Hannah’s Honest Heart, Part 1 of 3

The tiny country home, once so full of Christian love, stood empty now, except for a few pieces of worn-out furniture. Homer and Hazel Hartley were its occupants for almost sixty years. Their graves lay beside each other in a nearby cemetery; their souls were in Heaven. Their only child, Hannah, now noted heart surgeon Hannah Hartley, M.D., was sorting through a box containing childhood memorabilia when she discovered a blue purse with an envelope inside. Beneath a sketch of Santa Claus in a toy-filled, reindeer-drawn sleigh on a rooftop were the words “Christmas 1955.”

Holding the envelope, Hannah stared through a window and remembered a day when, through that same window, she had seen their neighbor, Mrs. Hattie Harper, in Hartley’s apple orchard. As a little girl, Hannah often visited Mrs. Harper and could still recall the wonderful aromas wafting from the kitchen when the happy housewife made jams and jellies.

On Christmas Day, the Harpers delivered jars of these delicacies to neighbors. Even though Hannah’s parents supplemented their meager income by selling produce to markets in town, they willingly let Mrs. Harper gather apples from their orchard for preserving. Then Mr. Harper died, and his wife sank into a state of utter desolation, made worse because they were unable to have children. She and her husband had accumulated little material wealth. Still, they had an abundance of what many well-off but unhappy couples desperately wanted: an abiding love for Jesus Christ and each other.

The old memories ran through Hannah’s mind, and she looked again at the blue purse. That late summer day so many years ago, as she sat with her elbows propped on the windowsill, enjoying the cool, late afternoon breeze, she idly watched as the old widow gathered apples in the orchard. When she had picked all she could carry, she strained to heave the heavy sack on her shoulder and plodded homeward. Then, the little girl noticed a blue object beneath one of the apple trees. Curious, she went to see what it was.

“Don’t be too long, Hannah,” her dad called from the barn. “Supper will be ready soon.” She nodded and continued to the orchard. Almost hidden in the tall grass, she found Mrs. Harper’s purse. That night, after her parents tucked her in, Hannah pulled the bright blue purse from beneath her bed where she had hidden it. Her hands trembled as she undid the snaps. Inside, she found many coins — half dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels, pennies — and a wad of bills.

Her eyes opened wide in astonishment as she separated the money. At first, she thought that only dollar bills were in the wad of money, but as she continued separating them, the bills got larger, including a few fives, tens, and several twenty-dollar bills. Altogether, the money totaled almost two hundred dollars! Somehow, she knew that a powerful temptation was about to challenge what the Hartleys had instilled in their little girl: Hannah’s honest heart.

NOTE: Jimmy Reed is a retired college professor and author of several books. This story is from his latest, a children’s book entitled FROM A TO Z, TO YOU FROM ME. Each story in the book maximizes the use of an alphabetical letter, enhanced by alliteration and assonance. The book is available on Amazon, or can be purchased directly from the author. His email address is jimmycecilreedjr@gmail.com.