Dreams and Nightmares

by Shirley A. Roe

  “Here comes James, Margaret.” Olga Mueller hollered, her arms waving. Martha and Margaret turned towards the rider that was approaching the group.

  “Ladies, good afternoon. I'm afraid the men have been delayed because of an accident during the hunt. They should be here tomorrow about this time.” James announced in a loud voice, as he climbed from his sweating mare. The women rushed to him all speaking at once. The word accident hung like a dark curtain over their heads. Martha turned pale, immediately remembering Abraham's dream. Was it possible Jebediah had been shot during the hunt? Hunting accidents and even men trampled by the stampeding buffalo were common.

  “I don't have any details ladies, I just received a message that there had been an accident and the hunters were delayed. Please understand you will have to wait until the men arrive. I'm truly sorry but I do not know anymore than I have already told you.” James put his arm around Margaret and they slowly walked towards their wagon. Most of the women gathered their children and walked to the church where they would pray for their husbands. Martha followed the others but she would not be praying for Jebediah's safety. If he is dead, it would save us all a lot of trouble. Guilt filled her heart for these dark thoughts but she could not bring herself to ask God to bring her husband home alive.

  The next morning the women gathered again in the street and waited for the hunters to return. Many looked as if they had not slept and even the children were more sullen and subdued than the day before. A cloud of dust rose in the distance and the women knew that one of them was about to receive the dreaded news. The men returned to the street, each one greeted with large hugs and great relief. Fritz climbed off his horse and into the waiting arms of Olga. An injured man was being unloaded from a wagon in front of the General Store. Martha hesitantly walked to the wagon and slowly and fearfully looked down. There was Jake, a great deal of blood on his arm and shoulder, eyes closed. Air was sucked into Martha's lungs involuntarily as she looked at Jake's face. It had not been Jebediah but Jake that had been hurt. She could not describe her feelings, disappointment or relief? Expressionless she surveyed the large crowd for her husband.

  Isaac found them first, busting with news of the hunt and how he had shot a buffalo himself. The three boys wandered off with Isaac expounding the joys of the hunt. Martha saw Jebediah talking to Jake's wife and waited for him to notice her. When he did, he simply turned and continued his conversation. How am I going to act normal with Austin and Jeremy a few miles away? Abraham's dream echoing in her ears over and over; Someone shot father. Martha, someone shot father made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She stood still trying not to tremble.

  Finally Jebediah approached Martha and handed her his saddlebags. He spoke to her in a quiet whisper the false smile never leaving his face, “Carry these and put a smile on that miserable face. You are supposed to be happy that I'm home from the hunt.” He reached for her hand but instead of a caress, he crushed her fingers causing her to wince in pain. “Now everyone to the church to thank the Lord for the successful hunt.” Jebediah turned, pulling her along still keeping the pressure on her hand and led the faithful procession to his church. How she hated this man. With every fiber of her being she wanted to be as far away from him as possible.

  Jeremy learned from those that returned to the fort when the hunt had ended. Now he had to decide when to come face to face with his brother. He was not looking forward to the confrontation. Austin relayed Martha's horrors to him and his brother was like an evil stranger that needed to be eliminated. He knew Austin was more than capable of killing Jebediah and he questioned his own reactions. The man at the fort, Swartz was definitely a threat to Jebediah. Jeremy had his own feelings of revenge. His brother had tried to kill him once and if he were faced with it again, would he be able to kill his brother to save himself or the others? Austin had taught him to shoot but in his heart he doubted he could pull the trigger on his own kin. Hopefully it would not come to that. Maybe Jebediah would realize that allowing the woman and the two younger boys to leave was his best option. Jeremy was counting on Jebediah's love of money to be the deciding factor in any confrontation. He was upset to learn that Isaac had become so like his father and was still uneasy with Martha's decision to leave the oldest boy here. Jeremy would have to assess that situation when he came face to face with Isaac.

  Austin was feeling much lighter than he had in months. At last they had located Martha and although she had faced almost unbearable hardships, she was alive and well. How they would travel back to England with her and the boys was something he would think about later. Right now he wanted to find Jebediah Whittaker and put a bullet in his head. Austin had long buried any feelings of remorse or guilt where Jebediah was concerned and was convinced death was the only solution. He would give Jeremy his chance to appeal to Jebediah's greed, he owed his friend that much. If it didn't work however, Austin would provide the only solution.

  Early the next morning in the forest just outside the village, Isaac crawled on all fours behind the boulders, rifle in hand. He was sure to stay down wind of the deer and as silent as a dead man he moved through the brush. The smell of earth and rotting leaves filled his nostrils and the dampness of the moss soaked his knees and elbows. This was Isaac's environment. He loved the smell of the earth and the thrill of the hunt. He raised his head just enough to take aim and fired. The deer collapsed a few feet from the river. He waited the required five minutes to be sure the doe was dead. Just as he was about to come out of hiding and claim his kill, a rider appeared crossing the river several yards down stream.

  Isaac remained hidden and watched the man dismount and water his horse. Something familiar prickled in the recesses of his memory, who was this stranger and why was Isaac feeling such unease? The man removed his hat, splashing his face with water. As he turned towards Isaac's hiding place, his face came into focus. Isaac stared at that face. Paralyzing shock settled over the young boy's body. A dull pain started at the back of his head and increased in intensity as it moved toward Isaac's forehead. He clutched his head in his hands and collapsed on the ground unconscious. The man, not having seen Isaac or the deer, mounted his horse and continued across the river and into the town.

  Jebediah sat in his church office looking over his notes. Some of them were coming due and he would have to make his move soon. He must be very careful how he did the foreclosures so as not to raise suspicion amongst the rest of the homesteaders. Perhaps he would call in the liens and then tell the homesteaders they could stay on as tenants, unbeknownst to the rest of the community. He would appeal to their pride and assure them that the rent would be reasonable and no one would have to know of their failure. Eventually he would run them off and sell all of the land himself but for now he must go slowly. Something was going on with Martha but he was not sure what it was. She was acting very nervous and edgy. He spoke with Mrs. Mueller and some of the other women, who were not aware of anything happening while he was away and even suggested she might be with child. Another mouth to feed was just what he didn't need but he would wait and see. He had been thinking of a way to be rid of her without raising suspicion but so far had been unsuccessful. In the next few months, many of his plans would come to fruition and Martha, with child or not, would be disposed of in a most convincing way. For now he would concentrate on the land acquisitions and the talk of the railway that was coming to the west. The railway would mean huge increases in land value and Jebediah smiled at the thought of the abundance that was soon to be his.

  Austin, careful to remain unseen, ducked into the storage shed beside the church. He was to wait here until he saw Jeremy enter the church and then go for Martha who was to be waiting in the cabin. The storage shed smelled of manure and grain and Austin tried not to sneeze or cough. His revolver was loaded and ready and his mind was made up. Any sign of trouble and Jebediah was going to be shot. Austin had not traveled half way around the world to find Martha, only to be shot by her husband. He would protect himsel
f and Martha no matter what the consequences. The only other alternative was Jeremy's powers of persuasion and Austin hoped for all their sakes, they were good.

  Martha sat in the cabin sewing Abraham's shirt as she waited. Sweat ran between her breasts and her blood was pounding through her veins. What if Jeremy can't talk Jebediah into letting us go? Should I bring up the liens and threaten to expose Jebediah? She was frightened of him and could only imagine to what lengths he would go to protect his secret. What if something happens to Austin and Jeremy? She remembered Sergeant Dwyer. Jebediah would kill her for sure. Time seemed to stand still as she sewed and waited. The boys were feeding the livestock and Isaac had gone off somewhere with his rifle. After a year of torment, her fate was about to be decided. She felt a jumble of nerves.

  Jeremy rode towards the church, his revolver tucked under his coat. He prayed he wouldn't need it but he knew his brother and wouldn't be so gullible to leave anything to chance. He rehearsed his speech in his head. God give me strength and the wisdom to say the right thing. Jeremy hoped the fact that he was going to confront his brother in a church was a good sign. He saw the boys as he passed the cabin, signaling for them to be quiet so as not to give away his surprise.

  Jebediah heard the church door open and rose to meet his parishioner. As he stood, a strange premonition overtook him and uncharacteristically, he lifted his revolver from the desk and slipped it in his coat. Leaving the office placed Jebediah directly behind the pulpit and gave him a good view of who had entered.

  “Welcome to God's house, sir. What can I do for you today?” Jebediah walked to the center of the altar.

  “Hello Jebediah. It has been a long time.” Jeremy approached his brother with confidence and caution. He removed his hat allowing Jebediah a good look at his face.

  “Jeremy, what the………” Jebediah was shocked. What was his brother doing here? How had he found him? Instinctively, he stroked the revolver in his pocket.

  “Surprised to see me Jebediah? I guess you thought you were pretty safe way out here with the Indians. Of course money is not an object since you sold all of my land.” Jeremy was keeping his distance and watching his brother for any quick moves.

  “So you know about that do you? I thought it was rather clever myself and what the hell do you think you can do about it? You are on my turf now dear brother and coming here was a big mistake.” Jebediah had regained his composure quickly and realized that there was nothing to fear from Jeremy. No one knew him and he could be quickly and easily disposed of as an outlaw who had tried to rob the church.

  Austin left the shack and headed for the cabin. Martha met him outside after securing the two younger boys with some chores. The two of them approached the church from the back door. The back door led directly into Jebediah's office and was usually locked, but Martha had slipped in this morning and unlocked it. The two silently slipped in unnoticed. Voices could be heard from the church and they strained to hear what was being said. Austin's hand never left his revolver, ever ready when trouble struck. Martha's hand was shaking as she held Austin's arm. Both of their bodies pressed against the wall to avoid being seen they edged their way closer to the door.

  “So what do you want Brother dear?” Jebediah spat the words in Jeremy's face.

  “I have a proposition for you Jebediah. You already have a great deal of money and prosecuting you would be impossible out here. I'm asking you to release the woman and the boys to my care and I'll forget where you are. You will be free to do whatever you want and as long as you stay out of England you will be free.” Jeremy spoke slowly and purposefully.

  “Why do I have to release the woman to you? What do you care about her? Why would you think I would release my children to you? I think you've lost your mind. All I have to do is put a bullet in your head and say you came to rob the church. I'm the pastor here after all and my sheep will believe me.” With that Jebediah drew his gun.

  At almost the same instance, Jeremy pulled his gun and pointed it at Jebediah. The brothers stood facing each other guns drawn staring into each other's eyes. Austin started to enter the church but Martha pulled him back signaling that he should wait.

  Abruptly, the door to the church opened and a filthy, shell-shocked Isaac appeared. His eyes were wild and sweat glistened on his face. Taken aback, both of the brothers turned to look at him.

  “You, I remember now. As soon as I saw your face at the river, it all came back to me. I wasn't asleep that night. I was in the hallway. I saw what happened. I remember all of it now.” His voice came in gasps as if he were suffocating. His rifle was in his hand and his body shook. Now he started to shout. The brothers, momentarily forgetting each other, stood staring at the boy in shocked silence. Martha and Austin listened to the angry boy, unable to move from their hiding place.

  “You killed my mother. I remember, it was you. I trusted you. I loved you. You hit her hard and then you threw her down the stairs. I saw you. You bastard, you killed her.” With that eleven-year-old, Isaac Whittaker raised his rifle and shot his mother's killer right between the eyes.

  Martha and Austin rushed from the office. Abraham and Ezekiel charged in, bumping into their shocked and zombie like brother. The rifle fell to the ground and Isaac collapsed in a heap. His brothers immediately tried to revive him, not having noticed the dead man lying in the church pew.

  Chapter Fourteen- Decisions to Make

  Martha returned the boys to the cabin and instructed the younger boys to watch their brother. Dazed and delirious, Isaac was put to bed. Abraham and Ezekiel held cool cloths to his head and sat beside his cot in case he woke up. Traumatized, Martha returned to the church where Austin was waiting.

  Some serious decisions had to be made and this entire episode had shocked all of them. A grave must be dug and a story invented. Martha met up with Jeremy outside the church. He was badly shaken and had put the horses in the corral, more for a diversion than out of necessity. His brother was dead, shot by his own son. The adults had some serious thinking to do.

  Martha and Jeremy entered the church and locked the door behind them. Austin had wrapped Jebediah's body in a blanket and cleaned most of the blood from the church. No one spoke. Jeremy dropped into a pew, dropping his head into his hands. Zombie-like, Martha took the scrub brush from Austin and finished cleaning the pew and the floor. Keeping busy seemed to help but all of them were in shock. Austin walked over to his friend and put an arm around his shoulder. The repetitious scratching of the brush against the floor was the only sound.

  Finally after what seemed like hours, Jeremy whispered that they would have to bury Jebediah but would need a good story before the community found out he was dead. Isaac could not be blamed for his father's death and something convincing had to be decided upon.

  “I think the best plan of action is either to say that Isaac's rifle discharged by accident or that someone broke in the church and shot Jebediah just before we arrived.” Austin's mind was racing. He knew that the boys had not seen what happened but they did know that their brother and their uncle were in the church. Then there was Isaac himself. Would he know he killed his father and what state would he be in when he woke up?

  “I think for the sake of this community we need to protect Jebediah's reputation. Not for him but for the homesteaders that live here and that trusted him. Isaac may remember shooting his father and he could make liars out of all of us if we are not careful.” Martha was thinking first of the younger boys and then of the people that had been her friends for the past year. Her hand never stopped moving the brush, back and forth over and over. She also knew that Jebediah had been trying to take their land from them without a second thought for any of them. She felt nothing but relief at Jebediah's death. At last her ordeal was over. “Isaac has been through enough. First seeing his father kill his mother and now shooting his own father. The poor child, what a horrible situation. The younger boys must not know what happened here.” Martha now realized why Isaac had been the way he wa
s. Now he had her complete sympathy and concern.

  “Martha is right. We must protect the family first and the good people that live here. What about the robber theory? We could say we arrived to find Jebediah dead and the cash box empty. Or perhaps we should wait until Isaac wakes up and see just what he remembers. We can put Jebediah's body in the shed for now and make an announcement in the morning.” Jeremy needed to regain control and was fast realizing that his brother was dead and he had three nephews that would be depending on him “Martha, please go and see if Isaac is awake.”

  Austin approached Martha and helped her to her feet. He pried the brush from her stiff fingers, pulling her close to him. She looked in his eyes with no emotion and walked from the church. Jeremy and Austin watched her go, both with deep concern.

  Isaac, wide eyed lay staring blankly at the ceiling. Abraham said that they had been talking to him but he would not answer them. Seeing Isaac in this state, Jeremy was reminded of the months of silence after Alicia's death. Now he knew why. The boy had seen the whole thing and had been traumatized.

  “Let me try. Please leave us alone.” Jeremy sat with Isaac and waited. Martha moved mechanically, gathering the two younger boys. Martha and Austin took the boys out to do the chores and to try to find out what, if anything, they had heard. Abraham kept staring at Austin, knowing he was the stranger in the dreams.

  “Isaac, this is Uncle Jeremy. Will you talk to me, please? I understand why you did what you did and I want you to know that no one will blame you. We must talk about this Isaac.” Jeremy was gentle but insistent hoping to penetrate the zombie like state of his nephew. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he saw his own mother staring blankly in much the same way. He mustn't let his nephew slip away into that lost world. He continued encouraging Isaac to talk to him. He spoke of Pheasant Run and of Alicia. “Come on Isaac, come back to me. I know you can hear me.” He repeated over and over. Finally after quite some time Isaac spoke.