HARD ROAD: Heaven Bound

by Terry McDonald

  “If it is, I don't mind.” Al stood. “I need to talk to Janie. I hurt her feelings when I told her she should feel bad about killing. I know she never thinks about hurting anyone, and it was his fault for coming here, and wanting to hurt us. She killed a bad man and that's all. She doesn't need to hurt herself because of him.”

  “You summed our conversation perfectly. I'm glad we had this talk. It helped me too.”

  Al left. Jake watched him walk away, his mind still on their talk, and on how the younger ones had changed since the day he had gathered them from the farm.

  *

  Janie, noted at dinner one evening, Eva was beginning to have a face again. Eva laughed, but assured her much of the swelling would return as soon as her nose was set.

  Agnes used one of the two remaining morphine injectors, and, as Eva would be guiding her through the process, she gave her only enough to deaden the pain.

  She requested Jake and Al be on hand to watch the procedure as a learning experience. With Beth assisting her, the entire process took nearly an hour. It was a bloody mess, and Jake was almost gagging at some parts of it. Toward the end, Eva passed out from the pain. Agnes was finally satisfied with the shape of the nose. Beth held it in place with a gauze wrapped screwdriver inserted in each nostril while Agnes stuffed treated gauze into Eva’s nose, packing it tight against the screwdrivers before carefully removing them. She coated Eva’s nose and surrounding area with petroleum jelly and applied casting material shaped like the letter T. It was made from gauze soaked in plaster-of-Paris they found in Janie’s’ miracle basement. She took care to mold it as it set before taping it in place.

  Jake wanted to know how such a simple cast could hold the shape of the nose. Agnes explained that the material fit so closely to the nose, it actually formed a vacuum. She also explained that she would have to change the cast when the swelling went down again.

  *

  Three days later, Jake asked Beth to take a walk with him. Hand in hand, he led her along the path he had laboriously hacked though the underbrush. Within a short distance, they emerged from the path into a large natural clearing. It was an almost circular area surrounded by tall oaks festooned with Spanish moss, their massive branches forming a dense dome over the entire space. The bright Georgia sun filtered through as rays, giving the space a beautiful dim glow. Jake paused at the entrance and waved Beth on.

  Beth went to the middle of the clearing and slowly turned.

  “This is wonderful.”

  “I had to find a special place to say some special words,” he replied, moving to her, reaching for her hand.

  “Oh Jake,” she said in a soft voice.

  “Beth Simpson, you have captured my heart in a very deep way. I’m tired of being alone and lonely. Beth, I have three special words to say to you.

  Jake lowered himself to one knee, still holding her hand.

  “Beth Simpson, I love you. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

  She dropped to both knees, looked at him with eyes full of love, and punched his shoulder very hard. “What took you so long? Yes, I’ll be your wife!”

  The wedding took place the next day in the same clearing. Jake declared himself to be the mayor of a newly established township, officially named Haven, but proclaimed the common name, Heaven, allowable. He appointed Agnes to the position of Justice of the Peace, an honor she readily accepted, stating she would be delighted to make an ‘honest man’ of him.

  Immediately after breakfast, the women evicted Jake from the cabin. He went to join Al at the edge of the cut, making small talk to pass the time. A short time later, a very excited Janie joined them.

  “Wait till you see Beth. They finished putting on Eva’s new nose cast, and now they’re making Beth beautiful.”

  “Janie, you’re not supposed to tell,” Al said.

  “I didn’t say how, did I?” she retorted.

  “Don’t worry about it kiddo,” Jake said, “I sort of know what’s going on in there. Women love occasions like this, it brings out the woman in them. They want to make it a special day for Beth and for me.”

  “And for me too,” Janie said, “I’ve never been to a wedding before. I’ve got to hurry back and practice my part.” She took off at her usual flat out run.

  “You better hurry back,” Al, called, “I need to practice too.”

  They gathered in the clearing after lunch. The day was cloudy, but not overcast. The light filtering through the trees would slowly change as the clouds drifted past the sun. A slight cooling breeze was blowing.

  Agnes, with her rifle slung from her shoulder, stood with Jake in the center of the clearing, facing the entrance to the path. Eva, her nose stuffed with gauze, and Janie with her bow and quiver, stood together off to one side.

  “Jake Markett,” Agnes said in a loud voice, “why are we gathered here today?”

  “We’re here for you to marry us.”

  “You have to do better than that,” Agnes said in a whisper, “There’s a young lady out there listening for your reply, and by God, you better make it special for her!”

  Jake nodded his understanding.

  “We are gathered here for a ceremony that will bind my life to the woman I love.”

  Agnes smiled at him before continuing, “Does Beth Simpson wish to bind her life with this man, if so, please join us here in this sacred place.”

  A few seconds later Beth and Al appeared at the entrance to the clearing. Al, with his rifle slung from his shoulder, was holding his sister’s arm, leading her slowly forward.

  Beth was dressed, neck to ankles, in a white gown. Her head was adorned with a wreath of wild flowers braided into a white band of cloth. Artfully crafted long ribbons of white flowed behind her from the headband of the wreath. They had wrapped her feet with the same white cloth. Jake’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of her, and he knew, no matter how much time passed, this memory would never fade.

  Agnes began to whistle the melody for the bridal march, with Eva and Janie singing the words. Eva, despite the cast and the gauze plugging her nose, sang with her soul, and Janie sounded just as lovely. Al led Beth to stand beside Jake, and moved to join the others. When the song was finished, Agnes began speaking.

  “I know the words that are typically said at a wedding,” Agnes began, “but a glance at us tells this is not a typical wedding. Two of the people we love and care about most in this world are soon to be joined.” Agnes paused for a moment to take a breath and to wipe a tear from her cheek, “I’m sorry, I’ve never felt so girly in my life... Would the two of you face each other and hold hands. Let us get this done so we can get guards back out.”

  They did as requested, standing close, Jake taking a hand in each of his.

  “I know it’s usually said that the minister of the ceremony joins two people but I’m not doing it that way. You two are going to join yourselves.

  “Beth, tell Jake why you want to marry him.”

  Beth smiled and squeezed his hands.

  “Before I met you I lived in fear. Every person we met after the death harmed us. When I first met you Jake, I was afraid of you. That first day you shot and killed two men who attacked us. You said we weren’t safe there at our house and that we could travel with you. I offered myself to you. You said you didn’t want any of what I had. I didn’t believe you, but we went with you.

  “We have been on the run ever since, and we’ve killed more people. Along the way, we rescued two more people, Agnes and Eva, that became members of our family. You accepted responsibility for their lives too. I came to realize you would give your life, without thought, to keep us safe. I am not afraid of you now. I am in awe of you. You are what my mamma would call ‘true blue” and my daddy would ‘call a man among men’.

  “One day, I heard my brother and sister wishing you could be their daddy, and it came to me, I didn’t want you that way. I wanted you the way a woman wants a man. Jake Markett, you are a good man, a strong man and a gent
le man. I know, in the embrace of your heart, you will be true to me. I love you Jake Markett for the man you are. I love you with every fiber of my soul.”

  “Jake,” Agnes said, “tell Beth why you want to marry her.”

  Jake blinked the moisture from his eyes, and taking a deep breath, began to speak.

  “Beth, I didn’t want to love you. I saw you as a child and I thought of you as a child. I saw your feelings for me were changing. I thought it was an infatuation and would pass with time. It didn’t, and I found myself captivated by you. It took a wise woman,” he said, with a nod towards Agnes, “to straighten out my thinking. It took you, and some bold moves on your part,” he said, with a broad smile, “to change my perception of you. I will never see you as a child again.

  “The question asked was why I want to marry you. When I met you, you were such a skinny little thing. Even so, there was strength about you. I still think about that big butcher knife you kept close those first few days. As time went by, the depth of your spirit, and your soul, became even more evident. I saw the way you grew intellectually. I saw the way you changed physically. I saw the way you cared for your brother and sister. I fell in love with you a long time ago, and denied it. Still, my love for you grew with every passing day. I love you because you have the courage to entrust your heart to me. I love you because I always want you near me. I love you Beth Simpson, with every fiber of my soul.”

  They stood face to face, their eyes entwined with the enchantment of their feelings. Agnes broke the spell.

  “Damn, this is a happy day. I pronounce you bound. Al, it’s time for the rings.”

  Al stepped forward and handed Agnes three rings.

  “Beth, as you requested, the rings which once bound your mother and father will now be used to bind the two of you.” She handed a heavy gold ring to her. “Beth, would you please place this ring onto Jake’s’ finger.”

  She took the ring and slid it onto his finger.

  “You’re my man. I love you Jake Markett.”

  Agnes handed Jake two rings. “Jake, would you please place these rings onto Beth’s finger.”

  He slid to rings onto Beth’s finger.

  “You’re my woman, I love you Beth Markett.”

  “Now for God’s sake, kiss,” Agnes said. “Don’t take forever about it. You’ll have an entire lifetime for that. We’ve got one more piece of business to take care of.”

  They kissed and even though it was hard, they kept it modest. When they separated, Agnes requested, Al and Janie, to join them.

  “Al Simpson, Janie Simpson, you have brought a request before the Justice of the Peace of the township known as Heaven.”

  “Yes we have your Honor,” Al said with an obviously practiced reply, “We request that Jake Markett be allowed to adopt us as his children. To honor our mother and father, we request that the name Markett be added to follow our surname of Simpson.”

  “Your request is recognized by this court. What say you, Jake Markett, to this petition for adoption?”

  Jake opened his arms for the two smiling kids. “I say, hello Allen Simpson Markett, hello Janie Simpson Markett. Welcome to my life.”

  Janie gave a gleeful shout, leapt into his arms, and smothered him with kisses.

  Agnes stepped back and began laughing. “Jake Markett, you are either the dumbest man alive or else the luckiest. I pronounce you man, wife, and family. Now I think it’s time to leave these two lovebirds to their honeymoon. On the other side of this clearing, behind that clump of Sassafras, you will find everything you two will need for a short stay here. We love the two of you… Jake, Eva wants to have a private word with you. Now if you will excuse the rest of us, we’re going back to our duties. I’m getting nervous as hell with no one on guard.”

  Jake nodded and turned to Beth.

  “You two talk,” she said. “This dress may be made from bed sheets, but it’s my wedding dress and it’s precious. I’ve got to put it somewhere safe.” She kissed his cheek and followed the others out of the clearing.

  CHAPTER 13

  Jake turned to Eva who was standing beside him.

  “Congratulations, Jake, you have a beautiful new wife. Do you recall our conversation about the resumption of Beth’s menses?”

  “I do, I hope you’re not going to say this would be a bad time to consummate our marriage? Lord knows we don’t have any birth control handy.”

  “No” she said laughing and then grimaced in pain, “That’s what I wanted to tell you. All we have to go by is the old-fashioned rhythm method. Based on it, she should be in a safe zone for three more days."

  "I remember hearing my mother tell a friend that using the rhythm method was a pregnancy waiting to happen."

  "No doubt it wasn't the best guide, but it was right often enough.

  “Thanks for telling me. We may want children later, but now is not the time. When you see Agnes, let her know we’ll be having a meeting tomorrow, around noon. We’ll be leaving this area permanently in a couple of days. Tell her we can strip the place of anything that will fit into the back of the truck. I mean overload it, if she thinks we can use something in Heaven.”

  “Will do, Mister Mayor of Heaven.”

  “Jeez, that sounds tacky. I can’t believe we let it stick.”

  “You keep saying it too. Haven is more fitting, but to Janie and the rest of us, I think the unofficial name Heaven will do.”

  She left him standing there. It felt like forever waiting for Beth to return. When she did appear at the entrance to the clearing he suddenly felt bashful. Thankfully, in her excitement, she did not notice, and the feeling passed.

  “Let’s set the tent right in the middle of the clearing,” she said. “This is the most beautiful spot in the whole world.”

  “It is beautiful,” he agreed. Let’s make a deal to celebrate our ten year anniversary here.”

  “I don’t know what that is, but let’s get the things they stashed for us and set up our honeymoon camp so we have something to celebrate ten years from now.”

  “Somebody’s in a hurry to consummate this marriage.”

  “If that word means what I think it does, that’s been my goal ever since I decided to get you, so be a gentleman and hurry.”

  Jake hurried.

  Their lovemaking was a slow starting affair. There was just enough light in the tent to see. They spent a long time, touching, and feeling, and kissing, gradually getting to know each other in an intimate way. The heat in the tent built from the heat of the sun. The heat of their naked bodies stoked the furnace. The sweat lent an erotic aspect to their foreplay, their bodies slipping and sliding upon each other. When Jake entered her, she screamed, and pulled him deeper in a frenzied rush. A moment later, she screamed once more as her passion released in a climatic explosion that pulled him along with her.

  “Oh, Jake,” she said, sitting. “I never dreamed it could feel so good.”

  He responded by cupping a breast in his hand and began flicking the nipple with the tip of his tongue.

  Beth began to moan.

  “You need to lie back down,” Jake said. “We have the day and night ahead of us.”

  “It can happen again?”

  “More times than you can imagine,” he answered, “and it only gets better.”

  “Oh, God,” she said.

  They sank into the essence of each other and did not come up to breathe.

  *

  Agnes and Eva were in the kitchen area drinking hot tea.

  “I make that five,” Agnes said, as the sounds from the clearing abruptly stopped.

  “You say that with so much pride, one would think you had something to do with it.”

  “Oh I did, Eva. What that girl didn’t know about catching a man would fill a book.”

  “And you know about ‘catching a man’.”

  “Man, woman, doesn’t matter. You just have to know when the right time comes to make a move.”

  “One would think feelin
gs for another would simply grow in a natural way without artificial prompting.”

  “One would think, huh. You know, you are an uppity Yankee Jew aren’t you? You remind me of Rose Sayer, the heroine in the ‘African Queen’ movie. She was so haughty, but in such a clean cut way. I had a crush on her for years. She sure knew how to wrap poor Charlie Allnut around her little finger. For such a goody two shoes she made some pretty bold moves on him.”

  “So you think Beth made bold moves on Jake?”

  “I know she did. She and I spend days and days thinking of way to make him notice her. It took us a few tries but we even made perfume from wildflowers.

  The two of them were earnestly chatting when two things happened almost at once. The sounds from the clearing once again reached an abrupt crescendo, and Janie came rushing through the door.

  “That would be six,” Eva said, as she turned to the sound of Janie coming into the room. “Whoa youngster, slow down before you fall and break something. Why are you in such a rush?”

  “I keep hearing Beth screaming, something must be wrong!”

  “Honey, that’s just the way people act when they get married,” Eva said. “They’re probably telling each other scary stories.”

  Agnes rolled her eyes. “Jake and Beth are making love, and it makes her feel so good, she has to scream.”

  “Oh,” Janie said, relieved. “She’s okay then?”

  “Yes she is, sugar, and judging from the amplitude of her screams, she’s more than okay. Are you hungry?”

  “Nope, I used to be hungry all the time, but nowadays I’m mostly full. I am bored though. Aren’t you?”

  Agnes and Eva looked at each other and burst out laughing.

  “No, honey,” Agnes said, “we’re not bored."

  Janie was confused. “Did I say something funny?”

  “No, I did,” Agnes replied. “When you go outside, tell Al we’ll be down shortly to relieve him.”