Earth, Air, Water, Light

by C L Lassila

  Jonas carried the trunks onto the front porch. He would move them inside after he returned the wagon. Adelaide was left alone to explore her new home. She walked through the house and looked at what was left of the Greenfield’s life there. It seemed that Mrs. Greenfield had left almost everything behind except for her clothes. It was as if Adelaide was walking into a house where someone else still lived. It was a place filled with someone else’s memories.

  Soon she was drawn to the back door. It was difficult for Adelaide to be indoors when she had the option to be outside. She walked out onto the covered back porch and took in her surroundings. This is where she would live. This place now belonged to her and Jonas. There was an outhouse and a small barn, a woodshed and a chicken coop. The well was just off to the side of the porch. Under an apple tree, close to the big oak and the two small graves, busy eating insects, were the four chickens that went with the chicken coop. She stepped off of the porch and walked over to the well. She turned the handle and pulled the bucket up from deep, down below the ground. Setting the heavy bucket on the edge of the well, she dipped her fingers into the cold liquid. Then, cupping her palm, she caught the water in her hand and took a drink. The water was cold and refreshing. It was the most delicious water that she had ever tasted.

  Adelaide looked over at the chickens. Absorbed in their hunt, they had absolutely no interest in her.

  “Hello, chickens,” she said. “I’m Adelaide Rose. I will be living here now. Hello, Jimmy and Eliza,” she addressed the two graves. “I will be living in your house now.”

  She walked over to the small berry patch and squatting down picked a small, red, ripe strawberry. The juice from the sweet fruit filled her mouth. She stood up and looked around, taking it all in. Thick forest surrounded the clearing. She could hear a bird singing in the trees. Adelaide smiled. She was happy with her new home.

  Walking around to the front of the house, Adelaide seated herself on the steps to wait for Jonas to return. She knew that the tedium of housekeeping would return to her life now that they had purchased a home. Cooking and cleaning and washing clothes were all activities that she did not enjoy. But she was determined to be a good wife to Jonas. She was so grateful to him for bringing her there. She felt that at last she was somewhere that might be a good fit. Even though there was a Methodist church in town. Jonas would want to attend services. It would be her least enjoyable wifely duty, attending Sunday services with him. Somehow missionaries always got everywhere first.

  As she sat, she watched a hawk flying in circles, high in the sky, out over the woods.

  “It must be grand to have wings,” she thought.

  Just then she caught sight of Jonas walking from the road toward the house.

  “We have chickens!” she called out in greeting.

  Jonas took Adelaide by the hand and led her inside. Unpacking would have to wait for a while.

  For Adelaide, making love to her husband was the easiest part of being a wife. She loved the rush of excitement that came with the touch of his fingers on her bare skin. And she loved the pleasure that she felt when he was inside of her.

  Feeling lazy from their lovemaking, Adelaide and Jonas lingered in bed for more than an hour before rousing themselves to get about the business of unpacking and settling in. Hungry from the morning’s activities, they decided to have lunch before getting to work. Adelaide found a sack with two wrapped pasties that Jonas had brought back from the hotel for their lunch. A set of pretty dishes sat in the sideboard. Plates, bowls and cups and saucers all decorated with a colorful pattern of flowers and birds. As she set two plates onto the table, she again thought of the bodies of the men on the beach. Mr. Greenfield had obviously worked hard to make a nice life for his family. Now she and Jonas were living in the home that he had created with his wife. The family that he had done it all for, were now gone. The wife that he had loved had now departed, leaving it all behind. None of us know where our paths will lead or when they will end.

  Chapter Six

  After traveling for months, with a home now secured, Jonas and Adelaide set about putting together the pieces and patterns of activities that would make up their married life. Mrs. Greenfield had left the house in a state of order, clean and well organized. Both Adelaide and Jonas were not particular about things like furnishings. They valued comfort and functionality. They found most of what was in the house to be simple, practical and well made. They had everything that they needed to have a good life there. So, as Jonas set out to find good employment in the mines, Adelaide found herself with little more to do to get their new home in order then to unpack their trunks.

  She did have laundry to do, so she sorted through both her and Jonas’ clothing and picked out the items that most needed washing. A tub and washboard had been left behind by Mrs. Greenfield and she had noticed a clothesline behind the house. As she went through the clothing in her trunk, she found packed at the very bottom, the sketchbook filled with her drawings from their time at the Sault. She had not done any drawing since they had left there, and holding the book in her hands, she fought the temptation to leave the washing for tomorrow and venture out to see what wonders were outside awaiting her discovery. As much as she wanted to go out and immerse herself in nature, she set the sketchbook and pencils on the table next to the bed and returned her attention to the clothing.

  With the clothing sorted, Adelaide went out to draw the water to heat for the wash. As she turned the handle she watched the chickens moving around out on the lawn, scratching and pecking through the vegetation and dirt, chasing insects. She thought, how impractical was the design of human beings that they had to cover themselves in fabric that required regular washing. Feathers or fur seemed much more convenient. She thought of the exotic tribes that she had heard about, people who lived in South America or Africa, and went about their lives completely naked. What was that like, she wondered.

  She put the washtub on the ground near the back steps. At least the wash, unlike scrubbing the floors, could be done outdoors. She spotted a small, squirrel-like rodent scurry into some bushes. It was a beautiful, little animal, golden brown in color with white and dark brown stripes running down the length of its back. She was pleased that, even though some land had been cleared for the house and the garden, some wildlife could share the space with them.

  With the laundry hung on the line, she went back indoors to unpack the provisions for the kitchen. Mrs. Greenfield had left behind a pantry that was well stocked with staples. She found flour and sugar, cornmeal, coffee, beans and preserves. There was homemade strawberry and blueberry jam and several jars marked thimbleberry, a berry that she was not familiar with. Jonas had also purchased flour and sugar. Included in the trunk of things that they had brought with them were several cooking pots, a coffee pot, plates, bowls and cups, and forks, spoons and knives. She placed their items into the cabinet with Mrs. Greenfield’s much nicer things.

  At the bottom of the trunk was a parcel wrapped in brown paper and tied with a string. Written on it were the words, “For Adelaide”. Excited by the newly discovered gift, she untied the string and pulled aside the paper to reveal the contents. Inside of the package was a set of watercolor paints, an assortment of brushes, a new set of drawing pencils, a sketchbook and some watercolor paper. This was all a housewarming gift from Jonas, who knew that her sketchbook was almost full, and anticipating the long winter that lay ahead of them, wanted to give his wife something to occupy her time when the snow got too deep and the temperatures grew too cold to be outside. The last gift in the trunk was a package of playing cards, something else that they could do to entertain themselves when the weather kept them indoors.

  Jonas arrived home that evening with another gift for Adelaide. This gift was even more welcome than the ones that she had discovered in the trunk. Jonas had gotten an above ground job at the mine. Adelaide felt immense relief when he told her the good news. Again good luck had come their way. She had grown up back in Cornwall hear
ing stories about men who had been killed or maimed in horrific mining accidents. She did not want to be one of the wives who every day feared that their husband would not come home from work that night. Now she would live free from that concern.

  Slowly the movement of their lives started to fall into a pattern. They would wake up to the voice of the rooster when he announced his presence to the world each morning and they would fall asleep when the night settled in. Adelaide enjoyed living her life in time to the rhythms of nature, going about her life like the other animals that were active during the day and then sleep when darkness fell.

  Each morning she would make breakfast for Jonas and pack his lunch and then he would go off to work. After he left, the day became hers. The housework, she learned, could be done quite quickly. With the chickens tended to, she could then slip off to explore her new world.

  A wardrobe and trunk left behind by Mrs. Greenfield were filled with her dead husband’s clothes. Adelaide discovered that Mr. Greenfield had been much closer to her size than was Jonas. He must have been a man rather slight in stature. It was much easier to adapt his clothes to meet her needs. A full skirt was not ideal clothing for walking in the woods. It was easier to move through the brush in garments better suited to the endeavor. Mr. Greenfield’s pants, shirts and even his boots quickly became Adelaide’s normal attire. She knew that she had what were considered large feet for a woman. But this trait, that had before caused her some embarrassment, was now welcome as she could wear Mr. Greenfield’s boots comfortably.

  Slipping away from the homestead, her sketchbook and pencils in the same canvas bag that she carried in the Sault, became a favorite event in her day. With her pocket watch in her pocket and her household obligations taken care of, she could lose herself in the natural world. Those hours were hers, perhaps somewhat selfishly. But she made a point to return home in time to have supper made for Jonas. Then she would once again become a housewife. She was eager to hear the stories from his day and even more eager to slip into bed with him at night.

  Her walks always took her away from town. She wanted to experience nature unaffected by man. Depending on her mood she would choose her destination for the day. She could walk to the lake shore and stroll along a sandy beach or pebble strewn shore of Lake Superior or venture off into the woods. She could sit at the river’s edge or make her way to a small inland lake. She discovered a steep hill that she could climb to a natural clearing that provided her with a view of both the lake and a vast expanse of uninterrupted forest. Or, as she often did while in the Sault, she would sit on the edge of a wetland, which included a good sized pond and a beaver dam, and be entertained by the insects and the birds. She found that in almost any direction lay untouched nature to explore. And on those days when threatening weather or time consuming domestic chores kept her close to home, she would find time to watch the chickens.

  The year had moved into late August. Adelaide decided not to go out with her sketchbook. Dark clouds blowing in on a north wind off of the lake suggested that there would be rain. With most of her housework done, she went to sit outside. For Adelaide being indoors was the equivalent of being locked in a cage. There was still a bit of blue sky visible before the invading clouds. She removed her shoes and sat on the grass. Trying to learn which birds made which calls she sat and listened to the birds talking in the trees. The songs of the birds were accompanied by the whispers of the branches moving in the wind. She was absorbed in watching the goings on of a family of crows that were her neighbors, when she heard someone say her name. She thought at first that it was her imagination. It was too early for Jonas to be home. But when she heard it again she turned to look. Standing across the yard, on the far side of the fence, was Calix Purchase.

  Surprised but pleased to see the man who had saved her life back in Sault St. Marie, Adelaide stood up.

  “Hello, Calix,” she called out as she walked over to him. “It’s good to see you.”

  “I had to see if you were staying on your feet,” he said, a big smile lighting up his handsome face.

  “I am,” Adelaide replied. “Don’t stand out there. Come in and visit for a while. Jonas is at work. He was lucky. He found an above ground job.”

  “I am happy to hear it,” Calix responded. “He is a good man. I am hoping that we might find a poker game while I am here.”

  “You should stay for supper. Then you can ask him. How are Albert and Charles?” Adelaide continued.

  “They are both here in Copper Harbor,” Calix responded.

  “I hope that they will stop by,” Adelaide said. “Come on out back with me. We can sit and talk.”

  Calix followed here to the back of the house where they both took a seat on the back steps.

  “I brought you a gift,” Calix said. He took a small parcel and what appeared to be some plant cuttings from his bag.

  “Something for your garden,” he added.

  Adelaide accepted the package from Calix.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “I remembered how, when we were traveling to Lanse, you had said that milkweed blossoms were the most beautiful scent that you had ever smelled,” Calix said. “I didn’t recall seeing milkweed growing so far north, but if you plant them in the garden they might take. Clear a patch of ground close to the house and in a year or two you can enjoy their perfume on hot summer nights. You have to plant the seeds before winter, and the cuttings too, of course.”

  “Thank you,” Adelaide said, glancing at Calix. “The flowers have a lovely fragrance, don’t they?”

  Calix smiled.

  “They do,” he replied.

  Adelaide, feeling suddenly self-conscious, laughed.

  “And we have chickens,” she said, changing the subject. “Jonas is irritated with me. I have become too fond of them to ever even consider eating them. But we have eggs. And…Mrs. Greenfield left behind a bottle of something. Whiskey, I think. Let me get you a glass.”

  The two sat and talked, losing track of time, discussing all manner of things. It wasn’t until Jonas arrived home that Adelaide realized that she had not begun dinner.

  “Jonas, we have company,” she said, standing to greet her husband. As she walked by him she added, “I invited Calix to dinner. He brought us milkweed to grow in the garden. You two can visit. I have supper to make.” She briefly rested her hand on Jonas’ shoulder and slipped into the house.

  Calix stood and he and Jonas warmly shook hands. They sat down and shared stories until Adelaide announced that supper was ready.

  While they ate, Adelaide listened to the men talk and joke. Jonas told stories of the mine and Calix talked about his travels in the area and the development that successful mines would bring. Calix, who was French Canadian, had spent time in the territory around Lake Superior before the arrival of European settlers. He had seen what happens when white people moved into an area to exploit the natural resources there.

  They finished the meal with coffee and saffron cakes. It wasn’t until the sun was nearing the horizon that Calix said his goodbyes and left to walk back to town.

  It was a hot, late August night. The rain that had been threatening all day never arrived. Adelaide was restless. She lay in bed next to Jonas. Calix kept coming into her thoughts. She moved her body closer to Jonas and brushed her fingers across his bare chest. He began to stir as her hand slid down the length of his body and between his legs. He felt her hot breathe on his ear as she whispered, “Make love to me.”

  Jonas grabbed her hand and held it above her head as he rolled her onto her back. Adelaide felt his strong body above hers, as he held her down, his hard penis entering her. She gasped as he thrust into her. After their lovemaking she fell asleep in Jonas’ arms with thoughts of Calix still in her head.

  Chapter 7

  It was summer and hot weather had settled in. Jonas and Adelaide moved through their daily routines slowed by the heaviness of the air. Adelaide fought off thoughts of Calix. She had not seen him sinc
e his visit and she would not ask Jonas if he was still in the area.

  It was a hot and humid Tuesday afternoon. Adelaide sat in the shade of the porch and noticed how still things were. It was as if all of the animals were taking a siesta in response to the heat. Like her, the chickens had taken refuge in the shade. Dark clouds were moving in quickly, replacing the blue of the sky. Perhaps it would finally rain and cool things down, she thought. She envied the animals. They could feel the warm wind blow over their fur or feathers, free of the added weight of external layers of fabric.

  Raindrops began to fall, quickly turning into a downpour. She watched as a bird began to bathe in the rain. Adelaide knew that no one who might be passing on the road could see her. She stood and unbuttoned her trousers, letting them fall down onto the porch. The wind felt delightful on her bare skin. After unbuttoning the buttons on her shirt she removed it and tossed it next to her trousers. She quickly slipped out of her under clothes and stepped off of the porch into the warm rainfall. The water running over her bare skin was a glorious sensation. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the feeling of the water coursing over her body, from her shoulders, down over her breasts, her belly and then trailing down her thighs. The raindrops cooled her overheated flesh. Adelaide could not contain the enjoyment that she felt and she began to laugh. She walked further out into the yard and stretched out her arms, opening them wide to receive the rain. She arched her head back and felt the rain, falling harder now, wash over her face. She stood there for several minutes, naked in the rain, not wanting to relinquish the pleasure that she was feeling. Finally she turned back toward the house. There, standing on the porch, was Calix.