Finger-combing the waves until she was satisfied, Julia hobbled to the dresser to take a look.
The bruising on her face was awful. Although the swelling was gone, she was still purple, yellow, and green under both eyes and on the left side of her face. Oh, well, nothing to be done about it. I don’t own enough makeup to cover this.
She balanced on her good leg while pulling open the top drawer to grab underwear, then the second one to get a T-shirt and shorts. Gauging the distance, holding onto her clothes, she rabbit- hopped to the bed where she collapsed again. Oh, Lord, help me. I can’t do this.
Of course, you can’t.
What? Who said that?
Julia pushed herself upright, nearly toppling onto the floor. “Marley, is that you?”
Silence.
Louder, “Marley!”
Crash! The sound of feet running and Marley’s voice carrying up from below, “What? Are you okay, Julia?”
“Uh, yeah, I just thought I heard you up here, in the hall.”
“No, I haven’t been up there,” Marley responded as he made his way upstairs and stopped at Julia’s door. “Do you need something?” He looked quickly away but not before Julia caught his glance and realized her robe had fallen partially open when she collapsed on the bed.
“Oh, sorry,” she said, blushing bright pink.
“Um, no problem,” Marley answered while staring at the ceiling.
“Uh, I was wondering, well, I was thinking I might come downstairs for dinner. If that’s okay, of course. I mean, if you’d rather I didn’t..., if it’s too much trouble...”
“No, it’s no trouble at all. That would be nice, fine. If that’s what you want, yes, okay,” Marley babbled, still not looking at Julia.
“Okay, then. If you’ll give me a minute, I’ll get dressed, so you don’t have to come back up again.”
This time Marley was the one to blush as he reached in and closed the bedroom door.
**************************************************
Marley rubbed his face as he paced the hallway. Oh, man, oh, man. Oh. Man. Oh, Lord! Not good, not good. Dear Lord, I asked You to take these feelings away, but it’s getting worse! What is happening? I do NOT want to be attracted to this woman. I do not.
Marley’s internal ramblings were interrupted by the tinkling of a small bell. He knocked softly and opened the door. Julia was still sitting on her bed, but she was now dressed in a pale-pink shirt and white shorts. He tried desperately not to look at her legs, grateful to focus on her swollen right ankle.
“How’s that feeling?” he asked.
“Better. It was really throbbing after the bath, but I took some aspirin which helped.”
“I should probably wrap it again if you’re going downstairs.” Marley refused to meet her gaze.
“Okay. If you think so. The bandage is still in the bathroom.”
Marley hurried in, grabbed it, and squatted in front of Julia, gently lifting her foot to his knee. He’d done this a couple times since bringing her home, but this time, the feel of her skin made his fingers tingle. He tried to keep his hands from trembling as he wound the supportive wrap around her ankle.
Marley helped Julia stand, and she leaned comfortably against him as his arm slipped around her waist. Together they made their way awkwardly down the stairs, alternating treads, so Julia didn’t have to put weight on her foot. He thought the smell of her shampoo might undo him before they reached the bottom.
As he settled Julia into a chair at the table, she looked up at him, emerald eyes glowing with unshed tears. She touched his arm lightly, holding him rooted to the spot as surely as if his feet were nailed to the floor.
“Thank you, Marley, for everything. And, I’m sorry I’ve been such a pain. Please forgive me?”
Marley would have responded, but his tongue seemed to have grown three sizes and stuck to the roof of his mouth.
Chapter 29
Present Day
JuJu chuckled out loud at the memories of that summer. Marley was so nervous around her he became virtually speechless. They went from yelling at each other and slamming doors to sharing stories and meals. After six weeks in the cast, she’d transitioned to a sling, and began a little weight-bearing on her ankle. Marley continued accompanying her up and down the stairs for a couple more weeks then lingered at the bottom as she made her way up each evening. Their relationship definitely improved, but they would face some hard times.
Looking at the bracelet on her right arm, she counted the stones, one for each important event, their wedding anniversary, her birthday and his, Noelle’s birthday, and, of course, Katie’s. Every one brought back a different memory, some good, some bittersweet.
November 1972
“So, are you going to the Veterans Day Parade?” Julia smiled as she looked at Marley. They were sitting on the screen porch out back because the mosquitos still refused to accept it was fall and move on. The ceiling fan turned lazily in the warm air, and a few fireflies hung around, lighting up the backyard. Whip-poor-wills and bobwhites tried to outdo the crickets and frogs while Coco snored softly, oblivious to the cacophony.
“No.”
“Why not?” Julia stopped rocking.
“I’m just not.”
“But it sounds like fun. There’s going to be food, and games, and rides. Music, too.”
Marley didn’t answer but sat staring into the night. He’d gone to last year’s event and swore he’d never attend another one. While he had a measure of respect in the community and his church, there was a group who didn’t, or refused to, understand why he never served in the military. Marley kept his reasons to himself, figuring it was nobody else’s business. A few of the WWII survivors seemed to think of him as a coward, taking any opportunity to question his patriotism. That’s why he also never attended other events that had to do with military service. Those close to him knew, but the rest of them could drop dead.
Julia watched Marley’s jaw clench and wondered what was going on. Something in his face caused her to drop the subject and resume rocking, but she added, “I think I might go.”
“Suit yourself.”
**************************************************
Julia had replaced her wrecked car with a four-year-old Mustang. She’d always wanted one, but her practical side won out before the accident. It was a fastback, white with red interior, and a three-speed in the floor. It was like brand new, with low mileage.
The dealer told her it had belonged to a fellow from a town near Atlanta who was killed in the Vietnam War. His parents kept it in their garage for three years, but they couldn’t stand the sight of it anymore and brought it down to his dealership because they didn’t want to see it being driven around their hometown.
When Julia told Marley about it, he’d stomped out of the room. He seemed irritated by the very presence of the car. She’d given up trying to figure him out.
As she drove towards town, thoughts of Marley nevertheless filled her mind. Nothing had happened between them, not even a kiss, but she was sure he had feelings for her. Rolling down the window to enjoy the cool air, she turned on the radio, then ran fingers through her hair. She had about two inches of growth on the side of the injury and had decided to cut the rest of it rather than keep trying to hide it. The short style allowed her natural curls to develop, and she really liked it. Much easier to manage for sure. Marley said she looked cute.
After searching for a parking space, Julia found one left in the grocery store parking lot by the dumpster. Yuck. It would have to do. Leaving the windows cracked a couple inches, she made her way to Main Street and joined the hundreds of people lined up already. The parade was due to start any minute, so she quickly bought a tiny American flag from an old man nearby and squeezed through the crowd to get a better view.
“Well, I’ll be darned if it isn’t Miss Uncle Sam.”
Julia whirled around to find Nancy giving her the once-over, judgment on her face as she took
in Julia’s dark-blue jeans, red and white striped top, and white tennis shoes.
“Hey, Nancy, how are you?” Julia asked with gritted teeth. “Why aren’t you at the diner serving this big crowd?”
Nancy’s mouth tightened in a flat line as she answered, “I’ll be there later, thank you. I do have a life outside the diner, you know.”
“Really? Well, that’s great.” Julia turned around to face the parade route and wave her flag.
“Why isn’t your boyfriend with you?”
Julia stilled, dropping the flag to her side, but she didn’t turn around.
“I don’t have a boyfriend, Nancy. Thank you for asking, though. If you’re inquiring after Marley, he’s at the farm working.”
“Hmmph,” was Nancy’s response. “I was sure hoping to see him today. He hasn’t been to the diner in quite a while, and I’ve missed his handsome face. Be sure and tell him I asked about him, okay?”
With that, Nancy pushed through and sashayed across the street just ahead of the South Georgia Cougars marching band.
**********************************
Back at the farm, Marley agonized over what to do about Julia. His feelings were becoming harder to conceal, and he could hardly avoid her since they lived under the same roof. His prayers for these feelings to be removed were going unanswered, and she was no longer talking about selling the farm. He hesitated to ask about her intentions for fear of upsetting her. They were enjoying each other’s company, or so he thought because she joined him at almost every meal, taking turns cooking. They sat out back, or sometimes on the big front porch, but never in the swing together. Nope, couldn’t go there.
Lord, I don’t know what you’re doing. Or not doing, I should say. You know I can’t be with her. Your Word says not to be unequally yoked, and we are about as unequal as two people can get. But, I’m falling in love, Lord. Please help me.
Marley invited Julia to attend church with him every weekend, but she steadfastly refused.
When he asked her about it, all she said was God had never done anything for her, so why bother going to His house? Any time he attempted to dig deeper into the matter, she shut him down. Something had to give, and it wasn’t going to be Marley’s faith.
Lord, help me reach her. Not for my sake but for hers. She needs a loving father, one who can give her what she never got from Malcolm. And, please help me to get my feelings under control.
Amen.
Chapter 30
December 1972
Christmas was around the corner, but neither Julia nor Marley said one word about getting a tree or decorating. Julia loved Christmas at one time, the glitz and glitter, the smells and sounds, and especially going to church, hearing about Jesus. No more. She celebrated the first year in her apartment, bringing out her grandmother’s decorations, excited to be spending it with Adam, but that ended in a disaster. Now, she saw no point in celebrating someone she wasn’t sure she believed in anyway, and the rest of it was too commercialized. Nope. The music, which had started way before Thanksgiving in the stores, made her nuts, so she’d stocked up on as much as she could in hopes of not shopping again until next year. She was perfectly content to read by the fire, when it was cold enough to have one and allow the season to slip right on by without notice.
Then, two weeks before Christmas, Marley showed up with a ten-foot Leyland cypress in the back of his truck.
**************************************************
“I can’t believe you don’t celebrate Christmas! Are you just going to sit there while I do everything?” Marley asked between breaths as he manhandled the massive conifer through the front door.
“Yes. Yes, I am,” Julia replied without looking up from her book.
“Well—ugh, could you at least get the tree stand—uff, for me?”
“I don’t know where it is.”
Marley stilled his efforts for a moment, glaring at Julia. “It’s in the same place it’s always been, and don’t pretend you don’t know where that is.”
Julia rolled her eyes, tossed her book on the coffee table, stood up, and stretched. Marley tried not to notice how well her dark-blue sweater fit.
“Fine.” She slipped on her tennis shoes, stomped noisily up the stairs, and continued doing so all the way down the hall to the attic door. Turning the tarnished brass knob, she discovered the door was locked. “The door’s locked!” she yelled downstairs.
Marley dropped the tree, and walked to the bottom of the stairs. “What? I couldn’t hear you!”
“I said, the door’s locked! Bring me the key!”
Marley entered the kitchen and rummaged through the junk drawer several seconds before locating the right key.
Climbing the stairs, Marley spoke, “Might as well bring some boxes down while we’re up there.”
Julia took the key from him and inserted it, turning the creaky knob to open the even creakier door. They were hit by a strong musty smell.
“Whew!” Julia said. “This place needs airing out.” She looked around, taking in the familiar sight of her grandmother’s ancient belongings. A sob stuck in her throat.
Marley put his hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay? I can take care of this if you want to go back downstairs.”
Julia straightened her back and replied, “No. I need to do this. I can’t fall apart every time I think of Grandma Jean.” She reached for the pullchain just above her head which turned on a single bulb hanging directly overhead. Most everything was covered in white sheets except for a stack of cardboard boxes in one corner that contained Christmas stuff.
“Okay, you can grab some boxes, I guess, and I’ll find the tree stand.” Julia walked to the corner and began moving things around in her search. “Here it is.” She carried the metal stand to the top of the stairs and returned to help Marley who decided to carry all the boxes down.
“All of them? You want all of them?” Julia asked incredulously.
“Yeah. How else am I gonna know what I want to use?” Marley responded, looking at Julia as if she had sprouted another head.
“Well, I’ve got two boxes in my room.”
“Did you see the size of that tree? You really think two boxes of ornaments will be enough for that monster?” Marley grinned.
“Okay, fine,” Julia replied as she picked up two boxes and made her way carefully down the steps. Fortunately, her ankle and arm had healed without complications, but the doctor had warned her about injuring that ankle again and the possible consequences. When she reached the stairs leading to the main level, she set one of the boxes down, so she could use the handrail this time.
After dropping it in the family room, she retrieved the other box, all the while watching Marley go up and down, back and forth. They were still tiptoeing around each other, but she caught him staring at her sometimes, and he would blush and look away. Maybe if she eased up on the whole Christmas thing, they could talk while decorating.
Julia suddenly realized she had been caught staring at Marley. She quickly turned away and busied herself with a nearby box.
“Do you think you can help me with the tree?” Marley quietly asked.
Julia smiled. “Sure.”
**************************************************
“It looks really nice,” Julia spoke softly as she stepped back to get a better look at the tree.
“Yeah, it does. Thanks for your help. It was fun,” Marley replied. “I enjoyed doing it with your grandmother, too. But it had to be done a certain way, you know?”
Marley noticed Julia had gone quiet, and her eyes were glistening.
“Hey, are you okay? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“No, it’s okay, I just...I just feel so guilty that...that I wasn’t here.” Julia’s voice cracked. “I wasn’t here for Grandma Jean. She was always here for me. Always! And I let her down. I can’t believe I was so selfish.” The dam broke as she collapsed to the floor. Marley rushed to her side and held her silently
while she sobbed.
When she finally stopped shaking, Julia grabbed another tissue from the box Marley offered and wiped her eyes and nose again.
“I’m so sorry for blubbering all over you. Look at your shirt.” Julia laughed as she pointed at the wet stain on his shoulder. “Oh, I’m sorry! It’s not funny. I’ll wash it for you. And iron it.” For some reason, the embarrassment gave her the giggles, and she snorted. Marley tried to be stern, but he lost it as well, and both of them ended up in hysterics.
Julia gasped after a few minutes. “Oh, my goodness.” She looked up into Marley’s solemn gaze. “What’s the matter? Did I say something wrong?” Julia asked.
Marley reached over to brush a stray curl away from Julia’s cheek. His hand lingered. Julia sat nearly frozen as he leaned towards her and softly grazed her lips with his.
Chapter 31
Christmas Eve
“Julia, please go with me,” Marley pleaded. He’d been begging her for a week to attend the Christmas Eve service at church, but she refused to budge. He thought they were making progress after the first kiss, but whenever he brought up church, or the Bible, she shut him out. He’d never known such a stubborn woman.
“Why do we keep having this conversation, Marley? I. Am. Not. Going.” Julia glared from the sofa.
Marley threw his hands up. “Okay. Fine. I’ll see you later.” Without another word, he grabbed his coat and left through the back door.
Julia heard the truck start and regretted her harsh tone but made no move to stop him. She’d explained herself over and again, but Marley wouldn’t let it go. She wasn’t interested in knowing God, if He was even real, nor was she seeking forgiveness. Living with regret was the punishment she accepted. It hurt, but it served her right. Marley had to let it go if their relationship was going to work.
A Seed Planted Page 12
