DANA'S VALLEY.

by Janette OKE.

PROLOGUE.

I SLIPPED THE b.u.t.tERFLY B KM ARK between the pages of the journal and gazed out the window of my bedroom. I had been determined to keep any tears in check, but the familiar handwriting and the long-ago memories filled up my heart and tugged at my emotions, and I wiped at my damp cheek. It was more nostalgia than pain, though, that evoked my deep feelings. I guess I was rather surprised when I realized that fact. Then came sweet relief, and I felt myself smile as I picked up the book to continue my perusal. But I didn't resume reading immediately. I sat staring at the small volume in my hands, musing silently. The journal's story was not mine-but it was so intricately involved with my own personal journey that the words on the page seemed like my own.

Perhaps it is only when we are deemed adults that we really begin to understand, to appreciate, to evaluate our formative years. I think it has certainly been so for me. Looking back, I feel I am beginning to put some events from those years into a broader context. I am discovering the roots of the values I hold dear. Those mental images of childhood I have now been able to frame and arrange in some kind of order so I can step back and look at how

I have been shaped into who I am. My understanding of life, of its joys and struggles, of family and of relations.h.i.+ps, of how they mold and stretch us beyond who we might have been on our own, takes on new significance.

I know no family is perfect. But I also know that my average midwestern Christian family tackled the changes and trials we faced remarkably well, all things considered. Our parents must have started us out with a pretty solid base-or our story might have had an entirely different ending. We are closer to one another now than we have ever been.

My understanding of my heavenly Father-who He is, how He loves us-has been changed as well. This fuller view of G.o.d can only happen when one has faced challenges and trials, when one has been stretched beyond what is secure and comfortable. G.o.d is now more real, more present, more involved, in every part of my life. As my grandmother shared recently with me over a cup of tea, that is indeed the goal of our journey here on earth.

But perhaps you will understand more fully what I am attempting to say if I tell our family's story. To do that, I must take you back some years. . . .

CHAPTER ONE.

BY OUTWARD APPEARANCE you could have thought that the small stuccoed Cape Cod tucked in among the still-barren trees at 129 Maple Street was empty and silent. You would have been wrong. And only in the dusk of the early morning hours could such a mistaken impression have been possible. We were a family of six, with kids ranging in ages from four to fourteen, and our home was seldom quiet. Even this early, there had been stirrings for a couple of hours-more or less-and my mother, who hummed as she moved about the kitchen preparing another in an endless procession of meals, was soon to make sure the activity would increase.

"Brett. Girls. Time to be up."

The call drifted up the stairs along with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and frying bacon. Newly awakened from slumber, I sniffed to sort out the beckoning smells. Even coffee smelled good when it wafted in on the morning air. I'd tasted it once and found that the fragrance was deceiving. No wonder ten-year-olds were normally denied the privilege. To my thinking, it didn't taste nearly as good as it smelled. But bacon-that was 10.

something else. It also was an unexpected treat on a school morning.

"Dana and Erin." This time the volume was turned up a notch.

I opened an eye and sneaked a peek at my sister to see if she was stirring. Light was beginning to filter through the blinds, and I could just distinguish her face above the motionless lump of pink comforter on her bed. We had always engaged in a contest of wills to see who would move first.

Dana still had not opened her eyes, but she did mumble, "It's your turn to practice first."

"I practiced first last time," I argued. I was now awake and, with the vigor of the younger sister, ready to fight for my rights.

"No, you didn't."

"Did too."

"No, you didn't-just ask Mom." Dana's eyes were open now. Wide open and looking directly at me.

Even though her expression held no malice, I knew she had no intention of backing down. She tossed back the faded Barbie quilt and reached her foot to the cranberry- and-mint rug beside her bed, feeling around for her slippers and catching the edge with her bare toes. We'd chosen the matching bedroom set three years back when Dana was eight and I was seven. Now we both looked forward to the promised decorating updates somewhere in the near future.

I was about to launch another objection when I remembered. Dana was right. She had taken her turn first at the family's secondhand upright piano the day before. I let the matter drop. There would be no point in askingDANA'S Valley * nMom. She remembered such things only too well. She would side with Dana.

I tossed back my own Barbie quilt, jumped out, and spent a moment scrambling around under my bed for my own slippers. I still didn't want to admit that Dana had been right all along-but I knew better than to continue an argument I could only lose.

The school bus would be coming in just over an hour and a half. Our morning ch.o.r.es and piano practice had to be done before bus time. If things ran a little behind- for one reason or another-the second person to sit at the piano for a romp through the scales and exercises would be lucky enough to have a shortened practice time. We had made that discovery on our own during the first year we were both taking lessons, and each of us had tried to use it to her own advantage. But Mom hadn't missed our discovery either. She quickly put an end to the manipulations by declaring we would take turns being first. And that meant the first person to practice had to put in her full half hour.

Dana was already pulling out dresser drawers, deciding what she was going to wear for the day, when I turned from making my bed. "You're full of lumps," she said after glancing my way.

I looked down. My pj's were rumpled a bit but hardly "full of lumps."

"Not you, silly-your bed," Dana responded in answer to my frown.

I looked from Dana to my bed, then could see for myself what Dana was talking about. The bed did have some lumps. I looked down at my pj's again, and then we both started to giggle. I shrugged, quite willing to leave the offending spread as it was. I had obeyed the rule of 12.

our home that beds must be made before we left our rooms. And mine was made. That was good enough.

But Dana came over and threw back the covers. Beginning with the sheet, she straightened it carefully, smoothing it with her hand as she pulled it up. Then she flipped up the quilt, tugging here and tucking there, and the bed was done. Now it was as smooth as though no one had slept in it. A perfect match for Dana's own on the other side of the room.

I shrugged again and made some mental excuses for myself. After all, Dana was older. She should know how to make a bed better. But I knew that wasn't a very good excuse. There was only fourteen months' difference in our ages. Fourteen months. I was used to people making remarks about our "closeness." Though I still couldn't really understand why this fact should be of importance to anyone else. I liked the way our family was. It seemed just right and not at all something to be considered unusual or even special.

I had heard Mom tell the story over the years, always with a bit of a twinkle in her eye, that this was one time when Daddy's plans hadn't quite worked out as he'd expected. At his prompting, they-"they" being my father, David Walsh, or Dave as he was usually called, and my mom, Angela-had mapped everything out carefully, thinking that once they decided they could begin their family, two to three years was a good spread between siblings .

Brett had followed their plan. He had arrived at precisely the designated time, which was a couple of years after Daddy had finished his training in accounting and investments and settled into his first real job. Mom had turned in her notice at the local phone company office aDANA'S Valley * 13few months before Brett was due and hadn't gone back to work since. I've gotten the impression in hearing her talk about those days that she wasn't crazy about filing and typing anyway.

Just as predetermined, Dana arrived three years later- almost to the day. Mom and Dad's plans were working out just fine. A boy-then a girl-three years apart.

Apparently, they still hadn't made up their minds about adding to the family. Mom was busy with a baby and an active three-year-old, and Daddy was building up a list of clients at work. Besides, the family already seemed just right. That's when they got their little surprise. Another baby was on the way. And this one would arrive far short of the two- or three-year spread that previously had worked out well.

However, by the time I made my appearance, it seems they had pretty much accepted the reality. Mom always looked happy when she told this part of the story. She would shrug matter-of-factly, smile serenely, and admit that G.o.d knew far better than they what the family had needed. Dana had a little sister to mother, and being close together in age, we quickly became good buds as well. Mom maintained that, looking back, she wouldn't have had it any other way. That sounded fine to me.

For several years they felt the family was complete. And >certainly there was not the slightest feeling among Brett, Dana, and I that there was any need for change. But G.o.d *had another surprise. At least that's the way Mom described it. They named this next surprise Corey. He tagged along, six years younger than I. And Mom never missed a beat. If you hadn't known her well, you almost might have suspected she'd planned things that way all along.

14.

The first time she laid eyes on Corey from her prostrate position in the delivery room, Dad said her face fairly glowed with joy, with a sense of completeness that accompanied the arrival of this baby boy. And I think her att.i.tude was infectious. I'll never forget the moment I peeked into the little ba.s.sinet where he was sleeping next to Mom's hospital bed. His face was awfully red and wrinkled, but his hands-his darling, tiny hands-opened and closed even in his sleep. And when I reached down to gently touch the soft fingers, they closed around my own. I think I've been captivated by the wonder of Corey ever since.

I had begun kindergarten before anyone knew of Corey's coming, and I think Mom had been somewhat at loose ends and lonely at home. Now she claimed Corey was her "bonus baby." She often said she was so blessed to have another little person to treasure and discover. And none of us had felt any the less loved. After all, he was our baby too. If Mom wanted to spend her days delighting in the baby's warmth and smell and love, we were glad simply to share as much of the experience as our school schedules would allow.

I've heard people say that Mom is a bubbly, upbeat person by nature. I never really thought about it much- but even I was aware that the new baby seemed to bring out a renewed enthusiasm in her. She laughed a lot, teased more, and even drew Daddy, with his more serious-minded nature, into the silliness that we all shared as we enjoyed Corey. He soon became our little playmate, and with his energy and wide-eyed wonder at the world, he made a good one. In fact, Corey added new life and enjoyment to the entire household. I guess we all adored him. And, of course, he knew nearly from theDANA S Valley * 15start that he was the center of attention.

Dana and I were still dressing when Mom's voice called again, in singsong fas.h.i.+on, "Breakfast. Everyone up?"

Dana answered for us. "Coming" was all she said as she pulled on some new cream-colored pants and a matching sweater. I had settled for my favorite jeans with a comfy knit top.

"Brett? Are you up?"

We heard a faint mumble from behind Brett's closed door across the hall. His words couldn't be understood, but it usually took him a little while to get his motor running. That was Mom's description of Brett in the morning.

We left our room just as Brett struggled out of his door, still tucking in his s.h.i.+rt. It was easy to tell he hadn't been up for long. I thought for one zany moment that Dana might cross over and give him a hand with the tucking, but instead she just smiled and said good-morning. Brett mumbled again.

His hair was all rumpled, his eyes still looked half closed, and he was even yawning. He looked disheveled and funny, as though longing to turn around and bolt for his bed. I wanted to giggle again.

Corey was already downstairs. I could hear him chatting but didn't know if it was Mom or Daddy whom he was following around, spouting off about whatever it was that had captured his four-year-old curiosity and had him so excited this time. Corey always sounded excited. It was probably this general gusto that drew Corey out of bed before any of the rest of us on most mornings-even before Mom and Daddy. But he liked company, so he usually wasn't alone for long. He made sure of that.

He and Brett shared a room. But Brett, a teenager,:6.liked to sleep as long as possible and wasn't very good company in the mornings. Corey had long since accepted that fact, so he would leave their room and look for someone else. Sometimes, if our folks were unresponsive, he would come to our room. He'd beg for a story or try to talk us into a game. Dana was very patient. I wasn't much more excited than Brett about mornings. But I really didn't mind too much when Corey interrupted my sleep. He was still pretty cute, and he always made us laugh at the funny things he said.

When we were all a.s.sembled around the breakfast table and Brett, whose turn it was to pray, had wakened enough to say a sensible grace, the morning seemed to pick up speed. Mom sat for only a moment or two before popping up again to get something she'd forgotten. Daddy checked homework a.s.signments, spending the usual extra time with Brett. I listened, feeling almost dizzy hearing the two of them talk about certain things that Brett was required to learn in school. It made me appreciate the fact that I was still in fifth grade. My teachers said I was a good student-and maybe I was. Anyway, most of the a.s.signments were easy for me.

"Hey, Sissy, see what I can do." Corey was perfecting a balancing act with his spoon teetering on the edge of his orange juice gla.s.s. He tried every morning, but it usually ended with another wet spot on the table.

"Honey, just eat, please." Mom was amazingly patient. There wasn't even an edge to her voice. Corey put the spoon down beside his plate and grinned in response.

"Daddy, my music teacher says I'll need a new book soon," Dana was saying. "I can buy one from her, or we can go down to the music store ourselves. Can we go down to the store, please? I want to look at other booksDANA'S Valley * 17too." I was sure Dana already knew what the answer would be. Daddy always carefully budgeted for our music lessons, as with every family expenditure, and he wasn't likely to spend more on a whim of Dana's. But I waited for his response anyway. If he said yes, it might mean that this was an opportune moment to ask again about new tennis shoes.

He looked up, winked across the table at Mom, then smiled toward Dana. "You've almost finished another book? I'm proud of you. You're working very hard. But I think we'd better wait on shopping for extra books right now. You've got a birthday coming up, remember?"

Dana smiled back, not quite concealing her disappointment.

"And what about you, Erin?" Daddy went on. "Are you ready for a new book too?"

Suddenly I was sorry I had taken an interest in their conversation. I'd already finished eating and easily could have been excused from the table and seated at the piano by now if I hadn't hung back to see how Daddy would answer Dana.

"No, not yet." I dipped my head just a bit so he couldn't read my eyes. The fact was, I was only about halfway through my book, and I hadn't done too great a job on the first half either. I didn't care much for piano.

"Maybe if you didn't sit and read those mystery stories while you're practicing ..." Brett let the sentence dangle accusingly and slid out from behind the table to head for the corner trash bin. It was his job to gather the garbage for the weekly collection.

Mom looked up at me and frowned. "Oh, Erin, you're not trying to read again while you're practicing,i8are you? I thought we agreed that you weren't going to do that anymore."

I would've liked to stick out my tongue at Brett, but he had his back to me. Anyway, there was a good chance I would be reprimanded for that too, and both parents were already frowning at me. Instead, I scowled in Brett's direction and turned back to face Mom. "I only did it once since you told me to stop-yesterday was the only time-and that was because I wanted to know how the chapter ended before school. It was only a couple pages, anyway. Marcy always asks me how far I got, and I never get as much time to read as she does. I hate it when she's always ahead."

Daddy didn't seem impressed. "Well, Erin, don't let it happen again-no matter how far ahead Marcy gets. We're paying for those lessons, and we want you to be serious about practicing. If I see you doing it again, there will be consequences. And I'll be checking up on you. Understand?"

"Yes, Daddy."

I dragged myself to the piano stool and managed to make my fingers stumble through the scales and simple songs. My hands always felt stiff and resisting, much better suited to holding a basketball or swinging a bat. Dana, though having taken piano only one year longer than I, could already play complicated pieces that truly sounded like music. I wasn't convinced I would ever be able to achieve that kind of skill. But if Daddy said to practice, I would practice. I adored my father. I hated to disappoint him, even if at times I did feel his discipline was a bit rigid and he hadn't taken quite enough time to let me properly explain my point of view about a situation.

Once all of the morning routine was complete, theDANA S Valley * 19walk to the corner to catch the school bus was almost pleasant. Brett always dashed on ahead. I guess by the time we were sent out the door, Brett had finally gotten his motor running-or something-for he was able to sprint down the street, his gangly long legs making fast work of the concrete sidewalk. If he got to the bus stop a little early, he had time to shoot a few baskets in Sanders' driveway while he waited.

Dana and I followed more slowly. We always joined up with Marcy and her sister Carli two doors down from our house. We'd been walking to catch the bus together ever since we'd moved to our cozy little house on Maple Street back when I was in first grade.

Everyone said our community was a jumping-off spot for families on the way up. "Starter Homes" was how the real estate companies had described the area, so there seemed to be ample reason for families to move in and then to move on, to a fancier, upscale suburb. I was glad my own family had chosen to settle. I liked the way the town kind of tucked itself in between the hills. It was small enough to feel cozy and friendly, but large enough so we could go to a movie once in a while and out to McDonald's afterward. I liked our neighborhood. Our friends. Our church. Even our school, though I didn't often admit that fact publicly. I saw no reason to move on-anywhere-and felt relieved when Daddy seemed quick to agree. He would quote the Bible verse about how it was better to eat a bowl of vegetables where there was peace than a fatted calf with strife. According to his way of thinking, it was more important to work on building a happy home than a particularly prosperous or impressive-looking one. I knew from overhearing a few conversations that he'd had opportunities to relocate for a better 20.

job, but he'd chosen to stay put, even though neighbors, coming and going, often boasted about the advances and promotions they were receiving.

As I grew older, on more than one occasion I had been struck by how difficult Daddy's approach to life seemed to be for our grandpa Walsh to understand. I enjoyed eavesdropping on adults' conversations and tried to gather as much information as I could. It seemed to me that Grandpa, who owned a business or two of his own, placed a great deal of value on "getting ahead." That explained why he often pressed Daddy to be more like him, like a Walsh-independent, self-motivated, and successful. Every time they would visit, Grandpa Walsh seemed to have some new business opportunity for Daddy. But Daddy would just smile and say "no, thank you" in a variety of ways until Grandpa finally had to give up again.

Over the years I had managed to piece together bits of the Walsh family history. They had come from Ireland many years ago, poor and needy, yet with a great deal of independence and family pride. Grandpa Walsh always stressed that fact when he talked of the family roots, as though independence and pride were two very important characteristics. He never let the story stop there but always went on to tell how, since then, most Walshes had owned their own businesses and through hard work and smart planning had managed to attain success.

Daddy's older brother, my uncle Patrick, had opened his own law office and was very successful, by our grandfather's standard. He lived in Chicago with Auntie Lynn and their three boys. But we didn't see them much.

There had been another brother too. Uncle Eric had died on a military training exercise. Since Grandpa Walsh had not wanted him to join the military in the first place,DANA'S Valley * 21this had been particularly difficult for the family. I felt I could understand how much Grandma still missed their son, and I shared with her a special affection for the picture of Uncle Eric that she kept on a little shelf beside her kitchen sink. A variety of individual and family pictures was scattered through the house, but this was the only one in which Uncle Eric was proudly poised in full uniform. For some reason, as I studied his face, I became convinced that he was thinking about Grandma at just the time the picture was taken. I'm not sure why I was so certain, but I was, just the same. I tried to ask Grandma about it one time, and I think she was pretty sure too.

Though I could never quite understand why, that picture also brought some discord to the family. Grandpa seemed to hate it. I had seen him scowl at it over Grandma's shoulder when he thought no one else was around. And I had heard him mutter under his breath in a conversation with a neighbor, "Not even in combat, but by a stupid error on someone's part." That was the only time I had heard Grandpa speak of it. But it was not the only time I'd seen anger flare in his eyes at the mention of the loss of his middle son.

Apparently, though, as much as he resented the reminder of Uncle Eric in uniform, he had not demanded that Grandma remove the picture. Or if he had, she had not complied. For each time we visited their home, I stole back to the kitchen to see if Uncle Eric was still there, and every time he was right where he belonged on the little shelf. Uncle Eric-still young. Still looking proud.

For my part, I thought Uncle Eric very handsome and wished with all my heart I could have known him. When I was younger, I even secretly dreamed that the man I would someday marry would look just like him. Maybe he 22.

would wear a sharp-looking uniform and have his hair clipped just so. He might even have a dimple like Uncle Eric's. His dimple hardly showed in the uniformed picture because of the formal pose/ yet his green eyes had not been able to hide their twinkle in a mischievous little-boy fas.h.i.+on.

I liked the fact that Uncle Eric's eyes were like Daddy's. I often wished it had been me, instead of Dana, who had taken after his side of the family. Dana had been blessed with the musical talent, the thick russet hair, and the beautiful hazely green eyes from the Walsh side. Instead, I had gotten the plain, straight blond hair from Mother's family. And dark eyes. Dark eyes were not as ... as alive and riveting as Daddy's greenish ones. Though I admit I was always a little bit pleased when folks pointed out that I was going to be tall like my mother. Tall and willowy. That was what I had heard Daddy say. He made it sound as though being tall and willowy was something to be desired. The thought always made me stand just a little bit straighter.

Dana was on the short side for her age. A little skinny too, I guess. Though Mom always called it pet.i.te. I had already pa.s.sed her in height. Green eyes aside, I took some consolation in that fact.

CHAPTER TWO.

the school day had included the usual flurry of hallway action while students scrambled to cla.s.ses, calling frantic short-term good-byes to friends whom they would meet again within hours over lunchroom tables. Then the comparative calm of the cla.s.sroom, students bent over a.s.signments or listening to their teacher. And finally, after what seemed a long and tedious day, we grabbed jackets and backpacks to rush out into the crisp early spring air where all our pent-up energy could be released.

Since it was Wednesday, we knew we would need to hurry home and complete homework a.s.signments before church club activities began. But even so, Dana and I 1rather dallied as we walked home from the bus stop together, chatting about the nonevents of the day. Then our talk switched to the evening's activities and our steps picked up some. Club night was always exciting.

Well, at least it had been. Brett, in his first year of senior-high youth group, had a renewed enthusiasm for Wednesday night church ever since the school year had begun. A new youth pastor seemed to be able to invent 24.

fun things to do, and he managed to attach some type of significance to them so they pa.s.sed for sanctioned youth activities. Brett often returned home talking about scavenger hunts or music videos, making Dana and me long for the day when we would be a part of all of the teenage fun. It was difficult not to gripe about the fact that we were still dutifully memorizing Bible verses for modest prizes and playing the now-familiar games. We would have quite willingly admitted that we enjoyed our club activities had it not been for Brett's boasting. But how could we claim to be having fun with a Bible drill when he was talking about finding the mystery man in a game of Glue at the mall?

In no time we'd done our a.s.signments, eaten supper, and scrambled into the family van for the drive to church. When Daddy pulled up to the curb in front, we tumbled out and scattered-Brett to the youth room to see what adventure awaited him that evening, Corey and Mom to the bas.e.m.e.nt, where they would share the preschool experience together, and Dana and I to our individual cla.s.ses. Daddy was left to search for a parking spot on his own.

"Hey, Erin, how many sections did you finish in your book this week?" Marcy had spotted me walking down the long hall to our cla.s.sroom. She seemed to think it was her duty to keep track of everyone's progress.

"Three." I slowed my step to match Marcy's.

"I did two. And a half-almost. But Jenna beat you again. She did five. I don't think Jenna does anything else. How could she and still finish five sections of her book in one week?"

I didn't really care, so I didn't bother to respond. Instead, I tried to divert Marcy's attention. "Are you comDANA S Valley * 25coming swimming this weekend? My dad said we could go. Dana hasn't decided if she wants to yet, but I'm going for sure.

"What's the matter with Dana? She loves to swim."