Ronnie Coleinger: A Winter Collection

by Coleinger, Ronnie

  The sun soon began to set behind the large white pine trees and caused large shadows to loom over the cabin. James built a fire in the fireplace to give them some light and heat. Then he found a kerosene lantern that still had enough fuel to keep it burning for a few hours. James made a note to bring up more kerosene on his next trip up to the cabin. They had let the fire in the fireplace burn down to coals and the night air began to chill the cabin. They unpacked their bedrolls and made up the two cots that sat in a tiny bedroom. Ginger leaned her rifle in the corner beside her cot, and then used her jacket to form a pillow. When James turned out the lantern and the darkness settled into the room, they soon fell asleep.

  When Ginger woke, she realized the sun was just coming up and the sound of wolves howling in the distance gave an eerie feeling to the dimly lit cabin. When she rolled over and faced James, she realized that he was still asleep. She watched him sleep and listened to his gentle breathing. It was then that she realized that she had fallen for this man. She had fallen in love with a man she had only met a few days ago. Yet she it seemed as if she had known him most of his life. She was content when around him and felt wonderful in his arms. She thought back to when James had kissed her on top of the mountain. The kiss had stirred emotions within her soul that continued to warm her heart. At that moment, she was certain she had fallen in love with James.

  Ginger got herself up, started a fire in the fireplace and then put a fire into the wood stove in the kitchen. When the stove was burning properly, she put a pot of water on to boil for their morning coffee. As Ginger sat beside the fireplace, allowing the warmth to take the chill from her body, James walked out of the bedroom. He sat down beside Ginger with his back to the fire. As they talked and the fire warmed the room, they decided to dress and eat their breakfast. They had a long hike today and the sooner they started the better. They did not want to spend a night in the forest in their tents unless they had to. They both preferred to reach James house in the city before dark.

  As they stepped out the back door of the cabin with their backpacks on their shoulders, Ginger stopped in the trail and looked out into the forest around her. Then she walked along the trail until she reached the edge of the cliff where she could look down into the valley below. She could see the river winding down the valley and the bridge that would allow them to cross over to the other side of the river. When James stepped up beside her, she said, “I love this mountain and last night I fell in love with this cabin.” Then she turned to James and said, “When I woke this morning and watched you sleep and listened to you breathe, I realized that I had fallen in love with you as well.” Ginger turned and began walking down the steep trail that wound down to the river trail. There she stopped again and waited for James to catch up. When he stopped beside her, he said, “I could spend the rest of my life living in this cabin on this mountain with the woman I have fallen in love with.” When Ginger turned to face him, he said, “Ginger, would you marry me? I would love to spend my days living and hiking these mountains with you as my wife and best friend.” Ginger moved into James arms and whispered, “I will marry you. I am in love with you and this mountain. I would be proud to live on this mountain with you. One day we could raise a child here; a child who loves this mountain as much as its parents.”

  ***

  James heard the flutter of wings, watched the two ravens fly from the tree above them and then follow the thermals up into the sky. Then the birds turned south. James guessed the birds intended destination was that of Monique’s cabin. There they would spread the good news.

  ***

  When Ginger and James arrived in the campground near James house, they discovered that there were dozens of people camped there. James stepped up near a couple that stood in front of their tents having their pictures taken. The man was wearing a suit and the woman wore a beautiful white dress. James asked two people standing beside the photographer who was getting married. The woman laughed and said, “Actually all four of us are. Our weddings are scheduled thirty minutes apart at the chapel up there on top of the hill.” James looked where the woman pointed and then said, “Congratulations to all of you,” as he walked away. When he stepped up beside Ginger he said, “One of the men I worked with on the railroad was married there. It is a beautiful chapel. I will take you there to look around when we are clean.” Ginger looked James in the eyes and asked, “Are you saying I smell bad?” James chuckled and said, “No, I am saying that I smell bad.” Ginger giggled and said, “A little soap and water will do us both good.”

  When they walked into James house, they put their packs on the table in the garage. Ginger got the towel from her backpack and headed off to the bathroom in the guestroom. James headed into the house to his bathroom. Twenty minutes later, they met in the kitchen. Ginger was looking in the refrigerator for something to cook for them when James said, “I can thaw out two T-bone steaks from the freezer in the microwave. We can quickly cook them on the grill and put a couple of potatoes in the microwave to cook. We can have food to eat in twenty minutes.” Ginger smiled and said, “That sounds really good.”

  When they finished their meal, James asked, “Would you like to take a ride into town with me? I have something I would like to do before five o’clock. It is now half past three, we have plenty of time.”

  James drove the truck into the city and parked in the parking lot at city hall. He turned to Ginger and asked, “Are you ready to get a marriage license?” Ginger felt like a child going to the dentist for the first time as she stepped out of the truck and onto the tarmac. When they stepped inside city hall, James asked the clerk if they could get a marriage license. The woman smiled and said, “You have come to the right place. Give me one moment to get the form and we will begin.” Once she returned, she helped them fill out the paperwork. James asked if the three-day waiting period could be waived, explaining they had a previously scheduled backpacking adventure planned. The woman giggled and checked a box on the form. Then another woman stepped up to the counter and said, “I am the county clerk and I will stamp your license with the county seal.” Then she folded up the license and told James that the fee was ten dollars. Once he paid the fee, the clerk handed him the license and said, “Congratulations. I hope you two have a great life together.”

  When they got back to the truck, James put the license on the dash and then turned to Ginger. He said, “We have twenty four hours to wait before we can get married. I suggest that we take that time to insure we are both ready to take this important step in our lives. I love you very much and I am convinced we can make it work, however, I want to be certain you are prepared and understand what you are getting into.” Ginger looked into James eyes and said, “I could walk into that chapel on the hill right now and never look back. Here in the Seine Mountains is where I intend to spend the rest of my life. I love you and do not have to think about this any longer. Let’s prepare ourselves for a wedding as soon as we can arrange it at the chapel.”

  James took Ginger to a small store that sold clothing and shoes. The store was small and did not have a large selection, but Ginger easily found a nice dress, proper underwear and shoes. When they stepped up to the cash register to pay, Ginger pulled out a roll of bills, but James said, “Ginger, please allow me to pay for your clothing. This is one of my wedding presents to you. There may be things you will need to buy with your own money.” Ginger smiled and allowed James to pay. When they walked out of the store, Ginger stood on her toes and kissed James on the lips. When she stepped back, she said, “Thank you for the new clothes.” James laughed and said, “For kisses like that, I will buy you clothes every day.”

  On the way home, they stopped at the chapel. When they walked in the front entrance, they saw a man moving a table. They walked up to him and asked whom they would talk to about planning a wedding. The man offered his hand and introduced himself to James and Ginger. After they talked for a few minutes, the pastor explained that he could marry them tomorrow afternoon at two o�
�clock in the afternoon. James heard Ginger take a deep breath and slowly let it out. He turned to her, took hold of her hands and said, “I will wait for you to decide if tomorrow will work or if you need more time before we get married.” Ginger looked into James eyes and said, “I am very nervous, but I have carefully thought this through and I am very ready to marry you. I love you and I love this lifestyle we have chosen.” Then she turned to the pastor and said, “Tomorrow at two o’clock will work just fine, thank you.” The pastor looked at their marriage license and then folded it back up. He handed it to James and said, “I will see you tomorrow. I will have a witness here to sign the license with us after the ceremony.” James shook the pastor’s hand again and then took hold of Ginger’s hand as they headed back out to the truck.

  ***

  When James finished putting on his suit, he worked on getting his tie straight. Ginger stepped out of the guest room and walked into the house. She walked into James bedroom where he was fussing with the tie and stepped up beside him. James looked at Ginger in the mirror. He turned to her and said, “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. You are simply stunning in that dress.” He leaned in and kissed her on the lips then took hold of her hands. She looked into his eyes and said, “Shall we do this. I am ready to spend this night in that bed over there with my lover. I love you. Let’s get married.”

  When they stepped into the front entrance of the church, a woman in a white robe met them. She introduced herself as the pastor’s wife and assistant pastor. She walked with them to the front of the church and sat them down in the front pew. The woman asked if they had rings to exchange. James heard Ginger suck in a breath of air. James looked at her and said, “You should breathe my love. You are starting to turn blue.” Then he reached into the breast pocket of his suit coat and removed a small box. He opened the box and took out two rings. He let Ginger look at the rings and then put them back into the box. He handed the woman the rings. As she walked away, Ginger asked, “Where did you get those rings? They are simply beautiful and they look very old.” James said, “The rings were my Grandmother and Grandfather’s rings. My mother passed the rings to me before she died and she asked that I present them to my first wife. That time has arrived and I would like us to wear them. The rings are showing their age and we may have to retire them in the future. If we find we can no longer wear them, we will purchase new rings and say our vows to each other over again.” Ginger looked into James eyes and said, “I am going to cry.” James took a white handkerchief from his pocket so she could wipe her eyes. When she handed it back to him, he said, “My Grandparents were married for over fifty years; the rings are now over seventy years old. I hope these rings bring the same love my grandparent’s felt for each other to this marriage.”

  When the pastor walked to the top of the stairs leading to the altar, he motioned for Ginger and James to join him. When they stood facing him, he talked to them a moment and then began the ceremony. Then he turned them so they faced each other so they could recite the vows they had prepared. When they both had finished their vows, the pastor asked for the rings. The pastor’s wife opened the small box and handed the smaller ring to James. Once he had placed the ring on her finger the woman handed the other ring to Ginger. Once both rings were on their fingers, the pastor finished the ceremony. When he told James that he could kiss his bride, the tears began to run down Ginger’s cheeks. She kissed James and then hugged him until she could calm her emotions. James took out his handkerchief and helped his bride dry her eyes again.

  As they walked down the aisle, hand in hand, towards the back door, Ginger asked, “How did you know that the rings would fit? How did you know my ring size?” James said, “Let’s just say that a birdy told me the answer.” When they arrived at the back door, the pastor’s wife met them. She laid the marriage license on a small table and had James and Ginger both sign it. Then she signed it as a witness. The pastor had already signed the license.

  When they walked out into the parking lot, the sun was out and it was a beautiful afternoon. James said, “It is three o’clock in the afternoon and we are all dressed up. How about if we take time to see a movie and then have dinner at the hotel. The have an incredible chef.” Ginger slid her hand into James and said, “I am game. I saw the marquee at the movie theater earlier today. They are showing the animated movie, Finding Nemo. I would love to see that movie.” When James parked the truck, they realized that the parking lot was full. Once they purchased their tickets, Ginger said, “I need a bottle of water before we go in.” Once they walked into the theatre, they quickly found two seats, but there were children all around them. As the previews began playing, they realized that the parents were walking along the aisle and quieting down the children. By the time the movie started, the parents had the kids under control.

  When the movie ended, Ginger headed straight for the restroom. The bottle of water she drank during the movie had worked its way through her body. When she stepped out of the restroom, she took hold of James and said, “I was about to explode while sitting in the theatre. Now that I have peed, I am now hungry.” James laughed and said, “Let’s make a stop at the drugstore and then we will go get some food.” Ginger giggled and said, “Can I help with your purchases in the drug store?” James smiled and said, “Of course you can. We are partners in this marriage.”

  When they entered the restaurant, they told the receptionist their names. She said, “It will be just a few minutes and I will have a table for you. You both look very nice tonight, are you celebrating anything?” James said, “We were just married this afternoon.” The woman said, “Congratulations. I will have a table for you shortly.”

  When the waiter seated them, she said, “We have spaghetti and meatballs on special tonight. We also have a fine prime rib that the chef cooked this evening. The prime rib comes with a potato and the salad bar.” Once the waiter brought them both some coffee, they ordered the prime rib dinner. When Ginger ordered her prime rib cooked rare, James said, “I would like mine cooked a little; how about making mine, medium, please.”

  When their food arrived, the waitress asked, “Are your steaks cooked the way you like them?” Ginger looked at her steak and said, “Mine is perfect.” James chuckled over the bloody mass on her plate and then said, “My steak is also just the way I like it. Thank you.” The waitress laid two more linen napkins on the table and said, “These napkins will help protect your beautiful white dress from splatters. It would be a shame to allow it to be ruined.”

  As they finished their salads, they discussed what James intended to do with his home in the city if they were going to live in the mountain cabin. He said, “I would like to have a yard sale and sell off the things I no longer need. I will rent a storage building to store the things I wish to take up to the cabin, things like the rest of my camping and fishing gear. We can sell the rest and put the money away for things that we need later in life.” Ginger said, “You do realize that we have to make another trip up to Monique’s cabin and we need to do it soon. I would like to tell my friends about this marriage myself, before Charles and Sally does the deed for me.” Charles said, “I think we should get up tomorrow, pack up our backpacks and hike up to the cabin. If we start out early, we can be there before dark.” Ginger looked into Charles eyes and said, “I have one more thing that I would like to tell you, but I need for you to keep an open mind.” James reached across the table and squeezed Ginger’s hand. Then he said, “You can tell me anything. I will not judge you, question you, or interfere in the things you need to do.” Ginger said, “When we have sorted through the things you wish to take to the mountain cabin, Monique can move them up there with a simple wave of her hand. No need to lug the things up there in our backpacks when Monique is around.” Charles sat looking at Ginger for a moment and then said, “Okay. That will work.” Ginger giggled and said, “I know all this is difficult, but you will soon begin to enjoy the magic that comes from this mountain.”

 
***

  When James and Ginger walked up to the back door of James house, he unlocked the door and then turned to Ginger. He said, “I have always wanted to do this.” Then he picked her up and carried her into the living room before setting her down on her feet. She giggled and then turned and kissed her husband hard on the lips. Then she said, “I forgot something in the truck. I will be right back.” When she returned, she carried the small bag from the pharmacy into James bedroom and then returned. She stepped up to him and said, “Tonight I intend to shower with my husband.” James giggled and said, “I am a little out of practice scrubbing backs, since my sister refused to take baths with me when we turned six years old. However, I think I can remember how.”

  When they stepped into the shower together for the first time, James said, “I will wash your back first.” Ginger turned around and handed her husband the bar of soap. As he lathered up her back and began scrubbing, she said, “I think I am going to love our shower time together. That feels really good.” James said, “Much better than washing my sister’s back.” Ginger turned around and faced James. She said, “I will wash your back now.” When the backwashing was over, they washed their own bodies and rinsed off. As they began drying themselves off, James said, “I have waited long enough.” He picked up Ginger and her towel and carried her to the bed. She quickly slid under the covers and covered her naked body. Then she threw off the covers and said, “I have no reason for modesty tonight.”

  When the sun rose and cast shadows into the bedroom window. James moved over and snuggled up close to Ginger. She moved up closer to him when she woke and then said, “It feels as if you forget and left your bottle of bug spray in your pajama pocket.” James chuckled and said, “Sorry. I will try to remember to empty my pockets before snuggling up to you in the future.”