She bought trinkets for herself and never remembered that her children needed clothes. Marcus had gotten over her deceit and come to like the children. He shifted uncomfortably when it hit him that he was doing the same thing to Edna that Louisa had done to him. He hoped that she would be as forgiving as he had been to Louisa.
***
Edna pounded the dry willow bark with a pestle and mortar. She liked this part of helping Dr. Anderson with preparation of the medicines. She liked the small room adjacent to the surgery where the doctor saw his patients. The room was surrounded by shelves filled with jars and containers of different colored concoctions.
She glanced at the amputation equipment arranged in a corner shelf and shuddered. She averted her eyes and closed her mind to the images of limbs that the equipment conjured. How Samuel had stood being in this room day after day was beyond Edna. Just then, she heard Doctor Samuel call out her name.
‘Are you finished with the medicine?’ he said.
‘Yes, I’ll bring it in.’ Edna said.
She returned to the medicine preparation room fighting the urge to pinch her nose. The smell of antiseptic in the doctor’s office made her nauseated. Edna gulped a drink of water from a bottle and then proceeded to pour the now semi liquid concoction into a medicine jar. She returned to the surgery and handed it to Dr. Anderson, who was busy writing up notes in his records book.
‘Go ahead, feed it to the patient.’
Edna hesitated and then looked at the patient. He was a middle aged man but looked older due to the haggard look in his thin face. Edna swallowed back the bile that rose up in her throat and braced herself. Tentatively, she brought the small jar to the man’s parched lips. He took small sips at a time. When he finished and Edna was about to congratulate herself, he brought out the contents of his stomach all over her front.
She jumped back but was too late. Edna yelped and ran out of the room. As soon as she closed the door, her own stomach heaved and she vomited all over the floor of the preparation room. The connecting door opened and Dr. Anderson walked in.
‘Oh no, not you too Edna; I need your help to clean up in there and make another concoction. He must have drunk it too fast.’ He said.
‘Oh I’m fine doctor; I’ll be along shortly to clean up.’ Edna said in a croaky voice.
She staggered back in with a pail of water and a duster. She closed her eyes as she wiped the stinking vomit. Back in the preparation room, she cleaned up her own vomit. By the time she was done, her tummy was heaving again threatening to expel more vomit. She reached for the water and swallowed it fast.
This was not for her, Edna thought as she pounded another willow bark. It was a good thing that Marcus had proposed to her. She could not stand another month helping Doctor Anderson. She liked him as a person, but dealing with his patients churned her stomach. She felt guilty for feeling that way, knowing that it was not anybody’s wish to fall sick.
Still, she looked forward to the next correspondence from Marcus which would have her ticket for travelling to California. The good thing about helping the good doctor was that he paid her a little money for her efforts, which meant that she would have some pocket money when she travelled to California.
She took the medicine to the doctor when it was ready, this time uneventfully. It helped that Doctor Anderson fed the patient himself, taking time between each sip. Grateful that she didn’t have to give the man his medicine, she took the empty jar and returned to the safety of the preparation room.
She busied herself cleaning the room and a few minutes later, heard the door open as the patient left. Doctor Anderson came to the preparation room and Edna spurn round to face him.
‘I apologize for my …uh unprofessionalism.’ Edna said.
‘Oh I understand Edna, ours requires a staunch person. That’s what I’m here to talk to you about.’ He said.
Edna could tell that he was nervous from the way he tugged at his beard.
‘I had hoped that I could train you so you take over from Samuel, but I see that this is not your calling. I’ll advertise for an apprentice .I’ll be very sorry to see you go.’ He said.
‘I understand.’ Edna said.
‘Do you have family you can go to?’
‘Yes I do. I was planning to speak to you too as I hope to be leaving in a few weeks.’
The doctor nodded happily. ‘That’s just fine. I’m glad to hear you’ll be well taken care off. I’m off now to do a house call, I won’t ask you to come with me.’ He said with a twinkle in his eyes.
Edna laughed along with him. She was relieved that he didn’t probe for details about where she was going. She had a feeling that if she told the doctor the truth, he would be horrified that she was going off across the country to marry a stranger. Edna could have bet her last dime that Doctor Anderson had never heard of mail order brides. His life revolved around the surgery.
A tinge of sadness clouded her heart. She knew her Samuel would have been the same way had he lived. He had been devoted to caring for the sick and healing them. She would have been good as a helper, perhaps keeping records, as long as she wouldn’t have had to deal with patients. Edna chuckled softly when she remembered how she and Samuel had planned that she would sometimes help with the simple cases with patients. She would have made a terrible doctor’s assistant, she now knew.
***
Marcus glanced at the two children. They looked clean enough but on a closer look, a stranger could tell that they were outgrowing their clothes. Marcus was decked out in his best clothes, a grey suit and a pale blue shirt. He felt uncomfortable in the clothes as he had worn them only once before—on his wedding day to Louisa.
He would be wearing the same clothes for his second marriage to Edna. His body was taut with nerves. What if she took one look at the children and took the next train back to Ohio? He would be back to where he begun. He went through his plans. From here, they would go straight to the small wooden chapel, which was a walking distance from the train depot.
Would she ask him about the children? Marcus hoped not, as it would be awkward explaining their relation to him. After Louisa’s death, he had been able to trace the one brother he had heard from Louisa. The brother had claimed that without a wife, he had no way of caring for his sisters’ children by himself. So Marcus got stuck with Louisa’s children, but now, he had grown fond of them and could not bear to be parted with them.
If Edna turned out to be the kind of woman who despised children, then it was she who would have to go. The children had no one in the world apart from him, and Marcus intended to do the right thing for them. The noise from the steam engine interrupted his thoughts. He could feel the tightened skin around his face and he forced a pleasant expression.
He looked down at Patrick and Victoria. They looked as worried as he was. That morning, he had explained as well as he could about Edna.
‘Does that mean that mama will never come back?’ Victoria had asked.
‘She can’t come back because she’s in heaven.’ Patrick had snapped.
The five year old girl had burst into tears. Marcus had tried to reassure them that Edna was a kind woman and would take care of them well. Now they clung to him as though afraid that he would get on the train and leave them too. He put a clumsy arm around each of them and concentrated on observing the people leaving the train.
Edna had described herself as having dark brown hair, with curls at the front and green eyes. He noticed her immediately and gently disengaged himself from the children.
‘I’ll be back in a minute, don’t move.’ He said to them.
She seemed to have recognized him too and they walked towards each other. She smiled hesitantly at him.
‘Edna?’ he said.
‘Yes and I assume you are Marcus?’ she said, her voice soft and soothing.
‘That’s correct. I’m glad you’ve reached safely, it’s quite a journey.’ Marcus said, after the welcoming words that he had practiced disappeare
d from his brain.
‘It wasn’t that bad. Thank you for getting me a sleeper coach.’ She said.
Marcus liked what he saw. She had a small oval face and the prettiest mass of brown hair he had ever seen. He longed to brush the curls gently back from her face, but he knew if he did that, he would scare her off. He led her towards the children.
‘This is Patrick, he’s seven years old and this is Victoria, she’s five years.’ Marcus said, with a slight tremor in his voice.
This was the moment that would determine the rest of his life. Edna looked from the children to him and when no explanation was coming, she bent to them and gave each a kiss on the cheek.
‘Where’s your luggage?’ Marcus said.
They all walked together to the luggage compartment and she pointed out a gray satchel. Marcus’s back was sore from the tension as he led the group out of the depot. It was a beautiful day which showed the small town of Fairview at its best. The wide main street was washed with the yellow rays of the sun and looked clean and well cared for.
‘I thought we should go to the chapel first, if that’s alright with you.’ Marcus said.
Their eyes held and Edna seemed to give the matter a lot of thought. She glanced at the children again, her question in her eyes. Marcus ignored it and instead waited to hear what her answer would be.
‘Alright, let’s go.’ She finally said.
Her voice had changed though. It seemed muted when compared to the cheerful way she had greeted him when she came off the train. Still, Marcus told himself, the important thing was that she was still willing to go through with the ceremony. He shot her a look of gratitude and together they walked further up the street towards the small church.
He pointed Edna to a small room at the side of the church where she could refresh herself. Meanwhile, he and the children entered the dim lit church and joined the circuit preacher at the front. Marcus knew that he would only relax once they had said their vows. In the sanctity of the church, his deceit stood out even more and he felt the weight of his lie.
He felt a growing respect for his bride. Not many women would be bombarded with children that they did not know of and agree to go ahead with the ceremony. He looked forward to getting acquainted with her. His fear that she would not get along with the children had dissipated. He had seen the way she had looked at them and touched them.
Someone who did not care for children would only have given them a cursory glance. He turned back just as Edna walked down the aisle. He drew a sharp breath. She had changed into a cream dress that showed off her figure beautifully.
***
Edna was quiet in the wagon as they travelled to the ranch. Her mind was caught in so many conflicting thoughts; the main which was why hadn’t Marcus told her about the children? She wasn’t in any position to get indignant about his obvious omission, considering that she herself was hiding a big secret.
They were wonderful and well-mannered children, she thought now, as she stroked Victoria’s short, black curly hair. The little girl had clearly missed the love of a mother because she was now snuggled in Edna’s arm and dozing peacefully. Her heart pained at what the poor children must have gone through with the death of their mother.
She gave closer attention to her surroundings when she heard the change of direction from the sound of the wheels of the wagon. Looking out, Edna saw that they had left the main road, and were now on a thin dirt road. The wagon came to a halt and on her left, she saw the home. It was a raised timber house, with a charming large porch at the front.
Benches were arranged across the length of the porch, and Edna could see herself relaxing there at the end of the day. She gently shook Victoria awake.
‘Are we home?’ she said sleepily.
‘Yes my dear we are.’ Edna said, her voice carrying a note of wariness.
Marcus came round from the driver’s seat.
‘Welcome home Edna. We are very glad to have you with us.’ He said,
‘Thank you.’ Edna said.
She couldn’t reciprocate and say that she too was happy to be here. The lies between them felt like a thick brick wall that held them apart .She followed Marcus and the children in, up the steps that led to the porch and in through the front door. The sun was coming down and there was a slight chill in the air.
The warmth of the house welcomed Edna as soon as she stepped into the house. The front door led to a small hallway and to the left where Marcus and the children had gone, was a warm front room, furnished in simple but comfortable chairs. There was a rug that stood in the middle of the chairs and some photographs of landscapes hanged on the wall.
Edna would have thought that Marcus’s former wife would have hung pictures of the children. Each man for his own, Edna thought to herself.
‘The kitchen is this way.’ Marcus said and deposited her satchel on the carpet.
She liked the medium sized kitchen with its almost brand new pots hanging on the wall above the stove. Everything looked rather unused and Edna puzzled over this.
‘I’ll show you to our room, would you like to share my bed?’ Victoria said.
Edna laughed softly and hugged Victoria.
‘We’ll see.’ She said.
Patrick was more careful with his affections, and though he wasn’t unfriendly, he kept his distance and only spoke when necessary. The children shared the first room off the hallway. There were two beds and a chest of drawers. It was sparse but neat and comfortable. The next room was a guest room and on the opposite side, a washroom.
The master bedroom was at the very end of the hallway, next to the washroom.
‘I thought you could have the guest room for a while until you feel comfortable with me.’ Marcus said.
Edna felt a wave of relief and gratitude. She had worried about their first night together and what his expectations would be of her. Now she didn’t have to worry about that, especially as she felt that they had a few things to iron out between themselves. They left her in the guest room and she unpacked her few dresses and chose one to change into once she had cleaned herself up.
Fifteen minutes later, Edna found the family in the kitchen. It seemed like it was the room that they used the most and she found Marcus had already lit the stove.
‘What shall I prepare for supper?’ she said.
‘Can you make pancakes?’ Patrick said.
Edna laughed. ‘I promise I’ll make them for you for breakfast. Right now, we need something more filling?’
‘I made a lot of stew last night. I figured we could have it and some cold potatoes.’ Marcus said.
‘That was very thoughtful of you.’ Edna said.
They spoke like two strangers when in fact they were husband and wife. Edna opened the cover of the pot and saw the watery stew. She put it on the fire to warm up. The potatoes were in a dish on a shelf and these she removed and placed on the table. Victoria was the perfect helper, showing Edna where everything was kept.
They ate their dinner quietly, the light from the lamp casting shadows over the walls. Edna hoped that the eerie silence was not a reflection of how their lives would be from then onwards. While she wouldn’t describe herself as an overly talkative person, Edna believed that families should chat about their day over their meals.
As it was, the only thing she had in common with the people she was sharing a meal with, was the ring on her finger. Marcus seemed to have retreated into himself and kept his eyes on the food. It wasn’t the tastiest meal that Edna had ever eaten, but she was touched that he had thought of her last night.
It was true that she was extremely tired. She couldn’t wait to lay her head down on the feather mattress and just push all her problems to the side for the night. The first thing she would find out from Marcus was why he hadn’t told her about Victoria and Patrick. There was no reason in the world to be ashamed of one’s children.
***
Marcus sat stone faced and watched as Edna bustled around the kitchen preparing th
eir breakfast. His eyes rested on her midsection. She poured him a mug of hot tea and he finally looked away. He had seen enough.
‘What chores have you planned for today?’ she said cheerfully.
He mumbled something about moving the cattle downstream to the upper pasture, deliberately discouraging further conversation. He saw the confusion in her eyes. The children munched on their pancakes happily, unaware of the tension in the room. Marcus wanted to get away as quickly as he could, away from the stifling air.
‘Your pancakes are nice.’ Patrick said. ‘Much better than mama’s or…’
He pulled on his boots after he downed the last of the tea and left without a word of goodbye. He strode to the barn and saddled up his horse. Alone, he thought of the bulge from Edna’s tummy. She was unmistakably with child. Edna had lied to him. How could a decent woman hide something so big from the man she was about to marry?
The horse broke into a gentle canter and Marcus tugged at the reins harder for it to increase its speed. He hadn’t been on his stallion for weeks now and he had missed the feeling of freedom that came with riding a horse at great speed. It was dawn and the prairie was lit by a dim light from the light of the sun, behind the clouds.
He slowed down fifteen minutes later when the flat terrain changed to a steep drop. From a distance, he saw Mark, the one ranch hand he employed atop his horse, moving about impatiently. Mark had already opened the makeshift gates that would take the cattle to the next pasture away from the stream.
‘Boss.’ Was all Mark said hen Marcus got closer.
Marcus mumbled a greeting in reply.
‘I’ll bring them in from that end.’ He said gesturing with his finger.
They worked together pushing the two hundred longhorns up the hill. It was hard work which required concentration and for that, Marcus was grateful as it took his mind away from the current problem which faced him. It took them two hours to move the whole herd. The cattle resisted going up the steep hill and a few broke out from the group in an effort to return to the land down below.
[2015] A Love Miracle Page 7
