River's End (9781426761140) Read Online Free PDF

Anna’s mother had seemed to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders for so many years. So much anxiety and concern for so many things . . . it had prematurely aged her . . . and it had driven Anna away. Hopefully, Sarah would not fall into that trap.
    Anna looked over at the bookshelf that was filled with Hazel’s anthropology books. There on the top shelves were the notebooks that Hazel had filled with notes and stories she’d transcribed from Anna’s father’s notebooks. Anna got up and pulled a fat black notebook from the shelf, flipping it open to a section of old stories. “Maybe you’d like to read these,” she said to Sarah. “My grandmother, as you know, went through some very difficult times, too. And I know she had some years where she was bitter about a lot of things.” Anna shook her head. “And, really, she had a right to be bitter. The way the Siuslaw Indians were treated in those days . . . well, it was terrible.”
    â€œYou mean when they were starved on the reservation?”
    â€œYes. They were pretty much treated like animals. Oh, the white men tried to make it look like it was an education program, and I suppose some of the people teaching in my grandmother’s school weren’t so bad. She did learn to sew. But my grandmother was a wise woman, and she discovered that forgiveness was a better path than being bitter.”
    â€œWell, that sounds all good and nice, but it might not be for everyone.” Sarah pulled the afghan more tightly around herself, almost as if she was creating a cocoon. “Have you ever considered the possibility that some things are unforgivable?”
    â€œOr maybe some things just take time.” She set the black notebook on the worn pine table in the kitchen. “My grandmother’s life has taught me a lot of things . . . maybe you can learn from her, too, Sarah.”
    They both jumped to hear someone knocking on the door. “
Mom?
” called Lauren’s voice. “Are you in there?” And before Anna could get there, the door flew open and Lauren entered the room. “Oh, there you are, I’ve been looking all over for—” Lauren stopped in mid-sentence—her jaw dropped and her eyes grew huge as she pointed at Sarah sitting there in the rocker still wrapped in the afghan. Lauren turned to Anna,blinking with a shocked expression. “Wha—what is going on? What is—?”
    â€œI cannot deal with
this!
” Sarah exclaimed as she leaped to her feet. With the afghan trailing behind her, she stomped off to the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
    â€œ
Sarah!
” Lauren sputtered. “When did she—how did she—why didn’t you tell me?” She pressed her fist to her lips with tear-filled eyes. “
Mom?
”
    â€œIt’s a long story, Lauren.” Anna glanced nervously at the closed door. Surely Sarah wouldn’t climb out the window and make a run for it.
    â€œHow long has she been here?” Lauren demanded.
    â€œNot long.” Anna felt torn. Lauren had every right to feel hurt . . . and yet it was Sarah that worried her.
    â€œWhy didn’t you tell me?”
    â€œSarah wasn’t ready to—”
    â€œI can’t believe you kept this from me, Mom. My own daughter!”
    â€œI’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do. I promised her—”
    â€œWere you
ever
going to tell me?” Lauren’s voice grew louder. “Did everyone but me know about—”
    â€œCalm down,” Anna said quietly. “You’ll scare her.”
    â€œI’ll scare
her?
” Lauren’s brow creased. “Do you know how scared I’ve been for her? How frightened I’ve been that she’d been kidnapped, tortured, murdered just like those other young girls that Ted Bundy—”
    â€œShe’s safe,