Mail Order Bride

Chapter 3 - The Preparation

The weeks passed by quickly in the Miller household. Janessa and Patrick took their time preparing the home for Emily's arrival. Patrick bought a new coat of paint and applied it to the outside of their white farmhouse. Janessa touched up portions of the red barn with bright, red paint, and removed all sticks and debris from the immediate property line. Together, the two of them cleaned the barn and chicken coop, and Janessa weeded the flowerbed and took care to water the flowers each day. They soon moved indoors, where they cleaned the house from top to bottom. The floors were swept and scrubbed clean, and Patrick put a coat of polish onto the wooden floors to make them shine. Janessa cleaned each and every mirror and window in the house, and at times (particularly when her father was not looking) would use her spit to make them sparkle. Patrick dusted all of the shelves and surfaces, while Janessa reorganized the bookcase and reverently straightened her late mother's decorations.

The Miller home was an average sized, one story ranch. When Rebecca was living, Patrick had added on to the house twice, in preparation for the babies that they had lost. Now, the house boasted three bedrooms, two on the left side and one large one on the right. Patrick intended to give Emily the second bedroom on the left side of the house, which would be far enough away from his room to give her privacy, but near enough to Janessa. He hoped that this arrangement would give the two a chance to bond and get to know one another. This idea, however, Janessa was unaware of. She would have balked and complained had she knew of her father's plans.

The time came for them to arrange Emily's room. Patrick painted the inside of the room white, and had one of his friend's wives make a quilt and matching pillow for her bed. She also braided a rug and sewed blue flowered curtains and a set of towels for the young woman. Patrick stayed busy making a new set of drawers, a bedside table, and a small bookshelf for Emily's room. Emily's bed was given to him by an older couple whose youngest daughter had recently married. They had no use for an extra bed at that point in their lives.

Patrick had to purchase a wash basin, pitcher, and mirror for her room, and once those things had been furnished, her room was complete. Janessa stood quietly in the doorway, looking at their accomplishments. The room was simple, but clean and homey. "I think she'll like it," Janessa thought to herself. Then, her nose scrunched up and she glared around the room. "I'm done here. I don't even want her to come. I'm never going to like her. Why is Pa doing this to me?"  With an annoyed sniff, Janessa tossed her golden locks, shut the door, and headed down the hallway.

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"Janessa, come here please. Are you dressed?" Patrick called to his young daughter.
"Yes Pa, I'm ready," She called back, coming swiftly out of her room. She was wearing a short, blue cotton dress, which was one of two dresses that she owned. She had long ago outgrown her dresses, which poor Patrick had been completely oblivious to. She stomped around the kitchen, trying in vain to put on one of her black boots. She typically wore her brown ones, but her father had insisted she wear her black ones instead. "Pa!" she wailed. "I can't put my shoes on!" Patrick opened the door to his bedroom, and glanced down at the little girl.

"C'mere," he said, motioning to her. She half walked, half stomped over to him. She took off her stubborn shoe and handed it to her father. He took it and began to loosen all of the laces, starting with the one nearest the tongue and ending at the toe. He handed the shoe back to her. "There," he said. "Now try." Janessa took the shoe and easily slipped it onto her foot.

"Wow, Pa!" she said with a grin. "You really know how to fix stuff." Her father nodded in affirmation and ruffled her hair, then suddenly pulled his hand back.

"Janessa Anne Miller, did you brush your hair?" he questioned.

Janessa gulped. "I forgot," she admitted sheepishly. "I'll go do it now." She began to loosen the laces of her other shoe while she headed back to her room to brush her hair.

In thirty minutes, both father and daughter were fully dressed and ready to pick Emily up from the train station. Patrick was wearing a newly ironed but faded blue shirt, dark pants, and a belt. Typically, he would only wear his belt to church or other special occasions, and would opt for suspenders during the workweek. He had helped Janessa put a blue bow in her hair, and had brushed his own dark hair and shaved his face. He glanced down at Janessa. Her eyes stared unwaveringly into his own sky-blue ones. He smiled at her, and bent down to give her a kiss on the head.

"You look like a princess," he commented.

"Thanks Pa," she mumbled, slightly embarrassed. He reached down to take her hand and lead her out of the cabin, when she suddenly pulled back.

"I don't wanna go," she said. "Can't I stay here and you go get her? I'll be good, I promise." Patrick considered her plea for a moment, and then decided that it would be fine if she stayed at home. The train station was only an hour's drive from his house, and Janessa was old enough to be left alone at home for a couple of hours.

"All right," he conceded, chewing his bottom lip. "Let me put the kettle back on the stove. Please keep an eye on the stew, and collect some blueberries and blackberries from the field. Make sure you rinse them thoroughly. We don't want a giant spider crawling out of one them like last time!" Janessa couldn't help but laugh out loud. A year before, she had forgotten to rinse a batch of berries that they had served to the Johnsons, their neighbors who lived a mile up the road. Right as Mrs. Johnson was scooping up a spoonful of berries, a giant spider crawled out from under a blackberry and ran up her hand. She had been so frightened by that ordeal she refused to eat any type of berry from then on.

"I won't forget," Janessa said, still laughing at the memory. 'Thanks, Pa. I'll see you later." Patrick gave her another kiss, and with a wave of his hand, turned and walked out the door.