Love And Hearts Ride West: Mail Order Bride: 16 Novella's Bundle

by Indiana Wake

  As soon as she had read this, she felt very fond of Mr. Montgomery. A man who sought love and company, it was exactly what Rena wanted. She knew they would make a beautiful marriage. Much better than most marriages she knew of.

  The swaying of the boat gently lulled her into a semi-sleep and she remembered back. After she had read the advertisement, the idea of falling in love captured her. Men were scarce in her hometown. Women outnumbered men there four to one and there were no single men that she found attractive. Could she fall in love with a handsome stranger? Would he be handsome? The idea was both terrifying and exciting. How she had wished, she could find love in her own village or the nearby town, but it was not to be.

  For many weeks, she had kept the advertisement, reading it late at night and dreaming what Mr. Montgomery would look like. Would he have brown eyes or blue? Would he smile when he saw her? Would he find her attractive? In the end she knew she had to write to him and find out. Her English was not as good as her sister, Yuna’s so she asked her to help her write back, as she dreamed of finding love in a new land. Her sister Maiko whose name meant dancing child had laughed. “Why do you need to go abroad?” she had asked. “Any man would have you.”

  But she was wrong. Even thought Rena had had a few offers the men had been mean, unfriendly and old. That was not what she wanted. She wanted a partner, a companion. Someone who would enjoy her company and love to spend time with her. Not just a husband who wanted her to produce children. She had tried to explain, but Maiko was not impressed and huffed and argued. Being the next oldest Maiko always looked on the serious side, but in the end, like all her sisters she had helped with the letter. Rena wondered if it was because she wanted her gone, but as soon as she had that thought she felt sorry and worked really hard to help her sisters out. There were five girls and no boys in the family. It made things hard and because their parents had died in an accident, there was only Grandma Chie to look after them. They grew rice and vegetables and kept a few chickens. The girls worked whenever they could but still the food was scarce. So Rena would save her rations and leave a little so her sisters had more, but it never seemed to please them. Instead of being grateful they accused her of being too good for the food.

  “Japanese food is too good for her,” Maiko said one night. “She wants American food.”

  Rena thought about explaining, but the look from Chie told her not to and later Chie came to see her. “Do not worry,” she said. “Soon you will be happy.”

  Once the letter was sent, Rena wanted to leave, wanted to get away from her sisters and to see if what Chie said was true. But she started to worry. Would her delay mean he already had a wife? For many long weeks, she had hardly slept at all. Yet each day her grandmother would wink at her and smile her gap-toothed smile.

  “Do not worry little Rena,” she would say. “Some things are meant to be.”

  “Even if he does write back,” Rena had said. “How will I know if I love him?”

  Her grandmother was less concerned with love than she was with Rena leaving Japan. “It’s America, Rena. It’s full of wealth and possibility. You can leave this damned village and make something of your life.”

  And here she was. After three letters each she had agreed to make the long journey and to be this man’s bride. At the time, it seemed romantic, but now her bones ached and she missed home. She even missed the whining of her sisters for she knew it was from love. This man was just words on paper and who knows what he would really be like.

  The ship continued its journey towards unknown possibilities, and Rena’s heart grew heavy with the empty ache of home. She undid the ribbon of her hat and let her dark hair loose. It whipped around in the ocean winds and hid her silent tears. How could she love someone she had never met? She watched the dark waves crash against the side of the ship and imagined herself caught in a small storm. Her grandmother on one side, Japan on another, and the strange Mr. Montgomery ahead. People surrounded her and left her crashing amidst waves of hope, love, wonder, sorrow, and loneliness.

  They were out in the middle of the ocean now, with nothing but water on every side; Rena wondered whether that meant freedom or captivity. She raised her hands in supplication and began to pray to a God she had only recently accepted. She began to whisper in Japanese, before stopping herself midway and switching to English. She had to speak this other language as fluently now as she would speak her own native tongue, and she thought it would be a good idea to start practicing her English well before she met her husband.

  Chapter Two

  Rena found it very difficult to sleep on the ship. For the months that she was on board, she tossed and turned every night. Tormented with nightmares about sea storms and strange new worlds, and dreams of her family and her home. She would stay up all night and weep sometimes, and the other passengers were beginning to notice. Some didn’t care or didn’t show any compassion if they did; while others seemed to care too much and spent all their free time trying to cheer Rena up and fussing over her.

  “You were so beautiful when we set sail. Now you’ve cried your skin sallow and your sleepless nights are beginning to show under your eyes,” a matronly Indian woman said wagging a disapproving finger at her. “Didn’t you say you were going to meet your new husband? Do you want him to see you like this?” she clicked her tongue and spoke in Hindi to her companion, who also shook her head at Rena.

  The last thing Rena needed was sympathy. All she wanted was to be left alone with her memories and her dreams. Maybe if she prayed hard enough, this nightmare would be over. She was starting to like the quiet passengers more than the ones who wanted to make her feel better. For she was full of guilt. Should she have left home? Was it fair to leave her sisters and venture out into a new life? Then there was the worry about what she would meet. Would he like her? Would she like him? Would she ever see Chie again and hear her sweet voice singing a Japenese lullaby? Tears stung her eyes as she thought of home, but she had to let that go. She had made this choice and there was no going back.

  She noticed some other Chinese and Japanese girls on board and soon found out that they too were heading out to America as mail order brides. But all of them were excited and chatted happily to whoever would listen. They were going to meet Japanese men who had found work in the sugar plantations and on the railway. Was Rena the only one going to meet an American? Rena found herself wondering if something was wrong with her. After all, her grandmother was excited her sisters had been jealous but still happy for her; and these other brides-to-be were positively glowing with anticipation. So why was she dreading the moment when the ship would dock in the Oregon Territory?

  Some of the girls tried to talk to her, keeping the conversation in English so that both the Chinese and Japanese girls could all join in, but Rena would shy away from the conversations. She was either intimidated by their superior hold on the language or daunted by their ballooning excitement and joy. She kept to herself. Avoiding the Indian ladies who tried to feed her food from metal lunchboxes as well as the blushing brides. Instead, she became better acquainted with the hull of the ship where she would sit alone for hours on end, looking into the dark watery depths of the ocean and thinking about Mr. Victor Montgomery.

  They had exchanged drawings of each other. Her grandmother had done hers and Rena had to admit it seemed prettier than she felt. Victor had told her he had paid an artist to draw him and she hoped he was as handsome as he looked. But how could she know. For all she knew, the drawing was false and so was he. She let out a sigh. Why was she having these thoughts? Shouldn’t she be happy and excited? After all things were hard back home. The harvest had failed and food would be short and the winter’s cold. A pang of guilt came over her. Would her family survive? Maybe she should have stayed and helped. But then she knew that the last thing they needed was another mouth to feed. If she had done nothing else, coming on this trip had eased the burden on her family.

  Again she drifted and in her dreams she knew that h
e was handsome. Just like the drawing he was tall and broad, with dark hair and a dusting of beard. He had a sweet smile that made her like him immediately. But that was all she knew about him. A groan escaped her in her dream and she woke with a start. It was cold on the deck and she wandered back to the hold. Almost everyone was asleep; except for a little old lady. Rena had noticed her for her accent was similar to her own. She hardly spoke, but Rena had noticed that she got very little food. Because she was old and small, she often got overlooked. For over two weeks now she had taken to saving a little of her own rations and as she passed, she handed the package to the lady.

  “Doumo arigatou gozaimasu,” she said.

  “It is my pleasure,” Rena replied and then she found a quite space and tried to sleep. But sleep would not come and she found herself wondering what Victor was really like. Did he like to drink tea or smoke a pipe? Was he religious? Was he a dreamer with his head in the clouds like she was, or a realist who could keep her grounded when she drifted off too far? She wondered if he liked the ocean and if he could sleep on a moving ship. For some reason, that was important to her and she worried about it for a short time. Then she wondered what he thought of the stars, and if he believed in ghosts. She sighed and her little body shivered, it was cold tonight without a blanket. She had so many questions to ask him, but one made her heart beat like a little hummingbird: would he love her?

  Chapter Three

  After months of ambivalent feelings and sleepless nights, Rena knew it was time to face her fears. There was no turning back for they were docked in America, and she would be seeing her new husband in the next few hours. She passed by the main deck and saw all the brides huddled together. Their faces were curious and excited. She walked over to them to see what was going on. One of the girls was carrying powders and dyes and was painting all the girls’ faces to make them look extra special. Little shouts of glee went up from each girl about how they wanted to be beautiful for the first time they would see their husbands.

  Rena had a brief moment of vanity. She was tired, dirtier that she would have liked and knew her face was sallow and drawn. As she wavered on the spot, she considered asking the girl to apply some rouge to her cheeks and line her eyes with the Kohl they had borrowed from the Indian ladies. Shaking her head, she decided against it, however, thinking it would be rude to ask the girls for a favor after she had rejected all their attempts at friendship.

  Rena hovered behind as the girls walked away together chatting happily, she felt a sense of loss. If she had become friends, then she would have their support in this new world, but it was too late now for they were alighting from the ship. Then they were gone.

  The little old lady walked after them she was looking around and at last her eyes found Rena. She walked over and hugged her tight before walking off the ship. As she got to the bottom of the walkway, Rena saw a young man hug her tight. Maybe he was her son or some other relative. This greeting left her feeling even more alone. Why had she not talked to the lady? If she had found out her name, where she lived she would have had a friend. Once again it was too late.

  The deck was now empty except for her. It was time to go, so she pinched her cheeks, inserted two pearl combs into her hair, and stood up straight. This was the moment of truth and she was ready to meet Mr. Montgomery at last.

  She turned around and took one last look at the glittering ocean, and she sighed deeply. For once, the sea was calm and did not reflect her inner state of turmoil. It twinkled gently at her as sunlight formed iridescent diamonds on the surface which winked brilliantly as if mocking her with their beauty and freedom. The ocean never had to leave behind its family. It was just free and vibrant. She breathed deeply, clearing her lofty thoughts and then breathed in again as though getting ready to dive in. Instead, she turned and prepared to depart the ship. A quick touch to her hair and she rubbed her hands down her colorful kimono. Taking tiny steps because of the tightness of her best dress, and to ensure no one would see her calves she walked down the gangplank until her feet touched the solid ground for the first time in months.

  Her legs felt weak and rubbery as she looked around nervously and saw the other girls. Laughter and joy echoed back to her as one by one they were picked up by their fiancés. As each man found his wife, there were oohs and aahs of approval from the remaining girls. Then they hugged each other and promised to remain friends.

  Rena stood watching as a tear formed in her eyes. Where was Victor? What if he had changed his mind? There was no money for a return trip and she had just the clothes she wore and a few items from home. Panic gripped her and she wanted to sink to her knees for she couldn’t see Victor anywhere. With an empty feeling in her chest, she scanned the wooden buildings and the strange faces. Everyone had someone; everyone looked at ease as if they belonged. Only she was alone and abandoned and pain sliced into her stomach. What if Grandma Chie was wrong? What if she was destined to be alone?

  A tap on her shoulder had her spinning round in alarm. And then she looked up into his face. It was just like the drawing, only the eyes were more expressive, kinder somehow. As she looked up into his beautiful features, she thought her heart might come bursting out of her chest. Her hands shook and she felt a tingle of attraction as butterflies took flight in her stomach.

  Victor smiled kindly at her, his face was clean shaven and his light brown eyes crinkled at the edges. Had he shaved just for her? The thought brought a flush of warm tenderness to her and filled her with hope. She couldn’t help but smile back as huge waves of relief washed over her. Then she noticed he was holding a sign. In Japaneseアメリカへようこそ　Rena.

  She smiled widely and pointed at the sign, it was the kindest thing she could imagine and it washed away all her doubts. “Very good,” she said, “did you do that yourself?”

  Victor smiled sheepishly and looked at the ground, his ears turning bright red. “I had to consult a Japanese worker, but I hope it is right. It’s meant to say Welcome to America Rena. Does it?”

  Seeing his nervousness, Rena’s own anxiety dissipated and she laughed out loud, happily exclaiming, “Yes! It’s just right. Thank you, Mr. Victor.”

  Victor looked at his bride-to-be and felt his heart beat rapidly inside his chest. How long had he looked forward to this moment? He could not remember for he had been searching for just the right woman for over a year before he wrote to Rena. Many had written to him, but none had inspired him like she had. From the moment, he read her first letter he knew she was the one for him and now here she was. She had such a pretty smile and despite the fact that she looked weary from her journey she was so beautiful. As she laughed the sun bathed her in a golden light, which made her hair glisten and her eyes sparkle. Quickly he held out his arm to her.

  Rena gazed at his arm and felt her heartbeat quicken once more. So far all of her fears had been false and it looked like she had found a true gentleman. With a shaking hand she leaned on his arm and holding onto his warmth, he guided her through the crowded dock and to his carriage.

  Once there he sent a man back to collect her things and then he helped her into the carriage. Rena could hardly breathe with him so close. Her body tingled as if they were touching, yet there was a distance between them. Her heart beat like a war drum and she was finding it hard to get her breath. What was wrong with her?

  Victor climbed in and sat down right across from her. To hide her excitement she peeked out of the curtains on the windows.

  Everything was different here. The carriages, the houses they passed the streets, and especially the people. The ladies were so exotic in their long frilly dresses, pulled tight at the waist. The way they flared out behind made her blush and look away. Many wore bonnets on their hair, which was piled up on top of their head or hung in curls. The men were dressed like Mr. Victor in long black coats and trousers, many with Stetson hats. She felt out of place in her slim kimono. It was very bright in reds and greens and she had saved it for today. She so wanted to look her best
, but now she realized that it just set her apart and she felt sad.

  Many people spoke English in Japan, with varying degrees of proficiency, but here, even the English sounded different. Victor and all the people she heard had a drawling accent and at first she struggled to understand. She was so busy looking out at the city that for a moment, she forgot where she was. When Victor spoke to her, she jumped and the realization that she was sitting in a horse-driven carriage with her American fiancé startled her.

  “Did I surprise you?” Victor asked gently.

  Rena nodded slowly, realizing she was clutching a hand to her heart and her chest was heaving wildly. She removed her hand and tried to steady her breathing, as she smiled at him. He smiled back and it made her stomach go all a flutter.

  “Rena, I think I should tell you now before you are disappointed. I’m not a very wealthy man. I own a small house and a small ranch. I want you to know that I can promise that you will be comfortable and well-cared for, but I won’t be able to have you living in luxury for at least a few more years.”

  Rena listened to his sweet words and wanted to tell him that she didn’t care about money. She started, but the words were muddled in her mind. It was difficult to translate when she was so nervous. “Like money,” she said and gave him a smile. Letting him know that money was not important.

  A frown crossed his face. “I see,” he said.

  Rena wanted to explain more. That she had lived in poverty her entire life, and that she came here because she wanted to find love and happiness instead of luxury. But the language failed her, and as she searched for the right words, she frowned.

  Victor misinterpreted her silence as doubt and regret and trying to mask his shame and sadness he reached into a compartment above them and pulled out a green velvet covered bible. “If things aren’t to your liking,” he said, “then I will see what arrangements I can make.” With that, he dropped his eyes from hers and began to read.