The minor made another bow and held out his arm to June. She placed her small, clean hand on his broad, dirty sleeve, and picked up her parcel. She didn’t turn to see the look on the other ticket man’s face as she walked away, though she was certain he wasn’t approving of her.
She didn’t care. June didn’t believe that kindness had to come from the hands of a well-dressed man, or that any amount of money was going to separate her from the other people on the planet. The fact of the matter was that she needed a ride to California as soon as possible, and she felt better knowing she was in the hands of miners than a bunch of rich snobs that would panic at the thought of a robbery.
June settled into the front seat of the train, bemused at the smudges that were all over the ceiling and the backs of the seats in the coach. She pulled her parcel onto her lap and sighed with contentment.
I am going to have quite the tale to tell you when we’re finally together.
She thought as the train pulled out of the station.
Chapter 5 – Dust on the Trail
Riding with the miners was loud and uncomfortable.
June tried to participate in the conversation as much as she could, but she came from a different world than they did, and neither of them could relate to the other. The miners spoke of dirt and struggle, and all of the dangers of the underground world.
To June, it sounded like a mysterious and thrilling life, one that she would like to see, but never take part in. The miners crowded around her and asked her questions of the life she lived. Whether she had maids and butlers, and what she did for work. It was hard for them to imagine a life such as hers. One in which the servants were the ones who did the work and she was the one that enjoyed the time off.
“It really gets rather boring. When you want to go out and help the servants work in the garden, or when you want to just make a sandwich for yourself. Even getting dressed yourself can be a bit of a challenge some days. I wouldn’t mind a life where I did most of the things myself.”
June tried to brush off of their inquiries as though it wasn’t a big deal, but they were very enthralled with the idea. One of the miners was telling everyone how his wife and daughter both had to work in the town’s general store to make enough money to live on, and the other miners were saying much the same thing.
“If I were to get married, I wouldn’t want my wife to work a single day in her life. I mine enough coal out of the ground I know I could make her comfortable for all of her days.”
Andrew thumped his fist on the back of the chair as he spoke, and June jumped. She wasn’t used to such enthusiasm or passion in people. The crowd she was a part of was a crowd that had to keep their emotions under wraps, no matter what was going on.
“Trust me, it really isn’t anything that you would want. I know it sounds like it would be a lot of fun when you don’t have it, but I would trade my life for yours in an instant.”
“That’s easy to say when you don’t have to work for it. You live in a world where money is no problem, I live in a world where money is everything. Have you ever needed to go to the doctor and not had the money to do it? Have you ever been given the prescription for medication that you don’t have the money to get?”
One of the miners from the back of the train was making his way to the front as he spoke, and June felt very uncomfortable. She didn’t know how to respond, because the fact of the matter was that she never had been in any of those situations. If there was anything that she ever needed, it was there.
“I know what it’s like to want!”
The words were out of her mouth before she even realized what was happening, and she regretted saying them. All the men in the car stopped their chatter and looked at her in surprise. Nobody expected such a small girl with no problems to have that kind of a voice, or the courage to use it with a gruff miner such as this.
“What have you ever wanted?”
The miner spoke with a sneer, and all the other men in the car chuckled. June could feel her cheeks burning, but she wasn’t going to back down now. She didn’t care if this was a challenge, or if the man was going to make fun of her answer. She knew what it was like to want, and while that may not be the same was what they wanted, it was want nonetheless.
“I want love. I want to know what it is like to fall in love with someone who loves you in return, and someone who would risk everything to be with you. I have spent my life with the whole world paid for and handed to me, I don’t know what it means to actually be in a real relationship with anyone, or have anyone want to be in a real relationship with me.”
There was silence in the car, and the miners murmured amongst themselves. Finally, one miner spoke up.
“I wouldn’t trade my relationship with my Susan for any amount of money. Sure, she has to work and I have to be away from her for some months at a time, but there is still that love that I wouldn’t trade for all the world.”
All of the other miners agreed, and June could see that the gruff miner was backing down. She tucked her skirts in around her legs and turned to face the wall that was in front of her. All she could think about now was the fact she wanted to be with Jacob, and no amount of money could make that happen.
She wondered if this was what it was like for these men. If there were things in life that they really wanted and needed but didn’t have the money to buy it. She glanced out of the corner of her eye at Andrew, but he looked absorbed in conversation with the man behind him. She wondered if there were things in Andrew’s life that he couldn’t have, simply because he didn’t have the money.
That man is one of the kindest men I have ever met. He is the only one that would help me in the time I needed it most, without any money at all. In fact, he didn’t even want to take the money I had to offer him.
I don’t care what any of these men think, they are some of the richest people I have ever met.
Chapter 6 – California Country
It was early in the morning when the train finally arrived in California. June felt a twinge in her chest of both excitement and nerves. She was so ready to burst in and profess her undying love to Jacob, but at the same time she didn’t know what she was going to say.
She dreamed of running into him and having him embrace her, telling her that he felt the exact same way she did without her ever having to say a word, but she knew that wasn’t likely to happen.
What are you going to do if you run into his bride to be? What are you going to tell her? Or worse, what if you run into her family?
“Oh stop it, there are tons of people in this town, there’s no way you are going to run into the family of the bride.”
June felt that speaking out loud would help her, and she was right to an extent. Hearing someone say out loud that she was going to be ok was enough to make her feel as though she really was going to be ok, and she felt invigorated.
I guess now’s the time to get down to it, Jacob isn’t going to be looking for you, and that wedding is only getting closer. You have to find him, and convince him that you are the one for him.
June hoped it wouldn’t be too hard to convince Jacob of the fact he should marry her and not the girl he was intending to marry. After all, he already said how he was only marrying her for the sake of it, so she didn’t think it would be hard if she gave him another choice.
She stopped at the base of a general store, and looked up and down the street. June wasn’t sure where to even begin her search, with this town being so big and her not knowing anyone in it.
“All I can do is try. The general store is the best place to catch up on gossip, so surely they are going to know what weddings are happening.”
June squared her shoulders and picked up her parcel, then walked up the stairs. She pulled open the door and walked inside, heading straight for the counter. She didn’t want to look around, or know h0w many other people were in the store. She was here on a mission, and she was going to accomplish that mission if it was the last thing she did.
/> “Hello Sir? My name is June, and I was wondering if you happened to know of any large weddings taking place in the area today or in the near future? You see, I know a man that is going to get married around here shortly, by the name of Jacob Jones, and I really must speak with him before the wedding.”
The old man behind the counter scratched his beard, rolling his eyes in the back of his head as he thought. Suddenly, it was as though the lights came on in his brain, and he nodded.
“I do know of that wedding, and it’s a good thing you got here when you did. That wedding is going to take place at the North Chapel tomorrow afternoon, but I am afraid I don’t know where you can see him before the ceremony.”
June’s heart thudded in her chest, and she smiled. She remained as calm as she could, and asked for directions to the chapel. The man scrawled down directions on a piece of paper, and handed it to her. She smiled again and thanked him, hiding how much jubilation she felt as she left the store.
Once back on the street, June clutched the note to her chest. She knew she was on the right track, and she felt so incredibly close. All she needed to do now was find a hotel to stay in, and wait for the next day. June scanned the street, looking both up and down, trying to find a hotel that looked fancy.
If she found a hotel that was more upscale, she thought she would be more likely to run into Jacob before the wedding. She finally decided to head in the direction of the chapel, and find a hotel on the way. The closer she was to the chapel, the easier it would be to find it in the morning.
Perhaps I ought to look for the chapel before the streets get crowded. I can find some easy landmarks to follow, then when the wedding is closer I can find it easily.
June was pleased with her idea, and proudly walked up the street heading for the chapel. Suddenly, she heard a voice calling out, and she turned around in surprise.
Behind her an older woman was hurrying over to her, waiving her hands in the air and calling for her to stop. June was confused, she didn’t know anyone in this town, and she didn’t recognize the woman. She looked down to see if she had forgotten anything in the store, but seeing all of her things at her side, she decided to wait for the woman to catch up to her.
“Can I help you?”
She spoke before the woman reached her, and the woman stopped in the middle of the street, placing her hands on her hips.
“Are you June?”
June cautiously nodded, and started to reply.
“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say!”
The woman snapped at her, and June took a step back in surprise. She still didn’t recognize the woman, and she was curious as to how the woman knew who she was. There wasn’t anyone back home who had known where she had gone, and she certainly didn’t know anyone this far west.
“Who are you?”
She didn’t care if the woman wanted to listen to her or not, she deserved to know who this was confronting her.
“My name is Mrs. Grendal, and I am the mother of the bride.”
Chapter 7 – The Threat
June’s heart sank and she thought she was going to be sick. She felt the color drain out of her face, and her heartrate pick up. She tried to speak once more, Mrs. Grendal put her hand up.
“I said I don’t want to listen to you! You have no business being here, and you best go back to where you came from. My daughter is going to marry Jacob tomorrow, and nobody… I mean nobody… is going to ruin this. I have spent too much time setting this whole thing up for some stranger to come in and ruin it all.”
June felt humiliated, and furious. She wasn’t going to stand here and be scolded by a woman she didn’t know, let alone a woman that only cared about money. She loved Jacob, and she hoped he felt the same about her. Nobody was going to keep her from telling him how she felt, not even the mother of the bride.
“I can go where I please, and I am going to talk to Jacob. If your daughter loved him, and he felt the same about her, I wouldn’t say a word, but I know that is not the case, and I am going to say my piece!”
Mrs. Grendal’s face changed to a scarlet red, and she formed her lips into a tight smile. She made her way forward, walking towards June with quick small steps, and June fought the urge to run. She held her ground, and even stood tall as Mrs. Grendal leaned in towards her, so no one on the street would be able to hear what she said.
“If you come to that wedding tomorrow, I will have you arrested on the spot. Like I said, nobody is going to ruin tomorrow for me. Nobody!”
With that, Mrs. Grendal turned on her heel, and walked away, leaving June standing on the street, feeling humiliated. June felt her breath catch in her throat, and she gasped to keep herself under control. She wanted to cry, and yell, and tell Mrs. Grendal she couldn’t arrest her, as she had done nothing wrong.
That’s just it. I haven’t done anything, so what is she going to arrest me for? You can’t arrest someone for going to an open wedding, and you can’t arrest someone for speaking their mind. I am going to that wedding tomorrow no matter what.
June tied her broach up against her throat, and looked at herself in the mirror. She had spent a sleepless night tossing and turning in her bed, wondering what she was going to say to Jacob. She worried about what would happen when she reached the chapel, but she reassured herself that she couldn’t be arrested.
June had gone to the chapel the night before to see when the wedding was to be, and learned it was going to take place at two o’clock that afternoon. She could hear the clock on the bank down the street chime the noon announcement, and she felt butterflies form in her stomach.
I can do this. I’m not going to let some crazy old woman scare me off. I’ve come clear across the country. Nobody is going to turn me back now!
June finished buttoning her long, maroon dress, and gave herself a final look over in the mirror. She didn’t think she stood out from the crowd too much. All of these people had money, and though she didn’t think she had as much money as they did, she knew she held her own in the group.
When the time drew near for the wedding, June made her way down to the street. She scanned the people on the walkway as well as in the street itself, but she didn’t see any faces she recognized… or the sheriff.
Stop it. You aren’t doing anything wrong, and you can’t get arrested for it. Just stay calm, and act like you know what you are doing.
June slowly made her way towards the chapel. There were people all over the street, going both towards and away from the chapel. June still didn’t see Mrs. Grendal, but she kept an eye out nonetheless. She settled in behind a small group of young women all heading for the church at the same time.
It was easy to slip inside with the group, they were all talking amongst themselves and didn’t pay any attention to her. There wasn’t anyone at the door to greet them, so June simply walked in and sat down in the pew. There were people all over inside the church, some looking as though they were there to admire, and others helping set the place up.
You should try to talk to someone. Sitting here all by yourself is a sure giveaway you weren’t invited.
June scanned the room, looking for someone who looked friendly. The problem was, she wasn’t sure who was there for Jacob, and who was there for his bride. Perhaps that crazy old woman had even told people to watch out for her and send her away.
Thankfully, more people started filing in and sitting down, so June felt as though she fit in more. She tried to stay calm, and rehearse what she was going to say to Jacob, but nothing seemed to be good enough.
I guess you will just have to say what comes to mind when it happens… if it happens. Who am I kidding? You could very well lose your nerve when he walks in… or when she does.
June could feel her nerves getting the best of her, but she told herself to stay strong. In just a few minutes, the wedding would begin, and June would make her move. Suddenly, the organ started playing, and June felt her stomach flop around inside of her.
It was
now or never.
Chapter 8 – A Wedding Intervened
June was so nervous she felt sick as the progression started. She almost lost her nerve and ran out of the chapel, but suddenly, Jacob appeared. He looked so refined, and so elegant in his suit. The sight of him was enough to strengthen her resolve and keep her in her place.
June didn’t know what she was going to say or do, but she knew there was no way she was going to leave without saying what she wanted to say. She was just on the verge of standing up and calling out his name, when the bride appeared. All of the company rose, and June bit her tongue as the bride took her place in front of Jacob.
June didn’t think, she couldn’t leave any time for it. Before anything else happened, she was going to say her piece. She pushed her way into the aisle, and tried to run to the front. Before anything could happen, she felt a hand fall on her shoulder.
She turned to see who it was, and to her horror, the sheriff had his hand on her shoulder.
“I am sorry, but I am afraid I have to ask you to leave.”
June yanked away, and tried to make her way up the aisle, but she was pulled further away. All she could think to do was yell, so she called out as loud as she could.
“Jacob! Jacob!”
“Quiet! Remove this nuisance from the wedding!”
Mrs. Grendal stood forward, and started coming down the stairs toward her. June kept yelling, but she was being pulled away. Suddenly, there was another voice that rose above the rest, it was Jacob’s.
“Jacob! What is this?”
Jacob ignored the protests and walked down the aisle. June pulled away from the sheriff, and stood in front of Jacob.
“Jacob, I just want to say something to you. All I want you to do is listen, and when I am done, you can tell me how you feel about it.”
She waited, and Jacob nodded.
“Since that few minutes we spent together, you are all I have been thinking about. I have never felt this way about anyone, I have never loved before, and I love you. I think it is silly and foolish for us to marry people we are supposed to marry, when we don’t care for them. I care for you, and I want to be your bride.”
[2016] A Bride's Journey Page 38