The Piano Teacher

Chapter 16

The sun had been gone from the prairie for a few days, and slate-gray clouds blanketed the sky instead.

A few days had passed since Charlotte's picnic with Eliza Jane and Almanzo, and she had enjoyed the occasion very much. She was glad she had been persuaded to go, as it had been a fine day, and perhaps the last sunny day they would enjoy for a while.

But now, she had to focus on her responsibilities. Tomorrow, she'd be teaching at the Oleson residence, and the day after that, at the Wilder place. Today, she could rest a little. Her uncle had left for the mill early this morning, so early that she hadn't even seen him. Yesterday evening, he had been coughing something awful, which worried her, and he, of course, told her not to worry.

She figured he coughed because he was smoking more cigarettes than usual. He always smoked more when he was nervous, and she supposed he was nervous because he couldn't make very much money to provide for her. They weren't farmers that could cash in and get a big windfall after a harvest. They had to earn their money little by little until Charlotte's father got everything sorted out.

She had no idea what her father was up to now, as she had no way to contact him, and she constantly hoped a letter from him would arrive at the post office. But such a thing never happened.

She wanted to be home with her father for Christmas in their old house. They could eat a beautiful roasted turkey and she could play carols on their fine grand piano.

But for now, all that was a dream. She spent the day napping, reading, and playing the piano. She could feel that her body was slightly strained from all the outings she had been doing, and she did not want to push herself.

She kept the windows open in the cabin to let the crisp, cool air filter through, rustling the curtains. She listened to the sound of the birds and looked out the window to watch the tall grass dance.

The idea of seeing Nels Oleson tomorrow excited her. Of course, she wouldn't necessarily see him, as he might be busy, as would she, but she figured she might still catch a glance of him. Her heart would often squeeze when she first saw him for the day. Usually, he'd be managing the store's inventory or moving around heavy boxes. She'd watch him for a few moments and then turn away.

She always had to force herself to turn away.

There was a certain pain to the glee she felt when she saw him or chatted with him. The pain of knowing that they, as decent individuals, could only be friends. The pain of knowing that she thought of him as more than a friend, but he did not think the same for her. She tried to keep that out of her mind, not wanting to upset herself.

She didn't mind being alone at the cabin all day. She supposed it was a little lonely, but there were worse things in life than that.

But she started to worry when the sun set, and her uncle was not yet back. He usually returned before it got dark. The rain shower outside was turning into a proper storm. She had to close the shudders and light the lamps inside. The wind whistled louder against the cabin than she had ever heard. It sounded like a screaming, frightened horse, and the windows rattled fiercely.

The heavy cloud cover blocked out any remnants of light from the sunset, and Charlotte started to feel afraid. She sat in the main room at the table with her shawl wrapped tightly around her. Several drafts in the old cabin filtered in, chilling her, and she would have been shivering if not for the warmth coming from the wood stove.

She stared at the front door for the longest time, watching lightning flash from under it and jumping when the thunder followed. What's taking him so long? she thought, wringing her hands.