The Widow's Choice

by Gilbert, Morris

  “You go fishing in January? That doesn’t sound like fun to me.”

  “I don’t go often, but you can usually catch something if you can stand the cold.”

  “It sounds like a wonderful adventure for the boys. How long would you be gone?”

  “We’d leave Friday afternoon after school and come back Sunday night. It’s a nice cabin, tight and warm. I’ve taken the pastor and his boys before. We always have a good time.” He suddenly looked down at the floor and was silent for a moment. He continued with a wistful note in his voice. “I’ve let the men of the church take their boys to the camp many times, but this time it’ll be almost like having three boys of my own along.”

  “I’ll let you tell them, Oscar. They’re playing in Zac’s bedroom. It seems like I spend my life thanking you.”

  “No need to thank me. It’s something that I’ve wanted to do, and I consider it a privilege that you’ll let me spend time with your boys.”

  ****

  “Are you ready to go, fellas?” Oscar Moran asked. “We’re going to meet up with the other men in just over an hour, but I want to stop at a store and get you some warmer clothes first.”

  “These are the warmest we have, Mr. Moran,” Tim told him.

  “It’ll be cold out there sitting on a deer stand. You fellows need to be fixed up.”

  Oscar drove downtown with the boys packed in the car along with all their supplies. “Boys, I want you to have fun on this trip.”

  “We will, Mr. Moran,” Zac said eagerly. “You bet we will!”

  “That’s the idea, but I have to tell you now there are rules. It can be dangerous in the woods. You’ll be handling guns, and there’ll be other people out hunting. You have to do everything I say, and I mean everything. Your mother would never forgive me if anything happened to you, and I’d certainly never forgive myself. Whatever I tell you, you must do it instantly as a matter of safety. Understood?”

  “We’ll listen to you, Mr. Moran,” Tim said quickly. “We’ve never gotten to do anything like this before, so we’ll do what you say.”

  “That’s good. Carl and Zac, do I have your word too?”

  They all agreed that they understood the rules.

  Moran drove to the sporting goods store and fully equipped the boys with warm boots, heavy socks, pants, and bright orange wool mackinaws and hunting caps. They all strutted around in the store in their new getups.

  “Can we wear these and put our old clothes in a bag?” Zac asked.

  “I don’t see why not.” Oscar grinned. “You’re certainly colorful enough. Nobody would mistake you for a deer. That’s why you have bright clothes like that.”

  “Gosh, Mr. Moran,” Tim said. “Thanks so much for these clothes. They feel great and they’re so warm.” The other boys chimed in, and Oscar waved his hand and cut them off.

  “I’m glad to do it, boys. It makes me feel young myself to be around you fellows. Let’s be on our way.”

  ****

  Paul Root, the music director of First Baptist Church of Jonesboro, had big ideas for the music program. Usually his ideas were bigger than the talent he had available, but he never grew discouraged. He loved his work, no matter the skill level of the people. He had invited Alona to meet him at the church on Saturday afternoon before choir rehearsal while the boys were on their hunting trip. Normally the choir practised on Wednesday night, but he had called a special rehearsal in order to read through the new music.

  After the two exchanged greetings, Alona told him about the trip and how excited all three of the boys had been before they left.

  “It’s good for Oscar too,” Paul said. “He told me all about it. I think he was at least as excited as the boys.”

  After a little more talk, he said, “I was hoping you would help me with the Easter cantata. It’s going to be quite an undertaking, Alona. It’s more difficult than most of the music we do. I was wondering if you would mind working with the sopranos and altos for part of each rehearsal. I’d like to have sectionals to help each group feel more comfortable with the music.”

  Alona was pleased that he had asked her. Now that she wasn’t working, she had plenty of time on her hands, and she was confident that she would do a good job. It would also give her an opportunity to use her piano skills, which were getting a bit rusty. “I would enjoy that, Paul. Thanks for asking.”

  He showed her a few of the pages that he thought would be most difficult for the women while she marked the spots with bookmarks.

  “What do you think about Jason joining the choir?” Alona asked curiously

  “I think it’s great. Have you heard him sing?”

  “No, I haven’t.”

  “You’ll be surprised. I think he could have been a professional singer if he’d wanted to.”

  “Have you heard people talking about the way he lives? I’ve heard that drinking is a real problem for him.”

  “Yes, I’ve heard that too,” Paul said reluctantly. “I guess he gets to thinking about what he could have been and it gets him down. But I think it’s a good thing for him to be in church.”

  “That’s exactly what I think.”

  “You encourage him all you can, Alona, and I’ll do the same. And we’ve got to recruit some more people for the cantata.”

  “Maybe we can get some of the Methodists to come, or the Pentecostals.”

  “I’d even take an Episcopalian,” Paul said, then laughed. “I’ll take anybody who can sing.”

  As the choir members started arriving, Paul greeted them each enthusiastically.

  Alona was keeping an eye out for Jason, and when he arrived, she went up to him at once. He was already being greeted by two of the other tenors. “I’m glad to see you, Jason.”

  “Gosh, I feel like I’ve been ambushed.” He looked around nervously. “I’m as out of place here as a bullfrog on a highway with his hopper busted.”

  “You shouldn’t feel like that.”

  “Yes I should. I’m not living for the Lord, and I know it, and everybody else knows it too.”

  Alona felt sorry for the man. She did not know him very well, but she knew his talent and even his life were being wasted. “We all have our problems. Some people’s are just easier to see than others’.”

  Paul Root called out that he was ready to start and asked everyone to take a seat. He asked them to pause for a moment of prayer and then he passed out the new music. “We’re going to have the best Easter cantata we’ve ever had!” he exclaimed, excitement glowing in his eyes. “I’m going to count on all of you to come faithfully to practice and recruit anybody who has any talent at all, whether they come to this church or not. We’ll sing together and we’ll pray together, and we’ll show this town what Easter should be like—at least in music.”

  They started sight-reading the new cantata, and Alona was surprised to hear the clear, powerful tenor of Jason Moran’s voice. Why, he’s great!

  After the rehearsal, as they were putting their music folders on the shelves, Alona said, “You have a beautiful voice, Jason.”

  “Thank you, Alona. I like the cantata we’re working on.” They went to the coatrack and Jason held her coat for her. “Have you eaten any supper yet?” he asked.

  “No, I haven’t.”

  “Why don’t we stop off and get something at the café? And then I’ll give you a ride home. Oscar gave me strict orders to take you home after practice.”

  “That sounds good. I’m starved.”

  The two got into his car and went to the Royal Café. Jason ordered a steak and she ordered a sandwich. While they were waiting, they talked about the musical program.

  “I still think this is some kind of a mistake for me to be singing in the church choir.” He gazed off into the distance, sorrow and regret in his eyes. “I drink sometimes, you know.”

  “Do you?”

  “You probably already knew it but you’re too nice to say so. Well, I do drink. Sometimes when I get down, I just can’t seem t
o help it.”

  “Oscar told me you crashed your plane when you were flying for the navy.”

  “That’s right. Before that, it was the happiest time of my life. I love to fly.” He told her about what it was like to fly far above the ground, looking down at cars that looked like toys and clouds that looked like cotton. After their food arrived, he said, “When my plane went down that day, it didn’t hurt me physically, but it did something inside me. I got in another plane the next day, but I froze. Couldn’t even start down the runway. I guess I just lost my nerve. I was so lucky to walk away from that plane. I’m still not sure how I survived it.”

  After the two had finished their meals, they sat there drinking coffee for a time, and finally they got up and left. He was silent as he drove her home, and when he stopped in front of her house, she waited until he got out and opened the door.

  “Thanks for the meal,” she said.

  “You’re welcome. It’s good to be doing something different for a change. I’m pretty lonesome, but I’ll bet those boys of yours aren’t. I’ll bet they’re having the time of their lives.”

  “It was wonderful for Oscar to take them for the weekend like he did,” Alona said as he walked her to the house.

  “He’s a generous man.”

  “I’m looking forward to the cantata.” She opened the front door.

  “I think it will be a good one. You have a beautiful voice.”

  “Well, thank you. I don’t sing as well as you do.”

  “Maybe we can do a duet sometime.”

  “Maybe so. Good night, Jason.”

  “Good night, Alona.”

  ****

  When the boys came piling into the house the next evening, they were all trying to talk above the others. “I shot a deer, Mom,” Zac yelled, “and we dressed it out, and I brought some of the meat home.”

  “And I caught a six-pound bass,” Carl said, “but we ate him!”

  “It was great, Mom,” Tim said. “We had so much fun with Roger and Mike—and Leon too.”

  “Where did you get these new clothes?”

  “Mr. Moran said we needed warmer clothes. He bought them for us before we left. Ain’t they keen?” Zac said, strutting around.

  Oscar came in, arms loaded with packages of venison. “You won’t have to worry about meat for a few days. Have you ever cooked deer?”

  “Yes, I have. I always soak it overnight in saltwater. It makes it tender.” She motioned for him to put the packages on the counter. “Can you stay for a cup of coffee?”

  “Absolutely.”

  The boys could not speak fast enough as they all sat at the kitchen table and told Alona about the weekend. Oscar sat back, saying little but smiling. After he finished his coffee, he said, “Well, I’ve got to go.”

  “I’ll go to the door with you.”

  “Mr. Moran, it was the best time we ever had, all of us,” Tim said. “Thanks a lot.” He put his hand out, and Oscar shook it.

  “Tim, it was the best time I ever had too.” He shook hands with the other two boys as well. “We’ll have to do something like this again. You save some time for me, all right?”

  The boys assured him they were ready for anything, and they stayed in the kitchen while Alona walked Oscar to the front door.

  “They had such a wonderful time,” she said.

  “So did I.” He buttoned his coat. “There’s a concert over in Dayton next Saturday. I don’t know how good it’ll be, but I know you love music. Would you like to go with me?”

  “That would be nice, Oscar.”

  “Good. I’ll pick you up about five o’clock. We’ll go get something to eat before the concert. Can you get someone to stay with the boys?”

  “Oh, I’ll leave Tim in charge. He’s very responsible.”

  “They’re fine boys.” Oscar shook his head. “I know you must be very proud of them.”

  “I am.”

  “I’ll see you Saturday, then.”

  Alona closed the door, and as she walked back to the kitchen, she suddenly realized, He is interested in me. The thought troubled her. She had never thought of remarriage, but now she began to wonder if Oscar Moran could be a man she might learn to love. She knew she could never marry again unless she felt the Lord’s blessing on it. When she went into the kitchen, the boys were still talking about their adventure.

  “Did Mr. Moran take good care of you?” she asked.

  “Oh, Mom, he spent all the time with us! He’s very careful with guns, and he taught us all how to shoot. Even Carl got to shoot the big deer rifle.”

  “He bought us all these nice clothes, Mom,” Zac said. “And he told us he has a pool table. He said we can come over sometime and play pool.”

  “That would be fun.”

  “Would you go too, Mom,” Tim wanted to know, “if he asked you?”

  “I expect I would, Tim. I’ve never played pool, but it might be fun.”

  He started to ask another question, but then he suddenly broke it off. She thought she knew what the question would be, but Tim would have to ask it himself.

  CHAPTER NINE

  An Elegant House

  “Tim, you’ve done a great job on this painting.”

  Tim stared at the painting on the easel rather doubtfully. “You really think so, Jason?”

  “Sure do. See how you’ve blended the various grays in the sky to make it look overcast? And here you’ve got this little bit of vermilion to show that the good weather’s about to come.”

  “I don’t think I did very well with the trees.”

  “It’s a lot better than the last time. You’re doing well, son—you’re really making progress.” Tim seemed to enjoy having the time with a father figure as much as he did painting. Jason stood beside Tim, his hand resting on the boy’s shoulder. He understood a little about how the boy felt, for when he had shown an interest in painting when he was young, not much older than Tim, Oscar had shown no understanding at all. Jason had worked hard to save his own money for paints and canvas and books, but he had never been able to persuade Oscar to let him take lessons. Later, after joining the navy, all of his free time went to studying the technical aspects of flying.

  Tim turned suddenly. “I’m using up all the canvases, and they cost a lot of money.”

  “You have to use canvas to learn how to paint. Sometimes I painted over old paintings and then I wished I hadn’t.”

  “Why, Jason?”

  “Because I wish I’d kept all my paintings. Kind of a record of my life at that time. You want to keep all these, Tim. One of these days you’ll look back and you’ll remember how you struggled with these. It’ll be easy for you then.”

  “I don’t see how you paint your leaves so easily,” Tim said, leaning forward.

  “I’ll show you. Here. Let’s work on this tree together. Watch me do a little, and then you try to do what I’ve done.”

  The two worked for over an hour, Tim’s face alight with eagerness, and Jason smiling from time to time thinking how much the boy was like him when he was that age.

  Jason put his brush down. “Well, I’ve got to be headed to work. It’s going to be—” The door opened, and Alona stood there smiling.

  “Can I come in or is this for artists only?”

  “Come in, Mom. Look at how I’ve done this tree. Isn’t it neat? Jason showed me how to do it real easy.”

  Alona was pleased at the happy, excited expression on Tim’s face. Zac took this same sort of excitement and interest in sports, and Carl in making mechanical projects. But painting was the only thing that brought such joy to Tim. “That is really wonderful!” she said as she came closer. “You’ve even got the old windmill in there. I’d know this place anywhere.”

  “He’s doing real great, Alona,” Jason said. “He’ll never be as good as I am, of course.” He winked at Tim.

  “You are so egotistical, Jason Moran!”

  “Like Dizzy Dean says, it ain’t bragging if you can do it.”
>
  “I guess there’s some logic to that.”

  “I’ve got to get to work—back to the salt mine,” Jason said.

  “Thanks for showing me how to do the leaves, Jason.”

  “I did my best, but at some point you’ll need a real teacher.”

  “Gosh, I wish I could have a class in painting instead of English or some of the other stuff I have at school!”

  “You’ll need that too,” Jason said. “Do your best at everything. I’ll teach you what little I know, which isn’t a lot, and someday you’ll be a full-fledged painter.”

  “That’s what I want to do more than anything!”

  “You stick with it, then.” Jason turned to Alona and said, “I’ll see you tonight at practice.”

  “It’s going well, isn’t it?” Alona said as she walked with Jason out of Tim’s bedroom and toward the door.

  “Yes, it is.” Jason put on his overcoat and donned his hat. “You know, I’ve really enjoyed singing in the choir, and Brother Byron is a great preacher.”

  “I think so too, and the cantata is going to be wonderful. Everyone in the choir is aware of how much you add to it.”

  “I’m lucky they haven’t kicked me out.” He grinned. “I’ll see you later, Alona.”

  ****

  Oscar pulled his Oldsmobile up in front of Alona’s house, turned the engine off, and leaned back in the seat. “Did you like the concert?”

  “Very much, and the dinner was wonderful. I hope I didn’t embarrass you by eating so much.”

  “I think we were both equally guilty about that. Doc Roberts keeps on me to lose weight, but I can’t seem to stop eating. When I was younger it was easier.”

  “You really ought to pay attention to what the doctor says.”

  “Now, don’t you start in. Jason stays on my back every day about eating too much.”

  “You should listen to him.”

  “I know I should, but there are very few pleasures in life that I really enjoy. Eating’s one of them.” He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “But I enjoyed tonight very much. I hope we can do it again sometime.”

  “Of course we can.”

  “You know, Alona, I get very lonely at times.” He stared out at the street for a moment and then said quietly, “I’m sure you do too.”