Ill-Fated (Ill-Fated Series Book 1)

by S. C. McMurray

“My name is Adam and this is Eve.”

  The woman folded her hands together. “Clever.” She smiled. “I like you.”

  Adam, undoubtedly recalling the conversation from earlier, smiled wryly at Evelyn.

  Adam turned his attention to Rosina. “I noticed the statue in the hallway. Catholic?”

  Rosina smiled. “Yes. You won’t tell on me will ya?”

  Adam shook his head. “Our secret.”

  “Very good. How’d ya know?”

  “I’ve studied many of the old religions.”

  “Do ya prefer any of ‘em?”

  “No offense, Senora, but I’ve been trained not to.”

  “Yes. I s’pose we all have, haven’t we?”

  There was silence until Evelyn said, “I saw the pictures on the wall. You looked beautiful in your wedding dress.”

  Rosina smiled, a kind gracious smile. “Thank you, thank you.”

  Rosina leaned back against the counter and looked in the direction of the pictures. “Eddie, my late husband, bought this farm when he was 24, a month after we were married. That was almost 42 years ago.”

  “Who is the older gentleman?” Adam asked.

  “That was my papa, when he was young.”

  “The younger man is your son.” Evelyn stated.

  Rosina’s face suddenly went grave, her smile washed away with profound sadness. Evelyn’s heart sank with guilt. Rosina turned away from them and disappeared into the pantry. Evelyn cupped her face in her hands. She’d apparently dredged up a painful memory.

  “Would you like some rice and beans?” Rosina eventually shouted from the pantry. Evelyn could hear the tears in her voice.

  “Please.” Adam responded.

  Rosina appeared carrying a bag of rice and two cans of beans. Without saying a word, she went to work preparing the meal.

  Once she had the rice boiling and the beans warming in the oven, she turned back to Evelyn and Adam. “I see that you have no luggage. Would you like me to get some clothes for you?” She looked at Adam. “I still have some of my husband’s clothes, would you like me to bring you something?”

  Adam nodded, “Sure, I would appreciate that.”

  Rosina turned to Evelyn. “What ‘bout you, young lady? I have a dress or two that might fit ya.”

  Evelyn nodded. “Thanks.”

  “Watch the food for me. I’ll be right back.”

  Rosina disappeared upstairs.

  Evelyn glared across the table at Adam. “You’re enjoying this aren’t you?”

  He shrugged. “A little.”

  Evelyn shook her head.

  He threw his hands up defensively. “What? We needed new clothes and food.”

  “You’re being too polite.”

  “I’m being myself. I can’t help it if she finds me charming.”

  Evelyn crossed her arms and leaned back. “Well that’s one of us.”

  “Listen, Evelyn, I’m just trying to make the best out of a bad situation.”

  “Trust me, you aren’t the only one.”

  “You saved me, remember? You could have let me die in the transport ship.”

  Evelyn snapped. “Maybe I should have.”

  Just then Rosina appeared downstairs, holding a flowery dress over one arm and a stack of folded clothes under the other. “I’m not interrupting am I?”

  “No.” Adam answered. “Not at all.”

  “Good.” Rosina handed the stack of clothes to Adam. “There is still a few minutes before supper will be done if you’d like to clean yourself up and change out of those clothes.”

  Adam stood to his feet and smiled politely. “Thanks. Which way to the bathroom?”

  “It’s just around the corner.”

  Evelyn and Adam glanced toward the hallway then down at the device around his wrist almost in unison.

  “Is everything alright?” Rosina asked as she shuffled over to the stove.

  “It’s fine.” Adam answered. “Where is the bathroom again?”

  Rosina shuffled over to the hallway and pointed to a room a couple doors down. Adam looked back over his shoulder at Evelyn and nodded as if to say that he wouldn’t be electrocuted in the shower by the invisible tether before disappearing down the hallway. A moment later, there was clink of old pipes and the sound of running water.

  Rosina, her face shown with concern, shuffled over to Evelyn and bent down close to her.

  “Is he holdin you against your will? You can tell me.”

  Evelyn smiled inwardly at the irony of her question while she shook her head. “No. No. No.”

  “You sure? Cuz if he is, I will call the police right now.”

  Evelyn laughed it off but in all reality that was the worst thing that could happen. “You definitely don’t need to call the police, Rosina.”

  Rosina stood back up and went to the stove. Stirring the rice she said, “That Adam seems like a real nice boy. How did you two meet?”

  Evelyn thought instantly of the numerous dreams she had of Adam, or at least she thought it was him. But she couldn’t very well say that to Rosina.

  Finally Evelyn answered, “It’s kind of a long story.”

  “You love this boy?”

  Evelyn shifted uneasily in her seat. “Love?...”

  “Yeah, do ya love this boy or is it just infatuation?”

  “I ran away with him, what does that tell you?”

  Rosina stirred the rice in a slow gingerly motion but didn’t say a word. Evelyn began to wonder if the old woman was beginning to see through their façade.

  Evelyn rested her head in her hands and asked, “How did you know you loved your husband?”

  Rosina stopped stirring and looked up pensively toward the ceiling. “I’d say I know’d it when I started to think about him more than myself.” Rosina turned toward Evelyn and folded her hands across her lap. “When I realized that I would do about anything for him, to keep him safe and happy. That’s when I know’d I loved Eddie.”

  “Anything?”

  “Yea. I would have went to hell and back for that man and he would have done the same for me.”

  Evelyn thought of her parents and felt a tinge of guilt.

  Was that any different than what Mom did to save Dad?

  Rosina continued, “Love will make you do crazy things, sometimes stupid and reckless things. Things you won’t even understand. If you haven’t learned that yet, you will.”

  “You were married for over 40 years?”

  “Nearly forty years. Eddie passed a few years back. You know us older folk don’t always get the best treatment.”

  It was true. The Party provided healthcare for all the citizens of the UPA but even with ever improving technology, the system was stretched thin and choices had to be made.

  “I love him as if he’s still here.” Rosina became solemn. “Before Eddie passed, every morning when I woke up, I’d roll over and reach to the other side of the bed and lay my arm across his chest and just let it rise and fall gently with his breathing. Now that he’s gone, I still find myself rolling over and reaching across the bed every morning.” She paused. “I’m sorry, you don’t want to hear this.”

  “No. I don’t mind.”

  Evelyn was being honest, there was something endearing about hearing Rosina talk about love. But love was that last thing Evelyn was looking for at that moment.

  “I don’t want to sadden you. I just miss him.”

  Rosina turned back to the stove and began to sing something to herself as she finished the meal. Evelyn couldn’t make out what she was singing, but there was something strangely uplifting about the melody.

  A few minutes later, Adam returned to the kitchen, clean and dressed in the pair of blue jeans and white t shirt that Rosina had given him. He slid into his seat at the table.

  “How do the clothes fit?” Rosina asked as she placed plates in front of them.

  “Perfect.” Adam answered.

  Rosina grabbed a glass for Evelyn. “What would you
like to drink? I have some milk in the fridge.”

  Evelyn smiled. “Milk is fine.”

  “Good. Milk will make you strong.”

  Evelyn caught Adam smiling to himself at Rosina’s comment from across the table. He knew she didn’t need milk to make her strong.

  Rosina placed a mug in front of Adam and filled it to the brim with coffee. Her eyes lingered on him as if seeing him in those clothes sparked some long hidden memory, before she abruptly turned back to the stove. Still, Evelyn thought she saw a tear consolidating in the corner of the older woman’s eye. Rosina quickly wiped it away with her apron.

  “Are you alright?” Evelyn asked.

  “I’m fine it’s just the steam, makes my eyes water.”

  Adam flashed a look at Evelyn telling her that he had seen the woman’s distress as well. The old woman was hiding something.

  A moment later Rosina pulled the rice and beans off the stove and said, “Supper’s done. We can wait on you to clean up, Eve, if you would like.”

  Evelyn shook her head, her aching stomach wouldn’t let her wait any longer. “I’ll get cleaned up after we’re done.”

  Rosina nodded and ladled generous portions of both rice and beans onto their plates, than took a seat between them at the table. She leaned back and folded her hands over lap as two of them scarfed down their meal.

  After a few moments of quiet dining, Rosina smiled at the both of them and said, “What a pair of young hearts have joined me tonight. Thank the Lord for young love.”

  Evelyn wasn’t sure who she was thanking, but Adam took the compliment in stride, smiling back then saying, “Yes, Eve means a lot to me.”

  “She’s must be something for you to go AWOL. Though, I spec’ that loyalty ain’t the same as it used to be now that everyone is forced to serve.”

  “One can be loyal to his heart and his country at the same time.”

  Rosina scoffed at the notion. “Tell that to your commanding officer.”

  Adam laughed as if he had no care in the world. “He’ll get over it.”

  “Sure he will, after he tears you a new ass.”

  Adam’s jaw dropped open and Evelyn nearly chocked at the shock of hearing the sweet old woman curse like that.

  Rosina opened her arms in a pleading fashion. “Excuse my language, but that is what they would do, wouldn’t they?”

  Adam chuckled. “Something like that.”

  “I thought so.” Rosina said. “Mandatory service was before my time but I’m from a military family so I know a thing or two about what goes on in the barracks.”

  Adam seemed impressed. “Your husband served.”

  “As did my father.”

  “He’s the man in the strange uniform on the wall?” Evelyn asked, trying to join the conversation.

  “Yep.” Rosina answered. “At the turn of the century, long before the War, he enlisted so he could get his citizenship. He fought in two wars in the Middle East, but that was for the old flag. Earned a purple heart and the right to call himself an American.”

  Adam lifted his cup of coffee. “I’ll drink to that.”

  “My husband would’ve liked you. Eddie and I were in high school when we met. Big strong football player from Nebraska, took a liking to the little Mexican girl in Algebra. Oh, that boy asked me out many times before I finally said yes.”

  “What took you so long to say yes?” Adam asked, seeming genuinely interested in her story.

  “I didn’t know if I could trust him. I thought maybe he was trying to play a prank on me.”

  Both Evelyn and Adam flashed her perplexed glances.

  “You see, before the War, Hispanics, like my family, were a lightning rod of controversy. Things got real bad when the 2nd Depression hit and jobs got scarce. Many people called for our deportation, sayin’ that we was taking their jobs. They didn’t care that Daddy had a purple heart. So, I thought Eddie was trying to humiliate me or something. I thought he was like so many others. I thought wrong.”

  “What finally convinced you to say yes?” Adam asked as he took another sip of his coffee.

  “He came to speak to my father.”

  “He came to ask for his permission to date you?” Evelyn asked.

  “No. Daddy would never have said yes and boys didn’t do that in those days.” She paused. “He was given a homework assignment for his history class that required him to interview a veteran. For reasons you could probably guess he asked my daddy for an interview. Believe me, Daddy was no fool, he knew what Eddie was g’tting' at, but he said yes anyway.”

  “Why?” Adam asked.

  Rosina took a moment, reflected than said, “I can only guess, since Daddy never told me, but I would say he wanted at least one person to know that we were as American as anyone else.”

  It was strange for Evelyn to hear Rosina use the term American like that since the people of the UPA called themselves citizens now. As Evelyn thought about it, a phrase from her first year of school popped into her mind.

  I am a citizen. I am one of many. I am one of the united.

  Evelyn and her classmates repeated that proudly with blind patriotism as only children can. They never asked what it meant to be a citizen.

  Was it something to be proud of?

  Not for Evelyn, not anymore.

  “It worked, then.” Adam surmised.

  Rosina chuckled. “I don’t know about that but he got an ‘A‘.”

  “What was it like back then?” Evelyn asked. “Before the War?”

  “Worse than now,” Adam said piping in. “Am I right?”

  Rosina breathed deeply. “In some ways yes and others no.”

  Adam leaned in. “What do you mean?”

  “We aren’t worried about an invasion from the Chinese anymore and everyone has a job now.”

  Adam smirked at Evelyn as if to say see it is better now.

  Evelyn quickly followed up. “In what ways is it worse now?”

  “For one thing, we are being watched, monitored all the time. Even this conversation maybe is being monitored.”

  The thought of that sent a chill down Evelyn’s spine and she pictured SS men storming into the house from every direction.

  Rosina continued, “We also had rights back then. It was okay to stand up and say your mind and not be afraid that something bad would happen to you.”

  Evelyn looked quickly at Adam expecting him to make a defense like he had earlier but instead he just sat back in his chair, listening intently. Out of his uniform, he looked younger but also more like the man from her dreams. She felt her heart beating faster and found her eyes lingering on him until she was forced to remind herself that he was the enemy and not the man from her dreams, just someone who looked like him.

  “Fear never goes away,” Rosina added, “and there are worse things than the Chinese.”

  What those worse things were, Rosina didn’t say and neither Evelyn nor Adam asked. After another moment of silence, Rosina braced herself on the table and climbed to her feet.

  “Well, you’ve listened to one old woman ramble on long enough for one night.”

  Evelyn stood. “Thanks for the meal.”

  “Yes, it was delicious.” Adam added.

  “Oh, it was just rice and beans.”

  “Ma’am,” Adam said matter of factly, “that was the first home cooked meal I’ve had in three years.”

  “Well, there are oughta’ be a law against that.”

  “You know, the life of a soldier.”

  Rosina began to clear the table. “I know that too well.”

  Evelyn handed her plate to Rosina and said, “I’m going to take a shower. Thanks for the dress.”

  Rosina smiled. “You’re welcome, you’ll look beautiful in it.”

  Evelyn smiled back and headed to the bathroom. She turned on the water and the room quickly filled with steam as the water began to warm up. She sat on the edge of the tub and undressed, wondering if Adam was in the kitchen spilling his guts to
Rosina about the true nature of their relationship.

  Evelyn climbed into the tub and stood under the stream, letting the warm water massage her naked body. She took the liberty to squeeze some shampoo into the palm of her hand and then massage it into her hair. She still wasn’t used to it being so short.

  She thought first of her father and how hard it was going to be to break the news about her mother to him. She thought of Lana, Clive, Everett and Selena. She wondered if they would be executed on live TV if she failed to rescue them. Finally, she thought of Rillian and felt an ache in her stomach. She missed his company, she just felt safe when he was around.

  When Evelyn returned to the kitchen after her shower, Adam was drying the dishes with a towel. Rosina was nowhere in sight.

  “Umm…” Evelyn said, making her presence known. “Where’s Rosina?”

  Adam looked up from his work and immediately did a double take. He looked her over with a quick up and down glance then went back to work. He seemed surprised.

  “Rosina…she went upstairs to ready a couple beds for us.”

  “Is something wrong?” Evelyn asked.

  Adam did not look up. “No, just finishing with the dishes here.”

  “You’re acting different. What did you tell Rosina?”

  She heard a voice from behind her. “Tell me what, child?”

  Evelyn spun around. “Umm. How we met? You know you asked me that earlier and I said it was a long story.”

  “No, he didn’t tell me,” Rosina answered. “He said it was a long story as well.”

  Evelyn felt a sense of relief, like someone had removed one of the weights off her shoulders.

  “Thanks again for the dress.” Evelyn said.

  “You’re welcome, Eve. Now, I will finish the dishes. You two go upstairs and get some rest. I’ll have breakfast waiting for ya when you get up.”

  Adam nodded and the two of them headed for the stairs.

  “I expect you to stay in separate rooms. There will be no fornicating under this roof, do you understand?”

  “Yes, ma’m.” Adam looked at Evelyn and winked. “I think we can contain ourselves for one night”

  Rosina slowly turned to Evelyn.

  Evelyn sighed inwardly and feigned a smile. “I’ll do my best.”

  “Good night, children.”

  The two of them said good night and headed upstairs. Adam chose the room on the right and Evelyn took the one on the left. They didn’t say a word to each other. Evelyn heard Adam snoring a few minutes later and after a few additional minutes, drifted off to sleep as well.