A Short Story: Leora's Gift

Leora Hornbeck was bored. The drip, plop of the rain outside was driving her crazy, yet she was not allowed to stir from her desk until the hourglass was completely empty. Right now, it was only a quarter full. Fifteen more minutes. Leora felt that if she had to wait another fifteen minutes she would scream.

This was punishment for not paying attention during school. She puffed out her cheeks and sighed, laying her hot cheek on the cool wood desk. Why did school have to be so boring and dull? If the teacher wouldn’t use the same, soothing, monotonous tone she might be able to concentrate on the subject at hand more easily.

All of Leora’s sisters had gone home an hour ago. Anna wouldn’t be home, Leora knew. Anna was rarely home. She almost always got to go over to a friend’s house for the night, and she’d come to school the next morning with her friends. But then, Anna was fifteen – almost sixteen.

Mara, Leora’s annoying thirteen-year-old sister would be bossing around all the younger children. Ever since Leora could remember, Mara had been bossy-now she was even more so since Mara had graduated to the much desired class of teens. Leora was glad to miss being bossed into sweeping, polishing, mopping, and washing dishes. This was a chore that Leora detested above all others, and didn’t Mara know it! Mara always kept Leora busy, making sure that Leora did not rest or play until all specks of dust were gone, all food particles washed off the dishes, and the silverware sparkled like crystal. Leora was much exasperated with Mara, especially because it seemed to Leora that Mara did the least work of them all!

Gabrielle would be working at Aunt Caroline’s house for money so that she could buy cloth for new dresses – dance dresses in particular. Gabrielle was a marvelous dancer, and as long as Gabrielle worked hard and earned the money, Mama and Papa were fine with her making her own dresses – even though Gabrielle was only twelve.

Cassidy, who was eleven years old, would be practicing her piano. Cassidy was the most musical of all the girls in the Hornbeck family. Sometimes, though, the piano playing did get annoying, particularly when Cassidy played one song over and over again, like a record player stuck on repeat. The piano was very old and out of tune, because it had been Mama’s grandma’s piano that had been passed down to Mama. Pianos were very expensive now days, and Mama and Papa couldn’t afford to buy a new piano.

Clara was Cassidy’s twin. She would be helping Mama. Clara was very pretty, and Clara knew it. Clara often teased Leora about Leora’s freckles and round face, which contrasted ridiculously with Clara’s heart shaped and freckle-free face. Clara was Mama’s favorite, and Leora felt this sorely. Why should Mama have a favorite? Mama would never acknowledge the fact, but it must be so. Mama always defended Clara against Aunt Ellen, who was extremely critical of the children. Mama never contradicted Aunt Ellen about the rest of them. Clara would always get to skip out of having to polish the furniture or having to do anything that would require Clara to work hard with her hands. After all, didn’t Clara have the most beautiful, delicate hands of anyone who ever lived? Such a fuss over hands! Leora thought scornfully. As if anyone would judge you based on your hands!

Five minutes were left in the glass. Then there was herself at ten years old. She wasn’t particularly good at anything. She could sing, but not as well as Cassidy. She wasn’t as pretty as Clara – not by far. She wasn’t as popular as Anna. She wasn’t good at instructing or leading like Mara. Mara was always chosen for the girl’s team captain. She wasn’t good at dancing or sewing like Gabrielle. She certainly wasn’t good at school. Then there was Lily, the baby of the family. Leora was almost jealous of Lily sometimes, because she got almost all the attention. Leora got very little attention, save when she was scolded by her parents for getting bad grades in school, or for forgetting to do a chore, or for not finishing her food. The list continued on and on. Lily was only eight, but she was very good at school. Mama and Papa hoped to have her become a teacher. Lily was quiet, but she had friends that loved her.

There! The hourglass was finally empty. Leora grabbed her books and dashed out into the rain and back home. Leora burst through the door. “I’m home!”

Mara was instantly examining Leora. “You certainly took a long time, Leora. You’re soaked! Did you walk at a snail’s pace? Mama!” Mara cried. Leora stuck her tongue out at Mara.

“Heavens, Leora, you’re wet all through. You certainly didn’t hurry!” Mama scolded.

Mara smirked.

Leora put down her books. “It wasn’t my fault. The teacher kept me an hour late, and Clara should have told you, but I guess she forgot again, as usual. And I ran all through the rain to get here as fast as I could.”

“You ran in the rain? You’ll get sick! Why didn’t you slow down?” Mara exclaimed.

Leora rolled her eyes. “First you wanted me to hurry, and now you want me to slow down?” 

Mara humphed and flounced away in high dudgeon.

“Don’t be so mean to poor Clara,” Mama scolded Leora. “Clara has a lot of school, and she has to practice her lines for the pageant in a few weeks.”

Leora rolled her eyes again as she turned away from her mother. Defending dear Clara, as usual.

Cassidy was playing a Joplin piece on the piano, and Gabrielle was sitting in a chair sewing. Lily was working on school, and Anna wasn’t anywhere to be found.

Leora crept upstairs to her bed and snuggled under her warm comforter as she listened to the rain outside. Mara wouldn’t find Leora here.

“Dinner!” Mama called what seemed hours later. Leora hastily threw off her comforter and raced downstairs. She slipped into place just as Mama was looking around the table at her daughters. Mara was about to inform Mama of Leora’s sudden reappearance when Papa came and sat down to pray. After grace was said, the family began to eat.

As they ate, Papa began to talk to his daughters – this was a family custom.

“Mara, how were the games today?”

“They were fun, Papa. I was the captain of the girl’s team, and we won Red Rover.”

“Gabrielle, is your dress coming along?”

“Yes, Papa. I’m learning a new routine, too. It’s very tricky.”

“Cassidy, did I hear you learning a new piece?”

“No, Papa! It’s the Joplin piece I’m playing for the concert. Mrs. Hatfield hasn’t given me a new piece yet.”

“Clara, a little bird told me that your name was written up with Charlie Beaumont on the ‘Take Notice’ board. Is that true?”

“Yes, Papa. It isn’t anything, really!”

“Oh – Leora. Well, ah… how was school?”

“School was alright.” Leora tried to eat more in order to avoid elaborating her answer.

“She hasn’t helped around the house at all, Papa.” Mara complained.

“Why not?” Papa raised an eyebrow.

“She got home late because teacher made her stay another hour,” Mara informed Papa smugly.

Leora sighed.

“Leora?” Papa prodded.

“So what if I did?” responded Leora tartly. “If the teacher wasn’t so boring, I could listen better.”

“You need to improve in your studies or else… or else…” Suddenly, Papa realized that, since Leora was not involved in anything, he could not take anything away. He paused, grunted, and finally concluded, “You must improve in your studies.”

“But, why?” Leora finally asked. “I’m not good at anything, so I’ll never be good at anything that people grow up to be – like a singer like Cassidy, or a teacher like Lily. I hate school and I don’t see the use of studying if I’m not good at any subject. I’m not even good at sewing.” 

“Leora!” Mama reprimanded sharply. “Your papa and I pay good money to send all of you to school. You must improve your studies.”

“Or what?” Leora could feel herself growing irritated and frustrated. ”I’ve tried, but I just can’t, Mama. You can’t pull me out of anything because I’m not involved in anything. If you gave me more chores, I wouldn’t be able to complete the schoolwork that I’m assigned.” Leora pushed back her chair and ran up to her room.

Papa sighed. “Lily, what was your favorite part of school?” he asked.

“English. We got to write a composition, and I wrote mine on Ted, the horse. I wish he would let me get close to him.”

“Nobody can get close to Ted. He’s good only as a work horse. I was thinking of selling him,” Papa declared.

Leora heard it all. Sell Ted! He was a pretty horse, and Leora loved him. She would never let Papa sell him! Leora had crept to the edge of the stairs and listened in. Now, she quickly got up and hurried silently back to her room, pulling the covers over her head and burying her face in her pillow.

Papa rose from the table, addressing Mama. “I’ll go hitch up the wagon and go into town for some things. Leora needs a new dress, Nellie.”

Clara pouted slightly. “Why does Leora get a new dress?”

“Because she needs one, Clara.” Mama reproached Clara. “You have many pretty dresses as it is. If you needed a new dress we might make you one. Stop pouting and finish your supper. I’ll need to get ready for the new dress. Henry, make sure the color is a nice shade of blue. You know that’s Leora’s favorite color.”

Papa donned his coat and left to go to town. Mama went upstairs into Cassidy, Clara, Leora, and Lily’s room. She sat down on Leora’s bed.

“Leora, sit up.”

Leora sat up slowly.

Mama began, “It is important that you do well in school in order to get a good education.”

Leora frowned. “I hate school. It’s boring, and dull, and… and I hate it.”

“I’m sorry you hate it, because it’ll help you when you grow up. You are not going to get out of school. We have nothing to motivate you with. We have not put you in piano or dance because –”

“Because I’m not good at anything,” Leora finished dejectedly.

“You don’t have to feel bad.,” Mama comforted Leora. “You simply haven’t found a talent yet.”

“But I do have to feel bad. Clara is pretty, and you love her more than you love me. I know it’s true because you won’t hear anyone speak badly of Clara, and yet everyone speaks bad of me because I don’t do anything well. Mara bosses me dreadfully behind your back, Clara teases me about my looks sometimes, and even Lily and Cassidy don’t want to play with me because they always want to play school, and I hate school.” Leora almost wailed in despair.

“Well, maybe you will feel better when you and Papa go to town. Get your coat and hat, it’s still raining out,” Mama said.

Leora did as told and then got into the wagon with Papa, while her somewhat envious sisters watched from the window as the wagon disappeared. Leora remained silent on the ride down, not wishing to incur the lecture that she knew was coming.

“Leora, what are we going to do?” Papa sighed.

“Pull me out of school and let me stay at home to help,” Leora promptly replied.

Papa laughed. “You sound as if you know what you want.”

“I do. I don’t like school,” Leora repeated. “Besides, you don’t need another school-loving daughter. Lily’s already going to be a teacher.”

“You don’t have to be a teacher just because you go to school.”

“Do we have to talk about this?” Leora slumped slightly in her seat.

“Yes.” Papa’s voice took on a stern tone. “It’s important to your mother and I that you get a good education. You will need to know enough to live. You will use a lot of the things you learn in school out in the world.”

Leora fell silent.

---

A bolt of blue cloth was selected and bought. Soon, Papa and Leora turned the wagon around and headed back home.

The light was steadily fading, and the rain had almost stopped, when Leora pointed to the side of the road. “Look, Papa! What’s that?” A small object lay beside the path. As the wagon approached it, the object moved.

Leora gasped and clutched Papa’s arm. “Papa, stop the wagon! It’s a baby deer!”

She sprang from the cart and knelt next to the quivering baby deer. “Papa, it’s hurt, see? It can’t stand. Can we take it home?” Leora’s eyes pleaded with her father.

Papa shook his head. “No. It would go wild cooped up in our house. Once it got older and grew antlers, what then? It would ruin our home. What if hunters saw the deer? They might try and kill it, and then where would we be? Leave it alone, Leora. Get back in the wagon.”

Leora petted the deer. “Papa, we can’t leave this poor little deer. It can’t move. What if something attacked it? It wouldn’t be able to get away.” Leora slid her arms under the trembling mass and lifted the deer easily. Gently she placed it on the straw in the back of the wagon. She covered it with a thin blanket and petted it.

“Can we at least keep it until its leg gets better?” Leora entreated.

Papa hesitated. “Just until its leg gets better, but then we’ll have to turn it out.”

“Thank you, Papa!” Leora cried. “Don’t you worry, little deer, I’ll take care of you,” Leora whispered to the deer. The fawn stopped trembling and nestled its head in Leora’s lap.

Upon reaching the house, Mama came out and saw Leora in the back of the wagon. With concern in her voice, she asked, “Henry? What’s the matter?” Leora gently carried the fawn inside amongst a clamor.

“Oh, look at the baby deer!”

“What happened to it?”

“Where did you find it?”

“Did Papa say you could keep it?”

“Oh, the poor little thing!”

“Where’s its mama?”

“Can we keep it?”

“Is it a boy or girl?”

Questions peppered Leora from all sides.

“Hush, children. Let Leora through.” Mama quieted the other girls as Leora carried her charge to the fireplace and covered it with a blanket. A small rag dipped in warm milk was placed in the deer’s mouth.

“I’ll call it Brownie,” Leora decided, “because it’s brown.” All the sisters watched in silence as Leora deftly cared for the little deer. Lily sat next to Leora and tried to pet Brownie, but the deer began to quiver. As a matter of fact, Brownie wouldn’t let any of the sisters near, and she would not be fed by anyone but Leora. Mara was jealous, as was every other girl. Clara was attracted by the delicate build. Mara could see that it would be athletic. Cassidy could just picture a piece of music that would describe the elegant deer. Lily thought that a composition on a baby deer would definitely get a good grade.

Leora was proud. She had finally found something that nobody else in her family could do. She could take care of animals and nurse them, too.

Mama smiled as she knelt close to Leora. “I do believe that your sisters are envious of you, Leora.”

Leora laughed. “As if I’ve never been envious of them!”

“She is yours.” Mama replied. “I can see that you will take very good care of her.”

“Thank you Mama!” Leora hugged  her mother.

“My very own pet… my little Brownie,” Leora murmured, cuddling the little deer. Leora smiled triumphantly, burying her face in the soft brown fur, her arms around the slim little body. She could now hold her own amongst her talented sisters.