The Book of Leah

The Greatest Love of All- Chapter 15

The world narrowed down to simply Jake's breath and the vision before him: a painting of a man with his face, his chin, nose and cheekbones, and more than anything those eyes, his steel grey eyes. It was all just too much. The only thing that brought him to a semblance of reality was the tender child hugging his legs, quietly whispering "BoPa."

Edith's voice broke the silence. "He was 18 when that was done," she said, "a present from his family to capture the timeless portrait you see. The oil painting took 'Damn Near Forever,' according to my father. But the results were striking with their realism."

"Bernard Oswald Glass was a presence to behold," Edith continued. "He was born in 1857 in Philadelphia, PA. As he used to say, four years before the world caught fire. My grandfather was in banking in the city, and Dad used to say he didn't remember much about those early years and the war. All he remembered was the perpetual talk of death. After the war was over, he spent his early education with his father in the bank, and through dealings at the bank, he caught eye of Rosalind Key.

The Key family were a big deal in Philadelphia, not directly related to Francis Scott Key's family, but close enough that the money and power they wielded made them a big deal for the bank and a big client for my grandfather. Bo, as he was called, made it known to Rosalind quite early of his interest. She, on the other hand, was coy. She was a Key. She had her pick of any man she wanted, let alone some boy whose father worked at the bank. But little by little, Bo worked to create a friendship with Rosalind, and they became inseparable. He started getting into the  trade of what would become modern accounting practices and standard bookkeeping. She wasn't interested in the books as much; she was an artist. She could sing, and people would stop on the street to look. She was featured in many local concert at times, one for her beautiful voice and secondly because involving her would also allow the promoter access to the endowment of her father's money.

My father took his training starting at 17 at the University of Penn on the west side. After he finished his classes and was offered a full bookkeeping position in Chicago, he and Rosalind married that summer and moved to Chicago in the fall of 1879.They rented a small flat on the old Northside and shortly after their second year Elizabeth was born."

"My mother used to say her earliest memories were going downtown with her father for him to show her the new Home Insurance Building," Emmit said. "And she would talk at length about visiting the World's Fair in 1893. She said it was beyond belief to explain it. There's a framed pennant that I've kept for years in the study," Emmit added.

"Then in 1894, he was offered the chance to open up offices in Wisconsin for farm insurance policies," Edith continued. "As part of the incentive to take it, he would be given a house and acreage as a bonus, that would become his after 10 years for his work if things went well. Obviously, he took it. The office flourished, and we became farmers in the process. Dad ran the office, and a few other family members came north and began our agricultural adventure in Wisconsin."

"The back part of this house to the old staircase is where the first foundation was. There was a kitchen fire in the 1920s, and the house was rebuilt to what you see today." She continued. 'Thankfully, he owned the land outright, and when the Great Depression hit, we all were able ride it out growing anything we could plant. I think he hired half the county in any way he could to help those less fortunate during those rough years."

"He passed in 1946, at 89 years old," Edith said quietly. "in this very room one summer morning. He had a rough few days with a high fever, passing in and out of consciousness. We thought for sure it would take him, and then one morning, I hear him yelling. We'd all be gathered at the house as we knew the time was close. He called out, 'Rose, is that you Rose? It's so beautiful to see you smile. I've... I've so missed you.' And then he laid back down and was silent. A few hours later, the doctor made his declaration and.."

"He was buried by the old congregational church by the water tower, laid to rest beside her." Emmit finished Edith's sentence. 

"Laid next to...?" Jake questioned.

"My mother," Edith clarified. "At last, he was at peace."

After a moment, Edith said, "Emmit, Susan,  thank you so much for this afternoon."

Jake added, "Yes, thank you for today," as they walked to the sitting room.

Jake was about to head out to get the wheelchair ready when Darla, who had been silent for the last few minutes, walked over to Edith.

"Eee," she said softly as Edith carefully sat and the child crawled up and kissed her. Jake watched as she pressed her hand carefully from her own chest and pressed it on Edith ever so gently, then hugged and kissed her.

Then she turned to Jake and her soft voice said, "Bopa, want my love?"

Jake wasn't sure what she meant or if he had heard her correctly. "Yes, Darla, what do you want?" he said, kneeling down to the floor so he could look into her eyes.

Darla's face took on a very serious look and said, "Bopa, you want my love?"

Jake smiled. "Darla, I would love that."

Darla rushed into Jake's arms for a hug and then stepped back. She kissed her hands, held them to her chest, and looked deeply into Jake's eyes. Leaning in, she placed her hands on his chest, mirroring her earlier gesture with Edith.

The innocence and love in her smile stirred something deep within Jake. He saw a purity that transcended the complexities of the world. When she looked at him again, a hint of concern flickered in her eyes.

Bopa," she whispered, "can I have your love?"

Something broke in Jake at that moment. The pain from his mother's lack of acceptance and indifference coupled with the fresh sting of Marta's rejection all seemed insignificant compared to the childlike innocence before him. This wasn't a demand for toys or gifts, but a simple, profound request for love. 

Emotion choked Jake's voice. A single "Yes" escaped his lips, thick with tears. He cupped his hands together, kissed them, then pressed them to his heart before placing them over hers.

Darla said nothing, but in her eyes came a tear of joy. "I love you, Bopa," she whispered as she embraced him with all her being. Jake held this beautiful child with all of himself. "I love you too, Darla. I love you too, with all my heart," he whispered, as all the pain of his unwanted love that was walled within his soul emptied in that moment, to a tender heart this cold world would never be worthy of.