’t nobody tell you about that?

No, but I was milking cows and then at church.

Me, too, but we talked about it at breakfast. I bet Quinn is gonna be so sad. The little babies don’t understand, so they are pretty much okay.

Matt tried as best he could, but he couldn’t fathom what had the little girl so upset. Okay, Matt hugged her and then set her next to him. He handed her a tissue from the bedside table, I’m sorry but I still don’t understand. What is this about a rope?"

That’s not the word they said, but it is like a rope, you know. Like the clothesline thing.

Twine?

No, more smoother.

You mean line, string, cord or wire? Matt tried.

That’s it. The cord! They got the pieces of cord. Then she shook her head, That was silly to argue about anyway. But now they are over it. And now I am sad.

I still don’t understand, Clarissa.

She looked at him with deep concern, Are you catching the brain sickness that Grandpa Lloyd had?

No, He smiled, I don’t think so. So why would Quinn and the babies go away because of a piece of rope?

See-about this man with glasses came on the TV and said it. The little girl explained. He said the got the pieces of cord and now they will quit fighting. So everybody can go home.

Matt started to laugh and squeezed the little girl, Honey, I think you misunderstood. The people who were fighting signed the Paris Peace Accords. It means they made a deal to quit fighting. America is bringing our soldiers home. That is a good thing.

But then won’t Quinn and the babies have to go back to their houses?

No. Quinn and the babies will live with us as long as they want. There is still a lot of fighting in their country and it will take a while before things are sorted out. However, they came to live here because their mommies and daddies over there have died. So, they had to have new homes.

You mean their moms and dads are in the ground? Like mine?

Yes. Quinn is going to live with Mick and Martha and they are going to adopt him.

You mean like Mister and Missus adopted us Grey Hawk kids?

Yes. Matt smiled, Will you ever call them Elton and Nora?

She frowned, No, cause they are Mister and Missus. If we called them something else they wouldn’t know we were talking to them.

Matt grinned, I suppose not. Do you remember Neil Hamilton, who was here last summer?

Yes, he was a soldier guy who cooked chili.

He is over in Vietnam now. The Peace Accords mean he will likely be home sooner.

That is good, Clarissa nodded, Will he live at our house?

I think he is coming here. He adopted Tho and Linh. Their mom and daddy died over there. So that is why he brought them over here. He couldn’t keep them there because he didn’t want them to get hurt. But when he gets here, he will also go see his wife who is very ill.

Will she come here?

No. Becca cannot travel. She is not well enough.

Wouldn’t she be sad if he is here and she can’t be?

No, she is like sleeping all the time. It is only the machines the keep her breathing.

How do they do that?

They pump air into her lungs so she can breathe.

But why can’t she be awake?

She fell a long ways onto a big rock and broke her head. So, it doesn’t work anymore.

You mean like Grandpa Lloyd, when he fell on that rock and broke his head. But he died.

Yes, like that.

So, she has two babies and she doesn’t even know it? That is so sad. I think I better go hug the babies, because they are probably sad that their mommy isn’t awake. Then she stood up and gave him a big hug, Thank you, Mr. Matt! You are the goodest God-guy ever. I love you the mostest. I’m so glad I don’t have to be sad today. I was getting a headache. She bounced out of the room, leaving Matt sitting there. He thought a minute and shook his head, relieved he didn’t have to be in her mind.

He went back downstairs and indeed, Clarissa was hugging the five-month old twins. Tho, or Tom, was uninterested because Annie was feeding him his bottle, but Linh, or Lynn, enjoyed the company and cooed back to her.

Matt went into the kitchen and took Nora aside to explain to her what happened. Nora listened thoughtfully, You know, we tend to not realize the children don’t understand all this stuff. But how did she get two pieces of cord?

Paris Peace Accord. I suppose she thought it was a pair. Then he grinned, I can’t believe you asked me to explain Clarissaese. I spend most of my time with her totally baffled.

I know the feeling. Katherine and I have stored a bottle in the corncrib for the day when we can finally can’t take it anymore! You can join us when we finally give in and knock it back!

Let me know. I’ll be there.

You and Andy. In fact, he has offered to bring glasses.

Put me down for ice, then he grinned, Although if it is in the winter, we could use snow.

Grandma and I had thought we would suck it right out of the bottle! Nora teased.

I can believe that.

Want to help me put this on the side buffet? Nora grinned as she motioned to the platter of ham.

No problem, Matt said, Did you hear when Mick and Martha will be back?

I think about four. Do you think that Quinn is mixed up about all that too?

Matt noticed Fletcher and Quinn off in the corner of the living room entrenched in a deep conversation in Vietnamese. He smiled, I think Fletch has it covered.

Fletch and Bits have been great additions to the clan, don’t you think? I can’t imagine Pearson’s disowning Bev and Fletcher and their families.

Me either, but their loss, our gain.

2

The meal was excellent and there was a lot of excitement. When Mick and Martha arrived at Schroeders from the Crandair landing strip, Quinn had been reluctant to run to them when they drove up. The first thing that Mick did is ask where Quinn was. The little boy beamed and ran to him. He had been worried that now that the Paris Peace Accords were signed, that Mick would send him back to Vietnam. Even though Fletcher Pearson, who spoke Vietnamese, explained it to him, Quinn was a worrier by nature. He had also heard Clarissa’s take on it.

Hugging Mick, the first thing he said, Am I still going to live with you and be your boy?

Well of course, Quinn. You never have to question that. Martha and I are hoping to get married on February 10th providing Father Christoff says he can accommodate. Then we will begin adoption papers. But even until then, I have complete custody of you.

Okay. I just thought I would check because Clarissa thought I might have to go back to my old country.

I know it is confusing, but you will be here as long as you want to be. Then Mick teased, Why? Don’t you want to be here?

Yes. I pretty much do. It is good here and with you and Martha.

Did you have a good time sleeping over with Little Bill? Martha asked as she gave him a hug.

Yes, and his dad, Mr. Doug, took us over to the house we are going to live at. And guess what?

What? Mick asked.

Little Bill and me think we saw a cat with some kittens in the tool shed. The mommy is black with a white nose and bib. She is way cool. Mr. Doug said I need to ask you if we can keep them. Ten-year old Quinn asked, Do you think that would be too much?

No. I think it might be very good to have them help us keep the mice down. Don’t you think so, Martha?

Yes I do. We can go over there tomorrow after school and check it out. What do you think? Are you good at picking out names?

I can help. I think I’m glad you are home. It is good.

The couple ate dinner and shared the news. They told how they had found little Ted’s grave and made the arrangements to have a headstone with his name on it placed for him. Then Martha said, But we are going to be positive about things. Now, it is time to look forward to our new life. So, Chatterbox, how does the house look? How much work will it need?

Chatterbox, Mervin Olson, a clanner, was a carpenter and did most of the work for the clan. He was married to Darrell Jessup’s youngest sister, Eve. He was an excellent builder and usually made deals with the clan, by letting them help with some of the work, to lower prices. He had a good crew, and his main painter, trimmer and wallpaper person was Joallyn Perkins. Joallyn was Jeannie Jessup’s sister. Her husband Josh taught shop at St. John’s school in Merton and lived not too far from Schroeders. Of course, they were also clanners.

The Johnson house is in good shape, but it mostly needs paint and wallpaper. Some of the walls were of calcimine, a whitewash with zinc oxide or other pigments added, used as a coating for plaster walls and ceilings in the early to mid-1900s. There was a lot of it encountered in the Johnson home, as well as Crandall’s cottage. There had been some at Dottie’s, but Cecil had it all removed and sheet rocked. So many walls had been water-damaged, he just threw up his hands in despair and started over. Chatterbox laughed, You people are keeping my boys employed over these winter months! This is fantastic. We just finished Dottie’s remodel after her pipes burst this fall. What with all the new houses and remodels, we will be lucky to get a weekend off!

Johnny Standing Elk and his fiancée, Wednesday, had bought Doris Olson’s farm and were readying the house so they could move in after they married in early April. Until then, they were both living with Schroeders. The house was in good condition requiring little work, but also needed paint, wallpaper, a couple light fixtures, and carpet. On the place was an older cottage that Crandall had bought from Johnny. He was getting a new roof, furnace, pipes, and electrical wiring and adding a garage. The rest of the place needed paint and carpet. They had ordered some new kitchen cabinets from town that would be installed later that week. Both of those places had calcimine.

Joallyn, who was a painter, hated that stuff, since it had to be removed in most cases they just removed what they could and covered the rest with sheet rock. It looked like that would be the case with most of these places.

Chatterbox had brought a passel of wallpaper books and paint swatches to dinner that day, so the ladies could begin to make some choices. He would leave them there until Thursday when they had to be returned to the store. The den was spread out with wallpaper books and paint swatches, and various folks were discussing them.

Diane hadn’t intended to look at any, but when Jeannie saw some cute nursery borders, she called Diane over. The two ladies were looking at them when Clarissa came over to watch. Diane smiled at her Goddaughter and asked, Which one do you think would be good for a nursery?

I think one that is not a boy one or a girl one, unless you are getting a baby of each kind. A boy might cry if he had to look at fairies and a girl would be cranky to look at trucks.

The young women looked at each other and then Jeannie said, We don’t know what we are going to have yet. But I’m not having twins.

Diane answered. So, what do you think?

I think you just need baby ones. You know, bottles and rattles. Not diapers, because those are yukky. The little girl tugged on Diane’s arm and pulled her down to her level. Then she whispered into her ear, Miss Diane. Could you ask Kitten about it? Nobody asks her nothing and I think she might be sad about it. She is a pretty good thinker about it because she was a baby last week or so.

Diane hugged Clarissa, That is very kind to think of your sister. I will do that.

Diane called four-year old Kitten over and she shyly came over to her. Kitten, Jeannie and I were wondering which wallpaper you would pick for a baby’s room?

Me? Kitten asked.

Yes, Diane smiled, What wallpaper do you think would be good in a baby’s room?

Kitten shrugged, What do I pick from?

Jeannie said, This whole book is full of them. Shall we look them over?

The four sat at the end of the table and looked through the book. Kitten asked, Which room are they going to have? Are they going to share a room like me and Clarissa?

No, Jeannie said, My baby will be at my house and Diane’s baby will be at the cabin.

I thought there was only the greenhouse at the cabin?

"No. That is off our bedroom,