Earth, Air, Water, Light

by C L Lassila

  Adelaide dropped her arms to her side and stood still, the cooling, summer rain running over her bare body. She looked directly at Calix and made no attempt to cover herself. He stepped off of the porch and walked over to her. She felt him brush aside the wet hair that was clinging to her cheek. Their eyes met and then his lips touched hers.

  Still standing in the rain, they kissed and together they worked to remove Calix’s clothing. She felt his hot, wet skin against hers and the strength of his embrace. Locked together, the two moved back onto the porch. A quilt that Adelaide had removed from the clothesline before the rain lay folded on a chair. Calix tossed it onto the floor and lay Adelaide down onto it. Adelaide closed her eyes and felt his tongue lick the raindrops from her breast. His lips closed over her erect nipple before making their way back to her mouth. She raised her damp thigh over his and felt him guide himself inside of her. It was as though their bodies could not get close enough. Suddenly he ran his fingers through her wet hair and pulled her mouth away from his. They looked into each other’s eyes as he drove deeply into her and held still. She was so aroused that she could barely breathe. Tightening herself around him, she moved her head forward to find his mouth again, wanting to devour him. As the beat of the rain drummed upon the roof, filled by him, she climaxed.

  A clash of thunder brought them back to the reality of their situation. They both would have liked to stay there, lying entwined, for hours while indulging their passion. But they knew that Jonas could come home. Even if they were both dressed and they could explain Calix’s visit, they were aware of the energy that they were both feeling and how difficult it would be to conceal it. They both hurried to put on their clothes but they had difficulty fighting the desire to be close. Calix pulled Adelaide back into his arms, kissing her again.

  He held her and kissed her gently on the forehead.

  “I have to go,” he whispered.

  “When are you leaving for Lanse?” Adelaide asked, afraid to hear his answer.

  “Tomorrow,” he replied.

  “So soon,” she said.

  “Stay safe,” were her last words. She watched him leave, not knowing when she would see him again and wishing that she was going with him.

  As it grew close to the time that Jonas was due home, Adelaide grew anxious, worried that he would notice a change in her. She busied herself with preparing dinner and tried to be as normal as possible. Then as the afternoon passed into evening and Jonas had not yet returned home, her concerns turned to his safety.

  She sat on the porch and waited for him. A candle lit the window behind her. Finally, well after darkness had fallen, a visibly upset Jonas arrived home. When she saw him coming down the path she ran to meet him.

  “Are you alright?” she asked.

  He pulled her into his arms and held her tight.

  “There was an accident at the mine,” he said.

  Adelaide slid her arm through his and led him inside.

  “Sit down. You should eat something,” she said.

  She poured him a drink and set a plate of food in front of him. Then she sat across from him and listened while he talked. He recounted the story of the accident. A charge had exploded prematurely, killing one man outright. Another young man, seriously injured by the blast, would most likely be blind if he survives the wounds. Jonas had been at work nearby when he heard the explosion. He heard shouts for help and someone yelling “men down” and ran to the scene of the carnage. He did everything that he could to stop the bleeding but the one man could not be saved. It was only then, in the dim light cast by the single candle that Adelaide noticed the blood stains on Jonas’ clothing.

  “That’s enough for now,” Adelaide said. She stood up and brushed her fingers through Jonas’ hair. “You did everything that you could. Eat.”

  Jonas barely touched his food. Eventually Adelaide convinced him to come and lie down. She helped him off with his soiled clothes and climbed into bed next to him. Her time spent with Calix seemed very far away. Had it been a fevered dream?

  The next morning Jonas left before breakfast. He said that he would eat in town. First he wanted to check on the condition on the young man who had survived the accident.

  After yesterday’s rain, the heat had subsided a bit. Adelaide went out to check on the chickens. It was a glorious morning. She found several eggs and took them in to make breakfast for herself. But she found that she didn’t have much of an appetite. She went back out onto the porch, bringing her food and coffee with her, and sat on the steps enjoying the beauty of the day. The birds were active, flying from the safety of the bushes out onto the lawn and then back again. Several birds were bathing in a small pool that had formed near the base of the well. Sipping her coffee, she watched them dip themselves into the water. She thought about her bath in the rain and the events that followed. A crow landed on the railing on the other end of the porch. It was completely black; black eyes, black beak, black legs and black feathers…shiny black feathers. She watched it watch her. Then she took the uneaten food off of her plate and threw it on the lawn. The crow flew down and cautiously approached her offering. Adelaide laughed. The bird was suspicious and wanted to be certain that there was no catch to this easy meal. Finally, comfortable with the situation, he began to eat. Two other crows flew down to join the first and they quickly ate the eggs and biscuit and then flew off.

  Adelaide refused to allow herself to spend the day daydreaming. After slipping into Mr. Greenfield’s pants and boots, she grabbed her canvas satchel, sketchbook and pencils, and went off into the woods. She knew that if she surrounded herself with nature she would get caught up in something much more interesting than the things going on in her life. Studying the crows or an insect or the shape of a leaf, for that matter, was more interesting than indulging herself with fantasies of Calix. When she watched the animals she was reminded that human beings were just another animal species, and that, just as with other animals, life was lived moment to moment, one day at a time. Time not spent in the present moment was time that you were missing your life.

  Pushing through the brush she made her way to a small, inland lake. This had become her favorite place to sketch, and on days that she did not feel like wandering, she would come here. The lake was bordered by a wetland. There was always quite a lot of wildlife to observe. There was a tall tree on the far shore, devoid of leaves, dead but still standing, that was a popular place for all manner of birds to roost. Adelaide went to sit in her usual place, a comfortable spot on a small hill, where she had a good view of the surrounding area. Closing her eyes for a moment she listened to the music of the natural world around her. The plants, the insects, the birds were all speaking in a language that she did not understand, but what a beautiful language it was. She opened her eyes to a flock of Canada geese descending down to land on the water before her. They maintained their V formation until they had settled on the lake. A great blue heron, perched on the dead tree, preened its feathers with its long beak. She lifted her pencil and began to sketch.

  The time passed quickly. There were a number of small ducks on the lake, a type of duck that she had not seen before. Occasionally, one of them would dive beneath the water, completely disappearing from view and then resurface a short distance away. She realized that it was late enough in the summer for some birds to have begun the long trip south for the winter. What a wonderful way to travel, she thought; no luggage, no tickets, no schedule, just fly away.

  Several new sketches had been added to her book. She checked her watch and was surprised at how much time had passed, time during which she had not thought of Calix once. But it was time to get back to the farm. As she packed up her things, a pair of tall birds walked into view from behind a bank of reeds. These too, were a kind of bird that she had not seen before. They were similar to the great blue herons that were frequent visitors to the lake, but these birds had a patch of red feathers on their forehead. The birds stood well over three feet tall, she guessed. They had the
look of prehistoric creatures and they were quite spectacular. It was a species so perfect for its task that it had remained unchanged for a very long time. She sat captivated, making a number of quick sketches, but mostly just watching these interesting birds. In order to sketch she had to look away and she was afraid that they might fly off. A third bird came into view. This one was a bit smaller and had a reddish tint on its grey feathers. Perhaps a juvenile, she thought. The three birds must be a family.

  She noticed the sun’s placement in the sky. She really had to be going. She knew that it was time to tear herself away. It was time to return to the world of people.

  She arrived home too late to have dinner prepared on time, but it did not matter. Jonas too, came home late. He had stopped to check on the young man again after work. The man’s name, she learned, was Nathan Pope, and he had not yet reached twenty years of age. Although Jonas worked above ground and he did not know the below ground workers well, due to his affable nature and the still relatively small size of the community, he was acquainted with the young Mr. Pope. A doctor who was serving the newly established mining concessions had attended to his injuries. It was unlikely that the injured man would ever see again.

  Nathan Pope had traveled there from Cornwall, as did Adelaide and Jonas, but he came alone, without a wife, and he had no family in the area. He had been residing at the mine’s newly constructed boarding house with a number of other immigrant miners. But the boarding house was not an appropriate place for someone with such extensive injuries. It was arranged that he would be cared for at the Whitehouse Hotel. Jonas took it upon himself to try to contact Mr. Pope’s family back in England. Possibly it could be arranged that he return to England where he could be cared for by his loved ones. But that would have to wait. The young man was still drifting in and out of consciousness and the necessary information had not yet been obtained.

  Jonas shared the sad news of Mr. Pope’s situation with the congregation of the Methodist Church. The female members had volunteered to assist in the young man’s care as he was a Methodist as well. Jonas also recruited Adelaide to look after Mr. Pope one or two afternoons a week. And so it was that Adelaide found herself going into town more often than usual.

  Although she sometimes wore her skirt, Adelaide had taken to wearing Mr. Greenfield’s clothing most of the time. His clothes were better suited to her activities during the day. At first, Adelaide would change into her dress before going into town, but that soon ended. She found that most of the town’s people that she met seemed to be quite indifferent to her attire. Perhaps it was that most of the people who were attracted to a life on the Northern frontier were of an unconventional nature themselves.

  It became Adelaide’s habit to make lunch on Wednesday and then walk into Copper Harbor to visit with Mr. Pope. The first Wednesday that she went, a thin young man brushed by her on the hotel staircase as she made her way to Mr. Pope’s room. She assumed that it was a friend of his from the mine. Nathan Pope was in the room alone. His head and eyes were heavily bandaged. He said little as Adelaide introduced herself and sat down beside him in a chair beside the bed. She had brought with her some stew, freshly made bread and apple cider. He said that he was not hungry, but Adelaide coaxed him into taking some small bites and apologized for her cooking. She had selected a book from the small library left behind by Mrs. Greenfield, an adventure story that she thought a young man might enjoy. She sat and read, even though she received no response from the patient. Without distraction it would be too easy for him to fall into despondency. She read until he seemed to be sleeping, and then she sat in silence until someone came to relieve her, not wanting to leave the blind man alone.

  It was on Adelaide’s second visit to see Mr. Pope that she found him with company. The door was ajar and as she went to enter the room she saw the young man who had passed her on the stairs on her previous visit standing next to Nathan’s bed. She didn’t enter the room, but instead stood in the hallway and watched them. The young man gently touched the patient’s cheek in a way that would be peculiar for a man that was just a friend.

  Suddenly Adelaide felt as if she was invading their privacy and she retreated back from the doorway and moved farther down the hall. Shortly after, Nathan’s visitor left. He appeared startled when he saw Adelaide and looked away before hurrying down the stairs.

  Adelaide waited several minutes before entering the room. She said nothing about his guest. Nathan was in much better spirits than the last time that she was there. Today she had brought with her a pasty and fresh bread and jam. Between bites, Nathan began to talk about his life back in Cornwall. He had grown up in a small village not too far from where Adelaide had been raised. She asked him what had made him travel to a place so far from home.

  With Adelaide at his bedside, Nathan began to talk about a girl named Amelia. He had courted her and had fallen in love with her, and when he had built up the courage he had asked her to marry him. Amelia had refused his proposal. Not able to bear the thought of seeing her and not being able to be with her, he came to America. Adelaide held his hand as he told his story, moved by the young man’s heartbreak, until she saw Jonas standing at the door.

  “My husband is here,” she said, interrupting his tale.

  “How is our patient today?” Jonas asked.

  “Better,” Adelaide replied.

  “Is my wife’s food getting any better?” Jonas joked.

  “It’s not that bad,” Nathan responded. “Her company makes it taste better.”

  Jonas laughing said, “She’s pretty, too.”

  “It’s time for us to go,” Jonas said when another woman from the congregation appeared at the door.

  Adelaide let go of Nathan’s hand. “I will see you next week,” she said.

  As they were leaving, Jonas stopped to talk to someone in the lobby. Adelaide went on ahead out onto the porch. She stood waiting for Jonas when the young man who had been in Nathan’s room earlier approached her. Slight of build and soft spoken, he stood close to her and said “I need to talk to you.”

  Adelaide was aware that Jonas would soon come out of the hotel. She was also uncomfortable with the feeling that she had eaves dropped on a private moment between this man and Nathan.

  “My husband is coming. He plays poker on Saturday night. Come by and see me then,” she said as Jonas came into view. “Our farm is out on Overlook Road. I will be out on the porch.”

  The young man walked away just as Jonas joined her. Apparently he didn’t notice the man talking with his wife or he didn’t give it any mind as he did not inquire about him. Instead he talked about the conversation that he had just had with a Mr. Compton, and a possible position out on Isle Royale. The conversation had obviously put him in a good mood. He suggested that they have supper at the diner so that Adelaide would not have to cook. Adelaide, who was always happy to avoid housework, said yes.

  The next two days past as usual, with Jonas going off to work and Adelaide attending to things at home. She had cleared a large patch of ground to plant the milkweed and had begun to harvest some of the yield from the Greenfield’s garden. She fought off thoughts of Calix, not wanting to become one of those dreamy eyed, love sick girls, yearning for someone. But there were times when she could not escape the memory of their lovemaking and wanted nothing more than to be with Calix again. When those moods enveloped her, she would go off into the woods, preferring to lose herself in observing nature than to sit and long for someone’s touch. She was seeing more birds now, glimpses of color or a call that she had not heard before or just a flash of wings overhead. The greens and yellows that she had come to know as the colors of the woodlands were being transformed into shades of red and gold, oranges and pinks. Adelaide found endless beauty in nature and endless interesting things to study. Each trip into the forest was one of discovery for her.

  Saturday evening had arrived. Jonas enjoyed his nights playing cards, not only because he had luck at gaming, but because it gave him the
chance to meet many of the men who were bringing money and opportunity to the area. After Jonas left, Adelaide went to sit on the front porch to wait for her expected visitor. Insects were buzzing in the trees and the planets and stars were just beginning to reveal their positions in the sky when she spotted a figure moving on the road. Adelaide walked down to the gate to meet him. The young man, whom Adelaide had never seen without a cap on, seemed nervous and shy. She invited him up to the house.

  When they walked into the house the man began to speak in a soft voice.

  “I want to explain,” he said.

  Adelaide responded, “There’s no need to explain. I have seen male mallards mount other male mallards. It is something that happens in nature. It doesn’t matter to me, but you should be careful. Some of the miners might not be so accepting.”

  “No,” the young man said in a wavering voice. “It is worse than that.”

  “I don’t understand,” Adelaide said.

  The young man hung his head and stood quiet for a moment. He then removed his cap, saying in a voice that was barely audible, “I’m a girl.”

  Adelaide was dumbfounded. She turned and looked at the visitor.

  “What?” Adelaide said.

  “I know that it is hard to understand,” the girl said, her head still bowed. “I am in love with Nathan.”

  Adelaide told the girl to sit at the kitchen table while she lit a candle. She then sat down as well.

  “But why hide who you are? This isn’t one of William Shakespeare’s plays,” Adelaide queried.

  “I don’t know what to do,” the girl said, tears welling up in her eyes. “I came to this country with my brother. He was coming here for a mining job…and then he was killed in an accident. I didn’t have the money to return home. So I took his papers so I could get some work. And then I met Nathan. At first he thought what you thought. He thought that he was…he couldn’t understand what he was feeling. But then I told him. He knows that I love him. But now I think that he will go back to England and I don’t know if he wants me to go with him.” She looked up, tears now running down her cheeks.