by Donna Callea
“Forgive me. I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Jacob Mack. I’m from Eden Falls, which is about three days northeast of here by horse and wagon—horse and wagon is how we usually come. But it’s only two hours by sun-cycle. That’s how I came this time, by myself, to negotiate terms for our milled grain.”
I tell him my name. Rebekah introduces herself as Rob Fine.
“Rob is it?” says Jacob, looking at her quizzically. “Well, if there’s anything I can help you with, David and Rob, while you’re in town, let me know. I’m very familiar with the entire territory. Lived hereabouts my entire life.”
Rebekah and I look at each other. We’re both thinking the same thing.
For some reason, the two of us seem to attract strangers who end up helping us. Harry and Todd gave us a place to stay when we first started out. And if it weren’t for Keira and Elizabeth, who knows what would have happened to Rebekah. Or me.
So we’re inclined to trust this man, Jacob Mack.
Rebekah asks him, just out of curiosity she says, if he’s familiar with any of the monogamist settlements.
“Well, you could say that,” he replies as a big grin spreads across his clean-shaven face. “Eden Falls is a place where people live the way we believe The Designer intends for us to live. Not like here or in the Coalition. For us, it’s one man, one woman, bound until parted by death. We don’t call ourselves monogamists, though. We call ourselves The Righteous.”
“Do you welcome outsiders to Eden Falls?” asks Rebekah.
“Well, Rob,” he says, pausing before the word Rob, as if he already knows it’s not Rebekah’s name, “most outsiders think there’s something wrong with us. We’ve heard that they call our way of life an abomination in the Coalition. Which we think is kind of ironic. In Winnipeg, people don’t seem as concerned. They trade with us, though they tend to keep their distance. But, to answer your question, yes, we do welcome outsiders. Not everyone, though. Only young women and young men who’ve seen the light and are committed to living the way we do. By our rules.”
I don’t know if we’ve seen the light. Rebekah and I just want to be together. But maybe this man is our best chance to do that.
We purchase the items Rebekah has picked out—some underwear, socks, a few shirts—and head back to the Birch and Bay. Jacob Mack walks with us. He says he’s going back there, since he left his sun-cycle at the charging station next door. Which is where ours is parked, too. He tells us more about Eden Falls along the way.
It seems to be what we’ve been looking for.
Jacob says he sensed something special about us from the moment he saw us in the dining hall. He says he feels The Designer has sent him to meet us. I get the feeling he knows we’re not brothers, and has somehow come to the conclusion that Rebekah is not a boy. Otherwise why would he be so interested in telling us about his monogamist settlement?
Back at the Birch and Bay, Rebekah and I agree to meet Jacob in a couple hours. He says he’d like to talk with us more before he heads back to Eden Falls.
“What do you think we should do?” I ask when we’re back in our room.
“He knows I’m a girl, David.”
“Yeah, I figured.”
“So should we go with him? He seems real religious.”
“Well, maybe there’s nothing wrong with being religious. Maybe it’s a good thing to be. When Elizabeth was cutting into you, Rebekah, I was probably the most religious person alive. And The Designer answered my prayers.”
We take off our clothes, including our damp underwear, and get comfortable in bed. Which leads to sex. Which is good. It’s always good. But it’s clear we’ve both got something other than sex on our minds.
Finally, we decide that we’ll go downstairs and look for the captain again. But he’s nowhere to be found. When we run into Nick, he says the captain probably won’t be back until sundown, and that we should get packed up and be ready to leave in the morning.
Maybe the captain forgot about introducing us to Miss D. We go to the front desk and ask the clerk if he could get word to her that we need to see to her. He glares at us. We’re crazy, he says, if we think he’s going to bother Miss D. Why would she ever want to set eyes on two young punks like us?
If we wait for the captain it’ll be too late to go with Jacob, whose settlement sounds as if it’s just what we’re after.
Neither one of us knows what to do. So we go ahead and meet with Jacob in the lobby, when the time comes, and ply him with more questions.
Eden Falls is a farming commune, he says. The people there also operate a dairy, a mill, a generating station, and try to be as self-sufficient as possible. The settlement has more men than women, of course. But every woman has just one husband, Jacob emphasizes, and everyone respects the bonds of matrimony.
“You would both be very welcome,” he says, “as long as you commit to live as we do, and promise to remain monogamous if you marry. And by the way,” he admits, “I know you’re not a boy, Rob.”
“My name is Rebekah,” she tells him. “I’m a trained nurse, and David is trained in engineering.”
Jacob looks as if he’s just received a special gift from The Designer.
“Well. That’s wonderful,” he says. “I’d be so pleased if you’d come home with me—make Eden Falls your home. I have to leave soon. I need to get back before dark. You could follow me there.”
I ask him if maybe we could go tomorrow, if he’d give us directions.
“Can’t be done, I’m afraid,” he says. “Eden Falls is near impossible to find unless you know just where you’re going. You’d never get there by yourselves. And I’d be more than sorry to lose you.”
Rebekah and I go back to the room to get our stuff. We leave a note for the captain at the front desk. We don’t run into anyone else from The Lady May. Not that any of the Lost Boys would care very much that we’re deserting.
“You won’t regret this,” Jacob says as Rebekah and I mount the sun-cycle and then follow him to Eden Falls.
I hope he’s right.
Chapter 25
Rebekah
Eden Falls
Jacob is right. I don’t see how anyone could get to Eden Falls without knowing the route in advance.
We ride along a dirt path that twists and turns through a forest and around small streams. Whoever drives the horse-drawn wagon to Winnipeg must be very skillful.
Just before sunset, we approach the settlement, which is situated in a verdant valley beneath a huge waterfall that flows into a lake. It’s very beautiful from a distance.
As we get closer, Jacob points out the mill and generating station. And finally we come to the town proper—if Eden Falls can be called a town. Built within shouting distance of each other, in a sort of semi-circle, are maybe a dozen sizable two-story houses constructed of wood, with wood shingle roofs. At the center of the semi-circle is what appears to be a church or meeting hall. Farther out are some barns and other buildings, a pasture with horses and cows, and, in the distance, fields for growing grain and other crops.
We park behind the meeting hall, where three other sun-cycles are lined up at a charging station. By the time we walk around to the front of the building, a group of men, who all look as old or older than Jacob, have gathered. I also notice some children standing off to the side, but no women.
“Brothers,” Jacob tells the welcoming committee, “The Designer has truly blessed us. Meet Rebekah and David. They’re joining us. Rebekah has been posing as a boy to avoid plural marriage in the Coalition. But be assured, she’s a girl.”
I dust myself off, stand very close to David, and try to smile.
Some of the men smile back, some don’t. But I feel every eye studying me as if I were a newly discovered life form.
“The girl looks as if she’s been used,” says one of the men who doesn’t smile.
That sounds like an insult to me. But I don’t say anything. I just grab David’s hand.
“She’s made the d
ecision to live a rightful life,” Jacob says. “So has David here. And that’s the main thing. We can sort everything out when we have a meeting. Do you want to have a meeting now or in the morning?”
They decide on now, so we all go into the meeting house, which is one big room with a center aisle and rows of benches on either side. There are small, clear windows on opposite walls, but it’s growing dark outside. Someone turns on the light, and everyone takes a seat. David and I are told to sit on a bench at the front, facing the others, and Jacob stands next to us. Then the questions begin.
“How old is the girl?”
“I’m almost 20,” I say. There’s some murmuring.
“Rebekah tells me she’s been trained as a nurse,” says Jacob. “And David has mechanical skills. He can be very useful at the mill and hydro-works.”
“Have they been living in sin?”
I don’t like this question. I don’t like the tone of any of the questions and comments.
“We intend to get married as soon as possible,” says David. “We’ve always intended to, it just wasn’t possible until now.”
I slide closer to him on the bench until our arms are touching. I hold his hand very tightly.
No one responds to what David has said. The men just start talking amongst themselves.
“Where are they to live?” someone finally asks out loud. And Jacob takes the lead again.
“I thought David could stay with me for now, so I can get him acclimated. And maybe Brother Walter, if you’re willing, you could take Rebekah to your house and have your Sally look after her until we decide what to do with her.”
“Wait a minute,” I protest loudly. “You’re not going to do anything with me. David and I stay together. That’s why we came here. So we could be together always. We’re only going to stay together.”
“That’s right,” asserts David, backing me up in a very firm voice. We’re both pretty worried at this point. He puts his arm around my shoulders and holds me close to his side.
“There’s no way we’re going to separate places” he says. “We’ll camp out for now if we have to. Or we’ll go back to Winnipeg as soon as we can charge our sun-cycle. But we’re staying together.”
“Now, David, you can’t go back to Winnipeg. And only people who are rightfully wed can be together. I thought you understood that,” Jacob tells him calmly, in a tone that might be used to correct a small child. “You and Rebekah are not rightfully wed. That’s a fact. And no one lives in sin in Eden Falls.”
What are we going to do? This isn’t what we planned. This is terrible. Worse than terrible. But maybe we’re over-reacting. Maybe they just don’t want us sleeping together until we’re married. That’s not unreasonable. Maybe we just have to respect their customs.
“We’ll be happy to get rightfully wed right now, however you do it here. Or as soon as possible.” My voice is shaky, but I jut out my chin and refuse to cry.
“The way we do it here, is the way The Designer intends,” replies Jacob. He sounds as if he’s losing patience. “And right now The Designer intends, and we intend, for you to do what you’re told.”
“So how long will we have to wait?” asks David.
“Wait for what?” grumbles one of the men.
“The young fool thinks he’s going to get to keep the girl,” says another. “What have you brought us, Jacob? He’s going to be more trouble than he’s worth, and she looks too ornery to tame.”
“The boy brings skills. The girl, too. And we need fresh breeding stock. We‘ve all agreed that’s what we need. When I was in Winnipeg, it was as if The Designer Himself sent these two directly to me. I felt His hand in this.
There’s no more arguing tonight. The men agree to Jacob’s plan for our temporary living arrangements. David is grabbed by two of the bigger men, who take him by the elbows and lead him away. He looks back at me in desperation.
Walter, who appears to be the oldest of the men, takes me roughly by the arm and half-drags me to his house. Several of the children follow.
A young woman opens the door. I figure she must be Walter’s daughter. I figure wrong.
“Wife,” he says, “take this girl and lock her up with Willa.”
“Girl?” The woman thinks I’m a boy. Who can blame her?
Then Walter, who’s holding my arm so tightly that it hurts, gets an inspiration.
“We’d better strip her first to make sure.”
He drags me to a bedroom, and the woman follows. I scream, kick and claw at him, but it’s no use.
“Stop that,” he orders. “I don’t want to beat you on your first night here, but I will if I have to.”
He holds me down while the woman—who doesn’t say a word but looks at me as if she’s sorry—peels off all my clothes.
Walter’s old, but not so old that he isn’t also disgusting. He leers at me, as I curl my naked body into a ball on the floor.
“Get her dressed,” he orders the woman. “Put something decent on her. Then lock her up with Willa.”
After he leaves the room, the woman comes over and tries to soothe me.
“Hush now,” she says, patting my shoulder. “Be calm. Crying won’t help.”
She gives me a shapeless, long sleeved brown dress to wear, like the one she’s got on. It’s made of a rough, itchy fabric, and covers me from neck to toes. But it’s better than being naked.
“I’m sorry for you, honey,” she says. “But you better just do what you’re told from now on if you don’t want to get beat.”
I stare at her in contempt. David and I have been betrayed. Tricked. It’s our own fault. My face is wet with tears, my nose is running. I’m terrified. I want to die. I want David. I want to scream. But what would be the use? We’ve been fools. And now we’re doomed. I’m doomed.
“My name is Sally,” the woman says. “I’m the mother of this house. I’ll try to help you get adjusted the best I can. But you better just make up your mind to accept your fate. Pray to The Designer for comfort. That’s the only comfort you’re going to get from now on.”
She takes me to a small, dark room, turns on the light, and I see a girl sitting up on a narrow bed. There’s no other furniture.”
“Mama?” she says, blinking.
“Willa, honey, this is Rebekah. She’s new. She’ll be staying with us for a while. She can keep you company while you wait to be wed. And you can help teach her about Eden Falls.”
Then Sally turns out the light, closes the door, and locks it.
Chapter 26
Rebekah
Master and Wife
Walter is the head of this household. He’s the master of this house. So he’s called Master, not father, by Willa and the other children. Sally calls him Husband. I call him nothing. I refuse to look at him.
“You’ll get beat,” Willa warns me, “if you’re defiant.”
I don’t care. He’s already slapped me a few times when I’ve refused to acknowledge him. But mostly he ignores me now.
It’s been almost a week that I’ve been in this hell. I’m a prisoner here. But Sabbath is coming. It’s the only day of the week that females are allowed out of their houses. Everyone goes to the meeting house on Sabbath for communal worship. I’ll see David. I have to see David. Somehow we’ve got to figure out a way to get out of here.
Willa is sweet. She and Sally are kind to me. They’re prisoners, too. Everyone who doesn’t have a penis in Eden Falls is a prisoner. But they’ve accepted their fate. What else can they do?
Willa is supposed to marry Jacob soon. Then he’ll be her master. She’s only 14.
“I think he’ll be a good master,” she says. “And he’s not hard to look at. Last year Naomi had to marry Master Byron, and he’s probably as old as my father. His skin looks like leather. And he’s got a real big belly. I bet he crushes her when he does his duty. At least Master Jacob is young for a master.”
He’s 45.
Naomi, who belonged to her father, Master G
ilbert, until she began to bleed and was ready for marriage, was about Willa’s age when she had to marry Master Byron.
These are the kinds of things Willa tells me, to help get me acclimated to Eden Falls. She figures I’ll eventually be given in marriage to a master of my own.
I tell her there’s no way I’m marrying anyone from here. It’s not going to happen. And no man is ever going to be my master. I tell her how David and I were tricked into coming here. I tell her David is the only man who’ll ever be my husband.
She looks at me with wide, unbelieving eyes.
“That’s not how things work here,” she says.
The only time Sally and Willa go outdoors is when they tend to the patch of land directly behind the house, where they grow tomatoes and other vegetables for household use. Some herbs, too. Each of the big houses has a garden. And sometimes, when we’re out there, we can see other women and girls weeding or watering. But there’s no talking to them. No shouting out: “Hello, how are you surviving this hell?” It’s not allowed.
I’ve got to get out of here. I’m losing my mind. My life in Seneca Falls seems like a sweet dream compared to this.
Willa is the only girl child sired by Walter. She’s also the oldest. She was considered a gift from The Designer, a blessing, I’m told. A girl born first is a rare thing. A girl born at all is a rare thing. But over time, almost every household eventually manages to produce at least one.
Because I’ve been “used,” as they put it here, Willa thinks it may be a while before it’s decided who will get me. I’m not as young as first-time brides are supposed to be, plus I’m an outsider. From time to time, women from the outside are brought into Eden Falls. Probably tricked like I was, I assume. And outsiders are typically “used” by the time they get here.
“Trula was an outsider,” says Willa. “She married Master Zac a few years ago.”
The men in charge—the twelve “Righteous Ones,” as they’re called—make all the rules and decide who gets married when. I gather it depends on which man needs or deserves a wife at the time a female becomes available.