The Wren: Laurel Run, Meeting Marsia Gardner – Librarian
On-going novel
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Chapter 5
Travel to Laurel Run
Two years had gone by since his stay with the Plain People. During those two years Joseph traveled on his own on back roads and trails. He spent time with vagabond families that traveled as work was found. He stayed with them in shelter buildings and worked the ground for the property owners. Many times, there would be a harvest feast of seconds from the fields.
As he roamed by himself, he often lived on his own eating blackberries, lemon grass, nuts, seeds. Many of the wild things that grew in the fields he learned about from the traveling folks, some of it he was impressed to try. Every time he was impressed, it seemed like someone was talking to him in his head. Occasionally he pilfered vegetables from unattended gardens. Joseph never worried about where food would come from. As he needed it, there would always be a way made for him.
He learned from the traveling workers how to manage. They were experienced in sustaining life on the move. You layered your clothes, shedding what you did not need in the warmer months. And adding clothes in the colder times. Wearing the clothes as you traveled was easier than toting a bag with the extra clothes.
“If you don’t have a permanent home, you learn to live off the land, you take refuge where Nature allows. The work was hard and I was always worn out by the end of the day. But it felt good to work with friends, to share the load and watch everyone take care of each other.”
He was in and out of small towns and communities. But never felt comfortable. It never felt like where he should be.
But this town he had found, Laurel Run, felt right. It was a small village of regular folks and just entering the town, there was a calm that came over Joseph.
“This might be it. This could really be where I am supposed to stay.”
He missed his foster friends and the Zimmerman family, but knew he was meant to be in this town now. He was sure of it.
He looked down at his jacket. It was smart of him to hide it near that cave close to the Zimmerman Home. The name tag was still there. As long as he had the jacket and name tag, he knew who he was.
This small town was different than anything he had known before. At first, he hid behind some barrels in a back alley, just getting the feel of it. There were several back stoops behind some stores that were not used very often, so he spent time sleeping there or hanging out.
Not knowing his way around, put Joseph at a disadvantage.
“It feels right being here in this town, but I have to find some safe places.”
He ducked around into side streets and alleyways and open fields just on the edge of town. He had good experience from previous living situations and knew what to look for – to be safe.
He was not looking for handouts, but just safe places to spend the night, read a book, eat the beef jerky he had bartered from in the last town, or get away from potential problems. Those problems could range anywhere from town law enforcement, wild dogs, or truancy officers looking to bring him into a school setting.
Joseph had spent time in school early on in his journey and liked being around the teachers and students. His learning offered him the ability to read, write, and master numbers and money. But he felt so much better when he was free to move as he liked. And study the books he was interested in.
“I don’t know how mom and dad would feel about me not going to school now, but since they are gone and I have no one else, it must be my decision. I can do this myself.”
On one of the turns into an alley that seemed deserted, he ran smack into a kid that was mean looking and much bigger than he was. Joseph stopped flat on his feet surprised at seeing anyone there, let alone a big, tough kid. Whack! Joseph felt a stinging sensation on the side of his face. His head smarted and he felt temporarily disoriented.
“Stay out of my alley,” the kid shouted with a huff and pushed Joseph out into the sidewalk so fast and hard that he fell and rolled.
A tall thin woman was walking by at the same time. She helped Joseph get up and asked if he was alright. It took a minute for him to regain his thoughts. But looked her in the eye and nodded. He halfway bowed and made the sign for “thank you,” then backed out of her way.
“Oh, I see you met Donavon,” the woman said. She explored the alley where Donavon was strutting around like a rooster claiming his victory.
Joseph noticed that even though Donavon was strong, he was slower moving than most kids his age. He also knew that the slower roosters were the ones that had staying power in cockfights. He witnessed several fights while staying with people that made a living that way. So, he admired the strength, but also recognized the lack of speed.
Joseph acknowledged her statement and moved on his way to investigate other safe havens. He and Donavon would have many confrontations in the future.
Meeting Marsia Gardner – Librarian
The wooden walkway in front of the stores made a ‘clump-clump’ sound as he walked on them. It was comforting to hear. Joseph was captivated with the sound and kept a steady beat as he walked. It helped him feel grounded and balanced.
Soon, Joseph found himself in the library. He walked up to the librarian, Mrs. Gardner.
“So we meet again. How can I help you, young man?,” she added.
They both recognized each other at the same time. She was the woman who helped Joseph when he and Donavon had their first encounter.
She was a slight framed woman, probably 40-45 years of age. Her hair was shoulder length and fully silver before its time. It was a very defining look on her and made him take notice of her mannerisms. She had a soft way about her, but everything she did had purpose.
He saw her name badge: Marisa Gardner. Now he had a name to go with the face.
He handed her the library card he had while living with the Zimmerman’s. He looked up at her like she should know what he wanted.
Joseph knew he must have a card so he could take out books. At first, she did not understand. Then he made the sign for “reading” and then for “new”. Finally, she looked at the card and said, “Oh, I see you have a library card from Lancaster County. Do you want a new card from our library?”
He smiled and nodded his head. His clear gray eyes were piercing for such a young child. She was captivated by them and eventually by Joseph’s small stature and honest ways.
This was one of the forgotten libraries in the state. The smaller communities had not been updated with new equipment or procedures. Other facilities were already doing away with file cards and bringing in more efficient in-house computers with data on all the books and resources of each branch.
Mrs. Gardner was in full control of her library and took great pride in knowing where every book, magazine and resource materials were. She did not have to answer to anyone else concerning the operations there. She created a new card for him and watched as he went directly to the area of the library that he could find what he wanted to read.
One book was a story about exploration, one about sign language, and finally, he checked out a book about the area he was in, Laurel Run in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
Luzerne County was mostly mountainous forests. The Laurel Run is a tributary of Mill Creek, which flows through much of the region. The area was known as a borough, a type of district or municipality. But most the locals referred to it lovingly as a “burra”.
After leaving the library, he took the books to a special hiding place he found to keep them safe. Joseph was still investigating the town for other safe places, but this one would do nicely. He had an old metal lunch box he found in someone’s alley trash heap. Since it looked like rain, he placed the books in the box and stashed it in between two barrels. Looking around, to make sure no one saw him there, he sneaked around the corner and headed back to the library.
Joseph had not found a safe place to stay out of the ran yet, so he thought the library would be a great place to be. And as soon as he entered the doors, the rain started splashing against the glass door.
“Just in time!”
Mrs. Gardner was in an adjacent room to the checkout desk, opening boxes that had just been delivered. Joseph quietly slipped past and proceeded to a different area of the library. He found a place that was not used often, at least it appeared so. The area had a section that wrapped around to a dead end. There were no chairs or stacks of books and only had a trash can.
Time escaped Joseph as he immersed himself in a book about Mennonites and other religious orders. It made him feel safe to read about them reminding him of the Zimmerman Home he spent so much time at.
The Mennonites and the Amish, known as a later version of the same religion, were originally persecuted in Europe. They fled to the mountains of Switzerland and parts of Germany. That is where the Amish tradition of farming and holding their worship services in homes began.
Both groups came to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania seeking religious freedom. And spread into many parts of the country. Not all Mennonites are as strict about dress, motor vehicles and electricity. Many are much more relaxed in their approach to living.
The belief of non-violence and connection to god (or divine) was interesting to Joseph.
He had already decided the library would be one of his hiding places. Mrs. Gardner seemed to be a nice and gentle woman. Perhaps he could spend time there without her minding. He watched her from his hidden space as she checked on things and put away stray books, preparing to close the library.
The lights went out and there he was again, by himself. He looked around to get his bearing, found a cushion in a nearby chair and created a comfortable bed on the floor. He spent many of his nights alone in the past two years, so he was fine with it.
“This makeshift bed is better than most. I am warm, dry and comfortable.”
Joseph slept well that night, better than in some time. It was a hard sleep and even though he might have dreamed, he was not sure what the dream was about.
As soon as Mrs. Gardner opened the library the next day, Joseph was ready. He had put the books back that he had looked at the night before. The cushion that was his mattress was back in the chair. He knew he had to sneak out without her seeing him. it was a great place to sleep, but only in bad weather. He still enjoyed being outside. He waited until she went into the restroom to tidy her hair and dress, then darted out the door.
A few days later.
Joseph went by Johnson’s store and worked for an hour in the storage room. He was getting particularly good at helping and Mr. Johnson appreciated him being there. A new shipment of peaches and apples were crated and resting just outside the doorway. Two of each was the payment this time for his help.
Joseph signed ‘thank you’ and headed out the door. Just as he was walking down the sidewalk, Donavon showed up. He smacked the hand that had the apples and grabbed the one that fell. Then he took off running and enjoyed Joseph’s apple, laughing as he chomped a big mouthful. Joseph knew to pick his battles, and this was only a small issue. He did not mind sharing his breakfast.
“There’s something unusual about Donavon. Seems like I should know him.”
Just in case Donavon was going to continue to bother him, Joseph decided to duck back into the library. Just for a few minutes until the coast was clear.
Mrs. Gardner greeted him as he entered the door. He smiled and handed her one of his peaches. “Thank you, Joseph. Why don’t we go into the lounge and eat together?”
This was the beginning of a special relationship. Mrs. Gardner talked of many things, but mostly about the people who lived in Laurel Run. Joseph was intrigued with the information and listened to her every word. She spoke of Mr. Johnson, the store owner, the local minister, Rev. Masters, different politicians, and the most interesting was Ben Garran the local blacksmith and handyman.
She told Joseph that Ben was from Romani descent, possibly Hungary or Romania. No one really knew for sure. The locals just called him a “gypsy”. She explained how the word “gypsy” was a derogatory term for those of Romani descent. He had been seen walking around the outer edges of town from time to time, and many folks felt uneasy about this. “But Ben does this as a way of letting people know he would be around working in the area or inspecting his property. He always made his presence known, never trying to hide himself or his actions,” said Mrs. Gardner.
Not many in town felt comfortable with Ben around, believing he was trouble, probably stealing chickens or tools out of their sheds. There has always been a rumor that he came from rough people who do not have any respect for “respectable citizens.”
So, they stayed away from him as much as possible. A few men in the area and outer farmers knew him to be an honest man and dealt with him for repairs on certain fences or wrought iron doors and such. But generally, the town folk thought of Ben as being gruff and rude – difficult to get along with. Once, there was talk that he had done some kind of mumbo-jumbo magic that caused the terrible windstorm that damaged many homes and businesses. The talk was that he did this so he would have handy work to earn some money. But no one could ever prove it.
“I’ve known Ben for many years,” she said. “He has always been respectful and helped me when I needed it. He’s a quiet man.”
Over the next few days, Joseph came to visit the librarian regularly and learned much about the town and its people. One day he steered the conversation in a different direction.
“I hope she understands my question, not sure how to sign the words for ‘smell in the air.’ But sometimes there is a terrible stench in the air and other times it is fine. I wonder where that smell comes from.”
Joseph gets her attention and pinches his nose, making a stinky face while fanning the air.
“Oh! You noticed the smell,” Mrs. Gardner said with a smile in her voice. “This whole area, in fact much of Pennsylvania is full of coal mines – anthracite mostly.”
Joseph spelled out c-o-a-l in sign language and pinched his nose again with and inquisitive look on his face.
“No, no. the coal doesn’t have an odor to it. It’s very dusty and that gets everywhere, you know, but it doesn’t smell,” she said matter-of -fact. It is really a long story, I guess. A fire started many years ago very deep in an underground mine here-abouts.”
“The mine has been abandoned for many years because of the fire. You see, it has never been put out completely. It still smolders. They call it the Red Ash mine. So, when the wind is just right, you can smell the smoke and odors that come from the smoldering ash. I’ll find you a book on the history of this mine and how it has affected the area.”
Joseph nods.
The town had once been a remarkably busy, up and coming place with everyone working and on task. This was before the mine fire. After that, slowly people had to move to other parts of the state where they could find gainful work. Some stayed and lived the best they could. Even though their little town which butted up to a high ridge called Giant’s Despair, was in desolation, with rundown buildings and a slow pace of life, the people of Laurel Run were proud of her.
Mrs. Gardner showed a kindest to Joseph that he had not had in a long time. She cared about him, watched out for him and this reminded him of his mother. She learned some sign language and they practice it together. Because of her, Joseph got to know many of the towns people some of the history and knew for sure that he was in the right place.
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Melissa Leath writes A Mystics Journal on Substack. She supplies outrageous metaphysical babble/rant from a modern-day mystic's viewpoint and provides workshops about empowerment and psychic/metaphysical development. Her books Psychic Integrity, The Respected Practice of Modern-Day Mystics (Balboa Press, division of Hay House Publishing) and Does Your Child See Sparkles? are available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Melissa’s long-term study includes years of group development, platform mediumship, meditation, becoming a spiritual medium and minister and a BA in Metaphysical Counseling. She has worked with 10s of thousands of clients in USA and other countries, taught development classes for 12 years and settled into online workshops.
Please contact Melissa at melisssaleath@gmail.com.