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  “Sister Breezie?” She let out a hoot of laughter. “That’s good.”

  By then we were all laughing and teasing and calling each other by these newly discovered nicknames. I even became Sister Rainy. “Well, we better not let Brother Sky catch us changing our names already,” I warned as the laughter finally subsided.

  “Yeah, it’ll just have to be a sister thing,” said Sunshine.

  No more talk of marriage was heard during the trip, but I must admit I wondered if Moonlight might not be onto something. And I felt a confusing mix of emotions about the idea. Part of me knew that I was too young to marry, but another part was intrigued by the possibility. And naturally these were just some more thoughts I had to lock away in my captive dungeon. I wondered how many thoughts that place could contain without bursting out at the seams and embarrassing me.

  We had a little celebration when we finally crossed the California state line. And to our delight it was a clear and sunny day. We actually got out of the vehicles and danced around and even kissed the ground. Then we made a little circle and Sky led us in a word of prayer before we climbed back into the car and van and prepared for the final hours of our arduous journey.

  We reached Carmel late in the afternoon and stopped at a store to pick up some provisions. “I don’t know what my grandmother will have on hand,” said Sky as we filled a cart, “so we might as well come prepared.”

  I can still remember the rush I felt when we finally pulled to a stop on a little country road. The only sign that we were at the right place was a rusty old mailbox in front of a gravel driveway that looked fairly overgrown with weeds and grass. Sky stuck his head out the window of the bug and hollered, “This is it! We’ve reached the Promised Land!” Then we followed him down a long driveway until we came to a two-story farmhouse with a barn and a couple of small outbuildings tucked next to a low green hill. The place was thoroughly overgrown with briars and weeds and the leaning buildings appeared about to fall over, but to me it really looked like Paradise! We all jumped out of our vehicles and literally danced around, praising the Lord and shouting and laughing—and then we followed Sky’s lead and kneeled right there in the driveway and prayed for God to bless this place as we dedicated it to him as “The Promised Land.”

  “You all wait out here while I go inside and have a quick word with my grandmother,” said Sky.

  Moonlight begged him to hurry since she really needed to use the bathroom. “Bad,” she said as she hopped around. The six of us continued to sing praise songs to pass the time as we waited outside in the cool January air, and finally Moonlight couldn’t stand it any longer and proceeded to relieve herself in the nearby bushes.

  Then just as daylight began to fade Sky came back out and flipped on the porch light. A big smile lit his face. “Come on in,” he called. “I haven’t figured everything out yet, but Gram wants to meet everyone. I didn’t exactly tell her that we would all be staying here. She thinks you’re all just passing through. But I know that God is working this thing out for us. And we can’t question his ways. We just have to take this thing one step at a time—kind of like when the Israelites took the Promised Land. So for now let’s not mention to her that we’re all going to stay here. Okay?”

  Naturally we all agreed, but I remember chastising myself for the tremor of worry that passed through me. What if Sky’s grandmother didn’t want us? What then? But down to the dungeon I tossed these thoughts as I pasted a faithful smile across my face and stepped into the old farmhouse. The living room smelled like a bad mixture of cooked cabbage, dirty laundry, and stale cigarette smoke. And right off I could see that no one had kept house here in quite some time. Situated on a couch that seemed to be serving as a bed was an old woman who looked to be almost as wide as she was tall, and I’d guess she was maybe five feet tall at best. Next to her was a metal TV tray with an overflowing ashtray and several empty dishes that looked as if they’d been sitting there for some time. I don’t actually remember how Sky introduced us to her but I’ll never forget her response.

  “What are you kids? Some kind of traveling circus or something? How’d you get those names anyway? Raincloud and Moonshine and why, I can’t even remember the rest!”

  “These are the new names that God has given us,” said Sky in a solemn voice. But Sunshine and I had to irreverently suppress giggles over his grandmother’s comments.

  “God gave you names?” She hooted. “Now ain’t that something! You think he’ll give me a new name too, Scotty?”

  “Actually I go by Sky now.” This conversation was making him uncomfortable.

  “Sky?” she looked up and over in his direction, but not right at him, and that’s when it became apparent that she could barely see, and I remembered then how Sky had said she was almost blind from her advanced diabetes. “What’s your mother think about you changing your name, Scotty?”

  He sighed deeply. “You know, Gram, we’re all pretty hungry and I’ll bet you are too. How about if we start fixing some dinner? We stopped by the store and got some things.” He turned to us. “Why don’t you go get those groceries and bring them in?” Then he stopped me. “Rainbow, you know a little about cooking and cleaning, don’t you? How about if you stay in here and get things going in the kitchen?”

  “Sure,” I said.

  “Who do you want to help you?”

  Now this was a new twist. I got to pick someone to help me? “How about Sunshine?” I suggested.

  She smiled. “Okay, but you’ll have to show me what to do. I’m pretty hopeless in the kitchen.”

  As it turned out the kitchen was pretty hopeless too. At least at first glance. Obviously Sky’s grandmother had been challenged by her fading vision, to say the least, to fend for herself, and as a result the place looked chaotic with various dishes and pots and food items spread all over the counters. But Sunshine and I rolled up our sleeves and began to attack it. I put Sunshine to work washing dirty dishes (so we’d have something to eat from) while I tried to make enough space on the counters to prepare a meager meal of spaghetti, salad, and bread. Almost two hours later we all sat around the dining room table and ate. But before we ate I made sure to take a nice plate out to Sky’s grandmother, reintroducing myself to her as Rainbow, not Raincloud, this time.

  “Did you do the cooking?” she asked, sniffing the plate.

  “Yes. I’m not the best cook,” I said apologetically. “But I’ve had a little practice.”

  “How old are you?”

  By now I knew that Sky had told her we were all college-aged, so as to avoid unnecessary questions. “I’m eighteen,” I said quietly, choosing the closest legal age to my own. Somehow it seemed less of a lie to me at the time.

  “Well, what’re you doing tramping around the country with my grandson?” she asked as she shoveled a bite of salad into her mouth.

  “We’re all just good friends,” I explained. “Like brothers and sisters. And Sky is like our big brother. We really look up to him. And he’s a good guy.”

  She looked in my direction, and with her mouth still full of lettuce, smiled. Her eyes were a foggy gray. “That’s nice,” she muttered. “Well, if you like to cook, little Raincloud, then maybe you should think about sticking around here awhile. I could use some good meals.”

  I patted her thick, flabby arm. “Thanks, uh, Mrs.—” I paused, wondering what to call her. I didn’t remember if Sky had mentioned a name or not.

  “Aw, just call me Gram. I know I talk like a mean old broad but I’m not really so bad—not once you get to know me.”

  Most of us (the sisters and Sky) stayed in the house that night. There were two bedrooms upstairs and two down (one of which was occupied by Gram). Sunshine and I shared one of the upstairs rooms and Breeze and Moonlight shared the other. Sky took the other downstairs bedroom and the other two brothers threw Sky’s old mattress down and camped in the loft above the barn (which they said was also inhabited with mice who liked to frolic at night). But everyone was so
exhausted from the long trip that despite the conditions I think we all slept soundly that night.

  The next morning I found myself in the kitchen again, attempting to fix pancakes, bacon, and eggs for eight hungry people. Sunshine tried to be helpful, but I quickly discovered that of the four sisters I was the only one who knew anything about cooking and that really wasn’t all that much. After breakfast Sky came in with Breeze and Moonlight in tow, then said to me, “I want to talk to you outside.” He turned to the other three. “You sisters finish cleaning up in here.”

  I wondered if I’d done something wrong as Sky walked me out to the backyard. I knew that the bacon had been a little underdone and some of the pancakes a little dark.

  “Rainbow, I can see I’m going to really be needing your help here.”

  I sighed in relief. So I wasn’t in trouble. “Yeah, that’s cool.”

  “And I just don’t want it to turn out that you’re doing all the work. So we’ve got to make a plan.”

  “Okay.” I looked at him, waiting expectantly. After all, he was the plan man.

  He ran his fingers across his chin, which I’d noticed had gone unshaven for several days now. “I think what I want to do is to put you in charge of all the household.”

  I nodded, unsure as to what exactly this meant but willing just the same, anything to serve God and my brothers and sisters. “Okay,” I said, waiting for him to explain.

  “But I don’t want you thinking that means you have to do all the work. I want you to fix it so that all the sisters do an equal share—no slackers, you know? Can you handle that?”

  I frowned, thinking how the other girls were all older than me and had been Christians longer… I’d sort of looked up to them, especially Sunshine. “Oh, I don’t know.”

  “Come on, Rainbow. I really need you to do this for me.”

  “Okay,” I said again, at the same time wondering how I’d handle overseeing the other sisters, especially Moonlight. Would they even listen to me? What if they didn’t respect me? But I kept these doubts to myself.

  He smiled and ran his hand over my head, giving my long braid a gentle tug. “Thanks, Rainbow. I knew that when God sent you to us it was for a really special purpose. It’s like your name suggests. Rainbow is the promise of hope.”

  The warm rush I felt with his words was unexplainable, but it was in that moment I felt I’d probably do anything for Sky, anything at all. “Thanks, Sky,” I muttered, looking down at my feet and hoping my cheeks weren’t blazing, giving away my thoughts like two red flags. I would of course repent later.

  “Oh, and another thing,” he said. “I think the sisters should all start dressing more modestly.”

  “More modestly?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. No more jeans and overalls and cutoffs. I think you should all wear dresses from now on.”

  “Dresses?” I stared at him. “But this is a farm—”

  “I know. But women used to wear dresses in the old days.”

  “Oh, you mean like long dresses?”

  “Yes!” He smiled again. “Long dresses.”

  “But we don’t have anything like that—”

  “Can’t you make some?”

  “You mean sew them?”

  “Sure, I guess so.”

  “Well, I used to do a little sewing—”

  “Great.” He smiled brightly. “Rainbow, you’re amazing!”

  I felt my blush deepening, but at the same time knew I needed to stay focused and be practical. “But, Sky, how can I sew dresses? I don’t have any fabric—”

  “Well, look around Gram’s house. She used to sew a lot. And if you don’t find anything to use, then I’ll take you to town to buy something. But have faith, little one. I’m sure that God will lead you.”

  Although I was pleased at his attention I still felt a little overwhelmed and slightly confused, but I tried not to show it. Sky’s approval meant everything to me. “Okay, Sky, I’ll do the best I can.”

  “I knew you could handle this, Rainbow. You are a true gift from God to me.”

  And so it came to pass that I was put in charge of the sisters.

  Seventeen

  On our third day in California, almost a week after we’d left Brookdale, the seven of us gathered out at the end of the driveway just before sunset, right next to the road, to officially dedicate the farm to God’s service.

  The brothers had constructed a rustic sign made of twigs nailed and glued to an old barn board that announced who we were to all passersby: The Promised Land. First we sang praise songs as River and Stone set the posts into the muddy ground. Then we all got down on our knees, right there in the dirt and gravel, and prayed that God would richly bless us and our new home.

  I don’t think Gram ever knew that we had renamed the place, but then perhaps it didn’t really matter since, as Sky so eloquently put it (during our little dedication ceremony): “In all actuality, this land belongs to God and God alone—and he is simply loaning it to us for this season. Let us pray that we use it for his glory.”

  To my surprise, the sisters didn’t resent my new role of leadership—at least not at first. Well, other than Moonlight, that is, but then I think she would’ve resented anyone other than herself in this role. I suppose she made her objections fairly obvious by the way she ignored me most of the time.

  Fortunately Sunshine and Breeze seemed to respect that I knew a little more about cooking and housekeeping than they did, but then I’d had most of my life to learn these things whereas they’d lived in “normal” households with mothers who apparently took care of all these troublesome domestic chores for them. As it turned out, other than me, Breeze was the only one who actually knew how to do laundry—and so I immediately appointed her head laundress. And since Gram’s dryer was broken down, this was no easy task. The small clothesline quickly proved inadequate for the drying needs of eight people. Fortunately for Breeze none of us were overly consumed with cleanliness (back then we had a tendency to wear our clothes for days without laundering) but between sheets and towels and Gram’s needs it was definitely a daily chore, and it wasn’t long before the brothers got a bigger, sturdier line hung.

  When I informed the sisters that we were to begin wearing dresses, and as soon as possible, I experienced some natural resistance. But I wisely suggested they take their grievances up with Sky. And he quickly set them straight on this issue, quoting by memory from the Bible about how women were to be modestly dressed and not to cut their hair, which wasn’t a problem since we all wore our hair long and had no intention of cutting it anyway. So the new spiritual dress code was agreed upon.

  I located Gram’s sewing closet during that first week, and although Sky had told me to “appropriate” whatever I needed (because everything really belonged to God anyway) I somehow felt obliged to approach Gram first. I must admit to feeling slightly guilty about this, as if I was going behind Sky’s back, but while everyone else was out working on the land—our biggest and most immediate challenge—I sat down to talk with Gram.

  I suppose in some ways she reminded me of my own grandma, although the two women were as different as night and day. Perhaps it was just her age that I felt respectful of. Whatever it was, I tried to befriend this old woman and probably spent more time with her than any of us, including her own grandson.

  “How are you doing this morning?” I asked as I placed a fresh cup of coffee on her ever-present TV tray.

  “Oh, I’m all right, I guess.” She made a disgruntled face. “I just wish that darned TV of mine hadn’t gone out like that. Land knows it’d been running just fine for years. And I really miss my good buddy, Bob Barker, on The Price Is Right”

  I patted her pale, flaccid hand, but kept silent about the fact that Sky had actually unplugged the “evil” television when the old woman had been asleep in her bed. He’d told us that television was the devil’s tool and the way that Satan would eventually poison all the minds of the current generation, which may have turned o
ut to be partially true. And so the next morning, when she tried to turn her TV on, we all just pretended to be surprised and to show concern, acting like we were trying to see what was wrong, and then finally Sky stepped in and told her that the picture tube had gone out since it was a pretty old television after all. He told her he’d take it into town to get fixed, but he had actually ordered the brothers to set it out in a corner of the barn and throw a tarp over it. It would be destroyed (along with a number of other things) later on.

  “Would you like me to read to you from the Scriptures?” I offered. Sky had strongly recommended we try this approach whenever Gram complained about missing her television.

  “No thank you! I’ve heard enough Bible reading of late to last me right up until I meet my Maker, which may not be so far off now.” She ground out her cigarette and then coughed loudly, hacking into her ever-present handkerchief. “Just don’t know what’ll do me in first—diabetes, these lungs, or pure boredom!”

  “So you really believe you’ll see your Maker then?” I tried to change the subject back toward more spiritual things—Sky expected such from us.

  She took a sip of her coffee, then slowly sighed. “Don’t know why not.”

  “Don’t you ever worry that you might not be living your life the right way?”

  She laughed, but it sounded sarcastic. “Don’t see how I could be living the wrongway—the good Lord knows I can’t do much more’n move from this sofa to the bathroom to my bed—and sometimes I can’t hardly do that. Don’t see how that’s hurting no one.”

  “But don’t you want to live a life that’s pure and holy and dedicated to God?”

  “You know, honey, this is what I just can’t quite figure out with you kids—what is it exactly you’re trying to do? You act like a bunch of religious fanatics, like you think you’re going to work your way into heaven or something.”

  “God wants us to live our lives set apart for him. He calls us to holiness.” I’d been learning a lot lately, and Sky gave us regular Bible lessons several times a day—sometimes he could go on for hours. And we were required to take stringent notes (this as a result of River falling asleep once after dinner).