“He isn’t,” Raven assured her.
“Not at all,” Brax added. “If he has your permission, he’s more than welcome to listen.”
“What’s the story about?”
Raven knew her to be a good mama. Her son was polite and she was looking out for him by quizzing them about what he’d be listening to. Raven opted to let Brax give the explanation, since he knew the story so well.
When he was done with his short summary, he added, “It’s a children’s book.”
“Okay, he can listen as long as he isn’t bothering you. I’d like to listen, too, if I can. I like to read but we can’t afford books.”
The admission tugged at Raven’s heart.
Brax said, “Please, join us.”
She introduced herself as Ellen and her sonwas named Aaron. They sat, got comfortable, and Brax continued with chapter two.
Over the course of the next few hours, their audience grew. Other families took seats nearby or brought their chairs. Hazel and Harrison drifted over, and even a few of the gamblers listened in. When Brax’s voice grew tired, he passed the book to Ellen and she had tears in her eyes as she took up the tale. She was a champion reader and her son smiled from ear to ear. When she tired, one of the gamblers, a White man, took up the story. By the time they reached the end of the line to change trains, most of the people in the gambling car were listening, smiling, and discussing Alice’s adventures.
As they all said their goodbyes to Brax and Raven the nun, she noticed how sad Aaron appeared. Brax apparently did as well. He asked Ellen, “Do you have an address you can share? I’d like to send you and your son some books.”
She eyed him for a long moment as if trying to determine his intent before saying, “You don’t have to do that.”
“I know,” he replied, smiling softly. “But I want to. He’s being raised well. I’d be honored to assist you in this small way.”
She pressed a hand over her mouth, and her eyes brimmed with tears. Too moved for speech for a moment, she simply nodded. Raven had tears in her eyes, as did her mother, Hazel.
Ellen wrote her address in Brax’s journal. “I’m on my way to Boston,” he explained to her. “I’ll send them by mail as soon as I can. It may take a while but I won’t forget. I promise.”
“Okay,” she whispered. She took her son by the hand and they departed. Aaron turned to give them a wave and they waved back.
Raven looked up into the eyes of the remarkable man standing by her side. “That was so very kind of you, Braxton Steele.”
“It’s a small thing. One day sometime in the future a little boy like Aaron may grow up to be president.”
“We can dream.”
“If you don’t have dreams they can’t come true.”
His gesture had so moved her; she didn’t tell him but he’d earned the most tremendous, gigantic reward she could think of as soon as they had some unhurried private time alone.
His father patted him on the back. “You’re a good man, son.”
“I was raised well, too.”