by Tia Siren
“I can go play ball…” The little girl pulled the ball from her daddy’s hands and jumped up and down until he set her on the floor. She ran to the door and a taller man pulled it open, stepping back for her.
“Here you go, tiny miss,” the man said, smiling.
“Thank you!” Ruthie darted into the building.
Minnie and Joe looked at each other.
“You can say anything you want to,” Minnie murmured. “I won’t tell if you don’t want to marry be because of Billy…”
“In case you didn’t notice,” Joe shook his head. “I’m not going to back out of marrying you because you…weren’t honest about your situation. I…did the same thing with Ruthie, didn’t I?”
Joe hung his head in shame.
“I wasn’t exactly spelling out Billy’s name in our letters.”
“I only received one. Did you send others?”
Thinking back, she could only think of one. She shook her head. “I must be wrong.”
“Do you want me to re-introduce myself? Shall we both start getting to know each other better without having these little precious hearts be our bait for a mate?”
“You are a charming poet.” Minnie giggled. “But if we’d been using them as bait, we would have advertised about them, we never would have hid them from each other.”
“Are we on a level playing field, then?”
“I think we both know what’s right and what should and must be done.”
Joe took one of her hands, placing the other hand on the little boy’s tousled hair. “Hello, Billy, do you want to meet my little girl and come to my house?”
The boy nodded so violently, Joe couldn’t tell whether he really did or not. He laughed and noticed that Minnie’s mood had lightened. She was a beautiful woman and he could tell that physical attraction was mutual on both sides. From her letter and the fact that she’d also had a baby of her own, he decided he’d made the right decision after all.
He leaned over and dared brush his lips against the top of the little boy’s head.
He whispered to Minnie. “Are we going to be all right?”
She sighed softly with a smile. “I think so, Joe. I want to be.”
“Then we will be. Let’s go take care of our little ones together. I...I can see we are going to have a good future.”
Minnie could only look up at him. From the first moment she’d seen him, she’d hoped he was Joe, coming to get her, even if he did have a baby in his arms. That certainly didn’t bother her. He gave off the impression he would love her completely.
And she had no doubt she would give him the same in return. She expected great things.
And great things were coming her way.
She smiled as she let Joe lead her inside, where they would find the baby, Ruthie, and head home.
*****
THE END
An Italian in the West – A Clean Western Historical Romance
Cosa farò ora?
Angelica’s mind was whirling. Her thoughts were dark and heavy as she repeated the Italian phrase over and over in her mind. Cosa farò ora? Cosa farò ora? What do I do now?
Her father’s death had caused a complete upheaval in her life. He was all she had in this world, especially in this foreign land that she wasn’t used to and didn’t understand all of the time. She was only now learning to speak the language.
How could this tragic event have occurred so soon after their arrival in America? And now what would she do? She buried her face in her hands, soaking her gloves with her tears. They arrived originally in New York but had only stayed there for a short time. Her father had not like the climate there, so they migrated south to the rolling hills of Virginia. It had only been a few months since then. She had just started learning English these last few weeks and had been training almost daily with Lilly, her only friend in this small town. Lilly was a fiery, red-headed girl from Ireland with a quick wit and a sharp brain. She’d had no trouble learning to speak like Americans do and seemed to fit right in. Lilly had taken a quick liking to Angelica, and they were always together as a result.
Angelica wasn’t having an easy time of it, though. Her Italian accent was strong, and she moved from speaking English to Italian in the same sentence, disrupting her speech pattern and only allowing half of her sentence to be understood.
To make matters worse, Lilly had never stopped informing Angelica of her outstanding beauty. She never failed to mention when a young man was eyeing Angelica, not realizing that her friend didn’t want the attention. Lilly was jealous that Angelica got the kind of attention she did, but she refrained from being rude about it. She was playful when she mentioned the looks her Italian friend always got.
“I wish I was as beautiful as you are, Angel.” Lilly was fond of saying. “I would already be happily married with children.”
“You are a bambina, too young for such,” Angelica replied.
“You’re never too young for the attention of men. And I wouldn’t say that twenty is too young. In fact, far from it.” Lilly would sigh and pat her wavy red hair, fluttering her eyelashes at the same time. Her green eyes always flashed with energy and she had a ready smile on her face. Angelica thought she was the beautiful one and would tell her so. Lilly just laughed at that.
“Truly, you are bellissimo, Lilly, amica mia.” She would say.
“English,” Lilly would respond. “You need to speak in English!” Then she would laugh and retrain Angelica how to say “my friend” instead of amica mia. Lilly didn’t really mind that Angelica mixed her words up. She was relieved to be able to use some of the knowledge her grandmother’s husband had bestowed on her, bless his soul. She crossed herself in remembrance of him every time she thought of him, a habit she’d picked up from her Irish-Catholic mother.
When Angelica felt small hands wrap around her shoulders, she knew it was Lilly. She instinctively pushed herself against her friend, her tears nonstop. “Cosa farò ora? Mio padre è morto. Sono sola. Sono sola…”
“Ssshhh.” Lilly consoled her hugging her tightly. “You aren’t alone. I’m here. I will help you. We will figure out what to do. I’m so sorry, Angelica. I’m so sorry. Shh.”
Angelica moaned loudly, lowering herself further, her head nearly on the back of the pew in front of her. Lilly put her hand on her friend’s head and pulled her over so that she was holding her against her chest. She began to rock forward and back, gripping her friend as warmly as she could.
Angelica was comforted when Lilly began to sing softly to her a sweet tune she had never heard before but sounded like the brush of angel’s wings on her hurting soul.
“Now come is my departing time,
And here I may no longer stay,
There is no kind comrade of mine
But will desire I were away.
But if that time will me permit,
Which from your Company doth call,
And me inforceth for to flit,
Good Night, and God be with you all.”(Neighbours farewell to his friends)
Later that night, Angelica was sleeping fitfully in Lilly’s bed, and she watched her friend tossing and turning with worried eyes. Angelica was right to be concerned. She really did not have anyone other than her father, and they had not owned any property. Mr. DiAntonio had just been getting his business started, dealing with the businessmen in town, discussing whatever their business was. He had no trouble integrating himself into society. He had learned English before he migrated to the country. He hadn’t expected to bring Angelica along, which was why she was so lost with the language. He had essentially been forced to bring her after the death of both his wife and his other three daughters in a fire that destroyed their home and much of their property.
The loss of her mother and sisters had taken Angelica to new depths of pain. Lilly met her, and Mr. DiAntonio is New York and traveled south with them because she enjoyed their company and teaching Angelica about American life.
Now, with the dea
th of her dear father in yet another tragic accident, Angelica was left in a foreign land, alone and terribly frightened.
It was a good thing Lilly had traveled with them. She glanced through the window at the bright moon outside and prayed her thanks. You must have sent me down here with them, Lord. She thought. Because I don’t know where she would be now. She already felt alone. Now she really is.
But she knew that Angelica wasn’t really alone. She was there for her. And she had God on her side. Lilly would just have to ensure that Angelica’s life was not wasted.
Lord, give me strength. She prayed silently. I don’t know what You want to do with this child of yours, but I’ll try to do it Your way.
Lilly stayed with her that night and made sure both she and Angelica made it to the hotel, where they both worked in housekeeping. She still hadn’t come up with a solution to the problem. She had to think about her own future, too, and it didn’t include being a companion for the rest of her life. Not to a woman, anyway. She was anxious to find a man and get married. She wanted a family and children.
But she wasn’t about to abandon Angelica.
They worked in a hotel that was more like a boarding house and it was owned by a tiny little old woman named Bess. She ran the place with a tiny iron fist, and no one made trouble for her. She demanded the best character from her tenants and her staff. She was also very compassionate when it came to young women alone in the world.
When Bess heard that Angelica had lost her father, she went to find her.
“Lilly, Angelica, what are you doing here?” She said as soon as she entered the room they were cleaning. She had come to expect them to work together because Lilly was often an interpreter for Angelica as she learned English.
“Ms. Bessie, we are here to work,” Lilly answered.
Bess shook her head vehemently, approaching Angelica and looking up at her with a frown. “You just lost your father, and you are here working. No. You must go home and take some time to yourself to mourn!”
“Ms. Bess, I can’t…”
“We need to work, Ms. Bessie, we need the money,” Lilly said for Angelica.
Bess didn’t look at Lilly, just continued to gaze up at Angelica, who was at least 6 inches taller at 5’5. Her face melted in compassion, and she tilted her head. When she spoke, the tone of her voice had softened considerably.
“Angelica, go home. Take Lilly with you. I will give you a week of pay, and you just stay home and do what you need to do.”
“Oh, miss!” Angelica understood the words and could barely process them in her grief. Lilly was at her side immediately, thanking Bess over and over.
Bess said nothing more, just nodded, shooing them out the door. Angelica was crying softly, with Lilly guiding her by the shoulders.
Instead of going home, Lilly and Angelica walked to a small park on the corner of the street they worked on. They sat on a bench and held hands.
“We will figure out something to do with ourselves, Angelica. There must be something we can do with our lives. We can’t be housekeepers forever. We need husbands and families.”
Angelica just nodded, still quietly crying, her tears streaming down her face uncontrolled.
“Mio padre. Mio padre.” She kept shaking her head.
Lilly didn’t scold her for her grief. She let her friend cry and moan for her father. She stared out at the park around her, watching two mothers with very small babies settle a blanket on the ground for a picnic under a tree. She could hear them giggling and talking about their husbands and other children.
It made Lilly’s heart grow jealous. She looked at Angelica, whose beauty showed bright even in her grief. Her features were like the perfect doll’s, her dark brown hair braided down her back with ringlets surrounding her face, her eyes a deep blueish brown. She was so beautiful.
She herself was not bad to look at. But where were the men in their lives to give them to fulfillment these ladies had? They seemed so happy, on top of the world. There was probably nothing wrong in their lives at all. They had everything they wanted.
Lilly frowned. She didn’t want to be jealous of what other people had. It was a sin. It was one of the Ten Commandments not to covet what other people had.
But she did anyway. She couldn’t help it. She wanted to be married and have a family.
We could travel. She thought suddenly and wondered if it would be a possibility. There were no immediate chances of either of them getting married in the near future, not that she could see. There were no men in their lives at this time.
However, if they were to travel, there would be less chance to establish some kind of relationship with a man and settle down.
Her confusion made her even angrier. She didn’t realize she was gripping Angelica’s hand so tightly until her friend began to pull them away.
“Lilly, you’re hurting me,” Angelica mumbled.
Lilly released her hands, apologizing. “I’m so sorry, dear. I was just thinking.”
“Si, I could tell.”
Lilly’s ears were drawn to the conversation the women were having, and she pretended she was straightening her skirt while she listened.
“She went all the way to Nevada. And Joe says there’s another one in the newspaper today.”
“What would make a woman want to do that?”
“Joe says there are a lot more women here than there are there. So the chances of finding a husband here are a lot less.”
“I’m glad I’ve got Mark. I wouldn’t want to travel all the way across the country just to find a husband.”
“I think we got lucky. The way Joe says it, there’s so many people migrating from the other countries and just placing themselves here and in North Carolina and New York, there’s just too many of them.”
“I don’t mind that. My parents came from Britain. I think it’s beautiful here. I’m glad people are coming here for a new life.”
“I know. I don’t really mind either. But Joe says that’s why people need to go across the country so that there will be a good mix everywhere. Right now, it’s as if everyone is living here in the East and only men are in the West.”
“Only men? That’s not possible.”
“I don’t mean it quite like that. Not literally. There’s just many more of them than women there.”
“So men advertise for them to come to the West and marry them?” The woman shook her head. “I don’t think I could do it.”
“There are plenty who will.”
There certainly is. Lilly thought.
Chapter Two
Adam sat in the pew listening to Reverend Stoop. The sermon was about salvation and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Adam had heard a very similar sermon recently, here in this same church, from the same pastor.
But he didn’t mind and neither apparently did any of the other members of the small church. They knew that the Reverend often recycled his sermon topics and would forget that he had just used one very recently. He had been here preaching for the last thirty years.
Adam had known the Reverend since he first stepped foot in the church 17 years ago. He was like a second father to Adam, whose own father was living back in the East in the upper parts of New York with his mother and younger sister.
From the start, Adam had not liked the cold weather of New York. He had decided at a young age that he would travel to the West to see what he could make of himself on his own. At the tender age of 17, he’d done just that. It had taken him almost a year to get to his destination but once there, he began working at a farm and eventually took over the farm when his boss died, leaving it to him.
He enjoyed working the farm though the hours were long and things constantly needed to be done. There were tasks from the break of day to sunset and beyond. He hired a farmhand to help him with it, giving him room and board but the work seemed to be overloading him more every day. He was becoming lonely and wanted a change.
In fact, he was itching to make a change.
He’d heard from a friend at the saloon that some of the men in farms nearby had been advertising for brides in newspapers in the East. He’d been praying on that and rolling it around in his mind for some time now.
When the service was over, he approached Reverend Stoop with the intention of getting the man’s advice. The Reverend had been married to the same woman for about thirty years, so he had to know something about it. Adam was nervous about the prospect of bringing a woman into his life when he had been a bachelor for so long. What if they weren’t compatible? What if she was not a Christian and they were unequally yoked?
These questions weighed heavily on him.
“If I could talk to you for a moment, pastor.”
The pastor looked at him and smiled. “Adam! Good to see you today.” He stepped down from the small platform to shake Adam’s hand.
“That was a good sermon today, John.”
“Thank you very much. I used the same topic about a month ago, according to the wife, but it was on my heart, so I used it again.”
“We can always use more words about the sacrifice of our Lord.” Adam nodded. “But I have something else I wanted to talk to you about if you have a moment.”
“I do. Let’s go for a walk.” He gestured with one hand, and Adam led the way down the aisle and through the front doors. He put his hat on once they were outdoors and they strolled over the grass around the side of the building. There was a cemetery very close by, and they walked along the side of it.
“I have been feeling very lonely lately. I am thinking about bringing a woman from the East to marry.”
The Reverend nodded. “I have heard of others doing that. Have placed a few ads myself. Not for me. For others in the congregation.”
Adam looked at him, surprised. “You have? I had not heard of that.”
John shook his head. “You wouldn’t have. It’s not something that is advertised here. And the men typically feel as you do, they are nervous and unsure of the future. Most of them request that the arrangement be kept private. Only those closest to them know what’s happening.”